Our Daily Show! Beyond the Shelves With Hayner: A TON OF FALL EVENTS!
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ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District has three major programs for the month of October.
The 2025 Illinois Heartland Library System Library Crawl encourages people to visit different libraries across the state. Similarly, Hayner’s Adult Fall Scavenger Hunt aims to bring patrons into the library and take them through the community. Hayner will also host a “Food for Fines” amnesty program where you can return overdue materials and donate a canned good to waive your fee.
“We’ve got a ton of stuff happening this month,” said Mary Cordes, Hayner’s executive director.
Cordes explained that the Library Crawl features libraries across Illinois. You can kick off the crawl by stopping by Hayner and picking up a passport. Then, visit at least five participating libraries and get your passport stamped at each one.
Most libraries will give you “a little freebie prize,” and Hayner has a few grand prize drawings that you can enter for the chance to win gift cards to local restaurants or a gift basket. The fun, Cordes noted, is visiting different libraries to see all of the different programs and services that you have access to through your library card.
“You just kind of take a tour,” she explained. “You don’t take a formal tour, but you look around the library, see the programs and services that that library is providing, and know that your library card is good at any of the libraries that you’re visiting.”
The Adult Fall Scavenger Hunt has a similar goal. Stop by Hayner Library to pick up your list of items, and then search through the library to cross items off the list. There are also several items located throughout the Riverbend community. Those who complete the scavenger hunt can enter for the chance to win one of three gift baskets.
“There are two points to this,” Cordes said. “One is to get people in the library. You come in. You pick up your information. You walk around the library. It’s to get you familiar with where things are in the library. It’s a scavenger hunt inside the library, so you learn more about our services and our collections. And then it’s also to get you out in the community. We’re trying to get out and promote our area as well, so you can go out into the community.”
Every quarter, Hayner hosts a fine amnesty program. The fall program — “Food for Fines” — invites community members to return overdue library items and have their fees waived if they also donate an unexpired, unopened canned good. At the end of the month, Hayner will donate the canned goods to Crisis Food Center. This program returns Hayner’s materials while also helping community members.
Cordes emphasized that all of Hayner’s programs aim to support the community. They hope to welcome many patrons to the library throughout the month of October and beyond.
For more information about any of these programs or other upcoming events, visit the official Hayner Public Library District website at HaynerLibrary.org.Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
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