Category: Library Events
Blind Date With a Book is BACK at CCPL!
Travel back to the dazzling 𝙍𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 with us!
Winter Wonderland GIVEAWAY!

Winter Wonderland Giveaway!
We’re turning up the cozy vibes this January with a special Winter Wonderland Giveaway!
Here’s what you could win:
Two fabulous gift baskets packed with great goodies!
One exciting Mystery Bag—what’s inside? Only the winner will know!
How to enter: Every time you visit the library in January, you can register to win. The more you stop by, the better your chances!
Winners will be drawn at the end of the month. Don’t miss out—start registering today!
CCPL’s Literary Pumpkin Decorating Contest is BACK!
We begin accepting entries for our Literary Pumpkin Decorating Contest on TUESDAY (October 15-19)!!
We can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with!
The Central City Public Library is hosting a Literary Pumpkin Decorating Contest that
begins on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 and lasts through Saturday, October 19, 2024.
Decorate a pumpkin or gourd (real or artificial) as a book character or with a literary theme and drop it
off at the CC Public Library’s front desk for display until October 25. The public will vote for “People’s
Choice Awards” in four categories (age 10 & under, age 11-18, age 19 & over, and Family entry).
Winners will be announced on October 25, 2024. Winners in each category will receive prizes!
Contest Rules:
- The library cannot accept carved pumpkin/gourd submissions. Only painted and/or decorated
whole pumpkin/gourd submissions may be entered into the contest. - Submissions will not be accepted before Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 9 am.
- All contest submissions must be accompanied by an entry form.
- Contest submission must be turned into library staff by Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 1:00pm.
Late pumpkin submissions will not be accepted. - One winner will be chosen from each of the following categories: age 10 & under, age 11-18,
age 19 & over, and Family entry. - All pumpkins must be picked up by 1:00pm Saturday, October 26, 2024. Pumpkins/gourds
that are not picked up by this time will be disposed of.
Click below for Contest Entry Form and for more information:
http://libraries.ne.gov/centralcity/files/2024/10/Pumpkin-Entry-Form-2024-1-1.pdf
Congratulations to Sally Bankson! She’s the 2024 Recipient of the Mad Hatter Award!

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧!
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐌𝐚𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐚 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!
𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚’𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙉𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙖.
Here to present the award were special guests Holli Duggan and Sally Snyder from the Nebraska Library Commission, who serve as liaisons to the Nebraska Library Association‘s Awards Committee. We were also joined by Jessica Wilkinson, Director of Crete Public Library (last year’s Mad Hatter Award recipient).
CCPL’s staff members as well as Sally’s family were thrilled to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of her hard work and dedication.
We are so proud of Sally’s achievement and grateful for all the incredible contributions she has made to our library and community.
Comments from the two nomination letters included statements such as:
“𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙪𝙣𝙬𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙘𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙮, 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙧.”
“𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙇𝙞𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙨. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙭 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙚𝙬. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣.”
Celebrate Your FREEDOM to READ!
The Bench is ready—are you?
Congrats to Our Prize Winners from the Final Week of the Adult & Teen Summer Reading Programs!

Congratulations to our Prize Winners from the Final Week of the Adult & Teen Summer Reading Programs!
Abigale Burkhardt: a ceramic bird, a booklight, colored pencil set, “Twin Flames: by Olivia Abtahi, a sticky note pad, and Bison Bucks.
Alaina Vesely: an acrylic photo frame, a sticky note pad, Bison Bucks, “Kind People are My Kind of People” ceramic block, and a
Destiny Cox: Bison Bucks, a tri-color highlighter, a sticky note pad, an LED starry projection light, and a glitter pen set.
Brittany McPhillips: “Welcome to Our Hive” plant pick, mini garden shovel, “Bloom & Grow” coffee mug, a potholder, and a decorative dish towel.
Suzanne Philippi: a garden coffee mug, a ladybug plant pick, decorative potholder and tablerunner.
Katy Lovejoy: cat vehicle coasters, wooden bicycle decoration, bird’s nest plant pick, cat bookbag, decorative dish towel, and “Other Birds” by Sarah Addison Allen.
The adults and teens read an impressive total of 1,246 books during June and July!
Thank you to everyone who participated!
CONGRATULATIONS to Katie Lovejoy!

She’s the winner of our July gift basket, which was packed with enchanting book-themed items.
Thanks to everyone that entered!