Library News

Quilling Club

Quilling has been around since at least the 15^th century, yet this technique of creating artwork from paper manages to remain fresh! The library has a drop-in quilling club that meets on the second Wednesday of each month—November 12—from 6:30-7:30.  All skill levels are welcome.  Bring your own supplies or use some of ours to work on projects together, show each other new techniques, and share ideas.

Art of Tarot

Due to a shipping issue, this program has been postponed until October 27 at 6:30.  There are still a few spots left if you want to transform your favorite tarot card into a 3D work of art using frames, jewels, paint, and more.  Registration is required, ages 18 and up.

Gourd Vases

Celebrate fall or enhance your Thanksgiving table with a vase made out of a dried gourd!  Whether you decide to gild the gourd or bejewel it, you will end up with a unique way to hold your flowers.  Join us (and our gourds) on November 4 at 6:00 p.m.  Registration is required, ages 16 and up.

Children’s and Teen

LITTLES

Enter if you dare... to a Books & Blankets storytime full of fire-breathing fun and mythical mayhem! Brave young adventurers will face thrilling tales of wild dragons and enchanted lands. We'll read epic stories, chant bold songs, and unleash our fiercest roars. Families with little ones ages 8 & under can register by calling the library at 517-647-6981. The adventure begins in the Children’s Sensory Garden on Thursday, November 20 at 6:00 p.m. No fire-breathing experience required— just imagination!

Get ready to create art that’s perfect for the spookiest season! Young artists, ages 5 & under, will get all the supplies in a Take-and-Make bag to paint colorful webs for our creepy, crawly spider friends. Registration for Web Wonders begins Thursday, October 23.

MIDDLES

Calling all creative minds ages 8–12! Love drawing, writing stories, making comics, or just sharing your ideas? Come join Scribble Press! Each session, we’ll make our very own mini-magazines (called zines!) filled with art, jokes, adventures, and anything else your imagination dreams up. Remaining meeting will be Thursday, November 13 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. No experience needed—just bring your curiosity and creativity!

It's the time of year to Create Your Holiday and make a gift that truly shines!  Beginning Friday, November 14, Middles patrons, ages 6-12, will decorate their own picture frame using colorful faux gems and plenty of sparkle. Whether you go for dazzling patterns or all-out glitter glam, you’ll have a frame that’s a one-of-a-kind treasure ready to wrap up and give to someone special.

Virtual STEM Club: Code the Halls gets patrons ages 6-12 ready to celebrate the holidays with a dash of coding! Using simple code, you will design and decorate your own candy cane ornaments.  Grab a Take-and-Make bag beginning Wednesday, November 19 and combine creativity with technology, showing how coding can make the season sparkle.

TEENS

Are you a creative teen with a passion for storytelling, social media, or making videos? The Teen Advisory Board is calling all content creators to help launch and grow our brand-new YouTube newscast! We're laser focused on showcasing the library's awesome teen programs and events. We need your ideas, energy, and vision. Meetings are Saturdays October 25 and November 15 at 12:00 p.m. in the Community Room. What are you waiting for? Be a part of the fun! TAB welcomes all teens, ages 13-18. Stop by the Youth Desk and register today.

Teens 13-18 will mix up their own batch of slime that changes color right before their eyes! While they stir, stretch, and squish, they’ll learn how temperature, light, or special pigments can make slime shift shades. Starting Tuesday, October 21, Virtual STEM Club Teen Edition: Color Changing Slime Take-and-Make bags will help blend chemistry with creativity for a gooey, color-changing good time.  

Teens, need a way to unwind or relieve the stress of school? Portland District Library has your back! Drop into the Community Room with Play It Forward, the ultimate club for teens (13-18) who love games. Flex your gaming skills with a classic board game or through an epic video game challenge. Play games, eat food, have fun! Play It Forward meets Tuesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on October 28 and November 25. Registration is not required.

Lit Loot is in full swing! What is Lit Loot? It is a monthly subscription box for teens (13-18) that contains 2 books (that you read and return) and curated loot (that you get to keep)- from stickers, to crafts, to snacks and more! There is a new genre each month: October - Historical Fiction, November - Supernatural, December - Non-Fiction. Sign up today at the Youth Desk for your 3 month subscription and let your next chapter begin!