Monday afternoon I took a drive to Macksville to meet the other Librarians in the county at the Macksville Library. Jody Suiter, the Macksville librarian, had encouraged us to join forces and try for the South Central Community Foundation $15,000 Community Grant. A grant application for the $15,000 called “Libraries Unite for Positive Outreach” was written where each library expressed their individual plans to enrich their library’s outreach to the youth in their area and ultimately through the grant, enrich services for youth over the entire County.
It was a great collaboration! Jody Suiter - Macksville, Jo McFadden - Ida Long Goodman, and myself met for the first time in person, to accept the check from representatives of South Central Community Foundation. Each library received $5,000 to put individual library plans into action.
Macksville, who has expanded their library facility by at least a third recently, needed the money to put up slatwall panels in their new program room to display and organize children’s exhibits and items related to their youth outreach.
Ida Long Goodman, St. John will be using the money to set up a new digital lab. They will be able to transfer all types of pictures to digital format and will also purchase a 3-D printer.
Nora E. Larabee Memorial Library will use the money to purchase blinds in the children’s room to provide a more enjoyable activity center for our children.
It was a great collaboration, a fun afternoon and an opportunity to provide something special for Stafford County Youth thanks to, South Central Community Foundation.
The First United Methodist Election Day Lunch was a fun walk down memory lane. We had a delicious lunch that the whole community participated in. Five kinds of soup, a table full of wonderful salads, homemade breads, and an awe inspiring desert table was an instant reward for our local community. Best of all, over $900 was raised for hurricane relief.
Our Medicare Open Enrollment got moved to Thursday, Nov.14, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. There are still times available so please call for an appointment.
• The Library is sponsoring our annual Month of Giving. Please bring to the library, articles for hygiene (soap, body wash, shampoo, deodorant,etc), boys & girls underwear and socks - elementary size, for our students at Stafford Schools. Let’s set them up for SUCCESS!
• Our Fall Book Challenge is in its second month. There is still time to participate for a fun prize!
• We have our exhibit of Dale Latta Ceramics for all to enjoy until Thanksgiving.
• Monday morning we are looking forward to Preschool Story Hour 10-11 a.m.
• Nov. 11, we will celebrate Veterans Day by having pictures of Stafford County Veterans scrolling on our television screen. Come join us to honor the veterans of our community.
• Nov. 14, the Senior Center and the Library are partners in engaging a representative from SouthWest Kansas Area Agency on Aging at the library, for Medicare Open enrollment. Save the date and call us for an appointment. Phone number 620-234-5762.
Looking ahead to December, we would appreciate you thinking of Nora’s Library on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3. We have been able to accomplish the renovation and meet community needs, because of your great heart for our library. Thank You!
The next Board Meeting will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13.
Gerry Hildebrand is the head librarian for the Nora Larabee Memorial Library. Phone 620-234-5762, email larabeelibrary@gmail.com or visit Facebook at Nora Larabee Memorial Library.
