June Newsletter: Jump Into June at Your Library!

June Newsletter:

🌈 Jump Into June at Your Library! 🌈

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

Featured: June Reading Lists

Looking for some books to jumpstart your summer reading? Check out one of these featured book lists for June, curated by library staff!

• Rainbow Reads (kids)
• YA LGBTQ+ Fiction (teens)
• Pride Month (teen and adult)
• Celebrate Immigrant Voices (adults)
• Freedom Day (adults)
• Jazz Icons: Stories Behind the Music (adults)
• Once Upon a Crime (adults)

ICYMI: Check out some of last month’s book lists as well!

• Play Ball! (adults)
• Celebrate AAPI Voices: Picture Books (kids)
• Celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (adults)
• Nice Jewish Books (teens and adults)
• Jewish American Stories (adults)

Featured: Summer Reading Challenge Begins!

Get those book spines cracked and those eReaders charged, the summer reading challenge is just around the corner! The challenge runs from June 6 to August 15 and to celebrate we’ll be hosting a Summer Reading Kick-Off party at the library on June 9 from 5 to 7pm. There will be a DJ, princesses, arts and crafts, ice cream, and so much more! Staff will also be on the ready to help you sign up for the reading challenge on elpl.beanstack.org. 

Check out this video for more information:

Featured: Expanding hoopla!

With the new fiscal year, we will be consolidating our digital library; starting Tuesday, July 1, we will no longer offer CloudLibrary, and all titles currently in CloudLibrary will transfer to hoopla. By consolidating our resources, this change will allow us to expand access to hoopla! There are two big ways this will make your reading experience easier than ever:

First, we’re excited to introduce Flex Borrows to our hoopla collection! Flex Borrows give you access to a rotating selection of popular eBooks and audiobooks that work more like traditional library loans; one person can use one copy of a book at any given time. Due to regulations in the publishing industry, many of the new and popular titles you’ll see are only available through the “one copy/one user” model. Flex titles may require placing a hold if they’re currently checked out, but they don’t count against your monthly Instant Borrow limit AND and you can return them early to free up space for another. 

Starting July 1, you’ll have ten Flex Borrows you can use on a rolling basis. This is in addition to the existing ten Instant Borrows available per month, which let you check out titles immediately with no wait; an unlimited number of readers can use the same copy at the same time. Between your Instant and Flex Borrows, you now have up to 20 check-out opportunities each month! This means more choices and greater flexibility in how you enjoy your digital reads! 

Second, we’re also investing more resources towards our Instant Borrow collective cap. On hoopla, our library can only reserve a certain number of Instant titles for our members, and there’s a limit to how many items can collectively be checked out per day. Since we have so many enthusiastic readers, we often hit our collective cap for the day early, meaning people have to wait to check out their books until the daily limit resets. By putting more money towards hoopla, we’ll raise the collective cap, reduce the number of times we hit our daily limit, and allow more readers the chance to check out books instantly!

These changes are our way of balancing our budget with the needs of our readers so everyone has a fair shot to browse the books they want, anytime of day. 

We will continue to offer materials through both Libby and hoopla. Since Libby is provided through Woodlands Co-op, a resource-sharing group that we’re part of, this service will not be affected by these changes. 

Important! If you currently have titles on hold in the cloudLibrary, you will need to place a new hold on the title in hoopla or Libby. Unfortunately, the holds will not get transferred with the titles. We apologize for any inconvenience this move causes.

Please reach out to the library if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks for your understanding as we optimize our collection.

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.

• Land-Based Songwriting Workshop with Elexa Dawson (ages 12+): Friday, June 6, 3-4:30pm:   
  • Discover how the places that made us inform our creativity and worldview with acclaimed Potawatomi singer/songwriter, Elexa Dawson. Sign up at elpl.org.
• Summer Reading Kick-off Party (all ages): Monday, June 9, 5-7pm  
  • Register for the summer reading challenge and celebrate the start of summer! We’ll have free ice cream, special princess guests, music with DJ Kevin, glitter tattoos, arts and crafts, and more!
• Stroller Stories (kids): Monday, June 16, 10:30am-12pm  
  • Join us for a walk from the library to Patriarche Park and back! We will start with a story at ELPL, then walk 20 minutes to the park. On our way, we will sing songs, participate in a scavenger hunt, and finish with a story in the park before returning to the library. Feel free to bring a stroller, a small bike, or simply yourself!
• ML Liebler and the Magic Poetry Band (adults): Monday, June 16, 7pm  
  • Come enjoy a free concert in the library from M.L. Liebler and his band as they combine urban poetry with modern jazz!
• Music at the Blissful - Children’s Concert (kids): Tuesday, June 17, 2-3pm  
  • 6x Boston Parent Paper Family Favorite and National Touring Musician, Music at the Blissful from Boston is coming to the East Lansing Public Library for a high energy, fun filled, interactive, movement packed music experience for the whole family! He will be playing songs off his new album “This”. Come join the fun!
• 3D Design Workshop: Intro to TinkerCAD (all ages 8+): Tuesday, June 17, 5-6:30pm  
  • Want to learn 3D Design but not sure how? No worries ELPL’s steam educator Dr. B will teach participants the basics of TinkerCAD, a free web-based design software. Learn the basics of 3D design, create your own models for digital environments or printing, and have your design printed! Registration required.
• Teen Pride Party (teens): Friday, June 20, 3-5pm  
  • Celebrate Pride with a photo booth, games, activities, snacks, music, Just Dance, and more!
• Henna by Anshu (teens & adults): Thursday, June 26, 5:30-6:30pm  
  • Join Anshu for this interactive henna demonstration with a discussion on culture and traditions! Registration is required. 
• Meet the Maker Studio (all ages): Wednesday, July 9, 11am-12pm  
  • Drop by the Maker Studio for their open house. Learn more about the Maker Studio and its equipment such as the Laser Cutter, Cricut, and more!
• Bubbleman Ron (kids): Wednesday, July 9, 2-3pm  
  • Watch a professional Bubble-ologist make amazing bubble creations!
• Author Talk - Tim Mulherin, This Magnetic North (adults): Thursday, July 10, 6-7pm:  
  • What happens when a place is so beautiful and everyone wants to go and nobody wants to leave? Author Tim Mulherin explores the good and bad of this phenomenon in his book “This Magnetic North”.

Spotlight: Home Improvement Reference Center

Got some projects around the house waiting to be finished, but don’t know what the next step is? Explore the Home Improvement Reference Center and find reference material on maintenance, electrical work, plumbing, gardening, and more! All you need is a library card; get started here. This service is available through MeL.org, which is funded by IMLS. 

ELPL in the News:

• WILX: Join East Lansing Public Library’s Summer Reading Challenge
• 6 in the City: Summer Reading Challenge
• WKAR: East Lansing Art Festival promises entertainment, food and of course art this weekend

Up and Coming Dates:

• The library will close at 6pm on June 18, and remain closed Thursday, June 19, for Juneteenth.
• The library will close at 6pm on July 3, and remain closed Friday, July 4.
• Reminder: we are closed on Sundays through the summer!

Catch ELPL Next Month:

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

• Bubbleman Ron
• Author Talk: Tim Mulherin, This Magnetic North
• Teen Escape Room
• Shark Day
• And more!

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