Aurora Public Library Blog

Welcome to Aurora Public Library’s blog. A place where our library staff share their thoughts, insider knowledge and overall love of all things book and community.

Feel free to comment on posts, re-blog and enjoy. To ensure a civil and focused discussion, comments will be held for a brief period before being published.



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November 2020 - Posts
Create It!

Create It! Turkey Decoration
by Karen

It's Make It Monday! With Turkey Day right around the corner, Karen shares a fun DIY decoration that includes some natural elements!

Posted by [email protected]  On Nov 16, 2020 at 12:28 PM
  
Virtual Mini Con

If You Like That, Try This!
by APL Staff

Looking for something new to read? A new show to binge? We've got you covered! Check out our staff recommendations for your favorite series and discover something new!
Each image links to the item in our catalog so you can play a hold and start enjoying as soon as possible!


































Posted by [email protected]  On Nov 14, 2020 at 5:32 PM
  
Virtual Mini Con

Join us online Nov. 14 & 15 for Virtual Aurora Mini-Con, a weekend of family-friendly crafts, discussions, contests and more! We’ll be sharing videos throughout the weekend on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Check out our full schedule here.

Join in on the fun!
- We’re hosting themed trivia and games via Zoom - check out our calendar for more information and to register.
    - Superhero Kahoot, Sat., Nov. 14, 3 p.m., Zoom
    - Superhero Fish Bowl, Sat., Nov. 14, 5 p.m., Zoom
    - Superhero Mafia Game, Sun., Nov. 15, 2 p.m., Zoom

- Visit your Aurora Public Library leading up to Mini Con to pick up a free Grab & Go craft kit and tune in over the weekend to make the craft together with our staff online! Craft kits are available while supplies last and limited to one per person.

- Show us your fandom pride! Submit a photo of your cosplay, original fan art or original fan fiction by Friday, Nov. 13 to [email protected]. Vote on Facebook for your favorite submission on Saturday & Sunday. Winners in each category will receive a $25 Amazon gift card! Winners will be announced live on Facebook Sunday at 4 p.m.!

More to explore!
- Check out our amazing community partners in our Virtual Exhibit Hall! Discover local pop culture shops, artists, authors and more!

- We love all things pop culture and there’s just too much awesome to fit into one weekend! Check out our Pinterest page for even more Mini-Con crafts, books and more!

- Check out some of our favorite fandom reads with our Mini-Con booklists! Place a hold in our catalog and check them out with your library card.

Let us know your thoughts on this year’s Virtual Aurora Mini Con by taking a quick survey.


Posted by [email protected]  On Nov 12, 2020 at 1:05 PM
  
Make & Learn

Make & Learn: Alphabet Spoon Game
with Sara

Welcome to Make & Learn! In this program, our librarians will be sharing easy-to-make games and activities that support cognitive development and practicing early literacy skills. In this video, Miss Sara shares a fun activity to encourage reading and play while supporting print motivation and letter knowledge.

This activity was inspired by an activity from 7 Days of Play. Thank you to Michelle for letting us share this activity! Visit  7 Days of Play for more fun ideas!


Posted by [email protected]  On Nov 12, 2020 at 12:59 PM
  
NaNoWriMo

NaNoWRiMo: Keeping the Motivation

by Stacy  

It’s official! It’s been one week into November and that means our first week of NaNoWriMo is already over! How are you feeling? Cool as a cucumber? Honestly, I am very impressed and you’ve probably done NaNoWriMo before. Panicked and running around with your head cut off? Trust me – same. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed and thinking that NaNoWriMo might have been just a little bit more than you can chew, don’t worry because that’s how most people are feeling the first week into NaNoWriMo. I find that keeping up the motivation to write is what I struggle with the most as I settle more and more into November.  

Let’s talk about some ways to keep the motivation up and inspiration coming!

Motivation - great when you have it, impossible to find it. If you’re struggling finding the motivation to write, start by taking a look at what’s working and what’s not working. It’s okay to change things as you’re writing your novel if you find that it isn’t working for you! The best examples I can give are taking them straight from my own current NaNoWriMo experience.  

What isn’t working for me…. My routine and schedule. The writing routine and schedule that I came up with before November sounded great and easy to accomplish, only for me to realize a week and a half in that I am consistently more stressed because in actuality my schedule is immensely unrealistic to what I can actually accomplish. The likelihood that anyone has the same routine every single day is so slim. Even if you do have a consistent work/life schedule outside of NaNoWriMo, how can you possibly block out hours of writing when you also have to fit in errands, chores, holidays, appointments, family, etc., etc., etc.? Despite working a consistent schedule of 9am – 5pm, I could not reasonably find a block of time for writing. I would get off at 6, get home by 6:30, then be expected to cook dinner, clean the house and work on all my personal projects. Now it’s 10pm and I have done zero writing and have to go to bed, so I can wake up early for work.  

Work smarter, not harder: Writing Blocks vs. Writing Sprints

Writing blocks did NOT work for me this year. The past few years for NaNoWriMo, I was a student in college – sitting down for 3 to 12 hours to work on one assignment novel was cake! Now, I would be luckily if I could find 3 hours to work on anything, let alone my novel. To work more with my life schedule, I changed my daily writing expectations to fit into smaller “word sprints” instead! Rather than writing for 3 hours straight, I will plan to write for 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes on my lunch break, and 30 minutes to an hour after work! It’s been two days of being on this new schedule and I have already felt less stressed and writing has come easier.  

My morning word sprint consists of 10 minutes of free writing on something completely unrelated to my novel. And if I’m really lacking ideas and inspiration to write, I will use a random word/plot generator to get something started. Usually the 10 minutes of writing is all I need to get focused and inspired for the day, so I will spend the next 20 minutes writing my novel. However, my lunch and nighttime sprints tend to focus more on the novel itself!  

Remember: It’s okay to miss!

We’re all human and life is pretty hectic – don’t stress so much you get sick or neglect other important things going on. It’s okay to miss your writing sprints and your writing blocks - It’s even okay to miss writing days!! If you’re really serious about trying to reach the 50,000 word limit, just make sure you make up that writing time over the weekend or on a day you are less busy! Trust me, writing for NaNoWriMo will come much easier the less stress that’s involved so don’t be afraid to change things up as you go! Create a new routine and/or system that works for you.  

 
Posted by [email protected]  On Nov 10, 2020 at 1:07 PM
  
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