If you enjoy making New Year’s Resolutions, may I suggest some possibilities that will enrich your life? If you have a baby, toddler, or early elementary child in your family, set a goal to read to them for 20 minutes a day, on most days. This takes some effort, to be sure. However, the payoffs of this commitment are enormous, including improved pre-literacy skills, a much greater vocabulary for children who are read to, greater future success in school, and the development of an even closer emotional bond between caregiver and child.
Another suggestion for a resolution that can be fun to keep is to decide to read or listen to a book for pleasure every month this year. Many of us, myself included, enjoy watching movies and TV shows for leisure relaxation. While there is nothing wrong with watching stories unfold on video, this activity does not fully engage our imagination and cognitive processes in the same way that reading does. Even with the best filmmakers, we are limited to the cinematographer’s limited vision of how a story unfolds with movies or television. With a book, your own imagination fills in all of the details and sensory experiences. Reading is fun, but it is also a kind of strength training for your brain.
My final suggestion is to improve your cardiovascular health, boost your mood, and enjoy some low-key social support by coming to “Library Laps” on Tuesday and Thursday mornings this winter, starting January 10 from 9:30 am to 10:00, just before we open for business for the day. During the pandemic, some of our staff discovered that we could get needed exercise in by walking through the stacks before we opened or on our lunches. It is fun to weave back and forth through the stacks doing a brisk walk while listening to music. We will have the south (upstairs) doors unlocked at 9:30, before we open for business for this event. As an added bonus, you may spot a book that you will want to check out and take home during your laps around the library!
Backyard Birds and Feeders
On Monday, January 9 at 6:00 pm, we are excited to announce that Kristi Ridgeway of the Indiana DNR will be here at the library to talk about Backyard Birds and Feeders. Kristi will share tips and tricks to providing food and water for our feathered friends during the coldest months as well as information on identifying birds by sight and sound. The Great Backyard Bird Count is coming up February 17-20 this year, and information from this program can help your family get ready to participate in this fun and helpful “citizen science” activity. The data compiled from the Great Backyard Bird Count truly helps ornithologists, ecologists, and environmental experts all over the country.
January Book Clubs
In January, both of our book clubs are reading West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. Our Evening Book Club meets Tuesday, January 24, at 6:30 pm at the library to discuss this fascinating book based on a true story. The Senior Center Book Club meets Wednesday, January 25 at 1:00 pm at the Golay Center at 1007 E. Main Street in Cambridge City to discuss the book. You can pick up your copy at the Golay Center for the Senior Center Book Club or call 765-478-3335 to reserve a copy of the book for the Evening Book Club.
January News
Toddlers and preschoolers learn through play at Mother Goose on the Loose Story Time, which happens on Wednesdays, January 11, 18, and 25 at 11:00 am at Cambridge City Public Library. Mother Goose Story Times aid in early literacy development. Mrs. Kim will share stories, songs, rhymes, music, movement, and fun with your child. All ages are welcome. No pre-registration is necessary.
Call now to sign up for January appointments for your child to practice reading with Amanda Corman’s trained therapy dogs at PAWS for Reading in January. The dogs had a nice holiday vacation “paws,” and they are excited to return to listen to your child practice reading on Wednesday afternoons on January 4, 18, and 25. Call 765-478-3335 reserve your place.
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