Lego Club
Thursday, March 12th
from 3:00-5:00 p.m. 

Get creative with everyone's favorite building blocks! Build with our stash of Legos once per month on the second Thursday.  

Learning Safari: Fun with Gourds
Wednesday, March 11th

at 10:45 a.m.

Learning Safari is a special story time and art class for preschoolers in partnership with the African American Museum

This month we're having fun with gourds! Did you know that you can make a number of things out of gourds? We'll talk about the different ways that people in Western Africa used gourds and even decorate gourds of our own!
Movie Day!
Tuesday, March 17th at 1:30 p.m.

Families are invited to munch popcorn and watch this band of high-tech heroes in action! 

Game Day
Wednesday, March 18th 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Drop in and play with our stash of board, card and video games anytime between 1:30-4:30 on Wednesday, March 18th. Feel free to bring your own games and stake out a table in our meeting room to play. Children 9 and under must be accompanied by a caregiver.
Family Time

(All Ages)

Mondays at 6:30 p.m.


Got the Monday blahs? Start your week off right by coming to Family Time! Each week will feature a different activity appropriate for all ages and open to everyone! We'll have crafts, movies, games, and seasonal activities to get the whole family geared up for the week. 


March Events: 

2nd - Paper Bag Jellyfish
(30 minutes - Ages 3+)
9th - Movie Night: Tinkerbell and the Legend of the Neverbeast
(76 minutes - Rated G)
16th - Lego Night
(30 minutes to 1 hour - All ages)
23rd - Bedtime Stories
(30 minutes - All ages)
30th - Play-Doh!
(30 minutes - All ages)
 

Story Time Schedule
This season, our story time themes are going to focus on the alphabet and learning our letters. Each week, we're going to present a letter of the alphabet and provide stories, songs, and activities to go along with that letter. Check our calendar and website for each week's theme, and bring your little ones for a fun (and sneakily educational) story time. *There will be no story times March 31-April 3.

  

Toddler Time

(18 months-3 years)

Tuesdays & Fridays at 10:00 a.m. 

*No Toddler Time March 31 & April 3

(20 minutes)

Toddler Time is a great way to build early literacy skills and a love of reading from an early age! We do lots of songs, rhymes, fingerplays, and books that will keep even the wiggliest toddlers engaged and learning!

 

Preschool Story Time

(3-5 years) 

Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 10:45 a.m. 

*No Story Time March 31 & April 1 

(30 minutes)

We have lots of great stories to share with your preschoolers! On top of the books we have fun songs, rhymes, and activities for you and your kiddos!

Baby Time

(Newborn-18 months)

Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. 

*No Baby Time April 2nd

(15 minutes of structured time followed by 15 minutes of free play)

 

Baby Time is a language enrichment program just for babies. It is an enjoyable time for you and your child full of rhymes, short books, bounces, and much more!


Learn all about our library building project!

We have selected a developer for our building project. All documents are posted at our website, including updates from Library Director Doug Raber, and our Cost Benefit Analysis.

Find out what's in the future for the library! Visit our website and click on the Inspire logo, or go directly to the information here: marionpubliclibrary.org/inspire.

Mark Your Calendars 
April
8 Learning Safari
9 Lego Club
12-18 National Library Week
28 Doodlebugs
In This Issue
Library Info
 
Library Closed Friday, April 3 and Sunday April 5

Hours:  

Monday-Thursday  

9:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Friday-Saturday 

9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday 

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

 

Website

 

Marion Public Library

319-377-3412

1095 6th Ave. 

Marion, IA 52302

 

Facebook 

Pinterest 

Doodlebugs: E is for Editions

Tuesday, March 24

at 10:45 a.m.

Doodlebugs is a hands-on art appreciation class for preschoolers and their caregivers made possible by thCedar Rapids Art Museum. We share stories, learn about how art is made and about the lives of famous artists, then we make our own masterpieces! 

 

This month we will learn how editions, for both authors and artists, are the number of times something's been printed from the same plates. We're getting messy today as we learn about how printmaking works! 

Babble & Brew: Playtime for Them, Coffee for You

Tuesday, March 31st 

Drop in between 10:00 and 11:30 a.m.

Longing for grown-up conversation? Want to reclaim your sanity, but need a place where your little ones will have fun, too? Do you want to network with other parents in our community? Really like coffee? Then Babble & Brew is for you! We will have high-quality coffee from Wit's End Coffeehouse for the adults, and lots of exciting and age-appropriate toys for the kiddos (newborns-preschoolers).

1000 Books Before Kindergarten!
Ongoing

Children ages 0 - Pre-K

Our new reading program is designed to help parents prepare their children for one of life's big milestones: kindergarten. Research has proven over and over that children get ready to read years before they begin their formal education. The most effective way to get your child ready to learn is to read to them. We hope to foster a love of reading, an appreciation for the library, and healthy and happy bonding time for children and their caregivers as we encourage you along the way.  You can sign up online by clicking here. Then stop by the Children's Desk, and we'll get you started with a log! 

Book a Trip Across America!
All Ages Reading Program

Book a Trip with us at the library! This year-round reading program couldn't be easier: we have logs with maps available for everyone, and all you have to do is read books. Check off each state as you read a book that either takes place in that state, is about that state, or is by an author who is from that state. Read fiction or non-fiction. We've provided lists of suggested titles for kids, teens, and adults, but you can pick your own titles, too!


When you check off a state on your reading log, you can come in and get a colored dot from one of our staff, then go put it on the state you've just finished! We are all having fun watching as Marion Library readers read their way across the USA!
Get Caught Reading! 
National Library Week: April 12-18

 

Sign up for a time to show off your love of reading in our Book Nook! We want to keep it filled with a reader during all of our open hours during National Library Week. We'd love your help and support! Will you consider stopping in at the Marion Library and reading? For more information and a chance to sign up click here.