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It’s June and the flowers are blooming, everything is green and even the temp has been pretty nice. I mean how many times do you go to a softball game at 6 p.m. in June wearing a sweater and still you are cold? Isn’t Kansas wonderful?!

Well so is the library, at least in my opinion. If you’re not sure about that, you need to come in see what is going on and make your own opinion. Of course, if you have ideas to help make it even better please let us know. We love to get new ideas.

So what is going on? The kids programs are in full swing. This year is “A Universe of stories” We are covering a lot about outer space. We have story hour for kids 3 years old to kindergarten, “Reading Under the Stars” for 1st grade and up. There are activities and games for 1st grade and up and movies for all ages.

If that isn’t enough, the Ellsworth County Health Department is doing programs on “Staying Safe in Your Space”; the K-State Extension office is doing programs on “A Galaxy of Food and Exercise”; and the Summer Tutoring program is going as well. Moms — don’t believe your kids when they say,“There’s nothing to do!”

Don’t think for one minute that we forgot the grownups in the community, because we would never do that. We have Book Club at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 23; Genealogy Club at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 27; the “Last Wednesday Walk” from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 26, at Krizek Park, in conjunction with the health department, Ellsworth County Medical Center and K-State Midway Extension office) for PTSD awareness month.

We are still sponsoring the Yoga classes and the painting classes as well. Please call or come in to get more information.

If you are wondering about the “Free Summer Food Program” it starts Wednesday, June 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the basement of the library. We know it’s been a bumpy start but hope all goes well. Please spread the news!

I do have something that I think is pretty exciting ... we are getting a new microfilm reader that not only will make searching the newspapers easier, it will also have the capability of scanning 35 mm slides in black and white or color. Not sure when we will have it but it will be in the near future. Be watching and I will let you know when its here.

Now, if you are not into getting out and doing activities but would rather just veggie and read, we have a lot of new books available. Here are a few: Courting Mr. Lincoln by Louis Bayard; The Guest Book by Sarah Blake; Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline; Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly; Searching for Sunday by Rachel Heid Evans; and The Apology by Eve Ensler.

Maybe a movie would be better, like Hunter Killer; Isn’t It Romantic; The Mule; or Sunrise in Heaven. There’s more but I can’t name them all, you’ll have to come see for yourself. And remember if we don’t have it we can get it.

Happy Reading!

Colleen Sippel is the director of the J.H. Robbins Memorial Library. She can be reached at

(785) 472-3969 or 219 N. Lincoln, Ellsworth, Kan. 67439.