It’s 2025 and with it comes an avalanche of New Year’s resolutions, ‘New Year, New Me’ mantras, health and wellness goals, and of course - hobbies. January might be the start of a new calendar year, but it also happens to be National Hobby Month. As we think about restarting our reading goals, and kicking off with the newest exercise trend, we may also start thinking about learning something new or picking up an old forgotten skill.
We here at the Cape Girardeau Public Library think that is a wonderful idea and we want to help in any way we can! The library has a ton of things to offer to get you started! Want to learn how to bake? Check out our cake pans! Want to learn more about music or how to play an instrument? Come see our Library of Things and check out our acoustic guitar, keyboard, or ukuleles. Want to try your hand at crochet? You bring the yarn and we’ll bring the hooks (and the books…with patterns!).
And speaking of books, reading is a great hobby for all ages to get involved in! It helps promote literacy, increase vocabulary, and generate empathy for others. What’s not to like about all that? Reading is great and one of my all time favorite things to do during my spare time. But libraries aren’t just about books, they are about community. Bringing people together, strengthening relationships and bonds, and creating a support system. So in honor of this, we thought we would share some of the hobbies we as library staff enjoy. You might find something here that you want to do, and you might just make a friend along the way.
Kayla, Adult Services Coordinator: Besides reading, I enjoy book binding (basically creating books from scratch) and baking sourdough bread. I have always wanted to learn how to bind books, but the sourdough was because a bunch of my friends wanted to try it out. Both hobbies are very popular on TikTok at the moment.
Books: New World Sourdough by Bryan Ford, Bookbinding As A Handcraft by Manly Banister, Adventures in Bookbinding by Jeannine Stein
Katie, Library Director: Pie Baking and LEGO sets.
Though we don’t have a pie tin perse, we do have this fluted round cake pan that can be used for quiches and tarts. And look out for our upcoming program Adult Brick Studio!
Books: The LEGO Story by Jens Andersen, The Big Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Book by Joachim Klang, Pie Camp: The Skills You Need to Make Any Pie You Want by Kate McDermott
Whitney, Marketing Coordinator: Baking (she makes really good Christmas cookies for the library each year!), Knitting, Crocheting, and Embroidery.
Books: 100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer, Mastering the Art of Embroidery by Sophie Long, Ultimate Knitting Bible by Sharon Brant (and if you have the yarn, you can check out our set of knitting needles from our Library of Things!)
Alexis, Adult Services Associate: “I do a lot of GMing and Tabletop Roleplaying (have you signed up for her Library Legends program yet?) as well as painting both miniatures and canvases. Since a lot of what I do day to day is digital or on the computer, I like to find activities that allow me to use my hands.”
Books: D & D Player’s Handbook, Masks: A New Generation by Brendan Conway, Coyote & Crow: A Core Rulebook by Connor Alexander, Acrylic Painting by Joan Hensen
Alli, Youth Services Coordinator: Knitting & Sewing - specifically costumes (have you seen their tea party outfits and cosplays? They learned how to make chainmail just for a Halloween costume!). But also board games, cooking soups, and reading “duh!”.
Both Youth and Adult services have a plethora of board games that you can check out and play!
Books: Handmade Renaissance Faire Fashion by Mara Vicario, Cosplay: A History by Andrew Liptak, Easy Soups From Scratch With Quick Breads To Match by Ivy Manning
Victoria, Adult Services Program Coordinator: Is an expert crocheter ready and willing to share her knowledge. What do you want to know? She is really good at crochet animals and the occasional mug warmer.
Books: Big Book of Animals: Bring Smiles to Your Child’s Face With These Wonderful Crocheted Animals, Crochet Impkins by Megan Lapp, Crochet Monsters by Megan Lapp
Renee, Youth Services: “My hobbies are card making, pop-up creations, and other paper fun!”
Ever tried paper quilling? Our Library of Things houses many many things, including a paper quilling kit.
Books: Ultimate Papercraft Bible, Paper Flower Note Cards by Emiko Yamamoto, Craft the Rainbow by Whitney Jepsen, Hand-Crafted Cards by Emma Hardy