The Friends of the Milford Memorial Library, Friends of the Spirit Lake Public Library, and Friends of the Arnolds Park Public Library are excited to host the program entitled “Our Neighbors, The Amish” by Don and Dianne Kramer of Dyersville, Iowa.  This program will be held at 2:00 p.m. on July 12, in the Milford Community Center.  There is no registration, no cost, and all ages are welcome to attend this program.

“Our Neighbors, The Amish” features information on 16 different topics about the Amish lifestyle and their beliefs.  Such topics include language, religion, home and social life, and population growth. Audience members will develop an understanding and appreciation of the Amish community and culture which can often be mystifying and much different than one’s own life.  Everyone is encouraged to be a part of the program through a discussion and tasting of real Amish treats.

Don and Dianne are native Iowans and retired teachers.  They enjoy the simplicity of life on an acreage in a log home surrounded by three Amish communities.  Through their interactions with the Amish and their own extensive research, they have been able to share their findings and interest with library audiences throughout Iowa.

On Wednesday, March 21, we made DIY Cleaning Products for our Adult Craft Series. If you missed the program or would like to make your own products from materials you most likely have at home here are the recipes we used. For our program we halved each of the recipes.

Come to the Milford Memorial Library on Thursday, April 5, at 2:00 p.m. to hear Tom Milligan present The Art of Conservation: A Visit with Ding Darling. This program is sponsored by Humanities Iowa and the Friends of the Milford Memorial Library.

In this 45-minute presentation, Jay N. “Ding” Darling visits with the audience, as an old friend, in his 11th office at The Des Moines Register. Beginning with his early years in Sioux City where as a young boy where he became aware of the natural world around him as well as his developing skills as an editorial cartoonist, he recalls his remarkable life journey. His story continues to include two Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoons for The Register and a remarkable career as a nationally known conservationist. From the introduction of The Duck Stamp to the creation of the National Wildlife Federation, Darling’s influence was felt not only through his cartoons but his actions as well. Considered by many to be one of the most important members of the modern conservation movement in the first half of the 20th century, the impact of his work is still felt today. 

Tom Milligan has spent 45 years as a working theater artist in Iowa. As an actor, director, scenic designer as well as producer, his work has been seen throughout Iowa and the Midwest. Beginning in 1973, many remember his work at Iowa’s first dinner theater, Charlie’s Showplace, in Des Moines. Over the years he has been on staff at The Des Moines Playhouse, The Ingersoll Dinner Theater, The Drake Opera, Hoyt Sherman Theater, The Drama Workshop and many other venues in the Des Moines area. In 2005 he moved to The Amana Colonies, working on multiple productions at The Old Creamery Theater, The Iowa Theater Artists Company, as well as many self-produced productions. His 16 year association with
Humanities Iowa reflects his passion for both theater and history through his unique one man play presentations.

​For more information on this program contact the Milford Memorial Library at (712) 338-4643 or info@milford.lib.ia.us.

Join member of the Iowa Holocaust Council and educator Brad Wilkening as he talks about Lessons of the Holocaust at the Milford Memorial Library on Monday, May 8, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wilkening will address how people can apply lessons of the Holocaust in today’s world where immoral acts are still happening. He started teaching in 1975 and has done extensive studies of the Holocaust since 2009.

​Wilkening finds the need for Holocaust education and the lessons people can learn from it more relevant now than ever. Inhumanity occurs around the world almost daily and he wants to make a difference in the lives of as many people as he can reach. “After this event (Holocaust) we said ‘NEVER AGAIN,’ yet there are numerous places today where genocide is happening. We as individuals must do our part to help humanity survive the inhumanity that some have toward others,” said Wilkening. His goal is to teach people that they need to create a safer more caring environment.

Wilkening’s presentation will have 20 minutes of how he got involved in studying the Holocaust and the history. Then 20 minutes of stories from survivors and a 20 minute video of Wilkening talking to a survivor. There will be time at the end of
the program to ask questions and make comments.

Wilkening contacted Milford Memorial Library Director Beth Sorenson to see if he could do a presentation at the library and she was excited about the idea of having him come talk about the Holocaust. “It a chance for people to remember what happened so it doesn’t happen again. It has impacted a lot of people even though for some of us younger people it is a long time in the past,” said Sorenson. The Milford Memorial Library has been telling patrons about the program and so many people have been interested and have their own stories to share.

Wilkening started teaching in 1975 and has taught at more than 5 schools in the area. He has studied the topic intensively and in 2011 he was one of 35 people selected for a class at Columbia University and again in 2017 he was one of only 35 people to go to a class in Newark sponsored by the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous. In addition to speaking at the Milford Memorial Library Wilkening will be speaking to students at Okoboji High School May 8 and 9.

Everyone is invited to come to the Milford Memorial Library on Monday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. to listen to Brad Wilkening’s presentation Lessons of the Holocaust. The Library is located at 1009 9th Street, Milford, Iowa 51351. For questions or more information contact the library at (712) 338 – 4643 or info@milford.lib.ia.us. 

The Milford Memorial Library is excited to announce that Caroline Perkins and her dog, Hank, will be available to listen to stories the second Saturday of each month starting Saturday, April 8, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.! Caroline and Hank are a therapy dog team, licensed by the Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program. In the past they worked for 5 years in Cable, WI, as part of the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D) program. Prior to the R.E.A.D. program Caroline was a Special Education Teacher.
Caroline and Hank will available at the Milford Memorial Library.

Hank is a great listener and loves to listen to all kinds of stories. “This is a great opportunity for kids to read to an animal who is non-judgmental and Caroline is a fantastic listener and has a good connection with kids,” said Beth Sorenson, director of the Milford Memorial Library.  Children who are beginner readers or just want a chance to improve on reading aloud are encouraged to come read to Hank. Children can read to Hank on a first come, first serve basis. The amount of time a child will get to read to Hank is determined by the length of the book, child’s reading level, and the number of children waiting to read to Hank.

Reading to a therapy animal can be very beneficial to improving the literacy skills of children. According to www.therapyanimals.org/R.E.A.D.html “The Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program improves children's reading and communication skills by employing a powerful method: reading to an animal.” For more information on R.E.A.D and research done on the topic of reading to animals you can go to www.therapyanimals.org/R.E.A.D.html.

​Caroline and Hank will also make an appearance at the Milford Memorial Library’s Get Acquainted with Hank program for children Thursday, April 6, from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. “It is wonderful to get acquainted with them [Caroline and Hank] and then have them at the library the coming weekend,” said Betty Naab, children’s librarian. Children will get to meet Caroline and Hank and learn more about how to act around dogs. 

The Milford Memorial Library is celebrating Teen Tech Week March 20 - 24 and one day during the week we had the sewing machine set up for people to experiment with.

Here are the step by step instructions on how to make a fabric bookmark.

Whala! You made your own fabric bookmark. If you decide to make your own from these instructions we would love to see them! Tag us in your post or stop by the library to show us!

The Milford Memorial Library is excited to announce the creation of a photo booth that will debut during the University of Okoboji Winter Games. The photo booth will also be at Milford’s 2017 Pioneer Days Celebration and soon be available for patrons to borrow.

The photo booth will be located at the Dickinson County Expo Building during the Chocolate Classic and Galleria on Saturday, January 28, from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. MML’s Photo Booth will be stocked with all kinds of props for participants to use. Gillian Anderson, the assistant director of the Milford Memorial Library, has been working on the logistics of how the photo booth will work. “The photo booth has a front panel loaded with an IPad. We are using an app called Simple Booth so people can take their own pictures,” said Anderson. Each person/group that takes a picture with the photo booth will take home a 4x6 photo with 4 different poses on it and the winter games logo. The cost for the picture is only $2.

The MML photo booth is also going to be at Milford’s Florence Park during the city’s 2017 Pioneer Days Celebration weekend in July.  This celebration will mark Milford’s 125th anniversary.

​The Milford Memorial Library is also pleased to announce that this photo booth will be available for check out soon. Beth Sorenson, the director of the Milford Memorial Library, has plans for the photo booth in the future. “We hope to make it available for check out in the future. We are also planning a pet photo booth, having it at the library on Halloween, and at Holiday Fantasy,” says Sorenson. The photo booth includes a front panel and background made from PVC pipe and fabric. It also includes an IPad used for taking pictures. Instructions for how to put the photo booth together and how to run the IPad will be included. This photo booth is great for weddings, birthday parties, and other celebrations. A security deposit will be required when you pick up the photo booth and once the booth is returned the patron will get their money back.
For more information on MML’s Photo Booth contact the Milford Memorial Library at 712-338-4643 or info@milford.lib.ia.us.   

Are you going to see it? Re-read the book before November 20!