It’s that time again to fill out those end-of-year reports. The Hamilton City Library has had an exciting 2023. Three grants have been awarded to the library this year-just to name a few! Lots of work and preparation during 2022 made a couple of grants happen and patrons turned out to see what it was all about. Jan. 3, 2023 began the all-time favorite event “The Spice of the Month Club.” Hamilton Library was given 20 packets prepared by the Greenwood County Extension Office in Eureka with the first spice, “Chinese Five Spice” plus two recipes and an informative history sheet telling about the spice. About 10 days later, all 20 packets were handed out and the team of Greenwood County libraries decided to increase the distribution for the next spice. For the rest of the year, the library handed out 35 packets each month. Over 35 people were signed up so they looked forward to picking up their spice bags at the earliest possible time.
“Passports” were picked up at the beginning and throughout the year. If you got eight stamps on the passport, you were able to pick up a prize that was donated to the library, specifically for that reason. If you had 12 stamps you could choose another prize and also, one for the 16 stamps by the end of the year. Stamps are still being given on the passports so drop by and see if you earned a prize.
The library hasn’t had any Reading Challenge sheets turned in, however, the library would like to see how you did on reading books this year from the list.
Maybe you were at the Hamilton Days Parade and saw our Mayor driving his truck downtown with our beautiful yellow banner with the Greenwood County logo. The banner was shared with Eureka, Madison, and Fall River Libraries different times of the year.
The library had sixteen children participate in our Summer Learning Program during the months of June and July. In August, there was an awards night with prizes handed out and ice cream was served with toppings.
Eleven of the fifteen books awarded with the Kansas Notable Book Awards were purchased with a grant. Other books and dvds were purchased from funding of the Seed Grant. The library had a mini art show with all ages painting on 20 tiny canvases and displayed on an easel. Three different-aged patrons received a gift certificate for their winning entry. Ten patrons from the library entered the county wide bookmark design contest. The four county winners (four age groups) had their bookmarks printed off and 2x2
were distributed to the four county libraries to hand out. The library still has some if you are interested.
There has been a memorial fund established at the library for Roger Rhoades, who passed this year. Roger is the brother of Beth Inwood, Hamilton City Library’s Director. A few books have been purchased in his memory.
Another event (take and make OR make and take) at the library was Zen Gardens. Other things that Hamilton patrons were a part of was the adult colored pencil drawings, the adult water colored pencil paintings, the Creative Circle Group of eight people shared their items made by hand-paintings, quilts, pillows, flowers and houseplants shared with others, etc. The library had a plant swap and the library now is a Seed Library. This coming spring, ask to see the variety of seeds that the library has on hand for your vegetable and flower gardens. Inwood wants to know who else plants their sugar snap peas in February in the snow.
Since school has started last fall, the first Friday of every month at 11:30 a.m. children are invited to storytime. A book or two is read, the kids do a craft activity or game and there are snacks before books are checked out and they go out the door.
Speaking of children’s books…Our library just got a double sided rolling cart for large Easy Read books and some bins for the board books and Juvenile Easy Read books. Please look at that area of the library and see the “Face Out “ displays where you and your child can see the pictures on the front of the cover, instead of a shelf of spines.
Some of these events were made possible during 2023 with a Dream Grant, the Kansas Notable Book Grant and a Seed Grant.
