The library opens daily at 9 a.m., Monday through Saturday and is open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Weekly Monday night programs, chess club at 6 o’clock and In Stitches crochet classes at 6:30, return. Crochet instructor Jen Tarter recommends newcomers bring a skein of yarn and an “I” hook. The current project is a long scarf.
Library Littles story time returns at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Youth services librarian Lesa Cole will offer up stories with a winter theme. Youngsters will create a winter scene using shaving cream afterward.
On Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 2 p.m., the library introduces a new monthly support group for caregivers of individuals with Alzheimers or other dementia. Melissa Smoot, IPL’s public services librarian, will facilitate the group to help participants develop informal mutual support and social relationships.
She recently completed special training through the Alzheimer’s Association and can also provide information and help caregivers develop methods and skills to solve problems. In addition, she notes, the association’s Heart of America chapter operates a 24/7 help line at 800-272-3900. To register for the support group, participants should call that number.
Ham radio is alive and well, says Stan Grigsby, president of Iola Amateur Radio. Grigsby is guest speaker for Radio Waves, a program Saturday, Jan. 14 at 2 p.m. Ham radio uses the radio spectrum for communication, for non-commercial exchange of messages. It’s a popular hobby, Grigsby says, and need not break the budget. It also can be fun for kids and he encourages those age 10 and up to attend the program.
Amateur radio has been around since the early 1900s. Grigsby’s experience spans half a century, including a stint as a volunteer communication officer with the Red Cross in Kuwait in 1991. The transceiver he used is part of a display now on view in the library lobby. Also shown is a simple Morse Code transceiver and key which he says can be put together for about $30; he will explain.
His presentation will cover amateur radio history and its importance to emergency services, technology development and scientific study.
