January 2024 Newsletter

Jarrell Community Library and Resource Center continues to grow with new members and new programs! We have kicked off 2024 by adding hours to the library. We are open on Fridays from 10:00-2:00 pm. Bilingual Storytime has been added on Fridays from 10:30-11:30 am, English classes on Tuesday evenings, and Spanish classes on Wednesday evenings. We have met with several Williamson County agencies that would like to begin partnering with the library, so stay tuned for new groups, seminars, and activities.

We are proud to announce that Foundations Communities, a non-profit agency is now in the library on the first and third Thursday of each month from 10:00 am-3:00 pm. If you need help with navigating healthcare, Edith Margarlia is available to help you. This includes the Affordable Healthcare, Medicare, CHIPS, and Medicaid.

I would like to thank Jarrell ISD Administration, Dr. Toni Hicks, and Communication Director, Nick Spinetto for awarding me the first-ever Jarrell ISD Citizen of the Month. It has been an honor working with Jarrell ISD staff and students. The partnership between Jarrell ISD and JCLRC has been rewarding. The JISD staff continues to be gracious in agreeing to work with the Library whether it is the choir, art class, theater class, Key Club, or teachers and teens volunteering in our library.

We are so proud of all our participants in the "Cozy Up With a Good Book" Beanstack Challenge. The winners are Natalie Hazel, Kadence Hodge and Magan Austin! Congratulations!

We are looking forward to our "Spring into Reading Challenge" March 1-April 30. There will be lots of great prizes, so mark your calendars and gather your books to read!

We are happy to say Rudolph was found just in time for Christmas! Thank you for bringing your family and friends to participate in our Escape Room adventures!

We are proud to announce we have 130 new books with titles for everyone! Thank you Texas Book Festival Grant! We have new additons to your favorite series, new graphic novels, new series, the latest children's favorites like Bluey and Blippi and some new non-ficiton books too!

It is through the generosity of funders and donors that our library is growing and prospering. As a non-profit library, Jarrell Community Library and Resource Center appreciates each and every donation we receive to purchase brand new books for our community.

Special Events Coming Up!

Feb. 13: 6:00 pm Galentine's Day Party at Love at First Bite

Feb. 20: 12:00 pm R Bank "Banking Scams" lunch provided

Feb. 21, March 6, March 20: AARP Free Tax Prep Aide

March 7th: 3:00 pm Quarterly Senior Social- there will be food, games and Karaoke

March 13: 1:00-3:00 ESTEAM Labs Lego Day

May 4: Mother's Day Tea Party at Love at First Bite

June 1: Community Health Fair

June 1-8: Community Health Week

June 11-July 27: Summer Reading Program

Stay up to date with the library activities at: https://jarrellcommunitylibrary.org/programs/

We have your Voter's Registation cards in English and Spanish.

Do you enjoy art? Jarrell Community Library and Resource Center also received some new Art books from Art Resources Transfer organization! We are blessed to have many supporters!

If you enjoy teaching art, we'd love to have you join us to teach classes for children, teens and/or adults.

Do you have a small business? Would like some free advertisement? We are seeking some gift donations for our Galentine's Day Party at Love at First Bite.

We will be creating gift baskets to raffle at the event. Cookies, candies, candles, cakes, cupcakes, t-shirts, cups, freshness, gift certificates, we'll take them! We'll include your information in the raffle baskets. Let's have some fun celebrating our community businesses! Items can be dropped off at the Library or we can pick them up.

Self-Care

Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health. When it comes to your mental health, self-care can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy. Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact.

Here are some tips to help you get started with self-care:

• Get regular exercise. Just 30 minutes of walking every day can help boost your mood and improve your health. Small amounts of exercise add up, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t do 30 minutes at one time.
• Eat healthy, regular meals and stay hydrated. A balanced diet and plenty of water can improve your energy and focus throughout the day. Also, limit caffeinated beverages such as soft drinks or coffee.
• Make sleep a priority. Stick to a schedule, and make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Blue light from devices and screens can make it harder to fall asleep, so reduce blue light exposure from your phone or computer before bedtime.
• Try a relaxing activity. Explore relaxation or wellness programs or apps, which may incorporate meditation, muscle relaxation, or breathing exercises. Schedule regular times for these and other healthy activities you enjoy such as journaling.
• Set goals and priorities. Decide what must get done now and what can wait. Learn to say “no” to new tasks if you start to feel like you’re taking on too much. Try to be mindful of what you have accomplished at the end of the day, not what you have been unable to do.
• Practice gratitude. Remind yourself daily of things you are grateful for. Be specific. Write them down at night, or replay them in your mind.
• Focus on positivity. Identify and challenge your negative and unhelpful thoughts.
• Stay connected. Reach out to your friends or family members who can provide emotional support and practical help.

Self-care looks different for everyone, and it is important to find what you need and enjoy. It may take trial and error to discover what works best for you. In addition, although self-care is not a cure for mental illnesses, understanding what causes or triggers your mild symptoms and what coping techniques work for you can help manage your mental health.

For other ideas for healthy practices for your mind, body, surroundings, and relationships, see the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Wellness Toolkits .

Our library staff cares about your mental wellness. As part of the Library for Health initiative, the library has resources to help guide you through self-care and a listening ear when you are in need.

If you need any type of service, check out https://www.211texas.org/

and https://www.unitedwayaustin.org/connectatx/

Thank you Wanda Keefe for a fun class on "Stamp It Up!" card-making. We enjoyed the class and you were a GREAT teacher!

If anyone would like to teach a crafting class to the community, we would love to have you!

Contact: jarrelllibrarystaff@gmail.com

In February, we will host a candle-making class with Michelle Gamboa.

The cost will be $20 for supplies for your candles.

Develop your child's love of reading by joining us at one of our Storytimes. Children will have fun learning through stories and developing fine motor skills through crafts or play.

We love seeing the kiddos become more social and comfortable during Storytime.

We have three Storytimes that meet throughout the week from 10:30-11:30 am.

Tuesdays: Pre-K Storytime (Ages 3-5)

Thursdays: Books and Babies Storytime (Ages 0-2)

Fridays: Bilingual Storytime(All Ages)

January's Homeschool Meetup groups learned about Space. For the younger members we had a very passionate discussion about different facts on planets and worked on understanding syllables. The older members researched space facts using the Nasa Website and discussed their findings. The goal of the homeschool group is to expand home learning, as well as, working on socializing and teamwork.

The next Homeschool Meetup will be on Wednesday, February 14 from 3-4pm and our PE Meetup will be held on Monday, February 26 from 4pm-5pm.