Library Closures: The library will be closed to celebrate the winter holidays from Monday, Dec. 25, through Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. We will reopen Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 10 a.m.
Take-N-Make Crafts for December: Kids can stop in and get their take-n-make’s for the month, while supplies last. We are making a holiday count-up chain and a holiday train. Craft kits are only for ages 2 to 12 years old.
Decorate a holiday card for Crouse Community Center residents: Stop in from Friday, Dec. 1, through Wednesday, Dec. 20 (during open hours), and make a Christmas card(s) for a resident(s) at Crouse Community Center. We will have blank cards and cards ready-to-color along with markers, crayons and colored pencils. If you know a resident personally, address the card; if not, no worries. Open to all ages. Help celebrate the holiday season with the residents. (We will take all cards to Crouse Thursday, Dec. 21.) We would love to make sure every resident gets a least one card this holiday season.
Letters to Santa: It’s Christmastime, and Santa wants to hear from you. Stop in to the library Dec. 4 through 20 and write your letter to Santa with all your Christmas wishes. Make sure you address the back of the paper when you fold it, so we can deliver it to the North Pole for you. Slip it into our special letters to Santa mailbox at the circulation desk. Open to all ages – young and old.
Kiddies Korner, Story Time: Join us at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5. We will be hearing Jan Brett’s “The Mitten” and some other stories, doing some fingerplays, songs, a craft and more. Open to toddlers through preschool.
Kreative Krafters group: Meets every Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the program room. This is open to anyone who wants to work on a craft but never finds the time. (Some sample crafts are: knitting, crocheting, cross stitch, needlepoint, the new popular Diamond Dotz, Quickpoint, quilting, scrapbooking, whittling, origami, weaving and beadwork.) If it’s a craft and you can bring it with you, then pack it up and come on over. (Dates are Dec. 5, 12 and 19. There will be no group Dec. 27.)
Second-grade Reading Program: Open to all MECS second-graders wanting to complete some of their books for the Second-Grade Book Club. Every month, we will be reading on some of the harder topics (poetry, historic people, nonfiction, New York and the USA.) At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, we will be reading two books about Orville and Wilbur Wright and doing a fun activity, as well. Then after attending, you can mark off those two books as read on your reading log. (We don’t meet again until March 2024, and we will be reading about poetry.)
Annual open house: The annual open house will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., Friday Dec. 8. Families and friends come join us. We will have yummy goodies, music, pictures with Santa, crafts and activities for kids and adults, a holiday selfie station, holiday games, scavenger hunt for all (with a prize), and a Christmas puzzle to work on. Also, check out our two Christmas trees: Our Victorian and “All Creatures Great & Small” trees. Color a card for a Crouse Community Center resident or write your Letter to Santa. Enter our kids’ and adults’ free book raffles, and make your last bids on our silent auction. Enter to be our official tree lighter. We will be lighting our tree outside in the library’s garden at 7 p.m., and one lucky person who comes to the event will get to be the tree lighter. Start your holiday festivities with us.
Silent auction ends: The silent auction ends at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8. Make sure you have all your bidding done by then. Winners will be contacted Saturday, Dec. 9, for pickups that day through Saturday Dec. 16 (during open hours). Any items that are left will be passed on to the next highest bidder after Dec. 16. Cash only.
NERF fun: Bring your own Nerf equipment (no more darts needed – we provide them), and join us for open play around the library from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 9. See if the library stacks provide you enough shelter from getting hit by a friend’s foam dart. Open to ages 7 and up, but adults are welcome, too. Everyone must bring a snack and a drink. We only have 14 spaces, so sign up starting Dec. 1.
Kiddies Korner, Story Time: Join us at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12. We will be hearing stories about “Christmas,” doing some finger plays, songs, a craft and more. Open to toddlers through preschool.
In Case You Missed “A (virtual) Stroll through History-Main Street Morrisville” and wanted to learn more about the places visited, join us at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, as Village Historian Sue Greenhagen shares more information, pictures and stories about our stroll down Main Street.
Video Game Night: Bring your own devices, games etc., and join other like-minded video game people from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14. Our public computers will not be used for this program; this takes place in our program room. You must bring your own handheld devices – phones, tablets, laptops, Nintendo Switches, etc. No one is to use other’s equipment without permission. Come chat with others, share some tricks and tips, and have fun. Participants may bring snacks and a beverage. Open to anyone who has their own gaming handhelds. (We are hoping to do this monthly and even more often, if interest is there.)
Polar Express Night: We are showing the classic, “The Polar Express,” at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. Bring the family in for our holiday tradition. We will provide the hot cocoa, cookies and other magical effects. Wear your pajamas. Movies will be shown when the library is closed. Use the program room door, as the main entrance will be locked.
4-H Wreathmaking and Cardmaking Program: Come make a fabric wreath and a homemade card for the holidays with Madison County 4-H at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. Open to kids ages 5 and up, but you must register starting Dec. 1. Limited space available, so don’t wait. All materials will be provided.
Board Game Night: Unplug from your phones, devices and video game console. Bring a favorite board game, a beverage and snack if you want, and join others who want to unplug, unwind and relax with other people/families and have some fun. We will provide some classic games, as well. All the fun begins at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18.
December Book Discussion: “Dog Named Christmas,” by Greg Kincaid. Books are available starting Nov. 29, 2023. Instead of a book discussion this month, we will be showing the movie based on the book at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, in the program room. You do not have to come to the movie, you can just read the book and comment to a staff member, too. (We will have popcorn, though.)
Kids Christmas gift-making: Calling all kids ages 7 to 14: Stop in at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, and create three gifts for your loved ones.
