This Week at the Library May 18, 2018

Library Book Renewal

Enjoy your library books longer. The due date for library books currently checked out has been automatically extended until June 11. The only exception to this renewal are books that already had holds placed on them. If you have questions regarding your checked out library materials, please contact the library at 641-792-4108.

Library Renovations

The Newton Public Library will be closed for renovations through the end of May. During this time period the library office will offer limited services. Library office hours will be Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 pm. Story times will be held at the Pregnancy Center of Central Iowa and the Newton YMCA at regularly scheduled times. All other programs will be paused until the building re-opens. Ongoing updates will be announced on the Library website and Facebook page.

Services available during the renovations include:

• New book requests and inter-library loan service

• Hold pick-ups on new items

• Notary services by appointment

• Public Wi-Fi and daily newspaper in the library lobby

• Access to downloadable eBooks, audiobooks and music from home

• Database access from your home computer

• Story times at the Pregnancy Center of Central Iowa and the Newton YMCA

Story Time Schedule

During the Library renovations, story times will be held at the Pregnancy Center of Central Iowa (709 First Ave. W. Suite 1, Newton) and the Newton YMCA (1701 S. Eighth Ave. E., Newton). The story time schedule and locations are as follows:

• Baby Story Time — 10:30 to 11 a.m. Mondays at the Pregnancy Center of Central Iowa

• Toddler Story Time — 10:30 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays at the Pregnancy Center of Central Iowa

• Preschool Story Time — 10:30 to 11 a.m. Thursdays at the Newton YMCA, in the downstairs exercise studio

Summer Reading Kick-Off Picnic

4 to 7 p.m. June 4 — Summer reading starts June 4. Bookworms of all ages are invited to visit the library and register for the library’s summer reading program and events. A free hot dog picnic for children will be provided on the lawn, courtesy of Newton Hy-Vee. Musician Dino O’Dell will perform at 5 p.m. All children who register will receive a plastic book bag and a summer reading book log to keep track of the books they read. This is the first opportunity to register for youth summer reading events.

Working with the Enemy:
WWII POWs in Iowa

6 p.m. June 6 — As part of a relatively quiet government program, thousands of World War II enemy soldiers were brought to Iowa as prisoners of war. What began as an experiment eventually led to more than 400,000 soldiers interned in the United States, including two camps in the state of Iowa. Professor Chad Timm will discuss the creation of POW camps in Iowa, life in a prisoner of war camp, community relations, the POW labor program, branch camps in more than 30 Iowa communities and the arrival of Japanese prisoners at Camp Clarinda in early 1945. The story of POW interment in Iowa is a fascinating story of Iowans being confronted by the enemy: an enemy they not only needed to help them meet their wartime goals, but also challenged them to find their humanity. This program is sponsored by Humanities Iowa and is free and open to the public.