Zoo Passes Available
The library is giving away Henry Doorly Zoo passes. Only one pass per household will be allowed. Each pass will admit up to two adults (ages 12 and over) and six children for one daytime admission. To request a pass, adults must have a library card and their account must be in good standing (no overdue items and no fees owed).
People using the passes at the Henry Doorly Zoo will need to present their pass AND a valid library card to be admitted. The passes are valid through November 30, 2025, and are made possible through the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium’s Library Program.
The library also has passes that can be checked out for use at Lauritzen Gardens, Fontenelle Forest, and Durham Museum. Explore our area’s great resources for free, courtesy of the library, the zoo, and the Friends of the Library!
Young Artist Workshop with Mrs. Dryden, Oct. 8
On select Wednesdays this fall (Oct. 8, Nov. 12), 4:30-5:30pm, Mrs. Dryden will guide you through colorful hands-on art adventures. Geared towards youth ages 1 and up, this will be the perfect time to explore, imagine, and create. Space is limited, so follow the QR code on the flyer or call the Plattsmouth Library at 402-296-4154 x1121.
Costume Swap
Recycle your old Halloween costumes, and find a new one for free at the Plattsmouth Library! Bring clean, gently used costumes to the library. Beginning Saturday, September 27, come to the library to find your next great costume for free. It's a great way to upcycle your outgrown costumes. You do not need to bring a costume to take a costume. Bring one, take one, or both!
FREE MONTHLY ACTIVITIES
| Activity | Ages | Dates | Notes |
Bingo |
Adults | 3rd Wednesday, 1:30-2:30pm Next date: Oct. 15 |
We provide the bingo cards. |
Sip & Stitch |
All | 1st and 3rd Saturdays and 2nd and 4th Fridays, 10am-noon Next dates: Oct.4,10,18,24 |
A social club for knitters and crocheters (or any other kind of crafters out there)! Bring your project and enjoy some coffee or tea. |
Ani-Manga Club |
Ages 12-18 | 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 4-5:30pm Next dates: Fall |
Watch and discuss an anime or manga series. Snacks provided. |
Bad Art Club |
Ages 11+ | 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 4-5pm Next dates: Oct. |
All materials provided. |
Chess Club |
Ages 10+ | Next date: TBD | Learn how to play or teach others to play |
D&D |
12-18 years | 2nd and 4th Saturdays, 10am-2pm Next date: Oct. 11 |
For novices and experienced players. More Dungeons Masters are needed. |
Family Storytime  |
2nd and 4th Saturdays, 10:30-11am Next dates: Oct. 11, Oct. 25 |
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Friday Friends |
0-5 years | 1st and 3rd Fridays, 10-11:30am Next dates: Oct. 17 |
Play on indoor playground equipment and make new friends. |
Homeschool Group |
Homeschoolers | 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 1-3pm Next dates: Oct. |
Connect with other homeschool groups. |
Junk Journal Junkies  |
Ages 15+ | 2nd and 4th Saturdays, 10:30am-noon Next date: Oct. |
Use library supplies to continue or start your own journal; journals provided if needed |
Library Café |
Tuesdays, 9:30-11am Next dates: Oct. |
Enjoy social time with fellow library lovers. | |
Little Beats for Little Feet |
18 months-3 years | Mondays, 9:30-10am Next dates: Oct. 6,13,20 |
Engages young minds in the magical world of music, encouraging them to groove, giggle, and grow |
Manic Madness Mondays |
All ages | Every Monday, 6-9pm Next dates: Oct. 6, 13, 20 |
Play new and old board games or bring your own. Includes Magic cards. Host: Adam Vraspir |
Paws for Reading |
All youth | 3rd Wednesday, 4:30-5:30pm (March to June, Sept. to Nov.) Next date: Oct. 15 |
Children read to certified therapy dogs. Registration preferred, not required. |
Preschool Storytime  |
Ages 0-6 | Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10-10:30am | Stories, music, crafts, and fun |
Saturday Morning Cartoons |
All youth | 2nd and 4th Saturdays, 9-11am Next dates: TBD |
Family-oriented cartoons. Pajamas welcome. Cereal provided. |
Silent Book Club Café |
Grades 4-12 | 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 4-5:30pm Next dates: TBD |
Bring a book or borrow one and read with fellow book lovers where the Magic of Books meets the Peace of Silence. Hot drinks provided. |
Trading and Training Day |
Grades 2+ | 2nd Saturday (odd-numbered months), 2-3:30pm Next date: TBD |
Trade Pokemon, magic, sports, Yu-Gi-Oh and other cards and train your Pokemon in preparation for the next gym day. |
Video Gaming |
All youth | 2nd and 4th Saturdays, 1:30-3pm Next date: Oct. 11, 25 |
Play your games or ours on 75" TV. Wii, Xbox 360, Switch, or your own. |
Youth Bingo |
All youth | 1st Wednesday, 4-5pm Next dates: Nov. 5 |
Win prizes and make memories! |
Youth Volunteers |
Ages 13-18 | Tuesdays, 4-5pm Next date: TBD |
Discuss volunteer opportunities, upcoming programs, and Advisory Board. |
Puzzles, Board Games Available for Checkout
Many patrons have helped put together a puzzle in the library. Now you can borrow puzzles to make at home, too! Puzzles range in size from 300 to 1000 pieces and check out for one week, but you can renew them if you need more time.
Next time you're in the library, check out our board games! Some of the titles are Candy Land, Clue, Sorry, Lexogon, Race for the Galaxy, Operation, Trouble, Hungry Hungry Hippo, Apples to Apples, Yeti in my Spaghetti, and Codenames. Check out a board game from your library!
Reading Suggestions
Whether you're hunting for your next book, selecting for a book club, or getting ideas for kids, you'll find great selections in the Booklist Reader, a companion to the magazine that we use to select titles for our library. Enjoy a new issue each month free of charge.
Free Passes to Area Attractions
The library has free passes to Lauritzen Gardens, Durham Museum, and Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods. These library passes must be checked out and returned within one week. The only thing you need is a library card in good standing - no overdue materials or fees for lost or damaged items.
Each pass is a little different. The Lauritzen Garden pass admits 2 adults and their children under age 18 for one use. The Durham Museum pass admits 2 adults and children within that household but it can only be used once every six months by the same family.
The Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods passes admit 2 adults and up to 5 children. Each pass is for a specific day of the week so, if you check out a Monday pass, you have to visit on a Monday. Visitors also receive $5 off a membership if purchased on the day you use the library pass. You can use the pass for a discount in the gift shop, attend special member-only events, and attend for free any programming on the day of your visit.
Sorry, but the library can't put a pass on hold, but you can call ahead to make sure one is available before you come.
Henry Doorly Zoo passes are available on the first day of even months, October through April. They admit up to 2 adults (ages 12 and over) and 6 children. Only one pass per family, and each pass is only good for 2 months.
Enjoy the Outdoor Musical Instruments!
Outdoor musical instruments are available year-round at the back entrance to the library, including five Samba drums, eight Calypso Chimes, a Cavatina (like a xylophone), and a music book with eight songs to play on the Cavatina. To top off the project, the rubberized surface material makes it safer and easier to access in all types of weather.
This project was funded by city capital improvement funds, Cass County Tourism (visitcasscounty.com), and state aid funding appropriated by the Nebraska Legislature, granted and administered by the Nebraska Library Commission.
Search Your Genealogy for Free at the Library
The library is now a FamilySearch Affiliate Library which means it has access to more genealogy resources. There are only a few hundred affiliate libraries in the country.
The popular web service has over 6 billion searchable names and 2 billion images of historical genealogical records. FamilySearch adds over 300 million free genealogical records and images online yearly from all over the world and manages the famous Family History Library in Salt Lake City. It has amassed billions of birth, marriage, death, census, land and court records from more than 130 countries. Access FamilySearch from a library computer to set up your free account.
Besides FamilySearch, the library provides access to Ancestry Library Edition from computers in the library and to My Heritage from the library or home.
Read Any Size Print with New Video Magnifier
The Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired has provided an ONYX Deskset Video Magnifier to all Nebraska public libraries to better serve our visually impaired patrons. You don't need a library card to use the machine, and it's very easy to use. It features the ability to change colors or display white text on black. It provides reading lines or a mask that helps you follow along on the page, and it can magnify up to 106x. It's also great for reading prescription bottles and viewing images. Stop by the library to use it or to see a short demo.
Plattsmouth Newspapers Online, 1857-2021
The library recently converted the remaining backfiles of the Plattsmouth Journal to microfilm so all Plattsmouth newspapers from 1857-2021 are accessible and searchable on the Internet or in the library. University of Nebraska-Lincoln's website, Nebraska Newspapers, has hosted eight newspapers from 1865-1939 for about 10 years. Several years ago, History Nebraska turned over its backfiles to newspapers.com which now includes 31 Plattsmouth newspapers from 1857-2008. To complete the archive, the library now offers the 2009-2021 Journal issues for searching in the library. The project to make the 2009-2021 Journal issues available was made possible in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Hot Off the Press!
In fall 2021, the library received a heat press and accompanying mug press! The library also has aprons, cloth bags, mouse pads, glass tiles, aluminum signs, coasters, and many more items to be imprinted with the presses. You can also print images on your own clothes.
Call the library for a 30-minute training or to make a reservation to make your own items. During training, you will be able to create your own design or use a sample design provided by the library. You can print one mug and one other item (shirt, mousepad, or any other material) for free. Beyond that, items cost anywhere from 25 cents to $4.
Schedule Laser Cutter Training
The library has a laser cutter capable of etching on wood, glass, ceramic tiles, cork, metals, and many other materials. It can be used by anyone who has completed the one-hour training session. Call the library, 402-296-4154, ext. 1124, to schedule training or to reserve time to work on your projects.
You don’t need to have a library card or even live in Plattsmouth to use it. It can be used for personal or business purposes, so think about how you might benefit from the opportunity!
See some of the items we've made with the makerspace equipment!
Tech to Make your Life Easier!
You can charge your phone, tablet, iPad, Kindle, or other device while you’re browsing or working on the computer in the library. The charger has several different connectors for Apple, Android, and other devices. It's at the main circulation desk and can accommodate up to 8 devices at a time. The charger is plugged into an outlet, not a computer, so your data is secure.
The library also has a card reader that will allow you to read data from a camera memory card or other micro or mini SD card. The reader has slots for four different kinds of cards. It connects to the computer with a USB cord. Ask for the reader so you can download pictures or other files from your device while you're in the library.
Need to join a Zoom meeting but you don't have a webcam or microphone at home? The library has a webcam with a mic that can be plugged into any of our public computers to give you access.
Yearbooks, Newspapers Digitized
Visit Our Patio!
The library has a patio in the back of the building! It was constructed in 2012 with bricks from Main Street and is shaded by a pergola. You can see how the patio took shape by looking at these pictures. It was made possible with a grant from the Cass County Visitors Promotion Committee and donations from the Plattsmouth Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the Library.