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Library holiday closures this month
- Wednesday, Nov. 11 the library will be closed in observance of Veterans Day
- Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27, the library will be closed for Thanksgiving
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Enchanted Wood Burnings by Dunreath Nixon
Local artist Dunreath Nixon is a self-taught artist, widely traveled, and has lived the last 19 years in Kansas.
Dunreath shares her love of Pyrography, the art of burning wood. Her art is accomplished by creating a drawing, applying it to a wood surface, and then using various wood-burning tools to etch the design into the wood. While many artists use the method to create shadows and depth using only the natural burned wood tones, Ms. Nixon goes a step further in applying paints and varnish to the surfaces, which bring a magical element to the finished art pieces.
Visitors will enjoy the variety of places and inspirations of nature. Views of the Arizona desert, cheerful birds, an homage to Clifton Square in Wichita, and a Colorado fishing adventure are among the interesting and unique displays, with many available for purchase.
The show is available to view during library operating hours through November 30.
Learn more about this show on the Arts Council's webpage by clicking the red "Read More" button below.
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Jewels in the Garden by Dunreath Nixon
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Coming soon to the Gathering Space Gallery:
Wichita Women Artists
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- A ballot box is located outside the front doors of the library.
- Ballots are picked up daily.
- The ballot box will be closed at 7 p.m. on November 3rd.
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Looking for someplace to discuss books? We've got you covered!
We have three active book groups here at the library that are open to everyone. If you love to read and talk about the books you read, pop in to one or more of the book groups!
Bemused Biblipohiles — meets at 1 p.m. Nov. 4. The title for November is Scythe by Neal Shusterman. *The book club will meet in person in the Frank Fanning Room.
Hauntingly Good Reads — meets at 7 p.m. Nov. 9. The title for November is Recursion by Blake Crouch. *The book club will meet in person in the lobby of the library.
Joyful Page Turners — meets at 6 p.m. Nov. 19. The title for November is The Feather Thief by Kirk Johnson. *The book club will meet in person in the Community Room.
Bemused Bibliophiles meets during the day and reads popular books that have been on the bestseller list. Hauntingly Good Reads meets in the evening and explores all kinds of books that have a supernatural/magical/unexplainable kind of bent—we look far beyond the traditional vampires, ghosts and witches.
Joyful Page Turners is the most enduring book club at the library—it's been meeting regularly since May 2000! Books selected for this book club include just about everything: classics, modern bestsellers, non-fiction, and more.
Click the red "Read More" button below to visit the book club page on the library website, where you can find lists of books each book club has read.
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Passport Update!
- Routine service: 10-12 weeks
- Expedite service: 4-6 weeks (with an additional $60 fee)
- Passport Hours:
- 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday
- 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday
- 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday
For more information click on the "Read More" button below.
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We have added 2 more Derby Discovery Passes!
Patrons can now visit the Cosmosphere and Exploration Place in addition to Sedgwick County Zoo, Tanganyika and Botanica. Click the "Read More" button to learn more!
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Queens of the Conquest by Alison Weir
First Line: Imagine a land centuries before industrialization, a rural, green land of vast royal forests and open fields, wild moorlands and undrained marshlands, with scattered villages overshadowed by towering castles, and small, bustling walled towns.
Summary: In the first of a four book set, Alison Weir looks at the lives of the first five queens of England after the Norman conquest: Matilda of Flanders, Matilda of Scotland, Adeliza of Louvain, Matilda of Boulogne and the Empress Matilda. Each woman made their mark on the early part of English history through their good works, descendants and political maneuvers.
My Thoughts: I love to read nonfiction and biographies most of all. They tell so much about a person's life but also about the time period. These women lived almost a thousand years ago but we know quite a lot about who they were, where they were at certain times and what they did. Some of the queens even left behind letters, their personal seals and elaborate tombs for historians and history lovers to see.
I was not familiar with these early queens, so I learned a lot from reading Weir's book. If you are interested in medieval England I would highly recommend this because it gives great insight into life at this time.
Release date: September 26, 2017
Ashley's rating:  
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Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
First Line: A boy is coming down a flight of stairs.
Summary: In 1580, in England, a young tutor named William Shakespeare meets the daughter of his employers. She is a strange girl who wanders the fields with her falcon on her arm. Against the wishes of their families they marry. Agnes has a reputation as a healer. People flock to her for cures. However, when their son, Hamnet, falls ill to the plague there is little she can do for the boy. With the heartache and loss Shakespeare writes one of his most epic plays.
My Thoughts: This book was beautifully written. It was almost poetic in its writing and style. I listened to most of this and the reader was so soothing. I would recommend this for book clubs, fans of historical fiction and literary fiction.
This brings to life a major part of Shakespeare's life, his family. Very little is written or talked about them since many scholars and writers focus on his time in London. I loved learning about Agnes and their children. And that even 400 years later we can still visit some of the places that Shakespeare lived and lost.
My favorite chapter, and the one that will most likely stick with me, was the one about the flea. O'Farrell spends a whole chapter on the flea that brought the plague to the home of William Shakespeare and eventually killed his only son. It is hard to imagine how something that started thousands of miles away could affect so many. It was pure genius!
Release date: July 21, 2020
Ashley's review:
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Our hours are changing!
9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Friday
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday
Please wear a mask and social distance while visiting the library.
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Need a BookFix?
If you're struggling to find a book you want to read, let us help! The library is now offering personalized book recommendations through the BookFix form on our website.
Just fill out the form, and we'll send you a customized list of several books we think you'll like. And it works for kids, too! Parents, grandparents or caregivers can fill out the form for kids, and someone in our youth services department will find books just for them.
Clock the red "Read More" button below to get to the BookFix request form.
Book recommendations for kids and teens
The Reader's Advisory for the Youth Services department also includes lists of books based on theme, award winners and Umbrella Books (books about difficult topics). If you need some inspiration on what books to borrow for your child, check these out! To see these lists and more, click the red "Read More" button below.
Wanting a more individualized list? Use the Book Fix form (click the red button above) and we will put together a list just for your child.
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November 2020 
Issue 403
