Tag gifts

Two small parcels wrapped in white paper with red butcher's twine holding holly greenery, sitting on a hardwood floor.

Giving Books as Gifts? We’ve Got Ideas

jeanboone1 Leave a comment
The picture depicts a boy sitting in a recliner with a fuzzy orange blanket over his lap, reading a book.


by Jean B.

We’re entering the season of gifts! If you are a book lover, you may want to share that love by giving books to everyone on your list. But the books you read and love may not be ones that will excite and capture the imagination of your recipients. What is the key to giving a “just right” book to someone else? The Library and its resources! Preparing for successful book shopping is as easy as 1,2,3.

One: Visit our six branches to get recommendations from our dedicated, expert staff who have a breadth of knowledge across genres, age, and audience. Whether it’s bestsellers or hidden gems, we LOVE to talk books. If you’re looking for children’s books, you’ll have the added bonus of seeing the book and its illustrations at the library before purchasing.

Two: Subscribe to HCLS newsletters to get specialized recommendations delivered to your email inbox regularly. No searching required, the ideas come directly to you! Our staff-curated newsletters, focused by age or interest, deliver monthly book recommendations as well as upcoming library events. We also offer NextReads newsletters which deliver book recommendations by genre. With 15 choices, from picture books to horror to romance, you’re sure to find helpful suggestions for any reader in your life Sign up for one or for many! To subscribe, go to our website, click on “Contact Us” and choose “Subscribe to Newsletters.”

Three: Get great ideas from NoveList, a free search tool provided through our website: choose NoveList under the “Book Recommendations” topic. Enter your library barcode and PIN. Start by selecting an age/ audience for your books, then your personalized browsing adventure begins!

Does your nephew love Captain Underpants? Search “Captain Underpants” and choose “Series read-alikes” to see a list of books that are similar in style. Is your aunt obsessed with Sweden? Choose the “location” filter and type in Sweden to get books that are set in that country or involve Swedish characters. Does your brother-in-law only read thrillers? Choose the genre filter for “suspense thrillers” and get access to multiple lists of specific ideas. For each book, you can read a brief description of the plot, plus the tags for genre, pace, story, and mood. For children’s books, you’ll find information about reading level, too. Each search produces a wealth of information and ideas.

Happy book-giving this holiday season!

Jean is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS Central Branch. She loves talking about books with people of all ages, but especially enjoys leading the Heavy Medals book club for fourth and fifth graders, exploring award-winning books of all genres.  

A collage of the ornaments and practical items made with the laser cutter, including a Seussical 2022 ornament with the Cat in the Hat's hat, a blue snowflake, a buffalo against a backdrop of trees and mountains, two pumpkin silhouettes that say "thankful" and "grateful," a keychain that says "I luv you Dad," tropical floral earrings, and a cookbook or tablet stand.

Love for the Laser Cutter

Kimberly J Leave a comment

by Kim J.

A collage of the ornaments and practical items made with the laser cutter, including a Seussical 2022 ornament with the Cat in the Hat's hat, a blue snowflake, a buffalo against a backdrop of trees and mountains, two pumpkin silhouettes that say "thankful" and "grateful," a keychain that says "I luv you Dad," tropical floral earrings, and a cookbook or tablet stand.

I’ve been a crafter all of my life. I make costumes and throw elaborate birthday parties. My first thought when I see something beautiful in a store is usually, “Can I make that?” I love to create handmade gifts, produce decorations for birthdays, and design personal touches for my home. The laser cutter/engraver (Glowforge) at HCLS Glenwood Branch + Makerspace is the latest tool in my crafting repertoire. Among the many things I’ve been able to make are jewelry, decorations, gifts, cake toppers, valentines, teacher appreciation keychains, and an LED light. My favorite things that I’ve made are keepsakes that engrave my son’s drawings and a lighted archway that I made to try and replicate the schwibbogen that are sold in Germany.

A picture of a German Schwibbogen village scene made with the laser cutter. The photograph consists of a village with homes, a church, lampposts, and fir trees, surrounded by an arch that has more cottages and fir trees, against a blue background resembling the sky.

What is a Laser Cutter/Engraver? 

This machine allows you to put a piece of material like leather, wood, or acrylic in the machine and it carves out your product using laser light. Glowforge is the name brand for the Laser Cutter Engraver at HCLS Glenwood Branch + Makerspace. 

What materials can it cut? 

At HCLS, we only allow Proofgrade materials in the machine – Glowforge sells proofgrade materials, which are certified to be laser safe. These materials also have pre-assigned settings in the machine – telling the laser exactly what power and speed it needs so cuts and engravings produce exactly how they should! Proofgrade materials include hardwood, acrylic, draft board, plywood, veneer, and leather, among others.

A yellow and green laser cutter atom with the words "Happy Birthday" in the center, atop a science-themed birthday cake with Erlenmeyer flasks and icing atoms as decor.

How can I get Proofgrade Materials? 

The Glenwood Branch has a selection of materials to purchase directly from the library, including many colors of acrylic and several finishes for hardwood, plywood, and veneer. Alternately, you can purchase directly from the site, shop.glowforge.com, or from local craft stores that carry Proofgrade materials.

A child's handmade stick-figure drawing of a family with their dog, and the laser cutter's reproduction of it as a wooden ornament, with the year "2022" inscribed at the bottom.

What kinds of things can I make?

The photos in this post are all things that have been made in the Makerspace with the Laser Cutter/Engraver. There is so much room for creativity and customization. Your design can be high-tech – you can create an .svg from scratch with interlocking or overlapping pieces to construct 3D artwork. Your design can also be low-tech – you can convert a line art drawing, photograph, or handwriting sample into a custom-engraved keepsake. You can also browse premade designs in the application and send them with customized engravings, or you can use the application to create a design using graphics, text, and shapes.

Two snowflake earrings made with the laser cutter.

How do I get started?

If you want to see a quick intro video, you can watch on HCLS’s YouTube channel here. You can also register for upcoming make-it and take-it classes at Upcoming Laser Cutting Classes. Someone is always available in the Makerspace to help you get underway. Anyone under 18 who wishes to use the laser cutter must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Kimberly J is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the HCLS Glenwood Branch. She enjoys reading, photography, creating, crafting, and baking.