Magic fans of all ages need to mark their calendars for Wednesday, August 7 at 3:30. Our library will be hosting an exciting magic show from the same people who presented the Absolute Science Foam Show.
Between the Covers book club will meet at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, August 13th to discuss this novel. Copies are still available for checkout at the MJB Library.
Books are ready to be picked up for the August book club meeting. The August book will be The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. Childhood friends who drifted apart as adults, Emily and Chess reconnect and decide to take a girls’ trip to Italy.
The two stay at an Italian villa with a notorious past. Rented in the summer of 1974 to a rock star and his entourage, the rock star sets in motion a chain of events resulting in one guest writing a platinum album, another writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, and a third brutally murdered. Emily begins to dig into the villa’s past and the events surrounding the murder. As she gets closer to the truth, Emily senses tension between herself and Chess. Secrets are revealed. Will the summer end in another brutal murder?
This book is inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the summer that Percy and Mary Shelly (author of Frankenstein) spent at Lake Geneva Castle with Lord Byron.
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.
Our Summer StoryHour schedule is active! Please be aware that there will be no StoryHour on August 30th due to the Guthrie County Fair activities. On August 2nd, we'll delve into fascinating sports, and on August 9th, our theme will revolve around magic. Finally, on August 16th, we'll be exploring cats, and on August 23rd, dogs!
No Storyhour Friday, August 30th!!
Card Making Club
Card Making Club will meet on Thursday, August 15, 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.
Cookbook Club
will meet on Thursday, August 15 at 6:30 PM to share dishes from The Farm Made Cookbook: Traditional Recipes from America’s Farm. Stop in and select a recipe that you’d like to share at the meeting on August 15.
"The Baseball Spy" is now an Amazon Bestseller and available for checkout! Our dear Iowa sportscaster and hit author, Scott Reister, was here to share his wonderful story of writing and publishing his book. Let's support our local bestseller!
Featured New NonFiction:
The Kneeling Man: My Father’s Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Leta McCollough Seletzky tells the true story of her father’s life as a spy set deep in the Jim Crow South during the Civil Rights Movement. In the iconic photo of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, the author’s father is the man kneeling next to King, trying to stop the bleeding. The Kneeling Man is the result of the author’s research into her father’s past as a spy who went on to have a career in the CIA. This captivating story is both a spy thriller and a portrait of the author’s family. This book is available for check out at the MJB Library.
Author Talk - Linda McCann
Linda McCann will be joining us here at Mary J Barnett Memorial Library on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 10:00 AM.
Don't miss the free "Rosie the Riveter of Iowa" program on Wednesday, Sept. 11th at 10 am. During the event, author Linda McCann will share inspiring stories of the women who supported the war effort during WWII. She had firsthand accounts from 35 women who worked as Rosie the Riveters, and copies of all her books will be available for purchase. Rosie the Riveter was a name used to encourage women to go to work during WWII to replace men who were fighting the war. Iowa had 70 businesses that used women to help with the production of military needs. Linda McCann will speak about these experiences and the different roles these women took on, whether in Iowa or on the West Coast.
Other SERVICES:
Jerri Hawkins - Cass Fronapfel - Karen Kelly - Ava Campbell Library Director & Library Staff
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...
