BE Community Library and Fossil Discovery Center director Heidi Schutt stands by a display of books by Minnesota authors.

When school lets out for the summer, local libraries offer children a plethora of programming to choose from.

However, Blue Earth Community Library and Fossil Discovery Center director Heidi Schutt has often wondered, “What about the adults?”

“I like to do something for adults in the winter because the summer is very geared toward children and families,” Schutt explains.

This winter, Schutt has several activities programmed to remind adults that the library has a lot to offer them, too.

One program is brand new, as far as Schutt knows. On Jan. 15, she debuted a Winter Reading Program exclusively for adults.

“It’s mostly a fun winter activity for library patrons,” Schutt says. “It’s our hope that instead of taking out one book, they will take out a couple books.”

Schutt explains that the Winter Reading Program offers library patrons the opportunity to win one of several prizes simply by checking out books. Participants are given a snowflake bookmark at the beginning of the program, and they receive a punch on one of the snowflakes every time they check out a book.

The prizes which will be offered are small items that would brighten anybody’s winter, such as packs of gum, fun pens and hot chocolate packets.

The Winter Reading Program started on Jan. 15, and area residents have the opportunity to participate – and collect all of their bookmark punches – through the month of February.

Another library program which encourages adults to get reading this winter are the Blue Earth Community Library and Fossil Discovery Center’s monthly book clubs for adults. Schutt says there are currently two separate book clubs meeting at the library: one meets the first Thursday of the month at 10 a.m., and the other meets on the same day, but at 7 p.m.

The ‘Early Bird Book Club,’ as Schutt calls the morning group, began meeting in November, and so far has elicited a lot of enthusiasm from the community.

“We had great attendance and great discussion at our first three meetings,” Schutt says. “In January, we added an evening book club.”

Purely by coincidence, both book clubs have decided to read the same book for the month of February: ‘A Man Called Ove’ by Fredrik Backman.

The book – which, incidentally, is the inspiration behind the recently released movie, ‘A Man Called Otto,’ starring Tom Hanks – tells the story of a curmudgeonly old man who, despite his best efforts, finds himself befriended by a chatty family who move in next door.

The Early Bird Book Club will meet to discuss ‘A Man Called Ove’ on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m., while the evening book club will meet on the same day, but at 7 p.m.

“Book club is open to anybody,” Schutt says. “You don’t have to sign up, or anything like that.”

Schutt adds there are always refreshments provided at each book club gathering. Additionally, she says the library has plenty of copies of each month’s book club pick available, so whoever would like to read it is able to do so.

Schutt encourages community members to keep their eye out for other fun programming for adults at the library, such as the Great Puzzle Race, which Schutt purposefully schedules on different days and times to give all community members a chance to participate. She notes that the latest one was held on Saturday, Jan. 28, followed by a Great Puzzle Race scheduled on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

“People form their own teams of up to four and race to assemble the same 500-piece puzzle,” Schutt explains. “It’s really fun.”

And she likes to remind community members that there is always the option of simply coming in and checking out a book, if you are not one to enjoy programmed events.

“We’re always getting new books,” Schutt concludes.