STAFFORD — One of our youth, Stara, suggested a Dungeons and Dragons game day. She presented her plan to the board and they agreed to have a trial period to encourage younger patrons. Stara is the Dragonmaster and has been faithful in leading the new MS-HS group. It has been great to see them develop their characters and storylines and they start the new year ready to begin their campaign. We are going to rearrange the library to give them more room and try to make them more comfortable.
Book Challenge Time! Why do we have so many book challenges? I try to make book challenges that:
1. Encourage you to read
2. Lead you to a “new to you” genre or author
3. Help you find different ways to read: a book from Larabee, a book from Interlibrary Loan, a book from your own source; or a book from the State Library (audio and e-book).
4. Get you out of a rut – out of the house – and give you something to expand your world
5. Make your day more enjoyable
It’s no stress – just a tool to help you find a book. Read Everyday – Live a Better Life. Here are this quarter’s nine prompts. Choose the five that work for you. Use the list informally at home or come in and join the challenge at Larabee Library. We would love to see you!
Winter Reads to Contentment Leads
1. A Non-Fiction book
2. A book that leaves you smiling
3. A book that made you reach for the Kleenex
4. A book that made you think “Outside the Box”
5. A book that inspired you
6. A book where the cover grabbed you
7. A book in a series
8. A new to you author
9. A book by a favorite author
What has made the biggest change in my reading experience this year? Using the State Library card. I can read almost any book anytime or anywhere I want. I started using the library card several years ago but once it was installed on my phone it really increased my ability to read.
I also started in May to use a free online app to keep track of what I have read. There are many of these services available. I use the Fable app. Since May, I have in my book read library, 144 books. Fable made a cute end-of-the-year presentation of the books I had read in 2025. A friend showed me the app and how to use it. If you are interested drop by and I will show you how. It’s a great free, fun and easy way of keeping track of books read.
Coming up
• Monday mornings 10-11 a.m. - Preschool Story Hour
• D&D every Wednesday, 4-6 p.m.
• Every Wednesday except 2nd Wednesday - ESOL with Rachel Sandoval, 6 p.m.
• Book Rotation will be Jan. 21 and we will have 350 new books. There is still time to read from the collection we have now.
• Jan. 27 - Recently Read at 5:30 p.m. - come enhance our conversation.
• Board meeting - Jan. 14
Library hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday; 2-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
Gerry Hildebrand is the head librarian for the Nora Larabee Memorial Library, 108 N. Union St. in Stafford. Phone 620-234-5762, email larabeelibrary@gmail.com or visit Facebook at Nora Larabee Memorial Library.
