YA Crew Meeting

Tuesday January 10 @ 3PM

In less than two weeks, we'll be having our first YA Crew meeting of the new year! We'll be talking about our upcoming programs and especially the Teen/Tween Carnival! So bring a friend and your ideas!

 I also have some random prizes to give away, so don't miss out! And, as always, snacks will be provided. Call the library at 330-343-6123 to register!

Snowed In Game Day

Tuesday December 27 (only 8 days away!) we'll be having our first Tween/Teen event ever! That's right, it's time for the "Snowed In" Game Day! This event is open to patrons ages 9-18, so call the library today at 330-343-6123 to sign up!

Don't miss out on all the fantastic games, challenges, and prizes! So bring a game and a friend (or your little brother) to the "Snowed In" Game Day! 

Gingerbread Houses - Pics and More!

 Hello, everyone! I am proud to announce that our Gingerbread Houses event was a huge success! Pictures are available on our Facebook Page, or you can save this neat digital scrapbook page.

Teen participants each made their own gingerbread house out of real gingerbread, royal icing, and candy decorations that teens brought to share. The results were, as always, awesome and creative! We also listened to festive music on Pandora (the Christmas Pop station, in case any of you were wondering) and had popcorn and hot cocoa. The event was a lot of fun, and I hope to repeat the event next year. 

If this event has sparked your creativity and you find you want to make your own gingerbread masterpieces at home, here are a few things I learned. 

1. When making the gingerbread, you want it stiff. So, you might have to add lots of flour to your recipe. 
2. Also, you may want to wait a couple days after baking your gingerbread before making the house.
3. If you don't feel like baking (and I wouldn't blame you for this one) you can also use graham crackers to build your house. 
4. Regarding Icing: When it feels like you've got too much powdered sugar, you've probably got it about right. 
5. Use Lots of Icing in the seams of the house as reinforcements and either have a partner or a few canned goods around to help you hold it up while the icing sets. 

Finally, I just wanted to thank everyone again for coming! It was a great event, and even though my arm kind of hurt on Wednesday from all the mixing of the icing, I had a blast! Hope to see you all again at our Snowed In Game Day on December 27 at 3PM. Call the library at 330-343-6123 to register!

Happy Holidays! ~ Liz

Gingerbread Houses!

Tuesday December 13, at 3:00, we'll be having our Gingerbread Houses event! Call the library at 330-343-6123 to register for this awesome program!
 We'll be making Gingerbread Houses out of real gingerbread, pre-cut for our teens. Royal icing and some candy decorations will also be provided, but you are welcome (and actually encouraged) to bring a bag of candy to share so we can have a variety and abundance of colorful decorations. Teens can work in teams or on their own to create gingerbread masterpieces. AND teens will be allowed to take their gingerbread houses home!

We will also be having popcorn and hot cocoa and listening to festive music. 

I am very excited for this event, and I hope that you all are too! If you haven't already registered, you can do so by calling the library at 330-343-6123 or by emailing me at strausel@oplin.org.