Our Daily Show Interview! Beyond the Shelves with Megan and Hayner Library!

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ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District has been busy, but they have great programs planned for kids, teens and adults in the next few weeks.

Hayner’s Alton Square Mall location was temporarily closed on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, due to an obstruction in the sewer line. They hope to reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. You can visit the library’s official website or Facebook page for more information. In the meantime, Megan Dees, who oversees most of the teen programs at the library, explained that the library has several events for all age groups in the month of February.

From Feb. 5 through 14, 2025, kids can enjoy a Valentine’s Day drop-in station where they can make their own Valentine’s Day cards from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m at the KidsSpace section of the Alton Square Mall library. Kids ages 3–7 can also participate in Yoga Time for Kids on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at Alton Square Mall. From 10–11 a.m., children and their adults will learn new yoga poses and calming techniques.

Dees personally oversees the Teen Advisory Board, which will meet at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Teens are invited to come talk about the events and activities they want to see at the library. Dees noted that she tries her best to listen to the teens and provide the programs they want.

“I tell my teens, if they come to the teen advisory board and tell me what you want, tell me what you’re interested in, and I’ll try to make it happen,” she said.

She noted that the teens have come to trust her through programs like the Teen Advisory Board and the monthly Teen Crime Stoppers event planned for Feb. 5, 2025. She is honored to have their trust and she does everything she can to advocate for them.

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“Honestly, it makes me feel younger,” she laughed. “But I just love to get their thoughts heard, and that’s what I’m trying to do. I listen to what they want and I just do what I can. They all confide in me. They feel safe.”

More information about KidsSpace and TeensSpace programming can be found at HaynerLibrary.org. All of these events are completely free.

Dees shared that the library also has several events and activities for adults, from the Writers Circle on Feb. 15 to the X’s and Sews Crafting Program scheduled for Feb. 4, 2025. She is especially looking forward to welcoming the Riverbend Yarn Bombers for a workshop at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, at Alton Square Mall.

“We’re going to do needle felting hearts,” Dees said. “They take wool and a special needle and they sculpt it. You poke it enough and it sculpts. I was like, ‘What is this?’ And she’s telling me, and I’m like, ‘That sounds awesome.’”

Local caregivers are invited to “Communicating Effectively and Responding to Dementia-Related Behaviors—The Empowered Caregiver: Education Series by The Alzheimer’s Association” on Feb. 20, 2025. A representative from the Alzheimer’s Association will be present to answer questions, and attendees are also encouraged to chat and find support from one another.

On Feb. 11, patrons have the choice between two great programs. They can attend the Hayner Cookbook Club, which asks attendees to bring a soup prepared from a recipe found in “101 Greatest Soups on the Planet: Every Savory Soup, Stew, Chili and Chowder You Could Ever Crave” by Erin Renouf Mylroie. Attendees can try the recipes and talk about their experience in the kitchen.

Also on Feb. 11, patrons can also check out “Compassionate Connections: Harp Music for the Soul.” This concert will feature Amy Conrady Camie as she shares harp music and talks about the therapeutic properties of music.

Dees looks forward to all of these programs and more scheduled throughout the month of February. All library events and programs are free to attend. Patrons are asked to register by calling 1-800-613-3163.

For a full calendar of upcoming events, visit the official Hayner Public Library District website at HaynerLibrary.org.

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