Ronda Kelley and Tammy Troupe, Librarians, Ericson Public Library, June 26, 2026

On our program today, we're going to be talking about the Ericsson Public Library and joining us in the studio We've got Tammy Troupe. Tammy, good to have you here. Hey, good to be here and on the phone We've got Rhonda Kelly and good morning. How you doing? I'm doing good. Well, that's a good thing Before the heat comes of course

By the way, the library is one of my sites that I keep saying if you need to cool down go to the library Absolutely. Yes. Next week. It's gonna be brutal when you guys are open. It won't be on Friday and Saturday next week, but That's I mean, it's the 4th of July. Right, right? Yeah. Yeah. Well, I know mr. Z is not here Rhonda, I understand you've got some of the children's programs to tell us about Yeah, I'm gonna fill in for him this morning. I'll try to do my best Okay So actually I do what we have, you know, a little bit of June left next week So I did want to remind everyone that on Tuesday, I believe the weather is still supposed to be good And it'll be hot. So it'll probably feel great, but we are having a foam party In the garden beside the library. So those that aren't familiar with that Dugan rentals is coming in with a huge foam cannon. So wear something. You're okay getting wet in But you can frolic and run through the foam And there'll be a rent station as well and they're bringing DJ and music. So it'll just be fun for everybody

Exactly exactly so great way to come and cool off and and have a nice fun night So that is Tuesday, June 30th starting at six o'clock. I will be wrapping everything up by 7 30 So just be sure you come before then and yeah, we're looking forward to that So for kiddos in July Wednesday and Thursday story times at 10 a.m All throughout July with different themes some of the themes are fireflies honeybees and sharks Because you know shark week is coming up in July So that'll be a lot of fun. Mr. Z had a great story time at Herman Park with the Winnie the Pooh theme So he is doing that again in July That's Friday, July 17th at 11 a.m So come on out and join an outdoor story time. Hopefully the weather will be good With that, you know, we'll we're always contingent on the weather, but fingers crossed And then one of our bigger programs for July for the the kids but again all ages are welcome to come out We're having a magician and Jonathan May That's on Tuesday, July 7th So after the July 4th holiday, he will be at the library at 11 a.m So he does over 400 shows a year for children and adults So who doesn't love a good magic show? So that will be a lot of fun Summer science in the garden Thursday, July 9th at 2 p.m. Again fingers crossed with the weather if not then mr. Z will just move it inside to the children's department That one is going to have Christmas in July theme. So how the Grinch stole Christmas Will be the theme and that is also part of our 125th library anniversary Because that is the time period that will be celebrating when how the Grinch stole Christmas was popular So still popular Exactly exactly it never went away as it should not so And then there's only one Saturday story time in July because we are closed on the fourth So the Saturday story time in July will be Saturday, July 18th at 10 a.m And it will have a blueberry theme. So That will that will be fun for the for the summer Yeah, and then I before I move on to the tweens and teens. I definitely want to Do a big Shout-out about Erecon coming up that for those that aren't familiar although a lot of people in town are That is our annual mini comic-con here at the library free to attend Everybody coming in the door get the free comic wall supplies last although we've never run out before And we just keep replenishing thanks to mayhem comics in Ames. That's always so generous They also donate door prizes That event Saturday, July 11th goes on all day from 9 a.m. To 1 p.m. We will have hourly door prizes The library will be full of vendors that include artists authors Creatives, it's just a really fun time to come out and connect Just in all the the nerdom that we all love And it it doesn't have any one theme. I mean there's superheroes. There's pop culture There's you know, just artists who just you know do abstract painting people who craft jewelry So a little bit of everything the vendors will have items for sale And then there's a costume contest that we close out with which has become hugely popular that's at noon And last year we had the request to do a Group category because we had some larger groups come a lot of times. It's the adults You know, we have so many adults in costume But then sometimes like families will dress in a whole entire theme So we have kids tween and teen category Adults and a group category. So I'm just throwing that out there so you guys can all plan accordingly with your costume So please come on out. We also have a game room open that day. We have our room downstairs open with a movie Going so that there's like a quiet space because they can get really loud and noisy that day Everybody's having fun. So if you need a quiet space to escape to you know, there's a little bit of something for everyone Looking What's that big day? Yes, big big huge name. Mr. Z the carnival is his baby I did I cannot take credit for starting era con that was started previously by Matt who was here And I've just taken over the reins from that but that is my biggest definitely my biggest event all year So yeah, looking forward to it looking forward to it. That's on the 11th Yeah, okay Yeah, and then just a quick little few other things we have going on for the tweens and teens Some of our unique programming that we have for the month I'm going to be doing whipped pink lemonade Wednesday, July 15th at 2 p.m. That's down in the children's department for tweens and teens So come on out learn how to make some pink lemonade and then stay to cool off and drink some and we'll have some snacks As well Food's always a big draw for them. So that'll be a lot of fun And then I'm doing fuzzy florals on Monday, July 13th at 2 p.m. For the tweens and teens And that's going to be using pipe cleaners to make some really fun floral designs or I always encourage them to express their creativity And just you know make something else that that you think would be fun I always kind of you know, give them some examples and ideas But I just love seeing where their imagination takes them I am always amazed at the skill level and what they can do just on their own And we we love to encourage that and see that flourish So come on out and some play with some pipe cleaners and see what you can come up with so especially that age group I mean, you know, they they absolutely Really put together some pretty intricate things they do and like I've really seen that with our Lego club that we have We always have, you know ones on display That they have built and it just amazes me what they can do, you know, really with I mean We always put Lego books out to give them some ideas But the amazing things they come up with are not in any of the books they have and they're just doing it You know on their own and it's just it's amazing. I say freestyle. Yeah We encourage that Okay And that's about all I have I guess I will also remind people that we do have we're continuing our afternoon matinee movies That will be twice this coming or coming in July Monday, July 6th at 2 p.m. And Monday, July 20th at 2 p.m. The first movie is more family friendly is based on a doctor's Zeus book and on Monday, July 20th It's a garden that that's a secret. I will say that and That actually is to coincide with our 125th anniversary that we're celebrating with the library to with that story. So, all right Yeah, you got a busy time Tell me what do you have happening over there? Oh my gosh, so busy does not even begin to touch it I I exported all of our events so that I could you know kind of organize them and see what we've got going on We have 76 and that's a coincidence. It is totally a coincidence. So we have 76 events in July but we have 76 events this July and For adults, obviously the big one is don't forget the library is a good cooling spot You can you know set your thermostat at a Temperature where you're it's not going to melt everything inside your house and just come on down to the library It's just great great way to cool off get a book. Exactly. Yeah, just just hang out find a corner There's a lot of you know, just quiet corners where you can just tuck in and you know, just just be cool and

We've got our continuing our journal in play series and And on Wednesday, July 8th We'll be trekking over to the Ogden area to meet metals artist David Williamson and And he's going to he invited us to a studio so we can see that concept to creation part of the artist's journey and And then David's gonna just spend a lot of time talking about how place has you know Kind of been a crucible more or less and and helped helped shaped his his style and and his career as an artist and And then also in that series on July 18th We'll be heading again over to Ogden to the Don Williams Park Violet Ridge the remnant prairie that's out there Yeah, and the ID and our biologist Steph Shepherd. She's gonna guide us on a nature walk and you know Just talk to us about how observation is is critical for gaining that sense of place and And appreciating your place and then on July 28th You know, we're just continuing this journal in place series We have storyteller vagabond and musician Jason Wall Smith and and he's gonna be In our prairie garden and and that's open to families that typically come out for family fun night You know just all ages, but he's gonna talk about Storytelling and you know finding a story and then just you know crafting that story and of course we're gonna you know See how place, you know kind of pull it is you know kind of a can be a central character in that that storytelling process so a lot of really cool things going on with with that series and We're gonna continue have another game of bingo on July 16th and On the 21st we have three classic films and Those are gonna be down in the children's story time room So, you know folks that are Coming through biking through with rag brie. They're welcome to cool off in the library We'll have the upper floor just nice and cool open for hanging out But if you want if they you know the bikers or our community want to just hang out and watch a movie We're going to have east of Eden playing at 10 In the heat of the night playing at one and then Rocky playing at four So those those films are gonna you know just they really capture the 50s 60s and 70s Which is that era that we're looking at? Yeah, we're going for and and we've got several different drop-in crafts in in July We're doing a quilt American flag craft on July 1st drawstring bag craft on the 6th and then a big Christmas in July craft swap on July 25th and And look at me past me when I you know plan this event and sell out that description I said pick up a festive mystery bag So it will we'll get that those pulled together and and folks can pick up their festive mystery bag But the last thing that I want to talk about on July 31st. It's a Friday evening at 7 o'clock We're having a concert for the public and And this is you know in part of celebrating our 125th. We We've got the other brothers. So they're a band, you know, just just down the river in Des Moines And they they're they won or they were semi-finalists done in Memphis this past Winter in the 2026 international blues festival. So okay, so where will this be? That concert is going to be at the Herman Park Pavilion so, you know folks are encouraged to come out early for that and bring lawn chairs because I Intipate that that'll be a big draw. It's there They're just a great sound and they kind of really capture that late 60s early 70s, you know kind of gritty rock blues vibe It's right into our era. Exactly. Exactly. So that'll be on the 31st and we'll obviously remind They don't no ticket sales. It's free folks. It is a free concert with a great band Seriously, we're we're fortunate to have the talent that we do have coming to Boone this summer That'll be that'll be good. That'll be fun. It will be kind of the off-week relaxing week I think that's going on in between athletic activities. So nice fit out that fits real good for what we're looking for there, too Again a lot of reggae and this is these are just some of the other programs things You still have all your regular things, right? Right. Yes, there's still the writers groups So if you're a writer come out on Saturdays, we still have our book clubs and In our downtown book club. We're meeting at bottled lists. So okay, we've shifted a little Obviously because of the change there, but that's all right. It's it's it's very cordial atmosphere Exactly changes the fact of life and we'll we'll pivot and get to know this new place If you and Rhonda you guys are still going out walking We are we're still walking. Yeah, still got streaming our yoga classes mindful Monday And then the Saturday book club that's typically the third Saturday of the month that we have moved over to the daily boss We are moving around every six months to different businesses So we thank them for hosting us and they've been really fun They're coming up with some fun theme drinks to go along with our books So yeah, we'll be meeting there on July 18th and we chose it chosen a Midwestern author And we have extra copies at the library to come check out if you'd like it Didn't want to ask a couple of things. First of all the journaling part I know we started that and the idea is what just to have people Write some things about what they're learning. I guess. Yeah, absolutely and You know when I when I started journaling in in these books that are you know Custom-made with that the nice big library logo logo on the cover I was thinking about, you know, the places that have that have that I where I've lived and how they've impacted me and You know, we're here in Boone now and you know raising our family and In more and more I'm realizing, okay, I give a lot of credit to place It's it's honestly that people, you know in each place I just have just wonderful memories of just great great people and Just meeting lovely lovely people here in Boone and You know, yeah, you know place definitely shapes your experience, but you know, it's it's the Friends we make along the way I was gonna say because for a lot of people is good. Well, I don't know about doing it So it would be some would just love to sit and write and do things like that And so this is a great way if they haven't done it Learn how what others are doing and writing about it. You and you can go in your own direction. Exactly. Exactly. And You know, I worked in archives for quite a number of years and the things that persist aren't you know, all these these deep reflective thoughts Sometimes it's just a consistent chronicling of your grocery list I mean and that gives a lot of insight. It honestly does not matter. It just Um, you know pick up one of these journals, you know come to these events. They're really cool. We've got great speakers Tomorrow we have Tara Leibovic with Iowa State. She's a poet and she'll be in the garden. So if folks are ever interested in you know, and how labels and words and you know, just all of these Concepts that we assign to place and experience affect our memories and understanding of place This is a great time to just set those ideas down But it's it's a really cool series and You know, we had a great one a couple weeks ago with a historian over at ISU and she talked about um, childhood in You know in rural America and growing up on farms and And she did that she had she researched this topic by looking at these firsthand accounts of children growing up in the 19th and early 20th centuries and It's really it's incredible to see, you know, just this window into the past and the things that they're experiencing And and she was talking about how, you know, in some instances these children were talking about You know, just basically starving, you know, just being a meal away from You know, just they lived in abject poverty, but they they persisted And everything they went through so And of course then we also have access to a digitized Newspapers that I know that was one of the big missions that jamey's been working on and I think a lot of it's already online right on the website. It's such a great resource. Yes. Definitely stop by our Check it out. Mm-hmm. Definitely When you start going back and researching things like that too writer's group, uh, obviously that's one And I know you get you've had some authors come and talk to them as well or people that have published And they have people that publish so again, we've had several members out of that group. Yeah, and they're back doing more Absolutely. Yeah, we've got excellent writers and you know, just great writing processes very supportive environment. Okay Don't forget if you don't have a library card You don't have a big investment there. All you got to do is show up if you're a resident you get a library card Right, right. Yeah, and just make sure you use it then Definitely Both of you. Thanks for taking time to talk about what's coming up again They can always go follow along on facebook I think is probably an easy way because you're constantly getting updates about what's coming up. What's happening And what'll be going on and should there be any changes due to weather from events that might be planned for outdoors, but Busy july coming up. Very busy july. Alrighty. Thanks so much for joining us. Thanks for having us jim Thank you