Cordelia B. Preston Memorial Library

05/16/2026

CAPS NEEDED!!! We need 24 clean bottle caps for a summer reading project.

05/12/2026

05/01/2026

Lots of busy Mom's today but Gunner and Sutton were available for the last session of storytime.
The BIG book A frog in the bog reviewed the insect program from last week. The log was actually an alligator!.
After this story we moved on to cat tales. This librarian always wanted a library cat so today her tabby Tufenuf was a visitor.
Last in remembrance of last day of school picnics in the old days and big tubs of ice cream we read Pete the cat screams for ice cream and made a flannel activity of a giant ice cream cone.
Dishes of ice cream with lots sprinkles were enjoyed. Thanks to CPLS for providing giant ice cream crafts. Candy ice cream cones and bug catchers were part of the take home fun.
Get ready for summer reading June 4 to June 25 at the library. This year's theme, "Unearth a Story." Call 473-3425 to sign up.
Thanks parent's for sharing your children with the library for storytime. Hope your child enjoys a lifetime of reading. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of their reading journey.

04/23/2026

Insects were in the air at storytime.
The children help read the Storybook Old Black Fly by saying "shoo fly shoo". At the end of the story they each got to swat the giant puppet fly with a fly swatter!
"Sleepyhead Bear" was disturbed by lots of insects. A puppet bumble bee, lady bug and butterflies helped tell this story. The little bear decided butterflies were the best insects because they didnt make noise and didn't bite. He fell asleep on the last page with soft lights from fireflies.
Thanks to CPLS library system for the craft project. Insects were hidden on a grassy paper.
Then...."Hedgehog bakes a cake was the final story. Hedgehog had too many friends advising about making a cake and not following a recipe and not being good helpers with cleaning up. In the end they went home and left a big mess. Hedgehog followed recipe directions and made a wonderful cake which she shared. The children all followed the recioe directions and all help clean up and then shared a delicious chocolate cake with families present. Please see recipe!
Next week cats and ice cream!
Winter/spring Storytime will conclude Tuesday, April 28. Be watching for lots of dinosaurs during Summer Reading

Microwave Chocolate Cake

¾ c hot water 1 t vanilla
¼ c cocoa 1 c flour
1/3 c vegetable oil ½ t soda
1 c sugar ¼ t baking soda
1 egg ¼ t salt

Combine cocoa and hot water. Stir until smooth. Side a side
Blend together oil and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Blend in cocoa mixture. Add flour, soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until smooth.
Pour batter into greased 7” microwavable pan. Microwave 4.5 to 5 minutes.

04/22/2026

DINOSAURS! 🦕 🦖

Mark your calendars: Ashfall Fossil Beds opens next week!

Journey north to Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park this summer for a scientific getaway. Observe over 200 complete fossilized skeletons, walk the trails surrounding the park, and visit with paleontologists on site. More park details available at ashfall.unl.edu.

The park opens on May 1 for the 2026 summer season. Happy !

04/19/2026

It's National Library Week!

Millions of people visit their libraries every week—and for good reason. During National Library Week, April 19–25, take time to discover what brings you joy at your library. Visit your library and bring friends and family along; encourage a friend to get a library card and discover the opportunities it unlocks; browse the shelves, join a book club, attend a program or storytime, or get started on your next creative project in a makerspace.

National Library Week is filled with opportunities to celebrate our libraries and take action to keep them strong. Join in on one (or all!) of the various commemoration days:

Monday, 4/20: Right to Read Day - we're calling on library lovers and advocates to celebrate wins against censorship efforts and to take action to defend the freedom to read. On Right to Read Day, ALA will release the State of America's Libraries Report, including the list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2025.

Tuesday, 4/21: National Library Workers Day - take time to honor and thank the library workers at your library for all they do to impact your community.

Wednesday, 4/22: National Library Outreach Day - a day to celebrate libraries meeting people where they are. Look for your library out in your community - in the bookmobile, at a local pop-up, at schools or assisted living facilities, or wherever!

Thursday, 4/23: Take Action For Libraries Day - this year, we're asking YOU to show up for our libraries and take action against legislative censorship attempts by contacting Congress.

Stay tuned for posts throughout the week and more ways to get involved, and be sure to visit your library and ilovelibraries.org and celebrate your library.

04/15/2026

A magical wand and a puppet hat with a magical rabbit inside all helped the children learn that books can be magical.
The story " Giraffs can't dance" made us feel sad because the animals teased the giraffe because he couldn't dance. But magically in the end he could dance and so could the children!
Everyone liked the dragon puppet who blew smoke (flour in a syringe) from his nostrils. The dragon introduced "The Storybook Knight." There were 9 very good listeners to this story.
"See you later alligator" was about a turtle stopping to tell his friends goodby. The children helped read this story by naming the rhyming animals. Good listeners and readers! Of course we had to act out 5 little monkeys swinging thru the trees to complete the alligator story.
Springtime finger plays that everyone likes were reviewed and some are getting memorized.
And last the "Magic Wand" that started the whole storytime theme.
Crafty names were created from foam letters and each child will decide where to hang their project on their home.

Next week: All about bugs!

04/08/2026

Ok we tried really hard to help make rain. Flannel rain drops, stories about rain, a rainbow skittle experiment and we did make rain fall into a cup of water from a shaving cream cloud by using blue food coloring.
The story the big umbrella was fun because the children listened to the story while sitting under umbrellas!
A craft followed after reading 10 rubber ducks. Yellow ducks were given paper umbrellas and rubber boots. Each child added raindrops.
Sorry all our activities about rain didn't help to make actual rain.
Next week Books are Magical.

04/01/2026

Easter basket flannel, bunny puppets and the story Too
Many Carrots all helped start storytime on March 31. (By the way March went out like a lion!)
Each child got to feed the salt box rabbit carrots and then they got to eat carrots too.
Art projects were Easter egg trees with lots of bunnies in the grass. Then we turned an egg shape into a bunny with long ears.
Our Easter stories were set to music which the librarian tried to sing as the books were read. Easter Parade and Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail.
And then the children wore bunny ears and looked for Easter eggs. Thanks librarian Stephanie for providing BIG eggs to find!
Next week, April showers, we are going to see if we can make it rain!

03/26/2026

It's Spring! Our stories reflected this wonderful season. Little blue truck springtime and When springtime comes both led us into hopefully beautiful weather and baby animals. Pete the cat books are always favorites. Pete the cat and his four groovy buttons was a fun flannel activity and children learned Pete didn't cry when his buttons popped of. "Goodness no!"
Thanks to the Central Plains Library System for providing the springtime craft. We used some left over butterflies to make stick puppets and they were sent home with a rhyme so it could be performed for families.
Cups of grass seed were planted on a sponge and now they need little drinks of water and a warm window sill to help the grass grow.
Next week Easter fun!

03/24/2026

COMMUNITY HELP NEEDED!

Hoesch Memorial Library in Alma is in serious need of a ton of empty rectangular tissue boxes for a Summer Reading Project. Please help recycle your empty tissue boxes by dropping them off at either library by the end of May.

Thank you so much for all your support!!!