Enjoy the window art that is on the front windows. This artwork is courtesy of the high school art class and Lacy Snorr, who is one of our newer staff members. Also check out the holiday book display, the decorations throughout the library, and the display case to help you get in the spirit of Christmas and the New Year!
"The Night Before Christmas" by Clement Moore is featured in the StoryWalk that is available in downtown Siloam Springs through the month of December. This project combines family, exercise, and literacy. The walk begins at the library where families can pick up a map that will lead them to downtown with stops at 12 businesses. Each business will display two pages from the book in a window or door. Then families will finish the story at Siloam Flowers & Gifts. Once you have finished the story, an incentive prize is waiting for you at the library.
The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vt., and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
Amnesty Weeks will be happening at the library Monday, Dec. 21 to Sunday, Jan. 10. You have the opportunity to return any item that is overdue, and late charges will not be assessed. So please return these items to the library and give yourself a present by virtue of not having to pay the late charges. It does not matter how long you have had the item. However, if the item is damaged, the replacement cost of the item and a $5 processing fee will be assessed to your library card. Charges that are on your card currently will remain and not be waived.
New "Digital Resources" include:
• National Day Calendar -- Do you want to know what special days are celebrated on your birthday, your anniversary, your children's birthday? Do you want to know when National Brownie Day is? By the way, that was Dec. 8. National Dress Up Your Pet Day is Jan. 14. This is a fun site to check out as we start a new year and a new calendar!
• ABCya! -- A fun way for kids of all ages to learn concepts! Try the Christmas Lights game that is on the first-grade holiday section of this site.
We offer virtual programming for Elementary Craft Time on Tuesdays, Preschool Story Time on Wednesdays, Elementary Story Time on Thursdays, and Young Adult Programming on Thursdays. Please check www.siloamsprings.com/library for more details! There will be links to Facebook, Siloam Springs Public Library Children's Programming, and Instagram to access these programs.
Some holiday items at the library include:
"An Ivy Hill Christmas" by Julie Klassen (Fiction)
"The Spider Who Saved Christmas" by Raymond Arroyo (Children's)
"Stanley's Christmas Adventure" by Jeff Brown (Juvenile)
"Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances" (Young Adult Book)
"Call Me Mrs. Miracle" (DVD)
"The Spirit of Christmas" (Music CD)
1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a challenge for children to have this many books read to them as well as starting to learn to read before Kindergarten. Children have through Dec. 31, 2020 of their Kindergarten year to complete this challenge. Graduation will still take place. The details of how this will occur will be included in the graduate's invitation.
You still have time to complete "Book Bingo," the Adult Reading Challenge. The last day to write down books you have read or listened to for this challenge is Dec. 31, 2020. Books and audiobooks checked out from the library and ArkansasLibrary2Go are eligible for this challenge. Thank you to DaySpring Outlet Store, Matthias J. Pearson Architect, and Creekside Taproom for sponsoring the 2020 Book Bingo Blackout and providing the prizes. This year's grand prize is a 7-inch Kindle. The grand prize will be given out in a drawing of those patrons who have a blackout on their bingo card. You get a prize for your first bingo and your third bingo as well. More details about the next year's version of the adult reading challenge will be coming!
Curbside pick-up for items held is now available Monday through Friday, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Be sure to set up an appointment for this service if you do not want to come into the library to pick up the items you have placed on hold.
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!
"It was the beginning of the greatest Christmas ever. Little food. No presents. But there was a snowman in their basement." -- "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak
-- Dolores Deuel is the library manager at Siloam Springs Public Library. The opinions expressed are those of the author.