West Iron District Library packs June with free music, crafts and animals

Free concerts, hands-on history and animal encounters are turning the West Iron District Library into one of Iron County’s busiest public spaces this month. The Iron River library’s June calendar mixes entertainment and education in a way that gives families, teens and adults a no-cost place to spend time without leaving town.

At 116 W. Genesee Street, the library is using its downtown location to serve far more than book lending. It says its mission is to promote knowledge, understanding and wisdom through educational, cultural and recreational resources and programs, and its services include fiction and non-fiction books, DVDs, music, reference books, internet and printing access. Patrons can RSVP by calling (906) 265-2831, and the library directs visitors to its Facebook page for event reminders, photos and updates.

The month opens with Colonial Games Day on Saturday, June 13, from 10 a.m. to noon, a family program that leans into patriotic and historical play. Later in the month, a patriotic fabric banner craft is set for Friday, June 19, followed by an American Girls’ Tea on Monday, June 22. Those events add a seasonal tie to the nation’s 250th year of independence and give residents a low-cost way to get into the holiday spirit through making and sharing, not just watching.

Music anchors another part of the lineup. James F. Dettlaff is scheduled to perform Thursday, June 18, at 10 a.m. in a live music program that will feature an hour of showtunes and requests. A separate open-mic style event, Strum and Sip, is set for Saturday, June 27, at 6 p.m. and will bring local musicians together with mocktails and desserts at no admission charge.

The library is also bringing in science and animal education before the month ends. A program from the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is scheduled for Tuesday, June 30, and visitors can also meet live animals described as modern-day relatives of prehistoric critters while taking part in sensory activities and crafts. That mix of programming fits a library that has grown with the community since the Carnegie Library closed in 1967, when West Iron District Library began in a one-room space in the basement of Iron River City Hall before moving in 1995 to the renovated Selin building. A June 8 board meeting in the Stanley Guzowski Board Room showed the institution remained active behind the scenes as well, with public programming out front.