More news here!

Have you seen the winning bookmarks that the school children made? All the entries are on display in the hallway outside the library or inside on the table. The winning bookmarks are available in the library to anyone who wants them. Help yourself to one or more.

Have you been in the library lately? If you have, you’ve seen that we are hard at work preparing for the move. Everything on, under or beside the sale table is still only one nickel each. That includes videos and music CDs. Help yourself to a bargain.

Is there an Illinois Veteran in your family? The State of Illinois is sponsoring an Illinois Veterans’ Project, to honor veterans and save the history of their service in the military. Participation forms can be picked up at the library.

The newest DVDs are Superman Returns and Ice Age: The Meltdown. Our new books are Ricochet by Sandra Brown, Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris, The Bancroft Strategy by Robert Ludlum, Wildfire by Nelson DeMille, Coach Tex Winter: Triangle Basketball by Ann Parr, Whispers of Winter by Tracie Peterson, Glad Tidings by Debbie Macomber, Ready for Love by Debbie Macomber, and A Woman’s Place by Lynn Austin.

Also new are two employees, Brenda Stineman and Marnie Hess. Marnie has extensive library experience and will be here on a regular basis, and Brenda will fill in as needed. Holly Humphrey has moved on to other activities. If you see her, please wish her well and thank her for her service here.

It is not too late to register your interests in non-fiction audio books. We have not ordered them yet. Pick up a survey form in the library, or go to our blog to get the url of the survey. It is two parts on the internet. Thanks to all who have participated so far. Our blog can be found at homerillinois.blogspot.com

News

What’s new in the Homer Library today? The winning bookmarks have been printed out and are in the library on display, and they are available for use in marking your place in the book you are reading. All bookmark contest entries are on display on the wall outside the library. Take a minute and enjoy the creativity of our young people.

If you come in the library, you will see that we have been very busy getting ready for the move. We may be moving late this month, or early next month, weather permitting. Meanwhile, we are making plans for the furnishing of the new library.

The book/video sale continues. Everything on and under the sale table is five cents, one nickel. What a bargain!

Chess, anyone??

The Homer Library will be sponsoring a Chess Club for young people beginning in January, and meeting once a week. It is BYOBoard. For information, call 896-2693. All skill levels are welcome.

Bookmark Contest and Bookmarks

Recently we held a bookmark contest for the children who are served by our RIF program. The entries have been judged and the winning bookmarks are being printed. When done, they will be available in the library. Meanwhile, the remaining entries are on display in the hallway outside the library. Homer has some very clever and artistic children, and it was hard to chose the winners. But, in a very real sense, they are all winners.

News for You

What’s news this week in the Homer Library? Seven new adult fiction books and four new DVDs are waiting to get checked out. They are Born in Death by J. D. Robb, A Carol for Christmas by Robin Lee Hatcher, Under the Northern Lights by Tracie Peterson, First Impressions by Nora Roberts, H.R.H. by Danielle Steel, Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier and The Widow by Carla Neggers.

The new DVDs include Cars from Disney, Firewall with Harrison Ford, The Lake House with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, and Dreamworks’ Over the Hedge.

We are still seeking input on our survey. Before we spend $3,000 on non-fiction audio books, we want to know what subject areas you are interested in. You can either pickup a survey form in the library, or take the survey online by copy and pasting the urls from our October 20 and 28 posts into your browser. The online survey is in two separate parts.

Thank you to all who have already participated.

What's New?

First - what we don't know. We don't know yet when we're moving. There are things to be worked out, preparations to be made. We will be moving 12,360 books, 170 music CDs, 820 DVD and VHS tapes, and 27 magazine titles with at least three years of issues of each title. Plus desks, tables, chairs, machines, shelving, supplies etc. It will be a big undertaking, even in a small library.

The first Reading is Fundamental (RIF) distribution will take place soon. Three times each school year, we give each child in grades kindergarten through fourth a free book of her or his choosing. Any books leftover from that (and we always have more RIF books in inventory) will need to be moved, also.

Our new books this week are Family by Karen Kingsbury, Hundred-Dollar Baby by Robert B. Parker and Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. We also have four DVDs on the United States Constitution.

We still need your input on audio books. Please see our blog entries of October 17 and October 20 for the link to the online survey, which is in two parts. Or you may get a paper copy of the survey in the library. Your input will be greatly appreciated.

Help Wanted

The Homer Library (Homer,Illinois)is looking for someone who would like to work on an occasional basis in the library doing clerical work. It would mainly entail checking items in and out, reshelving materials, and helping patrons. Anyone interested can call 217-896-2121, or come to the library at 101 N.Main, Homer. We are in the village hall, second door on the right.

Survey Part Two

Copy and paste the following link into your browser to access the second part of the survey. Your input is very much appreciated!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=151302757752

Library News Today

HOMER LIBRARY NEWS

The End is here! Really! Literally. As Lemony would tell you, “The end of THE END can be found at the end of THE END.” Anyway, The End, Book the 13th by Lemony Snicket is in. Is it really THE END? Read the book and see what you think.

Other new books this week include Echo Park by Michael Connelly, Short Straw by Stuart Woods, The Collectors by David Baldacci, Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans, When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin and The Innocent Man by John Grisham.

Our five cent book sale continues indefinitely. Come in and find some treasures.

You may have read in the newspaper that this library will be receiving a $3,000 grant for materials. We have specified that we will purchase non-fiction audio books. We want to know what you would like to hear. A survey is available online and in the library for you to register your interests. See the previous post for the link to the online survey. What you will see is part one. Please check back later for part two.

Attention Homer Illinois area residents...

We are conducting a survey to determine what local residents are interested in listening to. You see, we have been awarded a $3,000 grant to purchase audiobooks. Now, we want to know what you want to listen to. To give us your input, please copy and paste the url for the survey into your browser:

Copy and paste the following link to take survey.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=667032738082


This survey is designed for those who use the library in Homer, Illinois. Thank you.

New Stuff and a Move

HOMER LIBRARY NEWS

We’re moving! You probably already know that. We’re having a moving sale. Everything on and under the sale table is five cents. Books, VHS tapes, cassettes. Eveything.

Meanwhile, we’ve got lots of new books for you to read. They include Fool Me Once by Fern Michaels, The Mission Song by John LeCarre, Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich, Under Orders by Dick Francis (back to writing again after a hiatus of many years), 6 Rainier Drive by Debbie Macomber, Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber, The Brethren by Beverly Lewis, Public Enemy by Will Staeger, Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg, The Owl and Moon Café by JoAnn Mapson, Dead Wrong by J. A. Jance, Night Light by Terri Blackstock, and A Slender Thread by Tracie Peterson.

Our new non-fiction is the Mayo Clinic Guide to Alzheimer’s disease by Ronald Petersen.

For the young adult readers we have The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman and Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes for junior readers.

Our newest DVD is Brother Bear 2.

More news about the move will be coming out soon, as well as a survey. The survey will help us determine how to spend the grant we were recently awarded. Watch for an announcement about the survey.

MOVING SALE

Due to our upcoming move, we are having a sale. Everyone on and under the sale table is five cents, one humble nickel. Books, videos, cassettes - whatever. It's on sale.

Bookmark Contest - changes made

There’s a change of plans in regard to the bookmark contest. We will be passing out entry blanks to children in grades kindergarten through fourth during the fall RIF distribution. That will take place sometime in October. Older children who want to enter will still have to pick up entry forms at the library.

Call 896-2121 for more information.

Business Expo in Homer and New Materials

Tomorrow is the Business Expo in Homer. Be sure to stop in at the Homer Grade School between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. It looks to be an exciting day.


The Homer Library will be there with a selection of items from our book and video sale. Also, we are sponsoring a bookmark contest for children ages 3 through 12. It will be broken down by ages so that the young ones are not competing against the oldest ones. Some of the prizes to be given out will be on display. So kids, get out your crayons, markers, whatever materials you prefer, to make a book mark.

Library Board members will judge the entries by age groups and award prizes. Winning bookmarks will be printed out and available in the library.

Our newest materials are Public Enemy by Will Staeger, Dead Wrong by J. A. Jance, The Owl and the Moon Café by Jo-Ann Mapson, The Mayo Clinic Guide to Alzheimer's Disease by Ronald Petersen, and DVD Brother Bear 2 from Disney.

New Stuff for you

There’s always something new in the Homer Community Library. We anticipate having a book order come in later this month, but in the meantime, here’s a small selection of new items for your reading and viewing pleasure.

Our newest adult fiction includes Vanish by Tess Gerritsen, An Unexpected Song by Iris Johansen, and Dead Run by P. J. Tracy.

All Parts Together is an historical novel of the Civil War. As it is part two of a series, you might want to want until the backordered part one arrives. The series is written for young adults and above.

Our new DVDs are Love’s Long Journey, based on the book of the same name by Janette Oke, Hoot, and RV with Robin Williams.

We are open from 2 to 7 p.m. each weekday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. We will be closed Monday, September 4, Labor Day. Our phone number is 217-896-2121.

Good Reading Ahead

After a week of vacation in New Hampshire, getting caught up afterwards, and having the computer out of commission for a week, I’m finally getting caught up again.

The big news here is the potential move into a much nicer, newer and more spacious facility. It’s not a done deal yet, but we’re hopeful.

Meanwhile, there are new books on the shelves. In the adult fiction department there are:

The Rapture by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
Copycat by Erica Spindler
Walking Lazarus by T. L. Hines
No Good Deeds by Laura Lippman
Telegraph Days by Larry McMurtry
Judge and Jury by James Patterson and Andrew Gross
There’s Something About Christmas by Debbie Macomber
Talk Talk by T. C. Boyle
Found by Karen Kingsbury
Gone by Lisa Gardner
Faithless by Karin Slaughter
The Island by Heather Graham

Two others are
Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy, a book about gardening with children
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer, for the young adults

Our new DVDs are:
The Water is Wide, based on the book by Pat Conroy
The Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen

Please welcome Holly back

Holly has been on medical leave since mid-May. Please welcome her back when you come in.

Photos

Photos from the final session of the Summer Reading Program 2006 may be viewed at the library. They are located in the denim backed photo album.

Voyage to Book Island 2006

Wednesday, July 19, was the final program of our Summer Reading Program 2006, Voyage to Book Island. The children played games, and enjoyed snacks. We held a hula hoop tournament throughout the seven weeks, and the two children with the best times, of those who were present the last day, got to take home the hoops.

Prizes were awarded to all who attended. Rick Bates of the Homer Country Market, Christine Cunningham of the Homer Emporium, David Groth of Fazoli’s in Champaign, and Monical’s Pizza supplied food and prizes for the children.

It is just over one month until school starts again. We encouraged the children to keep reading, even though the Summer Reading Program is over. They will have an easier time when school starts again, than if they neglected to read.

Our thanks to the parents and day care people who brought the children and encouraged them to participate, and to Sue Jones for her assistance.

The Big Dig

Have you heard of the recent tragedy in Boston where part of a tunnel broke away and killed a motorist? The tunnel was part of the Big Dig.

Growing up in southeast New Hampshire, I heard rumors of corruption in regard to the building of a highway that skirted Boston. I believe it may be part of I-95 now. The rumors were of shoddy workmanship in particular, and probably cost overruns, and whatever else people could get away with. Such rumors surrounded the Big Dig project, too. So much so, that author Linda Barnes wrote a book by that title, The Big Dig. The book came out in 2002, the collapse occurred in 2006, and now authorities have a huge job ahead of them in making sure the rest of the project is safe. Be glad you don’t have to drive it!

If you want to read the book, the Homer library has a copy.

Homer Birthday calendar

If you have never received a Homer birthday calendar, you can sign up for next year's at the library. If you have gotten a calendar in the past, someone will be contacting you about next year's. Just wait for their call.

That .... front door lock

We're still having trouble with the front door locking when it shouldn't. I've been keeping the side door unlocked. However, it's harder to open. If the sign says it's unlocked, it is unlocked. You just have to try harder--- a lot harder!! Hopefully the situation will get resolved soon!!

If you still can't get in, please call us. 896-2121

Reading Opportunities

As promised, here is a list of our latest acquisitions!

Promise Me by Harlan Coben
Full Scoop by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Killer Dreams by Iris Johansen
A Thousand Tomorrows by Karen Kingsbury
On Every Side by Karen Kingsbury
The Husband by Dean Koontz
Yukon Quest by Tracie Peterson, 3 books in one
Summer of the Midnight Sun by Tracie Peterson
Sandcastles by Luanne Rice
Coming Out by Danielle Steel

For the young people we have:
The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett
And
Rain on My Wings by Evelyn Horan

The last one deals with child molestation by a relative. It is geared for young adult readers.

New in June

What’s new in the Homer Library? Our new adult fiction includes Killer Instinct by Joseph Finder, autographed and donated by the author. Our other adult fiction includes Blue Screen by Robert B. Parker, Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich, Bleeding Hearts to Susan Wittig Albert, Coyote Moon by John A. Miller, and Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury.

New junior fiction features The Cay by Theodore Taylor, Timothy of the Cay by Theodore Taylor, and Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. Two new non-fiction books are Digestive Wellness by Elizabeth Lipski and Our Constitution by Donald A. Ritchie.

New DVDs are High School Musical, Glory Road and End of the Spear. Donated DVDs of classic TV include 2 Bonanza collections, and one each of Jack Benny, Roy Rogers and Everybody Loves Raymond.

Holiday closings

Because of the Fourth of July, the library will be closed July 3 and 4. We will reopen at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5. And the children's Summer Reading Program, scheduled for July 5 at 1 p.m., will go on as scheduled. Have a happy and safe holiday, and let's be thankful for this wonderful country of ours.

CLASSIC TV

Do you enjoy old TV shows? We've got some goodies on DVD thanks to a donation. There's Jack Benny, Roy Rogers, Eveybody Loves Raymond, and several DVDs of Bonanza. Actually, we've got a bonanza of Bonanza, if you want to look at it that way!

Lions Club Calendars

The last two copies of the 2006 calendar are in the library for anyone who would like to purchase them at $6 each. These are the last two Homer Lions Club calendars ever. A real collector's item.The calendar will continue, but under the auspices of the Homer Library. The Lions Club has graciously given this community project over to the library.

eBooks for kids - some fun in the summer

Go to www.lincolntrail.info/whatsnew.html and click on the link for Tumblebooks, and chose from stories, non-fiction, puzzles and games, language learning etc. for children. The one book I watched and listened to was very well done. I had a group of boys behind me watching along and enjoying the story of a sleep walking father.

Memorial Books

The Homer Lions Club has contributed two books to the library in honor of former Lions.
The books are Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power in memory of Gene Happ, and Advanced Bass Fishing in memory of Stanley Smith. We appreciate this memorial gift.

New Stuff

Bleeding Hearts by Susan Wittig Albert, and Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury are our new adult novels. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins and The Cay by Theodore Taylor are the new junior fiction titles. And we have added Digestive Wellness by Elizabeth Lipski for your health information needs.

Our new DVDs, for your enjoyment, are Glory Road and High School Musical.

Summer Reading Program 2006

Voyage to Book Island starts tomorrow at 1 p.m. Children ages 5-10 are invited to come each Wednesday for the next seven weeks at that time for an hour of fun, games, crafts and prizes. July 19 will be the final program, with the awarding of prizes.

The Front Door

Have you tried to get in the building and found the door locked? Sometimes the door locks itself when it is shut hard. Sharon and Bub have worked on it to alleviate the problem. However, we are asking that when you leave the building, shut the door slowly. If you hold onto the door until it is fully closed, the problem won't occur.

Thank you!!

New Materials

We hope you had a good Memorial Day Weekend as we honored our servicemen and women. It was a very hot weekend in this part of the country.

Our newest materials are At Risk by Patricia Cornwell and Dark Harbor by Stuart Woods. The latter was donated by a patron, for which we are thankful.

The Constitution - why should we care?

How well do we know the Constitution? How well do our young people know it? How important is that, anyway? Is it a dry and technical document? Can't we just let our elected representatives make laws without our input?

The Annenberg Foundation at Sunnylands has prepared materials to help Americans, especially young people, become more aware of how our government works. These materials are available in several formats: a large volume titled Our Constitution, a set of hip pocket books, and a website: JusticeLearning.org, an online learning resource. The hip pocket books and Our Constitution are available at the Homer Library.

Need help with telecommunications decisions?

Consumers Union has given us a handbook, Practical tips for Consumers, that deals with many types of telecommunications, local, long distance and wireless phone service, as well as cable TV and internet service. If you are confused about the options, this booklet may help you make informed decisions.

Summer Reading and What's New?

The Summer Reading Program, Voyage to Book Island, begins June 7 at 1 p.m. and continues to July 19. All programs except the last one will take place in the dining room of the village hall. Children ages 5 to 10 are encouraged to attend. What is the summer reading program? It consists of fun, crafts, games and sometimes food. And Prizes.

Our new adult fiction includes The Englisher by Beverly Lewis, Digging to American by Anne Tyler, Beach Road by James Patterson and Peter De Jonge, Second Sight by Amanda Quick, Dead Watch by John Sandford, and a paperback, Love According to Lily.

Our new DVDs are Hoodwinked, Nanny McPhee, and Blondie.

We have a set of four books dealing with adolescent mental illness: Anxiety Disorder, Eating Disorder, Depression or Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia.

And lastly, some chick lit, light reading for the 20 somethings.

Online book clubs

Have you ever visited the website of the Lincoln Trail Libraries System: www.ltls.org? One of the features you will find there is the online book clubs at http://www.ltls.org/bookclubs.html Hosted by Suzanne Beecher, it offers six genre of books, of which you can read 2 or 3 chapters in a week, through daily emails. Suzanne gives you the opportunity to decide if each book is one you really want to read or not. Suzanne is an online pal. Each day she includes a newsy note about what she’s doing or thinking, and she answers emails from readers. She also offers the opportunity to enter contests and win books. And, as they say on certain TV ads, It's Free!

Which brings me to my second and final point. I won a contest, and received in the mail from Noah Lukeman (I like that name) his new book, A Dash of Style, all about our favorite topic, punctuation. It will be available soon for any Homer library patrons who wish to be better writers.

Illinois Clicks!

What on earth is Illinois Clicks!? Need information? Information that's organized, vetted, reliable? Try Illinois Clicks at www.illinoisclicks.org

Selected by Illinois librarians, reliable, timely, accessible 24/7, with ongoing updates.

RIF Day #3

Today was the third and final distribution of RIF (Reading is Fundamental) books to children in the Heritage School District grades Kindergarten through fourth. Each child got to choose two books out of a large selection. We also read to them by classes, ten total, and gave them flyers with the information about the upcoming Summer Reading Program.

This RIF program is paid for in part by the library, and by the federal government.

What's New???

We have many new books and DVDs on the shelves. Thanks to a gift from the Homer American Legion Auxiliary in honor of their Gold Star Members, we were able to order four books. They are Mediterranean Women Stay Slim, Too, and The Merck Manual of Health & Aging, which have arrived, and Big Weather – a book about tornadoes, and American Courage, which are on order. We appreciate the gift from the Auxiliary.

Our new adult fiction includes Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark, Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson, Cage of Stars by Jacquelyn Mitchard, Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline, Susannah’s Garden by Debbie Macomber, The Saddlemaker’s Wife by Earlene Fowler, When Joy Came to Stay by Karen Kingsbury and The Innocent Libertine by T. Davis Bunn and Isabella Bunn.

Our new junior books are The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo.

Our new DVDs are The Chronicles of Narnia and Dr. Dolittle 3. Donated DVDs include four of the television series Bonanza, a total of 26 episodes, and Johnny Cash at “Town Hall Party.”

Favorite Places in Illinois - Starved Rock

This is a jewel of a state park, not what you would expect in such a flat state. Located in Utica along the Illinois River, it features canyons. During the week and in the spring, it is not busy as it will be in the summer. The bluebells and other spring wildflowers are in bloom. The trails are well maintained and marked. The Lodge offers a variety of meals on the menu throughout the day. And there is no charge to visit the park.

Wrapped in Rain

Charles Martin’s first book, The Dead Don’t Dance, was optioned for a Hallmark television movie. His new one is Wrapped in Rain. Martin is a superb storyteller, an author of “God-haunted fiction.” – Bookpage

You will get inside the skin of his characters, and learn to love them. You will also get a big taste of the South, and learn the old informal name of Jacksonville, Florida.

Have you read a book recently that you especially enjoyed? Tell us about it. Write it down and we'll post it on the blog.

Attention Senior Citizens

Circuit Breaker applications and Form IL-1363 are now available in the library. The program also includes a license plate discount and help paying for prescription drugs.

What's new in the Homer Library??

A variety of new books will arrive on Tuesday, April 25. Give us some time to get them processed and you will be able to take home a future bestseller.

“Thank You” to whoever has donated the Bonanza and Johnny Cash DVDs. They are much appreciated, and will put in circulation as soon as we can get them processed.

Have you read a good book lately? Give us a written synopsis or report and we’ll put in on this blog for the benefit of other readers.

The CDs are going fast, but a few are still available. They are totally free.

We are open from 2 to 7 p.m. weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Our phone is 217-896-2121.

In Orbit

Have you read the latest by aviation expert, John J. Nance? Looking forward to when commercial space travel is available, for a steep price, Nance places his protagonist, Kip Dawson, in orbit, with fuming wife back home, and a catastrophic event occuring in space. What happens then has lessons for all of us.

Happy Easter and free CDs

We're still offering free CDs of golden oldies. Forget the quiz. All you have to do is choose which one or ones you want. Please. We want to give them away!!

The storms have moved away. The grass is green. The air is warm. This is perhaps the most beautiful time of the year, at least when it's not storming. Let's hope for a beautiful, sunny day tomorrow as we celebrate all that Easter means!

Our newest DVD is The Chronicles of Narnia.

Easter Weekend hours

There are no changes in our hours this weekend. We will be open until 7 p.m. Friday evening, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, and from 2-7 p.m. on Monday, as usual.

National Library Week news

April 2 through 8 is National Library Week. Once again, we will be having a Fine Free Week to celebrate. You may return your overdue items at no charge. We will not require you to pay fines, no matter how long you have had the items out. Take advantage of this great opportunity to get those books and videos back.

Our new items are Orbit by John J. Nance, The House by Danielle Steel, The 10th Circle by Jodi Picoult, Ordinary Heroes by Scott Turow, Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag, The Hunt Club by John Lescroat, two Hank Zipzer books by Henry Winkler, Toby Tire’s School Bus Safety Video, Scoop’s Favorite Adventures (Bob the Builder) and The Black Stallion, plus a variety of romance novels.

CDs are still available free for the taking. We have a selection of golden oldies to choose from. All you have to do is answer four questions on our super easy quiz. Stop in the library for more information.

The library is open from 2 to 7 p.m. weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Our phone number is 896-2121.

CDs

Don't forget those CDs that we are giving away. We still have a good selection left.

It's time for the CD contest

Answer any four of these questions correctly, and you can have your choice of one CD from our stack.

Find out what Christine Cunningham and Chris Reel have in common, other than being married mothers of two children each.
Having answered #1, now figure out what soda was called in our childhoods.
Read one book from the current New York Times bestseller list. The list is posted in the library.
Tell us the name of the main character in the Cat Who books by Lilian Jackson Braun.
Who wrote From the Timber to the Prairie?
What is the fictional setting of Earlene Fowler’s books
Name one book written about last year’s Illinois basketball team.
What hours is the library open on Saturdays?
Name one magazine on our magazine rack.
What do we charge for hardback books on our sale table?
Find the name of my cat as mentioned on the blog.

Any questions, call 896-2121 or come into the library. You must bring your answers into the library to collect your prize.

CD Giveaway

We have a selection of CDs of artists from the past - the golden oldies that were popular decades ago - to give away. These are duplicate titles of ones we have added to our collection. We are holding a contest, so easy my cat Sammie could almost (that's a BIG "almost" for Sammie) win. Watch for specifics on this blog and in the Southern Champaign County Today newspaper. The contest is first come, first served. It will end when all CDs have been given away.

New DVDs

We've just added three more to the collection - Walk the Line with Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon; Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley; and Yours, Mine and Ours with Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo.

Going to Springfield, Promoting the Library

On March 1, 563 people showed up at the Illinois State Library to meet with lawmakers about library concerns. They attended a rally in front of the State Capitol, with a number of speakers; the highlight of the rally was Richard Norton Smith. He is a historian and biographer, and is best known in Illinois as the first Executive Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, a four building complex in Springfield. Sara Essig, President of the Board of Trustees of the Homer Library, and Chris Reel, Homer Librarian, were among the more than three dozen from the Lincoln Trail Libraries System who attended.

More New Stuff

Here's our latest:

2 new DVDS:
The Gospel
Stuart Little 3

3 new Books
The 5th Horseman by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Long Time Coming by Sandra Brown
5 new romance novels

This and That

The Champaign Public Library has announced that they will no longer place out of system library loan requests for patrons of other libraries. In other words, if you want a book that is not available from the Lincoln Trail Libraries System, you must place the hold through your local library.

Today was RIF (Reading is Fundamental) day at the Heritage Grade School. Children in grades kindergarten through fourth chose a book to keep. Cindy Happ read to each of the classes after they made their selection.

A Moratorium on donations of books

Thank you so much to all of you who have donated books to us recently. And thanks to all who have purchased those donated items from us!

However, we're full up. Please hold off on donating any more until we can sell down what we have. We can still take donations of CDs, DVDs, and VHS movies.

We greatly appreciate your support.

Accelerated Reader Tests

The Homer Library has purchased ten more AR tests for use at the school. All the tests we purchase are for books that are available in this library, and may or may not be available in the school library. This serves to increase the number of titles that children may read in the AR program.

The new tests are for the following books:
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
Great Redwall Feast by Brian Jacques
Journal of Joshua Loper: A Black Cowboy
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog's Tale by Laurie Myers
Look to the Hills by Patricia McKissack
My Lone Star Summer by D. Love
River by Gary Paulsen
Seaman: The Dog Who Explored by Gail Karwoski (a Lewis and Clark story)
Standing in the Light by Mary Osborne

New Award Winning Book

Criss Cross by Lynn Rae Perkins www.harperchildrens.com/authorintro/index.asp?authorid=18005 won the Newberry Medal this year. Thanks to a local patron, we have a copy ready to be checked out. Fourteen year old Debbie wishes and waits for something good to happen to her, something special.

Several other award winning children's book will be arriving soon.

What's the latest??

What’s new in here? To start, there are two new, interesting junior books, Small Steps by Louis Sachar, and Zach’s Lie by Roland Smith www.rolandsmith.com. And there’s Pig on the Titanic by Gary Crew, based on a true story.

Adult fiction includes To Darkness and To Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming www.juliaspencerfleming.com, Sea Change by Robert B. Parker, The Witness by Illinois resident Dee Henderson http://www.deehenderson.com/, The Noble Fugitive by T. Davis Bunn and Isabella Bunn, and Last Light by Terri Blackstock www.terriblackstock.com.

In adult non-fiction we have Marley and Me: life and love with the world’s worst dog by John Grogan www.marleyandme.com/blog, and Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin www.doriskearnsgoodwin.com.

Our new DVDs are The Legend of Zorro and The Pink Panther.

The IRS has notified the Homer Post Office that tax forms will no longer be available there. We have both state and federal forms at the library. We are open 2-7 weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Our phone number is 896-2121. We are located in the Homer Village Hall at 101 N. Main Street.

Two New DVDs

Our latest are The Legend of Zorro (read a review at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386140/) and The Pink Panther. Check them out!

Large Print Books

All the new large print books, all 47 of them, are on the shelf and ready to be checked out. In fact, they are waiting, begging, pleading to go out. Can you help them out by taking some home for a while??!

It's a nice problem to have....

However, we're running out of room. What I'm referring to is donated books, books for the book sale. We have received so many lately, for which we are grateful. All the money received from the book sale goes to our building program. So, please, come in and see what we are. They are not all, in fact very few are, old moldy paperbacks. There are a lot of newer titles and books in good condition in hardback.

Homer Library's New Materials

We have fifty new large print fiction books which we are in the process of putting on the shelves. If you need large print books, or know someone who does, we have a great new selection!

Our other new materials are Just Rewards by Barbara Taylor Bradford, The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell by Lilian Jackson Braun, All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz, and Every Breath You Take by Judith McNaught. Donated audiobooks include Shattered by Dick Francis, How to Make an American Quilt by Whitney Otto, Irresistible Forces by Danielle Steel, and Cat’s Eyewitness by Rita Mae Brown. All are on cassette except the last one, which is on CDs.

Tax Forms

Federal tax forms are available now at the Homer Library. The Homer Postmaster has been notified that tax forms will no longer be available at the post office. The library is the only source for forms in Homer.

For your convenience, you may pick up the forms at the library between 2 and 7 p.m. weekdays, and between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturdays. We are located in the village hall at 101 N. Main Street. Our phone number is 896-2121.

Martin Luther King Holiday

In honor of the day, the Homer Library will be open normal hours. Check out a book about Dr. King, or any other item that you desire. We're here to serve, and make available the materials you need for school, work or leisure reading, viewing or listening.

Used Magazine give-away

As we make room for the 2006 issues of our magazines, we are making available back issues of popular titles, such as Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Country Living, Country Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, and Family Fun.

Stop in soon for the best selection.

Our latest acquisitions

NEW MATERIALS DECEMBER 2005

Adult Fiction
All She Ever Wanted by Lynn Austin
At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks
Even Now by Karen Kingsbury
The Life All Around Me by Ellen Foster, by Kaye Gibbons
The Lighthouse by P. D. James
On the Run by Iris Johansen
Red Lily by Nora Roberts
S is for Silence by Sue Grafton
The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans

Adult Nonfiction
The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

CD
Song for My Father by Dave Hepler

DVD
Frequency
Where the Red Fern Grows

VHS
Casablanca
The Phantom Menace: Star Wars I