Retire to Your Library

Every year around the start of football season, I see a lot of people new to Stillwater who have decided to retire to the community. Some loved the community so much while they were in college that they decided to return, while others simply chose Stillwater as an ideal place to live. I don’t disagree and I hope that our library is one of the reasons people like Stillwater so much. For those who have just retired here and for anyone who is retired and just didn’t know, the library has tons of opportunities to enrich your after-work life. Here are just a few taking place this month:

·         Making the Most of Retirement - Making the Most of Retirement is a monthly program from the OSU Emeriti that meets the third Wednesday of the month with speakers on a variety of retirement related topics. All area retirees and those preparing for retirement are invited to this free series.

This Wednesday at 1:30, Making the Most of Retirement will host Cristy Morrison, President/CEO of Visit Stillwater, will discuss reasons why Stillwater is a great place to retire. On Oct. 18, armchair travelers will take a journey with Stan and Barbara Grogg who will present “Cruising from Cape Town South Africa to Singapore." The Nov. 15 program features Laura Payne who will be discussing volunteer opportunities at the OSU Botanic Garden.

·         Payne County Genealogical Society (PCGS) – PCGS has really stepped up its activities over the last couple of months with dedicated program topics at their monthly meetings and more opportunities to get help from PCGS experts. The group meets the third Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. At the Sept. meeting, taking place this Thursday, they will introduce the website Family Search, give tips on using it, and providing info on what the site gives that you cannot get on other genealogy pages. Beginners can get help on how to start their genealogy and people with more experience can get help from PCGS members on most any search problem.

·         Friends of the Library (And the Booksale!) – Friends of the Library (FOL) is the organization that raises funds for library programming, books and equipment by holding a bi-annual sale. It just so happens that the latest sale starts THIS Thursday with the FOL members’ preview (anyone can become a member at the door for $10) and continues through Sunday’s $1 per bag sale. FOL spends the year sorting through donated books, categorizing them and preparing them for the sale. New members who would like to help with sorting or with future sales are always very welcomed. Give us a holler at the Help Desk to find out more.

·         Bookclubs – The library hosts many community book clubs and has three clubs of its own. Two of the clubs are currently full but there are several openings in the club that meets the First Friday of the month at Noon. Book clubs are a great place to meet new people who share a love of reading and a way to make yourself continue reading challenging books. If you are interested in joining this club, send an email to askalibrarian@stillwater.org.

To see other available programs, visit our website at http://library.stillwater.org or call the Help Desk at (405) 372-3633 x8106.