January 2023 Newsletter: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! We’re so excited to enter another year with all of you. Check out all the things we’re looking forward to this month.

Featured: Year in Review

We had a lot of fun together in 2022! Check out this video year-in-review and look back on some of our favorite memories.

Featured: Centennial Book Club

ELPL turns 100 years old in March! To kick off our celebrations, we’re hosting the Centennial Book Club, and each month we’ll read a book published in a different decade from the last 100 years. 

We’re starting in the 1920s with Agatha Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.” Our first meeting will be on January 30, from 7-8pm. Snacks will be provided. Come celebrate with us and join the discussion!

Featured: Featured Programs

Here are some of the programs we’re looking forward to this month!

• Red Cross Blood Drive (teens and adults): Friday, January 6, 10am-4pm       
  • Book your appointment time at redcrossblood.org/give and use the sponsor code ELPL.
• Self-Care Celebration (teens): Monday, January 9, 3-4pm       
  • Buddy’s PALS will visit with educational comfort dogs to help teens de-stress! We will also have relaxing activities such as large coloring sheets, puzzles, and snacks. The event will end with a raffle drawing for a self-care gift box for teens who attend.
• Hybrid Author Talk - Lori Garver (adults): Wednesday, January 11, 6:30-7:30pm       
  • Lori Garver is a renowned aerospace policy analyst, business executive & philanthropic founder. She’ll be joining us via Zoom to discuss her new memoir, “Escaping Gravity: My Quest to Transform NASA and Launch a New Space Age.” Participants are welcome to join via Zoom at home, or come to the library to watch the event in-person together. 
• Kids Puzzle Day (kids): Saturday, January 21, 4-5pm       
  • Do you like puzzles, mazes, and riddles? Join us for a day of them! No registration required.
• Intro to TinkerCAD: 3D Design Workshop (ages 10+): Wednesday, January 25, 6-7pm 
  • This introductory workshop will teach participants the basics of using TinkerCAD, a free web-based 3D design software.

For more information about these events and others through the month, visit our events page.

Featured: Community Journal Project

ELPL has several journals patrons can borrow and contribute to, all dedicated to the creative musings of our community! With topics like cooking, self-portraits, parenting, work, the supernatural, or books you’ve enjoyed, we hope that everyone can enjoy one of these journals and make a page or two your own.

Each journal has a different theme, and you can check one out and add your content to the journal. The possibilities are wide open; you can add writing, art, collage, etc. When you're done, bring it back to the library and the next person will borrow the journal and add their content. As each journal completes, it will become part of our library collection! Read more here.

Featured: Ways to Support ELPL

Did you know there’s a way to donate to ELPL, without any extra cost to you? If you participate in AmazonSmile or Kroger Community Rewards and designate us as a recipient, Amazon and Kroger will automatically donate a percentage of your eligible purchase price to the library!

To set up AmazonSmile:

• Go to smile.amazon.com and log into your existing Amazon account. 
• In the “pick your own charitable organization” box, type “Friends of the East Lansing Public Library” and click Search.
• On the next screen click the Select button next to Friends of the East Lansing Public Library.
• Shop as you normally would and Amazon takes care of the rest!

To set up Kroger Community Rewards:

• Register online at kroger.com.
• Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering your zip code, clicking on favorite store, entering your email address, creating a password, and agreeing to the terms and conditions.
• You will then get a message to check your email inbox and click on the link in the email.
• Click on “My Account” and use your email address and password to proceed to the next step.
• Click on “Edit Kroger Community Rewards Information” and input your Kroger Plus card number. If you don’t have a Kroger Plus card, pick one up at the customer service desk at your Kroger.
• Update or confirm your information.
• In the "Find an Organization" search box search for "East Lansing Public Library" or you can search for the code "RY312". Then click the "Enroll" button for the library.
• To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see ELPL on the right side of your information page.

The more people we have that designate us, the more rewards we receive! This is a quick and easy way to help support the library on an ongoing basis, at no additional cost to you. We appreciate your help!

Up and Coming Dates:

• The library will be closed Monday, January 16 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Catch ELPL Next Month:

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

• Black History Month Celebrations
• Jane Grace Memorial Youth Poetry Workshop
• Family History Workshop
• And more!

For more information check back to our website or follow ELPL on social media!