Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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One of the most common questions I get asked this time of year is "Which book should I buy for my favorite child?" There are so many new books published during the holiday season that buyers need to have some basic information to make a great purchase for a younger reader. One of the first things I ask is, “What is the best book you have read in the last six months?” This tells me what genre they like, the reading level of the reader, who one of their favorite authors is, and whether they are reading a series. Many young readers are wor...
Like many of you, I have been recovering from that nasty virus that is going around. The doctor told me that it takes 4-8 weeks for people to fully recover their energy. I can testify to that, and it reminded me of a few things patrons can do to keep us all healthy. The Whitehall Community Library only has four staff members, three of whom are part-time. Volunteers cannot work without staff on duty, so it is critical that we stay as healthy as possible. You can help with a few simple protocols....
Thank you to everyone who has been sending jeans to the Whitehall Community Library! We still need more as it takes 546 denim squares plus 546 cotton squares to make one bed quilt. We are taking both denim and cotton fabric if you have old projects sitting at home that will never get done! The girls are working really hard every week, and they are making real progress with their cutting and block designs. This Thursday, October 23, at 5:30 PM, we will be hosting the Homeschool Mom's Night Out...
Everyone keeps telling me they cannot believe how fast this year is passing. It seems like just yesterday Brandi and I were planning summer reading and now there is snow on the ground! The cold weather brings out many of my favorite pastimes such a quilting, reading, painting, and project finishing. It is also the time for getting out of the house when I just want to stay home with a good book and a cup of tea. The Whitehall Community Library offers many programs for all ages to give patrons a...
Next week is Banned Book Week around the country. Libraries everywhere are hosting programs, displays, and posters to raise awareness that readers have the right to choose what they read without censorship from others. That seems like a simple statement until children are involved. I have been at the Whitehall Community Library for nine years, and we have never had a book challenge in that time. I like to think it is because the staff and I spend a great deal of time choosing books our patrons...
Have you ever wondered what all those books by the back door of the Whitehall Community Library are there for? Many of you may not realize that the library is a hub for the south-central libraries in the state. Books arrive here by courier and volunteers from all over the state to be distributed to libraries in the southern loop (Sheridan, Twin Bridges, Virginia City, Dillon, Ennis, and Whitehall School), the northern loop (Clancy, Boulder, and Helena), as well as the courier loop to Missoula,...
This Friday, September 26th, at the Whitehall Community Library, the QPR Workshop for suicide prevention will take place from 1 PM to 2:30 PM. If you haven't signed up yet but would like to attend, please call the library at 406-287-3763; we will be glad to add you to the list. A relative of a suicide once said to me that before their loved one took her life, all the signs were there, and if they had only known the signs and what to do, it could have resulted in a different outcome. This is a...
Due to the horrific events of last week, I would like to remind the adults who come into the Whitehall Community Library that we have many children here who have very active ears. Please be aware of the little ones around you and think about what you are saying aloud in a building that has better acoustics than the Metropolitan Opera House. The staff works very hard to make the library a safe place for everyone, but especially our many young readers. The Jefferson Valley Community Foundation (JV...
It is rare that we at the Whitehall Community Library have the opportunity to prevent a tragedy from happening before it occurs. People say, “If only I had known,” or “What could I have done to help?” On Friday, September 26, from 1 PM to 2:30 PM, everyone will have a chance to learn the signs of someone who is contemplating suicide and what to do about it. The library is hosting a free QPR Suicide Prevention training. If you would like to attend, please call the Whitehall Community Library at 287-3763 to sign up. The Jefferson County Health...
It feels like fall has arrived when I must put in the Whitehall Community Library's notice of closing for Labor Day on Monday, September 1st. The library will be open the rest of the week for usual hours, so patrons may stock up on movies, books, and more for the long weekend. Between school starting and fall holidays, I almost feel like unpacking my fall clothes. Then I read the forecast for this week and decided that they would be a bit much for 96-degree heat! The History Book Club will meet...
This Saturday, August 16th, the Whitehall Community Library will be hosting its annual Grant Writing Workshop from 10 AM to noon. The workshop is open to anyone and is free to the public. We will be looking at common mistakes in grant writing, where to go for new sources, filling out reports, and more. There will not be a Jefferson County Library Board meeting on August 21st, the regular meeting time. Instead, there will be Zoom meeting on August 25 at 6:30 PM; staff will be at the library to le...
August is such a great month to finish old projects and plan new things for the fall. There is much to do and not a lot of time before all of our fall programs at the Whitehall Community Library begin in September. My life got just a little easier when a good Samaritan gave the library three subscriptions to the Whitehall Ledger. As many of you know, we have a local vandal who was ripping the paper apart to take out articles. You may read the paper anytime, but we have moved it behind the desk...
Last week at theWhitehall Community Library's Wednesday summer reading program, I asked everyone what they wanted the theme to be for next year. The answer was unanimously SPACE. So, next summer we will be alien-making, star-charting, constellation storytelling, and more. Our mascot will be traveling the universe in search of adventure and exploring all things space-related. Meanwhile, in this universe, we will be finishing summer Reading & Feeding this week. The last free lunches of the summer...
It was sure nice to have a little cooler weather this weekend. It made me think of fall, which is approaching too fast! This week will be the Whitehall Community Library's last Fun in the Tub event on Thursday, July 24th, at 6 PM. The final STEM Camp for the summer will also take place on Thursday at 2 PM. STEM Camp will begin again in the fall as part of our regular schedule. This Friday, July 25th, at 1 PM, the summer Teen History Book Club will meet. Any young person aged 12 and older is welc...
It has definitely been an adventure this summer with all of the road construction right out the front doors of the Whitehall Community Library. I was admiring how beautiful it looked when everything was blocked off again to chip seal the highway. You can still get here, as hundreds of readers proved last week, just come in by the post office if First Street is blocked off. The highway workers are trying to make sure no one gets hurt; they aren't here to inconvenience anyone. My admiration for...
One of the greatest things about being in a library for many years is meeting some amazing people. I just got off the phone with Kyle Groves, the magician visiting the Whitehall Community Library, and he is excited about coming here next Wednesday, July 16th, at 10:30 AM. I remember when he was assisting his father, Mr. E, while children laughed, clapped, and were amazed at everything they saw. Now, Kyle is entertaining a whole new group of young readers and spreading the message that reading is...
Happy Independence Day! The Whitehall Community Library will be closed July 4th and 5th, but will be open regular hours the rest of the week surrounding the holiday. The book drop is always open if you need to return items, or have company coming, and want to clean out the house. I am personally sorting fabric before my daughter comes this month, so she has a place to sleep. There will also be no lunches on the 3rd and 4th of July, as the cooks in Butte are taking a mini-holiday. These ladies co...
I can't believe we are already in the third week of Whitehall Community Library's Summer Reading Program! There are already 245 readers signed up, and more are coming daily. It is so much fun to see everyone enjoying the new books and programs. Speaking of programs, this week, Wednesday, June 25, at 10:30 AM is the puppet show with Markie Scholz. She has been coming here for years, and this is always a favorite program with the public. On Wednesday, July 2, the library will celebrate the...
Summer Feeding started this week, and the food is better than ever at the Whitehall Community Library! We are even going to get pizza this summer! Summer Feeding is a library partnership with Action, INC. in Butte and the Friends of the Whitehall Community Library. Lunches are free to anyone 18 and younger from 11 AM- 1 PM, Monday through Thursday. There is no paperwork to fill out and the lunches have a hot entrée 90% of the time. All you have to do is stop by the library and pick up lunch....
Summer is off to a great start! The Whitehall Community Library already has over 100 registered for Summer Reading online. Monday opened the in-person registrations, so patrons may sign up either way. To sign up online, go to our website at www.mywhlmontana.com. If you would rather register in person, stop by the library and pick up the form at the front desk. Anyone can sign up for summer reading, as there is no age limit. A new feature of the library calendars is the program descriptions on...
The Whitehall Community Library's Summer Reading Program starts next week and this year you can register online at our website, https://www.mywhlmontana.com/ starting today. There will be daily programs for adults, teens, elementary children and preschoolers. Everything is free and materials are provided. You may have noticed all of the construction that started this week. It is not the best time to block the front of the Library but there is still parking on the side of the building as well as...
Don't forget that the Whitehall Community Library will be closed May 26th for Memorial Day, but will be open the rest of the week at normal times. We will, however, be closed on July 4th and 5th for the holiday weekend. Miss Brandi and I had a great time shopping this weekend. Barnes & Noble gave us a huge discount, and now my office is full of new children's, young adult, and adult books just waiting to be processed. We also bought new board books, preschool picture books, and non-fiction...
Mark your calendars this week for a day of Japanese adventure. Nao and Nanako will be here on Thursday, May 8th, at 2 PM and 5:30 PM. They will teach everyone to play a Japanese instrument called a Koto and learn about Japan. The 2 PM session is designed for children, and the 5:30 PM session is for older students and adults. Noa is returning to Japan in July, so this is the last time we can enjoy her presentations. We had so much fun with her last summer when she taught the summer reading childr...
You may have noticed all of the new mulch and weeding done to the front and side yards of the Whitehall Community Library this last week. The Friends of the Library donated ten bags of mulch to keep the moisture in and the weeds out. Our many volunteers have been working hard to get the flower beds ready for summer, and we can't wait for all the irises to come up that Brandi planted last fall. We are not sure what color they are, so this will be a fun surprise. Have you ever wanted to learn...
This is a week for book clubs at the Whitehall Community Library. The Mystery Book Club met on Tuesday, the Teen History Book Club meets on Friday, April 25 at 1 PM, and the History Book Club meets on Monday, April 28th at 5 PM. I have had a request to start a Christian Book Club, an after-hours book club, and a middle school book club. If you are interested in any of these, please let me know so I can determine if there are enough people to start one or all of them. We have great discussions...
