March Newsletter: Join Us for Cake & Trivia!

March Newsletter: 

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

Featured: Celebrate our New Strategic Plan!

It’s your lucky day: we’re unveiling our new strategic plan on Monday, March 17 from 3 to 6pm at the library! We’ll begin with a short speaking program to share our plans for the future, then transition to an open house with free cake, giveaways, trivia, and more!

Over the course of the last year our team has been hard at work collecting community feedback through interviews, surveys, and focus groups to build our new plan. This plan will set our priorities for the next few years and guide us as we make decisions about our budget, programming, materials, community partnerships, and other services. 

Thank you to everyone who has provided us feedback as we’ve gone through this process! We can’t wait to see you at our strategic plan unveiling party to thank the community for their participation and celebrate this next step for the library.

Featured: March is Reading Month

Happy Reading Month! March was designated National Reading Month in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday and to motivate people of all ages to find joy in reading. 

To celebrate, this year we’re hosting “Local Legends” StoryTime! During our regularly scheduled weekly storytimes, stop by to read, sing, and play with a local celebrity guest reader.

Looking to share your love of reading with others? You can also try one of our book clubs! We have Books & Bagels for 4th-6th graders, and the ELPL Fiction Book Club, Nature Book Club, and Books on Tap for adults.

Have your own book club and looking for something to read? Try one of our Lit Kits! Lit Kits come with up to ten copies of some of our most popular books, an eight week loan period, and a discussion guide. Browse our available Lit Kits here.

Featured: Seed Library

The seed library is back! Choose from a selection of vegetable, herb and flower seeds to take home, plant, grow and enjoy. Visitors to the library may take home five free packets of seeds per season. You can find the Seed Library collection near the Service Desk, beginning March 10, 2025. 

Featured: Community Writing Center Contest

Calling writers of all ages! The 4th annual Writing Contest from the Community Writing Center at ELPL is here. Submit works of short fiction or creative non-fiction 2,000 words or less by April 20 for a chance to receive cash prizes and be displayed in the library and on its webpage. Authors will be notified of the results by Mid May. Submit works to the google form link here: https://forms.gle/bpPm7BMM7eBgEnaT6

Submissions must meet the following requirements:

• Submissions must be 2000 words or less
• No more than one submission per author
• No submissions that have been previously published in print or online
• Submissions must be in a Word or PDF document,in 12-point Times New Roman font, and double-spaced.
• Label your file as FirstName_LastName_Title
• Please do not include your name or identifying information in the document itself, as the review process is anonymous.

Happy writing!

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.

• Wind-down Wednesdays (teens): Every Wednesday, 3-4pm    
  • Come hang out in the Maker Studio with games, activities, crafts, and space to just wind-down.
• Movie Matinee (teens): Every Thursday, 3-4:30pm     
  • Enjoy a movie in the teen room after school! 
• Pi Day with MSU Math Outreach (kids): Friday, March 14, 5-5:45pm    
  • Join us in celebrating Pi Day with friends from the MSU Mathematics department! Play math games and see how pi shows up in your everyday life in this drop-in program. Learn something new and take home a pi-related surprise! Recommended for elementary and middle school students.
• Teen Leadership Council (ages 13-19): Saturday, March 15, 4-5pm    
  • Join the Teen Leadership Council to have your voice heard and assist and plan teen programming. This is a great chance to gain experience for your resume and earn volunteer hours for community service. 
• Strategic Plan Unveiling Party (all ages): Monday, March 17, 3-6pm    
  • It’s your lucky day! Our new strategic plan is here just in time for spring! Come enjoy light refreshments, some activities and giveaways, and learn more about our new strategic plan and what the library can do for you. 
• Bug Day (all ages): Saturday, March 22, 11-1pm    
  • This open house style event will give families the chance to learn about bug biology, make bug related crafts, and even meet some bugs in person! 
• The Amazing Brain with MSU Neuroscience (ages 6-14): Tuesday, March 25, 5-6pm     
  • Join members of the MSU Neuroscience Program for an educational presentation about the fascinating biology of brains with this fun and interactive event!
• Author Talk - Curtis Chin (adults): Monday ,April 7, 7-8pm    
  • Help us kick off National Library Week with a very special author visit from Curtis Chin! Curtis Chin is the author of the award-winning memoir, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant. The first 50 attendees will receive a FREE copy of the book. 
• The Minds of Animals (adults): Tuesday, April 8, 7-8pm    
  • Join Dr. Mark Reimers as he gives us a tour of the recent discoveries about the minds of animals. This is part of the Spartan Science Seminar Series.
• Books, Bites, & Bids (adults): Friday, April 11, 5:30-7:30pm     
  • Join us for our annual fundraiser, Book, Bites, and Bids. Enjoy a silent auction, catering, beer and wine, live music, and more! Funds raised will be used for local history initiatives. 
• Bicycle Friendly Community Workshop (adults): Saturday, April 12, 10-4pm and Sunday, April 13, 1-5pm    
  • Join us for this 2 day free interactive workshop to discuss how welcoming the community is to people who bike, offer concrete solutions to issues, and provide a holistic view of how to strengthen and grow bicycle networks and programs through an equity lens. Registration required.

Save the Date: National Library Week

National Library Week is April 6-12 this year, and the theme is “Drawn to the Library.” Millions of people across the country visit their libraries every week. What’s the draw? Everything.

From young families stopping in for play and storytime, to students sketching out their next creative project in our Maker Studio, to seniors seeking tech help, and everyone in between, libraries of all kinds help us connect the dots from one part of our journey to the next. Chart your next literary adventure by browsing the stacks or joining a book club. Let an author color your imagination at an author talk, or trace your history with your library’s genealogy resources. Make your mark and get involved with your library by volunteering or spreading the word. Whatever draws you in, the library has something for everyone!

To celebrate National Library Week, we have some special events coming up:

On Monday, April 7 from 7-8:30pm, we’re hosting Michigan Notable Books author Curtis Chin! Chin is author of the award-winning memoir, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, which details his experiences growing up Asian American and gay in Detroit.

Our annual fundraiser Books, Bites, and Bids is also on the horizon! Join us Friday, April 11 at 5:30-8pm for a silent auction, catering, beer and wine, and live music! Tickets to attend are $35 per individual, or $70 per family. Funds raised will support local history initiatives. 

Spotlight: Political Science Complete 

Stay informed about current events with the Political Science database. Designed for students, government researchers, or anyone who wants to be informed, this is the perfect way to get full text peer reviewed articles on political topics with a worldwide focus. Grab your library card and get started! 

Find Us on BlueSky! 

As BlueSky becomes increasingly popular, we’re joining too! Give us a follow! You can also still find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

What’s your favorite social media platform? Let us know!

ELPL in the News:

• WKAR: The East Lansing Public Library has a new three-year strategic plan
• ELi: Library Board Approves New Strategic Plan
• Lansing State Journal: East Lansing police introduce therapy dog Silas at painting event at library
• Lansing State Journal: Photos: Paint With the Police at East Lansing Public Library is a hit

Up and Coming Dates:

• Save the date! Books, Bites, and Bids will be held Friday, April 11!

Catch ELPL Next Month:

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

• Curtis Chin - Michigan Notable Book Author
• Books, Bites, & Bids
• “The Minds of Animals”
• And more!

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