Month: December 2023

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Year In Review 2023

Year In Review 2023

By: Eric Norris, Manhattan Public Library Director

It is amazing how fast the year goes and supports the old cliché that time flies when you’re having fun!  2023 was a big year for the Manhattan Public Library—we met goals, exceeded expectations, and started making plans for the year ahead.  As we turn the last page of this year, let’s take a quick look back at just a few highlights:

  • New 2nd Floor Layout – We reconfigured the 2nd floor to add more public access computers and improve the reference area to assist patrons.
  • Friends Community Room – With the change above, we were able to able to create more space for the community to meet, and the space includes three vending machines.
  • Record-Breaking Summer Reading – Our “All Together Now” 2023 Summer Reading Program had 3,480 participants who read 2,355,338 minutes, exceeding 2 million minutes for the first time!
  • Growing Book Sales – Our Annual Book Sale raised over $10,000 to support library initiatives, thanks to strong community support. Also, book sales from Rosie’s Corner Used Book Store also help our library serve the community. The 2024 Book Sale will be held February 23-25, helping you get a jump start on your beach reading list! This sale will be held at the library.
  • Library Merchandise – We brought back popular library tees and totes this year. Adult and youth sizes are available while supplies last.
  • Robust Programming – Thanks to support from the Manhattan Library Association, who were recognized in 2022 as Kansas’s premier library friends group, we offered new programs like a Teen Zone art contest and gaming tournaments, Community Craft Night, Book Clubs, Family Dinner Book Club, AI conference partnership with K-State, new themed storytimes, and many more.
  • Sharing the Warmth – Through December 30, contribute to the Community Mitten Tree by donating new mittens, warm hats, and scarves. Your gift could make all the difference for someone this season.

And did you know, a homeowner with a $200K property in Manhattan pays less than $10 per month in taxes for access to the library’s vast wealth of resources, from over 1 million resource items to engaging programs and events for all ages and interests, all free of charge! From skills training to language learning to business development, the library empowers individuals and strengthens our community at its very core.

Important Dates to Remember:

  • Closed December 24 and 25
  • Closed December 31 and January 1
  • 2024 Book Sale: February 23-25

 

Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas, community. Manhattan Public Library serves more than 75,000 people in the Riley County area through curated book and other media collections, knowledgeable staff, relevant programming for all ages, and meeting space. Learn more at mhklibrary.org.

Happy holidays, and we look forward to seeing you in 2024!

 

Eric Norris, Manhattan Public Library Director

by Cassie Wefald Cassie Wefald No Comments

Chilling Reads for Winter

Chilling Reads for Winter

By: Savannah Winkler, Public Services Supervisor

The Winter People: McMahon, Jennifer: 9781101973752: Amazon.com: Books

Winter is one of my favorite times of the year. It’s the season for great food, spending time in good company and staying cozy indoors. In my opinion, winter is also an eerie time of year. The nights are long and the world feels a little quieter than normal. It’s no surprise that, historically, winter has been a time for telling ghost stories or other scary tales. While some may prefer putting “Home Alone” on screen, I’ve always enjoyed a good scary novel or page-turning thriller. If you’re like me, you may be looking for your next chilling read for this winter season. Here are some winter thrillers and horror titles that you can enjoy next to a warm fire or with a cup of hot chocolate.

“The Winter People” by Jennifer McMahon is a suspenseful novel about the strange town of Westhall, Vermont. In 1908, Sara Harrison Shea is found murdered behind her farmhouse following the tragic loss of her young daughter. The story then moves to present day, where nineteen-year-old Ruthie is living in the farmhouse with her family. Ruthie’s mother is agoraphobic, and as a result Ruthie and her sister have had a sheltered upbringing. But when her mother disappears, Ruthie sets off on a journey to find her. She then discovers Sara Harrison Shea’s old journal and the terrifying parallels between Sara’s death and her mother’s disappearance. Set in the harsh Vermont winter, this atmospheric thriller will make you happy to be home and under the covers.

If you enjoy some horror but nothing too scary, you may prefer the children’s book “Dead Voices” by Katherine Arden. Ollie, Coco and Brian are close friends. When Ollie’s dad wins a contest, the trio and their parents set off on a wintery getaway at a ski lodge. But their vacation quickly goes awry. There’s creepy taxidermy throughout the lodge and a blizzard cuts off all power. The three friends start having the same dream of a frozen girl looking for her lost bones. Then Mr. Voland, a paranormal investigator, arrives and offers to help the children make sense of these hauntings. The children aren’t sure who to trust: Mr. Voland or the voices of the dead? “Dead Voices” is the second book in Arden’s “Small Spaces” series. I recommend all four books for lightly spooky reading.

You won’t find any ghosts in “No Exit” by Taylor Adams, but you will meet some terrifying people. Darby Thomas is just trying to get home to see her mother who is dying of cancer. When a snowstorm closes the roads, Darby is forced to spend the evening at a Colorado rest stop. She meets other stranded travelers: cousins Ed and Sandi, Ashley and the off-putting Lars. Darby figures she’s in for a long and boring night with no cell service. Then she steps outside and makes a horrific discovery in another traveler’s car: a scared girl trapped in a dog cage. Surrounded by strangers and not knowing who to trust, Darby must find a way to save the young girl and escape. Her night quickly turns into a fight for survival.

If you are looking for more books to occupy you through the long winter season, the Manhattan Public Library has even more reading suggestions to offer. Stop by the library and check out some of the titles included in our book displays throughout the building. Our December book displays will feature topics such as “Cold Cases,” “If You Like Hallmark Movies” and “Holiday Party Cooking.” Library staff are also available to help you find your next great read.

Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas, community. Manhattan Public Library serves more than 75,000 people in the Riley County area through curated book and other media collections, knowledgeable staff, relevant programming for all ages, and meeting space. Learn more at mhklibrary.org.

 

 

by Cassie Wefald Cassie Wefald No Comments

Home for the Holidays: New Recipes for Old Traditions

Home for the Holidays: New Recipes for Old Traditions

By: Audrey Swartz, Adult Services and Readers’ Advisory Librarian

Art of the Pie: A Practical Guide to Homemade Crusts, Fillings, and Li – Kitchen Arts & Letters

From one feast to another, winter months are filled with reasons to cook, join with family and friends, and eat our hearts out. In my family, feasting also comes with the tribulations of food allergies and aversions. For years, I’ve struggled to find things that will satisfy everyone. You won’t find a casserole on our feast table for several reasons, most because we are picky creatures with even pickier tiny humans to feed. I am also allergic to mushrooms and according to the folks I feed, green bean casserole just isn’t the same when made with cream of chicken soup. I often resort to making copper pennies but am always on the search for a great recipe to bring green beans back to the table.

 

This year I’ve been consulting Manhattan Public Library’s vast cookbook collection and have found several recipes that sound delicious. To keep it simple, I choose to make the “long-cooked green beans with oregano” featured in the “Fine cooking Thanksgiving cookbook: recipes for turkey and all the trimmings.” This recipe takes about an hour to prep and fully cook. Don’t fret, these were great at room temperature and were still a hit the next day.

 

My only true complaint, has nothing to do with the recipe and more the amount of cooking in the kitchen at my house. My mother and I always split the cooking jobs. She handles the turkey while I handle the sides and pies. Since these need to be tended to throughout their cooking process, it made the kitchen a bit crazy for the last hour before meal time. If your house is a one-cook kitchen, one would need to make sure their time management game is strong or this would be a great dish to bring to a meal. I recommend it and will be making these again for my picky veggie kiddos.

 

In my house, rolls are definitely the most loved and eaten side dish. My oldest, on feast day, ate 16 rolls. She is a carb machine. Whatever recipe I was going to try this year, I needed to make a lot of them and make them ahead of time. I eventually picked the “honey-oat pan rolls” in the “Taste of Home 201 recipes you’ll make forever: classic recipes for today’s home cooks.” This recipe was incredibly easy to double and only took a few hours of my pre-feast day meal prep. Having never made rolls from scratch, I was nervous, but this recipe was easy to follow and a huge hit. I will absolutely be making it again and probably tripling it this next time if my children continue down their carb loving paths. Sides have long been my favorite part of feast day, and I am aware most people come for the pie.

 

In my quest to find a pumpkin pie I don’t hate, and that my pie loving family will still enjoy, I turned to Kate McDermott and her cookbook “Art of the pie: a practical guide to homemade crusts, fillings, and life.” Her pumpkin pie reflects the classic recipe you can find on any can of pie filling with the exception of switching out the evaporated milk for lite coconut milk. She concedes that you can use evaporated milk if you like, as I was trying something new, I went with the coconut milk. While this recipe didn’t change my mind on pumpkin pie, it was a major success with the family. The coconut milk added to the savory nature of the pie, which my mother appreciated, and did not take away from the apparent deliciousness. My youngest daughter is a pumpkin pie fanatic and devoured an entire quarter of pie by herself. As this creation did not add any more work to my pie-making time and is a new family favorite, I will continue to make it for our feasts and will concede I am not meant to like pumpkin pie. All the recipes I tried on my family this year were a hit and did not disappoint. I hope you had a wonderful time feasting and enjoying your time with your families, given or found.

 

Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas, community. Manhattan Public Library serves more than 75,000 people in the Riley County area through curated book and other media collections, knowledgeable staff, relevant programming for all ages, and meeting space. Learn more at mhklibrary.org. 

Audrey Swartz, Adult Services and Readers’ Advisory Librarian

 

 

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