We are excited to announce the April No Holds – No Waiting titles on Overdrive & Libby. We have added Children and Teen titles this month also. Happy Reading!

The Bartlesville Public Library’s Annual LEGO Creation Contest is back!  After cancelling last year’s competition due to the sudden Covid-related closing of the library, the staff has planned a slightly altered version of this popular event.

            Registration begins on April 5^th.  To register, pick up a form at the library’s Youth Services Desk or download the form from BPL’s website or Facebook page. Contestants will build their LEGO creations at home using their own LEGOs, abiding by the rules and criteria noted on the registration form.  They will then drop off their entries at the library any time between April 19^th and April 21^st at noon.  After the projects are allowed to quarantine for 72 hours, private judging will take place on Saturday, April 24^th. “This is where things will be a little different than usual,” says Youth Services Librarian, Laura Pryce.  “We will not have a public viewing or awards ceremony this year, as this always attracts quite a crowd, and we’re not yet ready to put that many people into a small room together.  I’m disappointed but very grateful that we’re able to host this event again!” Judging the contest, based on a numerical rating system in three categories, will be Eric Randall of Tri-County Technology Center, George Halkiades, retired engineer and a mentor for the local FIRST Robotics Team 2165, and John Gorman of Gorman Construction.  Winning entries will be featured in the library’s lobby display case from April 25^th through April 30^th.

The contest is free. Participants will be divided into three age groups: Pre-K through 4th grade, 5th grade through 8th grade, and 9th grade and up, including adults of all ages.  First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in each category with one overall grand prize being awarded.  Winners will receive some of the latest and greatest LEGO kits available, which are generously funded by the Bartlesville Friends of the Library.

            “We encourage everyone to participate,” says Pryce. “We’ve been holding this competition for over ten years and, in that time, we’ve seen great entries from both beginners and experienced builders of all ages!”

 Call 918-338-4170 for more information.

Thanks to a generous grant from Phillips 66, the BPL Youth Services department is creating a new collection of STEM items, which will be available for checkout soon!These fun and educational resources will include: 5 “Wonder Workshop Dash” Coding Robots for Kids 5 “Fisher-Price Think & Learn Code-a-pillar Twist” Preschool Toys 5 “Cubelets Robot Blocks” Discovery SetsBPL patrons may check out one kit at a time for one week.“We are incredibly grateful for the support that our library and our community receive from Phillips 66,” said Youth Services Librarian, Laura Pryce. “These materials are the first of many more items we will be adding to the new STEM Kit collection over the next few months. Our intent is to include kits that will appeal to all ages, from tots to teens.” The kits will be a valuable addition to the STEM-related resources that BPL already offers in the form of books, dvds, databases and digital information.What is STEM? It is an educational concept in which Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are integrated into cohesive educational experiences, utilizing hands-on learning. At a time when technical and scientific skills are increasingly important in school and in the work force, it is never too early to start introducing these ideas to the children in our lives!

For middle-and high-school students, BPL is hosting a Karaoke & Open Mic night at the Tower Center at Unity Square stage! We will be using the Karaoke machine that is available for checkout from BPL’s Library of Things collection. You can have your playlists ready on your personal device or use the hostess’s phone. Also welcome are original music, poetry, monologues…whatever you’d like to share. We do require that it be content-appropriate for public sharing. See you on Friday, March 19th, 6:30-8:30pm!

Join BPL during Spring Break for an outdoor, socially-distanced afternoon of fun Springtime crafts! Kids of all ages will enjoy creating Rainbow Bubble Snakes, Birdfeeders, Wind Chimes, Painted Rocks and more. Crafting stations will be set up at the Tower Center at Unity Square, who will also be hosting their first Food Truck Monday of the year!

SPRING BREAK FREE CRAFTERNOON!Join BPL during Spring Break for an outdoor, socially-distanced afternoon of fun Springtime crafts! Kids of all ages will enjoy creating Rainbow Bubble Snakes, Birdfeeders, Wind Chimes, Painted Rocks and more. Crafting stations will be set up at the Tower Center at Unity Square, who will also be hosting their first Food Truck Monday of the year!

WE STILL HAVE PLENTY OF OKC ZOO VOUCHERS TO GIVE AWAY! THIS IS HOW YOU CAN GET ONE. On July 8th,2020, the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden launched its annual statewide literacy program, READ FOR ADVENTURE, also sponsored by OG&E! As a participating library, BPL will give our patrons one voucher for FREE admission to the zoo (while supplies last) when they check out the book “Juniper’s Butterfly Garden,” which was published exclusively for this program! This voucher will admit up to FOUR people and is redeemable through June 30, 2021. (BPL received four copies of the book.They will need to be returned within seven days.We will build a “hold list” and check them out to patrons in the order that the holds are placed.)

Help us celebrate Dress Up Your Pet Day, by submitting photos of your pets dressed up. We can’t wait to see your animals all dressed up! Post photos in the comments of BPL’s “Dress Up Your Pet” Facebook post OR email to mawilske@cityofbartlesville.org.

Today is National Rubber Ducky Day!!!! Kids can get a free rubber ducky and fact sheet, while supplies last. Get yours today at the Youth Services Desk.

Parents, teachers and kids…help promote litter awareness by entering the annual Oklahoma Trash Poster Contest, sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation! Students (Kindergarten-12th grade) are eligible to win cash prizes and more. Get information and download an application here:https://www.odot.org/beauty/poster/index.html