“When I grow up, I want to be a singer!” I was five then. I would stand in front of my life-size poster of Wonder Woman (Linda Carter), and sing You Light Up My Life by Debby Boone, and imagine being Wonder Woman. I would listen to this song repeatedly as it was on a 45 RPM vinyl single. I was in the 4th or 5th grade when I decided I wanted to become a veterinarian, but that dream didn’t last too long, I hate seeing animals in pain. When I was in high school, I wanted to become a paleontologist, I dreamt of someday discovering a new dinosaur and being able to name it. It is a dream I never lost, I still love digging in the dirt and finding cool rocks. When I graduated from high school, I was going to join the Peace Corps; hoping to be sent to Africa to see all the wildlife and then come back and go to college. Life didn’t happen that way, life is full of love, challenges, and loss and enough of my dreams have come true to make my life worth living. I know that I will meet my great-grandchildren someday, and I still intend to go on a dinosaur dig, as a volunteer!
Working at a library was never a dream of mine but this June will be my 14th anniversary. I was four years old when I learned how to read and I have always loved books, that new book smell, turning each page, my eyes devouring the words. Reading has allowed me to explore new places and make new friends like being an astronaut trapped on Mars, solving crimes, or traveling back in time. In between the pages of a book, wishes are granted, dreams come true! When you work at a rural library, you take on the role of every job, from taping and covering books, ordering, cataloging, interlibrary loans, researching, and programming. I fully believe Librarians created the first acronyms!
Speaking of programs, we have been busy planning this year’s Summer Reading Program, the theme is Adventure Begins at Your Library. The kickoff party will be July 6th at the Ritzville City Park, Joshua J Superstar will be here performing his side-splitting comedy, and nail-biting circus stunts with tons of audience participation! The official start of our 6-week program of activities will be July 8 th and the finale will be at the city park on August 17th .We have youth and adult programs so there is something for everyone! Follow us on one of our social media channels, sign up for text or email reminders, or our newsletter for more information.
The library has so many programs for you every month we could take up pages but here are just a few of the ones coming in May.
On Mondays at 10 am, bring your Pre-K kids in for Preschool Storytime, each week has a different educational theme. After the stories are read, they will have a themed craft and a sensory bin to play in. On May 20th , bring your toddler to listen to a story read by a local firefighter!
Your kids between the ages of 8 ad 12 are invited to Page Turners, our youth book club held on the first Wednesday of the month at 3:45 pm. They are welcome to stop by the library and pick up a free copy of the book for their library at home! On May 1st, the book will be Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun, “Readers will cheer on Pippa Park in this wonderful middle school book about friendships, bullying, crushes, and family. In this relatable story, Pippa reinvents herself and discovers who she really is on and off the basketball court.” They will eat snacks and do crafts related to the book. Even if your kids didn’t read the book and just wanted to do some fun crafts with friends, they are welcome to come!
You will find the Ritzville Readers, the adult book club, at Mi Jalisco Restaurant on the 3rd Saturday of each month at noon. On May 18th, the theme is new author/genre, you are encouraged to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. If you need recommendations feel free to contact us, we love talking shop! Don’t have time to read, no problem, feel free to just stop by for some stimulating conversation and delicious Mexican cuisine with friends, all adults are welcome!
You can find craft days for kids and adults where each can have fun learning new skills or brushing up on old ones. Crafternoon is for kids and is on the first Friday of the month, on May 3rd , you can send the kids at 3:00 pm and make May Flowers. As we all know, “April showers bring May flowers, and what do Mayflowers bring?”
Crafty Corner is the craft day for adults on the second Saturday of the month. You can come on May 11th , at noon, and create macrame Mermaid Keychains, the cost is $5.00 per person. Come have a few laughs while macrameing with friends!
Interested in learning something new and weird? Harriet Baskas, May’s Humanities Washington Speaker, will be here Saturday, May 11 the at 5:30 pm. She will tell you all about the “Weird, Wonderful, and Worrisome Objects in Washington State's Museums.” She explores a wide range of hidden objects found in the back rooms of museums in our state and around the country. Some of the things you will hear about include a Spokane institution that holds Bing Crosby’s toupees and a museum in Lynden that’s home to a 150-year-old pickle. Come join us for this mystical, marvelous, and mysterious program!
If you want to keep up-to-date on all our scheduled programs, check out the calendar on our website at www.ritzvillelibrary.org or stop by the library and pick one up at the Circulation desk. We hope to see you soon!
Heidi Harting Acquisitions/Local Historian
