Greetings from the Great Bend Public Library! Today we start off another full week of programming with our regular Genealogy Thursday at 11 a.m., followed by a Teen Summer Movie (and popcorn) at 3:30 p.m. for teens grades 6-12. “After the Vietnam war, a team of scientists explores an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong and must fight to escape a primal Eden (starring Tom Hiddleston and Samuel L. Jackson; IMDb).”

This evening (June 11) from 5-6 p.m., we are hosting the reception for our current art display, an exhibit by the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas. Join us to celebrate “Mapping the Gap,” a powerful, collaborative, textile art piece made by Kansans representing their experiences with the healthcare system.

This includes Kansans who have lived or are living without coverage and without access to affordable health care. Visitors will be able to not only see pieces up close but also read personal stories illustrated within the work. For the reception, we will have light refreshments, and Alliance staff will be on hand to answer questions.

If you can’t make it today, the exhibit will be available through the month of June.

Looking for more ways to engage with art? After the reception wraps up, head on down to our Adult Craft Night at 6 p.m. Learn about creating resin projects, such as jewelry and coasters. This is sure to be a popular one, so plan on arriving a bit early to save your spot, as it will be first-come, first-served.

Join us at 10:30 a.m. Friday for the second installment of our Adult Show & Tell series. Dust off your heirlooms and dig out your trinkets! We can’t wait to hear everyone’s stories this summer, featuring a different theme each week. Note: Please do not bring in any living creatures. Staff will not be available to help move items. This week’s theme is antique toys!

To wrap up our Friday events, teens can grab a controller and choose your fighter before facing off in some friendly matches of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate during Casual Game Friday from 3:15-4:45 p.m.

Saturday, delve into the past with our new History Book Club, led by Michael Adamyk. We will be discussing One Giant Leap by Charles Fishman, and we are very excited to announce that we will be joined by the author himself! He will be joining us via Zoom during the book club to answer your questions about his book. Don’t miss out on this special opportunity to meet the author!

Little learners, join us at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday for Story Time! Those a bit too old for Story Time but not old enough to attend teen events can check out Tween Scene at 10:30 a.m. This week, tweens going into grades 3-5 can hang out and play tabletop games in the Teen Spot!

Lastly, on Tuesday, we have our next Open Book Club meeting at 7 p.m. This month, we will be discussing Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier, which follows the true stories of two women fossil hunters in the 19th century.

For our next Wonderful Wednesday for all ages at 10:30 a.m., we are joined by Jammin’ Randy, who will have the audience rockin’ to his original songs and learning about dinosaurs! His setlist includes his award-winning song “Dinosaur Stomp and Roar,” along with “The Dino Beat,” “Dino Freeze,” “Rockin’ and Reading Dinosaurs,” and “Dino Chicken Nuggets,” plus all the favorites that fans love to sing and dance to.

On Thursday, June 18, we have this month’s Teen Manga & Anime Club at 5:30 p.m. For June’s club meeting, we’ll be covering “Haikyu!!” by Haruichi Furudate. After the discussion, we’ll play some summer festival games! Copies of July’s title, “My Adventures with Superman” by Tomo Josie Campbell and Pablo M. Collar, will be available for checkout.

If you want to see what else we are up to at the library, stop by and grab our seasonal newsletter so you can keep up to date on all the dino-tastic fun happening at the library this June through August! Find us on social media @greatbendpl and visit our website, greatbendpl.info. You can also message us on Facebook and Instagram, email us at gbcirc@gmail.com, or give us a call at 620-792-2409 with any questions about our programming or services. By Hannah Glass, outreach manager at the Great Bend Public Library.