Primary Election registration

February 5 is the primary election date in Illinois. If you are not yet registered, you must do so by January 9. You can register at any public library, including the Homer Library. In Homer, the registration must be done by 2 p.m. in order to get your registration to county clerk by the deadline.

A Christmas Special from Suzanne Beecher

"'Twas The Night Before Christmas at the Book Clubs"

'Twas the night before Christmas and in every house
all good book club readers were clicking their mouse.

They'd hung all their stockings, decorated their trees
And now it was time to sit down and see
What their email had brought them on this Christmas Eve.

A five-minute break to read a good book
Was just what they needed, but oh my--look...

When they opened their email, no read could be found.
"Oh no, we're afraid Suzanne went out of town.
Could she have forgotten to send us our read?
How could she do this in our time of need?"

The readers all panicked, they shivered in fright,
They pined for their emails and settled in for the night.

"Could we have misplaced them? Did we hit the wrong key?
Did it go in our deleted files?" Oh such misery.
And then in a flash, with a stroke of a key,
One by one, they discovered their Christmas Eve reads.

Their eyes how they twinkled, they laughed and they smiled
And they settled into their chairs to read for awhile.

Their hearts were delighted, they felt just like kids,
But it's still such a mystery where that email had hid.
Was it there all the time and they just didn't see?
Or did Santa step in and do a good deed?

Good boys and girls are on Santa's list
And good book club readers he vows never to miss.

It's been a long night, time to climb into bed,
So they shut down their computers and laid down their
heads.

But in the quiet of night, before things came to an end,
They heard, "Thanks for reading with me,
It's so good to read with friends."

I wish you peace and joy,

Suzanne is the brains behind the online chapter-a-day book club. To subscribe or for more information, go to www.ltls.org and click on the box at the upper left. Then choose Book Clubs.

December Library News

HOMER LIBRARY NEWS

What’s new in the Homer Library today? We received our first shipment of music CDs. These are titles and artists that people have requested. Come in and see what we got! There’s some country, some classic rock, some instrumentals, some vocalists. What’s your preference?

The library will be hosting an After Christmas Party on December 27 at 1 p.m. Children ages 5 through 10 are invited to a fun hour of games, crafts, food and fun. Don’t miss it!

Do you need last-minute ideas for Christmas? We got cookbooks, craft books, books that combine the two. We’ve got Christmas CDs and DVDs. Our magazines are full of Christmas ideas.

Our new adult fiction includes The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz, T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton, Whole New Light by Sandra Brown, Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury, and Double Cross by James Patterson.

Others include Hanni and Beth, Safe and Sound by Beth Finke (a book about a seeing eye dog and its master), and Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, the wife of Jerry Seinfeld. She tells how to hide veggies in food in a way that will appeal to fussy eaters. It sounds like something I could have used when my kids were little. We also have three very nice, new knitting books.

Since May of this year, we have added almost 300 books, videos and audio books to the collection. Many, if not most of those items were donated. We appreciate your donations. If the library is closed when you bring in donated items, please bring them to the back of the hall. That is where they will be stored until we can process them.

We wish you all a very merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year of reading!

November's News

Homer Library News

What’s new in the Homer Library this week? Plenty. Two Mac computers and a color printer, for starters. But there’s more now, and more coming in the future.

Our new adult fiction includes Stone Cold by David Baldacci, Now & Then by Robert B. Parker, The Heir by Barbara Taylor Bradford, Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon, Critical by Robin Cook, Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright, Summer by Karen Kingsbury, Just Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury, Blink of an Eye by Ted Dekker, and Creation in Death by J. D. Robb.

Our new DVDs are Evan Almighty, four original Nancy Drew DVDs, Montana Sky, Ratatouille, Shrek the Third, and five Sugar Movies.

We have 2 music CDs of Patch the Pirate stories, for a total of five stories. These are fun CDs, with upbeat music and stories that teach good character in a way that kids will respond to.

Add to that a large number of paperback novels, many of them in the romance genre. And some for our young adult readers.

Coming up next month is our annual after Christmas party for children ages 5 to 10, or thereabouts. That is scheduled for December 27 at 1 p.m.

You can help veterans in the local VA hospital. Just drop off donated items at the library. Don’t know what they need? See our list of needs.

We want to thank all of you who have helped make this wonderful new facility a reality. It was just one year ago this week that we began preparing for the first move. You helped us move, and move again. You donated some really good materials that we are slowly getting processed and put on the shelves. And you support us by using the library. Thank you.

If you want to help...

Would you like to help the veterans in the VA hospital in Danville, Illinois? Here's how. The Homer Library has a list of their needs, inexpensive items as well as some that are more costly. So you can contribute according to your ability.

We are also acting as a collection point. Drop your donations by any time the library is open, and we will see that they get to the veterans. Thanks in advance for your help. For more information, call the library at 217-896-2121.

We're still settling in

Since last month, we have added 7 easy chairs. Two of them are recliners. Two G-5 Macs are available, with wireless internet access. Look for a pair of PCs to arrive soon, too. A selection of music CDs is coming. We are asking for recommendations from our patrons as to more music CD titles to buy.

If you ordered a birthday calendar, it should be delivered soon. KC Jones has spent many hours preparing it, with help from other library board members. Our thanks to them, and all who ordered calendars. They really help to stretch our budget.

Our One Month Anniversary

Just one month ago today, we moved into our new facility. Board members, employees, family members and community members pitched in together to move from our two classrooms (where we had been housed since January 13, 2007) into our permanent space. There was still some work to do the next day, but the bulk of it got done Saturday.

We're still settling in, to some degree. We've got a new wireless printer. Furniture is on order. New computers will be coming - 2 Macs, and 2 PCs, so you can have your choice.

For those of you who are home during the day, we are open on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you like a quiet library, that's a good time to come in.

Ribbon cutting tomorrow

The scissors are here and ready for the big day. We hope you will stop by and see our new facility. The festivities begin at 2 p.m. with the high school band and chorus, and end with refreshments.

We've come a long way since we began getting ready for the move back in November. We've expended a lot of energy and a lot of money. But we had the funds to do what we needed to do, without debt. Much of that is due to those who have helped us out with big gifts and little. They are all appreciated.

Celebration in the Homer Library - open to all

Come help us celebrate! Saturday, September 22 at 2 p.m. is the Open House/Dedication for our new facility. If you have ever been in the old library on Main Street, and you haven’t seen the new library, you will be amazed.

The Heritage High School band and chorus will be here, as will some local dignitaries. Following the activities in the library itself, refreshments will be served in the dining room, highlighted with cakes by Barb Rumer, including one very special book cake.

Because of the Open House, the library will only be open from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., so that we can set up for the festivities.

In the meantime, be sure to enjoy other Krazee Daze activities.

EVENTS AND CHANGES

The Homer Library will be represented at the Homer Business Expo on Saturday, September 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will be showing pictures from the past nine months - preparing for the first move, the actual move, our new temporary space, the work in progress in the sanctuary, the final move.

Also, you can order pies from Bakers Square, to be picked up when you want them. You can also get certificates for Bergners. They sell for $5 each, and are worth $10. Find out more about them at the Expo.

Your purchase of pies or coupons will help us fund the Reading is Fundamental program for local grade school children.

Saturday, September 22, is the ribbon cutting for our new facility. The library will be open that day from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. only. At noon, we close to set up for the ribbon cutting. The high school band and chorus will provide music, and there will be refreshments in the dining room. That will include cakes by Barb Rumer.

We have a new schedule for Wednesdays only. We open at 9 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. If you like a nice quiet facility, this would be a good time to come in.

Is there nothing new in the Homer Library??

HOMER LIBRARY NEWS
Is there no news in the Homer Library? Yes, there is. But we have just been so busy that we’ve not had time to share it.

First, we’d like to congratulate Katie Ely. She won the contest for Hedwig, the Harry Potter owl.

We are settling into our new digs. The new library is not finished yet. You will see additions coming over the next few weeks or months.

Our new adult fiction includes Bones to Ashes by Kathy Riechs, A Wrongful Death by Kate Wilhelm, Beyond Reach by Karin Slaughter, Forever by Karen Kingsbury, a Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson, Someone to Love by Jude Deveraux, Justice Denied by J. A. Jance, and Presumed Guilty by James Scott Bell.

Our newest non-fiction is Quiet Strength by Superbowl winning coach, Tony Dungy, and co-written by Nathan Whitaker. Our newest DVDs include Are We Done Yet?, The Astronaut Farmer, and TMNT.

We are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 2 to7 p.m., Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Our phone number is 896-2121.

CHANGES AND MORE CHANGES

We’re in! We moved over the weekend, and now we are located in the former sanctuary. A dedicated group of people gave up their weekend to get us settled. The result is a beautiful new library. We’re anxious to show it to you.

The other change is a change in hours for one day only each week. On Wednesdays, we will open at 9 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. Please plan accordingly, as the library will be closed, and the building will be locked at 2 p.m.

Home Schooling?

Would you like to make contact with another homeschooling family in the area? This mom has some exciting materials that involves a classic book and learning how to write first person narratives. Call the library for the contact information if you are interested.

MOVING DAY

The day is set! The library will be closed Saturday, August 25, so that we can move. We plan to reopen on Monday,August 27. If you are conversant with the Dewey decimal system, come on out and give us a hand. If you have muscles, we could use your help in moving furniture. An annoucement about the starting time will come later.

If the job is not finished by Saturday evening, we'll continue on Sunday. In fact, we expect to be here on Sunday, too.

Moving? Need boxes??

Do you need boxes for anything? We've got some in really good condition that we need to get rid of. They are good for books, linens, clothing, small items.

Yes, we are going to be moving soon - our final move. We don't have a date yet, but should be in the next week or two.

If you are a teen entering 7th grade through 12th, we are holding a contest for you. All you have to do is read. Each time you finish a book, fill out an entry form from the library. On September 1, we will draw one name. That person will take Hedwig the Owl home. Could you be that person??

Hedwig the Owl

Hey, Teens!

The Homer Library is sponsoring a contest just for you!

Anyone entering grades 7 through 12 may enter

Each time you finish a book, fill out one of the entry forms available at the Homer Library

The more books you read, the better your chances of winning

Oh, yeah, and what will you win?

How about Hedwig. The owl in the Harry Potter books

He’s cute. He’s stuffed

And he could be yours.

Give it a try


Disclaimer. Contest begins August 1 and ends August 31. A Whole Month.
Forms must be turned in by August 31 at 7 p.m.

Harry Potter's Hedwig Owl Contest for Teens

The Homer Library is sponsoring a contest for teens, with Hedwig the stuffed owl as the prize. Each time you finish reading a book, fill out an entry form, available at the library. At the end of August, we will be drawing one of those forms to find out who the winner is.

It's almost time, times 2

It is almost time to make our final move. That may happen before the end of the month. Things are coming together quickly.

And there will be another change, involving time. For Wednesday only, our hours will change. We will open at 9 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. We hope this will be a convenience for some who may not want to go out at night.

The Homer Library's upcoming move

The Homer Library has very special board members. Unlike village board
members, library board members serve without pay. It is strictly a volunteer
position. And yet, these people give of their time and talents, and not just
to attend meetings. They have been very involved in the work that is going
on as we prepare for the final move. Some have spent entire days out there
painting.

We are also blessed to have board members who have the knowledge and
experience to oversee this whole project. There is so much more involved
than what meets the eye. A library facility has special requirements that
other buildings don't have.

Board members are also involved in the Reading is Fundamental program, a
time consuming program, but one of great value to the school children.

We hope that people will visit the new library once we get move, and see
what we have to offer. It will be so much more than ever before.

Progress in the new Library

The Homer Library has very special board members. Unlike village board
members, library board members serve without pay. It is strictly a volunteer
position. And yet, these people give willingly of their time and talents, and not just to attend meetings. They have been very involved in the work that is going
on as we prepare for the final move. Some have spent entire days out there
painting. I think they must dream of painting, ladders, and paint smells, if they dream at all.

We are also blessed to have board members who have the knowledge and
experience to oversee this whole project. There is so much more involved
than what meets the eye. A library facility has special requirements that
other buildings don't have.

Board members are also involved in the Reading is Fundamental program, a
time consuming program, but one of great value to the school children.

We hope that people will visit the new library once we get moved, and see
what we have to offer. It will be so much more than ever before.