Saline County Library EXPERIENCES December 2021

Saline County Library EXPERIENCES December 2021

SALINE COUNTY LIBRARY EXPERIENCES DECEMBER 2021

Meet our November Employees of the Month: Ashlyn & Sabina! It’s GIVEAWAY TIME! Find out how you can win our last giveaway of the year!

Full list of virtual and in-person events and the calendar for December! We’re rewriting tradition! Get a sneak peak of SCL’s new brand launching soon!

M-Th 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM, F-Sa 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library 1800 Smithers Drive Benton, AR 72015 501-778-4766

Mabel Boswell Memorial Library 201 Prickett Road Bryant, AR 72022 501-847-2166

The year is winding down and it’s feeling like winter which means it’s time for our Warm Wishes project to start. We’ll have our hats, scarves, and gloves out for anyone who needs them this winter. We’re taking donations of any kind. If you knit or crochet, we would love to have your handiwork on our Warm Wishes tree! We’re also partnering with the Benton schools to host a clothes drive that consists of collecting gently used or new hoodies, sweatshirts, joggers, and sweatpants for students. One last thing: we will now be taking donations year-round for our community pantry. Boxes will be placed in the front of both of our buildings to take up snack food and hygiene items.

Sincerely, Patty Hector

Employees of the Month

Sabina: Bryant Sabina goes above and beyond to not only help our patrons, but her co-workers too. She takes care of all materials that need to be repaired, color codes our free books, helps with pulling new items, plus the day-to-day responsibilities and whatever pops up. She is constantly positive and cheerful and makes our work environment fun. She is a diligent worker and good teacher. She has been at Bryant for over 5 years now and knows the ins and outs of the system. We just love Sabina!

Ashlyn: Benton

Ashlyn fully jumped into her position as YS Assistant: Makerspace when she started in April 2021. Since then, she’s had so many fun and innovative ideas that our patrons will benefit from in the future. She is such a pleasure to work with! Her revamping of the various library kits system has raised the overall quality of maintaining the kits and the checking in/out flow of the kits. Her creative mind and artistic skill have been seen all over the youth area and has made the children’s area of the library bright and welcoming.

It’s getting colder, so our warming tree is out. Help out our community and bring any unused gloves, scarves, and hats to the library!

WE’RE rewri t ing tradi t ion! For the last six months, our Marketing department has been working on a new logo, new website, and a new calendar. With that, they’ve also been redesigning signage (and creating new signage!), making new marketing materials, drafting up new staff materials, and more! We’re rebranding! But what does that mean? • New logo • New colors • New calendar • New signage • New website • Same library! Starting in December, these aspects will roll out in phases to let you, our patrons, get used to everything. No programs, services, or check-out materials will change--just the look of things! With that, we will begin a new color-coding system for our age groups: Children Tween Teen Adult All Ages What does it mean to rewri te tradi t ion? One thing is clear: libraries are key to remembering traditions, preserving history, and exploring the past. But one thing that is not expected is libraries holding a strong influence in changing habits and constantly evolving to meet community needs. At the Saline County Library, we focus on being involved in our community, hosting educational and entertaining programs, cultivating engaging experiences, creating lasting connections, and providing unexpected, trending, and useful materials. It’s pretty obvious: this is not your traditional expectation from a local library.

Check out our new website!

We took your feedback and made a new, more accessible and navigable website! Some fun features for our new website include: staff pages, book rivers (these display new books based on lists our staff make), designated service and material pages, and so much more! We hope you love it! And finally ...our new logo! SALINE COUNTY LIBRARY Rewrite tradition. We hope you love what we’ve been working on!

DECEMBER 2021 VIRTUAL & IN-PERSON

MONDAY

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

1

2

3

4

S.T.E.A.M. (R) 10:30 AM

Bingo for Books 3:00 PM Virtual Thursdays for Teens (V) 4:30 PM

Rising Star Players (R) 10:00 AM

American Girl Club (R) 10:00 AM

(R) = Registration Required **Find detailed information including exact age limits and locations by visiting pages 7-8 or our online calendar!** (V) = Virtual Program (O) = Off-Site

11 True Crime Book Club (R) 1:00 PM Learn to Bullet Journal (R) 10:30 AM Christmas Wreath Revamp (R) 2:00 PM Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping (R) 10:00 AM Santa’s Block Party (O) 3:00 PM

Friday Online D&D (V) (R) 4:30 PM

Yoga (R) 6:30 PM

6

6

7

8

9

10

Kids Ornament Making 9:00 AM

Christmas Storytime (R) 10:30 AM Virtual Thursdays for Teens (V) 4:30 PM Author Talk with Dr. Sam Taggart (R) 7:00 PM

Alphabet Soup (R) 10:30 AM Afterschool Makerspace (R) 4:00 PM Totally Minecraft

Holiday Storytime with the Library (O) 4:00 PM

Gingerbread Man Storytime (R) 10:00 AM Mini Game Monday 4:00 PM

Rising Star Players (R) 10:00 AM

Monday Online D&D (V) (R) 4:30 PM

Friday Online D&D (V) (R) 4:30 PM Christmas Wreath Revamp (R) 6:00 PM

Tuesday 4:30 PM

13 20 Reindeer Storytime (R) 10:00 AM Mini Game Monday 4:00 PM Monday Online D&D (V) (R) 4:30 PM Adult D&D Night (R) 6:00 PM Author Talk with Ashlyn Ohm (R) 6:30 PM Mini Game Monday 4:00 PM Monday Online D&D (V) (R) 4:30 PM Christmas Parade in Downtown Benton 6:00 PM

DIY Adventures - Book Ornaments (V) 6:00 PM

10

14

15

16

17

18

Virtual Thursdays for Teens (V) 4:30 PM Yoga (R) 6:30 PM

Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping ( R) 10:00 AM Carpool Cinema (R) 6:00 PM

Holiday Ornament DIY 9:00 AM

Holiday Storytime with the Library 4:00 PM

Rising Star Players (R) 10:00 AM

Alphabet Soup (R) 10:30 AM Totally Minecraft

Friday Online D&D (V) (R) 4:30 PM

Tuesday 4:30 PM

Table Talk with Santa & Grinchie (ADULTS ONLY!) (V) 8:30 PM

SCL Bingo (V) 7:30 PM

17

21

22

23

24

25

Understanding Dementia & Alzheimer’s (V) 11:00 AM

Library Closes at 5:30 PM

Totally Minecraft Tuesday 4:30 PM

Trivia Night - Christmas Movies (V) 7:30 PM

LIBRARY CLOSED

27

28

29

30

31

Winter Storytime (R) 10:30 AM Virtual Thursdays for Teens (V) 4:30 PM Library Closes at 5:30 PM

Game Show (V) 7:30 PM Totally Minecraft Tuesday 4:30 PM

Mini Game Monday 4:00 PM

Monday Online D&D (V) (R) 4:30 PM

Trash to Treasure (V) 7:30 PM Adultish Book Club 6:00 PM

LIBRARY CLOSED

YOUTH EVENTS Children

Kids Ornament Making December 10 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Bryant Pop in to this casual, all-day event to craft a unique holiday ornament!

Gingerbread Man Storytime (R) December 6 | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Bryant

Teens

Children & Tweens American Girl Club (R) Saturday, December 4 | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Bryant Kids ages 7-12 will explore different time periods and places inspired by American Girl through crafts, games, and treats! Bring your favorite doll and join us in Bryant on the first Saturday of the month from 10-11am. Who will guide Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve? Come find out with Ms. Becca! We’ll read stories, sing songs, and do fun holiday activities. Don’t forget to register for this storytime! There is limited space. Winter Storytime December 30 | 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM | Benton Join Ms. Becca for a gingerbread storytime! We’ll read the story of the Gingerbread Man, go on a scavenger hunt to find that fast little cookie, and make a craft. Don’t forget to register for this event. Space is limited! Ages 2-5. Alphabet Soup (R) Tuesdays | 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM | Bryant Join us this month for winter-inspired stories and activities! Kids PreK to 2nd grades can have literacy based fun every week in Bryant! We’ll read stories, play phonics games, and make literary-inspired crafts. Holiday Storytime with the Library December 8 & 15 | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Farmer’s Market Join your favorite librarians for some winter Storytime Fun! We can’t wait to share our favorite winter and holiday themed stories with you. Bring a bell to help us ring in the Holiday season when we sing Jingle Bells. We can’t wait to see you! Christmas Storytime (R) December 9 | 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM | Benton Join our children’s Librarians for a fun, Christmas-themed storytime! We’ll sing a mix of favorite storytime and Christmas songs, read some fun books, and make a craft. Reindeer Storytime (R) December 13 | 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Bryant Join our Children’s Librarians for a fun winter-themed storytime. We’ll sing and read about all things snowy and cold, and enjoy a fun craft. Children, Tweens, & Teens Bingo for Books December 2 | 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM | Bryant Drop in for some bingotastic fun with Ms. Becca and Mr. Matthew. Enjoy some wintry treats and play to win books! After School Makerspace (R) Tuesdays | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Benton Join Ms. Ashlyn and Ms. Jordan for our last few Makerspace programs of the year. We will be completing winter themed activities for these dates. Please remember that you must register for each event individually and to wear clothing that you don’t mind getting a little messy. We look forward to seeing you! Rising Star Players (R) Fridays | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Benton The new semester of The Rising Star Players will begin on Sept 3rd and will go through March 25th. We will teach you acting basics and do scene studies. At the end of the semester, we will perform a show in front of an audience.

Mini Game Monday Mondays | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Benton

Teens join us for a fun wacky afternoon of games. What will we play? It could be Werewolf, or uno, or even Exploding Kittens. If you like games and hanging out, this is the program for you. We will meet on the upstairs patio every Monday at 4:00 pm. Monday Online D&D Mondays | 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM | Discord/D&D Beyond A group of adventurers will venture into the cursed land of Barovia, ruled over by the Vampire lord, Strahd Von Zarovich. We will meet on Discord and D&D Beyond to play together as a group. Matthew will dungeon master and patrons will play the game together. If you are a teenager (13-18) and would like to join our game, register for this event and email Matthew at matthewb@ salinecountylibrary.org. This group will meet every week and will only play if at least 3 people are available (not counting the DM). The maximum group size is 10. Totally Minecraft Tuesday Tuesdays | 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Minecraft Teens ages 13-18, join us on our Minecraft Bedrock Realm! Will you join the peaceful community or will you start your own kingdom and go to war? It’s always a fun adventure. We will also hang out in the voice chat on Discord so we can talk together. You must have Bedrock to play on our realm. It is not compatible with Java. Need the realm code? Email [email protected] for an invitation to our library discord and for the realm code. Virtual Thursdays for Teens Thursdays | 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Discord Teens ages 13-18 join us on the Teen Discord Server. If you aren’t a member email Mrs. Jennifer at [email protected] for an invite to the server. This is our way of keeping the discord safe for our teens. What will we do on Thursdays? We will play Uno, jackbox games, Gartic phone, and so much more. We might even have show and tell and let you virtually show off your pets. We can’t wait to see you! Make sure to join us every Thursday for a great time! Friday Online D&D Fridays | 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM | Discord/D&D Beyond A group of adventurers will venture into the cursed land of Barovia, ruled over by the Vampire lord, Strahd Von Zarovich. We will meet on Discord and D&D Beyond to play together as a group. Matthew will dungeon master and patrons will play the game together. If you are a teenager (13-18) and would like to join our game, register for this event and email Matthew at [email protected]. This group will meet every week and will only play if at least 3 people are available (not counting the DM). The maximum group size is 10. Teen Discord Christmas Party December 9 | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Benton Hey Discord Teens, it’s time for a very Merry live and in person hang out! Join your favorite librarians for silly party games, snacks, and more. We will play a special Christmas Edition of Werewolf! Dress in your holiday best for our Ugly Sweater contest. We can’t wait to see you there!

(R) = Registration Required

ADULT EVENTS

Adults Yoga (R) December 2 & 16 | 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM | Benton Yoga is back in the building just in time for cooler weather! Bring your yoga mat and a bottle of water. Registration required. Learn to Bullet Journal (R) December 4 | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Bullet journals maybe flooding Pinterest right now, but they’re so much more than just a cute trend! The beauty of the bullet journal method is creating a journal or planner that works for YOU and your lifestyle. Ashlyn will give you a guided lesson on how to set up your bullet journal to fit you and your needs. Bullet Journal supply kits will be available for pick-up at the Benton branch. Supplies are limited so please email Ashlyn at AshlynW@ SalineCountyLibrary.org to reserve your personalized kit! True Crime Book Club (R) December 4 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Bryant The True Crime Book Club meets the first Saturday of each month to discuss our monthly selection from the True Crime genre. We are so excited to welcome investigative journalist and award-winning writer Mara Leveritt to our December meeting to discuss The Boys on the Tracks, Devil’s Knot, and her newest release, All Quiet At Mena. Registration is limited to twelve, so please sign up early. Our meetings are at 1:00 P.M. at the Mabel Boswell Library, 201 Prickett Road, in Bryant. We have book kits for our first two True Crime Book Club selections, A Murder in Searcy by Deana Hamby Nall and All Quiet At Mena, by Mara Leveritt, at the Benton branch. There are ten copies available in each kit. Call 778-4766 to reserve your copy or stop by to pick one up - first come, first served! Christmas Wreath Revamp (R) December 4 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Benton Farmer’s Market December 10 | 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Bryant Don’t throw out those old garland wreaths!! Spice the up and bring them back to life! Kari will show you her DIY tips and tricks to take old, worn out garland wreaths and make them look magical again. You will even have your own to decorate and take home! Registration required. Christmas Parade December 6 | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM | Downtown Benton Join in the Holiday spirit and watch our Librarians and their Hallmark decorated float in the 2021 Christmas Parade in Pinterest project didn’t turn out like you hoped? Susie has a few that anyone can do! Susie will be demonstrating a different craft each month that you can use to spruce up your space, give as a gift, or just admire! Pick up your kit full of supplies on the 1st Tuesday of the month and follow Susie’s instruction on Facebook. Author Talk with Dr. Sam Taggart (R) Downtown Benton from 6p-7:30p! DIY Adventures - Book Ornaments December 7 | 1:00 PM | Facebook December 9 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM | Saline Memorial/Facebook LIVE Dr. Taggart will be talking about his years in family practice in Benton, discussing his latest projects, and inviting all of us to tell our doctor stories as an extension of his Oral History Project. Sam will be signing copies of all of his books at this event, including Country Doctors of Arkansas - a wonderful, historical coffee table book with excellent photography by Dr. J.P. Bell, and great gift idea! Santa’s Block Party December 11 | 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Bryant Main Street Come see our Holiday booth at the Bryant Santa Block party! We will have decorations and a fun craft to create and take home. Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping (R) December 11 | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Benton December 18 | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Bryant Learn how to wrap gifts in an eco-friendly and beautiful way! All materials supplied.

Adult D&D Night (R) December 13 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Benton

Do you love playing D&D, but have not had the chance to play in a while? We will be hosting an adult D&D night so come out and play a one-off game with us. Author Talk with Ashlyn Ohm (R) December 13 | 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM | Capachi’s Cafe Ashlyn Ohm, author of the 52-week devotional A Year in the Woods, says writing, nature, and her faith have always been three of her passions. She has put them all together with this book, which started as a weekly blog. Ashlyn takes an experience she has had in nature and translates it through scripture to give lessons of hope and encouragement. It is her hope that, through 52 weekly devotionals, she can take readers with her on a vicarious journey out into creation: a year in the woods. SCL Bingo December 14 | 7:30 PM | Facebook LIVE Time for some fun playing SCL Bingo! We will play three games and give away three prizes! Table Talk with Santa and Grinchie December 17 | 8:30 PM | Facebook LIVE One’s naughty and one’s nice! And we want to hear all about it. Our special friends are joining us to share their fun, heartwarming, and some kind of ridiculous stories they have heard while being a beloved (and not so loved) holiday character. IMPORTANT: This is for ADULTS ONLY. Carpool Cinema (R) December 18 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Benton Have you ever wished you could go back in time and experience movies the way they did back in the 50s where you could sit in the comfort of your car and watch a horror movie with a bag of popcorn and soda? Now you can! The Saline County Library is doing Carpool Cinema. Register to reserve your spot. The movie will be shown in the parking lot of the Benton Branch. The movie this month will be about a man raised as an oversized elf, a human who travels from the North Pole to NYC to meet his biological father who doesn’t know he exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit. Sometimes life gets messy, but there are some steps you can take to help those in your life who are more likely to have a home accident. Join Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative’s Laura Stilwell as she goes over Fall Prevention and Home Safety. Trivia Night - Christmas Movies December 21 | 7:30 PM | Facebook LIVE, Benton, & Bryant Do you think you know everything there is to know about Christmas movies? Do you love to win prizes? If you answered yes to both of those questions, you will want to play Christmas movie trivia with the Saline County Library on Facebook live. Get the most right and win a prize. Adultish Book Club December 27 | 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Benton The Adultish Book Club is a group of bookish people who meet monthly to discuss the latest book pick at the Saline County Library. Turning Trash Into Treasure December 27 | 7:30 PM | Facebook Each month, Randall will show us how to take some junk that we have around the house, and turn it into something that we can use. This month Randall will be making an RPG terrain piece. Game Show December 28 | 7:30 PM | Facebook LIVE Understanding Dementia & Alzheimer’s (R) December 21 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Zoom Join us for our monthly game show with Mason! It’s like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire... without the money and lifeline, but with all the bragging rights! Winner will get a fun prize!

(R) = Registration Required

HOTWORX GIVEAWAY!

1-YEAR FREE MEMBERSHIP + MAT AND TOWEL GIFT BASKET

CRUSH THOSE GOALS! STARTING DECEMBER 1, LIKE AND SHARE OUR HOTWORX GIVEAWAY VIDEO FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN

A FREE ONE-YEAR MEMBERSHIP TO HOTWORX IN BENTON! TAG FRIENDS FOR EXTRA ENTRIES! WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED JANUARY 3. HOTWORX.NET/STUDIO/BENTON

• HOT ISO • HOT YOGA • HOT PILATES • HOT WARRIOR • HOT CORE • HOT BUNS • HOT BANDS • HOT BARRE NONE

HAPPY

FROM

THE SALINE COUNTY LIBRARY

BRYANT BRANCH

Staff Highlight Brittion Brittion is the new Housekeeper in Benton! Learn a few fun facts about her here: If you could choose one superpower, what would it be? I would love to be fluent in every language, so that I could travel anywhere. What is the nerdiest thing you do in your spare time? Probably binge watching tv & movie series, or puzzles. What ’s the strangest talent you have? I can balance books on my head. Are you a cat or dog person (or other)? I love both, but I would say dogs are my favorite. Friends’ Holiday Bags

Purchase a Friends’ Holiday Bag for $10 starting December 1st through December 10th (or while supplies last)! Pick-up will begin the week of December 13th, and you will be notified when your bag is ready for pick-up. Payment is due when you pick-up and can be paid via card, check, or cash.

Adults’ Bags

Light-Up Holiday Tumbler Holiday Storybook Holiday Plushie Candy One Book Buck Stocking Kids’ Bags

Holiday Tumbler Holiday Ornament Candy Two Book Bucks Hot Chocolate Stocking