It may only be the third month of the year, but the library is already getting ready for our exciting Summer Library Programming for June and July! This year’s theme is “A Universe of Stories,” and it is centered around the 50th anniversary of the moon landing on July 20, 1969. When Neil Armstrong of Apollo 11 first set foot on the lunar surface, it was 10:56 pm EDT (Eastern Daylight Time), and marked the culmination of the “space race” which had occurred throughout the 1960s. 

I was always fascinated with space exploration when I was younger, and the Saturn V rocket was one of my favorite vehicles. There’s a part of me that wishes I could have experienced that moment in history when an estimated 500 million people witnessed the moon landing together through their television sets. Because of that, I am very excited about this year’s theme.

Our goal this summer is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, as well as celebrate the multitude of stories out there, both in space and in our own little corners of the world. The grand kickoff event will feature the Kansas Cosmosphere from Hutchinson, Kansas, who will provide many fun activities throughout the day of May 31. During June and July, fun events will feature something for people of all ages to get involved. Some of our other events will include a Star Wars day, visits from Fort Hays State’s makerspace van, trivia nights, home organizing presentations, and much more. Keep an eye out for our summer event calendar, which will be released in April so you can begin planning to attend all our great summer events!

Also, there is an ever-popular event coming up this week at the library. We will be cleaning out some of our older back issues of our magazine collection, and beginning Friday, March 1 these issues will be available free to everyone who wishes to give them a new home. There will be bins out front with magazines in them, and they will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

See the schedule below for the library’s activities during this upcoming week. 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 front desk (620-792-2409). You can also “like” and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Have a great week!

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.