Happy New Year!  I certainly don’t think mother nature knows what season she’s in; snow, rain, ice, warm days, very cold days and nights, snow and wind, and back to spring weather this weekend into next week.  ?

Paw Prints Club meets after school on Thursdays.  This club is for grades K-2.  Last year we learned about inventors and did a few science experiments. This year we’re working on a play based on the Tortoise and the Hare. We’ll let you know when we put on the show..  Adult help is always welcomed and I am looking for volunteers to bring in snacks for the kids.

Jig-saw puzzles keep one table at the library covered.  Stop by and work on a puzzle and or check one out to take home. Speaking of puzzles, Toby Izzard left a few of his crossword puzzles at the library before he went home for the winter.  Did you know he makes crossword puzzles and sells them to publications?  He said that as long as I didn’t let them leave the building he’d leave a few for people to work on-copyright is involved.  So stop by and work on one for a while.  Tea and coffee is available.

On Sunday, January 12 at 3 pm, readers entered in the Swan’s Island Challenge 500 will gather to find out who reached their individual reading goals, whether the group read a total of 500 books (that’s the 500 in the event title), eat snacks and get prizes.  The group will also set the rules and SI Challenge total for 2014.  Online groups were set up at GoodReads and LibraryThing. (LibraryThing is a Maine product, by the way.) People could also sign up and keep track of books on paper.

We had close to 30 people rise to the 2013 challenge.  Here are the rules for last year:

1. Have some connection with Swan’s Island and GoodReads or LibraryThing.
2. Choose a number of books.
3. Read one book outside of your favorite genre.
4. Read one nonfiction.
5. Read one book about Maine, written by a Maine author or published by Islandport Press, Downeast Books or Tilbury House (or some other Maine publisher).
6. Let me know your challenge and if you meet or exceed it.
7. If you meet or exceed your challenge you will be entered into a drawing to win free books.
8. All ages can take part.
9. Most importantly- HAVE FUN.

Do you want to take part in this challenge for 2014?  Come to the event on the 12th or let me know.

Next month we’ll start an Open Mic Night so get ready. There will be some genealogy workshops later on and I’m working on a couple of other ideas.  Exhibits and displays will be changing regularly too, so come on by and visit for a while.