ARR! There Be Treasure Here, Matey!

Did you know there is HIDDEN TREASURE in your Library?

Join us over the holiday break for a SCAVENGER HUNT and earn prizes for answering questions about your local library.

This event will be on-going during open Library hours starting Dec. 22nd and ending Jan. 3rd.

Come in and pick up your Treasure Hunt form!

This event is open to kids of all ages.
Younger kids may need parental help.

Library will be closed for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Otherwise we will be open Mon, Tue, Thur & Fri from 2-7pm, Weds 9am-2pm and Sat 10am-2.

December 2010 Library Board Meeting

Our next Library Board meeting is Tuesday, December 14th at 7pm. Board meetings are open to the public. The agenda for this month's meeting is as follows:


Call to Order
Public Comment
Secretary’s Report
Treasurer’s Report
Bills
Income
Librarian’s Report
Old Business
• SSPP Meeting Report
• OMA Meeting Report
• Nov. 13 Craft Day
• Dec. 4 Tree Walk
• Remainder of Circulation Desk
• T-shirt contest
• Community Calendar
• Chili’s fundraiser
• Other fundraising
• Patron card mailing campaign
• Personnel Review
• Year Books
• Awards Programs
• Scavenger Hunt
• Christmas Kid’s party
• Christmas Decorating
• Book Sale
New Business
• Long Range Plan Review & Update
• Policy Review
• Tentative Budget

Brrrrrr!

It is COLD outside! But it is always warm in the Library! We have nice comfy, cozy reading chairs and lots of good books to chose from.

Have you been to the City Building to see Christmas Tree Lane? All the lighted trees sure do make the entryway feel warm and welcoming. We still have our Wish List tree with plenty of wishes still available! Thank you to all of our patrons who have already picked an ornament with a book to buy for the Library. We try to do our best to offer everything our patrons want but we are able to do a much better job with the help of our generous community members! Thanks again for all you do for us. Please let us know if there is anything you need us to do for you!

Happy Holidays

The Library is a busy place right now. We have finished cataloging many new books and are continuing to receive many nice donations.
We still have our book sale set up for the next few weeks. We have many hardcover books by Danielle Steele, Patricia Cornwell, Dean Koontz, Sandra Brown and many, many more authors! We are also getting ready for the Christmas in Homer event on Dec. 4th and will be open 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. that day. There will be activities set up for the kids and a special display of holiday books. Please visit our ‘Wish List” tree in the hallway. Each ornament on the tree represents a book we would like to have in the library. Please think about your local library during this giving time of the year!
The Librarians wish everyone a happy holiday season and a safe and merry New Year. Thank you all for your patronage of our Community Library!

Autumn is Here ....

and with Autumn comes Football! Come in and check out the various books and videos we have on display about football.

It is also Harvest and Thanksgiving time and we have a number of wonderful cookbooks to help you through the holidays.

Not cooking this year and don't like football? Sounds like the perfect time to pick up a good book and we just got in several new bestsellers:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz
Deja Vu by Fern Michaels
Cross Fire by James Patterson
The Confession by John Grisham
Chasing the Night by Iris Johansen
Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

The cooler fall weather gives you the perfect opportunity (or excuse) to curl up on the couch with a blanket and a good book. Your librarian will be happy to help you find just what you need.

Trick or Treat at the Library!

We will be open 5-7pm on Halloween night as part of Trunks for Treats at the Homer City Building. The High School band will be putting on a Halloween Carnival and costume contest for ages up through 5th grade as a fundraiser for their Orlando trip, too.

Come see your favorite librarians and show us your costumes. We have plenty of spooky books on display for all ages.

Many New Titles at the Library

October is a big month in the publishing world. Many of the new best-sellers have just come out or are about to come out. We recently got in a big order and will be putting in another order in November to catch some more of the popular new titles. COME IN AND CHECK OUT WHAT'S NEW!

In new adult fiction we have:
Don't Blink James Patterson
Postcard Killers James Patterson
Port Mortuary Patricia Cornwell
Lucid Intervals Stuart Woods
Bad Blood John Sandford
Safe Haven Nicholas Sparks
Devil Amonst the Lawyers Sharyn McCrumb
Worth Dying For Lee Child
Reversal Michael Connelly
Charming Quirks of Others Alexander McCall Smith
Painted Ladies Robert B. Parker

For all of the juniors, teens and young at heart who have been reading the Ranger's Apprentice series, Book 9,
Halt's Peril by John Flannagan, is in.

I found a really nice set of sports books for juniors and teens. This series is published by Sports Illustrated for Kids and I'm hoping it will be a popular set of junior non-fiction:
Baseball: How It Works David Breier
Basketball: How It Works Suzanne Slade
Skateborading: How It Works Emily Sohn
Football: How It Works Suzanne Bazemore

In the Young Adult section we have the latest Camp Confidential book, In It to Win It by Melissa Morgan

For those of you who loved Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan's first book in his knew series, Lost Hero is here.
We also are completing James Patterson's YA series, Maximum Ride with School's Out Forever.

Being a Sci-Fi/Fantasy reader myself, I was quite happy to come across the Camulod Chronicles by Jack Whyte. If you like King Arthur, if you like Roman and British historical novels (and especially if you love the military history aspect) you'll enjoy these. The first few read much more like historical novels than fantasy but they are setting up the whole King Arthur story. I've only read the first two and can't wait to finish the series. That being the case, we now have all 8 books in the series.

We also have gotten a large number of donated items in lately. We are still working on cataloging these but we will have some more nice additions to our collection when I get them done.

Don't forget - you have until the end of October to read a banned book and enter our drawing for a $25 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble.

Celebrate Your Freedom to Read!

THINK for Yourselves and Let Others Do the Same

Every year many books, both newly published and old favorites, are challenged in America's school systems and public libraries. The American Library Association (ALA) promotes Banned Book Week as a way to support our freedom to read. If people are not aware that many books are being banned from our public schools and libraries, they will not understand the importance of standing up for our right to read what we choose and to not allow others to make these choices for us and our children.

The Homer Community Library stands behind the ALA and their desire to protect your right to read. We will be "Celebrating Your Freedom to Read" by having a display of banned books (you might be surprised what's on the list!) along with our first all-age-group reading incentive. From now until the end of October, read a banned book and get your name entered in a drawing! We will have lists of banned books available but you can also go to the ALA website www.ala.org/bbooks to find out more about recently challenged books.

Did you realize some school districts are even banning books that have not yet been written?!? The House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast, a popular young adult series similar to the Twilight series, has been banned from one Texas school district - INCLUDING the books in the series that have not yet been written! There is no way the district could know the content of these books and yet they have been banned.

While in no way are we suggesting that every book is appropriate for every person or child, we are suggesting that it is the right of the person or a child's own parents, to decide what is appropriate for themselves. So... in accordance with this year's ALA theme, we are hoping you will, "THINK for Yourself and Let Others Do the Same".

Quilts, Quilters, Quilting

For those of you who haven't recently been to the Library, our current display is all about quilts. We have a great collection of books for people interesting in quilts and quilting.

Check out some of our great non-fiction books on the history of quilts, on quilting patterns or quilting techniques. If you like quilts but are not a quilter, we have a wonder fiction book series, "The Elm Creek Quilts" series by Jennifer Chiaverini that would be perfect for reading under your favorite quilt on a rainy day. We even have a few picture books in our Children's Department about quilts.

For those of you who frequent the library, have you stopped to look at the beautiful quilt in the hallway just outside our doors? This quilt was made by Homer's Art Needle Club.

If you are interested, you'll have to come check out this display soon! Our next display will be all about Banned Books and will be set up in about two weeks.

It's Hot Out - Cool Off At The Library

With heat indexes at 110 degrees, relaxing at the Library is a great way to beat the heat. Our A/C is always on - we might as well be cooling down more than just the library staff. We have several comfy reading chairs (two of which even recline so be careful if you tend to snore!) and two plush loveseats just waiting to be filled with patrons. Come in and:

Pick up a good book - we have over 20,000 to chose from;

Browse a magazine - we have several of the top sellers including Newsweek, Country Living and Seventeen;

Catch up on local news - we have the current edition of both The Leader and The Today paper; or

Use one of our public computers to check your email, browse the internet or do some on-line shopping!

You don't need a library card to read a book or magazine in the library although once you start you may find you can't live happily without a library card - so come in and cool off!

Did you realize the Village offers coffee (by goodwill donation) in the Jackson Ellis Community Center across the hall from 9 - 11 am Mon-Fri? Another good place to cool down and chat with friends and neighbors when it is just too hot and humid to do anything else!

Lots of New Books!

We had a very nice donation this week of Amish and prairie fiction by authors such as Kim Vogel Sawyer, Wanda Brunstetter, Beth Wiseman, Beverly Lewis and Cindy Woodsmall. Thank you to the patron who donated these to our collection!

We also just got in a shipment of Junior and Young Adult books that I hope will be of interest to more than just teens. Several deal with either specific periods in time or specific cultures and look to be both interesting and educational. Below are just a few of these 24 new award-winning books just added to our collection.

The Shepherd's Granddaughter - A coming of age story that is also a powerful reminder of the terrible tragedies confronting real people as a result of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

Off to War: Voices of Soldiers' Children - The children of soldiers relate in their own words, how war has marked and shaped their lives. Even though they may be living safely in North America, children always suffer when nations go to war.

Beneath My Mother's Feet - The story of a dutiful daughter who has to grow up way too fast when her father is injured and can no longer work. Once her only worry was if she would be happy in her arranged marriage but now that she is forced to be a maid to help her family survive she learns that her lessons of hardship turn out to be a lot more liberating than she ever imagined.

The Rogues - A powerful and resounding high adventure that brings life to the Scottish Clearances, one of the stormiest chapters in Scottish history. A good introduction to an almost forgotten time and place and the conflict between England and Scotland.

Morning in a Different Place - A touching story about a child of Irish immigrants and her struggles living with an alcoholic father and her unaccepted friendship with a black girl.

Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party - Drawing from her childhood experience, the author brings hope and humor to this powerful story of a girl who comes of age and fights to survive during the Cultural Revolution.

The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World - In a fresh and vivid account, Nathaniel Philbrick sheds new light on the settlement of Plymouth Colony. Here is the epic sago of how the Pilgrims and Native Americans forged an uneasy peace and how that peace disintegrated into King Philip's War, one of the deadliest conflicts ever fought on American soil.

Homer United Methodist Church Library

Did you know that the Methodist Church in Homer has a library and that you don't need to be a member of the congregation to access it?

I had a wonderful visit this week with Joan Lane who took me on a tour of the church library. They have many religious books, CDs and DVDs for all ages from children to adults. Their entire book collection can be viewed online at:
http://www.librarything.com/profile.php?view=HUMC

The collection is open to anyone in the community. If you would like more information, please contact the church:
*in person - 301 South Main in Homer, M-F 9am-noon
*by phone - 896-2038
*by email - homerumc@gmail.com

Parades, Patriots and Fireworks at the Library!

Help us celebrate the 4th of July at the Library. Our special hours on the 4th are from 6:30 - 9:00 pm (after the parade and before the fireworks). Bring your valid Homer Library card and your name will be entered into a drawing!

Come see our patriotic/military themed 4th of July display. We would like to thank the generous patron who donated several very nice, recent military non-fiction books. Partly due to such generous donors, we have a quickly growing selection of books regarding WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and more recent military efforts. Some of these new additions are:

The Pacific - The Official Companion Book to the HBO Miniseries;

Horse Soldiers - The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan;

The One Percent Doctrine - Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11;

and Semper Fi Vietnam - Marine Corps Campaigns, 1965 - 1975.

These are just a few titles among many. Come on in and see what else we have to offer - you might be surprised!

4th of July at the Library!

After the 4th of July parade and before the fireworks begin, join us in the Library. Our special July 4 hours are from 6:30-9 pm. If it is hot outside the Library is a great place to cool down. If you can show us your valid Homer Library card on the 4th we will enter your name into a prize drawing!

The Homer Library Book Club is reading "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. The group will meet on Thursday, July 29. Check with the librarians for information on the time and place.

The Library board welcomed a new member, Jane Clark, at the June 8 meeting. Jane is a long time resident of Homer. She enjoys gardening, camping with her family. And, she organizes Cruisin' 4 Kids, a fund raiser to raise money and awareness for children with cancer. Also at the June 8 meeting Board of Trustees officers were elected: Sara Essig, President; Beth Woodside, Vice President; Kenny Jones, Treasurer and Linda Pruitt, Secretary. The board meets the second Tuesday of every month in the library at 7:00 pm. We welcome your participation.

Many New Books in for Junior, Young Adult and Adult Readers

Just a reminder to parents who kids participant in the acceleratored reader program, we have many books available in the library to give your kids a head start on their reading requirements for the upcoming school year. Ask the librarians for suggestions.

Several new mystery/thriller books have been added to the adult fiction section including all three books in the bestselling Stieg Larsson Millenium series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. The latest books by several popular well-read authors are now available. They include 61 Hours by Lee Child, Blue-Eyed Devil by Robert Parker and Caught by Harlan Coben.

We also have available the debut novel by Linda Castillo, Sworn to Silence. Booklist describes it as follows: Ohio’s Amish country serves as the bucolic backdrop for romance novelist Castillo’s consistently chilling mystery debut. Kate Burkholder grew up in idyllic Painters Mill, where many residents drive buggies, shun electricity, and distance themselves from the complications of modern life. The presence of a serial killer shatters the stillness of the town, leaving its citizenry terrified and on guard.

In addition to the Vladimir Todd Chronicles, we have also added two other series in the young adult fiction section: the first three books of the House of Night series of books by P.C. and Kristin Cast follow 16 year-old Zoey Redbird as she ‘marked’ by a vampire tracker and begins to undergo the ‘change’ into an actual vampire; and the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare which introduces Clary Fray to the world of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of warriors dedicated to driving demons out of our world.

A lot is happening at the Library

The 2010 summer reading program theme is Scare Up a Good Book. Come join us at the Homer Library every Tuesday, June 8 to July 27, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. We’ll learn about insects, bats, monsters, mummies and more! This program is open to students entering kindergarten through 5th grade in fall 2010.
Have you ever wondered what a tobacco hornworm caterpillar or a giant lubber grasshopper looks like? Join us on June 8, when members of the Entomological Graduate Students’ Association will visit the summer reading program. Learn what defines an insect and what happens during the metamorphosis phase. They’ll also have displays of insects that can be found in Illinois. Enter the drawing to win a bug observation box which will be given away during the program!
New adult fiction books in the library include The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark, The 9th Judgement by James Patterson and Storm Prey by John Sandford.
There are new faces to see at the Homer Library. After over 15 years of involvement with the library as a board member and as head librarian, Chris Reel recently announced her retirement. Chris oversaw the move of the library to its new location and the implementation of the new online catalog.
Our new head librarian is Christine Cunningham. Christine is familiar to most Homer residents. She previously owned and operated The Emporium and The Homer Soda Company. She is active in the community with the Historical Society and the HCIA. Previously, she was a library board member and has been working part time in the library over the last six weeks.
The new assistant librarian is Angie Ray. Angie and her family have lived in Homer over 17 years. She has been a fundraising volunteer for the library and has helped raise funds for the American Cancer Society.
They will be joined over the next few months by Cathy Fager who will work with the summer reading program.
For more information, call 896-2121or email HomerLibrarian@gmail.com. Online catalog: http://opac.libraryworld.com. If asked for a Library Name, enter: Homer Library (no password necessary).

Our New Magazine Titles

WebMD and Website are two of the new magazine titles that we are carrying. All of our magazines can be checked out, and the ones just inside the door are available for the taking - no need to return.

Event on Saturday

This is National Library Week - a week to celebrate the freedom to read - or not read! The Homer Library will celebrate on Saturday, April 17, beginning at 12:30. All items in the book sale are half price. There will be freshments, and overdue materials may be returned without a fine.

There will be board games for the children. And checkout our new browser bins.

What's new in the library?

Have you seen our magazine exchange? You don't have to check these out. They are back issues, in great shape, that just need someone to read them. Take one out, return one. If you have magazines in good shape, and you don't want to throw them out, bring them here.

Check our freestanding display shelf for the newest books. Look on the top shelf for award-winning children's books. The second shelf holds books that were paid for by funds raised at our sale day at Barnes and Noble.

Things keep changing here. More new features to come.

Do you have old electronics that you want to get rid of? Take them to 3202 Apollo Drive in Champaign, just off of North Market Street. TVs, VCRs, computers, zip drives, PDAs, fax machines, etc. Ten items per resident.

Residential Electronics Collection

Got an old tv, VCR, radio, etc that you want to get rid of? On Saturday, Feb. 27 you can take them to 3202 Apollo Drive, located just off of Market Street in Champaign, to dispose of them.