What to watch: Midland County Libraries kick off January 2026 with a packed schedule of family programs. Highlights include the new Scooby-Doo! Mansion Mayhem exhibit, clubs for many interests, and ongoing story times for young children.

The big picture: The Scooby-Doo! Mansion Mayhem exhibit opens Jan. 31, at 5 p.m. at Centennial Library. It runs through May 9. Visitors join Mystery Inc. to solve a ghostly jewel-thief mystery in a haunted mansion. Throughout the month, the library has organized several recurring events for different age groups. Each of the following events is recommended for a range of ages between newborn and 17 years old:

  • Lego Lab (ages 6-13), Monday, Jan. 2 at 5 p.m. – Held at the Downtown Library, this program allows kids to explore their creativity and engineering skills with plain brick-by-brick fun or guided builds.
  • Baby Rhythm & Rhyme (ages 0-24 months), every Tuesday at 11 a.m. – A weekly developmental class held at Centennial Library with interactive story time, books, songs, movement, and more.
  • Toddler Tales (ages 3-5), every Wednesday at 11 a.m. (Centennial) and 11:30 a.m. (Downtown) – A program designed to promote literacy, learning, and general cognitive development through story, rhyme, song, and movement. Held at both libraries.
  • Teen Leadership Board (ages 13-17), Saturday, Jan. 10 at 4 p.m. – Help plan future library events, and gain volunteer hours. The meeting is held at Centennial Library and includes hands-on seasonal crafts.
  • Born to Read Birthday Celebration (ages 1-5), Wednesday, Jan. 21 – After Toddler Tales, readers ages 1-5 with January birthdays are gifted a book from the library to help foster a love of reading.
  • Once Upon a Time (ages 4-8), Thursday, Jan. 8 and Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. (Downtown) and Friday, Jan. 9 and Jan. 30 at 5 p.m. (Centennial) – Story time combining classic tales and hands-on crafting, held at both libraries.
  • STEAM: Catapult Challenge (ages 6-13), Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 5 p.m. (Downtown) and Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 5 p.m. (Centennial) – The monthly STEAM challenge awaits, build your own awesome catapult that launches further than all the others. Held at both libraries.
  • ‘Habia una Vez’ (ages 4-8), Thursday, Jan. 15 at 5 p.m. (Downtown) and Friday, Jan. 23 at 5 p.m. (Centennial) – The bilingual version of ‘Once Upon a Time’. Held at both libraries.
  • The Artist in You (ages 10+), Saturday, Jan. 24 at 11:30 a.m. – Learn different art techniques, styles, and media, to find your favorite at Centennial Library. Explore sketching, abstract, classic drawing, line art, and more.

There are many events available for adults too such as:

  • Intro to Investment, Thursday, Jan. 8 at 5:30 p.m. – A helpful overview of financial and investment principals, basic material to help anyone in need. Held at Centennial Library
  • Tea, Tales & True Records with Nathan Dylan Goodwin, Saturday, Jan. 10, at 11 a.m. – Join this Zoom presentation, at Centennial Library, on how fact can be helpful when writing fiction. Goodwin explains how genealogy and history records aid him in writing believable and gripping mystery novels.
  • Page Turners Book Club, Monday, Jan. 12 at 5:30 p.m. – Join this Midland book club for this months read: ‘The Hobbit’ by J. R. R. Tolkien. Every month brings a new genre to Centennial Library.
  • Steps in Spanish, Tuesday, Jan. 13 and Jan. 27, at 5:30 p.m. – A beginner level class for those wanting to learn with others. Guided lessons and conversation practice at Centennial Library.
  • Collage Meditation, Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 4:30 p.m. – A relaxing evening of custom collage making meditation at the Downtown Library.
  • Potter’s Palette, Thursday, Jan. 22 at 4 p.m. – Personalize your own terra cotta planter with those around you. Held at the Downtown Library, using a variety of design inspirations and techniques.
  • Echoes of Calm: a Sound Bath, Friday, Jan. 23, at 5:30 p.m. – Bring your yoga mats to the Downtown Library and enjoy music and sounds to calm your body and mind.
  • Wired for Disaster: the Power Grid at Risk, Saturday, Jan. 31 at 11 a.m. – Join Curtis Martin, a Disaster Assessment and Recovery Specialist, at Centennial Library as he discusses how to protect your property, and family in the event of a long-term blackout.

Go deeper: The Bookmobile has its January schedule set too. Watch these times and places to catch it: Jan. 3 at Museum of the Southwest, Jan. 16 at We Rock the Spectrum, and Jan. 24 at the Bush Family Home.