Library hosts family event in advance of Mother’s Day

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Strathmore Municipal Library hosted a Mother’s Day program for families to attend, consisting of planting seeds and decorating plant pots. 

Taking place May 5 in the program room, the library requested those who were interested to preregister in order to ensure there were enough materials to go around. 

“We have done other plantings; we have done marigolds and the like in the past, but this is the first one this year and it is the first one in a long time,” said Ilke Schwartz, a library clerk who was overseeing the event. “We wanted some sort of Mother’s Day event, so this kind of combined Mother’s Day with the kids participating in the programming.”

Preregistration was limited to 20 people, as the library had limited capacity and materials. Schwartz said the attendance numbers by early afternoon were already approaching that. 

“It is something to do with the kids, and it is always good to get them involved in it,” said Schwartz. “The whole planting idea is because it is now spring, and it is time to plant the gardens.” 

The Strathmore branch of Communities in Bloom assisted the library with getting the flower pots and dirt for the activities, while the sunflower seeds were already readily available in the library’s stores. This way, the costs of the event were able to be kept to a minimum.

Schwartz added the library always, if possible, likes to hold an event for Mother’s Day, though not always necessarily pot decorating and seed planting. 

“We like to switch it up and not do the same things every year. If anybody has any ideas for next year, we may be able to incorporate those,” she said. “This was something a little bit different, but it got the parents involved with the kids, and it was not necessarily just mothers. We had a couple of dads getting involved too.”

Following the decorating and seed planting, the library does not have plans to host a specific event on Mother’s Day, which is on May 14. 

“Just seeing the good turnout, and getting the community out, that is what is important to the library,” said Schwartz. “This is true of all the programs we offer, aside from just books.”