A few of the popular programs at the library include a variety of Story Times, such as Story Time en Español, and Sensory Story Time; programs for teens; book clubs for adults; and craft programs for all ages across the library system.
“We do have a huge repertoire of programs for all ages, and that’s something that we’re really proud of, that we literally offer programming from newborn all the way through all ages of adulthood,” Mancuso said.
One in-person, children’s event coming up in February is the Black History Hall of Fame Scavenger Hunt, which will be held the week of Feb. 13-19 at the Hamilton branch. Patrons will go on a hunt and expand their knowledge of important and current Black figures in the sciences, arts, sports and more. Those who complete the hunt will have a chance to win a prize package.
Another favorite library program is the seed-swapping program, which will soon be available at the Fairfield branch in the spring. Patrons can get seeds from the library and bring back seeds in exchange.
“Each of the libraries, Fairfield hasn’t come online yet, but they are going to in the spring, and once they do, all three of our library locations will have a seed library, and that’s an opportunity for patrons to come in and get seeds of a huge variety that they can use in their gardens,” Mancuso said.
Through Mon., Jan. 31 there’s a “Mystery Seed Jar,” on display where patrons can guess what kind of seeds are in the jar, and how many for a chance to win a prize. On Sat., Feb. 5, there’s a program called “Garden Planning & Starting Seeds” at the Hamilton branch. There will be sessions at 10:30 a.m. and noon. Advance registration is required.
“It’s a really neat system that a lot of people have gotten into for gardening, using seeds from the library, and then, we have programs that go along with that, which talk about gardening, planting seeds, storing seed and all things seed related,” she said.
There’s also a variety of virtual programs available, such as one for teens that is a YouTube Series called “Just Jeffin Around,” where Jeff, the teen librarian from Hamilton, highlights all the different things that are going on for teens. New videos are posted on the second Monday of each month on YouTube and on Facebook. Watch for the next video to be posted on Mon., Feb. 14.
“We are always looking for something new to expose our patrons to for free, so if they find they really enjoy it, or love it, no matter what it is. It might be crating, or STEM, and there are a lot of things it could be, but it gives them an opportunity to try something for free that they may want explore on their own, after they’ve realized it’s something they really enjoy,” Mancuso said.
For more information or find out about the winter programming at The Lane Libraries, go to www.lanepl.org. The programs are free, but some require advance registration.
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