By Jan Pease
“Fast away the
old year passes.” These words
from “Deck the Halls,” dating back to 1866 or so, have been echoing in my
mind. Of course, that means that the
tune is also echoing in my brain as an “ear worm” which is pleasant but
irritating. I don’t know if it’s reassuring to realize that 147 years ago
people were feeling that end-of-the year-is-coming-so-quickly rush. I wonder what Thomas Oliphant would have
thought about our modern rush. He is
believed to have written the words now sung to this old tune and I doubt if he
knew how accurate “fast away the old year passes” seems today.
It’s
time to mark your calendars for the next season of library programming. We’re
making some changes and I’m excited about what’s coming up in January.
After
School Book Club will begin January 8th at 3:15 and will meet on the
second Tuesday of each month. This book
club is for students in grades 3-5.
Mary Hansen leads this book club and they always have interesting books
and activities. The book for January is “Eleven Birthdays,” by Wendy Mass.
Toddler
Time begins January 9th at 10:15.
This weekly story time is planned for babies and toddlers through age
two. Older children usually join us, but our emphasis is on very early
literacy.
Beginners’
Book Club begins January 10th at 3:15. This new book club is for children in grades
1 and 2, but 3rd graders who read below third grade level are very
welcome. The book for January is “Pete
the Cat: I Love my White Shoes,” by Eric Litwin. Beginners’ Book Club is planned for the
second Thursday of each month.
Family
Story Time also begins January 10th at 7:00 p.m. This is a weekly bedtime story time. Children often attend in their pj’s; the expectation
is that they go home and go to bed. They
often laugh as we sing our good night song, but I try to send them home without
winding them up.
Preschool Story Hour begins Friday, January 11th
at 10:00. This weekly story hour is
planned for children ages 3 through 6.
Story Hour includes a simple art project. We base a lot of our themes on the “We Care”
curriculum, written by Bertie W. Kingore and Glenda M. Higbee and published by Scott Foresman. This is an older
curriculum, but I like it because it’s easy to adapt to our use at the
library.
Young Adult Book Club
begins at 3:15 on Monday, February 25th, postponed from January.
This book club is for students in Middle School through High School and
is planned for the 4th Monday of each month. The book for February is “Ashen Winter,” the
second book of the “Ashfall” trilogy by Mike Mullin.
Fun with 4-H @ the
library begins January 24th.
Darcy Cole has great ideas for students in kindergarten
through grade five in 2013. Bring
friends, come and have fun each month while you learn. This program is free and co-sponsored by
Meeker County Extension and the library.
I always have a hard
time getting used to a new year, and writing a new date, but I think that 2013
will be our best year ever at Litchfield Public Library. See you there!
