Weekly Newsletter Emails

Each Monday the director sends out a Weekly Newsletter via email with information on what is happening at the library, along with a list of new books and materials added to the collection in the past week.  Most patrons of the library are signed up to receive the emails.  If you do not receive the email please subscribe below.

April 15, 2024

Good Morning!   On The Calendar:   Mon Apr 15 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Mon Apr 15 at 2:00 Monday Book Club Mon Apr 15 at 5:30 Chat & Chew Book Club Tues Apr 16 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters Wed Apr 17 at 10:15 Story Time Wed Apr 17 at 10:30 Pen Pals Wed Apr 17 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Wed Apr 17 at 2:00 Crafternoons with Jenny Wed Apr 17 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12 Thurs Apr 18 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub Thurs Apr 18 at 2:15 Chair Yoga Fri Apr 19 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Fri Apr 19 at 2:00 Coffee Talk with Tama County Public Health Mon Apr 22 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Tues Apr 23 at 1:05 Outside the Lines Coloring Tues Apr 23 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters Wed Apr 24 at 10:15 Story Time Wed Apr 24 at 10:30 Pen Pals Wed Apr 24 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Wed Apr 24 at 2:00 The Science of Sourdough w/ Cheryl Bruene Wed Apr 24 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12 Thurs Apr 25 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub Thurs Apr 25 at 2:15 Chair Yoga Fri Apr 26 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty

Crafternoons with Jenny: Join Jenny Bledsoe this Wednesday, April 17 at 2:00 for Crafternoons with Jenny.  You will be making these cute May baskets!  You will also make a bookmark and a matching “tag” for your basket.  There is no cost or sign-up for this program, and all supplies are provided. (we do have a dozen soup cans, but if you have an extra you’d like to use, feel free to bring it).

Coffee Talk w/ Tama Co Public Health: Stop in for a cookie and a cup of coffee at 2pm this Friday April 19, for an informal chat with Tama County Public Health RN Beth Eberle. Her presentation this month will be on the following topics:  Physical Activity, Simple Exercises, and Healthy Meals.

The Science of Sourdough Jump on the Sourdough Bread bandwagon! Cheryl Bruene with ISU Extension & Outreach will teach us about this tasty bread on Wednesday, April 24 at 2:00. Did you know…not all recipes or products titled or labeled as “sourdough’ are fermented and leavened solely using wild cultures? Having an understanding of the processes involved in making traditional sourdough bread can help consumers bake or purchase sourdough products with the characteristics they prefer. Join Cheryl as we discuss: Sourdough Bread Starters Sourdough Organisms Naturally-Leavened Sourdough vs Using Commercial Yeast Safe Food Handling

Spring Plant Swap Who’s excited to start planting?  The Library is hosting a Spring Plant Swap! Mark your calendars for May 1 and 2! If you would like to share your extra seedlings or starter plants, or slips or cuttings from your indoor or outdoor plants, bring them to the Talen Community Room on Wed. May 1 from 10:00-5:00.  Plants will be sorted with like kinds. Then stop in on Thursday, May 2 between 5:00 and 6:45 to take home some new plants!

Community Notes: Spring is bursting out all over at the Kersten’s! Donna would like to invite everyone to an “Open Garden” - stop by anytime this Saturday, April 20 to see the hundreds, (probably thousands!!) of blooming bulbs! The Kersten’s are located at 1364 V Avenue, Dysart (about 1 mile south of Geneseo School). Hope you can take some time to “stop and smell the tulips”!

New Books: Fiction: Charmed Forces - #16 Lexie Graves Series by Camilla Chafer Mystery Night Murder - #10 Merry Wrath Mysteries by Leslie Langtry   Nonfiction: With Love: Poems Volume 9, by Traer’s very own 100+-years-young author Roger Corbin We’ve Got Issues: how you can stand strong for America’s soul and sanity by Phillip C. McGraw, PhD   Memorial Book: Epic Homesteading: your guide to self-sufficiency on a modern, high-tech backyard homestead by Kevin Espiritu, given in memory of Dale Posusta by Farmers Savings Bank & Trust   VOX Books: We have 6 new VOX books for young children. VOX books capture children’s attention by combining picture books with audio recordings. The permanently attached VOX Reader transforms an ordinary print book into an all-in-one read-along. There is no need for computers, tablets, or internet connection. Children simply push a button to listen and read along. These books are quite popular with children, so there is a limit of 2 checkouts at a time per family. Pun-Of-The-Week: Police have arrested the world tongue-twister champion.  I imagine he’ll be given a tough sentence. Have a great week! Diane Panfil Traer Public Library

April 8, 2024

April 1, 2024

March 25, 2024

Good Morning!   On The Calendar: Mon Mar 25 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Mon Mar 25 at 2:00 BINGO Mon Mar 25 at 3:00 – 4:30 Pinterest Night Mon Mar 25 at 5:30 – 7:00 Pinterest Night Tues Mar 26 at 1:05 Outside the Lines Coloring Tues Mar 26 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters Wed Mar 27 at 10:15 Story Time Wed Mar 27 at 10:30 Pen Pals Wed Mar 27 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Wed Mar 27 at 2:00 Rosie the Riveters with Author Linda McCann Wed Mar 27 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12 Thurs Mar 28 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub Thurs Mar 28 at 2:15 Chair Yoga Fri Mar 29 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Mon Apr 1 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Tues Apr 2 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters Wed Apr 3 at 10:15 Story Time Wed Apr 3 at 10:30 Pen Pals Wed Apr 3 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Wed Apr 3 at 2:00 Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts Wed Apr 3 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12 Wed Apr 3 at 2:45 - Spinning into Spring w/ Jenny Hulme K-5th Graders Thurs Apr 4 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub Thurs Apr 4 at 2:15 Chair Yoga Fri Apr 5 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Fri Apr 5 at 2:00 Watercolors with Stephenie BINGO TODAY! Join Anne today, Monday, March 25, at 2:00 for a fun hour of BINGO in the Kupka Community Center.  NOTE ROOM CHANGE.  You can win exciting prizes!

"Pinterest Night" x 2! TODAY! If you signed up for “Pinterest Night”, today’s the day! Laurie and Jenny are leading 2 classes:  3:00-4:30 and 5:30 - 7:00. If you’re not sure which one you signed up for, give us a call. Jenny will be walking you through creating your own piece of multi-media art.  We can’t wait to see how creative you all are! This is an example of what you will be making – frame included!

Rosie the Riveters of Iowa with Iowa Author Linda McCann Iowa Author Linda McCann returns this Wednesday, March 27 at 2:00 with what is sure to be another interesting program. Linda will be talking about her latest book, Rosie the Riveters of Iowa. Rosie the Riveter was a name given to the women who worked during WWII. The iconic World War II “Rosie the Riveter” poster featured a female factory worker in red polka-dot bandana flexing her bicep. Women were encouraged to step forward and do their part by going to work in traditionally male jobs. Iowa had 70 factories with military contracts during the war. Linda was able to speak with 35 women who had worked as Rosie's, and shares their recollections in her book. Women worked in factories, packing plants, canning plants, clothing mills and more. They worked as riveters, welders, drill-press and lathe operators, inspectors and at other jobs. Linda will bring Rosie books and her other books to sell after the program. The books are $20 each, and she can only take cash or checks.   All attending will receive their own "Rosie" red bandana to wear  during the presentation!

Attention Android users! I received this notification from Overdrive/Libby of an Update to Android OS requirements: OverDrive’s web certificate provider, Let's Encrypt, is discontinuing support for Android operating systems (OS) 7.1.0 and earlier. Let’s Encrypt certificates are used to secure connections on many websites and apps, including those from OverDrive. With this update, beginning April 15, 2024, Android 7.1.1 will be the earliest supported Android OS for all OverDrive apps and websites, including Libby and Kanopy. User impact After April 15, users with devices running Android OS 7.1.0 or earlier will be required to update their operating system or switch to another supported device to continue using OverDrive services. Our analytics show that usage on Android OS 7.1.0 and earlier has been declining and accounts for approximately 1.5% of all OverDrive users, with Libby users being the most impacted. Note that Google has also discontinued support for these earlier versions of the Android OS. User messaging Starting the week of March 25, impacted Libby users will see a message to update their OS or switch to another supported device to continue using the app. This message will include steps for how to use a setup code to easily copy their library cards, loans, holds, and tags to another device. We apologize for the inconvenience this will have on users with impacted devices. This change is necessary to uphold OverDrive’s standards of security and patron privacy and our commitment to delivering a quality experience to all libraries and their users.

New Books: Fiction: The Boy Who Cried Bear - #2 Haven’s Rock Series by Kelley Armstrong The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson by Ellen Baker Three-Inch Teeth - #24 Joe Picket Series by C.J. Box Every Single Secret by Christina Dodd Letters of Wisdom - #3 The Friendship Letters by Wanda E. Brunstetter The Weaving of Life - #1 New Directions by Linda Byler Tapestry of Love - #2 New Directions by Linda Byler Chasing the Horizon by Mary Connealy A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen Leave no Trace #1 National Parks Thriller by A.J. Landau NO One Can Know by Kate Alice marshall Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore The Guest by B.A. Paris Northwoods by Amy Pease The Things We Didn’t Know by Elba Iris Perez Murder Road by Simone St. James Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger    Large Print: Three-Inch Teeth - #24 Joe Picket Series by C.J. Box The Ghost Orchid - #39 Alex Deleware Series by Jonathan Kellerman After Annie by Anna Quindlen Never Too Late by Danielle Steel   Nonfiction: Attack from Within: how disinformation is sabotaging America by Barbara McQuade Misunderstood Vegetables: how to fall in love with sunchokes, rutabaga, eggplant and more by Becky Selengut Sharing Too Much: lessons from an unlikely life by Richard Paul Evans Birding to Change the World by Trish O’Kane Pun-Of-The-Week:  Two cheese trucks ran into each other.  De brie was everywhere. Have a great week! Diane Panfil Traer Public Library

March 18, 2024

Good Morning!   On The Calendar:   Mon Mar 18 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Mon Mar 18 at 2:00 Monday Book Club Mon Mar 18 at 5:30 Chat & Chew Book Club Tues Mar 19 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters Wed Mar 20 at 10:15 Story Time Wed Mar 20 at 10:30 Pen Pals Wed Mar 20 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Wed Mar 20 at 2:00 Down & Dirty w/ Laurie & Stephenie Wed Mar 20 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12 Thurs Mar 21 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub Thurs Mar 21 at 2:15 NO Chair Yoga Fri Mar 22 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Fri Mar 22 at 2:00 Crafternoons with Jenny Mon Mar 25 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Mon Mar 25 at 2:00 BINGO Mon Mar 25 at 3:00 – 4:30 Pinterest Night #1 Mon Mar 25 at 5:30 – 7:00 Pinterest Night #2 Tues Mar 26 at 1:05 Outside the Lines Coloring Tues Mar 26 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters Wed Mar 27 at 10:15 Story Time Wed Mar 27 at 10:30 Pen Pals Wed Mar 27 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Wed Mar 27 at 2:00 Rosie the Riveters with Author Linda McCann Wed Mar 27 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12 Thurs Mar 28 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub Thurs Mar 28 at 2:15 Chair Yoga Fri Mar 29 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty

Book Clubs TODAY: Join Anne for our Monday Book Club this afternoon (March 18) at 2:00 to discuss Lucy By The Sea by Elizabeth Strout while enjoying a hot beverage. We will also hand out next month’s selection A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell.   In 1942, the Gestapo sent out an urgent transmission: "She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her." The target in their sights was Virginia Hall, a Baltimore socialite who talked her way into Special Operations Executive, the spy organization dubbed Winston Churchill's "Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare." She became the first Allied woman deployed behind enemy lines and - despite her prosthetic leg - helped to light the flame of the French Resistance, revolutionizing secret warfare as we know it. Virginia established vast spy networks throughout France, called weapons and explosives down from the skies, and became a linchpin for the Resistance. Even as her face covered wanted posters and a bounty was placed on her head, Virginia refused order after order to evacuate. She finally escaped through a death-defying hike over the Pyrenees into Spain, her cover blown. But she plunged back in, adamant that she had more lives to save, and led a victorious guerilla campaign, liberating swathes of France from the Nazis after D-Day. Based on new and extensive research, Sonia Purnell has for the first time uncovered the full secret life of Virginia Hall - an astounding and inspiring story of heroism, spycraft, resistance, and personal triumph over shocking adversity. A Woman of No Importance is the breathtaking story of how one woman's fierce persistence helped win the war.

Our Chat & Chew Book Club also meets this afternoon at 5:30. This is an informal group that gathers to discuss books we have been reading lately or have heard about, while munching on a snack. Please join us for either group – newcomers are always welcome!

Down & Dirty: Let’s Talk About Perennial Vegetable Plants! Attention Gardeners! Our first Down & Dirty program of the season will be on Wednesday, March 20 at 2:00. Master Gardeners Laurie Schafer and Stephenie Bellwood will lead "Let's Talk About Perennial Vegetable Plants", and discuss plants that you plant once and harvest for years to come!

NO Chair Yoga this week: There will be NO chair yoga this week – see you next week!   Crafternoons with Jenny: On Friday, March 22 at 2:00, we will be starting a new monthly crafting program - Crafternoons with Jenny.  After this initial program in March, we plan to continue monthly on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Jenny Bledsoe will be sharing her artistic talents and leading us in making fun crafts with seasonal themes.   There is no cost for this program, however, we would like you to sign up, so we have an idea of how many supplies to have ready. You can still call or email to sign up to create this cute bunny!

"Pinterest Night" x 2! On Monday, March 25, Laurie will be teaming up with Jenny Bledsoe to bring you not one, but two chances to craft! Choose from 2 classes:  3:00-4:30, or 5:30 - 7:00. Jenny will be walking you through creating your own piece of multi-media art.  There are still a couple spots open for each time slot, so call or email if you’d like to be put on the list.  The cost is $5 for supplies. This is an example of what you will be making – frame included!

Rosie the Riveters of Iowa: with Iowa Author Linda McCann Iowa Author Linda McCann returns on Wednesday, March 27 at 2:00 with what is sure to be another interesting program. Linda will be talking about her latest book, Rosie the Riveters of Iowa. Rosie the Riveter was a name given to the women who worked during WWII. The iconic World War II “Rosie the Riveter” poster featured a female factory worker in red polka-dot bandana flexing her bicep. Women were encouraged to step forward and do their part by going to work in traditionally male jobs. Women worked in factories, shipyards, packing plants, canning plants, clothing mills and more. They worked as riveters, welders, drill-press and lathe operators, and inspectors. Many helped produce munitions and war supplies. Iowa had 70 factories with military contracts during the war. Linda was able to speak with 35 women who had worked as Rosie's, and shares their recollections in her book. Linda will bring Rosie books and her other books to sell after the program. The books are $20 each, and she can only take cash or checks.

Pun-Of-The-Week:  Why shouldn’t you tell Irish jokes to a leprechaun?  Because they are easily o’ffended. Have a great week! Diane Panfil Traer Public Library

March 11, 2024

Good Morning!   On The Calendar:   Mon Mar 11 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Tues Mar 12 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters Wed Mar 13 at 10:15 Story Time Wed Mar 13 at 10:30 Pen Pals Wed Mar 13 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes Book Club Wed Mar 13 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Wed Mar 13 at 2:00 Advance Care Planning and Palliative Care Wed Mar 13 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12 Thurs Mar 14 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub Thurs Mar 14 at 2:15 Chair Yoga Fri Mar 15 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Mon Mar 18 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Mon Mar 18 at 2:00 Monday Book Club Mon Mar 18 at 5:30 Chat & Chew Book Club Tues Mar 19 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters Wed Mar 20 at 10:15 Story Time Wed Mar 20 at 10:30 Pen Pals Wed Mar 20 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Wed Mar 20 at 2:00 Down & Dirty w/ Laurie & Stephenie Wed Mar 20 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12 Thurs Mar 21 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub Thurs Mar 21 at 2:15 Chair Yoga Fri Mar 22 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Fri Mar 22 at 2:00 Crafternoons with Jenny Scones & Tomes: Join us for an informal book club this Wednesday, March 13 at 11:30.  We share and discuss the books we have read lately while enjoying a sweet treat and a hot beverage.  Attendees always get ideas for great books to add to their reading lists. Newcomers are always welcome.   Advance Care Planning and Palliative Care This Wednesday, March 13 at 2:00, Dr. Rhiannon Talbot, DO will be joining us via Zoom and speaking to us about Advance Care Planning and Palliative Care. Dr. Talbot is an Assistant Professor of Palliative Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is also the niece of our programming librarian Laurie Schafer. Palliative Care is an extra layer of support for people dealing with serious illness.  Palliative care workers specialize in managing discomfort from these illnesses and talking with people about how to make their medical care match up with what’s important in their lives.  This talk will focus on Advance Care Planning — how to make your wishes for your healthcare known in case you are unable to speak for yourself.

Down & Dirty: Let’s Talk About Perennial Vegetable Plants! Attention Gardeners! Our first Down & Dirty program of the season will be on Wednesday, March 20 at 2:00. Master Gardeners Laurie Schafer and Stephenie Bellwood will lead "Let's Talk About Perennial Vegetable Plants", and discuss plants that you plant once and harvest for years to come!

Crafternoons with Jenny: On Friday, March 22 at 2:00, we will be starting a new monthly crafting program - Crafternoons with Jenny.  After this initial program in March, we plan to continue monthly on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Jenny Bledsoe will be sharing her artistic talents and leading us in making fun crafts with seasonal themes.  There is no cost for this program, however, we would like you to sign up, so we have an idea of how many supplies to have ready.  This will be a fun program for everyone - no prior crafting experience is necessary. This is what you will be creating!

"Pinterest Night" x 2! On Monday, March 25, Laurie will be teaming up with Jenny Bledsoe to bring you not one, but two chances to craft! Choose from 2 classes:  3:00-4:30, or 5:30 - 7:00. Jenny will be walking you through creating your own piece of multi-media art.   There are 10 available spots for each time slot, and they are filling up fast, so call or email if you’d like to be put on the list.  We will also take a few alternate names in case of cancellations. The cost is $5 for supplies. This is an example of what you will be making – frame included!

Rosie the Riveters of Iowa with Iowa Author Linda McCann Iowa Author Linda McCann returns on Wednesday, March 27 at 2:00 with what is sure to be another interesting program. Linda will be talking about her latest book, Rosie the Riveters of Iowa. Rosie the Riveter was a name given to the women who worked during WWII. The iconic World War II “Rosie the Riveter” poster featured a female factory worker in red polka-dot bandana flexing her bicep. Women were encouraged to step forward and do their part by going to work in traditionally male jobs. Iowa had 70 factories with military contracts during the war. Linda was able to speak with 35 women who had worked as Rosie's, and shares their recollections in her book. Women worked in factories, packing plants, canning plants, clothing mills and more. They worked as riveters, welders, drill-press and lathe operators, inspectors and other jobs. Linda will bring Rosie books and her other books to sell after the program. The books are $20 each, and she can only take cash or checks.

New Books: Fiction: Lake Laps by Staci Andrea The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong Riverside Dance Studio - #5 Willa Bay Series by Nicole Ellis Cold Silence – #0 (Prequel) Cold Harbor Series by Susan Sleeman Shadow of Deceit - #1 Shadow Lake Survival Series by Susan Sleeman Shadow of Night - #2 Shadow Lake Survival Series by Susan Sleeman Shadow of Truth - #3 Shadow Lake Survival Series by Susan Sleeman The Fifth Avenue Apartment by Pamela Kelley The Magic all Around by Jennifer Moorman   Nonfiction: The Practical Bonsai Bible for Beginners by Nitoshi Nishimura Pun-Of-The-Week:  Today’s Headline: Man in Boxers Leads Police on Brief Chase Have a great week! Diane Panfil Traer Public Library

March 4, 2024

February 26, 2024

Good Morning!   On The Calendar:   Mon Feb 26 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Mon Feb 26 at 2:00 BINGO Tues Feb 27 at 1:05 Outside the Lines Coloring Tues Feb 27 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters Wed Feb 28 at 10:15 Story Time Wed Feb 28 at 10:30 Pen Pals Wed Feb 28 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Wed Feb 28 at 2:00 The Healing Process of Art w/ Jenny Bledsoe Wed Feb 28 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12 Thurs Feb 29 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub Thurs Feb 29 at 2:15 Chair Yoga Fri Mar 1 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Fri Mar 1 at 2:00 Watercolors with Stephenie Mon Mar 4 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Tues Mar 5 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters Wed Mar 6 at 10:15 Story Time Wed Mar 6 at 10:30 Pen Pals Wed Mar 6 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty Wed Mar 6 at 2:00 Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts Wed Mar 6 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12 Wed Mar 6 at 2:45 – 3:45 Let’s Taco Bout Spices for Grades K-5 with Jenny Hulme Thurs Mar 7 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub Thurs Mar 7 at 2:15 Chair Yoga Fri Mar 8 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty BINGO TODAY! Join us today, Monday, February 26, at 2:00 for a fun hour of BINGO in the Talen Community Room.  You can win exciting prizes!   Outside the Lines Coloring: Come to the library for a relaxing hour of coloring Tuesday Feb 27 at 1:05. We provide all supplies. There is no cost or sign up required.   The Healing Process of Art Jenny Bledsoe's beautiful art display here in the library has been lifting our spirits since early January! On Wednesday, February 28 at 2:00, Jenny will be sharing how she got started making these wonderful pieces and the effect making them has had on her health and well-being.  She will also share her process in creating her art.

Changes to Weekly Newsletter As of February 29, the service we use to send our weekly newsletters (TinyLetter) is discontinuing.  You should get a second newsletter from me later today, as a test of our new service EmailOctopus. The sender should still show as coming from the Traer Public Library. If you don’t receive the newsletter after today, check in your spam folder to see if it went there. Thank you for your patience as we work through this transition.     New Books: Fiction: Harbor Lights by James Lee Burke The Poppy Sisters by Deborah Carr Tuscan Blood - #2 Ali Falco Series by Jeff Carson One in a Million by Janet Dailey The Barlows - #15 Seaside Saga by Joanne DeMaio The Sunset Cottages - #4 Willa Bay Series by Nicole Ellis Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford Dream Town - #5 Eve Ronin Series by Lee Goldberg True North by Andrew J. Graff Her Frozen Heart - #6 Nikki Hunt Series by Stacy Green Things we Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green This Other Eden by Paul Harding Grave Duty - #17 Shelby Nichols Adventure by Colleen Helme Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee House of Flame and Shadow - #3 Crescent City Series by Sarah J. Maas Fowl Play - #9 Dewberry Farm Series by Karen MacInerney The Getaway by Emily March Before I’m Gone by Heidi McLaughlin The Bee Sting by Paul Murray You Shouldn’t Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose Long Gone - #2 Harper Adams Mystery by Denise Grover Swank At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather S. Webber Only if You’re Lucky by Stacey Willingham   Nonfiction: Dear Sister: a memoir of secrets, survival and unbreakable bonds by Michelle Horton Memorial Books: Taste of Home Easy Everyday Cooking: 330 recipes for fuss-free, ultra easy, crowd-pleasing favorites, given in memory of Mary Hulme by Farmers Savings Bank & Trust Magnolia Table: a collection of recipes for gathering by Joanna Gaines, given in memory of Marilyn Lineberry by Farmers Savings Bank & Trust   New DVDs: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes The Marvels Planet Earth III Baby Shark’s Big Show! Cocomelon – Sing with Me Pun-Of-The-Week:  Of all the inventions in the last 100 years, the dry erase board is probably the most remarkable.

February 19, 2024

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
 
Mon Feb 19 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Feb 19 at 2:00 Monday Book Club
Mon Feb 19 at Chat & Chew Book Club
Tues Feb 20 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wed Feb 21 at 10:15 Story Time
Wed Feb 21 at 10:30 Pen Pals
Wed Feb 21 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wed Feb 21 at 2:00 Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts
Wed Feb 21 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thurs Feb 22 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thurs Feb 22 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Fri Feb 23 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Feb 26 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Feb 26 at 2:00 BINGO
Tues Feb 27 at 1:05 Outside the Lines Coloring
Tues Feb 27 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wed Feb 28 at 10:15 Story Time
Wed Feb 28 at 10:30 Pen Pals
Wed Feb 28 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wed Feb 28 at 2:00 The Healing Process of Art w/ Jenny Bledsoe
Wed Feb 28 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thurs Feb 29 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thurs Feb 29 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Fri Mar 1 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
 
 
Book Clubs TODAY:
The Monday Book Club will meet today at 2:00 to discuss Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.  We will be handing out next month’s selection Lucy By the Sea by Elizabeth Stout.
 

As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and on-again, off-again friend, William. For the next several months, it's just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the moody, swirling sea.

Rich with empathy and emotion, Lucy by the Sea vividly captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as the hope, peace, and possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire. At the heart of this story are the deep human connections that unite us even when we're apart—the pain of a beloved daughter's suffering, the emptiness that comes from the death of a loved one, the promise of a new friendship, and the comfort of an old, enduring love.

 
Chat and Chew Book Club will also meet today at 5:30 to share what books we have been reading lately. We always get great ideas for new books to add to our reading lists.  We enjoy a slice of pizza while we chat.
 
Please feel free to join either book club - newcomers are always welcome.
 
Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts
Come to the Carnegie Cafe this Wednesday, February 21 at 2:00 to make a simple seasonal craft, enjoy a hot beverage, and enjoy each other’s company.  There is no cost or sign-up required, and we provide any supplies needed. Note: date change is for this month only.  We will resume meeting on the first Wednesday of the month in March.
 
The Healing Process of Art
Jenny Bledsoe's beautiful art display here in the library has been lifting our spirits since early January! On Wednesday, February 28 at 2:00, Jenny will be sharing how she got started making these wonderful pieces and the effect making them has had on her health and well-being.  She will also share her process in creating her art.
 

Changes to Weekly Newsletter
As of February 29, the service we use to send our weekly newsletters (TinyLetter) is discontinuing.  We are in the process of switching to a new service, so you may get a test email from me in the next couple of weeks. If you stop receiving the newsletter after Feb 29, check in your spam folder to see if it went there. I should have more details to share once it is set up. Thank you for your patience as we work through this transition.
 
New Books:
Fiction:
Always Remember - #3 Ravenswood Series by Mary Balogh
When We Were Enemies by Emily Bleeker
Meadow Falls by Carolyn Brown
The Serpent & The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
The Waters by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Kinfolk by Sean Dietrich
When the Jessamine Grows by Donna Everhart
The Foxhole Victory Tour by Amy Lynn Green
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
The Bad Weather Friend by Dean Koontz
Random in Death by J. D. Robb
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
 
Nonfiction:
The World: a family history of humanity by Simon Sebag Montefiore
Being Henry: the Fonz….and Beyond by Henry Winkler
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
Bread is like the sun.  It rises in the yeast and sets in the waist.
 
Have a great week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

February 12, 2024

Good Morning!

On The Calendar:
 
Mon Feb 12 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Feb 12 from 5-7:00pm Open House w/ artist Jenny Bledsoe
Tues Feb 13 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wed Feb 14 at 10:15 Story Time
Wed Feb 14 at 10:30 Pen Pals
Wed Feb 14 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes Book Club
Wed Feb 14 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wed Feb 14 at 2:00 Spend Smart, Eat Smart: What’s on Your Plate
Wed Feb 14 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thurs Feb 15 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thurs Feb 15 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Fri Feb 16 at 16:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Feb 19 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Feb 19 at 2:00 Monday Book Club
Mon Feb 19 at Chat & Chew Book Club
Tues Feb 20 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wed Feb 21 at 10:15 Story Time
Wed Feb 21 at 10:30 Pen Pals
Wed Feb 21 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wed Feb 21 at 2:00 Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts
Wed Feb 21 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thurs Feb 22 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thurs Feb 22 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Fri Feb 23 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
 
Art Display and Open House Meet & Greet with Jenny Bledsoe TONIGHT:
Looking for a way to beat the winter blues? Join us from 5:00 – 7:00pm tonight (Monday, February 12) for an Open House Meet & Greet with artist Jenny Bledsoe.  You can admire her mixed media artwork and chat with her about her creative process and inspiration. Refreshments will be served.
 
If you can’t make it to the Open House, Jenny will also be giving a program on Wednesday, February 28 at 2:00pm. Jenny will be sharing how she got started making these wonderful mixed-media pieces and the effect making them has had on her health and well-being.  She will also share her process in creating these pieces.

 















 

 

 

Scones & Tomes Book Club:
Join us for an informal book club this Wednesday, February 14 at 11:30.  We share and discuss the books we have been reading lately while enjoying a sweet treat and a hot beverage.  Attendees always get ideas for great books to add to their reading lists. Newcomers are always welcome.
 
What’s On Your Plate?
Cheryl Bruene will return this Wednesday, February 14 at 2:00 with What's On Your Plate, another class in her Spend Smart, Eat Smart series.  She will teach us about using MyPlate, an easy-to-follow food guide. The program will have 3 parts:

• Using MyPlate - what does a serving look like from each food group
• Make Every Bite Count - How to meet nutritional needs for your age group while staying within your recommended calorie limits
• 4 Key Guidelines - 4 Steps in keeping foods safe to eat

 
New Books:
Fiction:
Neena Lee is Seeing Things by Sheila Athens
Breaking Point - #3 Chammont Point Series by Marci Bolden
The Beach Hunt Murders - #2 Charity Shop Detective Agency Series by Peter Boland
Climbing to the Sun by Shelley Burchfield
Mercury by Amy Jo Burns
Gingerbread and Ghosts - #10 Peridale Café Mystery Series by Agatha Frost
All the Flowers of the Mountain by Christina Holbrook
Along the Dusty Road by Joey Jones
The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz
Slice of Courage Quiche by Jennifer Moorman
The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page
Hearts We Leave Behind by Buck Turner
The Keeper of Stars by Buck Turner
 
Memorial Books:
And Then There’s Margaret: a laugh out loud family dramedy by Carolyn Clarke, given in memory of Doris Thierer Danker by her family
Cat Tales: true stories of kindness and companionship with kitties by Aline Alexander Newman, given in memory of Martin Johnson by Farmers Savings Bank & Trust

Pun-Of-The-Week:
The guy at the furniture store told me the sofa would fit 5 people without any problems.  Then it occurred to me, I don’t know 5 people without any problems.
 
Have a great week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

 

February 5, 2024

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
 
Mon Feb 5 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Tues Feb 6 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wed Feb 7 at 10:15 Story Time
Wed Feb 7 at 10:30 Pen Pals
Wed Feb 7 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wed Feb 7 at 2:00 Tapping Trees and Making Syrup
Wed Feb 7 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Wed Feb 7 at 2:45 Heart Squeeze with Jenny Hulme for grades K-5
Thurs Feb 8 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thurs Feb 8 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Fri Feb 9 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Feb 12 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Feb 12 from 5-7:00pm Open House with artist Jenny Bledsoe
Tues Feb 13 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wed Feb 14 at 10:15 Story Time
Wed Feb 14 at 10:30 Pen Pals
Wed Feb 14 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes Book Club
Wed Feb 14 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wed Feb 14 at 2:00 Spend Smart, Eat Smart: What’s on Your Plate? with Cheryl Bruene/ISU Extension
Wed Feb 14 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thurs Feb 15 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thurs Feb 15 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Fri Feb 16 at 16:00 Fit and Feisty
 
Tapping Trees & Making Syrup:
Join us this Wednesday, February 7 at 2:00 for a sweet presentation by locals Bill Calderwood and Kevin Pecenka on the process of tapping trees and making your own maple syrup. You can learn from Bill and Kevin’s experience and you, too, could have your own fresh maple syrup this spring. There will be samples to try from Bill’s first batch this year!

 
Heart Squeeze for Grades K-5 with Jenny Hulme:
Bring your K-5^th Graders to the library on Wednesday, February 7 at 2:45 for “Heart Squeeze” with Jenny Hulme. This program is sponsored by Tama County 4-H and includes a story, activity/science experiment and a craft to go home.  There is no registration or fee for this program.
 
Art Display and Open House Meet & Greet with Jenny Bledsoe
Looking for a way to beat the winter blues? Join us from 5:00 – 7:00pm Monday, February 12 for an Open House Meet & Greet with artist Jenny Bledsoe.  You can admire her mixed media artwork and chat with her about her creative process and inspiration. Refreshments will be served.

 
If you can’t make it to the Open House, Jenny will also be giving a program on Wednesday, February 28 at 2:00pm. Jenny will be sharing how she got started making these wonderful mixed-media pieces and the effect making them has had on her health and well-being.  She will also share her process in creating these pieces.
 
What’s On Your Plate?
Cheryl Bruene will return on Wednesday, February 14 at 2:00 with What's On Your Plate, another class in her Spend Smart, Eat Smart series.  She will teach us about using MyPlate, an easy-to-follow food guide. The program will have 3 parts:

• Using MyPlate - what does a serving look like from each food group
• Make Every Bite Count - How to meet nutritional needs for your age group while staying within your recommended calorie limits
• 4 Key Guidelines - 4 Steps in keeping foods safe to eat 

 
 
New Books:
Fiction:
Caught on the Book - #4 Antique Bookshop Series by Laura Gail Black
The Long March Home: a WWII novel of the Pacific by Marcus Brotherton
Welcome Home, Stranger by Kate Christensen
Rocky Mountain Promise - #2 Sister of the Rockies Series by Misty M. Beller
The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange
The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski
Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
The Starfish Sisters by Barbara O’Neal
The Rescue by Jefferson T. Parker
Holmes, Miss Marple & Poe by James A. Patterson
The Bright Spot - #5 Sunrise Cove Series by Jill Shalvis
 
Large Print:
Clive Cussler’s Fire Strike by Mike Maden
Upside Down by Danielle Steel
 
TEEN:
Divine Rivals - #1 Letters of Enchantment Series by Rebecca Ross
Ruthless Vows - #2 Letters of Enchantment Series by Rebecca Ross
 
Nonfiction:
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs: and other questions about dead bodies by Caitlin Doughty
From Here to Eternity: traveling the world to find the good death by Caitlin Doughty
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
Not everyone thinks that Cleopatra was beautiful, but that’s how Julius Caesar.
 
 
Have a great week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

January 29, 2924

January 22, 2024

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. 

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.  

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

 
Our Chat & Chew Book Club will meet this evening, January 22 at 5:30.  We discuss books we have been reading lately, and anyone is welcome to come share while we enjoy a slice of pizza.  We always get more ideas to add to our To Be Read lists!
 
Outside the Lines Coloring:
Join us tomorrow, Tuesday, January 23 at 1:05 for a relaxing hour of coloring, coffee and visiting.  All supplies are provided.
 
Coffee Talk w/ Tama Co Public Health:
Stop in for a cookie and a cup of coffee at 2pm this Wednesday, January 24, for a presentation on the following topics:  Depression, Cold Weather, Access to Care, and Urgent Care vs the ER. 

BINGO next week!
Join us at 2:00 next Monday, January 29 for a fun hour of BINGO in the Talen Community Room.  You can win exciting prizes!

Maintain Your Brain Health
Cheryl Bruene with ISU Extension and Outreach will return on Wednesday, January 31 at 2:00 to share with us ways to slow age-related brain shrinkage and adopting healthy life-style habits.

 
Watercolors with Stephenie:
Stephenie Bellwood will be back on Friday February 2 at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room to lead another watercolor class. We focus on learning a different painting technique each month. Newcomers are welcome! You do not need any prior painting experience to enjoy her classes! All supplies are provided.
 
Tapping Trees and Making Syrup:
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 7 at 2:00 for a sweet presentation by locals Bill Calderwood and Kevin Pecenka on the process of tapping trees and making your own maple syrup. You can learn from Bill and Kevin’s experience and you, too, could have your own fresh maple syrup this spring.
 
Art Display - by Jenny Bledsoe
Don’t forget to come to the library in January and February to admire our display of beautiful artwork by local artist Jenny Bledsoe! Thank you to Jenny for sharing this wonderful display with our library! Stay tuned for information on upcoming programs – Jenny will share how she got started with mixed media art and will explain her process, and may also have a hands on workshop and help you create your own art!
 
New Books:
Fiction:
Call the Canaries Home by Laura Barrow
Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly by Marie Bostwick
The Secret Hours by Mick Herron
Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble
The River Runs South by Audrey Ingram
A Storm of Infinite Beauty by Julianne Maclean
A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay
Sandbar Storm - #4 Summer Cottage Series by Rebecca Regnier
Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal - #3 Caribbean Kitchen Mystery Series by Raquel Reyes
The Wishing Bridge by Viola Shipman
 
Large Print:
Dirty Thirty - #30 Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich
Just Once by Karen Kingsbury
 
Nonfiction:
Brother’s Blood: a heartland Cain and Abel by Scott G. Cawelti
 
New DVDs:
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Oppenheimer
The Hill
The Miracle Club
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Trolls Band Together
Hallmark: Welcome to Valentine/A Picture of Her
 
Memorial Books:
The Art of Teaching Children by Phillip Done, given in Memory of Doris Thierer Danker by Farmers Savings Bank & Trust
Dana’s Bakery: 100 Decadent Recipes for Unique Desserts by Dana Pollack given in memory of Joyce Hite by Farmers Savings Bank & Trust
The Cottage Garden by Claus Dalby given in memory of Wilma Snider by Farmers Savings Bank & Trust

Pun-Of-The-Week:
Coming home after a cold snowy day = the snuggle is real.

Have a great week! Stay safe and warm out there!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

January 15, 2024

Good Afternoon!   BRRRRRR!!!
 
On The Calendar:
 
Mon Jan 15 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Jan 15 at 2:00 Monday Book Club: POSTPONED
Mon Jan 15 at 5:30 Chat & Chew Book Club: POSTPONED
Tues Jan 16 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wed Jan 17 at 10:15 Story Time
Wed Jan 17 at 10:30 Pen Pals
Wed Jan 17 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wed Jan 17 at 2:00 Bird Watching w/Raina Genaw-Tama Co. Conservation
Wed Jan 17 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thurs Jan 18 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thurs Jan 18 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Fri Jan 19 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Jan 22 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Jan 22 at 2:00 Monday Book Club (Rescheduled)
Mon Jan 22 at 5:30 Chat & Chew Book Club (Rescheduled)
Tues Jan 23 at 1:05 Outside the Lines Coloring
Tues Jan 23 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wed Jan 24 at 10:15 Story Time
Wed Jan 24 at 10:30 Pen Pals
Wed Jan 24 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wed Jan 24 at 2:00 Coffee Talk w/Tama Co. Public Health
Wed Jan 24 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thurs Jan 25 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thurs Jan 25 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Fri Jan 25 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty

Today's Book Clubs POSTPONED:
Our book clubs that were scheduled to meet today have both been postponed until next week.
The Monday Book Club will meet next Monday, January 22 at 2:00 to discuss The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle. I have heard good comments about this book, and we still have one copy left if anyone else wants to read it before next week and join in the discussion.
 
Our Chat & Chew Book Club will meet next Monday, January 22 at 5:30.  We discuss books we have been reading lately, and anyone is welcome to come share.  We always get more ideas to add to our To Be Read lists!
 
Weather Announcements:
Just a reminder that if the North Tama Schools cancel school, have late starts or early dismissals due to inclement weather, we will NOT have Story Time or Early Out activities.  If the weather is severe enough that the library will be closed or closing early, an announcement will be sent out via email, posted on our Facebook page and our website, and on KWWL.
 
Bird Watching:
Raina Genaw, Tama County Conservation Naturalist, will share about the variety of birds that can be seen locally during the winter. She will also talk about bird conservation and how to attract them to our yards. Join us this Wednesday January 17 at 2:00pm.
 
Coffee Talk w/ Tama Co Public Health:
Stop in for a cup of coffee at 2pm on Wednesday, January 24, for a presentation on the following topics:  Depression, Cold Weather, Access to Care, and Urgent Care vs the ER. 
 
 
Book Challenges – 2023 Challenge Prizes and New 2024 Challenge!
If you participated in the 2023 Decades Challenge, please bring your log sheets to the library (or email them to me dpanfil@traer.lib.ia.us )  We'd like to see how many participated and how many books were read. And we  have fun gift bags for you!
 
Now on to 2024!  This year, read at least one book from each of the listed genres. You can read any book, any time, and in any format, as long as it fits a genre on our list. You can stop in the library to pick up a list and a log sheet, and the librarians will be happy to help you search the library catalog if you need help.
 
There are no set timeframes to follow when completing this challenge – you have the entire year to complete the challenge by reading at least one book from each of the listed genres. Expand your literary horizons and try something new! Have fun with this challenge!

 
Art Display - by Jenny Bledsoe
Need help beating the winter blues? Come to the library in January and February to admire our display of beautiful artwork by local artist Jenny Bledsoe!
 
Jenny’s description of her work and display: 

"For as long as I can remember, I have been a maker. Creating something, anything, has always been a part of me. I try to create things from objects that have already been placed here for one purpose, then turn those objects into something new to serve an entirely different purpose. I am mindful to adopt the wisdom of the three R’s of “reduce, reuse, recycle” where we reduce our consumption, reuse useful items and recycle materials to keep them out of our landfills. So instead of purchasing new items, you will find me picking and thrifting from garage sales, thrift stores and marketplace to find frames for my art projects and small pieces of décor and furniture to transform.

The art style that has been catapulting me forward is new to me. After retiring from my position as a library director, I was inspired by something I saw. This particular piece was created with fabric, but I ran with the general idea and started to frantically create pieces of my own. My process begins, not with an idea of what I will create, but rather a background. The pieces that I have chosen to display at the Traer Public Library are mostly multi-layered pieces that have been created using canvas and cracker or cereal box cardboard to fit into a particular frame. My process begins with a paint “scraping” method to blend the background into a “wallpaper” type look. A small cardboard piece, (a scraper) and a brayer are used to create the background just how I want it. My fingers act as one of my best tools and will do much of the rubbing, smearing and smudging to achieve a somewhat grungy effect until the background feels complete. Other pieces of my process are stencils, tissue paper, bubble wrap, coffee filters, torn pieces of papers, paper bags, modeling paste, charcoal, colored pencil and my own created blended papers. Each piece is done using a layering process that takes anywhere from two days to two weeks to complete. I keep my supplies handy and create at the dining table where my overwintered plants and nature are in view and my cat keeps me company. I find that when all my supplies get tucked away, my creative flow gets tucked away with it. So, it all remains front and center on the table (except for game playing and family gatherings). Here in this cozy space, I can listen to music, podcasts and the many, many books that are constantly on my list. With the exception of three pieces, all the projects you will see in this library display have been created and completed in 2023.

The pieces I have selected will be presented at the beautiful Traer Library for the first time. As you peruse the display, you may spot a heart or two in each creation. The hearts represent the love of my family, the creating process itself and the healing that this process has brought into my life. My hope is that you enjoy viewing the display and that it brings a smile to your face and by observing my creations, they will evoke a reaction of inspiration.

Thank you to the Traer Library Director Diane and all of the wonderful staff for giving me this opportunity to share my art and heart in this presentation. Also I’d like to say thank you to my family and friends for their encouragement and authentic feedback. “

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Edgar Degas

-Jenny Bledsoe, January 2024

Thank you to Jenny for sharing and creating this beautiful display for our library! Be sure to come in to admire
Jenny’s work!
















 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
Don’t get upset when your snow fort falls apart…just igloo it back together.

Have a great week! Stay safe and warm out there!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

January 8, 2024

Good Afternoon!
 
On The Calendar:
 
Mon Jan 8 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Tues Jan 9 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wed Jan 10 at 10:15 Story Time
Wed Jan 10 at 10:30 Pen Pals
Wed Jan 10 at 11:30 11:30 Scones & Tomes
Wed Jan 10 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wed Jan 10 at 2:00 Good Nutrition on a Budget w/ Cheryl Bruene-ISU Extension
Wed Jan 10 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thurs Jan 11 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thurs Jan 11 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Fri Jan 12 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Jan 15 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Mon Jan 15 at 2:00 Monday Book Club
Mon Jan 15 at Chat & Chew Book Club
Tues Jan 16 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wed Jan 17 at 10:15 Story Time
Wed Jan 17 at 10:30 Pen Pals
Wed Jan 17 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wed Jan 17 at 2:00 Bird Watching w/Raina Genaw-Tama Co. Conservation
Wed Jan 17 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thurs Jan 18 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thurs Jan 18 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Fri Jan 19 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
 
Weather Announcements:
Just a reminder that if the North Tama Schools cancel school, have late starts or early dismissals due to inclement weather, we will not have Story Time or Early-Out activities. If the weather is severe enough that the library will be closed or closing early, an announcement will be sent out via email, and also posted on our Facebook page.

Scones & Tomes:
Join us for an informal book club this Wednesday, January 10 at 11:30.  We share and discuss the books we have read lately while enjoying a sweet treat and a hot beverage.  Attendees always get ideas for great books to add to their reading lists. Newcomers are always welcome.
 
Good Nutrition on a Budget: Spend Smart, Eat Smart
Join Cheryl Bruene with ISU Extension and Outreach this Wednesday, January 10 at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room for. Good Nutrition on a Budget: Spend Smart, Eat Smart. We will learn to save money by:

• Using grocery store ads
• Completing a menu plan
• Writing a grocery list
• Using Unit Pricing to select the best buy

 
Bird Watching:
Raina Genaw, Tama County Conservation Naturalist, will share about the variety of birds that can be seen locally during the winter. She will also talk about bird conservation and how to attract them to our yards. Join us on Wednesday January 17 at 2:00pm.
 
Book Challenges – 2023 Challenge Prizes and New 2024 Challenge!
It’s a new year, which means our 2023 Decades Book Challenge has sadly come to an end. What fun it was! If you participated in our challenge, please bring your log sheets to the library (or email them to me) so I can see how many participants we had, and how many total books we read for the challenge.  If you completed the challenge, we have gift bags for you, so don’t forget to bring in your log sheet!
 
Now on to 2024!  We had so much fun with the reading challenge this year, we have planned another challenge for this year! During 2024, read at least one book from each of the listed genres. You can read any book, any time, and in any format, as long as it fits a genre on our list. You can stop in the library to pick up a list and a log sheet, and the librarians will be happy to help you search the library catalog if you need help.
 
There are no set timeframes to follow when completing this challenge – you have the entire year to complete the challenge by reading at least one book from each of the listed genres. Expand your literary horizons and try something new! Have fun with this challenge!

 
Art Display - by Jenny Bledsoe
Need help beating the winter blues? Come to the library in January and February to admire our display of beautiful artwork by local artist Jenny Bledsoe!
 
Jenny’s description of her work and display:

“For as long as I can remember, I have been a maker. Creating something,
anything, has always been a part of me. I try to create things from
objects that have already been placed here for one purpose, then turn
those objects into something new to serve an entirely different purpose.
I am mindful to adopt the wisdom of the three R’s of “reduce, reuse,
recycle”. You will find me picking and thrifting from garage sales,
thrift stores and marketplace to find frames for my art projects and small pieces
of décor and furniture to transform.
 
The pieces that I have chosen to display at the Traer Public
Library are mostly multi-layered pieces that have been created using
canvas and cracker or cereal box cardboard to fit into a particular frame.
My process begins with a paint “scraping” method to blend the
background into a “wallpaper” type look. A small cardboard piece, (a
scraper) and a brayer are used to create the background just how I want
it. My fingers act as one of my best tools and will do much of the rubbing,
smearing and smudging to achieve a somewhat grungy effect until the
background feels complete. Other pieces of my process are stencils,
tissue paper, bubble wrap, coffee filters, torn pieces of papers, paper
bags, modeling paste, charcoal, colored pencil and my own created
blended papers. Each piece is done using a layering process that takes
anywhere from two days to two weeks to complete. With the
exception of three pieces, all the projects you will see in this library
display have been created and completed in 2023.
 
The pieces I have selected will be presented at the beautiful Traer Library
for the first time. As you peruse the display, you may spot a heart or two
in each creation. The hearts represent the love of my family, the creating
process itself and the healing that this process has brought into my life.
My hope is that you enjoy viewing the display and that it brings a smile to
your face and by observing my creations, they will evoke a reaction of
inspiration.”

Thank you to the Traer Library Director Diane and all of the wonderful
staff for giving me this opportunity to share my art and heart in this
presentation. Also I’d like to say thank you to my family and friends for
their encouragement and authentic feedback.
 
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”  Edgar Degas

-Jenny Bledsoe, January 2024

 

Thank you to Jenny for sharing and creating this display for our library! Be sure to come in to admire Jenny’s work!

Pun-Of-The-Week:
No one has seen the Zamboni driver lately. But I’m sure he’ll resurface eventually.

Have a great week! Stay safe and warm out there!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

 

January 1, 2024

• Using grocery store ads
• Completing a menu plan
• Writing a grocery list
• Using Unit Pricing to select the best buy

December 25, 2023

Good Morning! Merry Christmas!

On The Calendar:
 
Mon Dec 25 – CLOSED for Christmas
Tuesday Dec 26 at 1:05 Outside the Lines Coloring
Tuesday Dec 26 at 1:30 NO Tuesday Quilters this week
Wednesday Dec 27 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Dec 27 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Thursday Dec 28 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Dec 28 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Dec 29 - Mon Jan 1 – CLOSED Happy New Year
Tuesday Jan 2 at 1:30 NO Tuesday Quilters this week
Wednesday Jan 3 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Jan 3 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Jan 3 at 2:00 Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts
Thursday Jan 4 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Jan 4 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Jan 5 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty

Library Closed: The library will be closed today, December 25 for Christmas and from Friday December 29 – Monday January 1 for the New Year’s Holiday.

Outside the Lines Coloring:
Join us Tuesday, December 26 at 1:05 for a relaxing hour of coloring.  All supplies are provided.
 
New Books:
Fiction:
Fire in the Flesh - #3 Flesh and Fire Series by Jennifer Armentrout
Daughter of Darkness - #2 Veridian Deet Series by Terry Brooks
Manner of Death by Robin Cook
The Watchmaker’s Hand by Jeffrey Deaver
The Goodbye - #14 Seaside Saga by Joanne Demaio
The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner
The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen
Calico by Lee Goldberg
We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein
The Affairs of Ashmore Castle by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Catfish Charlie by William W. Johnsotne
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie
A Very Inconvenient Scandal by Jacqueline Mitchard
The Talk of Coyote Canyon - #2 Coyote Canyon Series by Brenda Novak
Alex Cross Must Die - #32 Alex Cross Series by James A. Patterson
Inheritance by Nora Roberts
Lost Hours – #5 Alaska Wild Series by Paige Shelton
Iron Flame - #2 Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros
 
Large Print:
The Little Liar by Mitch Albom
The Corsican Shadow by Dirk Cussler
Deadly Sabotage - #3 Honor Protection Specialists by Elizabeth Goddard
The Mystery Guest - #2 Molly the Maid Series by Nita Prose
The Ball at Versailles by Danielle Steel
 
Non-Fiction:
Find­ing ­grace: the in­spir­ing true s­to­ry of ther­a­py ­dogs bring­ing ­com­fort, hope & love ­to a hurt­ing ­world by Larry Randolph
The gen­tle art of Swedish death ­clean­ing: how ­to free y­our­self and y­our ­fam­i­ly from a life­time of ­clut­ter by Margareta Magnusson
Ghost­s of Honolu­lu: a Ja­pane­se spy, a Ja­pane­se Amer­i­can spy hunter, and the un­told s­to­ry of Pear­l Har­bor by Mark Har­mon and Leon Car­rol­l, Jr
Class by Stephanie Land
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
The forecast this Christmas is cloudy with a chance of reindeer.

Merry Christmas!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

December 18, 2023

Three plucky women lift the spirits of home-front brides in wartime Britain, where clothes rationing leaves little opportunity for pomp or celebration—even at weddings—in this heartwarming novel based on true events, from the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir.

December 11, 2023

December 4, 2023

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
Monday Dec 4 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Dec 5 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Dec 6 from 10:00-Noon-drop off Oh Fudge! contest entries
Wednesday Dec 6 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Dec 6 from Noon – 5:00 Oh Fudge! Contest tasting/voting
Wednesday Dec 6 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Dec 6 at 2:00 Coffee & Crafts
Wednesday Dec 6 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Wednesday Dec 6 at 2:45 Books for Cooks w/Jenny Hulme
Thursday Dec 7 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Dec 7 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Thursday Dec 7 at 7:00pm Remember Pearl Harbor with Jeff Stein
Friday Dec 8 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday Dec 11 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Dec 12 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Dec 13 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Dec 13 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes Christmas at Laurie’s
Wednesday Dec 13 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Dec 13 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thursday Dec 14 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Dec 14 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Dec 15 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Friday, Dec 15 at 2:00 Homeschooling Support Group
 
Oh Fudge!
Do you have a favorite fudge recipe?  Maybe you have a recipe handed down over generations? Or a recipe that your family begs you to make every Christmas? Enter our Christmas Fudge Contest!  Make your fudge and bring it to the library between 10:00 and Noon on Wednesday, December 6. Then everyone is invited to stop in and taste-test and vote for your favorite from Noon - 5:00.  The winner will receive a $25 Chamber Gift Certificate that can be used at any Chamber business!

Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts:
Come to the Carnegie Cafe on Wednesday, December 6 at 2:00 to make a simple seasonal craft, enjoy a hot beverage, and visit.  There is no cost or sign-up required, and we provide any supplies needed.

Books For Cooks:
This Wednesday, December 6, Jenny Hulme will lead another Books for Cooks Program for grades K-5, beginning at 2:45 in the Talen Community Room. There is no sign-up or cost for this program, thanks to a grant from The Tama County Community Foundation.
 

Each session is approximately one hour and will include a story, preparing a snack, physical activity as well as some type of activity/craft. And of course, the tasting of the prepared food as well as taking home the recipe.

 
Remember Pearl Harbor
The American Legion Auxiliary, Kubik-Finch Unit No. 142 is pleased to sponsor a Humanities Iowa educational program on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at the Traer Public Library.  Jeff Stein, a Toledo, Iowa native, will screen his documentary, “From the Battlefront to the Homefront:  Iowa Broadcasters Go To War.”  This project was funded in part by Humanities Iowa.  This presentation is free and open to the public.

 

From the Battlefront to the Homefront: Iowa Broadcasters Go To War
The bravery of American military members has been well-documented, often due to the unique reporting done by Iowa-based broadcasters on the scene. This presentation includes segments from a documentary by the same name, featuring vintage broadcasts and interviews with the journalists who covered conflicts from World War II to the first Gulf War: a 50-year span. Iowa broadcast historian Jeff Stein, the documentary producer, tells of the challenges the reporters faced in doing their jobs relaying information to a waiting audience and, at times, reassuring them of the safety of Iowans serving thousands of miles away.

Jeff Stein is an author, historian and broadcaster. A 2011 recipient of The National Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History, he is recognized as the foremost broadcast historian in Iowa. His daily radio feature on Iowa history, “Iowa Almanac”, airs on 30 stations statewide. A past member of the State Historical Society of Iowa board of trustees, Stein taught at the college level for 25 years, including at Iowa State University, Buena Vista University-Marshalltown Center, William Penn University and Wartburg College.

 













 

November 27, 2023

Good Afternoon!
 
On The Calendar:
Monday Nov 27 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday Nov 27 at 2:00 BINGO
Tuesday Nov 28 at 1:05 Outside the Lines Coloring
Tuesday Nov 28 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Nov 29 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Nov 29 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Nov 29 at 2:00 Do You Hear What I Hear? Hearing Health w/ Deb Kloster
Wednesday Nov 29 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thursday Nov 30 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Nov 30 at 2:15 NO Yoga
Friday Dec 1 at 1:00 NO Fit & Feisty
Friday, Dec 1 at 2:00 Watercolors with Stephenie
Friday Dec 1 at 5:30 Union Carolers
Saturday Dec 2 at 10:00 Story Time w/ Santa & Mrs. Claus
Monday Dec 4 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Dec 5 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Dec 6 from 10:00-Noon-drop off Oh Fudge contest entries
Wednesday Dec 6 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Dec 6 from Noon – 5:00 Oh Fudge Contest tasting/voting
Wednesday Dec 6 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Dec 6 at 2:00 Coffee & Crafts
Wednesday Dec 6 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Wednesday Dec 6 at 2:45 Books for Cooks w/Jenny Hulme
Thursday Dec 7 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Dec 7 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Thursday Dec 7 at 7:00pm Remember Pearl Harbor with Jeff Stein
Friday Dec 8 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
 
Special Calendar Notes:
There will be NO Chair Yoga Thursday, and NO Fit & Feisty on Friday.
 
BINGO!
Join us at 2:00 on Monday Nov. 27 for a fun hour of BINGO in the Talen Community Room.  You can win exciting prizes!
 
Outside the Lines Coloring:
Come to the library for a relaxing hour of coloring Tuesday Nov. 28 at 1:05. We provide all supplies. There is no cost or sign up required.

Do You Hear What I Hear?
On Wednesday, November 29 at 2:00, Deb Kloster with On-Site Hearing will speak about hearing health and hearing aids.
She will touch on subjects such as:

• When should you have your hearing checked?
• How to talk to people with hearing aids
• How to get people with hearing aids to talk to you
• General questions

 
Watercolors with Stephenie:
Stephenie Bellwood’s monthly watercolor class will meet again Friday Dec. 1 at 2:00. We focus on learning a different painting technique each month. Newcomers are welcome! All supplies are provided.

Holiday Happenings Events:
Stop in the library on Friday, December 1 from 1:00-5:00 to sign up to win a free copy of Christmas at the Shelter Inn by RaeAnne Thayne.
Then at 5:30 in the Kupka Cultural Center, enjoy the sounds of the Holiday season with the Union Carolers.

On Saturday, December 2, bring the kids to the library at 10:00 to hear Santa read Twas the Night Before Christmas, have pictures taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and get a cookie to take home!



Oh Fudge!
Do you have a favorite fudge recipe?  Maybe you have a recipe handed down over generations? Or a recipe that your family begs you to make every Christmas? Enter our Christmas Fudge Contest!  Make your fudge and bring it to the library between 10:00 and Noon on Wednesday, December 6. Then everyone is invited to stop in and taste-test and vote for your favorite from Noon - 5:00.  The winner will receive a $25 Chamber Gift Certificate that can be used at any Chamber business!
 
Remember Pearl Harbor
The American Legion Auxiliary, Kubik-Finch Unit No. 142 is pleased to sponsor a Humanities Iowa educational program on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at the Traer Public Library.  Jeff Stein, a Toledo, Iowa native, will screen his documentary, “From the Battlefront to the Homefront:  Iowa Broadcasters Go To War.”  This project was funded in part by Humanities Iowa.  This presentation is free and open to the public.
From the Battlefront to the Homefront: Iowa Broadcasters Go To War

The bravery of American military members has been well-documented, often due to the unique reporting done by Iowa-based broadcasters on the scene. This presentation includes segments from a documentary by the same name, featuring vintage broadcasts and interviews with the journalists who covered conflicts from World War II to the first Gulf War: a 50-year span. Iowa broadcast historian Jeff Stein, the documentary producer, tells of the challenges the reporters faced in doing their jobs relaying information to a waiting audience and, at times, reassuring them of the safety of Iowans serving thousands of miles away.
Jeff Stein is an author, historian and broadcaster. A 2011 recipient of The National Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History, he is recognized as the foremost broadcast historian in Iowa. His daily radio feature on Iowa history, “Iowa Almanac”, airs on 30 stations statewide. A past member of the State Historical Society of Iowa board of trustees, Stein taught at the college level for 25 years, including at Iowa State University, Buena Vista University-Marshalltown Center, William Penn University and Wartburg College.

Pun-Of-The-Week:
Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, “You stay here; I’ll go on a head.”

Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

November 20, 2023

Deep in the southernmost part of Alabama, along the banks of a lazy winding river, lies the sleepy little community known as Lost River, a place that time itself seems to have forgotten. After a startling diagnosis from his doctor, Oswald T. Campbell leaves behind the cold and damp of the oncoming Chicago winter to spend what he believes will be his last Christmas in the warm and welcoming town of Lost River. There he meets the postman who delivers mail by boat, the store owner who nurses a broken heart, the ladies of the Mystic Order of the Royal Polka Dots Secret Society, who do clandestine good works. And he meets a little redbird named Jack, who is at the center of this tale of a magical Christmas when something so amazing happened that those who witnessed it have never forgotten it. Once you experience the wonder, you too will never forget A Redbird Christmas.

 
Please feel free to join either book club - newcomers are always welcome.
 
Do You Hear What I Hear?
On Wednesday, November 29 at 2:00, Deb Kloster with On-Site Hearing will speak about hearing health and hearing aids. She will touch on subjects such as:

• When should you have your hearing checked?
• How to talk to people with hearing aids
• How to get people with hearing aids to talk to you
• General questions

 
Holiday Happenings Events:
Stop in the library on Friday, December 1 from 1:00-5:00 to sign up to win a free copy of Christmas at the Shelter Inn by RaeAnne Thayne.
 
Then at 5:30 in the Kupka Cultural Center, enjoy the sounds of the Holiday season with the Union Carolers.

On Saturday, December 2, bring the kids to the Kupka Cultural Center at 10:00 to hear Santa read Twas the Night Before Christmas, have pictures taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and get a cookie to take home!

Oh Fudge!
Do you have a favorite fudge recipe?  Maybe you have a recipe handed down over generations? Or a recipe that your family begs you to make every Christmas? Enter our Christmas Fudge Contest!  Make your fudge and bring it to the library between 10:00 and Noon on Wednesday, December 6. Then everyone is invited to stop in and taste-test and vote for your favorite from Noon - 5:00.  The winner will receive a $25 Chamber Gift Certificate that can be used at any Chamber business!
 
Remember Pearl Harbor
The American Legion Auxiliary, Kubik-Finch Unit No. 142 is pleased to sponsor a Humanities Iowa educational program on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at the Traer Public Library.  Jeff Stein, a Toledo, Iowa native, will screen his documentary, “From the Battlefront to the Homefront:  Iowa Broadcasters Go To War.”  This project was funded in part by Humanities Iowa.  This presentation is free and open to the public.

From the Battlefront to the Homefront: Iowa Broadcasters Go To War
The bravery of American military members has been well-documented, often due to the unique reporting done by Iowa-based broadcasters on the scene. This presentation includes segments from a documentary by the same name, featuring vintage broadcasts and interviews with the journalists who covered conflicts from World War II to the first Gulf War: a 50-year span. Iowa broadcast historian Jeff Stein, the documentary producer, tells of the challenges the reporters faced in doing their jobs relaying information to a waiting audience and, at times, reassuring them of the safety of Iowans serving thousands of miles away.
Jeff Stein is an author, historian and broadcaster. A 2011 recipient of The National Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History, he is recognized as the foremost broadcast historian in Iowa. His daily radio feature on Iowa history, “Iowa Almanac”, airs on 30 stations statewide. A past member of the State Historical Society of Iowa board of trustees, Stein taught at the college level for 25 years, including at Iowa State University, Buena Vista University-Marshalltown Center, William Penn University and Wartburg College.

New Books:
Non-Fiction:
All Star Quilts of Valor: 25 Patriotic Patterns from Star Designers by Ann Parsons Holte
Tabletastic! Table Topper Patterns by Doug Leko
Tabletastic 2! Table Topper Patterns by Doug Leko
Tabletastic 3! Table Topper Patterns by Doug Leko
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
I think there’s something wrong with this turkey. It tastes a bit fowl.

Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

November 13, 2023

November 6, 2023

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
Monday Nov 6 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Nov 7 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Nov 8 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Nov 8 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes Book Club
Wednesday Nov 8 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Nov 8 at 2:00 Cooking with Fresh Herbs w/ISU Extension
Wednesday Nov 8 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thursday Nov 9 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Nov 9 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Nov 10 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday Nov 13 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Nov 14 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Nov 15 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Nov 15 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Nov 15 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thursday Nov 16 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Nov 16 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Nov 17at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Friday Nov 17 at 2:00 Homeschooling Support Group
 
Scones & Tomes:
Join us for an informal book club this Wednesday, November 8 at 11:30.  We share and discuss the books we have read lately while enjoying a sweet treat and a hot beverage.  Attendees always get ideas for great books to add to their reading lists. Newcomers are always welcome.

Cooking with Fresh Herbs:
Do you enjoy growing herbs but would like some new ideas about how to cook with them? When and how do you add fresh herbs while cooking? Mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 8 at 2:00. Holly Van Heel with ISU Extension and Outreach will be leading us as we explore ways to cook with fresh herbs. We would like to have an idea of how many are coming, so please let us know if you plan to attend.  Or register yourself at https://go.iastate.edu/LVNJYS
 

PenPals will NOT be meeting for the month of November.
 
Get Active at the Library!
While we know how much you love to curl up on a chilly day with a book or magazine or DVD (we do too!), we also know the importance of being active. We currently have 2 programs at the library that get you out and get you moving.
 
Our Fit & Feisty exercise group meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1:00. We offer a variety of exercises, and you can participate from either a sitting or standing position, so it’s appropriate for all fitness levels. 
 
We also offer Chair Yoga on Thursdays at 2:15. This is a very basic yoga class that focuses on relaxation, stretching, balance, and breathing. All exercises are done from either from a seated position, standing and using the chair, or beside your chair. You do not have to get down on (or up from) the floor! There is no cost for either of these programs. Give one of them a try!
 
Come Build a Dinosaur!
We have a new activity that will be out for one more week! On loan from the State Library of Iowa- a STEM Dinosaur activity! There is a pile of 105 bones and instructions to build 3 dinosaurs, or build your own. There are also books available (for all ages) to look at in the library. Bring the kids in anytime to build a dinosaur!
 
New Books:
Fiction:
Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
Traitors Gate - #6 William Warwick Series by Jeffrey Archer
Sisters by the Sea: 4 short romances set in the Sarasota, Florida Amish Community by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Last Word to the Wise - #2 Christie Bookshop Mystery Series by Ann Claire
The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich
The Armor of Light - #4 Kingsbridge Series by Ken Follett
The Running Grave - #7 Cormoran Strikes Series by Robert Galbraith
Hopeless - #1 Hopeless Series by Colleen Hoover
Losing Hope - #2 Hopeless Series by Colleen Hoover
Finding Cinderella - #3 Hopeless Series by Colleen Hoover
Finding Perfect - #4 Hopeless Series by Colleen Hoover
Lost and Found by Suzanne Woods Fisher
The Ghost Illusion by Kat Martin
The Last Exchange by Charles Martin
My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon
23 ½ Lies: 3 Thrillers (including #23 ½ Women’s Murder Club Series) by James A. Patterson
 
Large Print:
Blessing of the Lost Girls - #20 Joanna Brady by J.A. Jance
When the Rain Ends by Mary Ellen Taylor
 
Non-Fiction:
The Big Book of Happy Crafts: 24 creative projects to infuse your world with style, personality & fun by Lucia Mallea
Killing the Witches: the horror of Salem, Massachusetts by Bill O’Reilly
 
Teen:
Kingdom of the Feared - #3 Kingdom of the Wicked Series by Kerri Maniscalco
The Chalice of the Gods - #6 Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan
 
Junior Fiction/Non Fiction:
Which Way to Anywhere by Cressida Cowell
The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novel - #14 Stacey’s Mistake by Ann Martin
Science Comics: Polar Bears by Jason Viola
Wrecker by Carl Hiaasen
Tales from a not-so-posh Paris Adventure - #15 Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russel
Minecraft: Guide to Exploration
 
DVDs:
Barbie
Elemental
Golda
Jules
The Crown Season 5
Jack Ryan Season 3

Pun-Of-The-Week:
Corduroy pillows are making headlines.

October 30, 2023

October 23, 2023

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
Monday Oct 23 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Oct 24 at 1:05 Outside the Lines Coloring
Tuesday Oct 24 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Oct 25 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Oct 25 at 10:15 Story Time with Special Guest Emily
Wednesday Oct 25 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Oct 25 at 2:00 What Your Body Needs in Your 50s, 60s and Beyond
Wednesday Oct 25 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thursday Oct 26 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Oct 26 at 2:15 Chair Yoga ***Cancelled
Friday Oct 27 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday Oct 30 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday Oct 30 at 2:00 BINGO
Tuesday Oct 31 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Nov 1 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Nov 1 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Nov 1 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Nov 1 at 2:00 Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts
Wednesday Nov 1 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Wednesday Nov 1 at 2:45 Books For Cooks w/ Jenny Hulme Grades K-5
Thursday Nov 2 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Nov 2 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Nov 3 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Friday Nov 3 at 2:00 Watercolors with Stephenie
 
Outside the Lines Coloring:
Come to the library for a relaxing hour of coloring tomorrow, Tuesday, October 24 at 1:05. We provide colored pencils, markers, cards, bookmarks, or coloring books for you, or bring your own supplies and come to socialize and relax. There is no cost or sign up required.

Story Time Sticker Fun With Pumpkins!
Join us for a special Story Time on Wednesday, October 25 at 10:15AM in the Kupka Cultural Center!  Special Guest Emily Doyle will be joining us and bringing pumpkins! We will have lots of fun enjoying a story and decorating the pumpkins with stickers!
 
This Wednesday @ 2:00: What Your Body Needs in your 50s, 60s and Beyond:
As we mature, so do our nutritional requirements. This Wednesday, October 25 at 2:00, Dietician Crystal Petersen with the Grundy County Hospital will tell us What our Bodies Need in our 50's, 60's and Beyond. She will speak about healthy eating and what our bodies require at different ages. Come to find out more.
 

There will be NO YOGA this week.
 
Cooking with Fresh Herbs:
Do you enjoy growing herbs but would like some new ideas about how to cook with them? When and how do you add fresh herbs while cooking? Mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 8 at 2:00. Holly Van Heel with Tama County ISU Extension and Outreach will be leading us as we explore ways to cook with fresh herbs.
 
New Books:
Fiction:
Fall of Ruin and Wrath –#1 Awakening Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Christmas Every Day by Linda Byler
Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez
Gooseberry Christmas - #3 Cottage on Gooseberry Bay Series by Kathi Daley
Read to Death at the Lakeside Library - #3 Lakeside Library Series by Holly Danvers
The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni
A Christmas Courtship - #3 Berlin Bookmobile Series by Shelley Shepard Gray
The Girl in the Ground - #4 Nikki Hunt Series by Stacy Green
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
Wildflower Falls - #4 Riverbend Series by Denise Hunter
Chenneville: a novel of murder, loss and vengeance by Paulette Jiles
Summer in the Spotlight - #3 Prince Edward Island Shores Series by Liz Johnson
Holly by Stephen King
Catch Her Death - #7 Bree Taggert Series by Melinda Leigh
They Call Her Dirty Sally by Amy Matayo
They Say He Flies at Night by Amy Matayo
The Locked Door by Freida McFadden
Talulah’s Back in Town by Brenda Novak
 
Large Print:
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister
The Last Ranger by Peter Heller
The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons #7 Millennium Series by Karin Smirnoff
 
Non-Fiction:
Of Time and Turtles: mending the world, shell by shattered shell by Sy Montgomery
The Six: the untold story of America’s first women astronauts by Loren Grush
The Home Edit: Stay Organized: the ultimate guide to making systems stick by Clea Shearer
Birdie & Harlow: Life, Loss, and Loving My Dog So Much I Didn’t Want Kids (…Until I Did) by Taylor Wolfe
 
Junior:
Guinness World Records 2024
LEGO Star Wars – Awesome Vehicles by Simon Hugh
The Super Secret Octagon Valley Society by Melissa De La Cruz
Dragon Girls Series books 1-3 by Maddy Mara
Science Comics Graphic Novels: Bats; Coral Reefs; Solar System; Spiders

Pun-Of-The-Week:
The coffee shops are very busy this time of year. I guess people really love their pumpkin spice a latte.

Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

October 16, 2023

Mesmerizing from the first page to the last, Kristin Hannah's Winter Garden is one woman’s sweeping, heartbreaking story of love, loss, and redemption. At once an epic love story set in World War II Russia and an intimate portrait of contemporary mothers and daughters poised at the crossroads of their lives, it explores the heartbreak of war, the cost of survival and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. It is a novel that will haunt the reader long after the last page is turned.

October 9, 2023

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
Monday, Oct 9 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Oct 10 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Oct 11 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Oct 11 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Oct 11 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes
Wednesday Oct 11 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Oct 11 at 2:00 Echoes in the Hallways with James Kenyon
Wednesday Oct 11 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thursday Oct 12 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Oct 12 at 2:15 NO Yoga
Friday Oct 13 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday Oct 16 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday Oct 16 at 2:00 Monday Book Club
Monday Oct 16 at 5:30 Chat & Chew
Tuesday Oct 17 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Oct 18 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Oct 18 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Oct 18 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Oct 18 at 2:00 African Violets Hands-On Workshop
Wednesday Oct 18 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thursday Oct 19 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Oct 19 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Oct 20 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Friday Oct 20 at 2:00 Homeschooling Support Group

Scones & Tomes:
Join us for an informal book club this Wednesday, October 11 at 11:30.  We share and discuss the books we have read lately while enjoying a sweet treat and a hot beverage.  Attendees always get ideas for great books to add to their reading lists. Newcomers are always welcome.
 
Echoes in the Hallways with James Kenyon this Wednesday at 2:00:
How many of you attended school in buildings that are now closed, run down and abandoned, or no longer there? There are schools like that across the entire state, and several in Tama County, that only stand tall and proud in our memories. Join us this Wednesday, October 11 at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room for Echoes in the Hallways, a presentation by Cedar Falls author James Kenyon.
 

"Echoes in the Hallways is a historical account of the former high schools of the state of Iowa. Over 18 months, he traveled to all of Iowa’s 99 counties and a story from each county is told in this book. He traveled highways, county roads, gravel, and dirt roads to see these old schools and towns. Some schools were still standing, others have been converted for community use, and others are gone. He met with area people in convenience stores, school gymnasiums, coffee shops, around kitchen tables, libraries, and on park benches. In total, over 1000 Iowans shared their memories and the history of their town and schools. He made so many wonderful new friends who shared. It became a labor of love."
 

James will share experiences and stories and history from his travels across Iowa researching and visiting some of these old schools. His book is available for checkout.



African Violets Hands-On Workshop:
Cindy Weida’s program about Propagating African Violets on September 13 was so interesting the attendees wanted to have her back for a more "hands-on" demonstration.  So join us on Wednesday, October 18 at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room and prepare to "get your hands dirty"! Cindy will help each of us take cuttings from existing violets and show us the best ways to plant and nurture them.
 
Blank Park Zoo Passes:
We still have about a dozen free passes to the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines.  These passes are good for One Free Child Admission (ages 3-12), and are valid through December 31, 2023. Passes are available at the circulation desk.  Please only request one pass per child.
 
Free Online Resources for Children and Adults:
Now that school is back in full swing, you might be looking for a little extra help or lesson practice for your kids.  The library has several free resources available – all you need is a library card and internet access.
 

Tumblebooks – FREE kids ebooks online: Tumblebooks is an online collection of e-books for children.  It can be accessed from any device with internet, so they can read on a computer, tablet or phone. This is a great resource to use anytime your kids say “I’m bored!”, or as an additional way to get them reading more books!
 
Kids can read along with over 1,100 animated, talking picture books, as well as chapter books, non-fiction books, and graphic novels, and play games and put together puzzles. And it’s all FREE for our library patrons! Just go to our website www.traer.lib.ia.us, click on the Tumblebooks box on the homepage, and put in your library card number. Or download the free Tumblebooks app.

 

Brainfuse online resources: BrainFuse HelpNow is FREE on demand, anytime, anywhere eLearning for all ages and levels. Help is available for students Kindergarten-College, and for Adult Learning as well! There is even FAFSA help!
 
Students communicate with live tutors (available from 2:00pm-11:00pm) using an interactive whiteboard to chat, write, draw, or copy/paste text or images and graph homework problems. Students can receive help with writing, math, language arts, science and social studies. There is even help preparing for/practice tests for the PSAT, ACT, Nursing Exams, AP classes and more!
 
Adult Learner Help includes GED prep, US Citizenship test prep, Microsoft Office Help, Career Resources, and Resume help. HelpNow™ will be available FREE to all library patrons from the public computers at the library or from any computer with internet connection. To access HelpNow™, please visit the library’s website at www.traer.lib.ia.us, click on Online Resources, and then on the BrainFuse HelpNow icon to set up your account. If you have questions, please come to the library - we will be happy to help.

ABC Mouse:
ABCMouse.com early Learning Academy is a digital computer game for children ages 2-8.  You can access their website for FREE on any of the computers in our lab! Subjects covered include reading and language arts, math, science, health, social studies, music and art.  Activities include puzzles, games, videos, coloring activities, songs, and poems.  There are also some digital books. Come play along with your child, or let them work and play alone, as you use the computer next to them.

 
Stay Sharp Memory Kits available for checkout:
The Library has 3 Stay Sharp Memory Kits available for check out. The kits help support those experiencing Alzheimer’s, dementia, memory loss, and other cognitive impairment, or those just wishing to keep their minds sharp.

Each kit is intended to help you interact, converse, or reminisce with others, including those with cognitive decline. The kits include items that stimulate memory and help spark conversations about life experiences, such as books, photos, sensory tools, puzzles and games.

We have 3 kits available: Garden, Handyman, and Birds & Butterflies

New Memorial Books:
Closer Than Your Next Breath: Where is God When You Need Him Most by Susie Larson, given in memory of JoAnn Kopriva by Farmers Savings Bank & Trust
 
Smith­so­ni­an Makers Workshop: ­fas­ci­nat­ing his­to­ry & essen­tial how-­tos- ­gar­den­ing, craft­ing, dec­o­rat­ing & ­food, given in memory of Dennis Steinmetz by Farmers Savings Bank & Trust
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
A seabird snatched my German Sausage.  It was a tern for the wurst.

Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

October 2, 2023

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
Monday Oct 2 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Oct 3 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Oct 4 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Oct 4 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Oct 4 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Oct 4 at 2:00 Coffee & Crafts
Wednesday Oct 4 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Wednesday Oct 4 2:45-4:00 Books for Cooks w/Jenny Hulme for Grades K-5
Thursday Oct 5 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Oct 5 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Oct 6 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Friday Oct 6 at 2:00 Watercolors with Stephenie
Monday, Oct 9 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Oct 10 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Oct 11 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Oct 11 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Oct 11 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes
Wednesday Oct 11 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Oct 11 at 2:00 Echoes in the Hallways with James Kenyon
Wednesday Oct 11 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thursday Oct 12 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Oct 12 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Oct 13 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
 
Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts:
Come to the Carnegie Cafe on Wednesday, October 4 at 2:00 to make a simple seasonal craft, and visit.  There is no cost or sign-up required, and we provide any supplies needed.

Books For Cooks:
This Wednesday, October 4, Jenny Hulme will lead another Books for Cooks Program for grades K-5, beginning at 2:45 in the Talen Community Room. There is no sign-up or cost for this program, thanks to a grant from The Tama County Community Foundation.
 

Each session is approximately one hour and will include a story read, preparing a snack, physical activity as well as some type of activity/craft. And of course, the tasting of the prepared food as well as taking home the recipe.

This month we will learn how to cut fruit and squeeze fruit to make juice, and will make Splendid Fruit Salad.  We will read the book Right This Very minute by Lisl H. Detlefsen.

Watercolors with Stephenie:
Stephenie Bellwood’s monthly watercolor class will meet again this Friday October 6 at 2:00. She will be focusing on teaching a different painting technique each month. Newcomers are welcome! You do not need any prior painting experience to enjoy her classes! All supplies are provided.
 
Echoes in the Hallways with James Kenyon:
How many of you attended school in buildings that are now closed, run down and abandoned, or no longer there? There are schools like that across the entire state, and several in Tama County, that only stand tall and proud in our memories. Join us on Wednesday, October 11 at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room for Echoes in the Hallways, a presentation by Cedar Falls author James Kenyon. 

"Echoes in the Hallways is a historical account of the former high schools of the state of Iowa. Over 18 months, he traveled to all of Iowa’s 99 counties and a story from each county is told in this book. He traveled highways, county roads, gravel, and dirt roads to see these old schools and towns. Some schools were still standing, others have been converted for community use, and others are gone. He met with area people in convenience stores, school gymnasiums, coffee shops, around kitchen tables, libraries, and on park benches. In total, over 1000 Iowans shared their memories and the history of their town and schools. He made so many wonderful new friends who shared. It became a labor of love."

James will share experiences and stories and history from his travels across Iowa researching and visiting some of these old schools. His book is available for checkout.

African Violets Hands-On Workshop:
Cindy Weida’s program about Propagating African Violets on September 13 was so interesting the attendees wanted to have her back for a more "hands-on" demonstration.  So join us on Wednesday, October 18 at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room and prepare to "get your hands dirty"! Cindy will help each of us take cuttings from existing violets and show us the best ways to plant and nurture them.
 
New Books:
Fiction:
Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
Echoes Fade - #17 David Wolfe Series by Jeff Carson
Sunshine and Sweet Wine - #4 Bistro at Holiday Bay Series by Kathi Daley
Death at Beresford Hall - #4 Adam and Eve Mystery Series by Emma Davies
Apple Strudel Alibi - #8 Oxford Tearoom Mysteries Series by H.Y. Hanna
Coffee at the Beach House Hotel - #7 Beach House Hotel Series by Judith Keim
Seaside Book Club - #6 Lobster Bay Series by Meredith Summers
 
Large Print:
Moonlight and Promises - #3 Hideaway Bay Book Series by Michele Brouder
Fire with Fire by Candice Fox
Missing and Endangered - #19 Joanna Brady Series by Judith A. Jance
Cremas, Christmas Cookies and Crooks - #6 Cape Bay Café Series by Lin Harper
 
Non-Fiction:
Confessions of a Recovering Evangelical: overcoming fear and certainty to find faith through doubt and questioning by Danielle Henderson
Barn Star Sampler: 20 starry blocks and 7 spectacular quilts by Shelley Cavanna
The Things Our Fathers Saw: the untold stories of the WWII generation Volume V: D-Day and Beyond by Matthew A. Rozell
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
Simba was walking too slowly, so I told him to Mufasa.

Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
Traer Public Library

 

September 25. 2023

September 18, 2023

When Alice Ozma was in 4th grade, she and her father decided to see if he could read aloud to her for 100 consecutive nights. On the hundredth night, they shared pancakes to celebrate, but it soon became evident that neither wanted to let go of their storytelling ritual. So they decided to continue what they called "The Streak." Alice's father read aloud to her every night without fail until the day she left for college.

Alice approaches her book as a series of vignettes about her relationship with her father and the life lessons learned from the books he read to her.

Our Chat & Chew Book Club will meet tonight, Monday, September 18 at 5:30.  This is a very informal group. We discuss books we are currently reading or have read recently, or have heard about, while enjoying a slice of pizza.
 
English Paper Piecing:
On Tuesday, September 19 at 1:30, Cathy McFarland will give a brief history of English Paper Piecing, then lead the class in making your own project to take home. No previous experience is necessary!
There will be a cost of $10 for each participant. You will each receive your own kit. Please contact the library to sign up for this interesting class! (This class was rescheduled from June, so if you signed up then, you are still signed up.)

Homemade Salsa Contest!
Do you like to make salsa? Enter our contest on Wednesday, September 20!  Bring your entry to the library before noon on Wednesday (we are open Mon 1-7, Tues 1-5, Wed 10-5).

Do you like to eat salsa? Salsa tasting is open to everyone and will be held from 12:00 - 5:00pm. Come taste test all of the entries and vote for your favorite salsa! A $25 Gift Certificate to La Terraza Mexican Grill and Seafood Restaurant in Traer will be awarded to the winner!
 
Pinterest Night!
Laurie is returning with another fun Pinterest Night on Monday, September 25! What is Pinterest Night?? Laurie will walk you through making your own seasonal decoration inspired by something she saw on Pinterest! This fall you will be making a wooden pumpkin wall or door hanging (double-sided if you'd like 2 different colors)! The pumpkin is roughly 18" tall x 16" wide. There are also 2 different fonts to choose from for your initial: Quirky Script (on orange pumpkin) or Love Spell (on teal pumpkin).

She is offering 2 different classes: 3:30 and 5:30. All sign-up slots have been filled, but we will take a couple more alternate names in case we have a last-minute cancellation. There will be a $10 fee for all of the supplies you will need. We will have many paint colors, so you can customize your pumpkin however you'd like.
























 

“Wellderly” Series:
Mark your calendars for some upcoming programs that focus on “Wellness for the Elderly” - health topics for those of us who are 55+. These programs will all be at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room.

• Wed. Sept 27: Coffee Talk with Tama County Public Health- nurse Beth Eberle will be speaking about Healthy Meals, Influenza, LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
• Wed. Oct 25: Dietician Crystal Petersen from the Grundy County Hospital will be speaking about nutrition – what your body needs in your 50s, 60s and beyond
• Wed. Nov 29 – Deb Kloster with On-Site Hearing in Waterloo will be speaking on the importance of taking care of our hearing as we age

Used Book Sale:
Our Used Book Sale Room is overflowing! We have recently added a lot more donated and weeded books, both fiction and non-fiction.  We have also added some audiobooks. The book sale room is open during library hours. Please bring your free-will donation to the circulation desk. All proceeds go to the Friends of the Library.

Westerns!
Do you like to read "Westerns"?  Maybe you've never given them a try? Westerns are primarily set in the American Old West between the late eighteenth century and late nineteenth century and tell the stories of cowboys, settlers, and outlaws exploring the western frontier and taming the Wild West. We have a variety of books in our own collection, plus we get 10 Large Print Westerns from both the Decorah Public Library and from the Drake Community Library in Grinnell every month.  We keep these books for 3 months before returning them.  We receive classic authors like Zane Grey, Max Brand, William W. Johnstone, and Louis L'Amour, and also newer authors such as Ralph Cotton, Lauran Paine, and many others.  Stop in and check one out!
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
I have a pet termite.  I named him Clint.  Clint eats wood.
 
Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

September 11, 2023

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
Monday, Sept 11 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Sept 12 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Sept 13 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Sept 13 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Sept 13 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes
Wednesday Sept 13 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Sept 13 at 2:00 Propagating African Violets with Cindy Weida
Wednesday Sept 13 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thursday Sept 14 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Sept 14 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Sept 15 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Friday Sept 15 at 2:00 Homeschooling Support Group
Monday Sept 18 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday Sept 18 at 2:00 Book Club
Monday Sept 18 at 5:30 Chat & Chew Book Club
Tuesday Sept 19 at 1:30 English Paper Piecing with Cathy McFarland
Wednesday Sept 20 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Sept 20 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Sept 20 from 12:00 – 5:00 Salsa Contest
Wednesday Sept 20 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Sept 20 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Thursday Sept 21 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Sept 21 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Sept 22 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty

Propagating African Violets:
Come to the Talen Community Room on Wednesday, September 13 at 2:00 to learn about propagating African Violets. Cindy Weida will share what she has learned about growing, propagating and caring for these beautiful flowers. She has many different varieties, and will bring some to show.
 
Homeschooling Support Group:
If you are a Homeschooler, come to the library this Friday, September 15 to meet with other homeschoolers! We will be meeting monthly on the 3rd Friday of the month at 2:00 in the Kupka Cultural Center. This is an informal group that will gather to share knowledge, bounce ideas off of one another, and ask questions. There is no "leader" for this group, just come to visit and share with other homeschoolers. Kids are welcome to come! We will have some toys for the younger ones, and a DVD player and TV available. You may bring snacks and drinks.

Upcoming Book Clubs:

 
English Paper Piecing:
On Tuesday, June September 19 at 1:30, Cathy McFarland will give a brief history of English Paper Piecing, then lead the class in making your own project to take home. English Paper Piecing involves stabilizing fabric pieces with paper. Once the shapes are wrapped and ready, the sewer will hand sew the shapes together one at a time until the shapes become an intricate design.

There will be a cost of $10 for each participant. You will each receive your own kit. Please contact the library to sign up for this interesting class! (This class was rescheduled from June, so if you signed up then, you are still signed up.)

Homemade Salsa Contest!
Do you like to make salsa? Enter our contest on Wednesday, September 20!  Bring your entry to the library between 10:00am and 12:00. Do you like to eat salsa? Salsa tasting is open to everyone and will be held from 12:00 - 5:00pm. Come taste test all of the entries and vote for your favorite salsa! A $25 Gift Certificate to La Terraza Mexican Grill and Seafood Restaurant in Traer will be awarded to the winner!
 
Pinterest Night!
Laurie is returning with another fun Pinterest Night! What is Pinterest Night?? Laurie will walk you through making your own seasonal decoration inspired by something she saw on Pinterest! Save the date for Monday, September 25.  She will be offering 2 different classes: 3:30 and 5:00. Please call the library to sign up by September 20, as there will be limited supplies available. There will be a small fee for all of the supplies you will need. Stay tuned for more details!
 
“Wellderly” Series:
Mark your calendars for some upcoming programs that focus on “Wellness for the Elderly” - health topics for those of us who are 55+. These programs will all be at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room.

• Wed. Sept 27: Tama County Public Health- nurse Beth Eberle will be speaking about Healthy Meals, Influenza, LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
• Wed. Oct 25: Dietician Crystal Petersen from the Grundy County Hospital will be speaking about nutrition – what your body needs in your 50s, 60s and beyond
• Wed. Nov 29 – Deb Kloster with On-Site Hearing in Waterloo will be speaking on the importance of taking care of our hearing as we age

New Materials:
Fiction:
Trapper Road - #6 Stillhouse Lake Series by Rachel Caine
Lost Angels - #3 Nikki Hunt Series by Stacy Green
The Sisters of Glass Ferry by Kim Michele Richardson
 
Non-Fiction:
The Essential Guide to Intermittent Fasting for Women: balance your hormones to lose weight, lower stress, and optimize health by Megan Ramos
The Things Our Fathers Saw-The Untold Stories of the World War II Generation Volume 4: Up the Bloody Boot-The War in Italy by Matthew A. Rozell
 
Teen:
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Part of your World by Liz Braswell
Straight on til Morning by Liz Braswell
My Friend the Octopus by Lindsay Galvin
The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning
 
DVDs:
Spiderman – Across the Spider-verse
Monster High – The Movie
The Way
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
I’m reading a great book on anti-gravity.  It’s impossible to put down!
 
Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

September 4, 2023

August 28, 2023

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
Monday, Aug 28 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday, Aug 28 at 2:00 BINGO
Tuesday Aug 29 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Aug 30 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Aug 30 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Aug 30 at 2:00 Prisoners of War in Iowa with Linda McCann
Thursday Aug 31 at 1:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Aug 31 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Sept 1 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Friday Sept 1 at 2:00 Watercolors with Stephenie

Saturday Sept 2 CLOSED for Labor Day
Monday Sept 4 CLOSED for Labor Day
Tuesday Sept 5 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Sept 6 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Sept 6 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday Sept 6 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Sept 6 at 2:00 Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts
Wednesday Sept 6 at 2:30 – 3:30 Early-Out Activities Grades 4-12
Wednesday Sept 6 at 2:45 – 4:00 Books for Cooks Grades K-5
Thursday Sept 7 at 10:00 Cribbage and Rummikub***Note Time Change
Thursday Sept 7 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Sept 8 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
 
BINGO Today:
Join us at 2:00 TODAY for a fun hour of BINGO in the Talen Community Room.  You can win exciting prizes!
 
Prisoners of War In Iowa with Linda McCann:
Join us this Wednesday, August 30 at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room for another interesting historical program with Iowa Author Linda McCann. Linda has written several books on Iowa History. Linda will speak about what she learned while researching and interviewing people for her book Prisoners of War in Iowa.
 
During World War II, approximately 25,000 German, Italian, and Japanese prisoners of war were housed in Iowa. There were two main camps; Algona and Clarinda, which housed about 3,000 POWs each. There were 19 branch camps where prisoners stayed for a few months working in the fields, or at canning factories, seed corn companies, or other places which hired them. One of those branch camps was at the former Sac and Fox Sanitarium in Toledo. Linda has spoken with many people who knew or worked with the POWs and shares their memories in her book.

Watercolors with Stephenie this Friday:
Stephenie Bellwood is back by popular demand with more watercolor classes!  On the first Friday of the month, beginning September 1^st at 2:00, she will be focusing on a different painting technique each month. You do not need any prior painting experience to enjoy her classes! All supplies are provided, and you will go home with your own watercolor painting.
 
Note: The Library will be CLOSED next Monday, September 4 in observance of Labor Day.
 
Children’s Wednesday Programing resumes Sept. 6

Join Miss Sue beginning September 6 for Story Time every Wednesday at 10:15 as we listen to stories, make crafts, sing songs and have play time!
 

We will also be back on September 6 with children's programming from 2:30 - 3:30 on Early-Out Wednesdays (days with early school dismissal). We will have snacks and offer activities (games or crafts) for children in grades 4-12.  

 

Jenny Hulme returns to lead Books for Cooks on the first Wednesday of the month from 2:45 - 4:00 in the Talen Community Room. This is a fun program for kids who have completed grades K-5, and they will read books while learning how to cook! Everyone will learn to make a recipies, and of course you get to eat what you make and take the recipe home! There is NO FEE for this program.
 
Decades Book Challenge:
Ready for the next decade in our Challenge?  In September we move on to the 1980s.
Technology, materialism, and conservatism were among the highlights of the 1980s.

 

**See the Decades Book Challenge page for topic ideas and events,

and for ideas for books available at our library.

 
New Materials:
Fiction:
Savannah Breeze by Mary Kay Andrews
Magical Midlife Alliance - #7 Leveling Up Series by K.F. Breene
The Wait - #13 Seaside Saga Series by Joanne DeMaio
Pink Lemonade Cake Murder - #29 Hannah Swenson Series by Joanne Fluke
One Perfect Grave - #2 Nikki Hunt Series by Stacy Green
Jonas - #3 Minnesota Marshalls Series by Susan May Warren
Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan
The First Summer by Christina Edgar Olds (Waterloo, IA author)
Giving Up Grace by Christina Edgar Olds (Waterloo, IA author)
 
Teen:
One of Us is Back – #3 One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
 
Non-Fiction:
The In-Between: unforgettable encounters during life’s final moments by Hadley Vlahos
Sew Sustainable: make 22 stylish products to reduce and reuse by Jennifer Warren
Artfully Transforming Bottles & Plates: 75 elegant projects to upcycle class and porcelain by Petra Knoblauch
 
DVDs:
Fast X (#10 Fast & Furious)
1923 (Yellowstone Origin Story Season 1)
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
I have a spare sewing machine for when my regular one breaks down.  It’s my backup Singer.
 
Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

 

August 21, 2023

Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

August 14, 2023

August 7, 2023

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
Monday Aug 7 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Aug 8 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Aug 9 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Aug 9 at 11:30 Scones and Tomes
Wednesday Aug 9 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Thursday Aug 10 at 1:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Aug 10 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Aug 11 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Saturday Aug 12 Extended Hours for WSF 10:00-2:00
Monday, Aug 14 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Aug 15 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Tuesday Aug 15 at 2:00 Teen Book Club
Wednesday Aug 16 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Aug 16 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Thursday Aug 17 at 1:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Aug 17 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Aug 18 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
 
Quilt Display:
From August 1 through August 15, the Traer Library is hosting a Quilt Display in memory of Cynthia Stary Drajna.  Cynthia passed away unexpectedly in March of this year, and had been the leader of the Library’s weekly Quilting Group for almost 10 years.  She also published the book Gather 'Round the Table: a collection of 12 table runner patterns, which we have available to check out at the library.  We will display quilts that Cynthia made, and also quilts made by others in the group, using quilt patterns created by Cynthia.  Stop in to see this lovely display upstairs in the library.

Scones & Tomes:
Join us for an informal book club on Wednesday, August 9 at 11:30.  We share and discuss the books we have read lately while enjoying a sweet treat and a hot beverage.  Attendees always get ideas for great books to add to their reading lists. Newcomers are always welcome.

Open Longer Hours for Winding Stairs Festival:
The library will be open from 10:00AM – 2:00PM on Saturday, August 12 for the Winding Stairs Festival.  If you have friends or family members back in town who have not been in the library lately, or it’s been a while since you were in, this will be a great time to stop in to browse and see everything we offer to the community. We also have some interesting historical publications to browse through, such as “Generations of Community Pride: Traer Iowa 1873 – 1998 125 Years”, a 1998 Traer Quasquicentennial Calendar, and The Traer Public Library Grand Opening Aug. 1 2004 supplement to the Traer Star Clipper, plus many old yearbooks. You can also admire the Quilt Display in Memory of Cynthia Drajna. The Used Book Sale Room will also be open.
 
Decades Book Challenge:
Are you participating in our Decades Book Challenge, going on all year in celebration of Traer’s Sesquicentennial?  In August we move on to the 1970s. Stop in the library to pick up lists of topics and events and books available at the library.  Or find the lists on our website   https://www.traer.lib.ia.us/programs/list-ongoing-programming/decades-book-challenge
 
Prisoners of War In Iowa with Linda McCann:
Join us on Wednesday, August 30 at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room for another interesting historical program with Iowa Author Linda McCann. Linda has written several books on Iowa History, including Prisoners of War in Iowa. She will share what she has learned about this part of Iowa history that many of us know little or nothing about.
 
During World War II, approximately 25,000 German, Italian, and Japanese prisoners of war were housed in Iowa. There were two main camps; Algona and Clarinda, which housed about 3,000 POWs each. There were 19 branch camps where prisoners stayed for a few months working in the fields, or at canning factories, seed corn companies, or other places which hired them. One of those branch camps was at the former Sac and Fox Sanitarium in Toledo. Linda has spoken with many people who knew or worked with the POWs and shares their memories in her book Prisoners of War in Iowa.
 
New Materials:
Fiction:
Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke
Break of Day - #3 Annie Pederson Series by Colleen Coble
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
Dead Man’s Wake - #14 Mike Bowditch Series by Paul Doiron
Night will Find You by Julia Heaberlin
Slammed - #1 Slammed Series by Colleen Hoover
Point of Retreat - #2 Slammed Series by Colleen Hoover
This Girl - #3 Slammed Series by Colleen Hoover
Hiss Me Deadly - #15 Cat in the Stacks by Miranda James
The Last Sinner by Lisa Jackson
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales
 
Large Print:
Identity by Nora Roberts
Welcome to Beach Town by Susan Wiggs
 
Non Fiction:
The Wager: A tale of shipwreck, mutiny, and murder by David Grann

Junior Fiction and Graphic Novels:
We have received quite a few new Junior Fiction and Graphic Novels in the last few weeks.

Pun-Of-The-Week:
How large does the stage need to be at the Winding Stairs Festival? Depends on the bandwidth.
 
Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

July 31, 2023

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
Monday, July 31 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday, July 31 at 2:00 BINGO
Tuesday Aug 1 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters – set up Quilt Display
Wednesday Aug 2 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Aug 2 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday Aug 2 at 2:00 Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts
Thursday Aug 3 at 1:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Aug 3 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Aug 4 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday Aug 7 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday Aug 8 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday Aug 9 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday Aug 9 at 11:30 Scones and Tomes
Wednesday Aug 9 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Thursday Aug 10 at 1:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday Aug 10 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday Aug 11 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Saturday Aug 12 Extended Hours for WSF 10:00-2:00
 
Quilt Display:
From August 1 through August 15, the Traer Library will have a Quilt Display in memory of Cynthia Stary Drajna.  Cynthia passed away unexpectedly in March of this year, and had been the leader of the Library’s weekly Quilting Group for over 9 years.  She also published the book Gather 'Round the Table: a collection of 12 table runner patterns, which we have available to check out at the library.  We will display quilts that Cynthia made, and also quilts made by others in the group, using quilt patterns created by Cynthia.  Stop in to see this lovely display upstairs in the library.


















 

July 24, 2023

July 17, 2023

From the acclaimed author of Garden Spells comes an enchanting tale of lost souls, lonely strangers, secrets that shape us, and how the right flock can guide you home.

Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of Mallow Island, South Carolina, lies a stunning cobblestone building comprised of five apartments. It’s called The Dellawisp and it is named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.

When Zoey Hennessey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment at The Dellawisp, she meets her quirky, enigmatic neighbors including a girl on the run, a grieving chef whose comfort food does not comfort him, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn’t yet written.

When one of her new neighbors dies under odd circumstances the night Zoey arrives, she is thrust into the mystery of The Dellawisp, which involves missing pages from a legendary writer whose work might be hidden there. She soon discovers that many unfinished stories permeate the place, and the people around her are in as much need of healing from wrongs of the past as she is. To find their way they have to learn how to trust each other, confront their deepest fears, and let go of what haunts them.

Delightful and atmospheric, Other Birds is filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go. Sarah Addison Allen shows us that between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.

 
All are invited to join our book discussions.  You can pick up a copy of the current month’s selection at the circulation desk.  We usually have several Regular and Large Print copies available.
 
Our Chat & Chew Book Club will also meet today, at 5:30.  This is a very informal group. We discuss books we are currently reading or have read recently, or have heard about, while enjoying a slice of pizza.
 
Summer Teen Book Club:
Attention Teens! Join us on Tuesday, July 18 at 2:00 for a very informal discussion about the books you've been reading this summer!  NT Senior Jamie Jacobs will be leading the discussion. Come hang out, have a snack, and talk about books you’ve read, or heard about and want to read.

Summer Family Fun Program: BUBBLE STATIONS Tuesday Evening!!
Mark your calendars for some family fun in the park! Absolute Science will be bringing their Bubble Stations to Taylor Park in Traer on Tuesday, July 18 at 7:00pm. This Bubble Station program was recently hosted by the Norma Anders Library in Dysart during their 4^th of July celebration, and they were a huge hit!
 
Bubble Stations is one of the largest Mobile Bubble Outdoor Programs in the United States. Their hand-made bubble solution makes bubbles not only bigger, but longer lasting! With hundreds of wands of different shapes and sizes from all over the world, Bubble Stations is a wonderful hands-on experience that brings out the child in all of us! Check out their website at  https://www.absolute-science.com













Coffee Talk: Heat, Diabetes, Diet & Exercise Wednesday, July 19 at 2:00
On Wednesday, July 19, Beth Eberle, RN with Tama County Public Health & Home Care will be leading a discussion on Heat, Diabetes, Diet and Exercise.  She will also be available to answer your questions about Home Health Care.  Join us in the Talen Community Room at 2:00 to hear information on these important health topics. Free coffee and cookies will be served!
 
Garden Walk: Wednesday, July 19 at 3:30:
Our Garden Walk this week will be at the gardens of Stephenie Bellwood and Barb Kopriva. Meet at the library to ride together, or call for the addresses and directions. 
 
Living Longer and Healthier: Discussion with Rex McKee, based on the book “Lifespan”:
Rex McKee will continue his discussion of how to live longer and healthier, based on the book “Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don’t Have To” by David A Sinclair, PhD . Our next discussion will be on Thursday, July 20 at 6:00 in the Talen Community Room. You can still join this discussion, even if you haven’t been here for previous discussions.  Come listen if you are interested in learning how lifestyle changes can help you feel younger and stay healthier longer. This may change the way you think about ageing and what you can do about it.
 
Children’s Summer Reading Challenge:
Children can register any time for our On Your Mark, Get Set, READ! Summer Reading Challenge! Children still have plenty of time to join the “race” to the finish line, and earn prizes at Pit Stops along the way! Stop in the library to sign up, or contact the library at 319-478-2180 with any questions you have.
 
Used Book Sale Room:
Our used book sale room is full! Items are available for a free-will donation. Lots of Fiction, Large Print, Romance, Junior Fiction, Junior Non-Fiction and Easy books have recently been added to the sale.  We also have magazines, and a few audio books, DVDs, puzzles, and cake pans.
 
Looking for Greenhouses and She-Sheds:
Do you have a greenhouse or a she-shed you’d love to show off? Laurie is looking for gardeners who would be willing to share their greenhouses or she-sheds with the library’s Down & Dirty Gardening Group during next year’s garden walks.  They don’t have to be extravagant – just share ideas with others gardeners and show what is working for you! If you would like to share, or know someone who might, please call the library at 319-478-2180 for more details.
 
New Books:
Fiction:
The Housemaid’s Secret - #2 Housemaid Series by Freida McFadden
Birthday Cake and Bodies - #9 Peridale Café Series by Agatha Frost
Love May Fail by Matthew Quick
 
Non-Fiction
Keto Cooking for Beginners! Easy recipes and essential information for living Keto
 
DVDs:
Book Club: The Next Chapter
Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret
The Man from Toronto
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
The seamstress decided to diversify and open a restaurant inside her shop.  But the reviews were only sew-sew.

Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

July 10, 2023

July 3, 2023

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
Monday, July 3 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday July 4 – CLOSED for Independence Day
Wednesday July 5 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday July 5 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday July 5 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday July 5 at 2:00 Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts
Wednesday July 5 at 3:30 Garden Walk – Paul Wendt
Thursday July 6 at 1:30 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday July 6 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday July 7 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday July 10 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday July 11 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday July 12 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday July 12 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday July 12 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes
Wednesday July 12 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday July 12 at 2:00 Felted Fiber Art with Megan Hammer
Wednesday July 12 at 3:30 Garden Walk – Donna Kersten
Thursday July 13 at 1:00 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday July 13 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday July 14 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
 
Story Time Resumes:
Our normal Story Time with Miss Sue will resume this Wednesday, July 5 at 10:15. We listen to stories, sing songs, enjoy a simple craft and play games. These activities are geared towards our youngest patrons.  As a reminder, we do not have Story Time in August.

Carnegie Cafe Coffee & Crafts:
Come to the Carnegie Cafe on Wednesday, July 5 at 2:00 to make a simple seasonal craft and enjoy a hot beverage.  There is no cost or sign-up required, and we provide any supplies needed.
 
Garden Walk: Wednesday, July 5 at 3:30:
Our Garden Walk this week will be at the gardens of Paul Wendt. Meet at the library to ride together, or call for the address and directions.
 
Felted Fiber Art with Megan Hammer:
Join us on Wednesday, July 12 at 2:00 to meet Fiber Artist Megan Hammer, and learn how she creates beautiful artwork from felted wool.

By transforming wispy wool fiber into soft, strong felt, Megan Hammer explores the potential for harmony and collaboration with nature. She embraces the textures revealed through the felting process and presents intricate details to share botanical studies and explorations of our natural world.

Megan will give a short presentation about her inspiration and the process she uses to create her felted wool fine art. Following the presentation, Megan will demonstrate needle-felting and provide an opportunity for participants to create a mini felted artwork. (Sharp needles will be used; caution is advised.) We will have supplies for 20 participants. Please come in or call the library to sign up for a kit.  There is no cost.
 

Megan is the daughter of Glenn and Dorothy Thorne of rural Traer, and a graduate of North Tama. You can see examples of her beautiful art pieces on her website http://www.meganhammer.com/

 

Summer Family Fun Program: BUBBLE STATIONS!
Mark your calendars for some family fun in the park! Absolute Science will be bringing their Bubble Stations to Taylor Park in Traer on Tuesday, July 18 at 7:00pm.
 
Bubble Stations is one of the largest Mobile Bubble Outdoor Programs in the United States. Their hand-made bubble solution makes bubbles not only bigger, but longer lasting! With hundreds of wands of different shapes and sizes from all over the world, Bubble Stations is a wonderful hands-on experience that brings out the child in all of us!

Check out their website at  https://www.absolute-science.com

Kids Summer Reading Challenge:
On Your Mark, Get Set, READ! Summer Reading Challenge for children continues until mid-August! Stop in the library to sign up, or contact the library at 319-478-2180 with any questions you have.

July’s Decade Book Challenge –The Swinging Sixties:
In July, our focus will be the 1960s. The Sixties was a decade dominated by the Vietnam War and a strong anti-war sentiment among young people against the US involvement in the War. Civil Rights marches also defined the era and helped bring about positive changes, including the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.

In the early 1960s, many Americans lived in fear of nuclear war as the Cold War escalated. Throughout the decade, the country mourned the losses of beloved leaders, including President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Other headlines included Hippies, Woodstock & the Swinging Sixties, the British Invasion, and the Space Race. The 60s came to a close with a giant leap for mankind as the first astronauts stepped foot on the moon.

These are some of the historical events that have come to define the decade:
 

1960 May 9: The birth control pill becomes commercially available.

September 18 – 25: The first edition of the Summer Paralympic Games is hosted in Rome.

November 8: The 1960 United States presidential election marks the first televised debates between presidential candidates.

 
1961 January 20: John F. Kennedy is inaugurated as President of the United States.

April 12: Yuri Gagarin, flying the Vostok 1 spacecraft as part of the Vostok program, becomes the first human in space.

April 17 – 20: Bay of Pigs Invasion by Cuban exiles ends in failure

May 25: In an address to Congress, John F. Kennedy declares the United States' objective of "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth" by the end of the decade. This would be in fact achieved by the Apollo Project, despite several challenges and much doubt.

The Great Leap Forward ends in China after the deaths of roughly 20–45 million people.

 
1962 July 2: Walmart founded in Rogers, Arkansas by Sam Walton.
         October 16 – 29: The Cuban Missile Crisis nearly causes nuclear war.
 
1963 March 22: The Beatles' first record, Please Please Me, and the beginnings of the British Invasion.

August 28: Martin Luther King Jr. delivers "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

November 22: Assassination of John F. Kennedy. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson assumes office as President of the United States.

 
1964 July 2: Civil Rights Act abolishes segregation in the USA.

August 2: The Gulf of Tonkin incident led to the escalation of U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War.

November 28: NASA launches the Mariner 4 space probe from Cape Kennedy toward Mars to take television pictures of that planet in July 1965.

1965 February 21: Assassination of Malcolm X.

March 17: The Voting Rights Act of 1965, inspired by the Selma to Montgomery marches.

1966 October 21: The Aberfan disaster, the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip (pile of waste coal

mining material) in Aberfan, Wales results in 144 deaths.

Joseph Weizenbaum, a German computer scientist at MIT, completes ELIZA, the first ever chatbot.

 
1967 May 26: The Beatles release their landmark album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Mid-year: Summer of Love, in which as many as 100,000 people, mostly young people sporting hippie fashions of dress and behavior, converged in San Francisco's neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury.

 
1968 January – September: The Tet Offensive occurs in South Vietnam.

March 16: My Lai massacre, a mass murder and rape of unarmed South Vietnamese civilians by U.S. troops in the Vietnam War.    

April 4: Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. during the Poor People's Campaign.

June 5: Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy during the Poor People's Campaign.

September - National Guard deployed to Waterloo, Iowa, after riots.

 
1969 June 28 – July 3: The Stonewall riots in New York City instigate the gay rights movement.

July 20: Apollo 11 Moon landing, in which Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first two humans on the moon.

August: The Woodstock festival in Bethel, New York, attracts an audience of more than 400,000.

October 29: Creation of Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), the earliest incarnation of the Internet.

November 10: Sesame Street premieres its debut episode.
 

You can also find our lists of ideas and books we have available at the library on our website https://www.traer.lib.ia.us/ or pick up lists at the circulation desk.
 
Blank Park Zoo Passes:
The library is again offering a limited number of passes to the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines.  These passes are good for One Free Child Admission (ages 3-12). Passes are available at the circulation desk.  Please only request one pass per child.
 
New DVDs:
Avatar: The Way of the Water
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
The Americans – the complete TV Series
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
Don’t skip out on the Fourth of July barbeque – that could be a missed steak.

Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

 

June 26, 2023

 












Yes, these are made with felted wool! You can see more examples of her beautiful art pieces on her website https://www.meganhammer.com/

Blank Park Zoo Passes:
The library is again offering a limited number of passes to the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines.  These passes are good for One Free Child Admission (ages 3-12). Passes are available at the circulation desk.  Please only request one pass per child.
 
New Books:
 
Fiction:
Fruitcake and Fear - #8 Peridale Café Series by Agatha Frost
The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
 
Teen:
Enduring Freedom by Jawad Arash and Dysart native Trent Reedy
 
Junior Fiction:
Cat Ninja #4 by Matthew Cody
Stella Batts # 6-10 by Courtney Sheinmel
The Ghostess with the Mostest by JoJo Siwa
Jingle Bows and Mistletoe by JoJo Siwa
 
Non-Fiction:
Trishas’s Kitchen: easy comfort food for friends and family by Trisha Yearwood
The Things Our Father­s Saw: The Un­told S­to­ries of the World War II Gen­er­a­tion from Home­town, USA: #2 The War in the Air Book One by Matthew A. Rozell
The Things our ­Fa­ther­s ­Saw: The un­told s­to­ries of the World War II ­Gen­er­a­tion from Home­town, USA: #3 The War in the Air Book T­wo: ­com­bat­, ­cap­tiv­i­ty, and re­union by Matthew A. Rozell
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
The calf complained to his mother cow, “Why do I have to find someplace in the field to lie down and sleep?” She explained, “It’s pasture bedtime.”

Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

June 19, 2023

Good Morning!

On The Calendar:
Monday, June 19 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday, June 19 at 2:00 Book Club
Monday, June 19 at 3:00 NO APPLIQUE this month
Monday, June 19 at 5:30 Chat & Chew
Tuesday June 20 at 1:30 English Paper Piecing with Cathy McFarland
Tuesday June 20 at 2:00 Summer Teen Book Club with Jamie Jacobs
Wednesday June 21 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday June 21 at 10:00 Summer Reading Kids Programming: Fire and Ice Show!
Wednesday June 21 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday June 21 at 3:30 Garden Walk – Wilson Nature Preserve with Ned Vaughn
Thursday June 22 at 1:30 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday June 22 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday June 23 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Friday June 23 at 2:30 The Relationship Between Hearing Loss and Alzheimer’s with Dr. Robert Keefer (NOTE TIME CHANGE)
Monday June 26 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday June 26 at 2:00 BINGO
Tuesday June 27 at 1:05 Outside the Lines Coloring
Tuesday June 27 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday June 28 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday June 28 at 10:00 Summer Reading Kids Programming: Blank Park Zoo
Wednesday June 28 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday June 28 at 3:30 Garden Walks – Linda Gowdy & Susie Reichmann
Thursday June 29 at 1:30 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday June 29 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday June 30 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty

Book Clubs Today:
Our Monday Book Club meets today at 2:00 to discuss The Radium Girls by Kate Moore. The story, history and strength of these amazing women should make for a good discussion. We will also be handing out next month’s selection, The Sowing Season, by Katie Powner.

After he's forced to sell the family farm he's labored on his whole life, 63-year-old Gerrit Laninga doesn't know what to do with himself. He sacrificed everything for the land--his time, his health, his family--with nothing to show for it but bitterness, regret, and two grown children who want nothing to do with him.

Fifteen-year-old Rae Walters has growing doubts and fears about The Plan--the detailed blueprint for high school that will help her follow in her lawyer father's footsteps. She's always been committed to The Plan, but now that the pressure to succeed is building, what was supposed to unite her family in purpose, may end up tearing it apart.

When their paths cross just as they each need a friend the most, Gerrit's and Rae's lives begin to change in unexpected ways. Can they discover together what really matters in life and learn it's never too late for a second chance?

All are invited to join our book discussions.  You can pick up a copy of the current month’s selection at the circulation desk.  We usually have several Regular and Large Print copies available.
 
Our Chat & Chew Book Club will also meet today, at 5:30.  This is a very informal group. We discuss books we are currently reading or have read recently, or have heard about, while enjoying a slice of pizza.

English Paper Piecing:
On Tuesday, June 20 at 1:30, Cathy McFarland will give a brief history of English Paper Piecing, then lead the class in making your own project to take home. English Paper Piecing involves stabilizing fabric pieces with paper. Once the shapes are wrapped and ready, the sewer will hand sew the shapes together one at a time until the shapes become an intricate design.
There will be a cost of $10 for each participant. You will each receive your own kit. Please contact the library to sign up for this interesting class!

Summer Teen Book Club:
Attention Teens! Join us for a very informal discussion about the books you've been reading this summer!  NT Senior Jamie Jacobs will be leading the discussion. Come hang out, have a snack, and talk about books you’ve read, or heard about and want to read.
We will meet at 2:00 on the following Tuesdays:
June 20
July 18
August 15
 
Summer Reading Program: The Fun Continues!
 
Get FIRED UP for this week’s program! On Wednesday, June 21 at 10:00, Absolute Science will present their Fire and Ice Reaction Show! You'll see Fire light up in different beautiful colors. You'll see the freezing magic of Liquid Nitrogen. You'll even learn how to make Smoke appear like a genie out of a bottle in this amazing show about chemical reactions! Don’t miss this exciting program!
 

Next Wednesday, June 28, the Blank Park Zoo will be back and bringing some live animal friends!
 

All programs are at 10:00 AM in the Kupka Cultural Center in the lower level of the library.

 
Children can register any time for our On Your Mark, Get Set, READ! Summer Reading Challenge and receive a goal sheet, a free book, pencil and vinyl sticker. They will decorate their own race car to move along our bulletin board race track. For every completed goal sheet, their car advances to the next pit stop on the race track, earning a small prize! Your child can pick up a new goal sheet and keep on reading. Every time they bring a completed goal sheet to the library, they can advance their car and earn additional prizes!! Once they reach the finish line, their name will be put into a drawing for some BIGGER prizes. Please contact the library at 319-478-2180 with any questions you have.
 
Garden Walk: Wednesday, June 21 at 3:30:
Our Garden Walk this week will be at the Carl & Evelyn Wilson Nature Preserve, with Ned Vaughn as our guide. Meet at the library to ride together, or meet us there.  The Preserve is located at the west end of 6^th Street in Traer.
 
The Relationship Between Hearing Loss and Alzheimer’s with Dr. Robert Keefer:
Come to the Talen Community Room on Friday, June 23 at 2:30 (NOTE TIME CHANGE), to hear Dr. Robert Keefer speak about the relationship between hearing loss and Dementia/Alzheimers.  Dr. Keefer (son and brother to Traer residents Kathleen Keefer and Mark Keefer) has recently published The Alzheimer's/Hearing Aid Paradox: In Search of Sanity on his groundbreaking findings, and will share this important information with us.

The facts are staggering. Scientific studies have shown that people with hearing loss have up to a five hundred percent higher risk of dementia (including Alzheimer's), as well as serious falls and clinical depression. Today, around six million Americans have Alzheimer's--a number that is only expected to increase and overwhelm the healthcare system in the next five to seven years.

In a groundbreaking presentation, Dr. Robert Keefer relies on thirty years of experience in the healthcare industry and the results of his meticulous research to offer insights on how to correct outdated Medicare policies, improve US hearing healthcare, and ensure well-performing hearing aids for everyone in need. After detailing why people with hearing loss don't use hearing aids, he leads us on a journey into the world of these tiny medical devices, the US hearing healthcare matrix, the technology, and costs surrounding hearing aids, stories of those with hearing loss, wisdom from audiologists in their own words, and ways to advocate for changes that save hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare expenses.

Blank Park Zoo Passes:
The library is again offering a limited number of passes to the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines.  These passes are good for One Free Child Admission (ages 3-12). Passes are available at the circulation desk.  Please only request one pass per child.
 
New Books:
 
Fiction:
The Midnight News by Jo Baker
Tom Clancy: Flash Point – a Jack Ryan Jr. novel by Don Bentley
Only the Dead - #6 Terminal List Series by Jack Carr
The Diva Delvers on a Promise - #15 Domestic Diva Series by Krista Davis
Blueberry Blunder - #8 Amish Candy Shop Series by Amanda Flower
In the Shadow of the River by Ann H. Gabhart
The Shifting Current - #4 Coastal Guardians Series by Dani Pettrey
Lie to Her - #6 Bree Taggert Series by Melinda Leigh
You are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg
The House on Prytania - #2 Royal Street Series by Karen White
Never Forget You by Fiona Lucas
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Summer Reading by Jennifer McKinlay
Things I Wish I Told my Mother by Sue Patterson
Identity by Nora Roberts
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
 
Teen:
Legendborn - #1 Legendborn Cycle Series by Tracy Deonn
Bloodmarked - #2 Legendborn Cycle Series by Tracy Deonn
 
Junior Fiction:
Doggo and Pupper Series (Books 1-3) by Katherine Applegate
Cat Ninja Series (Graphic Novel Series Books 1-3) by Matthew Cody
One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Who’s in Charge - #5 Stella Batts Series by Courtney Scheinmel
 
Non-Fiction:
Follow Me to Hell: McNelly’s Texas Rangers and the rise of frontier justice by Tom Clavin
The Summer of 1876: outlaws, lawmen, and legends in the season that defined the American West by Chris Wimmer
I’m Glad my Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
 
Memorial Books:
Birding Basics: tips, tools and techniques for great bird watching by Noah K. Strycker, given in memory of Barbara Bauch by Farmers Savings Bank & Trust
The Travel Book: a journey through every country in the world by Lonely Planet, given in memory of William C. Talen by Farmers Savings Bank & Trust
The Wedding Planner (Large Print) by Danielle Steel, given in memory of Barbara Dedic by Farmers Savings Bank & Trust
Wings of War: The World War II fighter plane that saved the Allies and the believers who made it fly by David Fairbank White, given in memory of Jon Nagel by Marilyn Nagel
 
DVDs:
Paw Patrol – The Great Pirate Rescue!
Pokemon Collectors Set: 4 movies
Creed III
The Bible Stories: Jesus
65
Travel the Road - Season 1
Tulsa King – Season 1
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
What do you call a pig with laryngitis? Disgruntled.

Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

June 12, 2023

The facts are staggering. Scientific studies have shown that people with hearing loss have up to a five hundred percent higher risk of dementia (including Alzheimer's), as well as serious falls and clinical depression. Today, around six million Americans have Alzheimer's--a number that is only expected to increase and overwhelm the healthcare system in the next five to seven years.

In a groundbreaking presentation, Dr. Robert Keefer relies on thirty years of experience in the healthcare industry and the results of his meticulous research to offer insights on how to correct outdated Medicare policies, improve US hearing healthcare, and ensure well-performing hearing aids for everyone in need. After detailing why people with hearing loss don't use hearing aids, he leads us on a journey into the world of these tiny medical devices, the US hearing healthcare matrix, the technology, and costs surrounding hearing aids, stories of those with hearing loss, wisdom from audiologists in their own words, and ways to advocate for changes that save hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare expenses.

 
New Books:
Fiction:
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Once You See: Seven Temptations of the Western Church by Jeff Christopherson
The Perks of Being a Parker - #6 Moonbeam Bay Series by Kay Correll
Restaurant on the Wharf - #4 Blue Heron Cottages Series by Kay Correll
Magpie by Elizabeth Day
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
Macarons and Mayhem - #7 Peridale Café Mystery by Agatha Frost
The Girls in the Snow by Stacy Green
The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey
Dessert at the Beach House Hotel - #6 Beach House Hotel Series by Judith Keim
Marriage Vow Murder - #9 Merry Wrath Series by Leslie Langtry
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
The Varsity Dad Dilema by Lex Martin
The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
One Last Gift by Emily Stone
Wild at Heart - #2 Simple Wild Series by K.A. Tucker
 
Large Print:
Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas
Seabreeze Sunset - #3 Summer Beach Series by Jan Moran
 
Teen:
Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets by Chelsea Ichaso
Cold Hearted: a tale of the wicked stepmother by Serena Valentino
Poor Unfortunate Soul : a tale of the sea witch by Serena Valentino
 
Non-Fiction:
The Alzheimer’s/Hearing Aid Paradox: In Search of Sanity by Robert C. Keefer, PhD
Murder, Motherhood, and Miraculous Grace by Debra Moerke
Homer’s Odyssey: a fearless feline tale, or, how I learned about love and life with a blind wonder cat by Gwen Cooper
 
DVDs:
Dungeons and Dragons – Honor Among Thieves
Blessed & Cursed
Brother White
Homeless for the Holidays
Space Jam
A Place for Heroes
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
A cartoonist was found dead in his home.  Details are sketchy.
 
Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

June 5, 2023

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
 
Monday, June 5 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday June 6 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday June 7 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday June 7 at 10:00 Summer Reading Kids Programming: Spy Adventures with Jenny Hulme
Wednesday June 7 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday June 7 at 2:00 Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts
Wednesday June 7 at 3:30 Garden Walks – Laurie Schafer & Diane Wagner
Thursday June 8 at 1:30 Cribbage and Rummikub**Note change in time for summer
Thursday June 8 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday June 9 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday June 12 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday June 12 from 1:00-4:00 Books for Cooks for Grades K-5 (Pre-registration was required)
Tuesday June 13 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday June 14 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday June 14 at 10:00 Summer Reading Kids Programming: Toby KID
Wednesday June 14 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes
Wednesday June 14 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday June 14 at 3:30 Garden Walk – Emily Doyle
Thursday June 15 at 1:30 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday June 15 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Thursday June 15 at 6:00 “Lifespan” Book Discussion with Rex McKee
Friday June 16 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty

It’s SUMMER!! We have lots of children’s activities going on at the library, online resources your children can access through our website or on our library computers, and lots and lots of children’s books and videos to check out!

Summer Reading Program!
We are getting ready for our 2023 Summer Reading Program with the theme On Your Mark, Get Set, READ!
 
Beginning this Wednesday, June 7, children can register for our Summer Reading Challenge and receive a goal sheet and a free book, pencil and vinyl sticker! When your child completes the goal sheet, they can return it to the library. When they return their first goal sheet, they can design a race car and advance their car to the first stop on the race track. They will also earn a small prize! Your child can pick up a new goal sheet and keep on reading. Every time they bring a completed goal sheet to the library, they can advance their car and earn additional prizes!! Once they reach the finish line, their name will be put into a drawing for some BIGGER prizes. Please contact the library at 319-478-2180 with any questions you have.
 
We also have some fun and exciting programming planned for June!  All programs will be on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM in the Kupka Cultural Center in the lower level of the library.
 
June 7 - Jenny Hulme with Iowa State Extension & Outreach will have fun with Spy Adventures!
 
June 14 - The Funny Farm presents Toby KID Klauenberg, whose interactive comedy/magic show will have both kids and adults laughing!
 
June 21 - Absolute Science presents their Fire and Ice Reaction Show! You'll see Fire light up in different beautiful colors. You'll see the freezing magic of Liquid Nitrogen. You'll even learn how to make Smoke appear like a genie out of a bottle in this amazing show about chemical reactions!
 
June 28 - The Blank Park Zoo will be back and bringing some live animal friends!
 
Tumblebooks – FREE kids ebooks online:
During summer vacation, when your kids or grandkids say “I’m bored!”, don’t forget about Tumblebooks! Tumblebooks is an online collection of e-books for children.  It can be accessed from any device with internet, so they can read on a computer, tablet or phone.
 
Kids can read along with over 1,100 animated, talking picture books, as well as chapter books, non-fiction books, and graphic novels, and play games and put together puzzles. And it’s all FREE for our library patrons! Just go to our website www.traer.lib.ia.us, click on the Tumblebooks box on the homepage, and put in your library card number. Or download the free Tumblebooks app.
 
Brainfuse: FREE online resources:
Need some boredom busters to keep kids engaged? Don’t let what kids learned in school fade away this summer! Keep their skills engaged by visiting the Brainfuse Help Now Online Summer Skills Camp. It has printable worksheets in all kinds of subjects for free. This is a great resource for caregivers too! 
 
To access these resources, go to our website  https://www.traer.lib.ia.us and click on the red Online Resources box. Then click the orange Brainfuse HelpNow button. Access the Summer Skills Camp under "Study." (look for the sun icon)
 
ABC Mouse:
ABCMouse.com early Learning Academy is a digital computer game for children ages 2-8.  You can access their website for FREE on any of the computers in our lab! Subjects covered include reading and language arts, math, science, health, social studies, music and art.  Activities include puzzles, games, videos, coloring activities, songs, and poems.  There are also some digital books. Come play along with your child, or let them work and play alone, as you use the computer next to them.

Garden Walks:
Garden walks will begin on June 7 at 3:30. We will be going to visit the gardens of Laurie Schafer and Diane Wagner. You can meet at the library to ride together, or call the library for their addresses and directions.
 
Summer Time Change for Cribbage and Rummikub:
For the months of June, July and August, our Cribbage and Rummikub groups will be meeting at 1:30 PM every Thursday.  Stop by for a few games and beat the afternoon heat in our nice cool library! We welcome new players – no experience is necessary!
 
English Paper Piecing:
On Tuesday, June 20 at 1:30, Cathy McFarland will give a brief history of English Paper Piecing, then lead the class in making your own project to take home. English Paper Piecing involves stabilizing fabric pieces with paper. Once the shapes are wrapped and ready, the sewer will hand sew the shapes together one at a time until the shapes become an intricate design.
There will be a cost of $10 for each participant. You will each receive your own kit. Please contact the library to sign up for this interesting class!

In search of…. Pine Cones!
Laurie is looking for some large pine cones (the size of your fist) that she is planning to use for an upcoming craft.  If you happen to have any, please bring them to the library, or give us a call!
 
Decade Challenge:
New month – new Decade for the Book Challenge! In June, our focus will be the 1950’s. Pick up a list of book ideas at the circulation desk, check out a book from our display, or search the catalog for your own ideas. You can also find our lists of ideas and books on our website https://www.traer.lib.ia.us/ .
 
New Books:
You can always see what new books we have on our website. Click on the orange Catalog Search flag in the top right corner of our homepage, or the orange library catalog box below the library photos, and you can see covers of our newest books scrolling across the top. You can also click on the What’s New tab in the What’s Hot box.
 
We have lots of new children’s books at the library – too many to list, but here’s a sample. 
 
Easy Books:
Dogs On Duty (Herding, Military, Service and Search & Rescue)
Animal Battles
Look and Find
I Can Read books
Owl Diaries #14 - #18
 
Junior Non-Fiction:
X-treme Facts: Engineering (books about buildings, bridges, cities, dams, tunnels and vehicles)
Cutting Edge Technology (Bionic Pets, Drones, Self-Driving Cars, Virtual Reality, Nanotechnology, Artificial Intelligence)
Amazing Animal Self Defense (Bloody Eyes, Bubbling Drool, Deadly Quills, Gooey Slime, Oozing Toxins, Eye-Watering Stink)
Animals At Risk (Axolotis, Tasmanian Devil)
What Do We Know About….. (Crop Circles, Atlantis, Loch Ness Monster)
Sports & E-Sports
Healthy Living
 
VOX Books:
VOX Books capture children’s attention by combining picture books with audio recordings. The permanently attached VOX Reader transforms an ordinary print book into an all-in-one read-along. There’s no need for computers, tablets, or CDs. Children simply push a button to listen and read along!
 
Mermaid School by Lucy Courtenay
Rick the Rock of Room 214 by Julie Falatko
Little Houses by Kevin Henkes
Home is Where the Heart Is by Cam Higgins
Come Home Already by Jory John
The Digger and the Duckling by Joseph Kuefler
Moon River by Johnny Mercer
Where is the Dragon by Leo Timmers
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
A termite walks into a bar and asks “Is the bar tender here?”
 
Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

May 29, 2023

In this paradigm-shifting book from acclaimed Harvard Medical School doctor and one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people on earth, Dr. David Sinclair reveals that everything we think we know about ageing is wrong, and shares the surprising, scientifically-proven methods that can help readers live younger, longer.
For decades, the medical community has looked to a variety of reasons for why we age, and the consensus is that no one dies of old age; they die of age-related diseases. That's because ageing is not a disease – it is inevitable.

But what if everything you think you know about ageing is wrong?
What if ageing is a disease? And that disease is curable.

Garden Walks:
This summer we will once again be offering Garden Walks through local gardens.  The walks are a wonderful way to see what your neighbors are growing, share tips and techniques, and get ideas for your own gardens. Our first walk will be on June 7 at 3:30. We will be going to visit the gardens of Laurie Schafer and Diane Wagner. You can meet at the library to ride together, or call the library for their addresses and directions.
 
Summer Time Change for Cribbage and Rummikub:
For the months of June, July and August, our Cribbage and Rummikub groups will be meeting at 1:30 PM every Thursday.  Stop by for a few games and beat the afternoon heat in our nice cool library! We welcome new players – no experience is necessary!
 
New Kids Books on Healthy Living:
We recently received a grant from the Tama County Public Health SKIP* Program (*Supporting Kids in Prevention) to purchase 10 new children’s books that focus on living a healthy lifestyle! The book topics focus on the importance of healthy eating and physical activity, as well as mental and social health. Some cover physical movement, from sports and exercise, to general ways to be more active, to yoga. Others focus on healthy eating and foods, or taking care of your physical, mental and social health.  Stop by with your kids and check them out!
 
Traer Fashion Show DVD:
If you missed the Sesquicentennial Fashion Show “Traer’s Apparel Through the Ages” in April, we have good news!  Bruce and Judy Morrison videotaped the show, and we now have a copy on DVD here at the library and available to check out!
 
In search of…. Pine Cones!
Laurie is looking for some large pine cones (the size of your fist) that she is planning to use for an upcoming craft.  If you happen to have any, please bring them to the library, or give us a call!
 
Decade Challenge:
On Thursday it will be June already - which means a new decade for the Book Challenge! In June, our focus will be the 1950’s. With the Great Depression just a memory and the post-WWII economy strong, the 1950s began a time of rapid change in the US. Families were growing fast, giving rise to the baby boomer generation, and began flocking to the suburbs in search of an “idyllic” life amid increasing fears of the atomic bomb. The Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights movement were major news topics of the 1950s, but here are a few other noteworthy events:
 
June 1950s:
 1950   August 25: Bertie the Brain, one of the first computer games, is released.

May 22, 2023

Good Morning!
 
On The Calendar:
Monday, May 22 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday May 22 at 2:00 BINGO
Tuesday May 23 at 1:05 Outside the Lines Coloring
Tuesday May 23 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday May 24 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday May 24 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday May 24 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday May 24 at 2:00 Sesquicentennial Highlights with Judy Morrison
Wednesday May 24 at 2:45-4:30 Early Out Activities for 4th-12^th Graders (last one for this school year)
Thursday May 25 at 10:30 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday May 25 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday May 26 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Saturday, May 27-Monday May 29 CLOSED for Memorial Day weekend
Tuesday May 30 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday May 31 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday May 31 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday May 31 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Thursday June 1 at 10:30 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday June 1 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Thursday June 1 at 6:00 “Lifespan” Book Discussion with Rex McKee
Friday June 2 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty

NOTE: The library will be closed Saturday May 27-Monday, May 29 for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
 
BINGO Today!
Join DuLaine today, May 22, at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room for some friendly games of BINGO and socializing. You can win fun prizes!
 
Outside The Lines:
Come to the library for a relaxing hour of coloring tomorrow, Tuesday May 23, at 1:05. We provide colored pencils, markers, cards, bookmarks, or coloring books for you, or bring your own supplies and come to socialize and relax. There is no cost or sign up required.
 
Sesquicentennial Highlights with Judy Morrison:
On Wednesday, May 24, at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room, Judy Morrison will be giving a presentation about Traer's Sesquicentennial, highlighting the events scheduled throughout the year.  There are lots of exciting things happening to celebrate our 150 years! Judy and the rest of the Sesquicentennial Committee have put in an enormous amount of time planning these events, culminating in a big Party in the Park on June 3rd. Come learn more about these events, along with a bit of history of our wonderful town.


“Lifespan” Book Discussion with Rex McKee
Would you like to live longer and healthier? Join our new Book Discussion group beginning on Thursday, June 1 at 6:00 in the Talen Community Room as we discuss the book “Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don’t Have To” by David A Sinclair, PhD.

In this paradigm-shifting book from acclaimed Harvard Medical School doctor and one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people on earth, Dr. David Sinclair reveals that everything we think we know about ageing is wrong, and shares the surprising, scientifically-proven methods that can help readers live younger, longer.

For decades, the medical community has looked to a variety of reasons for why we age, and the consensus is that no one dies of old age; they die of age-related diseases. That's because ageing is not a disease – it is inevitable.

But what if everything you think you know about ageing is wrong?
What if ageing is a disease? And that disease is curable.

May 15, 2023

The incredible true story of the women who fought America’s Undark danger

The Curies’ newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War.

Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these “shining girls” are the luckiest alive — until they begin to fall mysteriously ill.

But the factories that once offered golden opportunities are now ignoring all claims of the gruesome side effects, and the women’s cries of corruption. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America’s early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers’ rights that will echo for centuries to come.

Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the “wonder” substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives...
 

Stop in and join the discussion or pick up next month’s selection at the circulation desk.
 
 
Chat & Chew Today:
At 5:30, join us for Chat & Chew, an informal Book Club where we share the books we have been reading lately, while enjoying a slice of pizza.
 
 
Planting our Raised Bed Gardens!
Join Laurie and Stephenie on Wednesday, May 17 to plant our raised bed gardens behind the library! Then feel free to stop by anytime to check on the plants and pluck a weed or 2!

 
Watercolors with Stephenie:
Stephenie Bellwood will be leading another Watercolor Class on Friday, May 19 at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room. She will guide you through painting your own watercolor picture to take home.  You can learn some basic techniques, practice what you already know, and even learn new techniques and get new ideas.  There is no cost and all supplies are provided.

 
BINGO date change:
Please note that BINGO this month will be moved up a week to Monday, May 22 at 2:00, due to the library being closed on Monday May 29 for Memorial Day

 
Sesquicentennial Highlights with Judy Morrison:
On Wednesday, May 24, at 2:00 in the Talen Community Room, Judy Morrison will be giving a presentation about Traer's Sesquicentennial, highlighting the events scheduled throughout the year.  There are lots of exciting things happening to celebrate our 150 years! Judy and the rest of the Sesquicentennial Committee have put in an enormous amount of time planning these events, culminating in a big Party in the Park on June 3rd. Come learn more about these events, along with a bit of history of our wonderful town.
 


Summer Reading Program!
We are getting ready for our 2023 Summer Reading Program with the theme On Your Mark, Get Set, READ!
 
We have lots of fun activities planned for the summer, and we will be sharing more details on our reading challenge soon!
 
We have some fun and exciting programming planned for June!  All programs will be on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM in the Kupka Cultural Center in the lower level of the library.
 

May 8, 2023

Good Morning!

On The Calendar:
 
Monday May 8 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Tuesday May 9 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday May 10 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday May 10 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday May 10 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes
Wednesday May 10 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday May 10 at 2:00 Creative Crocheting with Sandra & Julie
Wednesday May 10 at 2:45-4:30 Early Out Activities for 4th-12^th Graders
Thursday May 11 at 10:30 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday May 11 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday May 12 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday, May 15 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday May 15 at 2:00 Book Club
Monday May 15 at 3:00 Applique Class
Monday May 15 at 5:30 Chat & Chew
Tuesday May 16 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday May 17 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday May 17 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday May 17 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday May 17 at 2:00 Planting our Raised Bed Gardens
Wednesday May 17 at 2:45-4:30 Early Out Activities for 4th-12^th Graders
Thursday May 18 at 10:30 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday May 18 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday May 19 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Friday May 19 at 2:00 Watercolors with Stephenie
 
Creative Crocheting with Sandra and Julie:
On Wednesday, May 10 at 2:00, join Sandra Hyde and Julie Creeden, a mother-daughter team who enjoy crocheting together. Come and learn how the dynamic duo enjoy the love of crafting and time together as they crochet rugs and other creative things.  Sandra will also share how she makes fabric yarn for making her rugs.












 

May 1, 2023

Good Afternoon!  Happy May Day!

On the Calendar:

Monday, May 1 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Tuesday May 2 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday May 3 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday May 3 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday May 3 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday May 3 at 2:00 Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts
Wednesday May 3 at 2:45-4:30 Early Out Activities for 4th-12^th Graders
Thursday May 4 at 10:30 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday May 4 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday May 5 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
Monday May 8 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Tuesday May 9 25 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters
Wednesday May 10 at 10:00 PenPals!
Wednesday May 10 at 10:15 Story Time
Wednesday May 10 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes
Wednesday May 10 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty
Wednesday May 10 at 2:00 Creative Crocheting with Sandra & Julie
Wednesday May 10 at 2:45-4:30 Early Out Activities for 4th-12^th Graders
Thursday May 11 at 10:30 Cribbage and Rummikub
Thursday May 11 at 2:15 Chair Yoga
Friday May 12 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty
 
Carnegie Cafe Coffee & Crafts:
Come to the Carnegie Cafe on Wednesday, May 3 at 2:00 to make a simple seasonal craft and enjoy a hot beverage.  There is no cost or sign-up required, and we provide any supplies needed.
 
Creative Crocheting with Sandra and Julie:
On Wednesday, May 10 at 2:00, join Sandra Hyde and Julie Creeden, a mother-daughter team who enjoy crocheting together. Come and learn how the dynamic duo enjoy the love of crafting and time together as they crochet rugs and other creative things.  Sandra will also share how she makes fabric yarn for making her rugs.
Here are examples of their Creative Crocheting!
 


Decades Book Challenge:
New month – new Decade for the Book Challenge! In May, our focus will be the 1940’s. The 1940s is the decade when Depression turns into prosperity, when disillusionment gives way to optimism, when want yields to plenty — and when domestic peace is shattered by world war. The 1940s were defined by World War II, the Holocaust, atomic bombs, and the beginning of the Cold War. Women were needed in the workforce to replace men who went to war, and wartime production pulled the U.S. out of the Great Depression. We have a plethora of WW2 books, both non-fiction and historical fiction. 

World War II dominated the decade, but there are a few other noteworthy events that happened in the 1940's.
You can also find our lists of ideas and books we have available at the library on our website https://www.traer.lib.ia.us/ or pick up lists at the circulation desk.
 
May - 1940s:
1940    May 15: McDonald's founded in San Bernardino, California.
1941    June–December: Hitler commences the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union.
            December 7: The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor leads to the USA joining World War II.
1942    The Manhattan Project begins.
            July 5 – Anne Frank goes into hiding
1943    January 15: The Pentagon is completed.
            January 18: Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
           February 2: Battle of Stalingrad ends with over two million casualties and retreat of the German Army.
1944    June 1: First operational electronic computer, Colossus, comes online.
            June 6: D-Day when over 150,000 allied troops landed on beaches in Normandy, France
 1945    April 12: President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office, making his vice president, Harry S. Truman the new president
            May:  End of World War II in Europe.
            The Holocaust ends after ~12 million deaths, including 6 million Jews.
            August: The US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, ending the war in the Pacific
            October 8: The microwave cooking oven is patented, with the one of the first prototypes placed at a Boston restaurant for testing.
           October 24:  United Nations charter signed by 50 nations.
1947    April 15: Jackie Robinson becomes the first baseball player of color.
            Polaroid cameras invented
            June 27:  Dead Sea Scrolls discovered.
1948    June 24: Berlin Blockade begins.
1949    June 8: George Orwell publishes Nineteen Eighty-Four.
 

New Books:

Fiction:
The Devine Donut Shop by Carolyn Brown
Curated Murder - #5 Calendar Murder Mysteries by Camilla Chafer
Bookshop Near the Coast - #3 Blue Heron Series by Kay Correll
The Parker Family Secret - #4 Moonbeam Bay Series by Kay Correll
Grace Parker’s Peach Pie - #5 Moonbeam Bay Series by Kay Correll
Clue Krew - #24 Miss Fortune Series by Jana DeLeon
The Beachgoers - #11 Seaside Saga Series by Joanne Demaio
The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green
The Unkindness of Ravens by M.E. Hilliard
Cod Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem
Americanos, Apple Pies, and Art Thieves - #5 Cape Bay Café Series by Lin Harper
Twist of Fate - #2 Southern Storms Series by Lexie Nicholas
West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
Fields of Bounty - #3 Leah’s Garden Series by Lauraine Snelling
Fraser by Susan May Warren
 
Large Print:
Earth’s the Right Place for Love by Elizabeth Berg
Meet Me at Sunrise - #2 Hideaway Bay Series by Michele Brouder
Second Chance at Sunflower Ranch by Carolyn Brown
Another One Bites the Crust - #7 Oxford Tearoom Series by H Y Hanna
The Road to Golden Days - #2 Mailbox Mysteries Series by Melanie Lageschulte
Summer Breeze - #2 Summer Beach Series by Jan Moran
 
Pun-Of-The-Week:
Helvetica and Times New Roman walk into a bar. “Get out of here!” shouts the rude bartender. “We don’t serve your type.”
 
Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library

April 24, 2023

April 24, 2023April 17, 2023

April 10, 2023

April 3, 2023

Good Morning!

On the Calendar:

Monday April 3 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty

Tuesday April 4 at 1:00 Tuesday Quilters

Wednesday April 5 at 10:00 PenPals!

Wednesday April 5 at 10:15 Story Time

Wednesday April 5 at 12:00 Lunch & Learn: Container Gardening w/Emily

Wednesday April 5 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty

Wednesday April 5 at 2:00 Carnegie Café Coffee & Crafts

Wednesday April 5 at 2:45-3:30 Early Out Activities for 4th-12^th Graders

Thursday April 6 at 10:30 Cribbage and Rummikub

Thursday April 6 at 2:15 Yoga

Friday April 7 at 1:00 Fit & Feisty

Saturday, April 8 Closed for Easter Weekend

Monday April 10 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty

Tuesday April 11 at 1:30 Tuesday Quilters

Wednesday April 12 at 10:00 PenPals!

Wednesday April 12 at 10:15 Story Time

Wednesday April 12 at 11:30 Scones & Tomes Book Club

Wednesday April 12 at 1:00 Fit and Feisty

Wednesday April 12 at 2:00 Building a Raised Bed Garden w/Laurie

Wednesday April 12 at 2:45-4:30 Early Out Activities for 4th-12^th Graders

Thursday April 13 at 10:30 Cribbage and Rummikub

Thursday April 13 at 2:15 Yoga

Friday April 14 NO Fit & Feisty

 

Upcoming Gardening Programs:

 

Lunch & Learn - Container Gardening w/Emily:

Bring your lunch and eat while you learn about Container Gardening.  Emily Doyle will join us on Wednesday, April 5 at noon to give us more information and tips on growing your plants in containers.

Raised Bed Gardens at the library:

The Library has received a donation of 2 raised bed gardens from the Traer Lions Club!  We will eventually be planting seeds there, and growing produce to give away!

 

We will be assembling the beds on Wednesday, April 12 at 2:00, as Laurie talks more about raised bed gardening. We will then be placing them behind the library.

 

On Wednesday, April 19 at 2:00, Laurie will be filling the beds to get them ready for planting.  She will talk about what to put into your raised bed, besides plain ol' dirt! Come to learn more, and help her get the beds ready for planting!

 

Chair Yoga Classes – Resume this Thursday:

Cat! Cow! Warrior! Incredible Hulk! What do these things have in common? Yoga Poses!! Come to our Chair Yoga Class on Thursdays at 2:15, resuming on April 6.  Learn some relaxation techniques, and some gentle ways to improve your flexibility, strength and balance. Do Not Be Afraid! Ellen Stoakes leads us in this gentle, beginner class, and you DO NOT have to get down on (or up from) the floor! All exercises are from a seated or standing position, using the chair for balance.

 

Bring your yoga mat, water bottle, and wear comfortable clothes.  Come give it a try!
 

Fashion Show – Traer’s Apparel Through the Ages: April 16

Mark your calendars for what is sure to be a wonderful afternoon. Come to the Library's Kupka Cultural Center on Sunday, April 16 at 2:00 to enjoy a live fashion show event featuring local and historical clothing from the 1870s - through the 1950s. The event will feature Jean Kruse as Master of Ceremonies, Jenny Hulme playing the Grand Piano, and many local models.

 

Admission is FREE, and there is limited seating. A reception is planned following the show at the Traer Historical Museum.

 

This event is being planned by the Traer Sesquicentennial Committee in celebration of Traer's 150 Years of Pride and Progress.

 

 

 

Decades Book Challenge: April - 1930s:

 

Are you participating in our Decades Book Challenge to celebrate Traer’s 150 years? We kicked off January with the 1870s – 1890s. In February we moved into the 1900s – 1910s, and in March we focused on the Roaring 20’s. Our April decade is the 1930’s. Some major events of this decade include:

 

The Great Depression

The Star Spangled Banner is adopted as the United State’s national anthem 1931

Empire State Building completed 1931

The Lindbergh baby kidnapping 1932

The neutron is discovered by James Chadwick 1932

FDR inaugurated for 4th term1933

Prohibition abolished1933

Bonnie & Clyde shot & killed 1934

Enactment of Nuremberg racial laws 1935

Hoover Dam completed 1936

Hindenburg crashes in New Jersey 1937

Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs first feature-length animated film released 1937

Time Magazine declares Adolph Hitler as Man of the Year 1938

Release of MGM's The Wizard of Oz 1939

Nazi invasion of Poland triggers WWII 1939

Release of Gone with the Wind 1939

 

You can still join in on our reading challenge! This is YOUR Challenge so you can choose how you fulfill the prompt. You can choose a book published in that decade, a book about an event from that decade or set in that decade, or any topic related to something from the decade.

 

Go to our website www.traer.lib.ia.us and click on the Join Our Decades Book Challenge link for more topic ideas and a list of books we have available, pick up lists at the circulation desk, or stop in or call the library for more details!

 

Stay Sharp Memory Kits available for checkout:

The Library has 3 new Stay Sharp Memory Kits now available for check out. The kits help support those experiencing Alzheimer’s, dementia, memory loss, and other cognitive impairment.

Each kit is intended to help you interact, converse, or reminisce with a person with cognitive decline. The kits include items that stimulate memory and help spark conversations about life experiences, such as books, photos, sensory tools, puzzles and games.

We have 3 kits available: Garden, Handyman, and Birds & Butterflies

 

FREE Seed Giveaway!!

We still have quite a few seeds left to give away! We received a generous donation of 2022 seed packets from Home Depot and are sharing them with our community! You can help yourself to some we have placed in the card catalog in the library entryway.  The rest are downstairs in the hallway – help yourself!

 

New Books:

Fiction:

Night Flight to Paris - #2 Kate Rees WWII novel by Cara Black

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

Lessons at the School by the Sea - #3 School by the Sea Series by Jenny Colgan

Forget What You Know by Christina Dodd

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay

Peanut Butter panic - #7 Amish Candy Shop Mystery by Amanda Flower

Exiles - #2 Aaron Falk Series by Jane Harper

Murder Your Employer -McMasters Guide to Homicide Volume 1 by Rupert Holmes

All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

Letters of Trust by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Second Time Around by Melody Carlson

All That is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay

The Sister Effect by Susan Mallery

A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

Once We Were Home by Jennifer Rosner

The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q Sutanto

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

 

Large Print:

Storm Watch - #23 Joe Pickett Series by C.J. Box

Unnatural History - #38 Alex Delaware Series by Jonathan Kellerman

 

Non-Fiction:

The Nazi Conspiracy: the secret plot to kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill by Brad Meltzer

 

Pun-Of-The-Week:

Some aquatic mammals at the zoo escaped.  It was otter chaos!

 

Have a good week!
Diane Panfil
​Traer Public Library