Friends of the Seward Library would like to thank community for support of the Wish Tree Book program.  We reached our goal of 100 new books!

The 2018 goal set was for 100 new books for the Children’s, Young Adult (YA), and Junior shelves in the Seward Community Library Museum.  In years past, 40 to 60 books had been sponsored annually.

Funds are collected by SCLA, aka Friends of the Seward Library, (non-profit-501c3), and then they are sent to Ingram Publishing directly to a Seward library account.  The Library Museum staff choose the books for purchase and will place book plates showing the sponsorship information, if requested.  Sponsors can also request to be the first to check out the new books when they become available to patrons.

Special thank you to our new Wish Tree locations, Resurrect Art Coffee House, 320 3rd Ave, and the Alaska SeaLife Center, 301 Railway Ave, with the main tree location at the Library Museum.

On behalf of our Seward’s youth and SCLA, aka Friends of the Seward Library, thank you for helping us reach our goal!

Friends of the Seward Library, Board of Directors

www.friendsofsclm.org

Community is invited to Celebrate the Life of Kim Hughes, Saturday, Jan 19, 2019, 5:30 pm @ Alaska SeaLife Center. Kim served as Vice President and Treasurer of SCLA aka Friends of the Seward Library. Kim also, worked tirelessly to help raise funding for our new Library Museum facility. Her sudden passing November 9th, has saddened us all.

Play Time is every Saturday 12:00pm-4:00pm in the Children’s Room.  Come check out a fun selection of themed books, a new assortment of toys, and other activities through the Summer!  We just put out 75 new board books and picture books in the Children’s Room!  Come enjoy our newest books!
 
Seward Summer Reading Program Registration is open all summer long!  If you missed our Kick Off Party, don’t worry, it’s not too late to have a chance to read 50 hours and get opportunities to win generous prizes from local businesses!  Over 200 patrons have signed up to read and win by the end of the Summer! Come to the Seward Community Library today to register! 
 
LEGO Club is every Wednesday 4:00pm-5:00pm throughout the summer in the Community or Meeting Room depending on availability.  Every week has a new building challenge and once participants have completed the building challenge of the week they can enjoy FREE Play with our 20,000+ piece LEGO collection!  All ages welcome.
 
Moderate Kite Making Workshop with Tim Morrow: Tuesday, July 24, 2018 4:00pm-6:00pm in the Community Room. KITE MAKING ROUND TWO!  Patrons have been asking for a more difficult kite-building workshop and here it is!  Don’t worry it won’t be too hard!  Guaranteed fun for ages 7 and up.  
 
Intro to Persian Scarf Dancing with Mary Ann Benoit: Thursday, June 14, 2018 6:30pm-7:45pm in the Community Room.  Come to this FREE event and learn a folk scarf dance of the Qashqai people from Southern Iran that celebrates the coming of spring. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes for dancing.
 
Summer Movie Matinee every Saturday 4:00pm-6:00pm in the Community Room.  Come to the Library & Museum every Saturday for a FREE Movie all summer long!  Ends July 28th.  All ages are invited!  See you there!

May 4, 2018
 
Seward Community Library & Museum
Director’s Report
 
NEWS AND UPDATES
 
Library & Museum Story Time Report
This winter’s Library & Museum Story Times came to an end on April 28th.  We are excited to announce that this program reached out to 490 people through 31 Story Time programs.  Six of these programs were Museum Story Times which included 82 of the total participants.  Program Coordinator Heather Bardarson and Curator Maddi McGraw collaborated to create partnerships with members and institutions within the Seward Community like the Alaska Sea Life Center, local historians, and the Seward Public Health Nurse.  Popular Story Times themes included Dinosaurs, Baby Belugas, Boats, and Pajama Party.  The Pajama Party Story Time was the largest Story Time attendance we have had at the Library & Museum in recent years, with a total of 42 Seward children, parents and care givers!  We are happy to see how this program has grown and are thrilled to have gotten such wonderful community feedback and participation.  See you next fall when Story Time resumes in September!
 
Museum Window Display
The current window display is a short history of summertime activities in Seward throughout the 20th century. It includes photographs and newspaper articles, and covers topics such as swimming, tennis, hiking, and baseball in Seward’s history. Stop by and see it!
 
Artifact of the Month
The May Artifact of the Month is a pair of tinted eyeglasses. The tinted glass lenses are mounted in black wire frames, with thin curved wire ear pieces. While these glasses are undated, they probably date from the 1930s. The glasses were donated to the Resurrection Bay Historical Society in 1997 by the Seward Community Library.
 
Museum School Visits
On May 1st, 50 students and 6 chaperones from Seward Elementary visited the Museum. The students completed a scavenger hunt and watched a film about the historic Iditarod Trail.  On May 1st, 45 5th grade students and 6 chaperones from Knik Elementary visited the Museum. The students completed a scavenger hunt and watched a film about the historic Iditarod Trail.  We’re excited to have many more School Visits scheduled in May and thank all the schools, teachers, parent chaperones and students for making Seward history an important part of their day!
 
Museum Drop-In Craft
The April Museum Drop-In Craft held on April 20th and 21st. Supplies were provided to make paper rain cloud mobiles. 27 children and 13 adults completed the craft.  Our final Drop-In Craft for the season took place on May 4th and 5th to make tissue paper flowers.
 
Special Sunday Museum Hours
This year’s Sunday Museum Hours will be 1pm – 5pm, May 20 – September 16.  We thank the special volunteers from the Resurrection Bay Historical Society and their commitment and dedication to make Seward’s history available to all on Sundays since 2015!  Summer admission is $4 for ages 13 on up.  Children 12 and Resurrection Bay Historical Society members are free.
 
Curator Job Opening
While we are sad to see Madeline McGraw go, we thank her to her hard work and dedication during her nearly two-year tenure as Curator, and wish her all the best in her adventures in her new adventures.  The position of Curator of Exhibits and Collections will be opened until filled.  Please contact the City of Seward Personnel at hr@cityofseward.net or 907-224-7054 or visit the City of Seward Employment webpage at www.cityofseward.us/index.aspx?NID=878 for more information.
 
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
 
Two Movies@2 Program!
We are pleased to be showing two movies, daily at 2pm, May 14-September 15.  This program has been updated to include the 1964 earthquake movie, Waves Over Seward, in addition to the Iditarod National Historic Trail: A History that we’ve been showing the past two summers.  We are the only place to view these special historic Alaska movies on a regular basis!  Each movies lasts about 25 minutes and will be shown back to back with a suggested $4 donation.  We thank the Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance and the Seward Community Library Association for giving us special permission to show these movies to the public!
 
Alaska State Writer Laureate Workshop & Craft Talk with Ernestine Hays
Tuesday, May 15th and Wednesday, May 16th from 5-8pm in the Community Room.  Celebrated Alaska Native Author, Ernestine Hayes, has launched a series of writing workshops called Container of Stories.  These two-day workshops invite participants at every level of writing experience.  Participants will be encouraged to tell the story of someone whose voice that would not otherwise be heard along with their own stories.  All are invited to the Craft Talk!  Call (907)224-4082 to sign up for the workshop!  Special thanks to the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Seward Community Library Association, and the Hotel Seward for their help and contributions to make these special programs possible!
 
Seward Community Book Club
Saturday, May 19th at 11am in the Upstairs Meeting Room.  May is the last month for the Community Book Club.  Don’t worry we will start up again in October!  Our final book for discussion is The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle.  Synopsis: The Tortilla Curtain introduces two couples, Mexican immigrants who enter the United States illegally and an upper class American couple who live in a gated community.  Patrons can pick up a copy at the Library Front Desk
 
Seward Summer Reading Program Kick Off Party!
Saturday, May 26th from 1-3pm at the Seward Community Library & Museum
People of all ages are invite to kick off how Libraries Rock! for a new community wide Summer Reading Program designed for all ages to participate in this summer!  This is our first ever community wide reading program!  Join us to learn how this new, but simple, Summer Reading Program will work, register for the program, and enjoy free food and live music with Blackwater Railroad!
 
This program intends to get everyone excited about literacy, using the resources at their Community Library & Museum, while getting out and supporting Local Seward Businesses!  This year’s Summer Reading Program will feature local discount coupons and grand prizes sponsored by local businesses.  Special thanks to the Friends of the Seward Library, Sweet Darlings, The Alaskan Bag Lady, Hamajang, Woody’s Thai Kitchen, Apollo Restaurant, Major Marine Tours, Kenai Fjords Tours, Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking, The Alaska Railroad, Seward Ocean Excursions, and the Apex Gym for generously contributing discount coupons and prizes for this program!
 
If there are additional businesses that would like to support the Summer Reading Program; it’s not too late.  Contact Program Coordinator, Heather Bardarson at (907)224-4010 or hbardarson@cityofseward.net.
 
Other summer programs offered to complement our Summer Reading Program will be a weekly Lego Club program, weekly Saturday Matinee movies, two special kite making workshops, live music in the Library and more!  Check our online calendar at www.cityofseward.us/calendar.aspx?CID=31 for updates!

Play Time
Every Saturday in the Children’s Room from 12pm-4pm, all year long.  Come enjoy the Children’s area with assorted games, puzzles, themed books, & coloring.  This event is parent led and offers a special collection of specially selected toys or musical instruments to play with every week.  Come enjoy our space!
 
Valarie Kingsland, MLIS
Museum & Library Director
Seward Community Library & Museum