Isn’t it hard to believe that tomorrow is the first day of December? The holiday season tends to get so busy that it goes by very quickly, but we hope you will make time in your schedule to stop by and see us in the library. For the sake of those planning your December ahead of time, I wanted to highlight some of our activities throughout the month.

Note that Monday, Dec. 3, the library will not open until 3 p.m. due to staff training. Chapter Chats are taking a break until January, and Baby Bounce and Early Literacy Storytime are taking a break after Dec. 4. Instead of those regular storytimes, there will be two very special storytimes in December: 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 10 is Storytime with Santa, open to all ages of families. Both Santa and Mrs. Claus will be in the library for reading stories, singing carols, taking pictures, and eating treats. Plus, Santa will have a special gift for each child that comes to storytime! The second storytime is at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18. This one-of-a-kind “Storytime Theater” will be hosted by experienced story ladies (Patty Collins and Sophia Vigil), who will bring to life “Arnie the Doughnut” with zest and energy. Hilarity will ensue, and donuts will be served as special treats to all who attend.

Adults have the chance to work on holiday-themed crafts in December, with Book Angels at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4 and a Snowflake-and-Card-Making Workshop at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13 (please register online for both classes). Teens can also get in the holiday spirit by making Bath Bombs at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6. Bath bombs can be used to pamper yourself, but also make great gifts or stocking stuffers for friends or family.

Finally, we would like to invite everyone to attend our Christmas music series, with two performances in December open to all. At 12 p.m. (noon) on Wednesday, Dec. 5, the Great Bend High School Jazz Band will present a short holiday concert. The High School’s Madrigal Club will also be presenting a concert at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20, and the theme will be “Holiday Pops.” Both concerts will feature refreshments, and we hope you stop by to enjoy some holiday-themed music and get in the holiday spirit with us.

See the schedule below for the library’s activities for the next two weeks. For more detailed information on any library events, programs, or resources, check out our website (www.greatbendpl.info), send us an email (gbcirc@greatbendpl.info), or call the circ desk (620-792-2409). You can also “like” and follow GBPL on Facebook. 

Michael Adamyk is the Marketing and Technical Services Manager at the Great Bend Public Library. He can be reached by email at gbcirc@gmail.com.