One of the busiest months of the year is one week away, as the Bluffton Public Library announces its November programming/

The annual Holiday Gift Silent Auction begins at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1, and ends Nov. 22 at 5 p.m.  This is a great place to check some gifts off your holiday gift list and benefit your library (and community) at the same time. Each package has a “Buy Now” price, as well as a minimum start bid. Anonymous bidding is available upon request.

If you are participating in NaNoWriMo this year, the library will have a “Come Write In” space available again this year. Come utilize our quiet space equipped with free WiFi and keep an eye on our region’s NaNoWriMo website’s events section in case our space is used for a group writing session.

The Noon Adult Book Discussion group will meet Nov. 1 to discuss Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.  Books are available for checkout at the library front desk.  This monthly discussion group welcomes new members, but registration is requested. Call 419-358-5016 or email [email protected] for more information. Need more time to read?

The following discussion will be on Wednesday, Dec. 6, when the group will discuss Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson and have a White Elephant Book Exchange.

The library will host an Author Visit on Nov. 2 at 6  p.m. Come to the library to meet local author Dave Essinger, hear about his new novel Running  Out, join in a discussion on plot and find out what he is working on now.  This promises to be a great time for readers and writers alike.  Advance registration is requested.Copies of Running Out will be made available that evening for $12.

Our regular Playgroup program continues at 10 a.m. on Fridays, Nov. 3, 10, and 17. Make a play date and the library will provide the space and toys. For more information, email [email protected].

Adulting 101: How to Change a Tire on Your Own Car!  On Saturday, Nov. 4, Leiber Garage is partnering with the library to offer instruction on this important life skill.  Call the library today to make your appointment!  By appointment only - Please register by Nov. 1 - space is limited. (Teens must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.)

Interested in learning how to prepare yourself/your family for possible emergency situations? Want to get some new ideas of how to make it through severe weather this winter? Let’s Talk Prepping is a new discussion group that will meet the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in the History Room of the library to discuss topics surrounding the preparedness theme. This month’s meeting will be on Nov. 6. Please call or stop by the library or email [email protected] to register in advance.

Dulcimers @ the Library continues at their regular meeting time, Tuesdays at 1 p.m. Jammin’ at the Library also continues at 6 p.m. on Nov. 13 and 27. This is a song-circle style jam session to which anyone is welcome to join. Bring your instrument, voice, or listening ears! Then, this month’s Jammin’ at the Library (Instructional) is on Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. Learn various methods in jammin’-style music. Topics are determined each month by the group.

Chill Zone continues on Tuesdays, Nov. 7, 21, and 28 at 3:30 p.m. Chill Zone is a safe space for tweens and teens to hang out and relax at the library. Awesomeness happens every Tuesday after school, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Anyone in 6th through 12th grade is welcome to join. Activities include gaming, socializing, themed events, and crafting. Snacks are provided.

The Gardeners of the Bluffton/Pandora Area meet at the library on Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Anyone is welcome at their session titled “Make-it Take-it Project: Dried Arrangements.

On Nov. 8, the BPL will feature Fall Craft Day. The library provides crafts for kids, teens, and adults to make within the library.  Take some time to be creative, and maybe your creation will be shared on our website and social media!  BPL is also seeking scrapbooking items like paper, decals, scraps, etc. to be used in future craft programs in the library.

Register your family for the “Expand Your World” Family Book Club. This month’s meeting is on Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m. and will focus on Central America. Learn about our global citizenship through stories and crafts, and collect book recommendations for further reading. This book club is co-led by Joanna Gratz of Trades of Hope. Registration required.

Share your voice at VoxPop2: a Creative Writing Reading Showcase, presented by Bluffton Creative Writers, on Nov. 11. Read one or more of your writing creations with us (each presentation should be no more than four minutes) and listen to other written pieces from our community. There are two sessions, and you can attend one or both: 10:15 to 11:30 a.m., and 12:15 to 1:30 p.m.

Dobby’s Sock Drive will take place Nov. 13-18. For each new and packaged pair of socks you bring in, we will take $1 off your library fines! Don’t have any fines, but still want to donate? Of course we will take them.

Cooking for a Change, a program through Lima Senior High School and the Apollo Culinary Arts Department will be hosting an event, Healthy Meals on a Budget, on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. They will focus on how to prepare nutritious meals on a limited budget and will include a demonstration of a budget friendly one-dish meal and samples. Please register in advance as space is limited to 20 attendees.

Join us on the following Mondays (Nov. 13, 20, and 27) at 6:30 p.m. to enjoy family-friendly stories and crafts during Family Storytime. All ages welcome. No registration necessary. Please note that children under the age of 8 should be accompanied by an adult.

The library will host a Poetry Teatime on Nov. 14 at 3:30 p.m. It is a time around the table exploring poetry together in a relaxed setting with with a pot of tea and some treats. The focus is less about interpretation and analysis and more about exposure and enjoyment. All ages are welcome and registration is required.

The library will host a free Mobile Health Clinic provided by ONU HealthWise on Nov. 15 from 3 to 5 p.m. on the lower level of the library. This program is sponsored by Ohio Northern University and employs health care providers to provide the local community with knowledge and resources to address health related concerns and to improve your health. There will be free screenings for: blood pressure, blood glucose, osteoporosis, and skin scope (a machine that screens for sun damage to the skin). All ages are welcome, and referrals to area doctors will be made available. No registration is necessary.

Babies Love Books is at 10 a.m. on Nov. 16. Join us for a special time of stories, movement, and song for babies and toddlers (birth-3 years) at Bluffton Public Library. Activities are chosen to promote language and motor development.

The library will close at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 22, and is closed on Nov. 23, 24, and 25. Due dates are adjusted accordingly.

Watercolor Workshop continues on Nov. 27 at 5:30 p.m. Jeanne Beutler continues teaching on the lower level of the library. Advance registration is required (and the number of registrants is limited.) Walk away with your own watercolor piece of art, complete with mat. There is a $10 supply fee at the door (cash only please).

The Gluten Free and Food Allergy Support Group meets  Nov. 27 at 6:30 p.m.  in the Local History Room on the library’s main level.

Want to learn more about the library’s local history room?  Interested in helping with the library’s local history collection?  Attend our program, The Shannon History Room Project, on Nov. 30 at 3:30 p.m. Registration is required.​