ANNOUNCEMENT: Thursday, November 7, 2024 is our next Cooking with Kids Session! We have six (6) openings for kids Ages 8 – 11. Class begins 3:30 after school and wraps up around 5:00 PM. New participants require a waiver to be signed before they can join the session. Call 785-336-2377 to enroll your little chef today!
REPORT: Thursday’s Cooking with Kids was wickedly wonderful! (10/24/2024) Deb Haverkamp led our cooking crew through how to build a frightfully festive veggie tray and they made their own ranch dip from scratch (without even using a ranch seasoning packet!). Deb said she even plans to use this recipe at home from now on instead of using the season packets, everyone liked it so much. They also made popcorn balls and learned first hand how humidity and temperature variations can impact cooking. Special thanks to Librarian Deb Haverkamp for hosting another fun and educational Cooking with Kids event!
REPORT: Cooking with Kids hit the harvest season running on Thursday, September 26. They made chili cheese dogs in honor of fall sports, apple cake from scratch, and fresh applesauce with zero additives. The kids had so much fun mashing apples in the sieve they didn’t want to go home at the end of the session! Special thanks to Deb Haverkamp for hosting yet another fantastic session of Cooking with Kids! This session, we also extend an extra special thanks to the Knapp family for sharing their orchard fresh apples and inspiring this week’s cooking projects!
REPORT: Deb Haverkamp and the Cooking with Kids crew went full meal prep on September 19. They started with Deb’s daycare-famous goulash recipe, chopped and mixed a classic broccoli salad with real freshly fried bacon crumbles, and topped off the session with toasted garlic bread. This crew could open a restaurant if they had the mind to. They did such an awesome job! It looked great and tasted amazing, as evidenced by the extras they shared with this lucky librarian. Bravisimo, kids! And a special thanks to Deb Haverkamp for hosting yet another fantastic session of Cooking with Kids!
REPORT: Cooking with Kids returned September 12 in the corniest way possible! Librarian Deb Haverkamp and the kids popped into harvest season with all things corn. They started with a baking project and made some amazing cornbread. Next they shucked full ears of corn and boiled them for corn on the cob. Then they learned three different methods for making popcorn which included air popped, machine popped, and stove top popping. Because the kids did such a great job following instructions and keeping up on the cleanup, they even had enough time to practice making oven baked CARAMEL CORN! And let me tell you, I’m not a big fan of most caramel corn, but this lightly glazed batch was pretty darn tasty and had a great texture. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to try it! And you can too with the recipe shared in the images below! Special thanks to Deb Haverkamp for hosting this class and all of our participants who made it possible!
REPORT: Librarian Deb Haverkamp hosted the last summer program session of Cooking with Kids on Thursday, August 8, 2024. The threatened rain held off and the overcast skies made for a perfect day to do another round of campfire cooking! This time they made breakfast with camp sausage patties and pancakes from scratch over wood coals. The kids had a great time and the library took on an aura of camp nostalgia as the smell of burning wood trickled in from outside. It was a great way to wrap up our season of adventure before the kids go back to school for the fall semester. Thank you to our participants, and a big thanks to Deb Haverkamp for providing our young chefs with these amazing experiences!
REPORT: Cooking with Kids met on Thursday, July 25, with Librarian Deb Haverkamp leading the group. Plans had to pivot rather quickly for this session as it was determined that cooking the kids along with the menu items outside would be an unfortunate side effect of the unanticipated spike in heat. Instead, Deb and the kids made snickerdoodle cookies in the community room that came out with a delightfully crisp and airy texture as well as a warm and light flavor! As you can see in the pictures, the kids were eager to add creativity to their culinary skills today. Great job kids! (And thanks for sharing!)
REPORT: Thursday, July 18, 2024’s Cooking with Kids session with Librarian Deb Haverkamp was a summertime home run! The kids took to the campfire again and made Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler! The librarians working the circulation desk were fortunate enough to get to try the results, and I think everyone agrees, the results were super good! Great job kids, and special thanks to Deb Haverkamp for stepping up each session and coming up with fun and exciting new things for the kids to try!
REPORT: Cooking with kids took a turn for the rustic on Thursday, June 20, 2024 as Librarian Deb Haverkamp brought the crew outside for a session of camp cooking! Deb brought in a portable fire pit and set up in the rock parking lot behind the building. She pre-fired a batch of coals to be ready for the kids to arrive. The kids diced onions and peppers while the hamburger browned in the Dutch Oven on the coals. Once the meat was cooked, they added their vegetables and tomato sauce, and finally stirred in some cubed Velveeta. The final result of the Hamburger Corn Casserole looked amazing and it was a great experience for the kids to try a new cooking technique!
REPORT: Thursday, June 13, 2024 the Cooking with Kids crew got one of their biggest wishes fulfilled. They made their own pizzas, with crust from scratch, homemade sauce, and their choice of freshly browned hamburger, sausage, pepperoni and cheese. The aroma coming from the pizza oven was out of this world amazing. Everyone was super excited with this cooking project and it sounded like they had a lot of fun as well!
REPORT: Thursday, May 9 2024 Deb Haverkamp and our cooking with kids crew made fruit pizza!
This is where the gallery would go if our social media guy had remembered to post the pictures he and Deb took from the event. They were some really good pictures. But here’s an example of what the kids made, “borrowed” from the internet instead:
REPORT: Thursday, April 25, 2024 the Cooking with Kids crew made Corn and Black Bean Salsa, fresh Guacamole, and Blackened Fish Tacos. Librarian Deb Haverkamp admitted the kids were a little tentative about the tacos at first, but once they tried them, the majority agreed they were a hit. Going in for pictures early on, the salsa smelled and looked amazing. And you know the kids loved what they made when the circulation desk workers don’t even see any leftovers!
Stay tuned for future Cooking with Kids Sessions with Deb coming up in May. She’s already got the wheels turning on what she wants to do next with the crew!
REPORT: Thursday, April 4th Cooking with Kids featured spaghetti with homemade meatballs and sauce! It looked and smelled amazing. These kids have skills and keep learning new things each time! Special thanks to Librarian Deb Haverkamp for running this program and making it as fun and successful as it is!
As a reminder, we only have a total of 6 spaces for each Cooking with Kids session due to space, safety, and supervision reasons. Slots are filled on a first come, first serve order, as much as we hate having to turn anybody away for a session. Make sure your little chef is signed up well before the class starts. This isn’t a class we can slip in a last-minute addition as much as we might want to.
REPORT: Cooking with Kids had another full turnout on Thursday, March 21, as Librarian Deb Haverkamp taught the class how to make biscuits and gravy from scratch! The kids had a great time working together and Deb reported that the biscuits and gravy were a big hit with everybody. Great job to our chefs in the making and Deb Haverkamp in cooking up a classic this session!
REPORT: Thursday, February 22, Cooking with Kids met for another learning experience in food and fun, this time baking coffee cake and trying out an assortment of smoothie recipes. The entry smelled like fresh baked cinnamon, drawing comments of delight from patrons and librarians alike.
REPORT: Thursday February 8 Cooking with Kids was busy making Ham Loaf, Meat Balls and 7 Layer Salad! Don’t come on these days, if you are hungry, it’s hard to resist the aroma.
Let’s get messy.
The pictures below are from the January 11th class making Chicken Noodle Soup.
Making noodles!Cooking chicken and dicing veggies.Enjoying the results.
Seneca Free Library Will Be CLOSED on Veteran’s Day
To honor and show gratitude to all of our area veterans, we will be observing Veteran’s Day this year and remaining closed for the duration of the Veteran’s Day holiday. We will resume regular hours the morning of Tuesday, November 12.
Thank you to our service men and women who have and continue to contribute so much on behalf of our country.
Seneca Free Library is a proud supporting partner with the Nemaha County Food Pantry, collecting food and personal hygiene items for community members in need of assistance. November’s Donation Focus takes a step away from food items and asks instead for personal hygiene items: soap, shampoo, combs and brushes (unused), toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shaving razors, shaving cream, and feminine hygiene products. It’s hard to be your best when you’re struggling to afford the basics, and these are items that often get overlooked because people often assume the food pantry only deals in food. Donations can be delivered to the library during our regular hours: Monday – Thursday 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Friday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Pay it back! Pay it forward! Or just make a contribution for the sake of doing good for others.
This is a service we offer the community. The Food Pantry is staffed by volunteers and is open one day a week. Rather than having to remember what day and hours they are open, you can drop your donations by the library and we will deliver them for you! We highlight different items to donate each month just to offer some direction and promote awareness. When everything is needed on a regular basis, it can be helpful to have some guidance.
If you have large donations it is best to deliver them directly to the food pantry. We can help facilitate a drop off time if needed. Call us during regular business hours at 785-336-2377.
Some Important Points to Note:
* The Food Pantry is closed the second Wednesday of every month.
* Paper goods and personal hygiene products are also always needed!
* Opened and outdated products are NOT accepted at the Pantry.
Each Family receives the following items Once a Month.
1 breakfast item
4 cans of vegetables
1 can of beans
1 package of rice
1 pasta and sauce
1 jar of peanut butter
1 box of crackers
2 cans of fruit
1 can of tuna or chicken
2 cans of soup
1 dessert
1 pound of meat.
While we highlight different donation items each month here at the library, the following items are ALWAYS NEEDED:
Paper products [toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex]
personal products [feminine hygiene, sanitary wipes, etc.]
boxed cereals
oatmeal
pancake mix and pancake syrup
canned vegetables
rice
pasta and pasta sauce
peanut butter
boxed crackers
canned fruit
canned tuna
canned chicken
boxed tuna and chicken helper
canned soups
jello and pudding mixes
cookies
cake mixes and frosting
pie mix
and more!
They also accept laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo, and bath soap.
November’s Library Adventure activity is “Bake it Forward.” “Nothing says lovin’ like somethin’ from the oven,” as the Pillsbury commercials used to say, so why not make use of the cooler weather and mix up some favorites to share with those who give you something to be grateful for! Muffins for Mom, Cookies for Coworkers, Bread for Babysitters, Gingersnaps for Garbage Men, Pies for Police, Fudge for Friends… you get the idea. Better yet, skip the alliteration and just bake what feels right at the time! Try a classic you love and make the adventure about bringing it to the recipient, or try something new that you’ve been looking for an excuse to make. Up the adventure factor and include the kids or grandkids in the baking and deliveries. As long as it’s done in the spirit of gratitude and fun, there’s really no wrong way to do it!
REGULAR HOURS OF OPERATION (Exceptions include: special events, staff training, severe weather, major holidays)
Monday – Thursday: 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Saturday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Notifications regarding early closings or additional schedule changes will be made via posts on this website, posts on Facebook and Instagram, and through notification flyers posted at the circulation desk and at the library entrances. Advance notice may be given when possible in “From the Bookshelf” articles found in the Courier Tribune and in our E-mail Newsletters.
The Adventures of Nelson the NEKLS Gnome and Sherri the ShareIt Gnome!
Sherri and Nelson are the best of friends. They popped into existence together at the Seneca Free Library just as the last throws of winter began to sputter out. They came to the library to spread good cheer and excitement about the upcoming summer reading program.
“Adventure Begins at the Library,” Sherri mused. “What fun! There’s so many adventures to have and explore. Thrilling ones, mysterious ones, funny ones, mushy romantic ones, action-packed ones… oh my, and those are just the adventures to READ about!”
“Just imagine all the things our friends can do themselves in the real world!” Nelson agreed with excitement. “Camping, exploring, traveling, star gazing, picnicking, flying kites, solving puzzles and mysteries, playing games, swimming, bird watching… gosh, the possibilities are endless, really!”
And so, these two cheerful friends spent the remainder of the winter and all through the spring tickling the minds of their new librarian friends and whispering ideas and inspirations to them. Before they knew it, the end of the school year arrived, and Summer Reading was just around the corner! There were even plans for the adults at the library to have fun too! Everyone at the library was eager and excited to get started. Sherri and Nelson did such a good job helping to get things ready, they even inspired each other to consider their own adventures!
“Gosh! All of these adventures sound wonderful and exciting! Do you think we should do something on our own?” Sherri suggested with nervous anticipation.
“Let’s do it!” Nelson agreed with excitement. “Then we’ll have our own adventures to tell our friends about!”
And so, just like that, Sherri and Nelson started making their plans and prepared to make their way out into the world. Each adventurer planned a different journey so they could share their stories with each other when they got home as well! Their librarian friends wished them good luck, and off they went to explore and discover wherever their journey might take them next!
This is Our Library! Show us Yours!Sherri and Nelson Prepare for Their Adventure!
Sherri is making her journey through the Kansas ShareIt Library System (courier transfers only please!). Nelson is traveling across the Northeast Kansas Library System (NEKLS) via courier. They are leaving Monday, May 20, 2024, and should start their journey back to the Seneca Free Library on or around Friday, August 16, 2024. The goal is for them to visit as many network libraries as possible and hopefully learn a little bit about the library, their communities, and, of course, the wonderful library staff who work there!
Here at the Seneca Free Library, we’ll be posting updates on where Sherri and Nelson are at, tracking their journey on our Kansas map where our patrons can see it, and sharing all the fun and interesting pictures, info, and whatever else our creative librarian peers across Kansas might come up with. (Library Staff, please submit updates and media to Librarian@senecafreelibrary.org. Thank you for participating!) We are super excited to follow and share this journey with all of you RIGHT HERE! So don’t forget to check back often to see what our intrepid duo are up to!
Kansas is Bigger than we Thought!
Track That Trip! (Updated 10/4/2024)
Click the map to view the image closer.
Nelson Returns Home to Seneca Free Library! (Stop #8 – 9/18/2024)
After 4 months on the road, hopping courier deliveries across Northeast Kansas, Nelson the NEKLS Gnome has made his return to Seneca Free Library in Seneca, KS! He made 7 stops in his journey: Bonner Springs, Basehor, Osage City, Richmond, Pomona, Williamsburg, and Everest. He made a lot of new friends, explored some terrific libraries, helped with some summer crafts, and even got to help with a food stand at a county fair! It was a big adventure for a little gnome! He got home, took a long nap, and spent some well-overdue catch up time with his best friend Sherri.
Zzzzzzzzzz…“What do you mean it’s October already? How did that happen?”“You shot arrows at a what?!” Two friends comparing travel tales.
Nelson Stops at Barnes Reading Room! (Stop #7 – 9/11/2024)
Nelson hit the road again and made his way to Barnes Reading Room in Everest, KS. It’s a library fit for a gnome! His visit was cut short, however, as he checked his travel itinerary and realized he was a full month behind schedule! Time really must have flown, he was having so much fun!
Barnes Reading Room 640 Main St Everest, KS 66424 Website: everest.mykansaslibrary.org
Everest, KS has an estimated population of 258 (2022) and is located in Brown County, South of Hiawatha and East of Horton.
Nelson Sighting in Williamsburg! (Stop #6 – 9/4/2024)
Nelson finally came out of hiding after disappearing for a while! Williamsburg reported on his arrival and shared some pictures of his visit to their library. Nelson was a little leery of Library Lion at first, but then he realized, if Tess the T-Rex hadn’t eaten him yet back home, a lion his size probably wouldn’t try to make him a snack. Probably. Next, Nelson found inspiration in abundance in the kids’ book section, because kids books are always the best, of course! Special thanks to Williamsburg for hosting Nelson, and especially for reminding him to write home!
Williamsburg Community Library 107 S Louisa St Williamsburg, KS 66095 Website: williamsburgcommunitylibrary.org
Williamsburg, KS has an estimated population of 386 (2022) and is located in Franklin County. In addition to the library, Williamsburg is home to Guy and Mae’s Tavern, a local hot spot for barbecue ribs. There’s also Pome on the Range, Orchard and Winery.
Sherri Came Home! (Stop #8 – 8/20/2024)
After 3 months on the road, hopping courier deliveries across Kansas, Sherri the ShareIt Gnome has made her return to Seneca Free Library in Seneca, KS! She made 7 stops in her journey: Louisburg, Derby, Whitewater, Ellinwood, Phillipsburg, Manhattan, and Wamego. She met countless new friends, saw some amazing libraries, learned archery, tried some rodeo riding, helped serve food at a county fair, participated in countless story times and craft projects, and even found herself embroiled in a skirmish between other gnomes and some knights! It was truly an amazing and exciting adventure, indeed!
Reviewing the TripSharing with FriendsHappy the Plants SurvivedReviewing Some ChangesWaiting for NelsonTaking a Much Needed Nap
A special thanks to all of the libraries and their staff who played along and helped to make Sherri’s adventures through the ShareIt Courier System a fun and memorable experience! You all are awesome and we wish you the absolute best as we all wrap up the current year and prepare for next year’s Adventure!
Sherri Arrives in Wamego! (Stop #7 – 8/13/2024)
Sherri made a deceptively short trip east to Wamego, KS. (15 minutes for a regular drive can be a few days by courier since it’s not a direct trip from point A to point B.) Wamego Public Library welcomed Sherri and gave her a tour of their newly renovated facilities. Sherri was thrilled to share in the library staff’s excitement in the updates and changes they had accomplished with the support of their community and patrons.
Wamego Public Library 431 Lincoln Ave Wamego, KS 66547 Website: wamego.lib.nckls.org
Wamego, KS has a population around 4,880 (2022 Census), and is in Pottawatomie County. Wamego, KS is home of the OZ Museum, Columbian Theatre, Vanderbilt’s, Totos Tacoz, OZ Winery and the Schonhoff Dutch Mill. Wamego also hosts the Tulip Festival and OZtoberfest.
Sherri Arrives in Manhattan! (Stop #6 – 8/7/2024)
Sherri made her way east again and found herself in Manhattan, KS! Her new friends at Manhattan Public Library welcomed her with excitement and had a full itinerary planned for her in the library and around Manhattan, but apparently our intrepid adventurer caught wind of a much bigger plot and arrived at Manhattan Public Library with a mission. Library staff assisted Sherri in her research, as documented by this fantastic video below…
Manhattan Public Library 629 Poyntz Ave Manhattan, KS Website: mhklibrary.org
Manhattan, KS has a population around 53,829 (2022 Census), and is in Riley County. Manhattan, KS is known as “The Little Apple,” a play on Manhattan Island in New York, NY. It is home to the Flint Hills Discovery Center, Sunset Zoo, Tuttle Creek State Park and Reservoir, Manhattan Regional Airport, countless dining and shopping opportunities, and, of course, K-State University, the Home of the Wildcats. Manhattan is a unique gem in Kansas that offers big city opportunities and activity, while maintaining a small town atmosphere and sense of community.
Nelson Sighting in Pomona! (Stop #5 – 7/25?/2024)
Nelson made it to Pomona Community Library where he hung out with staff and some of the younger patrons. Check out that kids’ section! How fun is that? And we all know by now that Nelson is all about the educational computer games! E-mailing? Apparently not so much. But if you’re looking for some outdoor time too, Nelson recommends PCL’s new outdoor patio, which includes a music garden, planters, seating and even a mini-free library exchange!
Pomona Community Library 115 E Franklin St Pomona, KS
Pomona, KS has an estimated population of 886 (2022) and is located in Franklin County. From Travel KS.com: “Nine miles West of Ottawa you will find the busy town of Pomona. History tells us that the Sac & Fox Indian Reservation was once on this location. Twelve to fifteen thousand acres was purchased by John Whetstone who founded the city of Pomona in 1869. The Flint Hills Nature Trail will soon be open in Pomona. Pomona’s business district runs along 68 highway. They offer several restaurants, an antique shop and service stations. The contrasting beauty of rolling prairie with low hills and bountiful streams draw people to this part of Kansas as well as the recreational activities at Lake Pomona built by the Corp of Engineers.”
Sherri Arrives in Phillipsburg! (Stop #5 – 7/23/2024)
Sherri made it the furthest west she’s been so far, stopping at Phillipsburg, KS. She had a great visit with the staff and patrons of Phillipsburg City Library, even making it in time to see their Summer Library Program section with the awesome camping back drop they created for the 2024 reading program theme. She played in the kids’ kitchen area and on the train table, and then read a magazine with a great group of new friends. Sherri later had the chance to help stuff the Summer Library Program give away bags with flashlights, compasses, and notebooks. How fun! Phillipsburg is the home of the biggest rodeo in Kansas so the library staff made sure she had a chance to check out the window paint promoting the rodeo and fair. She joined the staff also while the Exploration Place from Wichita was there with their Lego Camp. Sherri wrapped up her adventure with some girl time, dishing dirt and spilling tea about local events with the Phillipsburg library ladies – Marlene, Denise, Gina and Kim. Overall, Sherri had a lovely time in Phillipsburg, and we thank Phillipsburg City Library for hosting Sherri and sharing her adventures with them!
Phillipsburg City Library 888 4th St. Phillipsburg, KS 67661 Website: cityofphillipsburg.com/136/Library
Phillipsburg, KS has a population around 2255 (2022 Census), and is in Phillips County. In addition to hosting the Biggest Rodeo in Kansas, Phillipsburg is home to Fort Bissell where the Phillips County History Museum is housed. The C & R Railroad Museum, with its 57-foot mountain range and animated 0-scale trains on 1200 feet of track, is also in Phillipsburg. Feeling more outdoorsy? Phillipsburg is home to Phillipsburg Golf Club with a top quality 9-hole golf course. Phillipsburg Disc Golf Course is located in the City Park and offers an 18-hole/basket course. There’s also the Phillipsburg Aquatic Center with zero entry indoor and outdoor pools, diving boards, slides and a splash zone.
Nelson Arrives in Richmond! (Stop #4 – 7/17/2024)
Richmond Public Library is our latest stop for Nelson the NEKLS Gnome! He made it just in time for the Franklin County Fair and had the opportunity to help the library staff and board members work a food stand that they have used as a library fundraiser for over 30 years! Nelson returned to the library and had a chance to check his e-mail and socials on the patron computers before joining summer reading program activities with both younger and older kids for crafts.
Richmond Public Library 107 E Central St Richmond, KS Website: richmond.mykansaslibrary.org
Richmond, KS has an estimated population of 446 (2022) and is located in Franklin County. Richmond is 16 miles south of Ottawa and is reported as being an agricultural town with a strong sense of community.
Sherri Arrives in Ellinwood! (Stop #4 – 7/2/2024)
Sherri made a stop in Ellinwood, KS and had the opportunity to hangout with the Ellinwood School and Community Library staff and summer program participants for their last Summer Library Session and their End of Summer Library Bash! They had story time, games, crafts, and so much fun! Sherri had a blast with her new friends and was excited to be a part of wrapping up a successful summer program.
Ellinwood School and Community Library 210 N Schiller Ave Ellinwood, KS 67526 Website: hslibrary.usd355.org
Ellinwood, KS has a population around 1980 (2022 Census), and is in Barton County. Other attractions in Ellinwood include the Ellinwood Underground Tunnels, Wolf Hotel, and the Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira Wildlife Refuge, both of which are natural wetlands.
Nelson Arrives in Osage City! (Stop #3 – 6/28/2024)
Nelson visited Osage City! He reportedly had a lovely visit with the library staff at Osage City Public Library, but had to keep his stay brief before hopping the courier to his next destination.
Osage City Public Library 515 Main St Osage City, KS 66523 Website: basehorlibrary.com
Osage City, KS has an estimated population of 2,816 (2022) and is located in Osage County. While not readily boasting about its own attractions, Osage City sits between Topeka and Emporia, positioned as a jump off point for several attractions in the surrounding areas.
Sherri Arrives in Whitewater! (Stop #3 – 6/20? – Date Not Confirmed)
Sherri made her way through Whitewater, KS and stopped at Whitewater Memorial Library
Whitewater Memorial Library 118 E Topeka St, Whitewater, KS 67154 Website: whitewater.scklslibrary.info
Whitewater , KS has an estimated population of 667, and is northeast of Wichita in Butler County. Recent library activities include story time, “Take and Make” crafts, fused glass art, and butter making.
Sherri Arrives in Derby! (Stop #2 – 6/15? – Date Not Confirmed)
Sherri made her way through Derby, KS and stopped at Derby Public Library.
Derby Public Library 1600 Walnut Grove Rd Derby, KS 67037 Website: derbylibrary.com
Derby, KS has an estimated population of 25,939 (2022). It is located in Sedgwick County and is the largest suburb of Wichita, southeast of the main metro. Area attractions include the Museum of World Treasures, Field Station: Dinosaurs, and Rock River Rapids Aquatic Park.
Nelson Arrives in Basehor! (Stop #2 – 6/5/2024)
Nelson spent some good solid quality time taking in the sites and services of Basehor Community Library. He got to hear all about Outdoor Story Time, Reader’s Theater, Beginning Birding, ATLAS Education with Animals, and Family Trivia Night. But rather than tell you about his time at Basehor, Nelson and his new friends decided to bring you with him in the following video!
Nelson the NEKLS Gnome from the Seneca Free Library is on an adventure to visit Kansas libraries, and he stopped by the Basehor Community Library today! #librarytiktok#librarytok#fyp#basehor
Basehor Community Library 1400 158th Street Basehor, KS 66007 Website: basehorlibrary.com
Basehor, KS has an estimated population of 7,544, is located northwest of Kansas City on the eastern border, and is part of the Kansas City Metro Area. Main attractions include Holy-Field Vineyard & Winery and Falcon Lakes Golf Club.
Sherri Arrives in Louisburg! (Stop #1 – 6/5/2024)
Louisburg Library welcomed Sherri with excitement and got her straight into the action! Sherri attended the Summer Blessings Lunch and Fun where they served food to over 100 kiddos and distributed bags of groceries as well. Then she joined the kids in drawing on the parking lot with sidewalk chalk until it got too hot! The next day Sherri joined Adventure Camp for 3rd-5th grade kiddos and helped give pointers on how to hit a bullseye! She went back to the library and got to help supervise the Teen Guitar Building Class where they were hydro-dipping the bodies of their guitars. Yep, you read that right, they make their own guitar. Rock on Sister Sherri! Rock on!
Louisburg Library 206 S. Broadway Louisburg, Kansas 66053 Website: louisburglibrary.org
Louisburg, KS is on the eastern border just south of Kansas City. It has an estimated population of about 5,052 people and is the home of Louisburg Cider Mill, Cedar Cove Feline Conservatory and Education Center, and the Powell Observatory. Louisburg Library hosts no shortage of events on site, but they are also partnered with multiple organizations and services to expand their coverage and presence in other locations such as the Vintage Park Assisted Living Center and Louisburg Senior Center.
Special thanks to Louisburg Library for hosting Sherri and letting her join in on some great activities! Next stop, Derby!
Nelson Arrives in Bonner Springs! (Stop #1 – 5/23/2024)
Our friends at Bonner were delighted to meet Nelson, but unsurprisingly buried in work with their own Summer Reading startup. They introduced Nelson to their busy beaver friend and let the duo do some camping before Nelson had to go on his merry way.
Bonner Springs City Library 201 N Nettleton Ave Bonner Springs, KS 66012 Website: bonnerlibrary.org
Bonner Springs has an estimated population of 7,666 (as 2022). It is part of the Kansas City Metro area, but is itself home to the Azura Amphitheater, Kansas City Renaissance Festival (August 31-Oct 14), Moon Marble Company, and Exit Games KC (Escape Room challenge available for our Summer Adventure Theme!)
Thanks to Bonner Springs City Library for hosting Nelson and sending him on to his next destination!
Nemaha Central Homecoming Theme Inspires Library-Flavored Twist
“We’ve Got Spirit, Yes We Do! We’ve Got Spirit, How About You?”
Nemaha Central’s Homecoming theme for 2024 is “NC’s Got Game!” with activities revving up for the week of September 30 through October 4. When the STUCO representatives came to visit the library a few weeks ago to hang up fliers and promote the business decorating contest, they explained that the idea was focused around board games, cards, and similar activities. “You know, like Monopoly or Clue,” the rep suggested cheerfully.
“Oh, yes,” I thought. “Yes, this idea I can work with, most definitely.”
But how to set our display apart from the crowd? How could we take the theme and flip it on its head in a direction nobody else would go? The answer came to us in the 2024 Summer Reading Program theme, “Adventure Begins at Your Library!”
By merging the two themes, the answer became instantly clear to this decades-long gamer geek: Tabletop Game + Adventure = Dungeons and Dragons.
After some heavy convincing and a bunch of planning that started while the director was gone on vacation, I started collecting information and formulating a plan. The goal was to make the homecoming candidates into Heroic Player Characters, using descriptions of their activities and personalities to provide each of them with their own Hero Class and Theme. To represent these fantastical avatars, each character was rendered using Heroforge, an online program geared toward creating gaming miniatures.
The images were saved and layered into a composite group image using basic imaging software. The image was printed on an industrial printer, mounted to foam board, and cut to shape to give it more depth and detail.
But every heroic campaign needs an antagonist, and so I employed the services of NightCafe AI image generator to render the Oskaloosa Bears in as fantastic a way as possible. It took a few tries, but the AI managed to give me some great results, and with a bit of image layering and manipulation, the Oskie Bears became… well, significantly more formidable looking than your average teenage athletes.
A lot of paper and paint, some detail development, and, of course, a set of dangling dice to drive home the gaming concept, and we ended up with the following results…
Come check out our window display in person all through Homecoming Week! We look forward to seeing you!
A Note About Our Choice of Game: Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop role playing game that allows a group of players to create heroic (or not-so-heroic) fantasy characters that interact and co-create a story of adventure and intrigue through the scenarios, worlds, and characters that are presented by another player who serves as the game master (or GM). Adventures in this and similar games can last just a few hours of play time or continue on over a few decades depending on the interests and goals of the players involved.
Roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons have proven to be more than entertaining diversions for their creative-minded participants. D&D reinforces basic math skills through action outcomes and challenge resolutions. It teaches and offers opportunities to practice social skills, including problem solving, trial and error, and cause and effect responses both in and out of game. It encourages storytelling and creative narrative development, as well as team work and group development. In some ways, it presents many of the same benefits (and more) as the sports activities we build our Homecoming events around!
From all of us at the Seneca Free Library, we wish our area students, staff, and faculty a safe, festive, and exciting Homecoming 2024!
Trivia Night at the Library on Friday, September 27 was a Blast!
Trivia Night at the Library was a hoot and a half on Friday, September 27. Four teams + 10 Rounds = More fun than a barrel of monkeys! (And those monkeys were some stiff competition, let me tell you.) Thank you to everyone who joined us Friday night! You brought some seriously awesome snacks, you brought the laughs, and you shared the fun. We had a great time hosting the event and look forward to future installments! (Remember, remember, come early December, more trivia being our plot!) Also, special thanks to our moderator, Kate Haynie, and our scorekeeper, Cathy Enneking, in organizing and running such a smooth and fun-filled night!
Yeah, we know, it’s a terrible name, but Princh is the new program that allows you to print to our library printer from your phone, tablet, laptop, or home computer. The Princh link has already been changed on our library webpage. The overall steps to printing are more-or-less the same, but arguably more user friendly as far as giving prompts with each step.
If you have the PrinterOn app, we recommend removing it and replacing it with the Princh app. PrinterOn will no longer be supported by the developers, though they have not yet stated when it will officially go offline.
The Princh App is available for Apple and Android products. It’s free to download and use. Once setup you can print through the app or directly from the image or document through the “Print with Princh” option.
When you open the app or follow the web link to print it will ask for the library ID number found in the image below. For further information about this and other printer services, follow the link below:
The State Library of Kansas is pleased to announce that their new website is now available at https://library.ks.gov/.
If you have a bookmark in your browser saved to State Library webpages, please be aware that the current website (https://kslib.info/) will NOT be available after August 31. To aid in updating links or bookmarks, the following links are likely to be of most interest to our patrons: