Interlibrary Loan

We are running into problems with patron usage of interlibrary loan. If you go to another library and ask for a certain book to be sent to the Homer Library for you, please let us know. We are receiving books through the delivery system, and we have no idea who they are for. If we don't know who the book is for, we will have to return it.

Interlibrary Loan Books

The following books were requested by one of out patrons. check this list and see if any of your requests have arrived:

The Dancing Floor by Barbara Michaels
Ammie come home by Barbara Michaels
The Crying Child by Barbara Michaels
Hope's Highway by Dorothy Garlock
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
The Best Short Stories of Mark Twain
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Interlibrary Loan

If you go to another library, and ask for a book or books to be sent to the Homer Library for you, please let us know. Otherwise, we will have to call the owning library to find out who the book is for. That will delay getting the book(s) to you.

Links

www.Amazon.com
www.b&n.com
www.news-gazette.com
www.weather.com
www.ltls.org
www.infoplease.com/homework
www.cyberdriveillinois.com
www.illinoishomepage.net
www.wicd15.com
www.pbs.org

Interloan Library Book

If you requested the book, The Dancing Floor by Barbara Michaels, you can now pick it up at the Homer Library.

Interlibrary Loan Books

The following book is in. If you requested it, you may pick it up now.


Hope's Highway

Accessing our collection

November 14, 2009


****Patrons can now access the Homer Community Library's online card catalog by clicking on the Favorites Link to the left or by going to:

http://opac.libraryworld.com/

When asked which library you want, type: Homer Library (no password is necessary)

When you find an item you want to check out, email us at homerlibrarian@gmail.com
or telephone us at 896-2121.

Interlibrary Loan books

Two new books came in today. If we ordered one or both for you, just let us know.

Galway Bay by Mary Kelly
The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson

Interlibrary loan books

The following items are in and ready for pickup:

EcoTerrorism
Hope's Highway
Pendragon, Book 4

Interloan materials

The library will be using this blog as an additional way of letting you know that items you requested by interlibrary loan have come in.

At present, we have Hope's Highway by Dorothy Garlock and Bedtime Stories, a DVD. If either of these are for you, please stop in for them.

Growing and growing

Please welcome our new assistant librarian, Michelle Self-Ballard. She has a Master's Degree in library science, and many years of experience in various roles at the Champaign library.

We are adding books daily to the shelves. Come in and see what's new! Michelle has set up a Banned Books display. You might be surprised at what titles have been banned. It may even be one of your favorite books!

WEB MD

On another note, we will be receiving a one year complementary subscription to WebMD. You can find it on our magazine rack.

Welcome, Michelle!

Last night the library board voted to hire Michelle Self-Ballard as assistant librarian. She replaces Catherine Fager. Michelle has a Masters in Library Science, so is very well qualified. We had many good candidates to choose from, and wish we could have hired more than one person.

Cathy ???

Some of you know that Cathy is no longer on staff. Family needs are more important. But she may be around from time to time. Soon, we will be able to announce who is taking her place, although, no one can really do that. Our new employee will be someone who brings her own skills, knowledge, and experience.

More Suggestions

ALA WINNERS:
http://www.ala.org/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/index.cfm

Young adults:
http://www.ala.org.ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/quickpicks/qphome.cfm

Murder Mystery
http://www.stopyourkillingme.com/

Fantasy:
http://bestfantasybooks.com

Good Reads
http://goodreads.com
A site at which you can comment on books, and see what others are reading. There are specfic groups on the site.

WhatShouldIReadNext.com

reader2.com
Search for book recommendations

AllReaders.com
"Search for a book to see recommendations.

WHAT TO READ

Do you need help in finding something to read? We have suggestions.
Go to http://ala.org/ala/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/index.cfm

For young adults try: http://www.ala/mgrps/yalsa/booklistawards/quickpicks/gphome.cfm

Meeting Minutes - School, Village, Library

Can't attend village board meetings, or school board meetings? The Homer Library will be making available the minutes of the Village of Homer, and Homer Library board meetings.

Minutes of the Heritage School Board can be found at their website:
www.heritage.k12il.us

Click on School Board Meetings & Agendas

WIFI here

Did you know that the Homer Village Hall has wifi? Many people take advantage of that service by bringing their laptops here to use. No computer? The library has 5 available for public use.

Delivery information

Many of you are returning books to the Homer Community Library for return to the Urbana or Champaign libraries. Please keep in mind that your books may not get back to those libraries for several days. You may want to call the Urbana library or the Champaign library to renew your books, before returning them here, in order to avoid late fees.

Position available

The Homer Community Library is looking for someone who loves people and books, and who can work 12 hours a week at the Homer Community Library.

If you are that person, call us at 217-896-2121 during library hours, or mail us to get an application.

The job entails working 12 hours a week, extra hours as needed. You must be able to help patrons find materials, manage circulation, and help with or direct children's programming, and other programs throughout the year. You must be computer literate.

For more information, call us at 217-896-2121 during library hours. We are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More in the library

Our library now has one of the best collections of musicals on videos in the area. They have been paid for by a memorial gift. Whether you like a classic such as Les Miserables, or a contemporary one like Cats, we've got them. Come in and see what we have.

The Army of Women

Want to help cure breast cancer? Join the Army of women. Thousands of women together can provide a huge database to collect information on the cause and treatment of breast cancer. Go to armyofwomen.org to find out more.

Cataloging

As of this minute, we have cataloged 6493 items. How many to go? We'll find that out later.

Food Preservation

Dr. Phil Dzuik will be presenting a program on preservation of food, that is, the produce that you grew in your garden. Hear his advice at the FS on University
Avenue in Urbana. He will be there on Friday, June 26 at 3 p.m. He has a wealth of experience in all aspects of growing and preserving produce.

Visitors

Good news! Company is coming in September. Five, maybe six of them! What fun we will have.

What’s new in the Homer Library? The following books have arrived:
A Dream to Call My Own by Tracie Peterson;
Always Looking up by Michael J. Fox;
Vision In White by Nora Roberts.
Other books include Eldest by Christopher Paolini,
First Family By David Baldacci,
Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark,
Mountain Top by Robert Whitlow
You may also enjoy The 8th Confession by James Patterson,
Matters of the Heart by Danielle Steel,
Wicked Prey by John Sandford.
Other new bestsellers will soon be on our shelves.


To date, we have processed 6028 items, and more are being done each day. Thanks to all of you who have donated such good materials to us.
Check the DVD shelf and you will see that we have added a large number of items, many of which were donated. You will also soon see many more DVDs of musicals.
Middle and High School students may sign up for Go Wild @ the Library. It runs from June 8 to July 31, 2009. Read whatever you want and be rewarded with some cool treats. Reading one book will get you a Twilight prize, read 4 books for another wild prize and when you read 8 books you will be rewarded with a t-shirt of your choice. Continue reading to enter your name in our grand prize drawing for a gift certificate to Charlie’s Grubb & Sudds.
Kindergarten through 5th grade students should come in and check out our reading campsite. You may even find some wild animals lurking in the bookshelves. You never know what you will encounter at the Homer Community Library!
Our hours are 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesdays we open at 9 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. Saturdays we open at 10 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. Our phone number is 896-2121.

Home again

Obviously it's been awhile since I last posted. Life happened. The kids were sick. We got sick. We hiked. We went to the zoo and the Children's Museum. We celebrated a birthday - Gracie's 5th. We got better. We flew home. Back to work now. Would we do it again?? In a heart beat!

Friday

Stinking dead skunk is still by the side of the road.

Took the kids to the Children's Museum yesterday - Bob the Builder exhibit. Cousins and church friends were there, too.

Today is piano practice and final lesson before recital tomorrow night.

Youngest grandkid calls Dan, "Daddy" or "Papa." Doesn't call me anything. Has a huge temper and throws himself backwards when not happy. Grandpa Dan is a huge help with baby issues, such as changing poopy diapers.

Weather is perfect today. Gotta get out.

Sunday the parents return. They've been to Nashville TN and Greenville, SC. We'll all be glad to see them return!

Time Change

At home we are up before 6 on workdays. Daughter and her family sleep in until 8 or so. Here, I have time to myself before bedlam starts.

Toddler calls his grandfather, "Daddy." Son used to call all men "daddy." Favorite phrase - where are you?

Saw a west coast jay. It is a darker blue than midwestern blue jay.

Rain today. Indoor noise level forecast - high. The grass is a bright spring green. Kids antsy. Jan gets them for the afternoon. Total of 7 cousins, 4 are my daughters. Bless you, Jan.

TUESDAY

We went to the zoo. Saw native creatures that I don't want to meet in the wild, like cougars, and black bears but I know they are around. One girl not feeling well. Jan has offered to keep all the grandkids today to give us a respite.

Older boy is a great help. He knows the what, where and how of things around the house that we need to know. Older girl not feeling well. Hope Motrin will help her feel better. She doesn't cope well with being sick - a normal reaction.

Toddler misses parents, but too young to verbalize or understand why they are gone, or that they will return. Younger girl doing fine. Sticks to Grammie (that's me!!)

A dead skunk by the roadside. Everytime we go by, we have a discussion about black and white kitty kats.

Older two are practicing for piano recital on Saturday. One is diligent, the other not. He might prefer playing the trumpet.

We're slowly getting used to the routine - no big problems yesterday- but it is a full time job for two people. A new appreciation for our daughter, who is relaxing in Nashville while hubby is at convention.

Typical Oregon weather - cloudy, cool, could rain.

INTERVAL

Daughter called - going with hubby to Nashville - annual convention. Great. We can drive down and spend some time with her.

Daughter called - no one to stay with the kids. Can we help?

Arrangements made - off we go

They leave - I need to get the breadmaker going for Sunday dinner. Think it's not working right. No time to grind and fix coffee. Should have gotten up much sooner.

Only slightly late for church. Had trouble staying awake. Glad we sat near the back.

Back home - breadmaker didn't work right - more on that later. Called daughter for the 2nd time. She had no idea of the problem.

With much effort got the meal on the table. WITH coffee!! Got the meal cleaned up.

Found loaf of homemade bread in the frig. Cut into it - found the missing thingy that mixes the ingredients. I wasn't losing my mind after all.

No evening service = business meeting.


MONDAY

We'll go to the zoo! We load up, and stop at favorite lunch spot. Already it's mid afternoon. Had a great meal. But forgot the diaper bag. Can't go without that. Now too late for the zoo, we head home. We'll go tomrrow.

Two year old took nap. Find him with no diaper on. Now we make sure he wears something to bed that he can't take off.

MONDAY

It's raining. Maybe the Children's Museum. Grandbaby kept diaper on all night. During earlier visit, thought grandson to be very happy guy. This trip, learned how strongwilled he is. And strong.

Progress

Even with taking a week off, we are up to 4406 items cataloged. Our newest are Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice and Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith. But please be patient. They are not quite ready to go out yet.

Update on the cataloging

We are now up to 4260 items that have been cataloged.

If you have a website, or would like to have one, you might enjoy looking at Website Magazine, in our magazine rack now.

Story of a local World War II veteran

Copy and paste the link below into your browser to read about local resident and UIUC gardening expert Dr. Phil Dzuik - our Dr. Phil.

http://will.illinois.edu/WWII/stories/C569/

Fruit and books and books about fruit

Thursday, March 26 at 1 p.m. is the day for the Small Fruits workshop at the library. There is no fee for attending. So all you gardeners eagerly awaiting to get out in the garden, don't miss out.

Meanwhile, the cataloging goes on, almost 3400 so far.

Cataloging

We're up to item #3398 in our cataloging project. Our volunteers, including library board members, patrons, and community residents, have made a lot of progress. But there's lots more to do. We've done almost all of the donated books, and just beginning on items already in the collection.

Do you need help in managing costs in a time of job losses and budget squeezes? Check out the internet blogs. You may find some very useful information.

I have been researching for information about HR875, which deals with the food supply. Our government is concerned that we can't take care of outselves. They like to impose more and more restrictions for our own good. The concern with HR 875 is that it might affect backyard gardens, etc. More on that later.

Cataloging continues

To date, 3146 items have been cataloged. Previously, we have sorted, pulled duplicates, wrapped, not all in that order, and checked card files in preparation for the cataloging effort. All donated books are now on the shelves, and we are thankful for all who have donated materials to us.

Summer Time

Do you need ideas to keep your kids busy in the summer? Check our bulletin board. There are five pages of programs for children ages infant to 18, all sponsored by or led by people from the University of Illinois. Sports, business, engineering, foreign languages, and computers are just of few of the activities offered.

Are you tired of winter?

If so, join us at the Homer Library on March 26 at 1 p.m. and learn about growing fruits. Local agricultural expert, Phil Dzuik,will be presenting a program on growing small fruits.

It won't be long before the early veggies can be planted, things such as peas and lettuce, if the soil is friable enough. Some of us just can't wait!

A WRITING CONTEST FOR CHILDREN

Does your child like to make up stories? The Youth Literature Festival is sponsoring a writing contest for children, grades Kindergarten through 5th. The prizes include a savings bond of $100 for first place winners, and $50 for runners-up, plus a book and Contest certificate.

You can pick up an entry form in the library.

Progress

To date, 2848 items have been cataloged. That may or may not sound like a lot, but there are hundreds and hundreds to go. All of the cataloged books are donated or new purchases. We have not even begun to catalog the books that are already in the collection.

Book Club

The next meeting of our book club is February 25 at 4 P.M. We are reading Margaret Truman's murder mystery, Murder on Capitol Hill. Who killed the senator?

Additions to the collection

Over 2500 items have been cataloged so far, most of them donations of all types. We have yet to start on cataloging books already in the collection.

Materials for the blind and disabled

Do you have a problem reading? Whether it is blindness, inability to hold a book, or turn pages, there is a solution. Large print books, books on cassette or CD are available. Just ask.

BOOK SALE

The Homer Library is holding a fundraising book sale. A large selection of used books in good condition are available for purchase. Here's an opportunity to purchase books by your favorite author for a very low price.

The sale will be ongoing during regular library hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - 2 to 7 p.m.
Wednesday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We're Growing and Changing!

CHANGES At the Homer Library

It seems that change is a constant right now in the Homer Library. We are hard at work cataloging our books onto a website. Thousands are done. Hundreds more are waiting to be cataloged. The end result will benefit both our members and our librarians.

On January 30, thirty children and their parents enjoyed a program on Egypt. They got to smell some of the aromatics that are part of Egyptian culture. They heard a story of an ancient Egyptian, and the challenges and danger he faced in pursuit of the lady he loved. The children discovered how life was lived and how death was treated. They learned big words, such as mummification and hieroglyphic writing. The presenter from the Spurlock Museum also displayed artifacts.

The next event will be Reading is Fundamental, when each child in the Homer Grade School, grades K through four, gets to pick out and keep a new book . We look forward to providing this opportunity for the children.

Our new adult fiction includes The Associate by John Grisham, Mounting Fears by Stuart Woods, Run for Your Life by James Patterson, A Darker Place by Jack Higgins, Riven by Jerry B. Jenkins, Midnight Sons by Debbie Macomber, Train Your Brain by Ryut Kawashima, Who Needs Classical Music? By Julian Johnson, and The Returning by Ann Tatlock.

Was FDR a good president? Was the New Deal a good program? Should we emulate it to fix present problems? Read Jim Powell’s take on current problems in his new book, FDR’s Folly, and see what you think.

If you don’t have a barcode on your library card yet, please stop in and get one. It will only take a minute.

We are open from 2 to 7 p.m on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesdays, we are open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, you will find the library open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Our phone number is 896-2121. Visit us in the blogosphere at http://www.homerillinois.blogspot.com/

Changes

If you are in the village hall on a weekday morning, you will see library people hard at work. We are putting our catalog onto a website. Hundreds if not thousands have already been cataloged. Hundreds are waiting to be cataloged. The end result will benefit both our members and our librarians.

On January 30, thirty children and their parents enjoyed a program on Egypt. They got to smell some of the aromatics that are part of Egyptian culture. They heard a story of an ancient Egyptian, and the challenges and danger he faced in pursuit of the lady he loved. The children discovered how life was lived and how death was treated. They learned big words, such as mummification and hieroglyphic writing. The presenter from the Spurlock Museum also displayed artifacts.

The next event will be Reading is Fundamental, when each child in the Homer Grade School, grades K through four, gets to pick out and keep a new book . We look forward to providing this opportunity for the children.

Our new adult fiction includes Train Your Brain by Ryut Kawashima, The Associate by John Grisham, and Mounting Fears by Stuart Woods.

et tu, Brutus?

CHANGES At the Homer Library

It seems that change is a constant right now in the Homer Library. We are hard at work building our catalog onto a website.

Meanwhile, since the Berean Bookstore in Champaign is closing, we took advantage of that and bought a collection of Christian fiction and other books at a discount. Look for books by Lynn Austin, Gilbert Morris, a biography of Ben Carson, and one of Michael Reagan. We have a new Veggie Tales DVD, The Pirates Who Don’t Do anything. and two other DVDs for young people, Hermie the Common Caterpillar, and The Ballard of Little Joe.

Brutus has been here! He had his photograph taken with two young people from Homer. Who or what is Brutus? Ask a librarian to show you little Miss and Mister April. Who or what is Brutus? You will have to come into the library to find out.