ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District has a long list of fun activities coming up this May.
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Mary Cordes, Hayner’s executive director, shared more about the library’s upcoming events and year-round services. She noted that the library’s events are well-attended, and she looks forward to welcoming more bookworms and novice library users to all three Hayner locations over the next few weeks.
“Because [the events are] so popular and they’re so big, it’s a great problem to have, just trying to make sure we haven’t double-booked our programming rooms and trying to find new places to have programming and that kind of stuff,” she laughed. “It’s a good problem to have.”
Throughout the month of May, Hayner has partnered with Madison County Transit to celebrate National Bike Month with a bicycle drive. Community members can drop off their unwanted bicycles at the downtown Hayner library, and MCT will pick them up and donate them to BWorks, a St. Louis nonprofit that teaches kids the basics of bicycle maintenance so they can fix up old bikes.
“They bring the used bike up to snuff, and then the kids get to keep the bikes,” Cordes explained. “It’s cool. If you’ve got an old bike sitting in your garage that your kids have outgrown but it’s still in decent working shape, you can bring it to the library and then it’ll go back to another kid, and they also learn the skills of bike maintenance.”
On Thursday, May 1, 2025, community members are invited to Old Bakery Beer Co. for the bimonthly “Taps & Tomes” book club. Attendees will enjoy a social hour at 6 p.m., followed by a discussion about this month’s book — “The Lion Women of Tehran” — at 7 p.m.
At 6 p.m. on Friday, May 9, 2025, you can choose from a variety of events, including “An Evening with Thomas Jefferson” featuring reenactor Kurt Smith. Smith, who is the official Thomas Jefferson of Colonial Williamsburg, will present a lecture and answer questions in character.
That same night, other library patrons will enjoy the quarterly Spring Reading Retreat at the Alton Square Mall Hayner location. Attendees are welcome to chat and craft throughout the evening while enjoying fruity drinks and snacks. The goal is to encourage connection while providing a space and time for people to read.
A Bob Dylan Tribute is planned for 6 p.m. on May 14, 2025, at the Alton Square Mall library. Blues guitarist Steve Vogel and singer/songwriter/storyteller Bob Case will play a few Dylan tunes while sharing information about the famous musician and the Folk Revival.
Cordes is especially looking forward to Family Line Dancing on May 21, 2025, at the Alton Square Mall library location. This family-friendly event encourages people ages 10 and up to try four sessions of line dancing with Michale Wooten from Effervescent Studios.
For those who want to give back to the library, Hayner will partner with The Sierra Club to plant a new native pollinator garden at the downtown library from 12:30–2:30 p.m. on May 18, 2025. Cordes said everyone is welcome to join and help out, and there will be conversations about native plants and pollinators while the planting commences.
All of these programs are free, though registration is encouraged. You can call 1-800-613-3163 to register.
Visit Hayner’s official event calendar for a full list of upcoming events in the next few weeks. Check out their official website at HaynerLibrary.org for more information about their services and resources.
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