LIBRARY MUSINGS: Spring is here!

April means "April Showers" and that spring is truly here. Siloam Springs celebrates the Dogwood Festival the last weekend of April, which is a sign that spring has sprung. The library has a display about the Dogwood Festival in the Display Case. Troy Anderson, Donetta Samuels, the Siloam Springs Museum, the Siloam Springs Herald-Leader and the library partnered to provide this display that gives historical context to the Dogwood Days.

"Don't Be Fooled By These Book Covers" is the theme of the April book display. Some titles include "The Incorruptibles" by John Hornor Jacobs, "Vinegar Girl" by Anne Tyler, and "Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

The library hours will be changing effective the week of April 5. The updated hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Please come and see us all week as you have before, but now you can see us on Saturdays as well! Curbside service is Monday through Friday 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is at the library! You can sign your child(ren) up for this program at the library, online through the READsquared app, or the website http://siloamspringslibrary.readsquared.com. Your child will receive a reading log when you register at the library or you can log their reading through the READsquared app/website. You can also get information about how to sign up for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library which partners well with 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.

The 2021 Adult Reading Challenge is a spin-off of the mad-libs story. Participants will read books, fill in the category they have read, and will end up with their own mad-lib type story. So, challenge yourself to read a book with a one-word title or one that is part of a series. We are eager to see what stories you will come up with at the end of this venture!

American art books were contributed to the library through a gift by the Alice L. Walton Foundation through the Arkansas State Library and Arkansas Center for the Book in collaboration with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Take time to celebrate the gifts American artists have contributed to us. These books will be displayed on the "New Book" shelf through the end of April.

"Digital Resources" highlighted in April include:

• "The Old Farmer's Almanac" -- Find out when to plant, the weather of the day, the recipe of the day and much more information. This publication has been in existence since 1792 and has helped guide many throughout the years!

• "The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids" -- This is the children's version of the "Old Farmer's Almanac" and provides a daily calendar of events and the weather in addition to fun educational activities!

• Poetry Foundation -- This site is one of the go-to sites for original poetry, biographies of poets as well as providing essays and other sources of information about poetry. April is National Poetry Month!

Virtual programming is available for preschoolers through young adults. Please check www.siloamsprings.com/library for more details! There will be links to Facebook, Siloam Springs Public Library Children's Programming, and Instagram for these programs.

We are planning the 2021 Summer Reading Program. The theme is "Tails & Tales" which will focus on animals and stories. We will be using the amphitheater for Tuesday family programs and are planning on having limited programs throughout the week for different ages. More details will be in the May Library Musings column.

Please visit the Library's Facebook page at https://ww.facebook.com/SiloamSpringsPublicLibrary, the library's blog at https://siloamspringslibrary.wordpress.com, the Library's website at https://www.siloamsprings.com/library, call us at 479-524-4236 or e-mail us at [email protected] for more information about what the library has to offer.

And, as always, we will see you at the library!

"Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful." -- Rita Dove

-- Dolores Deuel is the library manager at Siloam Springs Public Library. The opinions expressed are those of the author.