Valentine Public Library

Pre-K Story Time: Hedgehogs
2025-11-07 09:45 - 10:45 (America/Chicago)
Join us for Story Time—designed especially for Pre-K kids and their grown-ups!Each Friday from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m., we explore a fun new theme through stories and hands-on crafts that spark creativity and learning.
What to Expect:

Themed Story Time: Listen to an engaging story each week.
Music & Motion: Join the music fun with rhythm sticks, egg shakers, and more—perfect for wiggling and giggling!
Craft Activity: Create a fun craft related to the story’s theme.

Bring your little ones for an enjoyable and creative start to their day! And don’t rush off after story time—stay for some “Fun with Friends” time in the kid’s corner. The kids can play while their caregivers connect and socialize. It’s a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and build community bonds.
Who: all toddlers and preschool-aged children accompanied by an adult are welcome!
Date and Time: Every Friday, 9:30 am – 10:00 am
We look forward to seeing you and your little ones here!

Veterans Day Closure Notice
2025-11-11
We will be closed on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, for Veterans Day. We will reopen on November 12th at 9:00 a.m.
We’ll be taking this time to honor and remember those who have served our country with bravery and sacrifice. Remember, even when our physical doors are closed, the world of books remains wide open. Dive into a new adventure or explore a captivating story right from the comfort of your home with our app, Libby. With just a few taps, you can access a vast collection of ebooks and audiobooks to satisfy your reading cravings.
So while we take this brief pause to pay our respects, don’t hesitate to explore the virtual shelves of Libby for your next literary escape. We’ll see you back at the library soon!

Board Meeting
2025-11-12 10:00 - 11:00
The Valentine Public Library Board will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at 10:00am at the Valentine Public Library. This meeting is open to the public and an agenda is available for public inspection during regular business hours at the office of the Valentine Library Director.

Ag-Science: Positively Popcorn!
2025-11-13 15:45 - 16:45
From Seed to Snack- Nebraska is the number 1 popcorn producer in the United States. In this lesson, youth will learn about the different types of popcorn, the importance of agriculture, and the science behind how popcorn is popped.
Kids in grades K-5th are invited to join Blair Speck, 4-H educator, for an hour of fun and learning. We provide all the supplies!

Pre-K Story Time: Corn
2025-11-14 09:30 - 10:00

Kid's Book Club
2025-11-17 16:00 - 17:00
Join us for a fun and engaging afternoon as we dive into The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman! Our Kid’s Book Club is the perfect place for young readers to stretch their imaginations, share ideas, and connect with friends who love stories just as much as they do. Discussing books helps build confidence, boost creativity, and keep curious minds growing strong.
Come ready for lively conversation, fun activities, and a great story adventure!
The Silver Arrow:
Kate and her younger brother Tom lead dull, uninteresting lives. And if their dull, uninteresting parents are anything to go by, they don’t have much to look forward to. Why can’t Kate have thrilling adventures and save the world the way people do in books? Even her 11th birthday is shaping up to be mundane — that is, until her mysterious and highly irresponsible Uncle Herbert, whom she’s never even met before, surprises her with the most unexpected, exhilarating, inappropriate birthday present of all time: a colossal steam locomotive called the Silver Arrow.
Kate and Tom’s parents want to send it right back where it came from. But Kate and Tom have other ideas — and so does the Silver Arrow — and soon they’re off to distant lands along magical rail lines in the company of an assortment of exotic animals who, it turns out, can talk. With only curiosity, excitement, their own resourcefulness and the thrill of the unknown to guide them, Kate and Tom are on the adventure of a lifetime . . . and who knows? They just might end up saving the world after all.

Turkey Hunt Tuesday
2025-11-18
Did you catch the turkey in the last hunt? He’s on the move again! On the third Tuesday of the month, our sneaky 12-inch plush turkey will be hiding in a brand-new spot somewhere in the main library. Everyone is invited to join the fun—just remember to keep the hunt a secret when you spot him!
Let a librarian know you’ve found him to receive a treat and we’ll add your feather to the turkey window display. Each hunt is a new chance to join the flock of official turkey hunters!

STEM Hour: Build Your Own Fiber Optic Lamp!
2025-11-18 15:45 - 16:45
Get ready to light up your imagination! During this STEM Hour, kids in grades 3 and up will build their very own working fiber optic lamp using real fiber optic strands, light bulbs, and simple electronic components. As they assemble the lamp, they’ll learn how basic circuits work and discover the science behind how light travels.
Each kit includes everything needed for the project and features easy step-by-step instructions—perfect for young innovators who love hands-on fun!
✨ What kids will gain:

Explore basic electronics and circuits

Develop problem-solving and fine motor skills

Create a colorful lamp to take home and enjoy

This program makes learning science bright, exciting, and unforgettable!

Beyond the Book Event: Willa Cather – A Tapestry of Life
2025-11-20 05:00 - 19:00
Join us for a special evening as we welcome Impact Nebraska Artists and their traveling exhibition, A Tapestry of Life – Impact Willa Cather.

This inspiring collection features original works by Nebraska artists, each piece reflecting themes from Willa Cather’s writings—migration, resilience, and the spirit of life on the Great Plains. Explore how literature and visual art come together to celebrate Nebraska’s rich cultural heritage.

📅 November 20, 2025 | 🕔 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Drop in anytime -30 minute documentary screening begins at 6:00 PM

✨ Event Highlights:

Exhibition open with light refreshments from 5:00–7:00 PM

Meet and visit with some of the featured artists

Stay for a 30-minute screening of Yours, Willa Cather at 6:00 PM

Don’t miss this unique celebration of art, literature, and Nebraska heritage!

Sponsored by: Friends of the Valentine Library, Sand Painters Art Club, & The Sandhills Area Foundation

Kid’s Craft Hour – Turkey Windchimes
2025-11-20 15:45 - 16:45
Celebrate the season with creativity! Kids in grades K-5th are invited to join us to make festive Turkey Wind chimes using craft items and your imagination. Kids will design colorful turkeys that jingle in the breeze—perfect for decorating your home or giving as a handmade gift.
This fun craft boosts fine motor skills and encourages creative expression while adding a festive fall touch to your day. Come gobble up some crafting fun! 🦃✨

Pre-K Story Time: Turkeys
2025-11-21 09:30 - 10:00

Board Meeting
2025-11-24 16:30 - 17:30
The regular meeting of the Valentine Public Library Board will be held on Monday, November 24, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. in the Library Meeting room to conduct any business that may properly come before them. A current agenda will be on file at the public library.

Turkey Hunt Tuesday
2025-11-25
Final Turkey Hunt of the Year!It’s your last chance to find our sneaky plush turkey before he disappears until next year! He’s hiding one more time in the main library—so search high, search low, and see if you can be one of the final official turkey hunters of the season.
When you spot him, quietly let a librarian know to claim a treat. We’ll add a turkey feather to our window display to show are an official turkey hunter. Don’t miss out—once he’s gone, he won’t be back until next November!

Board Meeting
2025-11-25 10:30 - 11:30
The Valentine Public Library Board will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at 10:30 am at the Cherry County Courthouse at 365 N Main Street, Valentine, NE. This meeting is open to the public and an agenda is available for public inspection during regular business hours at the office of the Valentine Library Director.

Carrie Graham
Library Director

Craft Hour: Shrinky Dinks Magic!
2025-11-25 15:45 - 16:45
Create, color, and shrink your art into something amazing! During this fun craft hour, kids in grades 3 and up will design their own Shrinky Dinks—drawings that transform in the oven into hard, miniature charms and decorations. Make keychains, backpack tags, ornaments, or anything your imagination dreams up!
This hands-on activity is a favorite for boosting creativity, fine motor skills, and pure artistic fun. Come watch your artwork shrink into something awesome right before your eyes!

Thanksgiving Closing Notice
2025-11-27 - 2025-11-28
We will be closed on Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. We’ll reopen on Monday at 9:00 a.m.
We hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday filled with good food, gratitude, and time with the people who matter most. As you relax and recharge, don’t forget that even when our doors are closed, your reading adventures don’t have to pause! With the Libby app, you can browse thousands of ebooks and audiobooks from home—perfect for cozy holiday downtime.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! We look forward to welcoming you back to the library soon.

STEM Project (Grades 3 & Up): Build a Bird-Themed Pendulum
2025-12-02 15:45 - 16:45
When it comes to STEM learning, there’s no need to wing it—this hands-on project has everything kids need to let their creativity take flight! Students in grades 3 and up are invited to build their own charming bird-themed pendulums using foam pieces, paper straws, baker’s twine, wood beads, and clothespins.
We’ll explore how pendulums work, share fun facts from our resource guide, and spark curiosity with questions that keep young scientists thinking and engaged. All supplies are provided—just bring your imagination and get ready to learn through motion and creativity!

Adult Book Club: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
2025-12-02 19:00 - 20:00
Join us for this month’s Adult Book Club as we dive into The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters—an emotional, beautifully written novel about family, identity, loss, and belonging.
A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that haunts the survivors, unravels a family, and remains unsolved for nearly fifty years
July 1962. Following in the tradition of Indigenous workers from Nova Scotia, a Mi’kmaq family arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister’s disappearance for years to come.
In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as the only child of an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, her mother frustratingly overprotective.
Norma is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem more like memories than imagination. As she grows older, Norma slowly comes to realize there is something her parents aren’t telling her. Unwilling to abandon her intuition, she will spend decades trying to uncover this family secret.
For fans of The Vanishing Half and Woman of Light, this showstopping debut by a vibrant new voice in fiction is a riveting novel about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma, and the persistence of love across time.

Craft Hour (K-5th): Fireplace Ornaments
2025-12-04 15:45 - 16:45
Join us for a cozy and creative Craft Hour at the library! Kids will be making adorable fireplace ornaments using construction paper, tissue paper, and ribbon. They can follow our step-by-step pattern or let their imagination run wild and design their own version. All supplies are provided—just bring your creativity and have fun!

Story Time (Pre-K): Candy Canes
2025-12-05 09:30 - 10:00

Craft Hour (Grades 3 & Up): Foam Gingerbread House
2025-12-09 15:45 - 16:45
Building a gingerbread house is a beloved holiday tradition—and now kids can create their own charming version at the library! This festive craft lets participants assemble a delightful foam gingerbread house they can proudly take home and display with their holiday decorations.
With self-adhesive foam pieces, the project is fun and easy —perfect for a busy holiday season. All supplies are provided, so come ready to build, create, and celebrate!

Ag-Citing Science Day: Legen-Dairy!
2025-12-11 15:45 - 16:45
Join Blair Speck, 4-H Educator, for a truly Legen-Dairy Ag-Citing Science Day at the library! From farm to glass, youth will explore how milk is safely produced and travels from the dairy to your fridge. Kids will sample some delicious dairy treats and even learn how to make their own butter in a jar. It’s hands-on, tasty, and packed with farm-fresh fun—don’t miss it!

Story Time (Pre-K): Gingerbread Man
2025-12-12 09:30 - 10:00

Board Meeting
2025-12-15 10:30 - 11:30
The Valentine Public Library Board will hold a special meeting on Monday, December 15, 2025, at 10:30am at the Valentine Public Library. This meeting is open to the public and an agenda is available for public inspection during regular business hours at the office of the Valentine Library Director.

Craft Hour: Wooden Bead Christmas Wreath Ornament
2025-12-16 15:45 - 16:45
Kids in grades 3 and up are invited to join us for a fun and festive Craft Hour as we make an adorable wooden bead Christmas wreath ornament! These simple little wreaths are perfect for hanging on the tree, decorating a bedroom door, or giving as a sweet, handmade gift for someone special.
All supplies are provided—just come ready to create some holiday cheer!

Artist Reception: Pat Schemmer
2025-12-17 16:00 - 17:30
Celebrate local art at an artist reception hosted by the Sand Painters Art Club, featuring Artist of the Month, Pat Schemmer. Enjoy light refreshments, explore her work, and visit with Pat as she shares the story and techniques behind her pieces.

Create & Play Hour: Grades K–5
2025-12-18 15:45 - 16:45
Beat the boredom blues at the library during our Create & Play Hour! We’re cleaning out the craft closet and putting all our odds and ends, leftover supplies, and mystery materials out for kids to get crafty and creative. Build, glue, design—anything goes! We’ll also have Legos and Magna-Tiles out for extra building fun. All supplies are provided—just come ready to imagine, create, and play!

Story Time (Pre-K): Reindeer
2025-12-19 09:30 - 10:00

Board Meeting
2025-12-22 16:30 - 17:30
The regular meeting of the Valentine Public Library Board will be held on Monday, December 22, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. in the Library Meeting room to conduct any business that may properly come before them. A current agenda will be on file at the public library.

Holiday Movie Afternoon (ages 6 & up): The Polar Express
2025-12-23 15:00 - 17:00
All aboard! Kids ages 6 & up are invited to join us for a cozy holiday movie afternoon at the library as we watch The Polar Express. We’ll have hot chocolate and popcorn ready, and everyone can pile onto the floor together for a fun, comfy viewing. Feel free to bring your own pillow to sit on—let’s kick off the holiday season with a little movie magic!
