LIBRARY NEWS: Greenfield Public Library still a vibrant part of community

It is common to hear that libraries are of the past, “Who reads anymore?,” and are seeing declined usage. In reality, our library, and libraries across Adair County, have seen increased usage and circulation. Libraries still act as a hub for information and research and have adapted in the age of the internet by being equipped with internet, computers and even hotspots. Libraries are also — and increasing becoming — an important third place.

In sociology, a third place is a social environment that isn’t your home (first place) or work (second place). Examples of third places are coffee shops, restaurants and gyms. What makes libraries unique is that they are free-to-use third places. Being in a small town, third places are hard to come by, especially as many third places are being replaced by the internet. Having a library as a third space, filled with laughter and conversation through casual interactions or planned programming, is important to connecting people to their communities, building a sense of place and helping build the well-being of individuals.

Libraries may seem different than they once were with less shushing, no fines or card catalogs, but libraries have always been a place to gather. Now more than ever, libraries wear the hat as a third place — a community center of sorts — to relax, read the paper, complete a puzzle or meet with people with similar interests. Come visit us sometime! Or join us at our regularly scheduled programs:

• Weave Greenfield – Thursdays, 4:30-6:00pm Bring your own craft group hosted by Project Recovery.

• Toddler Time – 10:15 a.m. Wednesdays. Bring your littles for stories, songs, crafts and to socialize.

• Afterschool Crew – 2:30-4 p.m. Wednesdays. Children can join us for crafts and Lego play.

• Adult Craft – 4:30-5:30 p.m. the second Monday of the month the library hosts an adult craft class.

• Book Chat – 4:30-5:30 p.m. the third Monday of the month is a bring your own book club.

• Poke Club – 4:30-5:30 p.m. the first Thursday of the month, children can come together for all things Pokémon, play the card game, craft and complete the scavenger hunt.

• Family Storytime – 5:30-6 p.m. the third Thursday of the month is an evening storytime with stories, songs, movement and a craft!

Donations

In Memory of Mardelle Porter from the Jensen and Chafa families:

• “Lie for a Million” by Janet Dailey

• “Little Souls” by Sandra Dallas

• “An Unfinished Murder” by Jude Deveraux

• “My Heart Will Find You” by Jude Deveraux

• “Our Little Secret” by Lisa Jackson

• “Hidden Creed” by Alex Kava

• “Fallen Creed” by Alex Kava

• “Midnight Creed” Alex Kava

• “Sleep No More” by Jayne Anne Krentz

• “The Night Island” by Jayne Anne Krentz

• “The Merry Matchmakers" by Sheila Roberts

• “Where the Creek Bends” by Linda Lael Miller

• “Never Say Never” by Danielle Steel

Judy and Tim Kneip made a generous donation of over 50 fiction and nonfiction titles including:

• “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

• “Desitny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President” by Candice Millard

• “From Genghis Khan to Tamerlane” by Peter Jackson

• “This Fierce People: The Untold Story of America’s Revolutionary War in the South” by Alan Pell Crawford

• “A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk The Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent” by Robert W. Merry