Thanksgiving gratitude to all who help us serve you
The staff at your library are thankful all year around for so many people who make their jobs easier and their service better for you, our patrons. On this Thanksgiving week, we want to publicly acknowledge some of the very special among them.
We are thankful for the many volunteers who work every day to help us maintain the collection; shelve returned books, CDs and DVDs; and make sure all the books and materials are clean and in their proper place. Because of our small staff, these volunteers are vital to our service to you.
We are grateful for the time and dedication of our library board. They also are unpaid volunteers who are committed to making the library an essential hub of our community.
We appreciate the members of our Foundation board, also unpaid volunteers, with the mission to raise funds for information resources, programs, services and facilities.
We also want to pay tribute to the Friends of the Library. Their generosity, enthusiasm and creativity result in so many benefits to your library, especially with the proceeds of their summer book sale.
Library director Meg Wempe says she has always appreciated the quote from Elizabeth Andrew, “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time, they have the heart.”
Thanksgiving closures
Your library will be closed for Thanksgiving November 24-26 so that our staff can celebrate this national holiday with loved ones. While the physical library is closed Thursday through Sunday, our downloadable items and online resources are available 24/7, as always.
Flu season protocols
The curbside service that we began in COVID times continues – and it’s a healthful option as we head into the cold and flu season. To save your energy and lessen germ exposure to other patrons, we recommend you use our curbside service – or add a name to your account authorizing that person to pick up items for you while you recuperate. Library hours:
- Monday, Wednesday and Friday open 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Tuesdays and Thursdays open 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Saturdays open 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
New format for activities calendar
To be sure you don’t miss any of the free library activities available to you and your family, we encourage you to pick up a copy of the events calendar each month. Its new streamlined format combines all the activities and events for children, teens and adults on one handy two-sided page.
Homework help and tutoring
Free homework assistance and elementary tutoring are available for K-fourth grades on Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. There is a registration packet for parents and guardians to fill out to enroll your child that you can get by emailing the library or coming in. This program has been a big hit because it helps build essential skills in core subjects. You still can register your child but you may be put on a waitlist.
PALS/GED adult education
Mark is available for his free PALS sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 – 8 p.m. to help with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more. No registration required.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 10 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 2-4 p.m. Thursdays. Judy will help you with basic questions relating to computers, smartphones and tablets and also provide assistance in accessing any of the library’s online resources. You do not need an appointment for these drop-in sessions.
Writing challenge
A new all-ages writing challenge will be posted November 26 on the library’s Facebook page. We hope you will challenge your creativity by participating in this free activity.
Family storytimes
Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m. join us for free in-person children’s stories, games and plenty of reasons to get up and move.
ESL classes
Free in-person evening classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays with 4-5 p.m. reserved for beginners and 5-7 p.m. for both intermediate and advanced students. Please help us spread the word about these classes to others in our community who would be interested, and contact us by phone or email if you have any questions.
Las clases de ESL
Las clases nocturnas gratuitas en persona se llevan a cabo los martes y jueves de 4 a 7 p.m. Los estudiantes principiantes asisten de 4 a 5 p.m., estudiantes intermedios de 5-6 p.m. y estudiantes avanzados de 7-8 p.m. Por favor, ayúdenos a correr la voz sobre estas clases a otras personas en nuestra comunidad que estén interesadas, y contáctenos por teléfono o correo electrónico si tiene alguna pregunta.
Downloadable books
CloudLibrary has a wide variety of downloadable e-books and audiobooks for all ages and accessing this free digital collection has never been easier. You just need to download the cloudLibrary app, answer a few simple questions, select AspenCat Union Catalog for the name of your library, then enter your library card number and 4-digit PIN. You are now ready to browse, borrow and read e-books and audiobooks using cloudLibrary. Library staff are happy to help you set up your device if you need assistance.
Large print
“A Truth to Lie For” by Anne Perry is an Elena Standish adventure set in Hitler’s Germany. “The Goodbye Coast” by Joe Ide is a Philip Marlowe PI mystery. “Distant Thunder” by Stuart Woods is a Stone Barrington murder mystery. “Alice’s Trading Post” by Kerry Dean Feldman is a western about a woman traded to an old fur trader. “Righteous Prey” by John Sandford is a Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers mystery. “Mad Honey” by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan begins when a woman married to a surgeon finds out about his dark side.
DVDs
“Grace and Frankie” is on two DVDs, one each for season one and two. “Top Gun” and “Top Gun Maverick” star Tom Cruise. “Dark Winds” is season one. “The Last Kids on Earth Book One” won a daytime Emmy for best special class animation. “The Power of the Dog, set in a mythic frontier landscape and shot in New Zealand, won an Academy Award in 2022 for its director, Jane Campion.
Books on CD
“The Boys from Biloxi” by John Grisham is about two sons from immigrant families who grew up on opposite sides of the law. “Haven” by Emma Donoghue features men in 7th century Ireland who find an isolated place to found a monastery. “Righteous Prey” by John Sandford is a Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers mystery. “The High Notes” by Danielle Steel centers on a female singer whose talent is exploited by men, including her father. “Dark Whisper” by Christine Feehan is the latest in the author’s Carpathian paranormal romance series.
Mysteries and thrillers
“Voice of Fear” by Heather Graham is a Krewe of Hunters story featuring FBI agent Jordan Wallace. “Jackal” by Erin E. Adams begins when a young Black girl disappears in the woods outside her white Rust Belt town. “The Boys from Biloxi” by John Grisham is about two sons from immigrant families who grew up on opposite sides of the law.
Other novels
“The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven” by Nathaniel Ian Miller follows a man living a solitary life in the Arctic Circle who meets a group of unlikely visitors. “Happily Ever Amish” by Shelley Shepard Gray is the first book in a new series about a small Amish community in Ohio. “The Revivalists” by Christopher M Hood is set in the aftermath of a pandemic that wiped out two-thirds of the planet’s population.
Donations
We are grateful to our anonymous donors for their materials donations.
When we are open, material donations are accepted for the Friends of the Library at the front desk – not down the outside returns slot at the library or the dropbox at City Market, please. The Friends take fiction published in 2012 or newer and nonfiction that is 2017 or newer. Limited workroom space means we can only accept one or two small boxes at a time.
Quotable Quote
“You know it’s a good Thanksgiving when your heart is as full as your stomach.” – Richard Paul Evans, American author.
