Happy New Year from the staff and volunteers of the library. We are so excited for 2025! We hope this year brings you great joy! January is named for the Roman god Janus, protector of gates and doorways. January’s birthstone is the garnet, and the flower is the carnation. Some observances in January are: Book Blitz Month, Get Organized Month, International Creativity Month, National Hot Tea Month, National Soup Month, New Years Day - 1st, J.R.R. Tolkien Day - 3rd, Twelfth Night - 5th, Bean Day - 6th, Snuggle A Chicken Day - 8th, National Save The Eagles Day - 10th, Appreciate A Dragon Day - 16th, Answer Your Cat's Questions Day - 22nd, and Chinese New Year – 29th.

There was a nice crowd as several families joined us for the Jamerson Family Movie night on Thursday, December 19th, watching a much-loved Christmas classic and enjoying Christmas cakes and juice.

We had a tie for the Jamerson Library’s Christmas Tree Counting Contest! We said we would draw for the winner in case of a tie, but an employee brought in more candy so that both patrons could be winners! Our winners are Mya Campbell and Shanell Dotterer. They both guessed 47 pieces of candy in the glass Christmas Tree jar, and the actual number was 48. Congratulations to both our winners! One hundred thirty patrons took a good guess with numbers ranging from 20 to 600. This fun, interactive contest is just one of the many fun extras this library provides our patrons.

Over 30 kids showed up to build with Legos, enjoy hot chocolate and take home a build-able block Christmas ornament for the Jamerson Hot Chocolate & Lego Party on Friday, December 30th. It was so popular that we actually ran out of Christmas Tree cakes, and we had plenty!

Out with the old and in with new! That includes you and your local library! We have been making some big changes, revamping our collections, changing up our displays, offering new programs and more! If you haven’t stopped by in awhile we encourage you to come check us out! We are growing in lots of positive ways! Want a new you? Stop by to use our computers, update your resume, learn a new craft, attend a program or event, find cookbooks, self-improvement books, or start a new tradition with a family movie night. Learn to crochet a blanket — we have you covered, pun intended! There are just too many new things to name!

Watch us grow! The library has started adding lots of items to our checkoutable kits. Learn to make chocolate bombs, cake pops, origami animals, or learn how to twist up animal balloons, sew on a mini sewing machine and more. We have plans on adding a few new items as well! Be sure to stop by and check out our quickly expanding collection of kits, machines, and other items.

December was a very busy time for the library, and we have posted photos of these events on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/JamersonMemorialLibrary). Be sure to give us a like and a follow on all our social media venues: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, BlueSky, and YouTube. We keep growing!

On December 27th the Cookbook Book Club met; this month’s theme was Lov’n Leftovers. A library employee brought in a soup made from the leftover spiral ham bone for ham and bean soup. Our next Cookbook Book Club will be Friday, January 24th, starting at 12 p.m. January’s theme is “Warm and Toasty.” Bring in a much-loved cookbook, a sample of the recipe you want to share, (examples: pot of soup, a casserole, loaf of bread, or a crockpot creation) and copies of the recipe. The library will provide plates/bowls, plastic utensils, and napkins but you must provide your serving implements. This program is intended for adults (yes gentlemen, this means you, too).

The library will be closed on Wednesday, January 1st, 2025, for the New Year’s Day Holiday. Our book depository, located at the back of the building, will remain open during this time.

Don’t forget to join us for J.R.R. Tolkien Day as we present the documentary “The Real Middle Earth: Creating the Lord of the Rings” in our community room on Friday, January 3rd starting at 4 p.m. Journey with us in Tolkien’s footsteps and investigate the landscapes and buildings, places and names that helped shape Middle Earth. Sir Ian Holm (Bilbo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Ring) narrates this fascinating exploration into an imaginary world that seems so real. Is this because the foundations of Tolkien’s imagined world were inspired by very real places? Find out when you join us in honor of J.R.R. Tolkien Day!

If you have any questions or concerns about this article or other library-related topics, please feel free to call us during normal business hours at 434-352-5340.

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