Stillwater Public Library Newsletter
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January 2022
It's a Snow Show!
 

 
Usually bears hibernate in the winter, but Baby Bear is staying awake so he can be a part of our outdoor storytime experiment! Join Baby Bear and Miss Kim on the terrace on Wednesdays through February and on Saturday, February 12. From 10 AM until 12 Noon, they will repeatedly share a 10-minute story, poem, or song. Continue having winter fun with an outdoor scavenger hunt and a story stroll. Then warm up inside with a winter craft. Visit each week to collect a new Baby Bear character card and enjoy a new mini-show and activities.
 
Snow Show is a weather-dependent program. We will cancel by 9 AM that morning if there is a snowstorm or if the temperature is below 20 degrees. Cancellation will be posted on the website. 
 
Adult Winter Reads
 

 
Warm up with a good book this winter! Participate in our adult winter reading program in January and February. Join in the fun and win prizes, too!
  • Adult Reading Challenge: All you need to do is read or listen to a book (any book). Submit your book online or at the library. Entries will be drawn for a variety of prizes at the end of February.
  • Winter Reads Programs: If you are looking to create or learn a new skill, attend one of our Winter Reads programs. Try an art class, explore the history of astronomy, get tech help, and more!
  • Staff Picks for Winter Reading: Interested in a wintry read? Explore our fiction and nonfiction Winter Reads book lists. Click on a book cover to link directly to the catalog. Here are a few picks that explore the world of cold:
Skiing into the Bright Open: My Solo Journey to the South Pole
by Liv Arnesen

The first woman to ski solo to the South Pole tells the story of what it took to get there.
The Future of Ice: A Journey into Cold
by Gretel Ehrlich

An insightful study of the complex, primal essence of cold through journeys to the far reaches of the planet to explore the effects of cold, the forces that are destroying the season of winter, and why the chaotic rhythms of weather are becoming ever more disruptive.
The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest
by Mark Synnott

The veteran Pararescuemen trainer recounts how the unknown achievements of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine’s ill-fated 1924 ascent inspired his unlikely summit up Mount Everest.
Trending Titles


 
Wondering what your neighbors have been reading? We've dug into the data and determined the top ten adult titles most checked out from our library in 2021. These popular books range from gripping thrillers and mysteries to historical drama and poignant comedy. Missed one? Click on our top 10 list and place a hold.
 
The winner of the "most circulated" prize for 2021 was not a book at all. Mobile Wi-Fi hotspots topped the list. With a 7-day loan period, hotspots are borrowed frequently and tend to be available quickly for patrons to use. Many thanks to the generous donors of the Stillwater Public Library Foundation for providing wireless internet access to our community.
 
Early Literacy Kits 
 
 
Stop by the library and pick up a free-to-keep kit containing child development information for ages birth through 3 and a book, shaker egg, and scarf for fun and learning at home. The kit helps you explore five simple early literacy identified by the American Library Association that are doable and can be adapted to suit a child's individual learning needs.
  • Singing and rhyming are joyful ways to learn about language. When we sing, the sounds that make up words become evident. Sing nursery rhymes, listen to recorded music or clap along to any song to demonstrate syllables.
  • Talking with children helps them learn oral language, how to receive it and how to create it. Encourage your child to ask questions. When you ask them open-ended questions, silently count to ten to allow them time to process a response.
  • Reading together and sharing books is the single most effective way to teach about their importance. Use toys and real objects to illustrate parts of the book and reinforce key ideas.
  • Writing, also known as scribbling for the very young, develops fine motor skills for later pencil usage in school. Playing with food is a fine motor exercise!
  • Playing is how children experience the world while developing fine and gross motor skills, concepts, language and social skills. Use things around the home that have different textures, colors, or sounds to engage more senses.
Every time you sing, talk, read, write and play with your child, you are building vital connections in their growing brain and are helping them develop the skills needed to be ready for school.
Light Up the Lawn
 
 
Celebrate the World Snow Sculpting Championship in Stillwater by creating your own fire and ice sculpture with our ice lantern take-and-make kit. We are suggesting that you use a Minnesota classic – a Bundt pan – to create your sculpture. Don’t have a Bundt pan handy? You can use similar metal pans to create unique shapes. Then, bring your lantern creation to the library on the evening of Thursday, January 20 to display it on the 4th Street lawn. No registration is needed, and lantern kits are available now until supplies run out.
 

 
Upcoming Programs
 
Virtual Storytimes
Posted weekly on Mondays
Learn to Use Libby
Jan. 12 | 6:00 PM
 
Outdoor Snow Show
Wednesday Mornings
Tech Help
Jan. 14, 18, 21 
Art for Kids: Britto Hearts
Feb. 12 | 1:00 PM
Mystery Book Club
Jan. 19 | 6:00 PM
Art Cart
Every day during library hours
Astronomical History
Jan. 27 | 6:00 PM

New Book Club Coming in February
Join us on Tuesday, February 15 for the launch of our new book club for all things romance! Come and talk about what you've read recently, and we'll choose a theme for next month. All ages, genders, and reading interests are welcome!
 
This will be a virtual event on Zoom, with the option to discuss a hybrid format in the future. 

Connect With Us
 
 
Stillwater Public Library
224 Third St N | Stillwater, Minnesota 55082 | 651-275-4338
https://stillwaterlibrary.org/ | splinfo@ci.stillwater.mn.us
 
Connecting members of our community with the power of knowledge, the possibility of new ideas, and the opportunity to engage with one another