Librarians at a Career Fair

            The Calhoun County Library was invited to celebrate two career fairs last week. Most people think that working in a library means reading and organizing books all day, but local students learned what really goes on at the library.

On Thursday, April 17, 2025, St. Matthews K - 8 and Sandy Run K - 8 held Career Fairs for their classes. The Calhoun County Library was invited to participate and during these two events, we informed the students of what it’s like to work at a library and what the library has to offer to the public. Students learned about items that circulate (or are checked out) like books, Wonderbooks, Playaways, Launchpads, movies, graphic novels, and even Nintendo Switch games. We showed them that we have resources for them for both school and entertainment such as DISCUS and Magic Desktop for kids. In addition, the Calhoun County Library has a special Teen Night program for ages 12 - 17 and our Summer Reading Program is coming up soon. We gave those students an early look into what we have in store for this summer. The Summer Reading Program is for all ages! Students learned how we plan for events and programs, what programs are upcoming, and how to get involved with the library whether it’s through attending events or volunteering at programs.

The Calhoun County Library has materials to check out, but we have so much more to offer including classes, assistance, services, contacts, and information. During this event, the students learned all about being a librarian and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Purple Birdies at the Library

            The Calhoun County Library is going to be very busy at the Purple Martin Parade and Festival and we invite everyone to stop by to check us out!

            Starting bright and early, the Calhoun County Library will be in the Purple Martin Parade on Saturday, April 26, 2025. Catch us in the Bookmobile throwing candies your way at 10 AM. After that, head over to the festival. There will be dozens of vendors ranging from foods to services to arts. As a matter of fact, we will be doing some artsy fun! Between the library and the courthouse, we will be painting purple martins. For free! This will be from 11 AM - 2 PM. Then we are having a very special program called Birds of Prey. This program is all about conservation and history. Live animals will be in the library for two shows at 12:30 PM and 2 PM. It is also free! During the Purple Martin Festival, the Friends of the Calhoun County Library will be having a book sale in the library. Come buy a book or movie to show your support.

            Make sure to stop by the library to have a great day of fun with us during the Purple Martin festivities!

A Very Special Book Club Schedule

The Calhoun County Library has their very own book club every month and the books for 2025 have been chosen. There is a mix of genres so there is something for everyone.

Take a gander at the below schedule for the Calhoun County Library Book Club:

April 17, 2025 – The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

May 15, 2025 – Go As a River by Shelley Read

June 26, 2025 – The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak

July 17, 2025 – The Dead Don’t Dance by Charles Martin

August 21, 2025 – Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

September 18, 2025 – The Women by Kristin Hannah

October 16, 2025 – Spare by Prince Harry

November 20, 2025 – The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyers

December 18, 2025 – Reader’s Choice of a Christmas Book and Cookie Exchange

Join us on the third Thursday of every month, except for June, at 1 PM to discuss these books with a very active reading group. We get copies of the books in the beginning of the month so if you would like to join, grab a book for the respective month and give it a deep read. We love having a varying group of opinions and questions. Be sure to clear your schedule, pick up the book of the month, and join us for Book Club!

Growing with Peter Rabbit

            Spring is here and everything is in bloom. To stay healthy, busy, and get growing, the Calhoun County Library hosted Grow with Me at the end of March.

On Saturday, March 29, 2025, we had around 200 people come through the doors from 10 AM - 12 PM for Grow with Me. We built a homemade pine cone birdfeeder, planted a windowsill herb garden, made a “Hairy Harry” plant craft, and learned about the parts of a flower. We even had a cute little petting area complete with a little white bunny named Daisy, two baby ducks, and two baby turkeys. Children enjoyed feeling how soft they were and listening to the chirps and squeaks!

So many children had their faces painted; we saw everything from a butterfly to a tiger! One of the best experiences of Grow with Me was planting a tomato plant! Each child got a big pot, filled it with soil, and picked a tomato plant. We helped them break up the roots, place the tomato plant in the pot, pat down all the top soil, and water it. Of course, we had to give information about how to care for this plant so that each child has the joy of being able to pick off a tomato plant they grew themselves!

There was a special appearance during Grow with Me too: Peter Rabbit came hopping down the bunny trail to take pictures with everyone to celebrate the changing season! We had healthy snacks and refreshments available during the event, supporting heart-healthy meat and fruits. In addition to all of the plants, we also gave out books to all of the children to keep learning about growing. We hope to see pictures of the kids with the Peter Rabbit and all the plants in bloom from Grow with Me at the Calhoun County Library.

Teen Night Martial Arts Protection

            As a teen, do you ever find yourself in a confrontational situation? A lot of people go straight to getting angry or fighting, but there is always a way to avoid that. The Calhoun County Library wants to make sure everyone knows how to de-escalate an unpleasant situation.

The Calhoun County Library had an interesting Teen Night on Tuesday, March 4, 2024, at 5 PM - 6:30 PM. We held a Jiu Jitsu class for the first time ever. Kevin Hess and Cameron Rast taught this grappling-based martial art which emphasizes strategic techniques and positioning to subdue an opponent. Instead of starting or continuing a physical altercation, we started this class by educating teens on how to de-escalate a potentially contentious situation.  The two instructors taught the teenagers how to protect themselves by using self-defense to disarm their attacker. One of these techniques demonstrated how to escape from an aggressor if you are pinned against a wall, and another tactic demonstrated how to avoid being pushed or backed up against a wall. Our teens learned how to avoid a confrontation and walk away from a physical altercation which is a win/win for everyone! Thank you to Mr. Hess and Mr. Rast for their demonstration and for teaching our teens an important life skill.

Teen Night is all about having fun and learning life skills. We are glad that we were able to teach our teens self-defense this year and look forward to continuing this. If you are between the ages of 12 - 17, we would love for you to join us on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 5 PM - 6:30 PM!