Blaine Library adding multi-interest clubs this month

Blaine Library is rebounding from the pandemic with a slate of new programs to bring the community together.

Library staff is encouraging community members interested in books, board games, recipes and more to participate in new monthly programs at the Blaine library, 610 3rd Street. The meetups, which start in February, are held monthly in the meeting room.

“I hope it’s encouraging for people to make new friends and connect with the community and get involved,” said Kelly Jaite, a Blaine Library public service assistant in charge of the Monday night meet ups. “I think a lot of people are coming to have something fun to do.”

The series kicked off Monday, February 6 with “What We’re Enjoying,” a club for people to share and receive recommendations for books, movies, podcasts and board games. The group is held 4-5:30 p.m. during the first Monday of each month.

“Got Game? Board Game Club” will have its first meeting Monday, February 13. Community members will play a new game, either from the library’s collection or one they want to share, while getting to know other attendees. The club will be held 6-7:30 p.m. during the second Monday of each month.

“Recipe Swap and Share” will be held the third Monday of each month for people to swap recipes, share food and discuss cooking. Community members can bring recipes or food they want to share during a potluck at every meeting. Each meeting will be held 4-5:30 p.m., and the first meeting will be Monday, February 27 because of Presidents Day on February 20.

“This can help us get a feel for what people in Blaine are interested in and that can help us in the long run improve our services and create closer connections,” Jaite said. 

The new programs are only being offered in person, but Jaite said some could become hybrid if the demand was there. 

The new clubs are adding to ones the library already offers. About 40 to 50 people have been attending each event with the Blaine Community Orchards for Resources and Education (CORE) gardening program and the library’s youth programs, Jaite said. 

The Blaine CORE gardening program has classes scheduled bimonthly on Saturdays until June. The next course will be winter orchids and indoor plant care on Saturday, February 11. Silverado Bellingham Memory Care Community will host its dementia education series at 1 p.m. Thursdays on February 16, February 23 and March 2.

The Books and Bites book club, which allows participants to discuss a book chosen monthly, is held at 1 p.m. during the third Friday of every month. The next meeting on Friday, February 17 will go over “Being a Human” by Charles Foster. 

“Initially, when we started the programs, it felt like people were more hesitant coming out,” Jaite said. “But in the last six months there’s definitely an increase in people coming to the programs.”