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Youth Art Month Contest

Sunday, March 31, 2024
All Branches
Calling all youth artists! For Youth Art Month, we're challenging you to create and submit an original 2D work of art based on the theme of our upcoming Summer Reading Program: space! For this theme, draw your favorite planet or space-themed item—you can even make up your own.

The winning artwork will be made into a collectible summer reading prize bookmark. Entries should be 3x7 inches. Starting March 1, you can stop by any MCPL location to grab a template. When you're finished, drop your entry off at any MCPL location by March 31 to enter.

Make sure your entry has the following information written legibly on the back: name, age, title of your artwork, MCPL location that you regularly visit, and contact information (including email address and/or telephone number). Ages birth–12.
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VITAL English Language Group: Conversation with Tom Bitters

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Downtown Library
Program Room 2C
New English speakers will practice everyday language skills in a relaxed, informal atmosphere. Learners will enjoy friendly conversation, learn about daily life in the U.S., gain confidence, and meet new people from around the world. 

Intermediate English skills are suggested. If you do not speak English, please fill out the VITAL Services form to learn about programs for beginners. Conversation Groups are drop-in and no registration is needed.

If you have not attended a VITAL program before, please stop by the office for more information (Downtown Library, second floor).   

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Homeschool Recess

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Downtown Library
Children's Program Room
Calling all elementary-aged homeschoolers—it's recess time! Come to the Downtown Library to play a variety of games and hang out with other homeschoolers. Ages 6–12.
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Registration is closed

Rangers of Shadow Deep

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Downtown Library
Ground Floor
Join us for Rangers of Shadow Deep, a D&D-like wargame with custom character creation. No experience required. Players will assemble a fully custom ranger miniature and work together to tackle adversaries and solve mysteries in the vast realm of Shadow Deep. This is an ongoing adventure. If you're interested in participating, please contact Sam Ott (sott@mcpl.info) or attend a Miniature Making program to get started. Ages 12–19. Please register in-person. 
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Crafts in the Stacks

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Downtown Library
Children's Program Room
Try out new hands-on, DIY projects as you learn new crafting skills each month. Supplies will be provided to complete each project. Ages 7–12.
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OVERFLOW - streaming

5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Registration is closed

Green Peeps Book Club: The Vaster Wilds

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Downtown Library
Program Room 2C
Join this book club to discuss nature-focused reads each month. You'll also learn how to become more ecologically-minded through activities and speakers designed to enhance our reading. This month, we'll be reading The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff. Age 18 and up. Please register.

Summary:
"A servant girl escapes from a colonial settlement in the wilderness. She carries nothing with her but her wits, a few possessions, and the spark of god that burns hot within her. What she finds in this terra incognita is beyond the limits of her imagination and will bend her belief in everything that her own civilization has taught her. Lauren Groff’s new novel is at once a thrilling adventure story and a penetrating fable about trying to find a new way of living in a world succumbing to the churn of colonialism. The Vaster Wilds is a work of raw and prophetic power that tells the story of America in miniature, through one girl at a hinge point in history, to ask how—and if—we can adapt quickly enough to save ourselves."

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Jewelry Workshop

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Downtown Library
The Ground Floor
Curious about making your own earrings, necklaces, or bracelets? Drop by The Ground Floor and we can teach you how! Ages 12–19. 
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Michael Koryta: Live at the Library!

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Downtown Library
Auditorium
Michael Koryta will be discussing his latest book, Lost Man's Lane, written under the pseudonym Scott Carson. Michael Koryta is a New York Times bestselling author whose work has been translated into more than 20 languages, adapted into major motion pictures, and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. A former private investigator and reporter, his writing has been praised by Stephen King, Michael Connelly, and Dean Koontz, among many others. Raised in Bloomington, Indiana, he now lives in Indiana and Maine. Age 16 and up. This event is free and no tickets are required.

Summary for Lost Man's Lane:
For a 16-year-old, a summer internship working for a private investigator seems like a dream come true—particularly since the PI is investigating the most shocking crime to hit Bloomington, Indiana, in decades. A local woman has vanished, and the last time anyone saw her, she was in the backseat of a police car driven by a man impersonating an officer. Marshall Miller’s internship puts him at the center of the action, a position he relishes until a terrifying moment that turns public praise for his sharp observations and uncanny memory into accusations of lying and imperiling the case.

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VITAL English Language Group: Conversation with Shane Tang

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Downtown Library
VITAL Classroom
New English speakers will practice everyday language skills in a relaxed, informal atmosphere. Learners will enjoy friendly conversation, learn about daily life in the U.S., gain confidence, and meet new people from around the world. 

Intermediate English skills are suggested. If you do not speak English, please fill out the VITAL Services form to learn about programs for beginners. Conversation Groups are drop-in and no registration is needed.

If you have not attended a VITAL program before, please stop by the office for more information (Downtown Library, second floor).   

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AARP Tax Aide

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Special Solar Eclipse Movie: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

3:45 PM - 6:00 PM
Downtown Library
Auditorium
What better way to gear up for the total solar eclipse on April 8 than to watch the most epic of space stories! Poe Dameron, Rey, and BB-8 battle Kylo Ren and the First Order in the sequel to The Return of the Jedi. This film is rated PG-13. 
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Masquerade Ball

7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Downtown Library
Atrium Space
Drop by the Downtown Library for an after-hours masquerade dance! Snacks, tools to make your own masquerade mask, a photo booth, and dance music will be provided. Formal attire is encouraged. Click here for additional information about our after-hours programs. Ages 12–19.
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Magic: The Gathering Meet-Up

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Downtown Library
Children's Program Room
Drop in with your own Magic: The Gathering cards and decks to play against others, or use some of ours and learn the game. All skill levels are welcome. Ages 9–12.
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Stages Bloomington Sneak Preview: The Little Mermaid Jr.

2:30 PM - 3:15 PM
Downtown Library
Auditorium

Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr. is sure to melt your heart! Join Stages Bloomington Theatre Company for a live preview of its next musical production. Watch as Ariel, Prince Eric, and all of your favorite characters come to life on stage—at the Downtown Library. All ages. 


This program is in partnership with Stages Bloomington.


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VITAL English Language Group: Writing and Conversation with Jamelyn Wheeler

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Downtown Library
VITAL Classroom
New English speakers will practice everyday language skills in a relaxed, informal atmosphere. Learners will enjoy friendly conversation, learn about daily life in the U.S., gain confidence, and meet new people from around the world. 

Intermediate English skills are suggested. If you do not speak English, please fill out the VITAL Services form to learn about programs for beginners. Conversation Groups are drop-in and no registration is needed.

If you have not attended a VITAL program before, please stop by the office for more information (Downtown Library, second floor). 
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AARP Tax Aide

2:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Teen Craft Club: Eclipse Wall Art

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Downtown Library
The Ground Floor
Dive into a new craft project each month with other art lovers! This month, we'll be making eclipse wall art in preparation for the total solar eclipse on April 8. Ages 12–19.

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Registration is closed

Adult Craft Club: Planetary Cross-Stitch

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Downtown Library
Meeting Room 2A
Choose a planetary design and enjoy some tea and crafting at the Downtown Library in preparation for the total solar eclipse on April 8. No previous cross-stitch experience required. Age 18 and up. Please register.
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VITAL English Language Group: Conversation with Jeanette Clausen

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Downtown Library
VITAL Classroom
New English speakers will practice everyday language skills in a relaxed, informal atmosphere. Learners will enjoy friendly conversation, learn about daily life in the U.S., gain confidence, and meet new people from around the world. 

Intermediate English skills are suggested. If you do not speak English, please fill out the VITAL Services form to learn about programs for beginners. Conversation Groups are drop-in and no registration is needed.

If you have not attended a VITAL program before, please stop by the office for more information (Downtown Library, second floor). 
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Wish Viewing Party

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Downtown Library
Meeting Room 1B & 1C Combo
Join us for a special movie night where we'll watch Disney’s newest animated movie, Wish. We’ll discover the magic of wishing upon a star while we enjoy snacks and crafts. All ages.

Summary:
“A young woman named Asha possesses wild wishes for happiness. After making a wish on a starry night, Asha is surprised when Star, a ball of cosmic energy, comes down to accompany her. Asha and Star must work together to defeat the ruthless ruler, King Magnifico, who threatens the safety of her local community. With Asha's unstoppable courage and Star's magical powers, nothing is impossible.”
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HealthNet

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Preschool Storytime

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Downtown Library
Children's Program Room
Join in the fun with stories, songs, puppets, and more that encourage the development of early literacy skills. Ages 3–6.
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VITAL English Language Group: Book Club with Neil Klein

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Downtown Library
VITAL Classroom
New English speakers will practice everyday language skills in a relaxed, informal atmosphere. The Book Club is reading Refugee by Alan Gratz  this session. This book is available in print, audio, or eBook in the MCPL catalog. Please contact VITAL if you need help accessing this title.

Intermediate English skills are suggested. If you do not speak English, please fill out the VITAL Services form to learn about programs for beginners.

If you have not attended a VITAL program before, please stop by the office for more information (Downtown Library, second floor).

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Little Makers

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
Downtown Library
Children's Program Room
Explore your creativity with different materials and techniques at this fun, open-ended art experience. Dress to mess. Ages 3–6.
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