Seminole County Library

NOON YEAR'S EVE 🎉: Practice for New Year’s Eve by celebrating a day early! Party at the library with dance music, New Year’s crafts, games, and other special activities. The countdown to Confetti & Bubbles will take place at 12:00 noon.

Note that this event is the day before New Year's Eve, Saturday, December 30.

No registration required. This program is FREE. Activities geared toward ages 3-7, but all children and families are welcome!

TEEN PROGRAM: Teens ages 13+ will create their own felt poinsettia pin to wear this winter. All materials are provided, and those new to sewing by hand will receive step-by-step assistance.

Free! No registration required.

TODAY I LEARNED: The official sport of the state of Maryland is jousting. It was the first state in the country to adopt an official sport, although Florida does not have one.

Wyoming, Texas, and South Dakota have claimed rodeo as their state sport. Other interesting choices include Alaska with dog mushing, Hawaii with surfing, and North Carolina with stock car racing.

BOOK & MOVIE: It’s Jane Austen’s birthday and we’re celebrating! Join other Pride & Prejudice fans as we discuss both the book and the 2005 movie adaptation of this beloved title.

Attendees should read the book and watch the movie before participating in the program. Copies are available for check-out at the library.

For adults - no registration required!

EXTREME GINGERBREAD CHALLENGE: Exclusively for tweens and teens, the Extreme Gingerbread Challenge will take place across all Library Branches!

Participants will become architects of very sweet structures, using graham crackers, icing, and candy to build gingerbread houses and beyond!

TWEENS (8-12):
- Tuesday, December 5, 6:00-7:30 p.m., West Branch (Longwood)
- Tuesday, December 12, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Central Branch (Casselberry)
- Saturday, December 16, 2:30-4:00 p.m., North Branch (Sanford)
- Wednesday, December 20, 6:00-7:30 p.m., East Branch (Oviedo)
- Wednesday, January 3, 1:30-3:00 p.m., Northwest Branch (Lake Mary)

TEENS (13+):
- Saturday, December 9, 2:00-3:30 p.m., Central Branch (Casselberry)
- Tuesday, December 12, 5:30-7:00 p.m., North Branch (Sanford)
- Tuesday, December 12, 6:00-7:30 p.m., East Branch (Oviedo)
- Wednesday, December 13, 3:30-5:00 p.m., Northwest Branch (Lake Mary)

📖 FIRST SENTENCES: Would you read a book based on its opening line?

BOOK PAGE ORNAMENTS: Decorate your tree with your favorite thing - books! During this free craft session for adults, create lovely holiday ornaments from recycled book pages.

All supplies will be provided, so registration is required. Register at seminolelibrary.org 📖✨

SQUISHMALLOW PARTY: Kids 12 and under can bring their Squishmallows or other favorite stuffed animal friend to this fun marshmallow-themed party!

Monday, December 11 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the East Branch (Oviedo) - no registration required! Families are welcome.

LUNCH & LEARN: Small business owners, marketers, job seekers, and researchers are invited to a Lunch & Learn about Reference Solutions. This powerful database is the leading source for business and residential data in the United States. Learn how to use it to your advantage!

Free - pizza lunch included! Registration is required. Register at seminolelibrary.org.

ART SUNDAY: From metmuseum.org 🧐

The Unicorn Rests in a Garden (from the Unicorn Tapestries)
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)

1495–1505

The seven individual hangings known as "The Unicorn Tapestries," are among the most beautiful and complex works of art from the late Middle Ages that survive. Luxuriously woven in fine wool and silk with silver and gilded threads, the tapestries vividly depict scenes associated with a hunt for the elusive, magical unicorn.

JAM SESSION 🎸: Come one, come all - and bring your guitars, ukuleles, mandolins – whatever stringed instrument strikes your fancy. We’re having a musical jam session! 🎼

You’ll have a chance to connect with other musical enthusiasts, play together, and even try your hand at musical improv. 🎻

Free | For Adults | Tuesday, December 5 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | East Branch

MEDITATION: Too must hustle and bustle this holiday season? Want to get a head start on your New Year's goals? 😌

Join Dr. Mark Young, a meditation practitioner for over 40 years, and Professor Emeritus of Counseling Education at UCF, for a special meditation discussion at the Central Branch (Casselberry).

Learn about the extraordinary benefits of meditation and its ability to reduce stress, build concentration, enhance clarity of thought, and improve mental health. Participants will learn a simple, but profound meditation technique to help enrich their life personally, professionally, and spiritually. 🪷

PUPPET-PALOOZA! 🐰: Each Library Branch is hosting a special seasonal puppet performance, perfect for preschoolers and school-age kids. After each show, kids can make a special craft. 🐻

UPCOMING DATES/LOCATIONS:
🐯 North Branch (Sanford): December 2, 11:00 a.m.
🐭 Central Branch (Casselberry): December 16, 11:00 a.m.

FREE - no registration required! Find other programs at seminolelibrary.org.

LITTLE BLUE TRUCK: Join everyone's favorite truck and your West Branch Children's Librarians for a 10:00 storytime featuring Little Blue Truck's adventures, followed by a variety of themed activities and a special photo op!

No registration required. Activities geared toward ages 2-7, but all children and families are welcome!

READING PAWS: Read to a dog! Young readers can gain confidence and practice fluency by reading out loud to a trained therapy dog. 📖🐶

3 LOCATIONS: Central Branch (Casselberry), East Branch (Oviedo), and West Branch (Longwood)!

Call or stop by the Library to register your child for their 15-minute time slot on Saturday, December 2 between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.

TODAY I LEARNED: 'Jurassic Park' author Michael Crichton was taller than Michael Jordan. Crichton, who also wrote 'Congo' and 'The Andromeda Strain', clocked in at around 6 feet, 9 inches. The greatest basketball player of all time was around 6 feet, 6 inches.

If you’re wondering, Crichton did play varsity basketball, but as far as we know, Jordan has never dipped his toes into the waters of speculative science-fiction.

PAWS & CLAUS: Jingle paws, jingle paws, jingle all the way! 🎶🐾🎅

Drop by Seminole County Animal Services' first-ever Paws & Claus event this Saturday, December 2 between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. at Greenwood Lakes Park in Lake Mary, right next to the Northwest Branch.

Bring your furry friend for a photo with Santa Claus, available for a donation.

Check out the Library's special outdoor pet-themed storytime at 10:45!

Animal Services and local rescue groups will also have several available animals to adopt, featuring pets of all breeds and sizes. 🐶🐱🐰🐾

TODAY I LEARNED: In southwest Germany during the 17th and 18th Centuries, it was popular, particularly among the lower classes, to hang smaller Christmas trees from the ceiling or rafters. This allowed for a flashy display and kept goodies out of the reach of children. 🎄

LAST CHANCE FOR TOY DRIVE: Seminole County FL proudly supports the Seminole County Sheriff's Office Community Foundation and community partners during the holidays by collecting toys for Seminole County children in foster care as well as those who have faced abuse or neglect.

🧸 DONATE TOYS & GIFT WRAP 🎁
Drop off new, unwrapped toys or wrapping paper, ribbons and bows to any Seminole County Fire Department station or Seminole County Library branch by this FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1.

🎄 GIVE ✨
Donate at any time to the SCSO Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to support the Christmas Village Toy Drive and other year-round community services. Learn more or donate at seminolesheriff.org/foundation

LAST CHANCE FOR TOY DRIVE: Seminole County proudly supports the Seminole County Sheriff's Office Community Foundation and community partners during the holidays by collecting toys for Seminole County children in foster care as well as those who have faced abuse or neglect.

🧸 DONATE TOYS & GIFT WRAP 🎁
Drop off new, unwrapped toys or wrapping paper, ribbons and bows to any Seminole County Fire Department station or Seminole County Library branch by this FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1.

🎄 GIVE ✨
Donate at any time to the SCSO Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to support the Christmas Village Toy Drive and other year-round community services. Learn more or donate at seminolesheriff.org/foundation

ART SUNDAY: From metmuseum.org 🧐

Studies of Native American Leaders Made at Fort Laramie
Albert Bierstadt American
ca. 1859

Bierstadt arrived at Fort Laramie, in present-day Wyoming, as a member of the expedition to the western portion of the Nebraska Territory with Colonel Frederic W. Lander in June 1859, during a time of tense relations between the Lakota (Teton Sioux) and the United States government.

Bierstadt made vivid field sketches of the Native peoples he encountered there, including this powerful depiction of four leaders. The artist intently observed and recorded the clothing and physiognomy of each man, inscribing each one’s name below his head.

In the foreground of the major painting that resulted from this trip, "The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak" (07.123), several of the male figures at the lower right may have been inspired by the present study.

UGLY SWEATER: Get ready to 'sleigh' the holiday season in style! Join us for DIY ugly sweater decorating on Monday, November 27 at the Northwest Branch (Lake Mary). 🎄✨

Create the perfect holiday accessory - you bring the sweater or t-shirt, we provide the crafting supplies! 🎅🧶

Whoever has the best Ugly Sweater wins a prize! 🏆

Free | For Adults

FUN FACT FRIDAY: What else can you learn at the Library? 🧠

🎄 GREETING CARD WORKSHOP ✉️: Get into the holiday spirit and unleash your creativity as you craft unique and personalized greeting cards for your friends and family. Take home your creations to share the joy of the season! 🎅

Wednesday, November 29 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Northwest Branch (Lake Mary). Free, no registration required. For adults.

FAUX STAINED GLASS: 🎨 Exclusively for tweens, ages 8-12, participants will create a “stained glass style” effect on an acrylic sheet using glue and glass-paint! Afterwards, they can hold their masterpiece up to a window during the daytime and watch it catch the light.

FINAL DATE/LOCATION:
🎨 Tuesday, November 28, 6:00-7:30 p.m., West Branch (Longwood)

FREE; PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED; SPACE IS LIMITED. Register at seminolelibrary.org.

TODAY I LEARNED: A cat named Pepper became the first feline movie star, appearing in a number of early films. The Maltese cat was born beneath the sound stage at Keystone Studios in 1912. It was a fortuitous location: the actor Mack Sennett found Pepper and included her in the 1913 movie 'A Little Hero', taking her from the streets to the silver screen.

ADULT GAME NIGHT 🎲: Games aren't just for kids! Come meet, mingle, and make new friends as you play classic and new board games. It's time to roll the dice, shuffle the cards, and strategize your way to victory! 🃏🎉

Thursday, November 30 at 6:30 p.m.
East Branch (Oviedo)
Free | For adults | No registration required

🎄 GREETING CARD WORKSHOP ✉️: Get into the holiday spirit and unleash your creativity as you craft unique and personalized greeting cards for your friends and family. Take home your creations to share the joy of the season! 🎅

Monday, November 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Central Branch (Casselberry). Free, no registration required. For adults.

THANKSGIVING: Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🥧 The Seminole County Library will be CLOSED Wednesday, November 22 through Friday, November 24, reopening Saturday at 9:00 a.m.

STORIES/CUENTOS: Featuring stories, rhymes, and songs in both English and Spanish! We’ll practice letters, numbers, and colors in both languages in ways that incorporate music, movement, and lots of fun!

📖 Geared toward ages 2-5; families are welcome
📖 Monday, November 27, 10:00 a.m.
📖 Central Branch (Casselberry)

¡Presentando cuentos, rimas y canciones en ambos Inglés y Español! ¡Practicaremos letras, números y colores en ambos idiomas, incorporando música, movimiento y mucha diversión!

📖 Orientado a edades de 2-5; familias estan bienvendias
📖 Lunes, 27 de noviembre, 10:00 a.m.
📖 Sucursal Central (Casselberry)

https://seminolecounty.librarycalendar.com/event/bilingual-storytime-cuentos-bilingue-central-6

ART SUNDAY: From metmuseum.org 🧐

Storage basket
Apache, Native American
ca. 1890

Western Apache women originally produced large storage baskets and shallow basket bowls for family use. When the railroad brought tourists to the Southwest in the 1880s, weavers began producing for this new, burgeoning market. The buyers’ preference for representational imagery is reflected in the design of this basket. Horizontal bands of running geometric motifs enclose zones of asymmetrically organized figures—animals of ambiguous identity and humans with raised and lowered hands.

T(W)EEN PROGRAM: Tweens and teens ages 8-18 are invited to try their hand at weaving by creating a potholder or coaster using a handheld loom. Pick your colors, get creative, and go home with a great keepsake or holiday gift! 🧶

Monday, November 20 at 5:30 p.m. in the West Branch (Longwood) Meeting Room

Free, no registration required!

Find more teen and tween programs at seminolelibrary.org.

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT 🍿: Kids and families are invited to bring their own blankets to sit on and snacks to munch on during this screening of The Iron Giant next Tuesday at the West Branch (Longwood).

🍿 Free - no registration required! 🍿

PUPPET-PALOOZA! 🐰: Each Library Branch is hosting a special Fall/Winter puppet performance, perfect for preschoolers and school-age kids. After each show, kids can make a special craft. 🐻

UPCOMING DATES/LOCATIONS:
🐷 East Branch (Oviedo): November 18, 11:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.
🦁 Northwest Branch (Lake Mary): December 9, 11:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.
🐯 North Branch (Sanford): December 2, 11:00 a.m.
🐭 Central Branch (Casselberry): December 16, 11:00 a.m.

FREE - no registration required! Find other programs at seminolelibrary.org.