Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas! What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Jolabokaflod, or the “Christmas Book Flood,” is an Icelandic tradition of giving books as gifts on Christmas Eve. For decades now, these generous booklovers of the north cozy up with their new gifts and spend the night before Christmas reading. I like to imagine these folks, hot chocolate in hand and the aurora borealis dancing outside the window, peacefully basking in the magic that is Dec. 24.
Make a little magic of your own, this season! Fayette County families are invited to participate in a Storybook Walk through downtown Washington Court House. “The Mitten” by Jan Brett in a storywalk begins at Carnegie Public Library and continues down Court Street. A list of locations, in order, is available at the library, as well as on the library’s social media outlets.
Stop by the library and check out one of our holiday displays. Beautifully and creatively decorated, the library has scenes on both the first and second floors perfect for picture taking or enjoyment. Also, curated collections of books and movies have your old favorites and new treats to discover for last minute Christmas fun!
Tuesdays are great for Virtual Reality! Children, teens, families, and adults can register for an introduction to use the library’s Oculus to game, create, compete, and experience other worlds. Library staff will guide you through an orientation before you choose an adventure. Call 740-335-2540, ext. 14, to register today. On Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 5 p.m., children, tweens, and teens in grades 2 and up are invited to strum along with Aaron, and learn ukulele basics in real life!
Join us for storytime! Our storytime programs incorporate stories, songs, crafts, and play, and are for children ages 5 and younger. Each Tuesday at 11 a.m., Bonnie’s Books takes place at Jeffersonville United Methodist Church. Then, each Thursday at 11 a.m., Hello, Friends! takes place each week in Washington Court House, at the library. Please note, Hello, Friends! will not take place Thursday, Dec. 23.
Christmas fun for the little ones! The library has free Take & Make reindeer crafts kits for children of all ages! Pick up your kit, craft away, then snap a picture to share it with us!
Free, rapid COVID-19 tests are available at Carnegie Public Library, via curbside pick-up only, Monday- Friday, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. We ask that you please call 740-335-2540 once you have arrived in the library parking lot, and a library staff member will deliver the tests to your car. Please note, due to limited supplies, there is a maximum of four tests per household at this time. These tests have been made available for free distribution thanks to the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Library Council.
Coming up, the library will be closed Thursday, Dec. 24 through Tuesday, Dec. 27 in observance of the Christmas holiday.
Our online resources are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Information about all of our resources can be found on the library’s website, www.cplwcho.org, or by calling the Washington Court House Library at 740-335-2540. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @cplwcho.
