At the Library 10/3/24

It All Started With A Library Card

By Beth L Swift 

    

“Why would you do that?” was the response I received from a (well-meaning) friend when I announced that after retiring from the school district, I would be working at the local public library.

    “Why wouldn’t I? I’ll be surrounded by books.  Who wouldn’t love that?”  

    I really couldn’t quite wrap my head around who WOULDN’T love that. My road to independence all started with a library card at age ten.  I could walk to the library ALL BY MYSELF and look at all the books. You couldn’t talk without being LOUDLY shushed. And the THOUGHT of toys in the library for little ones? Nope. That type of idea was as far fetched as watching Captain Kirk talking into his watch on Star Trek. Libraries have certainly changed since then.     

    The library was and IS a central part of the community for young and old alike.  Library programming exists for every age group. Littles have “1000 books before Kindergarten”, Wee Read and Bi-Lingual Story Hour. Tweens and Teens have Lego, STEM, Pokemon Clubs and weekly after school programming on early out Fridays. Adults have various book clubs and vintage movie viewings. Online help for just about anything you want or need.  

Want to learn a new language? Mango Languages

    Need help with homework or help with post-service life? Brainfuse

 

    Read or listen to a book online? Libby

    The bi monthly music concerts incorporate local musicians and partner with schools so the community teens can practice performing in front of smaller crowds. Libraries have indeed rolled with the times. 

 

    Washington Public Library’s new MakeIT Place for adults and specialized kids’ programming is where you can come and embrace your creativity ranging from 3D printers, to laser printing to graphic design to pottery and transferring precious memories from VHS, reel to reel and picture albums to a flash drive… for free. 

    Even though he had been to the library countless times since he was a baby, I was more than excited to show my (then) eight year old grandson all the things the library had to offer. A little ahead of himself, he couldn’t believe “all this” was free as we checked out a couple books and a movie. 

    “Really?  For free, Nana? And I just promise to bring it back…are you really, REALLY sure?” (eyeing me quizzically)

    “Yep.  You only pay if you lose or damage something you borrowed.”

    “And the library card …how much for that?” (smiling like he thought he had me)

    “Free, as well.”

    “Wow…who knew?” (as he skipped out the door with his treasures)

    And to think… It all started with a library card.

             

At the Library 8/29/24

 

Washington Writers' Workshop Hosting a Variety of Talented Authors!
by LeAnn Kunz

Washington Writers’ Workshop Hosting a Variety of Talented Authors!

Mary Jedlika Humston

    The month of September is a time of beginnings. School starts, there are new sports and new clubs to join. It is also a season of new programs and events at the Washington Public Library. Our Washington Writers’ Workshop is going on its twelfth year and will resume on Saturday, September 14 at 10 am. This free monthly program is for adults and teens who enjoying writing in all genres. We have poets, novel writers, and several folks who are writing their memoirs. A big part of this ongoing program is hosting visiting authors from all over Iowa to work with us. We are fortunate to also have a partnership with the University of Iowa Arts Share who sends writers from the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop. These visitors spend the first hour of our meetings giving presentations on the craft of writing where we always learn something new. We have found that many of their lessons apply across the board. So even if you see that a poet is coming to present, and you do not write poetry, please don’t think that that session is not for you. Our memoir writers and fiction writers have learned a lot from poets!

    Fortunately, we have had great success with the WWW over the years and the quality of the program has only improved. I am enthused about the newest season which will be kicked off with Mary Jedlicka Humston in September, who visited us some years ago. Humston is a former high school teacher who graduated from UNI with a BA in English Education. She has had several hundred poems and essays published and has presented programs on cancer, chronic illness, prayer, writing, and little free libraries. She co-authored Mary and Me: a Lasting Link Through Ink. Mary will be giving a presentation on the art of letter writing, something that she believes should be preserved and celebrated.

Caleb "The Negro Artist" Rainey 

  In October, we are delighted to bring Caleb “The Negro      Artist” Rainey back to our community to work with the       WWW. He will be giving a workshop on spoken word     poetry, which is his specialty. Rainey is an author,       performer, and producer. He has published two books,   Look, Black Boy and Heart Notes, he has released two   spoken word albums, and produced his first short film,   Willing to Grow.  He is the winner of several poetry slams   across the United States. When he is not writing and   performing he is actively curating a community of spoken   word poets in Iowa City. Rainey is not only going to give a   workshop, he will also be our featured author at the   WPL’s annual Author Fest, occurring the same day.

  

Steven T. Berry

    We also have plans to host Steven T. Berry during April before Washington’s Farm to Film Festival. Berry is an award-winning independent filmmaker and a retired professor from Howard University’s Department of Media, Journalism and
Film and will be working with the WWW on writing for film.
As you can see, we like to try to bring in a wide variety 

of writers to enrich our own writing experiences.

    So, if you have always wanted to write but never actively pursued it, you should join us at the Washington Writers’ Workshops. Email leann.kunz@washington.lib.ia.us to get on the reminder list. You will be allowed to submit written pieces for critique or you can simply attend to learn. Some participants come just to hear our speaker during the first hour. This is a warm and welcoming group of writers and we have built a community who support one another. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?

 

At the Library 8/22/24

Back to School: The Grown-Up Edition
by Cary Ann Siegfried

Back to School: The Grown-Up Edition

        

   

    Ah, the back-to-school season. Remember when it was all about picking out the coolest backpack, stocking up on gel pens, and anxiously hoping you’d be in the same homeroom as your best friend? As adults, the lead-up to a new school year feels a bit different, but it still brings that familiar mix of excitement and anxiety—just with a lot more coffee involved.

    Maybe you’re returning to school to finish a degree, starting a new program, or maybe just taking a class (maybe a class in our new MakeIT Place!) to learn something new.  Whatever you’ve decided to tackle this fall, learning something new as an adult can be sometimes daunting, but in the end, always satisfying! There’s also something refreshing about it. It’s like dusting off a part of yourself that you haven’t tapped into in a while.

    One of the biggest challenges as an adult learner is balancing school with everything else. Work doesn’t stop just because you’ve got a paper due, and kids still need help with their own homework even when you’re buried under yours. It can feel overwhelming at times, but there’s also a sense of accomplishment that comes with successfully juggling it all. Plus, you’re setting a pretty awesome example for your kids (or your coworkers, or your friends) about the importance of lifelong learning.  If you need to get away from the distractions, the library has great spaces for quiet study!

    One of the best parts of going back to school as an adult is the community. One of the reasons we wanted to create our new MakeIT Place at the library is to give our community a place to learn and create together.  In August, we’ve started classes within the Pottery Studio and have been certifying users on the Glowforge laser engraver/cutter.  In September look for classes on learning how to use the Recording Studio and also sewing classes for beginners! For those of you who may have your own Cricut at home or who want to learn to use our Cricut equipment, we’ll have opportunities for you to come and ask the Cricut experts for help in making your Cricut dreams come true!

    Check out the MakeIT Place website here:  https://www.washington.lib.ia.us/services/makeit-place.  If you’re a certified user of the equipment (each piece has it’s own process) you can make a reservation online, come to the library and check-in and we’ll get you started learning and creating! Keep an eye on our events calendar for more learning opportunities:  https://www.washington.lib.ia.us/events

    So here’s to all the grown-ups out there who are getting ready to hit the books again. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. Embrace the chaos, enjoy your learning journey, and remember—you’re never too old to learn something new. And who knows? You might just discover that back-to-school season is even better the second time around.