Fall programming has started at Jake Epp Library

Jake Epp Library offers many monthly programs for toddlers, pre schoolers, grade school youth, and adults.  

Steph McLean, Program Director at Jake Epp Library, says the staff is very excited to continue fall programming at the library, and notes they have plenty of monthly programs.  

“Monthly activities include board game nights, creative building/Lego, creative writing, story and craft days, weekly story corner for young kiddos, as well as book clubs.”  

Registration for all of their monthly programs begins at 10am on the 1st of the month each month, on their website.  

McLean says they were recently the recipient of a grant, Literacy for Life, through the Winnipeg Foundation.  

“Which provided us with the funds to expand our book clubs for all ages.”  

They now offer a weekly drop-in story corner on Wednesdays at 10am for little ones with their caregivers.  

She says they also have a monthly elementary book club for kinder to grade 3, a monthly chapter book club for grade 2-5, and a monthly middle grade fantasy book club for grades 4-12. 

“With the funding from our grant, we have acquired multiple copies of books, a new book every month, for kids to check out and read at home,” she says. “And then attend book club to discuss and play games and do activities based on their reading.”  

Jake Epp Library also has three adult book clubs running each month.  

Two are daytime book clubs for parents and caregivers with children in town.   

“Adults can pick up a copy of the book to read at home, and when we meet to discuss the book, they can bring their infants or toddlers and preschoolers with them to the meeting.”  

She notes they have a child-friendly play space set up for kids while adults chat about the book.  

They also have an evening book club, which is for those ages 16 and up.  

All of their book club picks for each month are listed on their website’s events page.  

McLean adds that through a grant provided by the Healthy Child Coalition-South East, they are able to continue hosting their Toddler & Me / Pre School & Me 6-week sessions.  

“These sessions run four times a year, September, November, January and April, and are a weekly one hour parent/child story, craft & play time.”  

They now offer four weekly classes during each session, but she notes they still fill up quickly.  

“Our six week September session begins on Sept 20, and registration is already open on our website with a few spots remaining.”  

She notes that with the help of grants and generous private donors, all library programs continue to be free of charge and a library membership is not required to attend any programs, only if you need to check out a copy of a book club book. 

With files from Adi Loewen 

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