Hayner Library Hosts Valentine's-Themed Activities Through February 14

Our Daily Show Interview! Beyond the Shelves

ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District has something for everyone this month, from cooking to Valentine’s Day programs and more.

Executive Director Mary Cordes explained that the library is committed to providing the community with free, fun activities and experiences, in addition to their resources. She hopes many people engage with the library’s offerings.

The Hayner Cookbook Club will meet again at 6 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2026, at the Alton Square Mall library branch. This club invites patrons to bring a recipe along with the finished dish to share with others.

You can browse cookbooks in Hayner’s collection or their new “A to Z World Food” online database to find a recipe to try, or bring a favorite recipe you love. Families and people of all ages are encouraged to attend. Cordes noted that it’s a great chance to share tips and tricks with other cooks.

“You can talk about the recipe, cooking, tips, tricks, different things like that with people,” Cordes said. “This is a really great family event. If you want to cook at home with the kids and bring it, we have lots of kids that have been coming with either their parents or their grandparents. It’s been a lot of fun.”

This Valentine’s Day, Hayner is celebrating with their “Blind Date with a Book” program. Through Feb. 14, you can choose a book without knowing the title or author. The books have been wrapped in paper and labeled with a few key phrases about their plot or genre. Patrons are encouraged to give these mystery books a try.

“The whole point is, you just come in and you grab a book off this display, and you take it home and it sort of is a blind date. You may end up with a book you really love, you may not, but you could end up with your next favorite author,” Cordes said. “Think of it as your friend who’s like, ‘You’ll like him.’ We’re like, ‘You’ll like it.’ You could end up with whatever you want. You just don’t know. And then we’ve got little chocolates to go along with that, to make it a little more palatable in case you get one you don’t like.”

While this initiative is geared towards adults, there are plenty of Valentine’s-themed activities for kids and teens. The TeenSpace area in the mall library will host a card station through the first two weeks of February. Teens are encouraged to make their own Valentine’s Day cards.

The KidsSpace area has a similar card-making activity for kids ages 3–11. Adult supervision is required.

At 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, kids and families are invited to A Valentine Celebration at the Library in the mall. Attendees can enjoy a storytime, crafts, snacks, games and more fun.

The KidsSpace area has also started offering sensory bins. These bins are available 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the desk in the children’s department. The bins have activities with different themes, focusing on the five senses and aiming to develop fine motor skills, literacy skills, and “all the things that you would want them to learn while they’re young,” Cordes said.

In a similar vein, a special storytime and activity is planned for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Alton Square Mall library. SonJoria Sydnor, author of “Our Family’s Doing Yoga!,” will lead a yoga session for kids ages 3–5 and their caregivers. Kids will learn basic yoga poses and calming techniques through these movement activities.

Teens have a few fun events coming up, as well. In addition to their craft sessions and the upcoming favorite Teen Crime Stoppers activity, Cordes and the teens are especially looking forward to National Oreo Day on March 6. From 4–5 p.m. on March 6, teens can come to the Alton Square Mall Library and sample different flavors of Oreos while they hang out.

“The teens, if you feed them, they will come,” Cordes laughed. “So for the teens programs, there are always snacks.”

All of these events and programs are completely free, but registration is required for most. Call 1-800-613-3163 to reserve your spot.

These events are just a few of the many programs offered by the Hayner Public Library District. For a full calendar of upcoming events, visit the official HaynerLibrary.org website.

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