December 29, 2020 – While you may not be able to attend in-person programming in the library right now, your Nevada County Youth Librarians are continuing to offer enrichment opportunities for ages zero to 18.
Beginning in January 2021, Book Boxes will be available for preschool, early readers, school age, and teens at your favorite library branch. Each box will contain a free book as well as crafting or art supplies. Two weeks after getting the Book Box, on the third Wednesday of the month at 2:00 p.m., make sure to attend the Break Out Book Club where kids and teens will meet via Zoom and break out into discussion groups based on which box they got. Other all ages activities include a weekly Mindfulness Meditation on Sundays at 8:00 a.m. as well as a monthly Family Craft activity with an instructional video the first Saturday of each month at 7:00 a.m., both can be found on the Library’s Facebook page, facebook.com/nevadacountylibrary.
Teens have a collection of fun activities scheduled this spring. For lovers of anime and manga — Otaku Club is now on Discord. Stop by the Grass Valley Library to pick up a Japanese-inspired craft bag and discuss your creations during the meeting Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. On Fridays at 4:00 p.m., the Library’s Discord is all about Dungeons & Dragons. There are even grab-and-go bags available at the Grass Valley Library that contain a mini figure, a character sheet, pencils, and D&D dice.
“I miss getting to meet with the teens each week at the library,” said Mellisa Hannum, Youth Services Librarian. “I hope our Discord discussions can be almost as much fun as our in-person chats.”
Besides the Break Out Book Club, teens also have the option to attend the Forever Young Book Club. Created for teens and adults, this club meets the third Friday of each month at 5:00 p.m. on Zoom and discusses the reasons why we love young adult books so much. And if you’re feeling like a little more low-key creativity is what you need, Teen Wellness is available on the Nevada County Community Library’s YouTube channel on Fridays at 9:00 a.m.
Tweens can look forward to Art Attack, a program that focuses on different art materials and techniques. Youth Services Librarian Jill Davidson, who got her BA in art, will bring her knowledge and creativity to the class. Get ready for some amazing insights on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. on Zoom.
“I love art and being creative, and I’m really looking forward to working with the tweens!” said Davidson.
The fantastic STEAM program, Random Acts of Science, continues on the Library’s YouTube Channel on Mondays at 8:00 a.m. and replays on Facebook on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. for all those experiment-loving school kids. Plus, school aged children can practice their reading with animals during the weekly RUFF! Paws to Read collaboration on Zoom each Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.
Finally, preschoolers have a plethora of Storytimes available for them. Baby Storytime with Miss Amy is available on Mondays at 10:30 a.m. on Facebook. Book Boogie Storytime with Librarian Mellisa is each Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. on Facebook. Truckee Community Storytime is each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. on Facebook. Librarian Jill and Teri sing and dance during Preschool Storytime on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. on the Library’s Instagram. The third Saturday of each month, Pajama Storytime offers some relaxation techniques and a bedtime story at 7:00 p.m. on Facebook. If you don’t have reliable internet, not to worry. Librarian Mellisa records a weekly Dial-A-Story. You can reach it by calling (530) 296-6468. And just to make sure you have the supplies for an active Storytime, Starter Kits are available for pick-up at the Grass Valley Library and feature a shaky egg, scarf, and bubbles.
While they may not be able to see you in person, the Library’s Youth Services staff wants to make sure they’re as involved in early literacy, STEAM, crafting, and geekery with local kids and teens as they’ve always been.
“While getting to see everyone in the library is wonderful, one of the nice things about virtual programming is that anyone can join, be they in South County, in downtown Grass Valley, or up in Truckee,” said Hannum.
More information and program descriptions are available on the Library’s events page, madelynhelling.evanced.info/signup/calendar.