All library locations will be closed on Thursday, July 4th for Independence Day.
Posted on Monday, April 18, 2022 by Alyssa
I could throw out the oft-given opinion that society is more divided than ever. I’m not sure I completely agree with that, but I do know that mending division often happens face-to-face and at the individual level. Continue reading “Human Library: Unjudge Someone”
Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 by cs
Lots of events are coming up: Easter, graduations, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays and many more. And what do we usually do at these events? Take pictures, loads of pictures. Our kit this month shows how to make a photo wall hanging of these pictures in black and white. You can certainly do this in color, but we wanted to highlight the black and white photo look.
These kits will be available while they last in all of our branches on Friday, April 15. You may pick them up at the reference desk at the Columbia library and near the service desks at our other branches. For other photo craft ideas, try this list.
Posted on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 by Ida
Baseball is happening folks! We can all exhale now. Let’s celebrate by checking out what our library has to offer on the topic of this great national pastime.
Missouri is blessed with two teams who have won the World Series in dramatic, wilder-than-fiction fashion. Relive those days of triumph with one or more of these DVDs:
“2015 World Series”
“2011 World Series Champions: STL”
“St. Louis Cardinals Vintage World Series Film, 1982, 1985, 1987” Continue reading “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”
Posted on Monday, March 28, 2022 by Jason Delpire
The subject of this blog was initially inspired by reading a coworker’s work. I wanted to find books that combined two of my loves: music and cooking. So, I searched the catalog for “cookbook” and “music.” The first result was “That Sounds So Good” by Carla Lalli Music. What did I expect, right? Though it was clearly not what I was looking for, the title did interest me. Sigh, the focus of the blog changed, again. There are musicians with their own cookbooks, here is a short list with some of those titles, which includes choices ranging from Sammy Hagar to Snoop Dogg. Continue reading “Read the Recipe! Vol. 7: “That Sounds So Good””
Posted on Friday, March 25, 2022 by Reading Addict
“Houses are really quite odd things. They have almost no universally defining qualities: they can be of practically any shape, incorporate virtually any material, be of almost any size. Yet wherever we go in the world we recognize domesticity the moment we see it.”
― At Home: A Short History of Private Life”
Posted on Monday, March 21, 2022 by Sew Happy
Once upon a time I had an indigo dye pot: a ten gallon bucket in the shed under the walnut trees in my back yard. It was the star of any crafting party I held. Sometimes we were overdyeing a yellow and then a quick dip would pop a green color. I remember one afternoon where one table was dyeing with red madder, another was carding wool for spinning and a circle under the beechnut tree had gathered to spin. Then there was my indigo pot with its pungent smell and colorful drying racks. Continue reading “As Blue As Indigo”
Posted on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 by cs
Get ready for spring by adding a bit of color to your life. This simple craft uses decorative paper, wooden washers and a little Mod Podge to create a colorful pendant necklace. All you need are scissors or a precision cutting knife and a pencil — everything else is provided.
These kits will be available while they last in all of our branches on Friday, March 11. You may pick them up at the second floor reference desk at the Columbia library and near the service desks at our other branches. You can try these library resources for other DIY necklace ideas.
Posted on Friday, March 4, 2022 by MaggieM
I recently learned a new-to-me Missouri saying, “the spring peepers freeze three times before it’s spring.”
At our house this year, we first heard the bright calls of these well-known frogs on a warm moist evening about three weeks ago. We knew the forecast called for the temperature to drop precipitously overnight, with the rain changing to sleet and then snow. The peepers did not seem to know this. They were silent the next night, and a good thing because the world was covered in six inches of snow. Continue reading “Spring Peepers Freeze Three Times Before Spring”
Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 by Jason Delpire
Cooking hacks. We’ve all seen them on various social media sites, and we’ve all been lured to watching a video proclaiming to save time or simplify an overly-complicated technique. In my opinion, some hacks are just trying to sell us gadgets for specific tasks. Whenever I see a hack video or a gadget ad, I think of Rene Russo’s character from “Tin Cup.” When we meet her character, she’s laden with a variety of junk that’s supposed to make her a better golfer, but instead it just confuses and complicates the process. I think time-tested versatile techniques are vastly more useful than so-called hacks (but, if you’ve read anything I’ve written previously, you probably could have guessed that would be my opinion). Though, to be fair, there are some tricks kitchen folk use, but these are usually to avoid moving from our prep station or to avoid clutter, and not to magically complete a task. Continue reading “Read The Recipe! Vol. 6”
Posted on Wednesday, February 9, 2022 by Abbey Rimel
If you pay attention to your library, you’ve learned by now that we provide books, movies, music and scads of vetted information through databases. One thing you may not immediately think of when you think of the library is personal fulfillment. A pandemic can do a lot to suck the joy out of everyday life and we’re here to help you recapture some small measure of enjoyment. This winter, squeeze some peace, calm and personal enrichment into your day, compliments of your library.
Join a Poetry Group
I’m not a poet, but I’ve co-hosted a poetry open mic before and it’s an amazing, cathartic and warm experience. The poets who join us are always supportive and encouraging of each other. The poetry always comes from the heart and I come away inspired to find new ways to express my own feelings and experiences through words. Most importantly, I learn that caring, thoughtful people are all around me and it makes me feel better about the world.
Take a chance on the upcoming Virtual Open Mic Poetry Reading on Tuesday, February 22 at 7-8 p.m. Join us live viz Zoom at this open mic event co-hosted with the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers’ Guild. Share your own original poems, or just listen and enjoy. Register to watch: www.dbrl.org/open-mic. If you’d like to be a reader, please also sign up at http://dbrl.me/rp. We will have a limit of 12 readers.
Explore Your Creative Side
I’m also not much of an artist, but I’ve always really enjoyed entering the “flow state” with paper and pencil or brush and canvas. With art, there are no rules, only guidelines. It’s very freeing to mix your own colors, draw your own lines and create a world straight from your own mind.
If you need a little jump start, why not sign up for the upcoming Winter Paint-Along on Thursday, February 17? The session is in person and runs 6:30-8 p.m. in the Friends Room of the Columbia Public Library. Join Lisa Franko from Access Arts for an enjoyable evening of guided painting. Ms. Franko will lead you through the basic techniques of acrylic painting. All supplies provided, and beginners and all skill levels welcome. This program is for adults and teens, and masks will be required. You can register here: www.dbrl.org/paint-along. The Callaway County branches at Fulton (February 22) and Holt’s Summit (February 24) will feature the same program, led by librarian Lisa Stock, later this month.
Family Game Night
Family. You live with these people. Your relationship has weathered some of the worst days you’ve ever known and you’re still working your way through every day together. Let’s celebrate with some fun and games! Dust off your Monopoly or Risk game, pop a little popcorn and gather round! If your family also happens to be into chess, make sure you tune in for Chess: Opening Moves on Tuesday, February 8 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. This event will be live via Zoom and it will be led by experienced chess player Jason Delpire, who will discuss the opening, why masters make certain decisions and how to decide on your first moves. Intended for players who know chess notation, though there will be a quick refresher. This program is for those ages 10 and older. Register here: www.dbrl.org/chess.
Explore Fiber Arts with Creative Bug
Whether it’s knitting, crochet, weaving or sewing, CreativeBug has a course for you — and it’s all free with your library card! Beginners and experienced crafters alike will find projects and how-to videos for a wide range of fiber arts. I can’t imagine anything better than a nice knit pair of mittens as a lovely Valentine’s gift, or just an everyday way to say “I care.” As a fair knitter and a halfway decent crocheter, I love the sense of satisfaction I get after completing a cute little baby hat or a handy little pouch to keep special mementos. Find your next project today!
Plan Your Spring Garden
You know it’s coming, but sometimes the darker days of winter can all but erase memories of spring. Break out of the doldrums and break out the seed catalogs! Browse the library catalog for garden inspiration. We’ve got great ideas for vegetable and flower gardeners alike!
While I’m not a Pollyanna, I am relentlessly hopeful that the library can make a difference for our community by showing them that there are little bright spots in the world, no matter how cold or dark winter may be. Keep looking for them and we’ll all be there together when the sun shines on us in the spring!