28 May 2014

Thank you everyone for your patients while we migrated to a new circulation system. It is a better system and over the next two weeks staff will be getting used to using the new system. This will get everyone up to speed by the beginning of summer reading which begins on 16 June. The new system will enable us to send electronic notifications. This isn't just for overdue notices but we will also be able to contact you when a hold request comes in and to notify you a couple of days before your books are due so you can renew them if you need or remind you to drop them off at the library. Patrons will also be able to place hold requests on line and when you search for a title you will get a photo of the cover and a brief description of the book. That is all in the future and will not be instituted before Labor Day. As mentioned, Summer Reading begins on 16 of June. There is a program on 10 June on geodes. You need to sign up for this program in advance. Details are available on our library home page. The Book Sale is on Friday, 13 June and Saturday, 14 June. We have gotten a lot of donations this past year and there is a wide variety of materials to choose from. If you have older technology, cassette players or VHS players, you can choose from a large selection of cassettes and VHS tapes this year. Among the materials available are Old Time radio shows and/or select from several Disney movies. All proceeds from the booksale go to support the children's services throughout the year. This month the Brown Bag Classics Book Club is reading the Odyssey by Homer. This is the earliest literature in Western civilization. It is the tale of Odysseus as he travels from fighting in the Trojan War on his way home. Here is an interesting fact. The word mentor, meaning a trusted counselor or guide, comes from Odysseus's servant who was entrusted to teach Odysseus's son, Telemecus. The servant's name was Mentor. The Odyssey is also the source of terms and words, Siren, Elyssium Fields, Cyclops and Harpie. The fact that it is a great adventure story also helps to keep the Odyssey in the front ranks of classic literature. Rachel's book group is reading books by Maeve Binchy. With the celebration of Memorial Day, the Library will be closed on Sunday's now until after Labor Day in September. Check out the selection of mystery books featured in the west window by the newspapers and magazines. From Sherlock Holmes to Stephie Plum mysteries have been a mainstay of recreational reading since Edgar Allan Poe wrote the Murders of the Rue Morgue in the 1830's. Today mystery novels are the most popular fiction books checked out of libraries. People will follow a favorite author waiting for the next book to come out. Read for entertainment or read for information, reading is an essential part of life. As Groucho Marx once said, "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend, inside of a dog it is too dark to read." Until next week.

May 14, 2014

14 May 2014 It has been nearly a month since my last posting and a lot has happened. National Poetry Month featured several poets works in our display case in the lobby and was the focus of the Brown Bag Classics Club. It was eye opening as participants related that the study of poetry in schools as they grew up was rarely offered. I think that it may make an interesting program for adults in the fall. Maybe call it from Beowulf to Benay, something to think about. The Library will be closed on May 21 & 22 as we change operating systems. On the 21st TLC will be downloading our records from their system to Auto-Graphics. This will take most of the morning to do. The Auto-Graphics will take our records and configure the information to work on the VERSO 4.0 system. We will be back up and running at 10:00 Friday morning. Anything that is due on either the 21st or 22nd will be treated as coming in on the 20th so that no one will be charged an overdue fine. May is the month when we get everything ready for the Summer Reading Program. This year it starts on June 16th. The start was delayed a week because of the schools having to make up snow days. The theme for Summer Reading this year is science. Miss Krity and Miss Andrea have several hands on programs that demonstrate the wonder, interesting and amazing things that makes science fun. Registration for Summer Reading starts on Monday, June 16. Board meeting is tomorrow and begins at 6:30 in the basement meeting room, the public is welcome. Next week I will tell you some of the things will be available to card holders. Have a great week John Sheridan