The Olympics start this week, and we’re excited! We’ve got several Olympics-themed classes on our schedule, and we’re playing along with our own game. Stop by any branch to get a Connect 3 gameboard. Read any three Olympic-themed challenges in row, then bring the sheet back for a prize. You receive a sticker and a chance to win a larger prize basket with a picnic blanket, a water bottle, a $10 gift card to Rita’s Italian Ice, and more.
Check out some of these Summer Olympics and sports themed titles, too, and start borrowing!
Reading always counts toward your summer reading goals, too. You can start collecting prizes on Thursday, August 1. Stop by any branch with your finished gameboard.
A Flower-full Evening in the Stacks February 24, 2024 | 7 – 11 pm HCLS East Columbia Branch hclibrary.org/stacks
Tickets on sale now! January 10: $100 February 1: $125 for one/$225 for two
Entice your senses at this lush affair filled with dreamy enjoyment and delight. Refresh at the open bar, bloom on the dance floor with DJ Bugatti, and enjoy a bouquet of activities with our Flower-full Mart and photo ops.
Entertainment features dancers and drummers, including Stepping Stones Performers.
Gourmet cuisine by Rouge Catering
Libations by The Wine Bin and Sobar
Cocktail attire (floral touches welcome), black tie optional
This year’s proceeds benefit HCLS’ early childhood initiatives that help our community’s budding learners grow.
Friends & Foundation of HCLS Branch Raffles
Raffle tickets are $5 each and you can win any of these prizes:
Six branch community baskets with donations from area businesses.
Two tickets to Evening in the Stacks on February 24 (in branch sales only)
Grand prize: PS5 gaming console
Last day to purchase raffle tickets is February 21. Winners will be drawn by February 26 and notified by email.
This year, with HCLS’s much anticipated gala event Evening in the Stacks moving to May, we’ve bundled our fundraising efforts together in a single online location.
Our gorgeous flower baskets are back, and already in high demand! Last year they sold out, so if you’d enjoy welcoming May with a 12” hanging basket of cheerful sun-loving flowers while supporting your favorite library system, you’ll want to act fast! Baskets will be available for pickup May 4th, 5th, and 7th at the Miller Branch.
This year’s raffle includes six unique gift baskets individually curated by each HCLS branch, featuring a remarkable array of local gift cards to restaurants, stores, shops, and markets, tickets to local events, tours, and museums, unique collectables, and more! The baskets range in value from $500 to $1,000, and you’ll definitely want to check them all out before deciding which to try for – or you can try for them all!
We’ll also have drawings for two tickets to Evening in the Stacks: Across Africa along with our Grand Prize: a Microsoft Surface Go 3 tablet.
And for our wine connoisseurs, we’re once again offering a Wine Pull available exclusively at Evening in the Stacks. Your ticket will get you a randomly selected bottle of fabulous wine, each valued at an estimated $20+.
All proceeds this year go to support teen spaces, safe and welcoming locations in each HCLS branch that allow teens to gather without paying for a membership or having to buy something. They’ll have access to interest-driven learning along with resources promoting empowerment, mental wellness, digital and tech fluency, and more!
You can also donate directly to support STEM tools for teens who have expressed an interest in engaging with coding or digital media creation such as 3D modeling, music-making, graphic design, video production, and social and educational gaming – all in a fun, inclusive, and positive environment.
I could not be any more excited about any of this, which is saying a lot considering how much I love our local library system. On behalf of Friends & Foundation of HCLS, we hope you’ll join in the fun while supporting Teen Spaces and HCLS. Thank you!
CHAPTER CHATS 