Traverse Area District Library February 2024 Newsletter ** What's new? ------------------------------------------------------------ Thank you to everyone who joined us to wish Woodmere a great 25th birthday! It was so wonderful to hear so many library memories patrons, and also welcome to the 256 new cardholders who joined us in January! A few upcoming highlights: 1) Renovations - As Michele noted in her Woodmere birthday remarks, we'll be updating ALL the Woodmere restrooms in 2024. The restrooms are heavily used and very much in need of repair. Thank you to the Board of Trustees for approving the expenditure. As soon as we have more details we'll share them. 2) Bakers Wanted! - Let's sweeten up the gray days of midwinter, click the buttons below for more details: * Enter KBL's Bake & Tell (Feb. 24)! (https://www.tadl.org/event/bake-tell-challenge-2024) * Enter the Woodmere Bar-Cookie Crawl Contest (Mar. 16)! (http://tadl.org/cookie) Click to skim what's new at TADL: New Fiction (https://bit.ly/36KpU4N) New Non-Fiction (https://bit.ly/36KQVVH) New Audiobooks (https://bit.ly/2I3Ry2o) New DVDs (https://bit.ly/3nv66bv) New Music (https://bit.ly/34Ai4Iw) Youth (http://tadl.org/youth) February Storytime Schedule * Wigglers with Miss Rosie - Mondays, 10 am * Babytime with Miss Michele - Tuesdays, 9:15 am * Toddler time with Miss Michele - Tuesdays, 10 am * Make-Believers with Miss Kate - Wednesdays, 10 am * Storytime for Bigs - Thursdays, 10 am * Storytime with Miss Amanda - Fridays, 10 am Build n Create - Wed. 2/7, 2/14, 2/21 at 4 pm Reminder - Winter Reading Club is on! We'll have a prize drawing for everyone who participates in February - and another drawing for kids who read in both January & February. Youth Services Weekends * 2/3 - TSO Tots, 11 am * 2/10 - Yoga for Families, 11 am * 2/17 - Broadway Kids, 11 am * 2/18 - Black History Month Special Feature: The Origins of Hip Hop Dance with SkyLea Martin, 2 pm * 2/24 - NW MI Ballet Theatre, 10 am (Preview - "Whither Thou Goest: The Story of Ruth") Click to visit our complete Feb. youth event calendar! Tadl.org/events Digital resource spotlight: Access Video on Demand for Kids! https://youtu.be/RWnvpMwV0h4 Find old favorites (Wild Kratts, Caillou, Arthur) and great new videos - unlimited streaming! Take a quick video tour and then log on with your library card - tadl.org/research Teens (http://tadl.org/teen) ** February Events ------------------------------------------------------------ * Creativity Corner - Every Monday, 4 pm * ?Novel Writing for Teens - Every Tuesday, 4:30 pm (Register (https://www.tadl.org/events/month/2024/02?keywords=novel&age_groups%5B49%5D=49&branches%5B89%5D=89&private=no) ) * Teen Volunteers - Every Wednesday, 4:30 pm * Anime Club - 2/5, 5:30 pm * ?Sat. Chess Club - 2/3 & 2/17, 11 am * 2/19 - Teen Escape Room, 5:30 pm (Register (https://www.tadl.org/event/teen-escape-room-12383) ) ** Speed-dating with a book: Teen Edition ------------------------------------------------------------ It's a date! Join us this Valentine's Day at 4 pm - you just might fall in love with a new author. Adults (http://tadl.org/adult) Bookbinding Feature! Every wonder what it takes to put a book together? Let's find out - * 2/2 - Bookbinding Demonstration (Atrium) 11 am - 5 pm * 2/3 - Bookbinding & Author Talk with Austin Rowlader, 2 pm * We have a bookbinding book display (pictured) is at the top of the main staircase. Digital Drop-Ins - Every Wednesday (Ref Desk) 10 - 11:30 am * 2/3 - Spanish Language Conversation Meetup (Thirlby Rm), 10:30 am * 2/4 - Books to Movies, 1 pm * 2/13 - Versiti Blood Drive, 10 am - 6:30 pm * ?2/18 - Traverse Area Historical Society Program, 2 pm * 2/20 - Zoom with author Amanda Barratt, "Resistance and Resilience in Occupied Poland: The True Stories That Inspired The Warsaw Sisters", 6:30 pm. (Link (https://www.tadl.org/warsawsisters) ) Current Events * 2/9 & 2/16 - Our Supreme Court: Should we be worried? 1 pm (Register (https://www.tadl.org/supremecourt) ) * 2/24 - Doom as Fuel for the Future, 2 pm Health & Wellness * Thursday Yoga - 2/1. 2/8, & 2/29 at 6 pm; 2/15 & 2/22 at 10 am * 2/23 - Chair Yoga, 11:30 am ** Blind Date with a Book ------------------------------------------------------------ It's back to sweep you off your feet - pick up some takeout, settle into your favorite chair, and go on a blind date with a book! The "dating pool" will be coming soon to the table at the top of the stairs, books are selected by library staff. Around the TADL neighborhood... East Bay Branch Library * Sing & Stomp - Every Wednesday, 11 am * 2/6 - Adult Coloring Night, 5:30 pm * 2/9 - Tai Chi with Josh, Noon * Valentine Creation Station * 2/10 11 am - 2 pm * 2/13 11 am - 7 pm * 2/14 Noon - 4:30 pm * 2/14 - Heartstopper Valentine Party, 5:30 pm * 2/16 - Chair Yoga, 11:30 am * 2/23 - Family Movie & Popcorn Bar, 4 pm Kingsley Branch Library * Storytime for Big Kids - Every Thursday, 11 am * Wigglers Storytime - Every Tuesday & Wednesday, 10:30 am * 2/8 & 2/29 - Teen Dungeons & Dragons, 3:30 pm * 2/10 - Fancy Nancy Royal-Tea Party 2024, 1 pm * 2/24 * Simply Delicious with Chef Tom, 10 am * Bake & Tell Challenge 2024 (Register now! (https://www.tadl.org/event/bake-tell-challenge-2024) ), 1 pm * ?2/28 - Afternoon Book Club, 2 pm Bake & Tell Challenge 2024 at Kingsley Branch Library Saturday, February 24, 1:00 p.m. We're looking for fifteen amateur local bakers to bring their best to Bake & Tell Challenge 2024, and we're looking for even more folks who want to indulge their sweet tooth and vote on the People's Choice Winner! Tasters just need to come, no registration required. Register to be a baker online (button below), or call the Library at 231-263-5484. Register to bake in our Bake & Tell Challenge! (https://www.tadl.org/event/bake-tell-challenge-2024) From the Director’s Desk with Michele P. Howard Welcome to TADL newest Trustees! Please welcome Jennifer Beuthin and Sam Gedman. Thank you to last year's officers and to Jeff Wescott who served 4 years on the TADL board. The Board has trustee Paul Deyo continuing on and has elected the following new officers. Marylee Pakieser - President Joe Jones - Vice President Michael Vickery - Secretary Susan Odgers - Treasurer As you might know the TADL Board of Trustees are appointed. In an agreement originally established in 1983 when the District Library was formed, Grand Traverse County appoints five trustees and the City of Traverse City appoints two trustees. These trustees work together to lead the library to meet the needs of our community now and in the future. Meetings are the third Thursday of each month at 4pm in the McGuire room. All are open to the public. Now let's imagine... what life would be like if you couldn't read this newsletter - or the instructions that come with your medication. Literacy - the ability to read, and understand what we read, is key to health, happiness, and success in life. Unfortunately, Michigan's literacy rate is not ideal. The bad news for elementary readers, in 2023 only about 65.6% of Michigan's third graders met state standards for reading proficiency. ( Source (https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2023/fewer-Michigan-3rd-graders-could-be-held-back-for-reading#:~:text=In%202023%2C%2065.4%25%20of%20third,Read%20by%20Grade%20Three%20Law.) ) Overall, the pandemic's effects still impact reading levels. Additionally, there is a direct correlation between literacy and GDP. (Source (https://www.barbarabush.org/why-literacy/) ) The good news, we can change it! While literacy is always at the core of what we do as a public library, in the 2024 budget TADL's Board of Trustees created a special allocation to boost literacy outreach in line with our strategic plan goals. I'm excited to announce that later this month we will be starting a community read-a-thon! Watch for our next newsletter and join us as we leap into Reading Month together. Our doors are always wide open to everyone, especially those who may have difficulties with reading. If that happens to be someone you know PLEASE encourage them to speak with a librarian. Don’t forget that listening to books counts as reading. Strong readers make a strong community - our staff can help connect you with community resources that will make a world of difference for all of us! Keep reading, Michele ============================================================ ** Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TraverseAreaDistrictLibrary) ** Link (http://www.instagram.com/notjustbooks) ** Website (http://tadl.org) ** YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/TADLnotjustbooks)