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Summer Reading is OVER!

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Joplin Public Library’s annual Summer Reading Program began May 30th and will run through July 23rd, with the theme “All Together Now”. 

No Library card is required to participate in the Summer Reading Program; however, for the third year, the Joplin Public Library is extending the offer of a free Summer Reading Library card to EVERYONE! No matter your age, or where you live, you are eligible for a free JPL card to be used from May 30 through July 31. You may check out physical items from the Library including books, DVDs, and more – AND – you can use the card to access our digital resources. As always, Joplin Public Library cards are always free for in-city residents of Joplin, simply bring a recent piece of mail and your photo ID to the Library to register.

The JPL Summer Reading Program is a free program designed to keep the public reading, learning, and discovering all summer. After sign-up, children, teens, and adults alike will participate by tracking the minutes they read or listen to their favorite materials (books, magazines, newspaper, audiobooks, etc) on a paper gameboard that is handed out in the Library, or on the easy, free, and fun “Beanstack” app. Goals for each age group are set accordingly, and are very achievable. Adults will allow pre-readers to participate by tracking the amount of time spent reading to the young child. As participants achieve their reading goals, and complete fun and interactive self-moderated activities, they will earn prizes, plus, entries into generous grand prizes giveaways that are made possible thanks to many local sponsors! All participation is self-guided and completely optional.

Another aspect of the Summer Reading Program is fun, educational, and theme-based Library-hosted events. Summer events include the Library’s regular child-friendly programs – storytimes, lego club, dog day afternoon reading times, and books clubs – but families can also enjoy special programs courtesy of nationally known speakers who will visit Joplin. The list includes The Fishin’ Magicians, Will Parker, Jay & Leslie’s Laughing Matters, Mad Science, and Fire Dog!  Teens will have several chances to connect thanks to partnerships – one with the Missouri Department of Conservation for an escape room program and two others with the Library’s Makerspace, which will allow teens to test out their creativity and undertake random acts of kindness. Plus, traditional offerings of chess and anime/manga will remain on the slate of events.  New to the lineup for adults are monthly opportunities for yoga, a crosswords and coffee, and an anime/manga meetup. The public is invited to participate in the variety of programs, as desired. Find the comprehensive calendar of events here: https://www.joplinpubliclibrary.org/calendar/

Registration for the Summer Reading Program is ongoing, visit joplinpubliclibrary.org/summer-reading to sign up today!

NEW Virtual Tour

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Have you ever been unsure of where to go as you entered the library?  Are you using the same resources over and over because you don’t know what else we may have to offer?  Our NEW virtual tour is for YOU!  We hope this tour will allow you to find your way in the library, and encourage you to learn more about all the amazing community resources we provide!

Iconic Joplin

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The Library’s Teen Department has participated in an exciting opportunity highlighting local history research and STEM skills. Iconic Joplin is a contest in which teams of 12-16 year-olds study a Joplin-area landmark and recreate it in LEGOs. It is an official event of Joplin’s Sesquicentennial celebration this year.

Thirty teens divided up into six teams which worked together over the next four months. The teams kicked off their work in December 2022 by getting to know each other, selecting a landmark, formulating an initial plan for their build, and creating a mini-build to symbolize their group. As they researched their sites, teams had access to local history resources including primary source material to help them. On the construction side, teams had an option to consult with an expert (engineer, architect, LEGO master, etc.).  Teams had the option for a site visit, where appropriate. Each team also had a modest budget they could spend on specialty LEGOs for their build.  

The Joplin Public Library was one of three local sites hosting Iconic Joplin teams along with the Joplin History & Mineral Museum and the Creative Learning Alliance, our local STEAM center. Host sites partnered to provide space, staff assistance, and guidance during the eight Saturday sessions it took to create the builds. 

The six landmarks chosen ranged from historic to contemporary buildings to geographic features of the area. One of the teams hosted by the Joplin Public Library portrayed Grand Falls, a picturesque waterfall that was a recreational hotspot at the turn of the 20th century, and utilized both light and motorized elements to create the falls. Another Library team picked our new building as a contemporary landmark, depicting it cutaway-style to showcase both the exterior elements and interior decor. Teams from the Joplin History & Mineral Museum also used cutaway-style builds to recreate their landmarks, Crystal Cave (a mineral-rich underground cave/recreational spot) and the garage apartment site of the infamous 1933 shootout with Bonnie and Clyde. Teams working at the Creative Learning Alliance built Joplin’s Union Depot, a transportation hub for the area, and the Olivia Apartments, a historic building which had burned prior to recent renovations.

The teams’ completed builds went on display to the public April 13 at Joplin’s Spiva Center for the Arts. The LEGO landmarks will be available for viewing there through May 13.  The public is invited to vote for their favorite Iconic Joplin build; brief videos about the builds along with voting are available at https://tally.so/r/3q4lK7 The contest will culminate in an awards ceremony on June 8 to present prizes for people’s choice, technical skill, authenticity, and creativity.

An adventure which has been much more than just piecing plastic bricks together, Iconic Joplin has provided opportunities for teens to explore their community, creativity, problem solving, and analytical skills. 

Iconic Joplin is the creation of local entrepreneur, Lisa Nelson, who envisioned a way to provide teens with opportunities to build STEM skills while creating ties to their communities. Nelson’s venture, Landmark Builds, was born while constructing LEGO sets with her teenage son and was developed through the Idea Accelerator program of Builders and Backers.

MLA Conference 2022

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In an effort to better serve our patrons, Library staff are continually learning and growing in their fields. Recently, several Joplin Public Library staff attended the Missouri Library Association Conference, held in Springfield, MO. The focus of this year’s conference was reconnection with a goal of envisioning what is next for libraries, engaging staff, and empowering patrons.

Each staff member was able to choose which lectures to attend with choices like Performers Showcase, Library Outreach 101, Readers Advisory, and more! JPL’s Library Director, Jeana Gockley, was a featured presenter. Her talk, “From the Ground Up: Creating a Friends of the Library”, was well attended.

Another highlight from the conference was that Christina Matekel-Gibson, JPL’s Children’s Librarian, was awarded the Patt Behler Call-to-Conference Award. The Patt Behler Call-to-Conference Award is sponsored by the Youth Services Community of Interest (YSCI) and is offered to introduce working librarians to the activities and programs of Missouri Library Association (MLA) and YSCI and to encourage involvement and on-going participation in the professional activities of those organizations.

In speaking about the conference, Matekel-Gibson said, “I enjoyed being able to connect with librarians from all over the state to share ideas and celebrate our mutual love for libraries and literacy. The opening keynote with Marlene Chism about moving from conflict to connection was especially impactful!”

Each staff member is excited to put into practice what they have learned, and are already looking forward to next year’s conference!

 

New Penworthy STEAM Kits Announced

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Joplin Public Library has added twelve STEAM and phonics kits to their collection, thanks to a Missouri State Library-funded grant. These kits are geared toward children and teens, and library cardholders can check out one kit at a time for three weeks.

Four kits will be housed in the Teen Department and can be checked out at the Teen Desk or Reference Desk, and eight will be housed in the Children’s Department and can be checked out at the Children’s Desk.

The STEAM-to-GO kits contain high and low-tech toys and games from Penworthy books that are designed to foster hands-on learning. Available STEAM kits include: Money, Math, and Economics; Letters and Numbers; Yoga for Mindfulness; Tot Game Night; Green Energy; Building and Design; Explore the Outdoors; and Family Game Night. Available phonics kits include: Ready, Set, Kindergarten; Biscuit Phonics; Pete the Cat Loves Preschool; and Little Critters Phonics.

STEAM-based learning is foundational in helping children and teens develop a variety of skills, including problem-solving, collaborative learning and critical thinking through hands-on learning. Though the Library currently offers select STEAM kits, this grant allows the Children’s and Teen departments to meet the needs of more families in more diverse ways.

This project is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

For information on these kits or to reserve one, visit the Library’s catalog at https://www.joplinpubliclibrary.org and search “STEAM to go,” or contact the Children’s or Teen Departments (417-623-7953).

Young Artists Gallery Exhibit

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We’re glad to partner with Post Art Library for the inaugural exhibit of our Young Artists Club!

Open to children through age 12, the Young Artists Club meets monthly to learn new art techniques and make artwork. Exhibited here are their self-portraits, which they learned how to create in April.

Join us on Friday, May 13th from 4pm-5pm for the Young Artists Gallery closing reception.

For more information about the Young Artists Club, visit the Children’s Library or call 417-623-7953 x 1035.

Art in the library is curated by Post Art Library.

PAL Holiday Tea to feature The Opus 76 Quartet

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This year, we’ve partnered with Post Art Library and Pro Musica to bring The Opus 76 Quartet to the library for the annual PAL Holiday Tea!

Join us on Saturday, December 4, 2021 for one of two performances:

  • 10-10:45AM: Enjoy a delightful morning Bach-a-Bye Baby performance featuring author/narrator Leia Barrett in a new musical take on the classic tale of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”
  • 2-3:00PM: Enjoy an afternoon performance of classical string quartet favorites. Specifically, A. Dvorak: Quartet No.12 in F Major, “American,” Op.96 and The Danish String Quartet: Selections from Woodworks. At the end of this performance, PAL will give away their take-home Holiday Tea kits while supplies last.

From its hometown of Kansas City, The Opus 76 Quartet has become recognized in journals worldwide for its entertaining and energetic interpretations of the classics. Which is to say we are very excited to welcome them to our library!

These programs are free and open to the public. Registration not necessary.

PLEASE NOTE: in an effort to offer safe programming, masks will be required for all attendees ages 2 and older (per CDC guidelines), regardless of vaccination status.

The 2021 PAL Holiday Tea is a partnership between Post Art Library, Pro Musica, and Joplin Public Library. For more information about this event, contact PAL Director Jill Halbach at 417-623-7953 x1041 or jhalbac@postartlibrary.org.

Art Exhibit: The ABCs of Folklore and Slang

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The ABCs of Folklore and Slang, an exhibit featuring 26 linocuts by artist Deby Gilley, is open now through Sunday, May 30, 2021 in The Bramlage and Willcoxon Foundation Gallery located off of our main lobby.

Inspired by positive feedback about the titles she gives her works, this series is based on an alphabetical sequence of key letters of the words within the titles. Gilley created these works, which reflect an Ozark heritage, using the relief-printmaking process.

“I am hopeful that my chosen images and titles offers a new and refreshing experience to the use of the slang and familiar sayings. Some of the images are people and animals that I know very well,” said Gilley.

Her book, The ABCs of Folklore and Slang Told in 26 Linocuts, was released in 2020. For more information, contact Post Art Library director Jill Halbach at 417-623-7953 x1041 or jhalbach@postartlibrary.org.

Art in the library is curated by Post Art Library, a 501c3 not-for-profit arts organization located inside Joplin Public Library.

Post Mail Art Projekt 2021: Show Me Mail Art

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In 2014, Post Art Library put out an international call for mail art for an exhibit inside the library that has since turned into this project. In addition to accepting mail art submissions on an ongoing basis, they release active calls for mail art that coincide with exhibiting their collection. We’re excited to share that we’ve partnered with Post Art Library and Connect2Culture for Post Mail Art Projekt 2021: Show Me Mail Art!

This international call for mail art is open to anyone who would like to participate, with residents of the State of Missouri (USA) being particularly encouraged to participate in celebration of the Missouri Bicentennial. How cool would it be if we received 200 pieces of mail art from Missourians in addition to those from across the country and the world?!

Inspired by Missouri’s unofficial slogan – “show me” – the theme for our 2021 call is “Show Me Mail Art.” What’s something about your hometown/state/country/etc. that you would like to show the rest of the world? Show us! Mail art may be addressed to:

Post Mail Art Projekt 2021: Show Me Mail Art
c/o Post Art Library
1901 East 20th Street
Joplin, Missouri 64804
USA

…One of the tenets of mail art is that it’s reciprocal. As such, if you send us mail art (that includes your return address), then we’ll send you a mail art thank you. Be well and in the mail!

Starting Thursday, July 1, 2021, Post Art Library Mail Art Take-Home kits are available on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last. Adult kits may be picked up at the Reference Desk; Teen kits may be picked up in the Teen Department; and kid’s kits may be pick up in the Children’s Department.

Post Mail Art Projekt 2021: Show Me Mail Art is a collaboration among Connect2Culture, Joplin Public Library, and Post Art Library, all 501(c)3 not-for-profit organizations located in Joplin, Missouri. #PMAP2021 will be on exhibit inside the library from March 1, 2021 through January 31, 2022. For more information, visit Post Mail Art Projekt or contact Jill Halbach at 417-623-7953 x1041 or jhalbach@postartlibrary.org. This project is endorsed by Missouri 2021, an initiative of The State Historical Society of Missouri.

Please note: no returns (i.e. mail art pieces will not be returned to senders); documentation (i.e. participants will receive mail art in return if they include their return addresses); not all pieces received will go on exhibit, though they will be added to Post Art Library’s mail art collection; and your mail art may be digitized and may appear on Post Art Library’s website, social media sites, or in a digital library collection (with attribution to the sender, of course). Please do not send perishable items.

Art in the library is curated by Post Art Library, a 501c3 not-for-profit arts organization located inside Joplin Public Library.