“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery, “The Little Prince.”
We’re excited to bring back our annual Tiny Art Show this month. In January, patrons painted tiny artworks on canvas. Throughout February, these beautiful works of art will be displayed in the library. Be sure to stop to check them out.
If you’re looking for something fun to do this month, consider joining one of our regular programs - there’s something for everyone. We have a weekly game-based group - Mahjong - that meets each Thursday evening, and a knit and crochet group that meets Tuesday afternoons. Younger kids will love our weekly Storytime on Fridays.
If you’re looking for some fun activities for your child or teen, we have a monthly Lego club for kids in grades K-5, and a game/chess club for all ages. For teens we have teen makers club and teen book club.
Tiny art show: throughout February. Community members have contributed to our tiny art show. Original artwork, on 3”x5” canvases, will be displayed during February. Come enjoy the variety of talent that each piece represents.
Knit & crochet group: Tuesdays, 3 p.m. Gather on the main floor for yarn crafts and conversation. Bring the project you are working on and enjoy friendly conversation as you knit or crochet.
Mahjong: Thursdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. for everyone who loves to play or wants to learn. All skill levels welcome.
Storytime: Fridays, 10:30 a.m. Martha will be on the lower level of the library for rhymes, songs, and stories to entertain your littles. Theme: Alphabet with secondary themes celebrating holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Chinese New year, Take your Child to the Library Day and Black History Month.
Healthy Kids Program: Friday, Feb. 2, 3-4 p.m. A reading and craft/play program for students of the Healthy Kids After School Program on the first Fridays of each month. This month a tour of the library and encouragement to kids to apply for a library card. Demonstrations for kids about how Libby and Hoopla work for exploring media like e-books, audiobooks, music, movies and more.
Growing African Violets: Saturday, Feb. 3, 11 AM-1 p.m. Christy Stevens has been growing and selling African violets for decades. Come to the lower level as she shares a brief history of these plants. She will explain good growing practices, demonstrate how to fix a violet that looks like a palm tree and tell us how to propagate these beautiful houseplants.
Chess/Game Club: First and third Wednesdays, 3-4:30 p.m. Learn to play new games or enjoy games you already love. Come with a friend, siblings, or come alone. Plenty of games to choose from - all ages welcomed.
Valentine’s Savings Workshop from SFCU: Friday, Feb. 9, 3-4:30 p.m. A Sidney Federal Credit Union representative will present hands-on activities and information for kids and their parents to learn about budgeting and saving. Light snacks will be served.
Teen Makers Club: Second and fourth Wednesdays, 3:30-5 p.m. A program for makers, artists, and creatives to unleash your imagination and express yourself. “Exploring the Self” is the theme for February’s club with activities that explore our inner and outer lives through art making.
Sourdough bread making workshop: Thursday, Feb. 15, 6:30-7:30 p.m. There’s nothing like fresh bread, especially sourdough. Adults and older teens are invited to come learn all they need to know about the process with The Loaf Lab owner Jen Cutting. Participants will go home with starter they will begin at the class. Cutting will demonstrate how to make the starter into dough. Participates will have the opportunity to sample fresh bread. Space is limited; registration is required. Call the library at 607-865-5929.
Lego Club: Friday, Feb. 16, 3-4 p.m. Kids in grades K-5, gather on the lower level for the monthly Lego Club meeting. Legos provided; no sign up necessary. Creations will be displayed in the children’s room.
Teen Book Club: Saturday, Feb. 17, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on the lower level. Snacks and drinks included. The book this month is “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas ©2017. Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does — or does not — say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
Copies can be reserved by calling the library at 607-865-5929, or by visiting www.4cls.org
Creating Healthy Snacks with CCE: Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Need something fun to do during your school break? Students, age 5 and up are invited to the library to learn why fruits and vegetables keep us healthy with Maegan from Cornell Cooperative Extension. Participants will learn how to make buttermilk ranch dressing to dip vegetables in. Registration required; call the library at 607-865-5929. This class requires a minimum of five participants.
Medicare 101: Saturday, Feb. 24, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Are you currently enrolled in Medicare or turning 65 over the next year or two? Learn about eligibility, how and when to enroll, when you can make changes, and insurance options available. Review and compare what services are covered/not covered under Medicare Parts A, B, C and D. Detail the costs associated with medical and drug insurance. Explore and evaluate Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement Insurance, Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans. This program will simplify the choices you need to make, help you make more well-informed decisions and explain what Medicare means for you. This is a virtual educational event. Self-register with your first name only at https://bit.ly/3SEQog6
Book club discussion: Wednesday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m. on the lower level. Reading this month: “Nightcrawling” by Leila Mottley ©2023. Kiara and her brother Marcus are scraping by in an East Oakland apartment complex optimistically called the Regal-Hi. Both have dropped out of high school, their family fractured by death and prison. But while Marcus clings to his dream of rap stardom, Kiara hunts for work to pay their rent — which has more than doubled — and to keep the nine-year-old boy next door, abandoned by his mother, safe and fed. One night, what begins as a drunken misunderstanding with a stranger turns into the job Kiara never imagined wanting but now desperately needs: nightcrawling. Her world breaks open even further when her name surfaces in an investigation that exposes her as a key witness in a massive scandal within the Oakland Police Department. Copies can be reserved by calling the library at 607-865-5929, or by visiting www.4cls.org
