Between the Stacks: 3/20/2024

One of the great things about belonging to the Broad Valleys Federation is the training they hold every spring and fall. Last week I enjoyed two days of learning, networking, and meeting the new librarians in our area. One of the training courses held was on leadership and taught by a retired Army Ranger who turned academic. His ideas on leadership definitely had a military slant but as the daughter of an army man who then worked with the military on construction projects, his presentation brought back how a truly well-run organization depends on its leadership.

Most people do not realize what a variety of people it takes to run this library at the level it functions at. We have a Friends Board, Library Board, volunteers, staff, community service workers, the Montana State Library, teen volunteers, day care directors, Head Start teachers, public school teachers, private school teachers, homeschool parents, program presenters, state divisions and departments, and more. All of these people are leaders in their areas of expertise and that level of training and natural ability makes my job a whole lot easier in bringing them all together. Thank you, Broad Valleys, and the Montana State Library, for providing such a great opportunity to add to my knowledge base!

On a more normal note, the Library will be having a special Storytime in honor of World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st. We will be reading stories and doing crafts at all of our Storytimes which help children to understand those with Down Syndrome and how to be a friend to them. All Storytimes are open to everyone and are held on Wednesday at 10:30 AM and 1 PM; and Friday at 10 AM.

Our Rockhounding group will not be meeting in March because they plan a huge meeting and planning session on Monday, April 15th, at 5:30 PM at the library. They will be hosting speaker Deb Hanneman, PhD, of the Whitehall Geo group. The Montana Geological Society (MGS) has a new quarterly magazine entitled Montana Applied Geosciences Magazine or MAGMA. The publication will reflect the birth of new rocks, and the beginning of the rock cycle. MAGMA will include interesting geology articles focused on Montana and Applied Geosciences. Deb Hanneman, a board member of MGS, will talk about the new publication and what MGS has planned for the next several months concerning geology talks and field trips. Rockhounding meets monthly at the Library so bring your rocks, questions, and suggestions!

Our Book Bingo prizes are on order and should be coming soon. The children's prizes are here, we are just waiting on the adults! In the meantime, this gives everyone a chance to finish their blackout!