Greetings from the Great Bend Public Library and happy almost-Thanksgiving! As a reminder, the Library will be closed Thursday, the 27th, and Friday, the 28th, for the Thanksgiving holiday.
I hope everyone is able to enjoy a good meal with family and friends this year. If you’re traveling for the holiday this year, remember Hoopla and Libby both have a huge selection of audiobooks perfect for long car rides or avoiding another awkward conversation with Uncle Bill about his favorite conspiracy theories. Might I recommend “Trapping, Turkeys, & Thanksgiving,” by Tonya Kappes. This cozy mystery brimming with humor and southern charm follows Mae West as she investigates a murder while preparing for her wedding and participating in a local “Turkey Trot” race in her small town of Normal, Kentucky. When the library is closed, the digital libraries of Hoopla and Libby are always open and free with your Great Bend Public Library card.
This Thursday, after Genealogy Corner at 11 a.m., students in grades 6-12 can join us in the Teen Spot at 5:30 p.m. for this month’s Teen Manga & Anime Club. For November, we are covering “Fullmetal Alchemist” and will be using Perler beads to make chibi art from the series.
Saturday, Nov. 22, starting at 10:30 a.m., library patrons of all ages are invited to come to the library to play Grocery Store Bingo! This event will operate similarly to the grocery bingo events we’ve hosted in the past. Every participant will have one card for free, and we will make sure everyone goes home with something. Adults are welcome to bring their kiddos so the whole family can take something home, and kids 10 and up can come play by themselves if they would like. We will have everything from full meals to snacks on the table, so come win something tasty!
If you are interested in helping us provide as much food as possible for this program, you can donate non-perishable food items that can be prepared by most ages, or you can make a monetary donation to help us go shopping.
Next week, get ready for Monday Crafternoon at 4 p.m. This time, we are learning to make God’s Eyes, a traditional camp craft originally created by the indigenous Huichol people of Mexico. This is a craft made by weaving sticks with yarn, creating four points that represent the cardinal directions.
Tuesday is another full day, starting off with story time at 10:30 a.m. Shortly after that starts, bring your tech questions to the Reference Desk for Tech Tuesday, starting at 11 a.m. Later, at 5:30 p.m., we have our next check-in for our Novelvember Support Group.
While you’re at the library enjoying one of our programs or picking out your next read or watch, be sure to pick up a copy of our Winter 2025-2026 Newsletter containing details of our upcoming events this December through February. We have wintry fun planned for all ages, from our special Holiday Story Time to our Winter Reading Bingo to some new escape rooms. Some programs require advance registration, so mark them on your calendars and get signed up to save your spot.
Hannah Glass is outreach manager at the Great Bend Public Library. To see what else they are up to at the library, stop by and grab the fall newsletter. Find GBPL on social media @greatbendpl and visit the website, greatbendpl.info. You can also message GBPL on Facebook and Instagram, email gbcirc@gmail.com, or call at 620-792-2409 with any questions about programming and services.
