This year’s summer reading program theme was Color Our World. I want to take a moment to thank all the parents, caregivers, children, and teens who participated this year. I would also like to thank the library staff. They did an excellent job helping to make the program happen throughout a very busy summer. We recorded 1,115 people in attendance at the 48 programs scheduled for this summer. Visitors completed 1,130 in-house scavenger hunts, and 374 crafts during the eight weeks of the program. At the end of the program, finishers received a free book, a grand prize ticket, temporary tattoo, and the chance to vote for a new toy to play with in the library. It was wonderful watching our readers’ progress through the program. This year we challenged families to find landmarks around town for the City-Wide Scavenger Hunt. The families that participated had so much fun, and so did we!

We have a full schedule of programming for children and teens this fall. Storytime with Ms. Kathryn will be back starting Monday, September 9 at 10:30 a.m. and will meet every Monday through October 27. Pajama Party Storytime will be offered on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. starting on September 10 and we will meet every Wednesday through October 29. The Friday Special Storytime will take place on Friday, September 26 at 10 a.m. This storytime features a themed craft or activity after storytime. All the storytime programs are held in the children’s room and do not require registration to attend.

All of our summer programs will continue into the fall. The first Jr. Video Gaming Club of the season will be held on Tuesday, September 9 at 3:30 p.m. in the library meeting room. Teen Video Game Club will have its first fall meeting on Saturday, September 13, at 2:00 p.m. in the library meeting room. Creative Kids is a STEAM program for students in kindergarten and first grade and explores all kinds of science and arts. This program will be held once a month and begins on Thursday, September 11 at 3:30 p.m. in the library meeting room. Wacky Wonders is a STEAM program for students in second through fifth grade and explores the sciences and arts. This program begins on Thursday, September 18 at 3:30 p.m. These programs require registration.

On Thursday, September 25 at 10 a.m. I will host a Sensory Playtime. The forty-five-minute program will include a story, a song, a group activity, and playtime with sensory toys. Evening Sensory Playtime will follow the same format and begins on Tuesday, September 23 at 6 p.m. Morning and evening sensory playtimes meet once monthly.

Please ask at the children’s desk if there is something you’re looking for and can’t find right away; we’re here to help. Check out our monthly programming calendar too. We offer a variety of activities for all ages, from story time to video game clubs. You can find more information and register for events at www.newulmlibrary.org on the Library Events page, or by calling the library at 507-359-8331.

The library is located at 17 N. Broadway and is open to the public Monday-Thursday 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.