Greetings from the Great Bend Public Library! Before we get to our upcoming events, I wanted to talk a bit about Giving Tuesday, an annual event to promote giving and generosity for non-profits in communities all over the world. Here in Great Bend, the event is handled by the Golden Belt Community Foundation, which collects all of the donations for the various non-profits in our area during the season. Those wishing to give can do so the entire month of November, leading up to the big day on Tuesday, Nov. 29. Donations allow the library to host community programs and bring in amazing presenters, like Celtic Guitarist Jerry Barlow, Santa for Santa Story Time, and ventriloquist and comedian Kevin Horner. We never charge for any events, crafts, or activities we do, and we offer many free services, such as access to our public computers and one-on-one tech assistance. Donations also help us participate in events like Kansas Reads to Preschoolers, when we visit around 25 preschools and daycares, gifting books to every child to cultivate a love of reading. Donations facilitate our continued curation of diverse materials for all of our patrons to enjoy. This year our goal is to raise $2,500 to help fund and bring more exciting programs to our community all year round. If you would like to help us reach our goal, donations can be made online at GoldenBeltGives.org/GreatBendPublicLibrary or by picking up a giving form at the library front desk.

Now to this week’s big events! First off, I already mentioned our up-and-coming performer, Jerry Barlow, who will be here this coming Monday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. Jerry is a virtuoso guitarist and extraordinary storyteller who also sings a bit – sometimes in Gaelic. This program focuses on the medieval period of Scottish, Irish, and English history, a time of wonderful legend and lore. Join us for what is sure to be a magical evening of music and storytelling with our distinguished guest. 

For the kiddos this week we have an exciting event on Saturday, Nov. 5. Join us in celebrating Kansas Reads to Preschoolers with a special Family Story Time. Use your imagination and build a mode of transportation out of a box. Then stay and watch a movie about cars and eat snacks in your creation. The fun begins at 10:30 a.m.

For teens this coming Thursday, Nov. 10, is our next Manga and Anime Club meeting. This month teens will be watching and discussing the popular series Spy X Family before putting their skills as secret agents to the test in our spy-themed breakout room! Can you figure out the clues and escape before it’s too late?

Last but not least, in November we are encouraging our local writers to take on the challenge of writing a complete first draft of their book during National Novel Writing Month. To help all of you novelists out there, we have developed a support group. Our short check-in sessions are at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. every Tuesday throughout the month. Pop in to share your progress with librarians and other writers. Stuck? Check out the prompt jar, or take some time to sit down and write at the library. Happy writing!

For library events, visit our Facebook and our website, greatbendpl.info. You can also message us on Facebook, email us at gbcirc@gmail.com, or give us a call at 620-792-2409 for any questions about our programming or services.

The Book Nook is written by Hannah Grippin, outreach manager at the Great Bend Public Library.