Article submitted by Starke County Chamber of Commerce Director Brenda Palmer
Wednesday, May 18, 2022, In preparation of the June 2nd Centennial Open House from 2:30pm – 6:30pm at the North Judson-Wayne Township Public Library, the Starke County Chamber of Commerce met with members of the library to perform a Ribbon Tying Ceremony. Ribbon Tying is a tradition to show how a long-standing business or organization within a community ties the community together. At the open house there will be refreshments and tours given to showcase all the amazing ways the Library works to tie the community together.
There will be four local authors available for book signing. In attendance will be Ron Richie, Philip Potempa, Gilbert Arzola and Dean Wickert. Enjoy a moment to meet the authors and purchase a book from them.
The Director, Kelsie Purcell explained some of the coming attractions that are making waves at the library. First up, in celebration of the Centennial the library has gone fine free! This news comes as a lovely bonus to families that have little ones that get stuck on a favorite bedtime book and just need to keep it a little longer, or a resident that is so close to being finished but has not had time to complete the final 50 pages of a book. It is a small thank you to the community for continuing to use the library. If you lose a book or fail to return it after 6 months there will be a charge.
A new addition to the growth is in the make your space room. They are adding a Cricut, Mug Press, Heat Press and soon a sewing machine. These items can be used by anyone with a North Judson Library Card and free training will be offered to keep everyone safe when using them. If you have a project you want to try out then bring in your t shirts, mugs or whatever items you are interested in working on and give it a go. There will be STEM kits for kids and Lego kits for kids to play with. These programs help to build interest and bring foot traffic to the library. If you have supplies you would be interested in donating the library could use more vinyl, thread, needles and such for the make your space room.
This year there is an adult themed reading program based off the classic game Clue. When you read a book, you will be given a clue and the first person to complete the challenge will receive a grand prize, the people that complete the puzzle this summer will be entered into win a prize at the end of the program. There are also reading programs geared toward different age groups, birth to 18 months, 18 months to 3 years old, 3 to five and then Kindergarten to 5th grade. Good wholesome fun for all. While visiting the library be sure to walk the Storybook Path at Norwayne Field. As you walk the path you follow along with a story. It is becoming a tradition among many local families to enjoy this beautiful park and teach a love of the written word to the children.
If you have access to North Judson Library and do not live in North Judson you can get a card by showing a card in good standing from another library. This is really helpful for people working in the area. The important thing is to support your local libraries. There is a lot of history and love inside those walls.
