The holiday season is often a time of great joy and communing with family and friends, but for some it can also be a difficult time. In the digital age, community bonds that once tended to provide a sense of belonging to many people may not be as strong as they once were. While social media and cell phones can help provide a way to stay in touch with friends and family that are distant, sometimes they can get in the way of relationships that are in our own communities. At the library, we want to be sure to stay up to date on the latest technologies to help connect our community with information, but our goal is also to provide a community location for events where people can connect. It’s often just as important for us to provide a place where people can meet and interact with each other as it is for us to connect people with ideas and information.

As we enter into the holiday season during the next few weeks, we hope you will join us at the library for one of our community events. From 5:30-7:30 p.m. next Tuesday (Nov. 26), all ages are invited to participate in our Game and Puzzle Night. Start off the holiday season by spending time with family and friends playing your favorite game, or meet some new friends by playing an unusual game. The library will be closed on Thursday and Friday (Nov. 28-29) for the Thanksgiving holiday, but there are more events the following week.Teens can connect and socialize at 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 3 at the Teen Writing Club or at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4 during the “De-Stress Before Finals” cafe. Adults are welcome to attend a movie night beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6. Families with younger children are all invited to join the Polar Express Party at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. The party will involve an interactive movie experience with magical activities and fun for the whole family, but be sure to contact the library to register before the end of November!

Even if you cannot join one of the library’s community activities, I hope that we can all be a bit more intentional about nurturing relationships in our families, neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities. Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone around you and invite them to share in a holiday celebration. There’s no better time than the holidays to share a small gift with a neighbor to break the ice, and who knows? Maybe you will find a new friend in a surprising way. May each one of you have a blessed Thanksgiving holiday.

For event info or other library information, please visit our Facebook page or website (greatbendpl.info), stop by the library (1409 Williams St), or give us a call (620-792-2409). We hope to see you soon.

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.