End of October

31 October 2013 Here it is the end of October and it is ending on a cloudy, rainy day. Today is Halloween and the origins go back to ancient Ireland. Halloween was the last night of the Celtic year and the belief was that on that evening the barrier that separates the physical world from the spiritual world was very thin and spirits could cross over from one world to the other. This was the night where conjurors could call forth the spirit of a dead relative and you could ask the spirit questions. They were compelled to answer you but the answer could be a lie or so cryptic that you left confused. Evil spirits could also cross over and take possion of a person's body, evicting the person's soul and sending it into the spiritual world. The demon possed body was known as a changling and to help protect a person from the demon, people would dress in disguise to escape being identified by the demon who was after you. Some people also left out gifts for the spirit of a person that had died and was known to be greedy or angry. The hope was that the gift would please the spirit and it would leave you alone. Today we dress in costumes and the children ask for a treat so you can avoid a trick. We continue to tell tales of gobblins and other demons and how they make evil for people. Our reference and teen librarian, Beth, is leaving us. Today is her last day and she will be missed by everyone on staff as well as the teens she worked with over the past eight months and many patrons. We wish her good luck at her new job. The raffle to support the South County Pantry has begun. Last week's blog has a list of items that they need. Remember you get to submit one entry for every item you bring in. For example, say you bring in a package of disposable razors and bottle of shampoo. You would get two entry forms to fill out. The raffle runs through December 8 and the drawing will be the next day. The Brown Bag Classics Club will be meeting at noon on November 18, in the meeting room. This month you may read a book by Mark Twain. We have several copies behind the circulation desk. Several of them are collected works. You only need to read one of the books in the collected works or four or five short stories. Just a reminder, as the end of the year draws to an end, don't forget the Library as you make year end donations to your favorite institutions. Our children's programs are very dependent on donations and the number of people attending the programs are growing. Also, you can make a donation in memory of a loved one and designate what you would like the library to purchase with the donation. It can be books, audio books, programming, maintenance, displays or for staff continuing education. We appreciate the support of our patrons and we will continue to give you the level of service to which you are familiar. Until next week, stay safe and read. John