Sad People Music – Vol 2.

Posted on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 by Dana

 

My sadlings, you have returned for more Sad People Music!

This time of year is filled with complicated emotions and lots of memories. When everyone is pushing the “holiday cheer,” sometimes you just want permission to be a downer. Sad music helps us know we’re not alone. Luckily for you, I have even more sad songs to add to the playlist you put on repeat when you’re all in your feelings. Continue reading “Sad People Music – Vol 2.”

Sad People Music

Posted on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 by Dana

It’s getting colder, the leaves are falling, the days are getting shorter.
That’s right kids, it’s sad people music season.
Sad people music is a mood. A vibe. It’s songs for when you want to feel your feelings. Wallow in bed and be miserable for a little while. Let someone else perfectly describe the angst of existing as a sentient creature on a rock hurtling through space. There is a kind of joy in knowing that other people have felt like us, have worried like us, have cried like us. Continue reading “Sad People Music”

First Time Cosplaying Tips

Posted on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 by Laura W

First time cosplay tips

I’ve wanted to cosplay for many, many years. Before this year, however, I never had the courage. I always assumed that I would take up too much space, that people would look at me too much. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that taking up space is not actually a bad thing. If people judge me adversely for cosplaying, that’s their problem, not mine. With this in mind, I recently created my first costume! One of the absolutely hardest parts for me was starting. With many projects, it can seem incredibly daunting at first. Luckily, we have many resources here to help with that. Regina made an absolutely wonderful list of costuming books. Though it’s labeled as being for Halloween, many of the titles work year-round! If even a book is overwhelming, keep reading for my list of how to get started. Continue reading “First Time Cosplaying Tips”

Kanopy Horror Classics

Posted on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 by Megan

What’s your favorite scary movie? Personally, mine is John Carpenter’s “The Fog.” If you are looking for something spooky, ghoulish, ghastly, horrible, AND FREE – then we’ve got you! 

Hosting your own scary movie night is fiendishly easy with your library card and Kanopy! Below is just a small sample of the movies you’ll find on Kanopy. Pop the popcorn and get your bucket of candy ready for a perfect movie night! Continue reading “Kanopy Horror Classics”

DIY Rainbow Headband

Posted on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 by Megan

A toy baby Yoda with colorful hair and pom-poms. Text reads DIY Rainbow Headband

Are you headed to Mid-Missouri Pride Fest on September 28th & 29th, 2024, and need to spruce up your ‘fit with a fun accessory? Then keep reading! You can create a beautiful rainbow work of art by using things you probably already have at home. With a bit of glitter and glue, you’ll be on your way to looking fabulous in no time! Continue reading “DIY Rainbow Headband”

DIY Swiftie Scrunchies and Headbands

Posted on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 by Anna

In 2008, in the basement AV room of the public library, my dad handed me a couple CDs he thought I might like: Paramore’s Riot and Taylor Swift’s Fearless. It’s been 16 years, and I love my public library (and Taylor Swift) more than ever. If you, like me, have never been able to go to one of her shows and you, like me, wish her merch was a bit more accessible ($75 for a t-shirt, Taylor?), we hope you’ll enjoy making these Taylor-themed scrunchies and headbands! Continue reading “DIY Swiftie Scrunchies and Headbands”

dear body of water: a poetic water-harvesting project 🌊

Posted on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 by Grae

Did you know the Missouri River — also belovedly known as the Big Muddy, the Mighty Mo, and Mnišoše (“turbid water”) by the Dakota and Lakota — is the longest river on the North American continent?! This wide river of silt and sediment churns its way for over 2000 miles from western Montana down across and through six other states to merge with the Mississippi and on to the Gulf of Mexico, and its watershed drains around 1/6 (!!!) of the United States’ landmass over an area of 500,000 square miles. If you’re not a numbers person (🎶it’s me, hiiiiiii!🎶), here’s a visual representation of the breadth of the Missouri’s drainage basin, highlighted in light green below:

Image of a map of the continental United States of America (no Hawaii or Alaska) with six major river basins highlighted in light green, light blue, pink, gold, dark blue, and yellow. The river basins highlighted include clockwise the Missouri River basin (in green), the Upper Mississippi River Basin (in light blue), the Ohio River Basin (in pink), the Tennessee River Basin (in gold), the Lower Mississippi River Basin (in dark blue), and the Arkansas-White-Red River Basin (in yellow).

It will never not be astonishing to me that here in Mid-Missouri we are so close to such a robust and essential body of water and river-system, one that I believe deserves our reverence and respect. If you feel the same way, I encourage you to participate in Dear Body of Water, a communal interdisciplinary art project dreamed up from the scientifically poetic mind and experience of Gretchen E. Henderson. Continue reading “dear body of water: a poetic water-harvesting project 🌊”

Why “The Lord of the Rings” Movies are Better Than the Books

Posted on Wednesday, July 10, 2024 by Laura W

"Laura's Love of Lord of the Rings Part 2" with a stylized sword, wizard, elf, and Hobbit hole

Obviously, I am an avid lover of books. In fact, I love books so much that I am one of those people who thinks that the book is almost always better than the movie. Don’t get me wrong, I love adaptations; There are some that are incredibly well done. For instance, the new Percy Jackson series on Disney Plus is insanely good. They did a fantastic job capturing what made the books so magical for so many people. But generally, no matter how good I think a movie is, I still tend to think the book is better. There is just something about the medium of literature that cannot be outdone. This fact holds true for everything except one of my all-time favorite series: “The Lord of the Rings.” If I believe that books are better than movies nine out of ten times, why would I change my mind for arguably one of the most influential series of the 20th century? Read on to uncover the mystery. Continue reading “Why “The Lord of the Rings” Movies are Better Than the Books”

Why Everyone Should Watch “The Lord of The Rings” Movies

Posted on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 by Laura W

Cover image that says "Laura's Love of Lord of the Rings: Part 1"

 

If you’ve read any of my other blogs, you’d know that I am a lover of all things fantasy. I pretty much essentially only read fantasy. I play mostly fantasy video games. If I could dress in fantasy inspired clothing every day, I absolutely would. My love of fantasy started pretty young, but the one franchise that really solidified it for me was “The Lord of the Rings.”

I first saw the movies when I was about 12 years old. From that point on, I have consistently watched them at LEAST once a year. I genuinely believe that everyone should watch those movies, regardless of whether they’re into fantasy or not. Here’s my top 3 reasons why: Continue reading “Why Everyone Should Watch “The Lord of The Rings” Movies”

Book & Canvas Wall Art

Posted on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 by Megan

Getting rid of old books is hard, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! If you have old books lying around that are slightly damaged or maybe you got an updated edition – don’t throw them away. Turn them into art! We love repurposing old books here at the library and below we have listed all the supplies and instructions you need to turn your old books into a masterpiece. Continue reading “Book & Canvas Wall Art”