Knitting is coming to the library!

The library is partnering with some ‘crafty’ Homer area residents to offer knitting lessons. Starting in March, the Homer Craft Club with meet on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month at 6pm. The Club will offer a quiet place to meet and work on your crafts (all crafts - scrapbooking, jewelry making, knitting, crocheting, quilting, etc.), get new ideas, and maybe even get the motivation to start something new. AND, a couple of the members are willing to teach knitting as part of the library’s programming. The class will be open to all ages but we will have to limit the number of kids to make sure we have enough teachers. If we have anyone under 13 interested, just please call the library and sign up ahead of time.

For the first 45 minutes of the first 4 meetings, a member (or two) will be available to teach some basic projects. The first project will be making a hand-knitted wash cloth. These are great to use in the kitchen or give as gifts. Each participant will need to bring some yarn (a ball of Lily’s Sugar ‘n Cream cotton yarn is suggested) and a short pair of size 9 or 10 knitting needles. The supplies should not cost you more than $5-6. The library will try to have some supplies on hand for emergencies. We will also display some of our knitting books to get you motivated to try for even bigger and more complex projects! The first knitting class will take place on March 8th. We are looking forward to working with the Craft Club on other ventures. For more information on the knitting class you can contact the Homer Community Library at 896-2121 and for more information on the Homer Craft Club you can visit their FaceBook page at www.facebook.com/HomerVillageCraftClub.

Did you know the Library also has a Facebook page? Search for Homer Community Library and ‘like’ us for updates on programs, additions to our collection, and other fun library facts.

The Newberys Are Coming! (and a whole lot more!)

There's a lot happening at the library this week! The latest award-winning books for kids and teens have been announced and we have begun are annual reading incentive program to get kids and adults to check out and enjoy one of the many Caldecott, Newbery, YALSA award-winning books that we have at the library. Each time you check out one of these books you will have your name entered into a drawing for a pair of headphones. We will run this program until the end of April so come on in and pick up a Newbery! We will be getting in many of this year's winners over the next two months but have dozens of previous winners to choose from now.

This Saturday, February 9th is the second installment of our "Digging Deeper" gardening program. It is not too late to start attending if you are interested. The program will start at 10am and go for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

We have both of our monthly movies showing this week. On Wednesday, Feb. 13th at 1pm we will be showing "The Lucky One" for our Monthly Movie Matinee. Based on a Nicholas Sparks book, U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive--a photograph he found of a woman he doesn't even know. Learning her name is Beth and where she lives, he shows up at her door, and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm. -- (C) Warner Bros

On Friday, Feb. 15th we will have our Family Friendly Movie Night. This month, in honor of the Newbery's, instead of showing a recently released family film, we are going back to one of my childhood favorites, "The Secret of NIMH". This movie, based on the award-winning book, "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert O'Brien, follows the story of some runaway rodents with an earth shattering secret. Mrs. Brisby, a mild-mannered mother mouse will do anything to save her family from Farmer Firtzgibbon's plow. Unfortunately, Mrs. Brisby will need an engineering miracle to save her home and for that she must face a mysterious rat, fend off a ferocious cat and claim a maic amulet! But when Mrs. Brisby discovers the astounding secret of NIMH it could change her life forever. A timeless tale of love, courage and determination, this movie will transport the whole family into an enchanting world where the bravest hearts live in the meekest of mice. I hope everyone enjoys this movie as much as I did and maybe it will inspire someone to pick up the book it was based on. I remember immediately re-reading this book when I first finished it because I became so involved with the characters I couldn't bear to let them go.