Spring is in the air at the library! That means our winter bingo is ending this month! As a reminder, patrons can pick up a bingo card at the library and fill out books they read that fit each category in a box. If you read enough for five in a row, it’s a Bingo and participants will be entered in a drawing for a $10 gift card. If you fill out all the squares on the Bingo and get a black-out, participants will be entered in a drawing for a $25 gift card! If you are working on your bingo card but need suggestions, don’t hesitate to reach out! We always have plenty of suggestions for every reader!

I also want to thank everyone who helped with last month’s chocolate sale. It was our biggest yet, raising over $2,000 for our Friends group! All of the proceeds from the sale will help FOCL fund special projects and programs at the library, like summer reading prizes and performers. We hope everyone enjoyed their tasty treats and we look forward to hosting it again next year.

Did you know March is the library’s birthday month? Last year, as I was adjusting to the director’s job, I noticed that our official birthday is March 22nd, as that’s when our official bylaws were signed and the Carnegie Library was dedicated. This year, we are 118 years old! Wow! Things have changed a lot since then, but one thing that hasn’t changed is you can always find good books and something to do at the library.

Speaking of events, we have plenty to go around this month: weekly Story Times on Tuesday at 10 am and weekly Rhyme Time on Fridays at 10 am; weekly Stitchin’ Time on Wednesdays from 5-7 pm; Cooking for One or Two on Wednesday, March 13th at 5:30 (must be signed up, call 620-365-2242); Kids Crafts on Thursday, March 14th at 4 pm; Adult Crafts on Thursday, March 14th from 4-6 pm (we’re making Book Fairy Gardens!); Miniatures Painting Workshop on Saturday, March 16th from noon – 3 pm (recommended ages 8 & up); Silent Book Club on Monday, March 19th at 5:30 pm; Select-It-Yourself Book Club on Tuesday, March 20th at 5:30 pm; Snap Circuits on March 21st at 4 pm; and Rubix’s Cubes on Thursday, March 28th.

Phew, that’s a lot! We hope to see you at one of our many event this month!

Here are some new reads coming out in March, including new romance books: Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez; The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez; The Hunter by Tana French; The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson; Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera; House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky; In Sunshine or In Shadow by Rhys Bowen; Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham; Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner; The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill; Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steven Cavanagh; James by Percival Everett.