Valentine Public Library

Beyond the Book Event: Willa Cather
2025-10-20 17:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago)
Join us at the library as we host Impact Nebraska Artists and their traveling exhibition, A Tapestry of Life – Impact Willa Cather.

This collection showcases original works by Nebraska artists inspired by Cather’s writings, exploring themes of migration, resilience, and life on the Great Plains. Enjoy refreshments and a chance to visit with some of the artists, then stay for a screening of the documentary Yours, Willa Cather.

Drop In Anytime- 30-minute Film Showing at 6 pm

Free Admission
Open to the Public
Teens and Adults

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

Craft Hour: Pumpkin Yarn Art
2025-10-21 15:45 - 16:45
🎃🧶 Kids in grades 3 and up are invited to get crafty with a Pumpkin Yarn Craft! Using yarn and glue, you’ll shape and design your very own pumpkin creation—perfect for adding a cozy fall touch to your seasonal décor.
It’s simple, fun, and a little bit messy…the best kind of crafting! 🍂

Craft Hour: Spooky Watercolor Painting
2025-10-23 15:45 - 16:45
🕷️🎨 Kids in grades K–5 are invited to make a Spooky Watercolor Painting! First, you’ll draw spider webs on your paper using a white crayon. Then, watch the magic happen as you spread watercolor paint across the page—the webs stay white while the colors swirl around them.
It’s a mix of art and mystery that’s perfectly spooky for the season! 🕸️✨🎃

Pre-K Story Time: Pumpkins
2025-10-24 09:30 - 10:00
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!

Board Meeting
2025-10-27 16:30 - 17:30, 2025-10-28 00:00
The regular meeting of the Valentine Public Library Board will be held on Monday, October 27, 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.

Craft Hour: Halloween Perler Bead Creations
2025-10-28 15:45 - 16:45
👻🎨 Kids in grades 3 and up can get spooky and creative with Halloween Perler Beads! Design your own haunting creation or choose from one of our fun Halloween patterns—think pumpkins, bats, ghosts, and more. Once the beads are fused, you’ll have a festive decoration to take home and enjoy.
It’s pixel art with a Halloween twist! 🦇🎃✨

Craft Hour: Fall Lanterns
2025-10-30 15:45 - 16:45
Kids in grades K–5 are invited to join us for a cozy autumn craft!
Using paper and colorful tissue, each child will design and create their own fall-themed lantern. When finished, we’ll add a safe tea light inside to make the lantern glow beautifully. This fun project is the perfect way to celebrate the colors and light of the season!

Pre-K Story Time: Monsters (Kids can wear their costumes!)
2025-10-31 08:00 - 17:00
Happy Halloween! This week’s theme is Friendly Monsters! Kids can wear their Halloween costumes (any kind!) to storytime fun—then stop back by the library at 4:30 for the Annual Scare in the Square Trick-or-Treat Parade!
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!

Turkey Hunt Tuesday
2025-11-04
The Turkey Hunt Is Back!Starting November 4, our sneaky 12-inch plush turkey returns to the library—and he could be hiding anywhere in the main area! Everyone is welcome to join the hunt, so keep your eyes peeled and search high and low.
When you find him, stay quiet to keep the surprise alive for others, then let a librarian know. You’ll receive a treat and we’ll add your feather to a turkey in our window display, showing that you’re an official turkey hunter. Let the turkey tracking begin!

Kid’s Craft Hour – Beaded Corn Creations
2025-11-04 15:45 - 16:45
Hey kids in grades 3 and up-get ready to get crafty! Join us for a fun-filled hour of creativity as we make colorful beaded corn ears using pipe cleaners and beads. These cute creations are perfect as decorations, key chains, backpack charms—or anything your imagination dreams up!
This hands-on craft is a great way to build fine motor skills, express creativity, and enjoy time with friends. Come make something unique and festive to take home!

Adult Book Club Night
2025-11-04 19:00 - 20:00
Join us on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM for our Adult Book Club! This month, we’ll be diving into The Midnight Library by Matt Haig—a thought-provoking novel that explores life’s possibilities and the choices that shape our destinies. Enjoy great conversation, good company, and a welcoming atmosphere. New members are always welcome!

Ag-Citing Science: Pumpkins to Pie!
2025-11-06 15:45 - 16:45
Join 4-H educator, Blair Speck, as brings agriculture to life for kids in grades K-5th! This collection of hands-on modules, created by the Nebraska 4-H Youth Development Ag & Food Systems Team and Nebraska Ag in the Classroom materials, is utilized to help youth explore agriculture.
Pumpkins to Pie – a hands on journey with a tasty finish! Perfect for Fall or Halloween, youth will explore the pumpkin life cycle and from seed to pumpkin. We
will use all our of sense when learning about pumpkins during this STEM lesson!

Holiday Bookmark Workshop
2025-11-06 18:00 - 19:00
Teens and adults are invited to join us for this workshop led by local artist Celeste Donovan! Using watercolor paints, she’ll help you create festive bookmarks perfect for slipping into your favorite holiday read—or gifting to a fellow book lover.
Choose from one of Celeste’s charming designs or let your creativity run wild with your own idea. She’ll guide you step-by-step, so whether you’re a seasoned painter or just picking up a brush, you’ll leave with merry little masterpieces.
All supplies provided.

Pre-K Story Time: Monsters
2025-11-07 09:30 - 10:00

Pre-K Story Time: Hedgehogs
2025-11-07 09:45 - 10:45

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!
