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Community Interest
Spring Into the Library
By Brittany Schaaf, St. Charles City-County Library
“Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!” — Robin Williams
There is something so hopeful and joyous about this time of year; the pretty pastels brightening up a room, gorgeous flowers blooming in the sun, the smell after a quiet rainstorm. It almost makes you want to dance with joy! From backyard celebrations to gardening adventures, the Library has everything you need to celebrate this spectacular season. Want to try your hand at gardening? Check out The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-By-Step Vegetable Gardening for Everyone by Joseph Tychonievich. This brilliant quick read is like having a personal gardening mentor at your side, walking you through everything from, "Which veggies are perfect for beginners," to "How to protect your plants from pests."
Gardening, not your gig? Get hooked on fishing by borrowing a fishing pole from the Library! Each fishing rod has everything you need to tackle a new hobby, except for a fishing license (which must be obtained separately.)
Spring-cleaning? Listen to KC Davis’s book How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing while sweeping away the winter blues. This tiny book (only 151 pages!) is a fantastic guide to shedding the shame that comes with keeping house.
Cleaning out your closets and emptying your bookshelves? Donate your gently used books (and other materials) to the Friends of the St. Charles City-County Library! Most Library branches can accept up to four medium-sized boxes. They accept new and used books, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, sheet music, jigsaw puzzles, video games, and more.
Getting into grilling? Check out a variety of cookbooks for backyard cooking, including The Ultimate Outdoor Cookbook: All-Day Meals and Drinks for Backyard Entertaining and Elevated Camping Fare by Linda Ly.
In need of a new grill? Looking for a new lawnmower? Do your research before shopping with the help of Consumer Reports, available for free with your library card. Get product ratings, reviews, in-depth advice, and trends written by experts with Consumer Reports digital magazine and ConsumerReports.org.
Hosting a backyard bash? Jazz up your party with giant outdoor games from our Library of Things! Your guests will love playing croquet, corn hole, connect four and more. Then, wrap up the night by exploring the stars with the help of a tabletop telescope kit.
Explore even more ways to celebrate this egg-cellent season with classes and events at the Library! Have a look at this month’s list of classes and events at the Augusta and Boone’s Trail Branches!
Discover Crafting: Reverse-Canvas Carrot Bunch* Saturday, April 1: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Boone’s Trail Branch - adults. Welcome springtime with this reverse-canvas carrot bunch craft, complete with faux shiplap! We will use white chalk paint, craft gel stain, and hot glue guns, so please dress accordingly. This is a repeated class; the previous sessions were in March.
Crafting Connections - Sip & Stitch* Mondays, April 3 & 17: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Boone’s Trail Branch - adults and teens. Bring your current work in progress and join other yarn artists as we sip, stitch, and discuss our projects.
Crafting Connections - I Love Quilts!* Tuesday, April 4: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. What will you create? Meet other quilt lovers at this monthly event.
Canasta - Game On!* Tuesdays, April 4, 11, 18, 25: 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Thursdays, April 6, 13, 20, 27: 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Boone’s Trail Branch - adults. Need to get out of the house? Learn to play Hand & Foot Canasta!
Grow Your Reader: Story Time* Tuesday, April 4: 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - children. Grow your reader with stories and activities that enhance literacy skills.
Coffee and Conversation Thursdays, April 6, 13, 20, 27: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Enjoy a cup of coffee, a sweet treat, and conversation with others in the community.
Crafting Connections - Yarn Arts Thursdays, April 6, 13, 20, 27: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults and teens. Other yarn enthusiasts will keep you company while you work on your knit, crochet, or embroidery project.
Crafting Connections - Make It Sew: Let’s Make an I SPY Quilt (last of 3 classes) Thursday, April 6: 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. This is the last of 3 classes during which we will finish the project.
Crafting Connections - Make-It-Monday* Monday, April 10: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Grab a friend, come to the Augusta Branch, and work on your unfinished projects! Spend all day or just a little while.
Book Discussion - Woman 99 by Greer Macallister* Monday, April 10: 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Boone's Trail Branch - adults. When Charlotte’s wealthy parents commit her beloved sister Phoebe to an asylum, Charlotte knows there’s more to the story than madness. She risks everything and follows her sister inside, surrendering her real identity as a privileged young lady of society to become a nameless inmate, Woman 99. She realizes that many of the women aren’t insane, merely inconvenient, and her search for the truth threatens to dig up secrets that some very powerful people would do anything to keep.
"Read to a Dog" - Tailwaggers - Love on a Leash* Thursday, April 13: 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Boone's Trail Branch - children. Kids can practice reading aloud to an attentive, adorable dog.
Discover Crafting - Beeswax Food Wraps* Saturday, April 15: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 18: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Boone’s Trail Branch - adults. A beeswax wrap is a sustainable wrap that can be used over and over for about a year. It’s breathable and keeps food fresh for longer. Participants will make three beeswax wraps. This is a repeated class; please register for only one session.
Book Discussion - The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill*
Monday, April 17: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults.
The reading room at the Boston Public Library is completely silent one weekday morning until a woman’s terrified scream echoes through the room. Security guards immediately appear and instruct everyone inside to stay put until they determine there is no threat. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers get to chatting and quickly become friends. They each have their reasons for being in the reading room that morning–and it just happens that one of them may be a murderer.
Crafting Connections - English Paper Piecing* Tuesday, April 18: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Learn how to English Paper Piece, a fun method of sewing fabric pieces together.
Book Discussion - A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins* Thursday, April 20: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Boone's Trail Branch - adults. When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Three women with separate connections to the victim–three women who are, for different reasons, simmering with resentment.
Crafting Connections - Plein Air Embroidered Hoop Art* Saturday, April 22: 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Celebrate the art of Plein Air and Earth Day by creating a mixed-media piece of art. We will use watercolors, acrylic, and embroidery to create the design.
Crafting Connections - Children’s Plein Air Paint Out* Tuesday, April 25: 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - families. This class may involve messy crafts or activities. Please dress to be messy!
Crafting Connections - Plein Air Sidewalk Art Tuesday, April 25: 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 27: 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Saturday, April 29: 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Boone’s Trail Branch - children and tweens. Come discover what Plein Air is all about. This class may involve messy crafts or activities. Please dress to be messy!
*Register at https://attend.mylibrary.org/events or call Boone’s Trail at 636-398-6200 or Augusta at 636-228-4855 for more class information. The Boone’s Trail and Augusta branches are open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 noon. All St. Charles City-County Library branches will be closed Sunday, April 9 for Easter.
“Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!” — Robin Williams
There is something so hopeful and joyous about this time of year; the pretty pastels brightening up a room, gorgeous flowers blooming in the sun, the smell after a quiet rainstorm. It almost makes you want to dance with joy! From backyard celebrations to gardening adventures, the Library has everything you need to celebrate this spectacular season. Want to try your hand at gardening? Check out The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-By-Step Vegetable Gardening for Everyone by Joseph Tychonievich. This brilliant quick read is like having a personal gardening mentor at your side, walking you through everything from, "Which veggies are perfect for beginners," to "How to protect your plants from pests."
Gardening, not your gig? Get hooked on fishing by borrowing a fishing pole from the Library! Each fishing rod has everything you need to tackle a new hobby, except for a fishing license (which must be obtained separately.)
Spring-cleaning? Listen to KC Davis’s book How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing while sweeping away the winter blues. This tiny book (only 151 pages!) is a fantastic guide to shedding the shame that comes with keeping house.
Cleaning out your closets and emptying your bookshelves? Donate your gently used books (and other materials) to the Friends of the St. Charles City-County Library! Most Library branches can accept up to four medium-sized boxes. They accept new and used books, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, sheet music, jigsaw puzzles, video games, and more.
Getting into grilling? Check out a variety of cookbooks for backyard cooking, including The Ultimate Outdoor Cookbook: All-Day Meals and Drinks for Backyard Entertaining and Elevated Camping Fare by Linda Ly.
In need of a new grill? Looking for a new lawnmower? Do your research before shopping with the help of Consumer Reports, available for free with your library card. Get product ratings, reviews, in-depth advice, and trends written by experts with Consumer Reports digital magazine and ConsumerReports.org.
Hosting a backyard bash? Jazz up your party with giant outdoor games from our Library of Things! Your guests will love playing croquet, corn hole, connect four and more. Then, wrap up the night by exploring the stars with the help of a tabletop telescope kit.
Explore even more ways to celebrate this egg-cellent season with classes and events at the Library! Have a look at this month’s list of classes and events at the Augusta and Boone’s Trail Branches!
Discover Crafting: Reverse-Canvas Carrot Bunch* Saturday, April 1: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Boone’s Trail Branch - adults. Welcome springtime with this reverse-canvas carrot bunch craft, complete with faux shiplap! We will use white chalk paint, craft gel stain, and hot glue guns, so please dress accordingly. This is a repeated class; the previous sessions were in March.
Crafting Connections - Sip & Stitch* Mondays, April 3 & 17: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Boone’s Trail Branch - adults and teens. Bring your current work in progress and join other yarn artists as we sip, stitch, and discuss our projects.
Crafting Connections - I Love Quilts!* Tuesday, April 4: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. What will you create? Meet other quilt lovers at this monthly event.
Canasta - Game On!* Tuesdays, April 4, 11, 18, 25: 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Thursdays, April 6, 13, 20, 27: 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Boone’s Trail Branch - adults. Need to get out of the house? Learn to play Hand & Foot Canasta!
Grow Your Reader: Story Time* Tuesday, April 4: 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - children. Grow your reader with stories and activities that enhance literacy skills.
Coffee and Conversation Thursdays, April 6, 13, 20, 27: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Enjoy a cup of coffee, a sweet treat, and conversation with others in the community.
Crafting Connections - Yarn Arts Thursdays, April 6, 13, 20, 27: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults and teens. Other yarn enthusiasts will keep you company while you work on your knit, crochet, or embroidery project.
Crafting Connections - Make It Sew: Let’s Make an I SPY Quilt (last of 3 classes) Thursday, April 6: 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. This is the last of 3 classes during which we will finish the project.
Crafting Connections - Make-It-Monday* Monday, April 10: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Grab a friend, come to the Augusta Branch, and work on your unfinished projects! Spend all day or just a little while.
Book Discussion - Woman 99 by Greer Macallister* Monday, April 10: 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Boone's Trail Branch - adults. When Charlotte’s wealthy parents commit her beloved sister Phoebe to an asylum, Charlotte knows there’s more to the story than madness. She risks everything and follows her sister inside, surrendering her real identity as a privileged young lady of society to become a nameless inmate, Woman 99. She realizes that many of the women aren’t insane, merely inconvenient, and her search for the truth threatens to dig up secrets that some very powerful people would do anything to keep.
"Read to a Dog" - Tailwaggers - Love on a Leash* Thursday, April 13: 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Boone's Trail Branch - children. Kids can practice reading aloud to an attentive, adorable dog.
Discover Crafting - Beeswax Food Wraps* Saturday, April 15: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 18: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Boone’s Trail Branch - adults. A beeswax wrap is a sustainable wrap that can be used over and over for about a year. It’s breathable and keeps food fresh for longer. Participants will make three beeswax wraps. This is a repeated class; please register for only one session.
Book Discussion - The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill*
Monday, April 17: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults.
The reading room at the Boston Public Library is completely silent one weekday morning until a woman’s terrified scream echoes through the room. Security guards immediately appear and instruct everyone inside to stay put until they determine there is no threat. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers get to chatting and quickly become friends. They each have their reasons for being in the reading room that morning–and it just happens that one of them may be a murderer.
Crafting Connections - English Paper Piecing* Tuesday, April 18: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Learn how to English Paper Piece, a fun method of sewing fabric pieces together.
Book Discussion - A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins* Thursday, April 20: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Boone's Trail Branch - adults. When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Three women with separate connections to the victim–three women who are, for different reasons, simmering with resentment.
Crafting Connections - Plein Air Embroidered Hoop Art* Saturday, April 22: 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Celebrate the art of Plein Air and Earth Day by creating a mixed-media piece of art. We will use watercolors, acrylic, and embroidery to create the design.
Crafting Connections - Children’s Plein Air Paint Out* Tuesday, April 25: 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Augusta Branch - families. This class may involve messy crafts or activities. Please dress to be messy!
Crafting Connections - Plein Air Sidewalk Art Tuesday, April 25: 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 27: 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Saturday, April 29: 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Boone’s Trail Branch - children and tweens. Come discover what Plein Air is all about. This class may involve messy crafts or activities. Please dress to be messy!
*Register at https://attend.mylibrary.org/events or call Boone’s Trail at 636-398-6200 or Augusta at 636-228-4855 for more class information. The Boone’s Trail and Augusta branches are open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 noon. All St. Charles City-County Library branches will be closed Sunday, April 9 for Easter.
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