Initial election results are in, and after weeks of political news leading up to Election Day, many are ready for the warmth of upcoming holidays focused on gratitude, connection, and comfort. The library can help as you nurture yourself and your family this season.
The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls was published 20 years ago and has sold more than five million copies. Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys (both by Dr. Cara Natterson) came out more recently. Both books have educated millions of adolescents (and their parents) about their health. Clearly, there is an enormous demand for dependable health information. The library offers support for research, learning, access to online resources, and connection with local services.
The Olympic Peninsula offers countless opportunities for exploring in nature, and summer is a great time to get out to the places you’ve been wanting to see. Head up into the mountains, head out to the beach, or enjoy a walk by the river. Visit your library to learn more about local places to discover, the geology of the region, and find topographic maps available for check out to guide you on your next adventure.
Library meeting rooms reflect the quintessentially democratic values of the American public library. The meeting room at the Sequim Branch is an important, and busy, community hub! For non-profit events that are non-commercial in nature, and open to all, there is generally no charge to use the library meeting room. For other uses the rental fee is moderate. Reservations can easily be made online, up to three months in advance, at nols.org/room.
It’s summertime, and the staff of the North Olympic Library System have been busy since December, planning a whiz bang Summer Reading Program (SRP). Starting June 18 and ending August 18, the 2018 SRP includes a reading challenge with incentives to earn a free book and T-shirt, chances to win awesome grand prizes, and fun events for all ages, happening both within and beyond Library walls.
This weekend kicks off the 123rd Irrigation Festival. Just as irrigation delivers water to foster growth, the library circulates nourishing materials and services to community members. Sequim’s initial library collection wasn’t too far behind the first Irrigation Festival; in 1915, the Sequim Women’s Club started a circulating library of 300 books. The books were later given to service members during WWI.
When patrons are unable to make it to the library in person, the North Olympic Library System (NOLS) brings the library to them. The “Outreach to the Homebound” program is a great example of one of the many ways library services reach beyond library walls to improve lives and expand horizons. As Dr. Seuss said, “Reading can take you to places you have never been before.” A person may be physically unable to leave their home, but the movies, music, and books delivered by NOLS are tickets to explore new places, unique people, different times, and other worlds.
On a cold and blustery day, there is nothing better than a comforting book, especially one labeled cozy. But what exactly is a cozy mystery? This very popular genre is defined by the feelings it evokes in readers, namely warm, engrossed, and contented. The mystery element can be very strong or barely present, but it generally does not include graphic “adult” elements or intense action scenes. These elements more often take place off the page. Typically the hero is an amateur sleuth, the setting is a small village or community of some kind and there is a whole series revolving around one or the other. Overall a cozy mystery is a gentle, feel-good book, perfect with a hot beverage and a snuggly blanket.
Sequim Branch Library is a bustling “little library on the prairie” what with regular programs like Kids Create Art, Second Saturday Science, Storytimes, Paws to Read, Family Flicks and much more. But some of that excitement carries beyond library walls and into local schools and day care centers with the help of energetic youth services staff.
The Sequim Branch is proud to house tens of thousands of books, on practically any subject that tickles your fancy. There is also an amazing variety of other forms of media, with over 11,000 DVDs and 8000 CDs. New titles are being added to the collection daily, but they are only one aspect of what your friendly local library has to offer. The NOLS Gear button on the library catalog page will guide you to the collection of unique and fun items selected specifically to enhance life on the Peninsula. All of the items that are mentioned in this article are available free of charge, and can be placed on hold with your library card through the online catalog at nols.org so they’re ready for you to pick them up and get going. Don’t have a library card? Don’t fret! They are completely free. Bring in some picture ID and a proof of address and you can be signed up for one in less than ten minutes.