Tag Archive for: families

Alisha

Kids Summer Performance Series

/in , /by

This year’s Summer Performance series is filled with a wide variety of entertaining and informative shows.  Popular children’s musician David Landau is sure to get everyone moving, singing, and laughing along in his hilarious and engaging music show.  Mark Hayward, former World Yo-yo Champion, will be here to wow the audience with yo-yo tricks.  Comedy duo, Mixed Nuts, returns for another hilarious show.  Mischief & Magic will perform their magic tricks here for the first time this summer.  The Raptor Education Group, Inc will bring some fascinating bird guests including a falcon, hawk, and owl.  Jim Lenz will perform his Comedy Science show to demonstrate how engaging and fun science is, and his performance will be followed by an Air-Powered Rocket Workshop.  Check out the full schedule in the Summer at the Library flyer!

Free tickets are available one week prior to each program and are available at the Youth Services desk.  Feel free to call us at 715-839-5007 to reserve your tickets.  Just let us know the number of tickets you need and if you’d like tickets for the morning or afternoon performance.

Don’t forget!  You can ride the city bus to library performances!  Free bus passes are available for children and teens every Monday and Thursday from June 1-August 15.  Bus passes are available in the Summer at the Library flyer and in Youth Services.

Jill

Events & Programs Survey!

/in , /by

What time works best for your family for storytime? Do you love Pokemon Club? Does your kid have a great idea for a new program at the library? We want to hear from you!

The library strives to plan and host events to keep our community learning, engaged, and connected. Please help us better understand what you want and need by filling out this brief survey. Your input will help us plan library programs for fall, winter, and beyond. Deadline: April 30

Andria

The Library Doesn’t Own It…Now What?!?

/in , /by

It has happened to many of us. You search the catalog for that ONE book that you REALLY want to read…and you come up with nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zip.  Not a single library within the MORE Library System owns it.

Don’t rage! Don’t despair! You have options.

Suggestions for Purchase

You can suggest that the library purchase the book you really want to read. Or video game you want to play. Or movie you want to watch. The librarians who purchase items for the library’s collections are happy to review any suggestion community members (you) make. It’s not a guarantee that the library will buy the item you really want, but librarians take those requests seriously. They are ultimately guided by the library’s Collection Development Policy, yet oftentimes items suggested by community members are purchased. See the end of this post for a quick “how to” on submitting a suggestion for purchase.

Interlibrary Loan

You can submit a request to get the item you want from another library. In case you didn’t know, libraries are all about sharing things. Processes are in place to request items from other library systems across the state, region, and country. To find out more about Interlibrary Loan, click here or visit one of the Reference Services desks on Level Two.

How To: Suggestion for Purchase

  • Click “Suggestion for Purchase.”

  • A separate pop-up window will appear (if it doesn’t, check to make sure your browser did not block the pop-up).
  • Be sure to fill in your name, email, library card number, item title, and select Eau Claire from the drop-down menu. Any other information you have on the item is helpful, but not required.
  • If you’d like to have the item placed “on hold” for you (if it’s purchased), be sure to select the “reserve this item” option on the bottom. Additionally, you have the choice to try and Interlibrary Loan the item if it’s not purchased.
  • That’s it! If the item is purchased for the library and you selected “reserve this item for you,” it will automatically be placed on hold for you. When it arrives, you will receive a notification however you normally do (e.g. email).

And, as always, please let us know if you have questions. We’re here to help.

 

March 17–22: Spring Break Week Activities
Alisha

Spend Spring Break at the Library!

/in , , /by

The week of March 25th marks Spring Break Week for many of the schools in the Eau Claire community and the library’s Youth Services staff has all the fun things planned!  In addition to storytimes and Dabble Box Open Labs we’ll have special programs scheduled daily.  Can’t make it in for a scheduled program?  Come in to complete a scavenger hunt, play a game, or check out a great read, movie, video game, or activity from the Library of Things to take home.  Reservations can also be made for our Escape Room which will be available at specific times throughout the week.

Special programs for 6th grade and under include a Wings of Fire Celebration, Perler Beads craft program, Family BINGO, and Pokemon Club.  Teens in grades 7th-12th grades are invited to a Teen Switch Tournament, a Taylor Swift Eras Party, and the Teen Late Night.

Check out the full list with more details here!

Sadie

Kids, display your treasures @ the library!

/in /by

What do your kids collect? Pokémon cards, LEGO, erasers, rocks? Whatever it is, we want to see it here in the kid’s department!

Attached to the ‘reading cave,’ there are 3 display cases for kids to set up their collections. Each display is up for 2 weeks and kids can sign up for one spot a year. Many kids and adults love to stop by and see the collections, and have the opportunity to leave a comment card. Those get delivered to the displayer with a thank you letter at the end of their 2 weeks.

To sign up, you simply go to the YS desk and say you/your child wants to display their collection. A quick exchange of contact information completes the process! You will leave with an instruction sheet and your set up day. Reminder emails will be sent as well. Please keep in mind, reservations fill up fast, so your set up day may be a few weeks out.

Reach out to YS staff if you have any questions; otherwise we can’t wait to see the amazing treasures your kiddos collect!

Jerissa

Learn to Play the Ukulele

/in , , /by

Are you a parent, grandparent, caregiver, or educator of children ages 0-5? Did you know that engaging young children in musical experiences builds connections in their brain and contributes to the development of language and math skills? The impact of music is incredible, and it doesn’t take much to create a musical experience for your children. Your voice will more than suffice, but why not add a little ukulele from time to time?

Give this simple and fun instrument a try during our introductory ukulele mini-series on Saturdays, February 24 and March 16, from 1:30-3 p.m. Learn a few simple cords that will enable you to play a plethora of traditional children’s songs for your kiddos and most certainly transform you into a rock star! Nicole Cook, who has taught music for 25 years, will be leading these classes. Her love of ukulele began in her elementary music classroom, and since then she has taught both group and private lessons.

So join us! No prior ukulele or musical experience is necessary. Bring your own ukulele or use one of ours (while supplies last)! Registration is required and seats are limited. Participants should plan to attend both sessions. Go ahead and register now!

Shannon

We Are Happy to Help!

/in , , , , /by

Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed at the sheer number of books available in the kids department? There are so many topics, a huge age range, audiobooks, graphic novels, picture books, nonfiction, and on, and on, and on! Where do you begin?! Luckily, there is a very easy answer to that overwhelming question: You begin at the Youth Services Desk.

Youth Services staff members can be found at the Youth Services desk during all open library hours, and at the Teen Desk during select afternoon/evening hours…and we can’t wait to help you find your (or your child’s) next favorite book!

If you are feeling independent, we can point you toward multiple resources—both in our room and online—which feature YS staff members’ book recommendations on a variety of topics. However, we are always very happy to help our customers with personalized recommendations, if you prefer to work with us directly.

If you are not yet at the library, and you’d like to begin your searching online, you can find a multitude of staff-built lists by visiting the Book Suggestions page on our website, or by visiting ECPubLibYouth right in our MORE catalog.

In addition to giving book recommendations, our desk staff offers various other services as well! We will happily provide room directions, give scavenger hunt clues, help you track down answers to questions—we even have diapers if you find yourself without. If you or your children need support (or a high five) while you are at the library, our friendly desk staff is always there to help. So be sure to stop by and say hello the next time you are in the library!

Alisha

Looking for a NEW book?

/in , , /by

Who doesn’t love the smell and feel of fresh, crisp pages of a brand-new book?  Or the excitement of reading a book that just hit the shelves?  New items are added to the collection regularly (almost daily!) and are shelved separately from the rest of the collection, making it easy to browse the newest titles.  Juvenile New Items can be found near the Youth Services desk, Teen New Items are shelved near the Teen Lounge, and adult New Items are located just inside the library’s front entrance.

Browsing new additions to the library’s collection can also be done on the MORE Catalog.  New titles pop up right on the home screen of the MORE app, and can be searched on a PC by clicking New Titles on the catalogs home page.  Do you want a sneak peek before the items even hit the shelves?  Then click the Coming Soon link to see the titles that have just been ordered.

Browse the new additions to the library’s collection on your next visit to either the library or the MORE Catalog to find your NEW favorite read!

 

Jill

Here comes Storytime!!

/in , , , /by

I don’t know about you, but I am so excited to start our Winter/Spring Storytime series! Storytime at our library is such a joyful time for children and their grownups (and library staff too!). We offer several storytime options for different ages/developmental levels, and we hope you can find a storytime experience just right for your family.

Our storytimes include not only fun stories, but we also mix in music and physical movement to get everyone dancing and having a blast. If you have any questions about storytime at all, please call 715-839-5007 and our Youth Services Staff will be happy to help.

NEW days and times this Winter/Spring? Yes! Take a close look at our all new storytime schedule, and we hope to see you at the library very soon!!

➜ More storytime information HERE!

Shannon

Winter Break Week!

/in , , /by

Winter Break is almost upon us, which means it’s time to head to the library for tons of extra fun! Kids, Teens, and their families are invited to join us during Winter Break Week  (December 26-30) for a flurry of seasonal activities.  

When you visit the library, you’ll find scavenger hunts, craft activities, and games all week long–just stop by the Youth Services desk (Level 1) for details. While you are there, ask about our Winter Library Programs (December 26–February 29)! Sign up for our Family or Teen program to earn a prize! Click here for full info. 

Of course, we also have some special events happening throughout the week. On Tuesday, December 26, join us for a Color Bash! Together, we’ll brighten up the shortest days of the year with some color. Explore light experiments, prisms, and colorful crafts, no registration required. Details here! 

Or if you prefer icy experiments and snowy crafts, visit us on Wednesday, December 27 for the Ice Bowl! Youth Pre-k through grade 6 will enjoy a cool afternoon excavating objects from ice, testing whether salt melts ice faster than vinegar, designing a snowflake, and more. Click here for all the details. 

Teens will also have a chance to get creative during Winter Break Week. Youth in grades 7-12 are invited to join us for a cozy afternoon of macrame and hot cocoa at Knotty & Nice on Wednesday, December 27. Projects are beginner friendly, and registration is required. For information and to register, click here. 

On Thursday, December 28, kids of all ages (and their grown-ups) are invited to stop in and play Family BINGO for fun and small prizes. This event is so popular, it’s offered twice in one day! No registration is required, please click here for times and details. 

Finally, on Friday, December 29, teens in Grades 7-12 will have an opportunity to make art they can eat at Teen Cookie Decorating! Using icing and sprinkles, teens will create a cookie masterpiece in the library’s cozy kitchen. Registration is required by clicking here. 

And, of course, we always offer books, movies, video games, maker kits, and so much more, so stock-up for chilly weather and family time. Be sure to stop down – we’re always happy to see you!