Homer American Legion gift

Unit 290, Homer American Legion Auxiliary has donated to the library for the purchase of books in honor of their Gold Star members. The following books have been placed on the shelves in their honor: A Continual Feast by Jan Karon and Supernanny by Jo Frost.

Susan Wittig Albert

Popular mystery writer and Vermilion county native Susan Wittig Albert will be in Danville on April 23. She will be speaking in the morning, appearing at a catered luncheon, and speaking again in the afternoon and doing a book signing. For more information call the Homer library, 896-2121, or the Danville library at 217-477-5220.

No Fine Week

In celebration of National Library Week, April 11 to 16, the Homer Library will not be charging fines for overdue materials. If you have books, magazines, etc, that were due back a long time ago, this is a wonderful time to return them. The book drop in the front wall of the building is available for your convenience.

Preschool Storytime

March 31 at 6:30 p.m. is the next storytime for preschoolers. All local preschoolers are invited. Call the library at 896-2121 with any questions.

Our New Stuff

On our shelves, you can find these new titles:
Cold Service by Robert B. Parker
Breaker's Reef by Terri Blackstock
Otherwise Engaged by Eileen Goudge
Necessary Evils by Neesa Hart
Sarah's Song by Karen Kingsbury
The Rising by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
Assault and Pepper by Tamar Myers
Miss Julia's School of Beauty by Ann B. Ross
Supernanny by Jo Frost
Winning the Future by Newt Gingrich
A Continual Feast by Jan Karon

We also have a bunch of books for children, both fiction and non-fiction. Some are also Accelerated Reader Books.

Go Illini!!

Good luck to the fabulous number one team. We hope you become the National Championship Team!!

Bad Weather

When the wind is blowing strong from the west or south, we have to lock the front door and provide access through the side door on First Street. This is because the wind blows the door open, causing a potential hazard to anyone who might be in its way. We regret that people have to come in that side door, but most of all, we do not want our patrons to get hurt.

Preschool Program Starts Next Week

On March 17 and 31 at 6:30, the library will be hosting a half hour program for local preschoolers. Stories, activities, and crafts around a different theme each night, planned and presented by Shawna McDuffie will make each session delightful for the children. There will also be one session in April on the 21st. All children are invited. They need not live in Homer or have a Homer library card.

Congratulations!!

Congratulations to the Fighting Illini Men's Basketball Team! They have thrilled us, amazed us, given us a wonderful winter, made us proud of them, and proud to be their fans. May they all go far in life, starting with the Final Four!

Go Illini!!

We've got some great new stuff!!

Our New Books, February 2005

Black Wind by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler
Honeymoon by James Patterson and Howard Roughan
Impossible by Danielle Steel
One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury
The Real Mother by Judith Michael
Saving Cascadia by John J. Nance

Our New Children’s Books

Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business – Barbara Park
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus – Barbara Park
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
Books 1 through 9 of A Series of Unfortunate Events – Lemony Snicket

Our New DVDs

Mulan II
Napoleon Dynamite
Raise Your Voice
Ray
Shark Tale
Young Black Stallion

We also have the CD by the Miller Quartet, four sisters from Oakland Illinois, Daughters of the King Quartet Play Hymns

Sayings from our first President

I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy. 1796 Farewell address

Let us therefore animate and encourage each other, and show the whole world that a Freeman, contending for liberty on his own ground, is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth.
July 2, 1776

Wise words from a great president

In honor of his birthday today, February 12, here is a quote from one of our greatest presidents.

"You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."

Abraham Lincoln

Presidents' Day February 21

Unlike the school and other government facilities, the library will be open on February 21, President's Day. You can come to the library to learn from our books about our 43 presidents.

Our Newest!

Our newest books

FICTION
Beyond Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury
The Broker by John Grisham
The Calhouns by Nora Roberts
The Cat Who Went Bananas by Lilian Jackson Braun
Conviction by Richard North Patterson
The Dead Don’t Dance by Charles Martin
Navy Baby by Debbie Macomber
Oceans Apart by Karen Kingsbury
Survivor in Death by Nora Roberts
Unexpected Blessings by Barbara Bradford Taylor

Non-Fiction
Family First by Phil McGraw
Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach
Start Late Finish Rich by David Bach
Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen

Our newest DVDs

Angel and the Badman with John Wayne
It’s a Wonderful Life with with Jimmy Stewart
Mulan II
Petticoat Junction
The Princess Diaries 2 withJulie Andrews


In addition, we have added more CDs, mostly classical, The Lord of the Rings audiobook on CD, and a variety of children’s book, including some AR books. Look for the AR stickers on books in the children’s section.

We now have the entire Lemony Snicket series!!

Our Newest Materials

Our new books this month are Unexpected Blessings by Barbara Taylor Bradford, The Cat Who Went Bananas by Lilian Jackson Braun, The Broker by John Grisham, Beyond Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury, Oceans Apart by Karen Kingsbury, The Dead Don’t Dance by Charles Martin, The Calhouns by Nora Roberts, Family First by Dr. Phil McGraw, and Start Late Finish Rich by David Bach.

Our newest DVD is The Princess Diaries 2 with Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway.

For the grade school children, we have added the latest Lemony Snicket book, The Grim Grotto, more Dear America books and Royal Diary books. We are continuing to put AR labels on our books, for your convenience in picking them out.

More new materials are coming in, so check back soon for information on them.

ML King Holiday

January 17 is the day Martin Luther King's birthday is celebrated this year. While some places will be closed in his honor, the Homer Library will be open normal hours in his honor. Stop in for a book, video, magazine, or tax forms. (Ouch, I did have to mention that!)

New materials this month!

Our new books are State of Fear by Michael Crichton, Twisted by Jonathan Kellerman, Skeleton Man by Tony Hillerman, Night Fall by Nelson DeMille, The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang, Big Russ and Me by Tim Russert, and Hand of Providence: The Strong and Quiet Faith of Ronald Reagan by Mary Beth Brown.

Our newest DVD is Terminal with Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Our new CDs are Lonely Runs Both Ways by Alison Krauss and Union Station, and Back to Bach: Christmas by Shelley Hamilton.

Popcorn and a movie

We are inviting children and their parents to come to the library December 30 at 7 p.m. for popcorn and a newly released movie, sponsored by the members of the library trustee board. Come casual, come in your pjs. Come for a relaxing and fun evening.

Christmas and New Year Closings

The Homer Library will be closed December 24 and 25 for Christmas, and December 31 and January 1 for the New Year Holiday. We reopen at 2 p.m. on December 27 following the Christmas weekend, and January 3, 2005 following the New Year's weekend.

We wish our patrons a safe and happy holiday season. And remember, it's not too late to check out Christmas books and videos. Merry Christmas!!

Crafts for kids

We have some leftover kits from our Make and Take Craft Day this past Saturday. Your children are welcome to stop in and make a craft, or take one home to make, even if they already did one on Saturday. Some make nice ornaments for the tree. The thermometer provides a decorative science learning opportunity.