Blog

March Mystery Month

The summer reading program theme for this year is “Adventure Begins in Your Library.” As you may recall, we have been promoting this theme each month with a different recommended activity (or related activities) for our patrons and their families to participate in.

The sub-theme for March is “Adventures of the Mind,” and to get into the swing of things, we’ve developed our own Scavenger Hunt right here in the Library. To participate, starting Tuesday, March 19, come to the circulation desk and ask to borrow “Library Adventure: The Beginning.” Find the enclosed QR Code, scan it with your personal device (or ask to borrow one of our tablets for use inside the library) and follow the clues to the end. Those who finish the adventure will receive a special surprise if they follow the instructions given on the final clue.

Library Will be Closed Monday, March 18, 9AM-5PM

In case you missed the advisory last week or need a reminder, the library will be closed during regular day time hours, 9AM-5PM, on Monday, March 18, due to construction being done in the basement. As of right now, we plan to be open 5PM-7PM that evening once the jackhammers have stopped and the dust has time to settle. Stay tuned for updates in case that plan changes. We plan to return to regular business hours on Tuesday, March 19, if everything goes to schedule. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we get this bit of work taken care of.

Cooking With Kids @ Seneca Free Library

Cooking with Kids returns Thursday, March 21, with Librarian Deb Haverkamp hosting the session. Kids ages 8-11 are eligible to participate in this fun and educational program that runs after school from 3:15 – 5:00 PM. Attendance is limited to a class size of 6 students for safety reasons. Call us at 785-336-2377 to reserve your little chef’s spot (prior participants still need to register for each class). Drop in after registration to sign the required waiver if your student is a new participant this season. Call soon, space fills up fast!

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.

Cooking with Kids is back for another culinary adventure on February 22! This program is for kids 8-11 years old and runs from 3:15-5:00 PM. Class size is limited to 6 students for safety reasons. Call us at 785-336-2377 to reserve your little chef’s spot (prior participants still need to register for each class). Drop in after registration to sign the required waiver. Call soon, space fills up fast!

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.

This week they made M&M pan cookies and Chocolate drop cookies. We forgot to take a picture of the results! Guess they will have to start over. It’s hard being a librarian. 1.25.24

First call the library to enroll your child. Then put it on your calendar so you don’t forget. But we know your child will NOT forget. If they have been Cooking with Deb before, they look forward to coming again. Class size is LIMITED.

Our next class is scheduled for Thursday, January 25 after school – as long as the weather cooperates. This is a really fun event for the kids and Deb. Class size is limited to 6 for safety reasons. Your child is not registered until you call us (785-336-2377) and have signed a waiver. Call soon, space fills up fast!

The pictures below are from the January 11th class making Chicken Noodle Soup.

Happy New Year! We’re kicking off cooking classes 2024 on Thursday January 11, starting at 3:00PM! Call 785.336.2377 to get on the list! Most of our parents have signed the waiver, but if you haven’t yet, please stop into the library when you drop your children off for class.

December 28, 2023 was about trying different pie crusts. They made a graham cracker crust with a no bake cheese cake and a flour pie crust for a” cheese, ham and egg thing” aka quiche. Which do you think they enjoyed most?

Be sure to call to get on the list to join Deb Thursday December 14 to make Gingerbread Houses!

This event is for children ages 8~11, space is limited and sign-up required. So, keep an eye on our Facebook page and put us on speed dial, our number is 785-336-2377.

Deb Haverkamp is teaching the class this year. So far they have made Apple Crisp and Quesadillas! The library smells SO good on Cooking night, everyone leaves very hungry. Deb teaches different skills each class and includes the art of clean up

Get Your Kicks with BookFlix!

We were recently reminded of a fantastic resource through the Kansas State Library website that our patrons have access to. BookFlix is an interactive program through Scholastic Books that combines one animated story book and one non-fiction book to create an entertaining and informative program on a topic your young (or young at heart) reader is excited about. Examples include “Curious George Rides a Bike” and “Scholastic News: Monkeys and Other Mammals,” or “Dinosaur Bones” by Bob Barner and “Scholastic News: Dinosaur Dig!” or “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and “Rookie Read About Math: A Garden Full of Sizes.” There are nine categories to choose from with most categories having well over 20 story and non-fiction combos to select from and enjoy!

The Link below takes you to the Kansas Library e-books for kids page. If you click on the BookFlix link it might take you directly to the page or it might throw an error code and require you to login with a Kansas Library eCard (which we can help you sign up for in person at the circulation desk if you don’t have one, but not over the phone or via email). In testing this resource, I had the website produce both results at different times, so consider this a fair warning, just in case. This link also takes you to the hub that has Tumble Book Library, Britannica Collective Nonfiction eBooks, and a score of other ebook resources and links just waiting to be discovered!

https://kslib.info/963/eBooks-for-Kids (Via Kansas State Library resources)

March is Canned Foods Month at Nemaha County Food Pantry

Seneca Free Library is a proud supporting partner with the Nemaha County Food Pantry. This month’s Food Pantry Focus is canned vegetables. Bring out your beans! Collect your corn! Make a dent in hunger with your mixed vegetables! Every little bit helps, if it’s one can or a whole box of them! You can help make a difference by picking up a few extra cans (or other items) on your next trip to the grocery store, then dropping them by 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. It takes so little to do so much. Make your impact today! Because hunger doesn’t just happen on the holidays.

“Adventure Begins in Your Library” March Theme: Adventures of the Mind

The summer reading program theme for 2024 is “Adventure Begins in Your Library.” Each month we are offering a suggested theme on how to find your own adventures through the year. This month’s theme is “Adventures of the Mind to Challenge and Entertain.” Try putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Too easy? Flip it over and do it without seeing the picture for a bigger challenge, or start without using any edge pieces until the end. Need a story instead? Find a new (or classic) mystery book or movie and see if you can beat the protagonist in figuring out the who, the what, the why, and the where. For a more tangible experience, look up escape rooms in the area and take a team of friends or family to solve the themed puzzles and beat the clock. If you’re looking for something a little closer to home, try setting up a scavenger hunt for friends and family. There are countless ways to build and host one, from a simple trail of clues on paper slips through your home, to a community wide check-off sheet to collect photos and challenge activities. The options are only as limited as your imagination! If you prefer to go solo, or maybe need something less time intensive or bulky, try doing crossword puzzles, word finds, or even learn to do sudoku. It’s all about using your mind in March, and you might just surprise yourself with how fun some of these challenges can be.

Come Meet our New Librarian!

Chad Jones joined our library team on February 5th and comes to us from Nemaha Central Elementary School where he was a para-educator with the Marshall-Nemaha Special Education Co-op. You may also recognize him as “Station Manager Jones” from his last five summers as a tour guide and facilities manager for the Seneca Pony Express Museum at 4th and Main.

Chad enjoys fantasy fiction, science fiction, and mysteries but admits that he’s most excited to dive into the youth fiction section and check out all of our awesome illustrated books! He is having fun finding the classics he grew up with as well as all of the new titles that have come out since he became a “boring grownup.”

Chad is also a self-published author and is proud to have two of his books in the Chronicles of Chalisaria series available in our adult fiction catalog, “Ash to Ashes,” and “Wolfkin: a Fairy’s Tail”.

We are excited to have Chad join the Seneca Free Library family and invite you to join us in welcoming him to the circulation desk!

Do you use the myLIBRO app?

Download the app today.

myLibro gives you access to the online catalog so you can check to see what you have checked out, what is on hold and what is on the way. You can renew items and place items on hold. Parents can use the app to keep track of all their children’s accounts with library cards – in one convenient place. We are using the Reading Challenge portion of the app as a way for you to keep track of each of your readers too. You can download the app today. The myLibro app will allow you to see new posts to our website and our Facebook page.

**When you download the app, it will ask for your PIN. Your PIN will be the same as your password for your online library account. For most patrons this will be your Date Of Birth, all 8 digits, no slashes or dashes: MMDDYYY. If that doesn’t work, stop in or give us a call at 785-336-2377 and we will figure it out.

Information to Help You Access Online Resources

Hoopla is a free service offering audio books, eBooks, movies, TV shows, music, comics, and more! We have added information for you to get the most out of the app below. We hope this helps and you get the most out of this new-to-you app!

Libby is another free app giving you access to eBooks and audiobooks. You will need to set up an account and pin with us, so call 785-336-2377– before you begin– between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm weekdays.

Here is a really quick look at how to use the online shared catalog. There is so much more than the video offers, but this will get you started. If you forgot your password, or are having trouble logging in, please call us.

Here is a quick intro to Flipster, our free online source of magazines. You use the same credentials that are needed to access our online shared catalog.

Below is a  link to  YouTube videos from Robin at our Regional Office in Lawrence about Learning Express:

Learning Express videos

WiFi Hotspots Available for Check-out

The library has personal WiFi Hotspots for circulation! For our rural patrons who have trouble with internet access, these devices will be great. If you are traveling for vacation and don’t want to use all of your data, a hotspot can save you some headaches.

The hotspots can only be checked out to Seneca Free Library patrons over the age of 18, whose accounts are in good standing. They check out for two weeks with no renewals allowed. We don’t charge fines for any overdue items, except for these WiFi hotspots.

Fees begin the day after the due date. The hotspots must NOT be returned in either the outside or inside dropbox. They are to be returned to library staff at the circulation desk; devices not returned in this way are subject to a flat fee. For all the information on the WiFi hotspot and how to get one, talk to the librarians. 

Patrons will have to sign a user agreement, and there will be fines imposed if patrons do not follow the usage rules for these devices. They are expensive and the user will pay replacement costs, if need be.