Dwight Foster Public Library announces activities in March

The Dwight Foster Public Library, 209 Merchants Ave, Fort Atkinson, has announced its March programming and events.

The following opportunities are designed for families and children: 

Pajama Storytime

Pajama Storytime will be held Tuesday, March 14, at 6:30 p.m. Families are invited to arrive in their pajamas and participate in songs and stories led and read by a librarian. Additional storytime opportunities include “Baby Time,” held Thursdays, at 10 a.m.; “Toddler Time,” held Tuesdays, at 10 a.m., and “Family Storytime,” held Wednesdays at 10 a.m. 

Lunch Bunch for Homeschoolers 

Lunch Bunch for Homeschoolers is a program designed to help families who homeschool meet other homeschooling families. The program will be held Wednesday, March 22, from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. The program invites participants to bring a lunch to the library to enjoy while staff members read books, share library resources and offer time to chat and socialize, according to information released by the library. 

Lego Club

The program invites Lego enthusiasts to join as a group and build a Lego creation. The project is guided by a theme, and will be held Monday, March 20, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Creations built by the group will be placed on display at the library. 

Play Pokémon

Play Pokémon offers participants an opportunity to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game with other Pokémon trainers. The program is offered Monday, March 27, from 4 to 5 p.m. Participants are invited to come to trade cards and, for beginners, learn how to play the game.

The following opportunities are designed for adults: 

How to Start Your Own Book Club

How to Start Your Own Book Club offers pointers and tips about starting a book club. The group will be meeting Wednesday, March 8, at 10:30 a.m. 

Friends of the Library Author Series  

Lauren Fox will be featured as part of a Friends of the Library Author Series Saturday, March 11, at 11 a.m. Fox will share insights about and read from her book titled: “Send for Me,” which is among books found on the New York Times bestseller’s list, among others. 

‘Starting Seeds Indoors with Master Gardeners’ 

Representatives from the UW Extension Master Gardener Volunteers will be holding a presentation called: “Starting Seeds Indoors with Master Gardners.” During the presentation, the representatives will share “the finer points of starting seeds at home,” according to information released by the library.  The presentation will be given Monday, March 13 at 2 p.m.  

‘Downloading 101’

“Downloading 101” will be held Wednesday, March 15, at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Each workshop will focus on learning to download apps, digital books, use QR codes, and stream movies and music. Attendees are encouraged to bring a personal device, along with their login information and passwords, to aid in workshop participation. 

Cooking Club

According to information supplied by the library, Cooking Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month and invites members to share recipes for inclusion in the library’s “selected cookbook of the month.” In March, the group will meet on 21st, from  1 to 2:30 p.m. Participants are encouraged to visit the service desk on the library’s second floor where they can choose a recipe to make and share with club members. 

Travelogue Series

Celebrating its 10th year, the Friends of Dwight Foster Public Library Winter Travelogue Series continues to provide community members with an opportunity to share their travels and experiences with those who have interest or might be preparing to make their own traveling arrangements and can benefit from the experiences of others.   

The program will be held in the FCCU Community Room in the library. 

On Thursday, March 9, with programming offered at both  1 p.m. and 7 p.m., participants are invited to learn about France with Jim Marousis and Karen Reinhardt.

Information provided by the library stated: “We will (virtually) fly over to Paris … to see and learn about France. Our next flight we will be going to the land down under.  Listen mates as we discover Australia and New Zealand on March 23 at 1 p.m. with Ken Stetson.  Lastly, we will end our flight in Mexico on March 23 at 7 p.m. with Catherine Wilson.” 

Veterans Café 

Veterans Café provides an opportunity for those interested to “stop by and chat,” the release noted. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Veterans Project Library, and takes place every Wednesday morning between 8:30 a.m. and noon. 

Don Millar, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War, hosts visitors with donated snacks and information. Veteran, their family members and the general public are welcome to stop by.  

“Bring your questions about serving in the military, military history or services for vets,” the release stated. 

StoryCorps

The StoryCorps program invites those who would like to record a conversation for posterity to make use of equipment provided at the library. 

As stated in the release: “We invite you to share and record a conversation with a family member or friend for generations to come with our new Gathering and Sharing Stories initiative.  

“Bridges Library System and Dwight Foster Public Library has partnered with StoryCorps, a national oral history nonprofit, to record and preserve community stories.”

Interviews will be held on Saturday, March 25; Monday, March 27, and Wednesday, March 29.

All stories are recorded with a trained facilitator from Dwight Foster Public Library. Recordings can then be added optionally to the StoryCorps Archive and Library of Congress or kept private based on the participants’ wishes. Participants are given access to their copies of their conversations, according to the release.  

The release notes that the StoryCorps mission is to preserve and share humanity’s stories to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. At the same time, StoryCorps is creating an invaluable archive for future generations online and in the Library of Congress. 

Participants will have up to 40 minutes to record a conversation.   Participants can choose their conversation partner and what they would like to discuss.  The recording is audio only. No video will be taken, the release noted. 

For more information about StoryCorps or other library programming, contact Amy Christian, by email:  achristian@fortlibrary.org or phone: 920-563-7790. Additional information about StoryCorps is found here: https://bridgeslibrarysystem.org/storycorps/.

Looking ahead

According to the release, those looking ahead to events scheduled in April will find: 

Around the Farm with Inga Witscher

According to the release, Inga Witscher, the host of the PBS television series: “Around the Farm Table,” will provide an educational and entertaining cooking demonstration featuring her favorite spring ingredients.  The demonstration will be held, Saturday, April 1, at 11 a.m.

Planting with Pollinators

Master Gardener Julie Hill will present information about different pollinators and how they can increase the quality and volume within area gardens.  The presentation will be given, Tuesday, April 4, at 2 p.m. 

Adult Book Discussion  

A book by Jodi Picoult, titled: “Mad Honey” will be the discussion topic at the Adult Book Discussion to be held in April.  According to the release, the club meets quarterly and selected discussion titles alternate between fiction, non-fiction, and YA.  Picoult’s book will be discussed Tuesday, April 18 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m.  The discussion will be led by Adult Services Librarian Deb Bauer.  Copies of the selected title will be available in multiple formats at the main service desk, the release stated. 

StoryCorps

The StoryCorps program invites those with who would like to record a conversation for posterity to make use of equipment provided at the library. Interviews will be held Monday, April 3.