Blog

Celebrating 100 Years, This is Where it Started

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Minutes of the first board meeting of the Library board in 1917.
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Newspaper articles about the benefits of having a library in Seneca and ways to pay for it.

As far back as the 1880’s Seneca was library minded and working towards having a public library. In 1916 C.C.K Scoville, President of the Business Men’s Club began to research Carnegie Libraries. Upon discovering there was no Carnegie money left for libraries, several civic organizations, including the Seneca Women’s Club,  joined forces to find alternate sources of funding. The library has an original handwritten copy of several questions sent to municipalities throughout Kansas seeking information on funding. With a new City hall being built the time seemed right to push for a library. An article from the February 1, 1917 Courier-Democrat encouraged citizens to sign a petition to vote for a tax levy. The following week the Library Board had secured 276 names for the petition, according to the Courier-Democrat. The levy would amount to .50 cents per $1000 worth of property. We have a display with copies of some of these articles.  We hope you come in and read them. We will share more of the library history over the year as we celebrate – SPOILER ALERT – the passing of the vote in 1917 to establish a public library.

 

What else was happening around the world in 1917?

The State Library of Kansas? KGI Online Library shared a wonderful blog post, just for us?

Enjoy a look back:

http://kslib.info/Blog.aspx?IID=373#item

http://kslib.info/Blog.aspx?IID=373#item

Restoration Work has Begun on Our Stained Glass Windows

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When was the last time you looked at, really looked at, the stained glass windows in the ‘Old Stone Church’ that is our Community Room?

 If you look today, you will notice that one of the windows is absent from the library. It isn’t broken! We are having the windows repaired with new lead and steel reinforcements. The old plexi-glass will be replaced with plate glass in bronze tone steel frames to match the windows in the library building. After 113 years the lead in the windows has softened and can no longer support the weight of the glass, it is time for some serious repair work.

We are very excited for our first window to return and the rest to be completed.

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The crew came in on Tuesday February 21st to remove the southeast window, just one this time.
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They came back Wednesday evening to load it up and take it to their shop in Hutchinson, KS.

 

CALLING ALL PATRONS

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Our STEM {Science-Technology-Engineering-Math} group needs your help.

We would like to study electronics with the students later this spring.

So we are needing old keyboards and phones, cell or landline, to deconstruct.

If you have items to donate, bring them by the library, if we are closed, leave them in the drop box.

Thank you!

STEM 2017: How’s the Weather?

March STEM Meeting was All About Weather

Great satisfaction was had by our budding scientists creating weather gauges.

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The students are so proud of their completed BAROMETERS!
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Concentration and finesse….
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Caution and determination…
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Working ANEMOMETERS test the wind speed of our fans.

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The January meeting of our STEM group studied eyeballs from cows.

Although some were leery to touch and cut into the eyeball, we had a great adventure discovering what makes up an eyeball.

Next month: How do eyes work? How do we see?

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Each young scientist was provided with a work space, tools and 1 cows eyeball.
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“Do I really have to touch it to dissect it?”

 

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Here we go.
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Some “dig” right in and tentative scientists begin dissecting the eyeball.

 

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“I got the lens out of mine.”
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Sharing the ‘fun’ of learning!

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Looking Back, Moving Forward!

Looking-Back-Moving-ForwardOur 2017 Reading Challenge

looking back…celebrates 100 years of books from 1917 ~ 2017. Each month we will highlight a different decade on our display rack. The book selection will include titles published in those years or books about world events in that time period.

The challenge will cover books either published or written about world events that occured between 1917 and 2017.

Readers have two options:

100 Books: There books are of the reader’s choice. Reading from our selected list in snot necessary, but certainly can be done.

12 Books: Readers can chose to read one of our selected books per month throughout 2017.

We will keep a reading record at the Library to help readers reach goals.

Quilting 101 with Susan Mitchell

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Quilting 101 with Susan Mitchell.
Are you interested?

The two-part class is set for

THURSDAY JUNE 15 from 7:00~9:00 PM

and continues on

SATURDAY JUNE 17 from 10:00 AM ~ 3:00 PM

at Seneca Free Library Community Room.

Deadline to sign up and pay the $15.00 fee is MONDAY JUNE 5.

Anyone interested in learning to quilt is welcome.

You will need to bring your own sewing machine, fabric and notions. 

The fee covers the cost of the latest Start Quilting with Alex Anderson, a very handy,

full-color guide for beginning quilters.

Pictured are samples of the projects Susan will be starting you on.

Choose EITHER the 20×42 inch table runner OR the 42×42 inch baby/wall quilt.

Materials you will need to bring, besides the fabric:

Sewing machine, rotary cutter, rotary mat, 12 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ rotary ruler, glass head pins, extra needles for sewing machine, thread, measuring tape and extra wound bobbins.

You will pick up the fabric list when you come in to sign up.


 This is the first in a series of adult continuing education classes sponsored by EYE, a collaboration between Nemaha Central Schools, Seneca Free Library and the Nemaha Central Schools Education Foundation. 

Share this with anyone you think might like to attend.

STEM Meetings Minutes

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The ingredients needed to make 4 different types of Fake Snow. Who knew?!

December Meeting – Frozen Party !!

Be sure to read the descriptions under each picture for the rest of the story. The winning fake snow recipe is: Recipe 1 Baking Soda & Shaving Cream Mix 1 cup of baking soda with 1 cup of shaving cream with a fork. Add a few drops of water until mixture takes on a snow-like appearance. you may need to add a little more water or baking soda, depending on the humidity of your room.

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After all four mixtures were created the students compared and contrasted and chose a winner in each of the three following categories: COLDNESS TEXTURE SNOWBALL FORMING

 

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Hands down the number one recipe made with common household ingredients won in all three categories over a commercial product.
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Each student has 4 buckets to to prepare four different recipes of FAKE SNOW!

 

 

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THE WINNER!!!!!! Recipe #1 Baking Soda & Shaving Cream Mix 1 Cup baking soda with 1 cup of shaving cream. Mix with a fork. Add a few drops of water until mixture takes on a snow-like appearance. You may need to add a little more water or baking soda, depending on the humidity of your room.
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Not #2 {baking soda and paper towels with a little water}
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The young scientists were sent home with supplies to create a crystal tree ornament made simply with 3 TBLSP Borax and a cup of Boiling water. Have fun experimenting at home and let us know what you’ve learned!!

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At our October STEM meeting we learned all about

thermal dynamics with water and air.

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Learning that cold water is more dense than hot water and therefore sinks below the hot water.
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Paper products and supplies for making thermal driven twirling flowers.
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Precision cutting for the best results.
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As the heat rises the flower spins.
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It works!

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At the September 2016 STEM meeting attendees learned about density, polymers magnetism.

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Oil and water do not mix and can therefore do some pretty fun things!
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The denser the liquid the closer to the bottom of the jar it sits.

 

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Carefully adding layers of liquids that actually lay in levels.
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SHHH!!!! Scientists at work!

 

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Slowly….
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Job well done!

 

Gingerbread Decorating Contest @ your Library!

We had 3 gingerbread houses entered in our contest! Take a look at the wonderful creations:025 024023 022 021 019 020018

 

 

 

WHO: You can do this project as a family or as an individual, those are the 2 categories.

WHAT: A gingerbread house, of course! The sub-structure may be cardboard, but the main body and all decorations must be edible. Such as graham crackers, frosting, pretzels, gum drops, frosting, cereal, chocolate candies and don’t forget frosting!

WHEN: Bring your house to the Library anytime between December 12 and 14. Judging takes place Thursday December 15, before we open. If you want your creation back to show off during the holidays, please pick them up before closing time Saturday December 17.

WHERE: Seneca Free Library.

WHY: December 12 is National Gingerbread House Day, what better reason is there??

If you need help getting the creative juices flowing check out the December issue of Food Network Magazine, there are several pages dedicated to gingerbread houses. Don’t pick it up at the store! You can access this magazine {and many more} through Flipster with your Seneca Library card. Ask us how to do this!

One Thousand Books Before Kindergarten

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Too big to fit in one picture!!  Our race track is busy with more waiting to get in the race!

The only rules we have is for you to document how many books have been read to your child and that your child is not yet in kindergarten. Any and everyone can read to your preschooler and all you have to do is make a tally mark on the bright green paper. Once there are 100 tallies, bring the paper in to the Library to move the car down the track and your child picks a prize. You can read 1,000 different books or one book 1,000 times. Remember, those tally marks are verification, so don’t forget to bring in some proof of how many books you’ve read! Get everyone involved! Sign up today, it will go a lot faster than you think!

Just how long does it take to read 1,000 books? Well, someone, somewhere figured it out for us: 1 book per day for 3 years = 1,000 books; 10 books per week for 2 years = 1,040 books; 3 books per day for 1 year = 1,095 books. So, not long at all!

Want to learn more about the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Foundation? Click on the picture below for information and advice to boost your child’s learning.

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