Madison Library District hosting monthly activities geared towards its Centennial Celebration
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REXBURG — A local library is celebrating its 100 birthday with a year-long celebration for community members.
The Madison Library District reached this milestone on Dec. 28, 2021. Gina Miller, the children’s and teens programming librarian, said the library planned to celebrate last year leading up to the birthday but due to COVID-19, the library pushed the festivities to 2022.
“We decided to do it this year so we could do a lot of fun programs (in person),” Miller said. “We’re calling it our Centennial Celebration to celebrate the existence of the library in Rexburg.”
To kick the activities and events off, The Madison Library Foundation, a nonprofit that helps raise money for the library to support its financial needs, held an essay contest. The winners were announced at the beginning of January and can be found here.
One submission will be published on the organization’s website each week for the community to read. The essays will also be printed and available in the Wishing Well Bookstore in the library. The children’s essays are currently on display in the library.
“Some people described the importance of having a library and of being able to go in and lose themselves in the books,” Susan Thomas, president of The Madison Library Foundation, recalled about the essays’ messages. “Some people described important connections with family members that introduced them to the library.”
Along with the essays being published by the foundation, the library has a theme planned for each month of the year that correlates with specific decades. The activities in January are based around the 1910s, and by the time December approaches, the library’s theme will spotlight the 2020s.
“In March, it’ll be the 1930s, so the adults are going to recreate the 1930s with sewing events,” Miller explained. “For the children, we’re picking picture books that were published in that decade (to read for storytime) … and for the kids in middle school, we have science technology engineering art and math (activities). … we’re looking at things that were invented in that decade.”
The library is also doing “Books for Balloons” for ages 0 to 18. Those interested in participating must pick up a read and track sheet from the library to track their reading. Once a certain amount of pages or books are read, the person’s name is written on a balloon and hung up in the library. Their name is also entered into a drawing for prizes that will be awarded at the end of the year.
To recognize the 100 years, there are commemorative library cards available all year long for people who want to bring in their current library card to receive a new one for free. Anybody who signs up for a library card will also receive the commemorative card.
“It has our new logo on it and a little bookmark on it that you can use to put in your book,” Miller said. “It’s awesome.”
Miller hopes people will take advantage of the library and the activities that are planned to celebrate it throughout the year.
“The great thing about the library is that we have stuff for ages zero all the way up through if you’re over 100 years old,” Miller mentioned. “It’s a wonderful resource for the community, and we like to let people know that we’re here, we’re open and we’d love to have them come by.”
For more information on upcoming events, visit the library’s website or Facebook page.