Zoo Passes Available
The library is giving away Henry Doorly Zoo passes beginning Tuesday, October 1. Only one pass per household will be allowed. Each pass will admit up to two adults (ages 12 and over) and six children for one daytime admission. To request a pass, adults must have a library card and their account must be in good standing (no overdue items and no fees owed).
Persons using the passes at the Henry Doorly Zoo will need to present their pass AND a valid library card to be admitted. The passes are valid through November 30, 2024, and are made possible through the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium’s Library Program.
The library also has passes that can be checked out for use at Lauritzen Gardens, Fontenelle Forest, and Durham Museum. Explore our area’s great resources for free, courtesy of the library, the zoo, and the Friends of the Library!
Costume Swap
Recycle your old Halloween costumes, and find a new one for free at the library! Bring clean, gently used costumes to the library through October 11. Beginning Saturday, October 12, come to the library to find your next great costume for free. It's a great way to upcycle your outgrown costumes. Please take only the costumes you need for your family.
Register to Vote at the Library
September 17 marks National Voter Registration Day, but you can register to vote at the library any time before October 25. Reasons you may need to update your voter registration include changing your address or having a name change due to marriage.
- If you want to register to vote in person, you can do it at the Cass County Annex Building by October 25 (M-F 8-noon and 1-4:30pm)
- If those hours don't work for you, you can complete the form at the library before October 25, and library staff will take it to the Annex the next business day.
- If you want to register to vote by mail, it must be postmarked by October 18.
Check to see if you’re registered to vote at https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov/voterview. More information on the types of ID required to vote or other concerns can be found on the Cass County Election Commission website.
Trick or Treat on Main, October 25
Make sure you Trick or Treat on Main Street on Friday, October 25, 4-6pm. The library will be located on the corner of 4th and Main Streets with pretzels and free books for all youth.
Teen Murder Mystery, October 26
Enjoy a Teen Murder Mystery that combines a costume party with a mystery on Saturday, October 26, 5-7:30pm. Get your trusty companion, don your fanciest attire, and come to the library for an evening filled with our "Who Done It" murder mystery, pizza, and shenanigans! Scan the QR code on the poster or call the library at 402-296-4154 x21 or x24 to register. Pizza and drinks will be served.
Use Stickers to Complete the Picture
The library is featuring two StickTogether™ 40" x 36" mosaic puzzle posters that everyone can help complete. These posters have pictures with nearly 4,000 squares waiting to be filled in with 1/2" colored stickers. Everyone who visits the library will receive 5 stickers to place on the poster. If you check anything out, you'll receive 5 additional stickers. As more stickers are put on the poster, you'll be able to see what the image is. The first one to correctly guess what the picture is will receive a gift card to a local store.
Puzzles, Board Games Available for Checkout
Many patrons have helped put together a puzzle in the library. Now you can borrow puzzles to make at home, too! Puzzles range in size from 300 to 1000 pieces and check out for one week, but you can renew them if you need more time.
Next time you're in the library, check out our board games! Titles include Candy Land, Clue, Sorry, Lexogon, Race for the Galaxy, Operation, Trouble, Hungry Hungry Hippo, Apples to Apples, Yeti in my Spaghetti, and Codenames. Board games are great for a fun family game night and help expand your creativity. They've also been found to decrease stress, so check out a board game from your library!
Safer Surface for Outdoor Musical Instruments Installed!
A new rubberized surface has been installed under the outdoor musical instruments, and they are ready for your enjoyment!
The project was started in the fall of 2022 with the purchase of five Samba drums. In 2023, the library added eight Calypso Chimes, a Cavatina (like a xylophone), and a music book with eight songs to play on the Cavatina. To top off the project, the rubberized surface material was installed in July, making it safer and easier to access in all types of weather.
This project was funded by city capital improvement funds, Cass County Tourism – visitcasscounty.com, and by state aid funding appropriated by the Nebraska Legislature, granted and administered by the Nebraska Library Commission.
FREE MONTHLY ACTIVITIES
| Activity | Ages | Dates | Notes |
Bingo |
Adults | 3rd Wednesday, 1:30-2:30pm Next date: Oct. 16 |
We provide the bingo cards. |
Needlecraft Club |
All | 1st Thursday, 6-7pm and 3rd Tuesday, 10am-noon Next date: Oct. 3, 6pm |
Beginners or seasoned pros, bring your crocheting, embroidery, quilting, or other projects to work on. |
AniManga Club |
Grades 5-12 | 2nd Thursday, 4-5:30pm Next date: October |
Watch and discuss an anime or manga series. Snacks provided. |
| Bookworms & Beyond Homeschool Group  |
Homeschoolers | 2nd and 4th Thursdays, 1-3pm Next date: October |
Connect with other homeschool groups. |
Chess Club |
Ages 10+ | Next date: October | Learn how to play or teach others to play |
Crafternoon |
All ages | Next date: Saturday, Oct., 1-2:30pm | All supplies provided. Be creative! |
D&D Heck Fire Club |
11-18 years | 1st and 3rd Saturdays, 10am-2pm Next dates: Oct. 5, 19 "One-Shot" sessions, 1-3pm, every Sunday |
For novices and experienced players. More Dungeons Masters are needed. |
| Family Board Games | All ages | Merged with Manic Madness Mondays, 6-9pm | Play new and old games or bring your own. Includes Magic cards. |
Friday Friends |
0-5 years | 2nd and 4th Fridays, 9:30am-noon Next dates: Oct. 11, 25 |
Play on indoor playground equipment and make new friends. |
Junk Journal Junkies |
Ages 15+ | 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 5:30-7pm Next date: Oct. 9, 23 |
Use library supplies to continue or start your own journal; journals provided if needed |
Library Beats for Little Feet |
18 months-3 years | Mondays, 9:30-10am Next dates: Oct. 7, 14, 21 |
Engages young minds in the magical world of music, encouraging them to groove, giggle, and grow |
Manic Madness Mondays |
All ages | Every Monday, 6-9pm Next dates: Sept. 30, Oct. 7 |
Bring cards if you have them; some supplies provided. Host: Adam Vraspir |
Paws for Reading |
All youth | 3rd Wednesday, 4:30-5:30pm (March to June, Sept. to Nov.) Next dates: Oct. 16 |
Children read to certified therapy dogs. Registration preferred, not required. |
Saturday Morning Cartoons |
All youth | 2nd and 4th Saturdays, 9-11am Next date: Oct. 12, 26 |
Family-oriented cartoons. Pajamas welcome. Cereal provided. |
Silent Book Club |
Grades 4-12 | 2nd Tuesday and 4th Thursday, 3:00-4:30pm Next date: October 8, 24 |
Bring a book or borrow one and read with fellow book lovers where the Magic of Books meets the Peace of Silence. |
Teen Book Club |
Grades 8-12 | 4th Saturday of even months, 1-3pm Next date: Oct. 26 |
|
Teen Volunteers |
Ages 13-18 | 4th Tuesday, 4:30-5:30pm Next date: Oct. 22 |
Discuss volunteer opportunities, upcoming programs, and Advisory Board. |
Trading and Training Day |
Grades 2+ | 2nd Saturday (odd-numbered months), 2-3:30pm Next date: Nov. 9 |
Trade Pokemon, magic, sports, Yu-Gi-Oh and other cards and train your Pokemon in preparation for the next gym day. |
Video Gaming |
All youth | 1st and 3rd Saturdays, 2-3:30pm Next date: Oct. 5, 19 |
Play your games or ours on 75" TV. Wii, Xbox 360, Switch, or your own. |
Youth Bingo |
All youth | Next dates: October |
Reading Suggestions
Whether you're hunting for your next book, selecting for a book club, or getting ideas for kids, you'll find great selections in the Booklist Reader, a companion to the magazine that we use to select titles for our library. Enjoy a new issue each month free of charge.
Free Passes to Area Attractions
The library has free passes to Lauritzen Gardens, Durham Museum, and Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods. These library passes must be checked out and returned within one week. The only thing you need is a library card in good standing - no overdue materials or fees for lost or damaged items.
Each pass is a little different. The Lauritzen Garden pass admits 2 adults and their children under age 18 for one use. The Durham Museum pass admits 2 adults and children within that household or up to 4 grandchildren but only once every six months.
The Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods passes admit 2 adults and up to 5 children. Each pass is for a specific day of the week so, if you check out a Monday pass, you have to visit on a Monday. Visitors also receive $5 off a membership if purchased on the day you use the library pass. You can use the pass for a discount in the gift shop, attend special member-only events, and attend for free any programming on the day of your visit.
Sorry, but the library can't put a pass on hold, but you can call ahead to make sure one is available before you come.
Henry Doorly Zoo passes are available on the first day of even months, October through April. They admit up to 2 adults (ages 12 and over) and 6 children. Only one pass per family, and each pass is only good for 2 months.
Search Your Genealogy for Free at the Library
The library is now a FamilySearch Affiliate Library which means it has access to more genealogy resources. There are only a few hundred affiliate libraries in the country.
The popular web service has over 6 billion searchable names and 2 billion images of historical genealogical records. FamilySearch adds over 300 million free genealogical records and images online yearly from all over the world and manages the famous Family History Library in Salt Lake City. It has amassed billions of birth, marriage, death, census, land and court records from more than 130 countries. Access FamilySearch from a library computer to set up your free account.
Besides FamilySearch, the library provides access to Ancestry Library Edition from computers in the library and to My Heritage from the library or home.
Read Any Size Print with New Video Magnifier
The Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired has provided an ONYX Deskset Video Magnifier to all Nebraska public libraries to better serve our visually impaired patrons. You don't need a library card to use the machine, and it's very easy to use. It features the ability to change colors or display white text on black. It provides reading lines or a mask that helps you follow along on the page, and it can magnify up to 106x. It's also great for reading prescription bottles and viewing images. Stop by the library to use it or to see a short demo.
Plattsmouth Newspapers Online, 1857-2021
The library recently converted the remaining backfiles of the Plattsmouth Journal to microfilm so all Plattsmouth newspapers from 1857-2021 are accessible and searchable on the Internet or in the library. University of Nebraska-Lincoln's website, Nebraska Newspapers, has hosted eight newspapers from 1865-1939 for about 10 years. Last year, History Nebraska turned over its backfiles to newspapers.com which now includes 31 Plattsmouth newspapers from 1857-2008. To complete the archive, the library now offers the 2009-2021 Journal issues for searching in the library. The project to make the 2009-2021 Journal issues available was made possible in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Hot Off the Press!
In fall 2021, the library received a heat press and accompanying mug press! The library also has hundreds of shirts for children and adults, aprons, cloth bags, mouse pads, glass tiles, aluminum signs, coasters, and many more items to be imprinted with the presses.
Call the library for a 30-minute training or to make a reservation to make your own items. During training, you will be able to create your own design or use a sample design provided by the library. You can print one mug and one other item (shirt, mousepad, or any other material) for free. Beyond that, items cost anywhere from 25 cents to $4.
Schedule Laser Cutter Training
The library has a laser cutter capable of etching on wood, glass, ceramic tiles, cork, metals, and many other materials. It can be used by anyone who has completed the one-hour training session. Call the library, 402-296-4154, ext. 24, to schedule training or to reserve time to work on your projects.
You don’t need to have a library card or even live in Plattsmouth to use it. It can be used for personal or business purposes, so think about how you might benefit from the opportunity!
See some of the items we've made with the makerspace equipment!
Charge Your Device While You Browse!
You can charge your phone, tablet, iPad, Kindle, or other device while you’re browsing or working on the computer in the library. You don’t even need a cord since the charger already has several different connectors for Apple, Android, and other devices. The charger is at the main circulation desk and can accommodate up to 8 devices at a time. The charger is plugged into an outlet, not a computer, so your data is secure.
The library also has a card reader that will allow you to read data from a camera memory card or other micro or mini SD card. The reader has slots for four different kinds of cards. It connects to the computer with a USB cord. You don’t need to have your own cord for your camera or other device. Just ask for the reader so you can download pictures or other files from your device while you're in the library.
Yearbooks, Newspapers Digitized
Visit Our Patio!
The library has a patio in the back of the building! It was constructed in 2012 with bricks from Main Street and is shaded by a pergola. You can see how the patio took shape by looking at these pictures. It was made possible with a grant from the Cass County Visitors Promotion Committee and donations from the Plattsmouth Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the Library.