Summer Happenings at the Walthill Public Library

The Walthill Library Staff are ready to slow things down a little with school beginning soon. It has been such a fun summer. Nola has enjoyed reading and sharing with the youth from the summer program of the Omaha Nation Diabetes Prevention Center. The youth loved using the computers, I Pads, games, and clay, as well as listening to stories and reading on their own.


Besides the literacy activities the Library continued sharing with the youth every other Monday. Cooking and crafting sessions were provided by the Center of Rural Affairs community person, Angelina. Monday, July 29th, 5:00 -7:00 the youth will make their own fruit snacks using real fruit, and tie-dye a T Shirt using natural dye. Our last food night the youth helped make and enjoyed eating Spaghetti Tacos. It was yummy!

Activity sheets for math and word skills are part of the extra activities that youth can choose to keep up their skills during the summer. They love the clay we received from St. Roberts Bellarmine Youth Group.

Staff news: It hasn’t been easy to find new staff, but the tide has turned it seems. This summer we were pleased to have Rebecca Barber join us for a couple weeks when Nola was gone and assist with some organizing some areas that needed work. She is the school librarian at Lyons, NE, and had a little time in her schedule to help us out.
More good news: A new staff person has joined our library. Sheri Fillipi, of rural Pender will be joining the staff along with Lucille Big Fire and Nola Briggs as another permanent part time library staff person. We are pleased to have a full staff that will allow us to keep our library open more hours and provide us with some new activities for the community.
Bring on the cool weather! We are ready.

Many rural libraries find it difficult to have full time staff. Walthill Library struggles with that as well. We are excited to welcome Lucille Big Fire as our new Library Assistant. Lucille is a long time resident of Walthill and works her days for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Lucille is doing a fine job opening the library on Monday and Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 8:30, and several Saturdays each month. The Walthill patrons have been taking this opportunity to use the library for reading, games, and computers. Of course, Ms. Lucille uses the 20/20 rule that our library has used for years.

Excitement is building in our community for the new skate park that is being built in the Walthill park. It is close to completion and I hope to post when we have the Grand Opening. We also have a new shelter in the park across from the library. I have been posting progress for the community to see on our Facebook page. The teepee shelter has been painted white, waiting for the new design to be painted on. It has a cement pad underneath and hopefully next we will see a big table for the community to use.

This year I worked on both the inside and the outside enhancement at the library with the ARPFA funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Several items that were purchased outside that are being used are the new “Take One and Leave One” book station and the new Walthill Library bench. Every year we fill the large pots on 3 sides of the library with flowers. This year the pots are filled with zinnias that were planted as seeds. Very hardy in the heat, and kept flowering all summer. It has enhanced the outside of the library and made it one of the bright spots of our community.

Now that summer is over, and kids are back in school, we need to get to work on our accreditation process. Is a little daunting, but I have been assured it is not as difficult as it sounds.

Happy Fall to you all–and hope to post more often from now on. We will see. . . . .

Nola Briggs, Library Director

We have been looking out our large windows and seeing the progress of the Teepee shelter across the street from us each week. The shelter was donated and has been installed on the east corner of the park, across the street from the Walthill Public Library. At first, I wondered–if it was going to be usable and beautify the community, but I am excited to say, it is looking better every week. The outside skin is being put on now and I believe the next step is to call in the local artist to paint a scene on each panel.

I have visited with Ed, the local artist. and plans to paint the design will be authentic and speak to the entire community. The shelter will have a cement floor when finished and will have a picnic table or benches that people can use daily. I am looking forward to doing art projects there if it has a table we can use.

Besides the shelter, I am able to see the kids and staff playing in the park each day during Summer School. They seem to be having a great time every day, and have plenty of activities to keep them busy. Summer school ends the last week in June, so we hope to have more youth come into the library for reading and activities.

Oceans of Possibilities is our Summer Reading Theme. We will have 2 summer events again with the youth in July and August, using the Ocean of Possibilities as our theme. The library is decorated with an ocean theme, we have art work reading and lots of books about the ocean and what lives in it. Miss Nola is ready and willing to read to the kids and visit about the book.

A Ghost Reviewer is always a fun project and we have our own Teen Ghost Reviewer here in our community. I won’t say anymore, as I may give too many clues to their identity. It’s a mystery! I am posting the reviews on our facebook page.

So, I’m hoping everyone is staying cool and having some lazy days of summer.

As hot as it has been this past few weeks, I find myself looking out the library windows more often than actually going outside. What do I see? The first thing I see is the Te-pee Shelter that is being installed right across the street from the Walthill Library. I have enjoyed watching the progress that has been made weekly. It has a new covering and next we hope to see cement installed under it and perhaps a stationary picnic table so that the kids can enjoy messy art work outside when we have cooler days. Or better yet, families sitting under the shelter enjoying a picnic lunch.

The most exciting part is yet to come. A local artist, Ed Encinas will be painting the panels with something very special. I will keep you updated, as soon as it happens.

Across the street from the library is the site for the new skate park. The plans are approved and we should be seeing something happen soon. Another exciting first for the Walthill community.

We have had some new businesses start recently. The newest ones are Effortless and Papa Joe’s Coffee Shop. These 2 businesses are in the new business incubator building, and we wish both of them well.

I can’t really see this building from my window, but our community is anxiously awaiting the opening of the Susan LaFlesche Picotte Center. It will honor the first Native American Physician, Susan LaFlesche Picotte. Even though the inside of the old hospital is being restored, they will host a porch party during the Walthill Alumni, July 16th, from 1-4 p.m.

As I look out the window now, I see cars drive by. Several of the kids are here, sitting at the computers or coloring right now, enjoying the coolness the library offers. We have kids coming in all day, and so we have reading on demand and the 20/20 rule for our computers. The 20 minute rule is reading for 20 minutes to use the internet or tablets for 20 minutes or more. The puppet show and our new Smart TV gets some use also. Summer school ends at the end of the month, so I suspect our numbers will increase even more. Our summer reading theme is Oceans of Possibilities—and I’m seeing possibilities in the library–as well as outside. Happy Summer Everyone!

Yes, Spring has arrived as far as the calendar goes, now Nebraska just has to catch up. When the weather warms up I can see from the Library windows people are venturing out and about and each week I have a few more use the library.

I am hoping that more people will begin to use the services the library offers. We still have shelves and shelves of wonderful books that are waiting to be opened and enjoyed. The month of April we will begin pushing to register more people for the free Overdrive program that is offered in our communities.

Thursday, April 7th from 5:00PM to 7:00PM the Walthill Public Library will be hosting an Open House. The Walthill Public School and Nebraska Indian Community College are partnering with us to register those in our communities for the free Overdrive Program. Light refreshments will be served for those who attend.

What is Overdrive you ask? Registering for the free Overdrive app allows you to borrow eBooks and audio books free from the overdrive library. The Overdrive app is available for Android, Chromebook and tablets, etc. The Walthill Public Library is a member of Nebraska Overdrive and pay for the yearly subscription. It is a free service to patrons who have registered for their own overdrive account, and an easy way to listen or read books on your devices.

Hope the weather is good and that there is a good attendance at the Open House on April 7th, 5:00pm to 7:00pm. See you there!

March is close to being half over and I just got back to using our word press account again. Technology and myself have a mixed relationship. Sometimes we are friends and other times not so much. So, I thought I would start off by saying, I am excited about the upcoming events that will be taking place at the library in the next few weeks.

Covid-19 has kept us home and fearful to get out and about and I think it is time to get off and running again to the library for some fun activities.

Tuesday, March 22nd the Walthill Library will be hosting “Board Game Night” for 7th through 12th graders, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. We hope to learn how to play some chess, maybe a little checkers, and some other awesome fun board games. There will be Miss Nola’s “fabulous popcorn” and drinks for those participating. It is a free event–and it promises to be a fun time for all.

So come on down to the Walthill Library at 6:00 on Tuesday March 22nd and have some fun!

April 7th from 5:00–7:00 we will be hosting an Open House at the Walthill Library. We hope the weather is good and that people will get out and about and stop in for a visit and some information about one of the free programs we offer here. Watch for more information soon!

Did I mention it that we have some great books at the library?

I was looking at the library blog the other day, and it had been a long time since I had posted anything. So much happening–packed–we moved–we got settled in–and then we discarded books again!
Our library is a busy place with the lots of activities taking place here.
I did tell my co-worker, Sherry, that we need to take more photos of what is happening. So, hopefully we will do better in 2019!
Here are a few photos of the library today. There was a snow day today, and so we have a few youth enjoying books and computers.
Just in case I don’t write another story this year–Merry Christmas Everyone from Nola and Sherry at the Walthill Public Library

We have moved into our beautiful new library at 323 Main Street in Walthill.  It is hard for me to believe that the “Old Fire Hall” was transformed into the beautiful building we have now.  The new building is bright and cheerful and much larger, than the older one room library we have lived in since 1980. I find myself looking around and saying, “Now what do I do?”

Well, I suppose I need to refocus my thoughts from sorting, packing and moving into programming for the patrons.  It seems I tend to focus on the youth more than anyone, so shifting to bring in more adults will involve thinking out of the box a little.

Our book presentation of “Gitchie Girl” by authors Phil and Sandy Hamman was a great start, with 14 people in attendance. .

One suggestion that I am pondering is a monthly adult Saturday morning, complete with coffee and donuts.  Maybe you have some ideas that you would like to share with us.  If so, send your comments in—we welcome awesome ideas.  Here are a few more photos of our Open House and our first fun and messy projects in our new library

Our Library Board President John Magnum