Love, loathe, or leave it, Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and if you’re a kid, odds are it doesn’t have all that emotional baggage and trauma tied to it yet that adults have, so why not make it fun while you can still enjoy it!
Tuesday, February 4, Seneca Free Library is hosting a free Valentine making session for kids grades 1-4, after school from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Due to limitations on space, supplies, and staff support, we’ll be limiting the class to 12 participants to ensure a safe, fun, and productive event. The kids will be making two unique card styles to share with someone special.
Preregister your little love-bugs to ensure they have a spot at the craft table! Call 785-336-2377 or stop by the circulation desk!
REPORT: The challenge was made. Six teams answered. Sadly, one team cancelled when the captain got sick the day before. Trivia Night at the Library: Holiday Edition was Friday, December 13. Don we did our gay apparel, oh yes we did, and the player with the most festive garb, Kylee Bergstrom, fa la la’d her way home with a lovely winter popcorn tin. The questions were fun and challenging, the competition was fierce, and two teams rose to the top at the end of 10 rounds. The tie-breaker was determined by the pregame question, “What score (out of 100) do you predict your team will get?” Team 4 was the closest to their prediction, taking home the gaggle of goodie bags, and in some cases reclaiming their champion standing from last September’s Trivia Night. We had a blast Friday night, and we want to thank all of our participants for coming out and joining us in making things merry and bright! Special thanks to our Christmas Queen and Moderator, Kate Haynie, and our Jolly Judge and Score Keeper, Cathy Enneking for all they did to make the night a success! Keep your eyes peeled for future Trivia Night announcements starting shortly after the new year!
Dee Lizzol to Read on Morning of Christmas Eve! (Tues, Dec 24)
Freshly added to our Christmas schedule, on the morning of Christmas Eve (Tuesday the 24th) our very own Dee Lizzol will be doing three short pop up reading sessions at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 12:00 PM.
Join us for “Dee Reads: Christmas Classics and Personal Favorites,” an all ages mini-event series and our gift of cheer and joy to you. Drop in for one or all three of the reading times, sure to entertain and brighten your spirits.
Winter Break Will Include Game Days at SFL December 27 and January 3!
GAME ON!!!!
On December 27 and January 3, Seneca Free Library is cracking open our Game Vault for an Official Game Day from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM. These game day events are free to area kids and adults ages 7 and up. It’s an open attendance event so participants can come and go during this time as their schedule allows. You can play an assortment of games through the afternoon or just drop in to play a few quick rounds of your favorite game between appointments or errands!
Children 6 and under must be accompanied by an Adult (school age siblings do not count as sufficient supervision in the library). While library staff will be present to facilitate this activity, babysitting services are not available during this time. As typical with any library event, please provide us with contact information relevant to the times of the event schedule or give your child a written copy of this information to deliver to us when they check in. Please be advised, if participants exhibit disruptive or inappropriate behavior, we reserve the right to remove them from activities. A parent or guardian may be contacted and requested to pick them up.
With that all being said, we are very excited to offer this activity option to the calendar and to see our collected game vault put to good use!
Week of December 9, 2024 is BUSY for Seneca Free Library!
THIS WEEK is CRAZY at the Library!!! Don’t Miss Out!
Last chance to preregister your creative kiddos for the Free Ornament Making Craft Event TOMORROW, Tuesday, December 10, 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM after school. 3 ornaments to make and take home, plus additional projects available to copy and/or take home to build! Ages 1st-4th grade.
Cooking with Kids Returns THIS THURSDAY, December 12, 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM after school! We still have five (5) slots open for festive chefs to join Deb and see what she’s got cookin’ in the kitchen! Ages 8-11 years old. New participants will need a waiver/permission sheet signed at the desk before joining the session.
Last call for Trivia Night at the Library on Friday, December 13! We’re still accepting teams of 4-6 Adult(ish) players for this fun and festive event! Snacks and Non-alcoholic drinks encouraged. Prizes for the top team. Fun and Surprises for all! $10 per person entry fee payable at the door. Doors open at 6:00 PM (Main entrance) for teams to set up. Game starts at 6:30 PM. We are super excited to see everyone for this festive holiday edition of Trivia Night at the Library!
Call 785-336-2377 or drop in at the circulation desk to register for one or more of these awesome events!
Seneca Free Library is Starting a Games Initiative
…but we need your help!
We are starting a table games initiative for library game day events and regular in-house use (sorry, no checkouts from the library), but we need some help in building our game library. Right now we’re especially short on games for younger kids. With the program just starting, we hate to sink a lot of money into acquisitions and storage for something that might not see a lot of use right away. If you have a chance to look through your board and card games at home and find some gently used options that just don’t make it out of the box anymore (or ever), we’d love to see them here! If you have some common games (or what’s left of them) that are missing pieces and ready to be replaced, we could always use some spare parts on hand in case a die rolls away or Professor Plum’s token bounces off the table and disappears into the stacks. (Don’t even get us started on the Monopoly Dog chasing the car or the havoc of the Candyland Gingies. Oh, the humanity!)
Ideal games for library use are ones that don’t require a large amount of setup and that can be learned and taught to the other players in five minutes or less. Games that require batteries to operate are less ideal (due to ongoing cost) but will be considered. Games that make a mess (i.e. Pie Face) or pose sanitary concerns (i.e. Speak Out) are not appropriate for library use, as entertaining as they might be at home.
Our Current Inventory Includes:
(Updated 11/18/2024)
5 Second Rule (Standard Ed., 3 or more players, Ages 10+) (x2 copies)
Animal Dominos (Kids Ed. 2-4 players, Ages 3+)
Apples to Apples (Standard Ed., 4-8 players, Ages 12+)
Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? (Standard Ed., 2-4 players, Ages 8+)
Battleship (Standard Ed., 2-player, Ages 7+)
Bunco Party (Standard Ed. 2-12 players, Ages 8+)
Candy Land (Standard Ed., 2-4 players, Ages 3+)
Chess/Checkers (Standard Ed., 2-player, Ages 5+)
Clue (Original Ed., 3-6 players, Ages 8+)
Clue (Card Game Ed, 3-4 players, Ages 8+)
Connect 4 (Classic Grid Ed., 2 Players, 6+)
Disney Princess Card Games (Old Maid, Go Fish, Crazy Eights, Memory Match), (Player Count varies by game, Ages 3+)
War (Game specific card set for War and Memory, 2-4 players, Ages 3+)
Yahtzee (Standard Ed., 2-10 players, Ages 8+)
Gerald and Tess ask Sherri and Nelson for Recommendations“So many options!”
Games We Are Currently Looking For Include:
Chutes and Ladders (or Snakes and Ladders)
Hi-Ho Cherry Oh
Jr. Editions of most games
Memory (We have the Original edition, but would consider variant theme editions)
Settlers of Catan
Sorry
Guidelines for Using Library Games
Games and game pieces are not available for checkout. They are meant to be played inside the library (or meeting room for special events).
You are responsible for any game that you sign for and borrow. Lost pieces or damage to the game board or cards may result in fees necessary to fix or replace game components.
Games must be checked out and signed for one at a time. The first game must be turned in at the desk and all pieces must be accounted for before checking out another game. The number of games borrowed on a daily basis is otherwise only limited by the constraints of library operating hours.
All games must be completed and turned in before the end of regular library hours or before the end of a gaming event. The library will not stay open late just for games to be completed.
Library staff are not responsible for teaching, moderating, or providing players for a game. Be sure to borrow games appropriate for your number of players and the players’ ages and ability to learn or comprehend the rules. If the standard rules for a game are missing for some reason, let the librarian on duty know and we’ll see what we can do about finding and printing an official copy.
Many common board and card games may have what are called “House Rules.” These are rules that modify how the original game works usually for the sake of simplification or increasing the challenge of a game. Before your group begins playing any game, be sure everyone is aware of and in agreement with any “House Rules” that may be used. Again, it is not the librarian’s job to handle or moderate rules disputes or disagreements in your game.
Games played in the main library are expected to be aware of and courteous to the other patrons using the library and the staff trying to work. Repeated outbursts or continuous disruption may result in the termination of your gaming session.
Christmas Bureau Donations Still Accepted at SFL Till Dec 6!
From now until December 6 we are accepting donations to the Nemaha County Christmas Bureau! Suggested donations include new toys for boys and girls ages infant-12, hats, gloves, socks, towels, blankets, toiletry items (shampoo, conditioner, bath gel, toothpaste, etc.), and stocking stuffers. Financial gifts may be turned in at the desk and made payable to the Nemaha County Christmas Bureau. Please do not leave monetary donations unattended in the donation box. Also, please bring all donations inside the library during our regular business hours (M-TH 9A-7P, F 10A-5P, & Sat 9A-1P). Donations left outside while we are closed are subject to theft, moisture damage, and infestation by creepy crawlies, which ends up benefiting nobody. Donations for this program are locally distributed only in Nemaha County and are considered tax deductible.
Ornament Making Session for Kids Grade 1-4 on December 10th at Seneca Free Library!
Jingle Jangle Jingle Jangle Tra La La La La….
It’s holiday time and we’ve got a kids craft program your little elf won’t want to miss!
Tuesday, December 10, we are offering a free ornament making session here at the library for kids ages 1st – 4th grade! Your creative kiddo can custom build three different ornament types for someone special or to put on their tree at home! The craft session starts after school on Tuesday and wraps up around 5:00 PM. Any unfinished projects can be taken home to be completed, and we’ll have additional take home projects available for more creative fun or for our friends who couldn’t make it to the actual session to pick up later. Call 786-336-2377 to register your little one so we know how many materials to prepare and have enough help lined up to make the event as fun and properly supported as possible.
The December Adventure Theme is “Neighborhood Game Night or Tournament”
It’s a new month, and December’s recommended library adventure is “Host a Neighborhood Game Night or Tournament!”
Maybe some of you out there already do this, or maybe you even have regular neighborhood barbecues or potlucks. Maybe (probably “likely” for many of you) you live out in the country or on the far edge of town and your closest neighbor is a solid mile away at least (and that’s how you like it). But for those of us in the middle who are neither super-social nor happily isolated, there’s some wiggle room to grow and explore new options. Hence, Adventure!
Here’s some tips to get you started:
1. Do a knock and talk around the block and extend the invitation in person. It’s more personal than a card or letter (better yet, hand deliver an invite card so they have the date and time already written down).
2. Plan a pot luck or snack buffet everyone can contribute to.
3. Pick easy to learn or broadly familiar games that can be taught in 5 minutes or less and preferably games best suited for groups of 4-8 players.
4. If you have enough players to split into even(ish) groups, try dividing them equally and then mix up the groups one or two times through the event to keep the conversations fresh and the participants mingling.
5. Keep in mind, and perhaps remind your guests, this is about getting together and getting to know your neighbors better. This is not the time to discuss property line disputes, HOA complaints, whose leaves are going into what yard, or whose dog is doing their business where. A potential benefit of an event like this is it might actually humanize the neighbors to each other and improve any trivial bickering that might normally be (at least for a while).
With wild weather and wilder people out and about these days, knowing your neighbors is more important than ever. Better to find out who they are over a game of “Apples to Apples” than when the next “gust-nado” puts your favorite tree through their living room window. It also becomes easier to call them direct and ask if the stranger doing a lookie-loo through their shed is supposed to be there or if the police need to be called.
If the weather is severe enough for Nemaha Central Schools to be dismissed early, the library will close at 5:00 that day. We will also post on Facebook, KNZA radio station and WIBW TV if we close or open late due to weather. It’s always best to check before heading out. Call us at 785.336.2377
Jingle Jangle Jingle Jangle Tra La La La La…. 
