Between the Stacks: Week of March 26th

I hope you all enjoyed Brandi's column last week - it is always nice to get a different perspective on things at the Whitehall Community Library. I have been writing this column for almost nine years and normally write 50 columns a year. That is a lot of words to share with our patrons! It always touches my heart when I miss a week and patrons come in see if I am alright or ask other staff where I am. That is one of the wonderful things about living in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. Don't worry, you will see more columns from Brandi in the future, she has all sort of things to say!

The Homeschool Educators are going to keep meeting through April. They are open to any home educating family who would like to share learning experiences. The group meets on Tuesdays at 3:30 PM in the library basement and cover a multitude of projects and subjects.

April calendars are out on the front desk and include special storytimes, a caregiver's workshop, sign-ups for 1,000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN and information on the early literacy kits. Known in the Library as Reading Rumpus Bags, the kits contain all types of activities for preschoolers and toddlers to encourage reading and listening together. They can be checked out for 28 days and contain a list of contents to check before they are returned.

We are excited to have a visit from the student teachers attending Montana State University in April. The Whitehall Community Library has a wonderful relationship with our teachers in the greater Whitehall area. Sharing with young teachers how libraries and schools can work together is great fun for me and a real treat to see all the excitement from our future educators. We discuss research, programming, idea sharing, and how libraries can assist students in completing their research using books, computers, databases and more.

The Caregiver Respite is asking people to sign up so they know how many supplies to bring. This workshop is to honor and give rest to those who are caring for loved ones 24 hours a day. The workshop will be at the Library on friday, April 18 from 10 AM to 2 PM and is free. We held these several times last year and the participants enjoyed everything they did. The information Dan shared was invaluable to those who are looking at so much paperwork, financial needs, and caregiving assistance. Please contact the library at 406-287-3763 for more information on where to sign up. You can't care for others if you don't care for yourself!