January 2013 Events

For Youth and Families

Storytime with Miss Kris - Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m.

Tiny Tots Time, for children from birth through age 3, meets Wednesdays at 10 a.m.  Preschool Storytime, for children age 3 to 6, meets Fridays at 10 a.m.  Themes for this month are:

            January 9 and 11                    Fairy Tales

            January 16 and 18                  Snow Fun

            January 23 and 25                  Wild Animals

            January 30                              Shapes

LEGO Club - Monday, January 7 and 21 @ 4 p.m.

Give our LEGO blocks a workout building anything from a dinosaur to a spaceship.  Work in teams or individually, give your creation a name, then see it displayed in the Children’s Library.

Exploration Art Studio - Tuesday, January 8 @ 4 p.m.

This month we’re working with tissue paper!  What will you create?  All materials provided.

Family Movie: Brave (PG) - Thursday, January 17 @ 1 p.m.

Sign up at the Children’s Desk starting Tuesday, January 15th at 9:30am.

Set in the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland, Disney Pixar's Brave follows the heroic journey of Merida, a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor.  Determined to change her fate, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin, surly Lord Macintosh, and cantankerous Lord Dingwall, unleashing chaos in the kingdom. When she turns to an eccentric witch, she is granted an ill-fated wish and the ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her resources, including her mischievous triplet brothers, to undo a beastly curse and discover the meaning of true bravery.   Snacks will be provided. 

Winter Wondercraft - Friday, January 18 from 1-4 p.m.

Bring your best creative crafting skills to Winter Wondercraft, where you'll have free rein of an assortment of the library's arts and crafts supplies.  What will YOU create?  All materials will be provided.

For Adults

Knitting Club - January 7, 14, 23 and 30 at 6 p.m.

For all ages and experience levels, Knitting Club meets the first two Mondays and the last two Wednesdays of each month.  Each session is led by an experienced knitter.  Bring your own project to work on, share your expertise, and learn from other knitters. 

Aram Book Club: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Thursday, January 17 @ 6:30 p.m.

Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed.

When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's most vicious racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina—a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love. 

Temari: the Art of Japanese Thread Balls - Saturday, January 19 at 1 p.m.

Class is limited to 10 students.  Registration is required.

A thousand year old craft from Japan, Temari began as simple toy balls for children.  Today, they are often given as gifts.  As a spectacular decorating focal point, the design is mesmerizing, the concept is simple, and the end result is simply elegant!  Learn to make a simple Temari design in this beginner’s workshop.  Each participant will need to bring #5 pearl cotton thread in colors of your choice.

NEW!  Guilty Pleasures Book Club:  Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson

Monday, January 28 @ 6 p.m.

Shakespeare, Jane Austin and James Joyce are not welcome here. This is a book club for those of us who love a good steamy read. We will be reading paranormal romances, paranormal mysteries, and maybe some good old fashioned bodice rippers. We’ll be meeting on the last Monday of each month at 6 p.m.  Our January book, Undead and Unwed, is the first book in the Betsy Taylor, Vampire Queen series. 

Wikipedia says this about Undead and Unwed: “Betsy Taylor-former model, newly unemployed secretary, 30 and still single-wakes up after being flattened by a Pontiac Aztec in a tacky coffin wearing cheap knock off shoes. Her mother is glad she is back, albeit as a vampire, but her stepmother is enraged that Betsy has reclaimed her designer shoe collection. With a wealthy best friend and a newly acquired doctor pal who is not susceptible to formidable allure, she sets out to right wrongs, but is abducted by Nostro, a tacky 500 year old vampire who rules the undead roost. It seems that Betsy is an anomaly: a vampire, who doesn’t burn in sunlight, can fight the urge to feed and is not repulsed by religious articles, all of which may make her the prophesied Queen of the Vampires. Teaming up with gorgeous vampire Eric Sinclair, who is in her opinion a major pervert, she takes on Nostro and his minions.”

So, come join us and warm up on those cold winter nights with some fun, food and some Guilty Pleasure reads.

Coming next month

·     Whole Grain Goodness – Tuesday, February 19 at 3 p.m.   

“Whole-grain” . . . “Made with whole grain” . . . “Enriched” . . .  “Fortified” . . .

It’s not easy for consumers to make healthy choices when products are labeled with terms like these.  Learn from UW-Extension Family Living Educator Jenny Wehmeier how to choose healthy grain products for your family, and taste test some recipes for grains such as bulgar, quinoa, couscous, and more. 

·     Decorative Knots – Saturday, February 9 at 1 p.m.

Decorative knotting is a cord-tying technique that can be used to make many decorative items including key chains and jewelry.  Learn some basic knotting techniques and make a simple project in this beginner’s workshop.

Class size is limited for both these workshops, so register now to reserve your spot!

Library Hours:

Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Computers shut down ½ hour before closing.

Library Closures:

January 1

February 3

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Summer Reading Program Kicks Off!

Sign-up for the Summer Reading Program begins Tuesday, June 12  for kids, teens and adults.  For children and teens, attend our kick-off event on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday at 3 p.m.and decorate your own cloth book bag.  Then you'll be all set to carry home fantastic books to read and the fabulous prizes you win!

For babies and preschoolers, Storytime is back!  Miss Kris offers stories, music, movement, and fun every Wednesday at 10 a.m. beginning June 13.

For adults, we start off the summer with Judy Williams, the Racine Coupon Lady.  She'll teach you everything you need to know about saving money by using coupons, from finding and organizing your coupons to setting up a stockpile and managing your pantry and freezer.  This class is free and registration is NOT required.  Drop in Monday morning from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and prepare to start saving!

Also for adults (and also this week) the Friends of APL are hosting a program on flower arranging taught by staff from Treasure Hut.  Learn how to make the most of your summer garden blooms on Tuesday at 1:30 under the tent on the library's front lawn.

On Wednesday, June 13, learn how to download ebooks from OverDrive to your Nook, Kindle, smart phone or other ereader.  Registration is required for this class, so please call the library and have your name added to the list.

Then, as part of Delavan's Celebration of Freedom featuring the American Veteran's Traveling Tribute, the library offers kids a chance to show their colors.  Decorate your bike (wagon, scooter, stroller . . ) in red, white, and blue at the library, then parade to Phoenix Park.  Bike decorating is from 1 to 3 p.m. at the library and all materials will be provided.

Saturday, June 16 at 10 a.m.,  Frank Landi examines the buildings in the business district of downtown Delavan in his program "Delavan's Historic Architectural Ornamentation.

All library programs are free and open to the public.

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February's almost over, but . . .

. . . there are still a few things happening at Aram Public Library!

Monday, Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. we have our LEGO Club for age 6 and older.  What can you make from the library-supplied LEGO blocks?

Storytime with Miss Kris takes place on Tuesday and Friday at 10 a.m.

The Literacy Council's ESL class meets Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. to practice English conversation. 

Knitting Club meets Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.

Our Book vs. Movie feature film Saturday, Feb. 25 at noon is "The Lincoln Lawyer" starring Matthew McConaughey.  This film is based on a book, available at the library, by Michael Connelly.  The movie is rated R and will run from 12 to 2 p.m.  You're invited to bring a lunch and enjoy the dessert and beverage provided by the library.

The Friends of Aram Public Library meets on Monday, February 27 at 9:30 a.m.  If you're thinking of getting involved in activities that support the library, this is the group for you.  New faces and new ideas are always welcome.