On behalf of the Mary J. Barnett Memorial Library, we would like to express our gratitude for your support of our library events, staff, and library in 2024! We have so much to be thankful for in the Guthrie Center community, where neighbors are like family and always support one another. Together, we work as a team to enhance our community and make Guthrie County shine.
The mission of our library is to "Enrich our community, Educate minds, and Energizecuriosity!" Thanks to your generous contributions, we have been able to make several improvements, including enhancing our youth area with new furniture, installing an automatic door opener for the interior front door to improve accessibility, adding more large print books to our collection, and acquiring a digital outdoor electronic sign. We have also introduced special programming, provided books for every summer reading participant, added juvenile audiobooks and wonderbooks, and updated technology for both patrons and library staff. Your support is greatly appreciated and important to our success.
The library greatly appreciates the invaluable support we receive from our dedicated community. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your thoughtful contribution, which plays a vital role in enabling us to serve the many patrons who depend on our services and programs. Thank you for your continued commitment to our mission.
To learn more about our organization, please visit https://www.guthriecenter.lib.ia.us/. I look forward to opportunities to work with you in the future. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to get in touch if the library can assist you in any way.
Happy Thanksgiving and Thank you!
Library Director, Jerri Hawkins and Library Staff, Cass, Karen & Ava
Upcoming Events & Classes
2024 Festival of Trees
Make MJB Library beautiful for this holiday season!
The theme for this year's Festival of Trees is "Christmas Stories"
Friends of MJB Library: Refresh the paint on the Donor Tree!
As we plan to create a new mural, the original donor names will remain prominently featured as butterflies instead of leaves.
For $20, you can support the mural project at the Mary J. Barnett Memorial Library by purchasing a square foot of the refresh Donor Tree paint, which will enhance the children's area. Each square foot costs $18, and the mural covers 154 square feet. Donations of any size are welcome and can be made via cash or check to Friends of the GC Library at the library. Your contribution, comparable to a month's coffee, can significantly impact the space. Join us for our monthly meeting on Mon., Oct. 7, at 6:15 PM! Thank you for being so supportive!
Donations to Friends of MJB Library are a Charitable Contributions Deduction!
Between the Covers book club will meet at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, November 12th, to discuss "Remarkably Bright Creatures"
by Shelby Van Pelt. Copies are still available for checkout at the MJB Library.
A New York Times Bestseller Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! Selected as One of the Best Books of Summer by: Chicago Tribune • The View • Southern Living • USA Today
“Remarkably Bright Creatures is an outstanding debut that combines feel-good moments with a deeply sensitive narrative. It is both memorable and tender.” — Washington Post
For those who loved A Man Called Ove, this engaging and witty novel powerfully explores friendship, reckoning, and hope through the extraordinary bond between a widow and a giant Pacific octopus. Don’t miss out on this captivating read!
Iowa Libraries Adventure Pass
The Friends of the Library again are sponsoring the Adventure Pass for local library patrons. Currently, we have adventure passes for Blank Park Zoo, Science Center of Iowa, and Des Moines Children’s Museum. Library patrons 18 and older may use their library card to check out a pass to participating locations through the library’s website.
Patrons may check out one pass per venue per 365 days. The pass is valid for two adults and two children.
The printed pass and a valid photo ID must be presented at the gates to be admitted to the venue. Reservations can be made up to 90 days in advance. The adventure pass is a great way to have an affordable family outing. Check it out!
Friday Story Hour
Preschool story hour is EVERY Friday at 10:00 am.
Card Making Class
Card Making Club will meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month from
9:00-11:00 AM to create beautiful, handmade cards.
Judy Zimmerline will lead the class. All materials are provided.
There is a $5 fee to cover supplies.
Attention Date Change!!
Iowa native author Michelle Cowan will be at the library on Saturday, December 7th, at 10:00 a.m. for an author talk and meet and greet. Cowan will speak about her book entitled Better, Not Bitter: A Journey from Heartache to Healing.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two kids race to save the world’s last magical place in the first book of a landmark new fantasy series, from “a writer with an utterly distinctive voice and a wild imagination.” (Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass) *This spectacular book features foil and embossing on the jacket, full-color designed endpapers, red stained edges, and a red case cover with gold stamping.* “An instant classic from one of the most gifted storytellers of our time, Impossible Creatures is an astonishing miracle of a book.” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal Winner for The One and Only Ivan A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR The day Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever. It's the day he learned about the Archipelago, a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years—until now. And it's the day he met Mal, a girl on the run who desperately needs his help. Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what's happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.
MJB Library Monthly News So Much More Than Books! Click HERE to NEW BOOKS The Mary J Barnett Memorial Library buzzes with activity throughout the week. Groups gather in the Taylor meeting room for card games and clubs while children rush in after school to enjoy games, the STEM table, and the maker space. People use computers, check out books and movies, or socialize over coffee and a communal jigsaw puzzle. Patrons also send faxes, make copies, and seek help with electronics. Preschoolers...
MJB Library Email News Reader, So Much More Than Books Our mission is to: "Enrich our community, Educate minds, and Energize curiosity!" Programs & Author Talks Wed. May 7th @ 4:00 PM Iowa Prohibition & Bootlegging Program by Ann Hanigan Kotz Sat. May 17th @ 11:00 AM Author Enfys McMurry will speak about her book Disaster at 39,000 Feet: How Small-Town America Came Together at a Time of Crisis. SUMMER READING PROGRAM Level Up at Your Library 2025 - Theme Registration will OPEN May 1st....
MJB Library Email News Updated Paint on the Donor Wall in the Youth Area. Thank you, Kelly Nielsen, Friends of GC Library, and all who donated to help us complete this beautiful project!!! Reader, So Much More Than Books Our mission is to: "Enrich our community, Educate minds, and Energize curiosity!" Purchase tickets at the MJB Library! Or call to reserve your tickets, by 2/3/25 BOOK CLUB!! Afternoon Book Club is on the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month at 3:00 PM! Evening Book Club is on the 4th...
