February Newsletter:

Check out what’s going on at the library in this month’s newsletter.

Featured: Love Letters to Your Library

Share your love for ELPL! We’ve got a “Love Letters to the Library” station set up on our new books shelf. We’ll make a collage on our wall with all the hearts to celebrate Valentine’s Day!

Featured: February Reading Recommendations

Looking for your next great read? Check out some of our recommended reading lists for January:

Featured: Upcoming Programs

Library programs are free and open to the public; you don’t even need a library card! Unless otherwise noted, no registration is required.

Black Threads Exhibit (all ages): on display through the month of February!
- Stop by the meeting room to see the exhibit on loan from the MSU Museum!
Clothing Repair-A-Thon (all ages): Saturday, February 14, 1-3pm
- Come learn how to mend your own clothes with the help of library staff and volunteers! Mending supplies will be provided. Tea and cocoa will also be available. Drop-in anytime during the event.
- Here are the guidelines:
  - 1 clean garment in need of repair, per person
  - For all ages. Children under 10 must be accompanied by a grown-up.
  - Come ready to learn!
Lansing Symphony Orchestra Family Series (Children and Families): Sunday, February 22, 2-3pm
- Enjoy free musical fun for the whole family with cellist Dooeun Lee! This event is part of the LSO’s Family series designed to provide young children and their families with high-quality, accessible, and engaging artistic experiences.
Teen Movie Matinee (teens): Monday, February 23, 3-4pm
- Watch a movie after school with popcorn and some craft supplies!
Once Upon A Genre Book Club (adults): Monday, February 23, 7-8pm
- Join us on the last Monday of the month to talk about a book from a different genre. This month we will be discussing the historical fiction book James by Percival Everett.
Michigan Avian Experience (all ages): Tuesday, February 24, 7-8pm
- Meet live birds of prey and learn about how to protect them and their habitat! This event is generously sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited, East Lansing. Space is limited, please sign up online.
Teen Escape Room: Sherlock Holmes (teens): Saturday, February 28
- Help Sherlock Holmes find his most prized possession before it ends up in the wrong hands. Register for one session.
- Session 1: 2-3pm
- Session 2: 3-4pm
Teen Cooking Lab - Candy Sushi (teens): Monday, March 2, 3:30-4:30pm
- Sign up online!
Medicare 101 (adults): Tuesday, March 3, 1:30-2:30pm
- Join us for a free beginner-friendly Medicare workshop covering Parts A-D, enrollment windows, dental benefits, and how to avoid common mistakes. Learn what Medicare covers, key deadlines, and tips for choosing a plan that fits your needs. Bring your questions—this is educational only, with no sales pressure. Perfect for adults 65+ and caregivers helping loved ones navigate Medicare.
Fraud Prevention with AARP (adults): Thursday, March 5, 1:30-2:30pm
- This free session will arm you with the latest on fraud trends, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and crypto currency, and provide tips and resources to protect yourself and your family. Program provided in partnership with the AARP Speakers' Bureau.
Robotics Day (all ages): Saturday, March 7, 11am-1pm
- Engage your curiosity at science stations exploring robots and their operation, express your creativity with robot-themed arts and crafts (while supplies last), and meet and operate some real-life robots! We'll be joined by local experts from MSU Extension, the MSU Office of Future Spartan Engineers, the ELHS Robotics Team, and more!
Community Plant & Seed Swap (all ages): Sunday, March 8, 1:30-3:30pm
- Share garden seeds, seedlings, houseplants and outdoor plants with one another. Participants can also find free seeds in ELPL’s seed library!
Homeownership Education with MSU Extension (adults): March 10 & 11, 6-8pm
- Learn about the advantages of homeownership, the steps in the home buying process, the costs of homeownership, the importance of good credit, how to determine how much house you can afford, mortgage loan basics, and how to maintain your investment! You’ll receive a certificate of completion good for one year, which satisfies the homebuyer education requirement for MSHDA loans and down payment assistance, USDA Rural Development loans and many other lenders. Sign up for this free class online.

Save the Date: National Library Week

Save the date for National Library Week, recognized this year from April 19-25. The 2026 theme is “Find Your Joy,” and we’re so excited to celebrate all the ways that libraries spark delight, wonder, and happiness in your life.

Our celebration will look a little different this year. For fourteen years, we ended the week with our annual fundraiser, Books, Bites, and Bids, which was created and organized by our talented and beloved former Community Development Coordinator, Phyllis. However, we're taking a creative pause this year! We're excited to experiment with new ideas and formats, exploring different ways to bring our community together in celebration and support. Stay tuned for what's next!

Spotlight: Explora for Educators

Are you an educator trying to pull articles from an academic journal to show to class, find multimedia assets to show for Black History Month, or looking for biographical information about important historical figures? Use Explora for Educators to cross-search professional resources from the following eResources:

Academic Search Complete
Biography Reference Center
ERIC
Professional Development Collection

In addition to searching across multiple databases, Explora for Educators also includes research tools such as curriculum standards to make sure you’re hitting state guidelines, a research guide to help guide students with their research projects, and a citation guide that covers the most common citation styles used.

ELPL in the News:

Upcoming Dates:

The library will be closed Monday, February 16, for Presidents’ Day.

Catch ELPL Next Month:

Be on the lookout for more excitement in March! ELPL will be sharing featured reading lists, book displays, and programs throughout the month. Some of the library programs will include:

Robotics Day
Teen AI Literacy Workshop
Plant and Seed Swap
And more!

For more information, visit the library’s website or follow ELPL on social media!