We are now closed for Easter weekend, and will reopen Monday at 10 a.m.

Tiger Cub Visit

"Thumbs Up" seems to be the verdict on Tiger Cub Scout Pack #111's field trip to the Library Wednesday evening. Bill Paton's group was very enthusiastic and well-behaved, and we look forward to seeing all of them become regular visitors.

Story Hour Fun

Our Story Hour children loved making their paper bag Easter baskets with Mrs. Koch on Monday. And she even brought the grass and candy to fill them - Yummy!

April Board Meeting

This month's meeting of the Library's Board of Trustees will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 5th (note the change from the second Thursday, this month only). All Board meetings are open to the public.

Holiday Closing

The Library will be closed Friday through Sunday, April 6th, 7th, and 8th, for Easter weekend, and will reopen at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 9th.

Tax Clinic Tomorrow

Rural Opportunities Inc. is sponsoring a second low-income tax clinic tomorrow, March 31st, during regular library hours - from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The sessions, which will be held in our meeting room, are free, and no appointment is necessary.

Teen Book Festival

Attention all teens! Here's a chance to meet some of your favorite authors: Terry Trueman, Tamora Pierce, Gail Giles, Nancy Werlin, and more. Head out to Fairport High School (1358 Ayrault Road) for the Second Annual Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival this Saturday, March 31st. We have a couple of brochures left - on the table in the teen corner - that detail all the exciting happenings for the day, starting at 10 a.m. and ending ~5 p.m. It's going to be a *great* day!

Computer Class Finale

An update issue with the laptops meant a change in last night's computer class, moving us to the Middle School's computer lab. Here, Bob Antonucci is sharing his library's Grolier Online database with our students.

I'm so grateful for all those who helped make this School/Library collaboration such a success: Susan Salvaggio, Bob Antonucci, Jeff Lisanto, Char DeFisher, and Rob Wahl with the Interact Club. And a special "thank you" to all of the enthusiastic people who attended the three sessions - you were a great group! I look forward to seeing all of you at the Library, busily typing at our computers.

Today's Books-Sandwiched-In

This was not a mystery guest, but rather Friends President Kass Vande demonstrating the gear needed to hike through the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, a Florida location which figures prominently in Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief. Our thanks to Kass for a fun and thoroughly interesting book review.

Quote for Today

"In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. "
~Mark Twain

Twain was referring to Spring in New England, but his quote certainly applies to our area, too!

New Books

Recent additions to our adult fiction shelves are: Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult; The Fifth Vial, Michael Palmer; The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, Dinaw Mengestu; Burning Bright, Tracy Chevalier; The Double Bind, Christopher Bohjalian; The Dying Crapshooter's Blues, David Fulmer; Finn, Jon Clinch; Friends in High Places, Marne Davis Kellogg; Heart-Shaped Box, Joe Hill; Heyday, Kurt Andersen; and The Mercy Seller, Brenda Rickman Vantrease.

New nonfiction titles include: And Baby Makes Three: The Six-Step Plan for Preserving Marital Intimacy and Rekindling Romance After Baby Arrives, John Mordechai Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman; The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell, Mark Kurlansky; Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant: A Memoir, Daniel Tammet; The Complete Book of International Adoption: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Child, Dawn Davenport; Entering the Castle: An Inner Path to God and Your Soul, Caroline Myss; From Midnight to Dawn: The Last Tracks of the Underground Railroad, Jacqueline Tobin and Hettie Jones; Get the Trans Fat Out: 601 Simple Ways to Cut the Trans Fat Out of Any Diet, Suzanne Havala Hobbs; Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, Chip Heath and Dan Heath; Naomi's Guide to Aging Gratefully: Facts, Myths, and Good News for Boomers, Naomi Judd; Prime Green: Remembering the Sixties, Robert Stone; Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity, Karen L. King; and The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage, Laura Schlessinger.

While many of these are already out there being circulated, OWWL Holds can be placed online using your PIN number, or by stopping by the Library.

New Documentaries

These documentaries have recently been added to our collection: Wordplay, Jesus Camp, Who Killed the Electric Car?, African American Lives, We Shall Not Be Moved, Paper Clips, and When the Levees Broke. Also now on the shelf are the first two seasons of House. All are available for OWWL Holds, either online using your PIN number or at the library's check-out desk.

Friends Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of the Friends of the Sodus Free Library will be held following their Books-Sandwiched-In luncheon on Tuesday, March 27th. The main business to be conducted at the meeting is the election of officers for the coming year; in addition, annual dues will be collected. New members are always welcome to join this group. Ask at our check-out desk for a membership flyer - a library can't have too many "Friends!"

March Books-Sandwiched-In

The Friends of the Sodus Free Library will be hosting their first 2007 Books-Sandwiched-In at noon on Tuesday, March 27th. Kass Vande, President of the Friends group, will be reviewing The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean. This is what Library Journal had to say about the title when it was published: "The thief in question and offbeat genesis for New Yorker writer Orlean's book is ever-quotable eccentric John Laroche, whose craving for the rare orchid eventually lands him and three Indian accomplices in a Florida courtroom--and allows Orlean to write her appreciative and lyrically funny profile of obsession and Florida." (LJ 1/99; copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.) The cost of the luncheon is $3, which includes sandwich, beverage, and dessert. Because space is limited, reservations are required, so call 483-9292 or stop by the Library to reserve your space.

Tax Clinic Tonight

The gentleman from Rural Opportunities Inc. is here waiting to help those who qualify with their taxes. Stop by the meeting room tonight between 6 and 8 p.m. for some expert assistance filling out those forms.

This is Concentration!

Although our computer class members all look very serious in these pictures, they shared lots of smiles and laughter as Jeff Lisanto, Technology Coordinator at Sodus High School, taught them how to navigate their desktops and folders, install a mouse, open programs, and more. Before the class, several of us enjoyed a light supper courtesy of District Superintendent Susan Salvaggio. In addition to Jeff and Susan, we're grateful for the contributions of Computer Technology Teacher Assistant Char DeFisher and Librarian Bob Antonucci. Thanks to all of you for collaborating with us to offer these classes, and for allowing us to meet in your beautiful library - we all felt right at home!

Citizens of the Year

Congratulations to Mary and Ernie Piekunka, chosen as Sodus' 2006 Citizens of the Year! From the Sodus Chamber of Commerce: "They both provide many hours of service and support to the Chamber as well as being volunteers at the Sodus Point information booth, the American Legion Color Guard, their church, and any other place they see a need for help. For over 60 years they have made Sodus a good place to raise their family and yours." For information on this year's Citizen of the Year and Rotary Agri-Business Banquet, contact the Chamber at 315-398-8473, or send an email to chamber14551@yahoo.com

Tame Those Computer Fears

The Library and the Sodus Central School District are working together to offer beginning computer classes to adults. Three evening sessions will be offered on Wednesday evenings, March 14, 21, and 28th, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Class 1 will cover beginning word processing
Class 2 will feature an overview of email and the Internet
Class 3 will be an exploration of NOVEL (New York Online Virtual Electronic Library)

Interact Club students will be offering a light soup & sandwich supper at 5:30 each evening for a $3 fee; there is no charge for the classes. Reservations are required for the classes and for the optional supper. Call or stop by the Library to sign up now!

IncomeTax Clinics

With grant funding, and in partnership with Wayne County libraries, Rural Opportunities Inc. is offering free information sessions to help low-income families with their tax forms. In March, two of these sessions will be offered at our library: Thursday, March 15, from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday, March 31, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information on eligibility and the content of these clinics, call ROI at 1-800-888-6770, ext. 342 or ext. 706.

Library Closed Today

Brrrr! This weather is only fit for polar bears. Stay off the roads and inside where it's warm, and we'll hope to see you at the Library tomorrow.

Don't worry about returning your books and movies; fines are not charged for days we are closed.

Board of Trustees Meeting

The March meeting of the Library's Board of Trustees will be held at 4 p.m. this Thursday, March 8th, in the Library's meeting room. All Board meetings are open to the public.

Read Across America Day

Tomorrow, March 2nd, is Read Across America Day, a celebration of reading sponsored by the National Education Association. The date ties in with the 50th birthday of Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat. Check out that title or another of his tongue-twisting treats and share the joy of reading with a child in your family tomorrow (and every day!).

Wednesday's Roundtable

The members of last night's panel on the Underground Railroad are, from left to right: Robert Bull, Patricia Johns, Brooks Tenney, and Peter Evans. Several audience members also participated in an informal sharing of information. Thanks to all for a very interesting evening at the Library.

New DVDs

New DVDs at the Library include The Black Dahlia, Gridiron Gang, Elizabeth I, Broken Bridges, Flicka, Open Season, Love's Abiding Joy, Flyboys, and Running with Scissors. Any of these titles may be put on Hold using your library card barcode and PIN numbers, or stop by to fill out our new Circle the Video sheet.

79th Academy Awards

In case you couldn't stay up to watch the whole show - yes, it actually did end! - go to the Academy's official website to check out the winners.

New Fiction

Some of the new fiction titles that have been added to our shelves this week are: High Profile, Robert B. Parker; Irish Linen, Andrew Greeley; Step on a Crack, James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge; Sisters, Danielle Steel; Past Perfect, Susan Isaacs; Family Tree, Barbara Delinsky; Ten Days in the Hills, Jane Smiley; and Free Fall, Fern Michaels. Use your library card barcode and PIN numbers to place an OWWL Hold online, or call us and we'll place the Holds for you.

Upcoming Black History Program

To celebrate Black History Month, the Library will be hosting an Underground Railroad roundtable at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28th. There are many fascinating legends and stories about railroad activities in our area. If you've researched the subject, please come to share with us; if you'd like to learn more about the underground, come to learn with us. Sun & Record columnist Brooks Tenney will be participating in the conversation, as will Patricia Johns, whose Masters thesis included research on the topic. Mark your calendars now!

Meanwhile, check out the Biography website for more information on Black History Month.

Presidents' Day

To learn more about our American Presidents, click here.

We're Open

We are so happy to be open again! Christina, Pauline, and Donna opened the doors at 10 a.m., and I'm sure there has been a crowd streaming through. Thanks for your patience while we were closed, and remember that some of the roads are still quite icy - please continue to be careful out there.

Library Closed

Because of the snowstorm and the horrendous condition of the roads, the Sodus Central Schools and the Sodus Free Library are closed again today. We are hoping that this afternoon will bring some clearing and that we'll be able to open tomorrow.

Weather Still Not Cooperating

The Library will be closed again today because of the weather. Fines do not accumulate when we are closed, so please don't get out to return things in the bookdrop. Stay inside where it's warm and safe, and we'll hope to see you tomorrow!

Library Closed

The Library will be closed today because of the storm. Stay inside and curl up with a good book!

On these snowy and blustery days, remember to check for school closings before you head out for the Library; we are closed when the Sodus Central School District closes.

No February Friends Meeting

The February meeting of the Friends of the Sodus Free Library has been canceled. The next meeting will be the group's annual meeting at 4 p.m. on March 15th.

Presidents' Day Closing

The Library will be closed Monday, February 19th, in honor of Presidents' Day.

3 Apples Book Award Winner Announced

The 2007 3 Apples Book Award goes to Charlotte's Web, written by E. B. White, and illustrated by Garth Williams.

This New York State Children's Choice Award will be co-sponsored annually by the Youth Services and School Library Media Sections of the New York Library Association. Nominations for the 2008 awards - a second category is being added for teens - will begin on March 1, 2007.

If you've never read Charlotte's Web, be sure to add it to your list of "Must Reads." You're never too old to read a great children's book!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our colleagues at the Ontario Public Library, whose team placed first in the adult division at today's 8th Annual Wayne County Rotary Spelling Bee. The ten Rotary Clubs in Wayne County sponsored this morning's event at Eastview Mall as part of their program to call attention to illiteracy and to raise money for adult education services within the County.

The Palmyra-Macedon Rotary homepage states, "Illiteracy costs our nation's businesses and taxpayers approximately $20 billion per year. In Wayne County alone, the local Literacy Volunteer affiliate tells us there are as many as 28,000 long term residents, one in nine, who cannot read or write well enough to function on the job."

Kudos to the Ontario team, Ruth Schutt, Michele Goodenough, and Kris Moeller, for their dedication to supporting literacy, both in and out of their library.

Chocolate Sale Starts Today

Remember: The Friends of the Library's great chocolate sale started today, and the wonderful smell of chocolate is definitely in the air. Make time to stop by to purchase Valentine goodies for your loved ones, and help the Library at the same time.

Here are two of the three tables laden with all kinds of yummy cakes, breads, fudge, brownies, and candy donations.

Library Closing

It's too cold out there even for this guy!

When the Sodus Central Schools close due to extreme weather, the Sodus Free Library is also closed. Please stay inside where it's warm and cozy, and we'll look forward to seeing you at the Library tomorrow (unless we get the foot of snow one meteorologist predicted and the schools are closed again!).

Early Spring On The Way?

This is today's news from groundhog.org

"Phil's official forecast as read 2/2/07 at 7:28 a.m. at Gobbler's Knob:

El Nino has caused high winds, heavy snow, ice and freezing temperatures in the west.
Here in the East with much mild winter weather we have been blessed.

Global warming has caused a great debate.
This mild winter makes it seem just great.

On this Groundhog Day we think of one thing.
Will we have winter or will we have spring?

On Gobbler's Knob I see no shadow today.
I predict that early spring is on the way."

Annual Association Meeting

The Sodus Free Library's annual meeting and election of Trustees will be held this Thursday, February 1st, at 7 p.m. in the Library's meeting room. All meetings of the Board of Trustees are open to the public. Anyone 18 years or older, living within the boundaries of the Sodus Central School District, and having an OWWL card, may vote in the annual election. Absentee ballots are available at the check-out desk.

Pre-K Visit

That same icy weather kept some of Debbie Neal's Pre-K families from their field trip to the Library, but the children who came had a good time playing with the puzzles, reading the books, and listening to stories while their Moms had a tour of our "home." If you belong to a group who would like a tour, call or stop by the Library; we'd love to show you around.

Library Blooms

It might be icy outside, but inside the library we're quite tropical. The Snowcap poinsettia's white bracts appeared with no special care, and the hibiscus seems to be very happy in its new home at the Library.

New Book Club Choice for Oprah

Oprah Winfrey has chosen a new book to share with her audience: Sidney Poitier's The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography. Click here to access the Book Club home page, where you can read or listen to an excerpt, take a trivia quiz, and even print out a bookmark. And stop by the Library soon to borrow our copy of the book so that you can be part of "the biggest book club in the world."

Chocolate Sale

Yes! It's almost time for our Fourth Annual Valentine Chocolate Sale. The Friends of the Sodus Free Library are busily signing people up, both for making goodies and to work at the sale. If you'd like to do either, please call or stop by the Library and add your name to the list. The sale will be held on Thursday, February 8th, from noon to 8 p.m., and on Friday, February 9th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our Koffee Korner will also be open for coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, along with a single-serving Valentine treat. Mark your calendars now!

Rock Painting Class

While they all look very serious in this picture, there was plenty of laughter and fun at Shirley's first rock painting class on Monday. There's room for more at the table, so call or stop by the Library if you'd like to join the group.

Printz Award

Another big announcement: This year's winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature goes to Gene Luen Yang for American Born Chinese. Click here for more information and for the list of the 2007 Printz Honor Books.

Award-Winning Children's Books

The Newbery and Caldecott Medals were announced today, with The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron, winning the Newbery, and David Wiesner's Flotsam winning the Caldecott. We have the Patron title on order, and Wiesner's book is here on display. For the complete listing of award winners, click here. Call or stop by the Library to put any of these books on Hold.

Opposing Viewpoints

"Those who do not know their opponent's arguments do not completely understand their own." ~Motto of Opposing Viewpoints series

To gain more understanding on several current topics, stop by the Library and check out the new additions to our Opposing Viewpoints and Current Controversies collection. New titles include: Animal Experimentation, Mental Illness, Energy Alternatives, Hate Crimes, Child Abuse, Iran, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Teen Pregnancy and Parenting, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Problems With Death, and Police Brutality. These not only provide great research for school projects, etc., but are interesting reading for those wishing to understand diverse opinions.

January Friends Meeting

The Friends of the Sodus Free Library will meet at 4 p.m. this Thursday, January 18th, in the Library's meeting room for the purpose of planning the February Chocolate Sale. Come join us!

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday

This is part of a mural in Kansas City credited to Alexander Austin.

Knitting Fun

It's obvious that these ladies are having a great time at their first knitting class with Sarah Harper. They will be meeting for the next three Fridays at 10 a.m. Stop by and find out how you can join in the fun.

Seminars on Government Branches

"Every officeholder, including every federal judge, takes an oath of office when we assume the role of judge. And we swear to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States, so help me God. And it doesn't matter what I personally think or would do at all. It matters what the Constitution provides." ~Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

To help us all understand what the Constitution does provide in relation to the Judicial and Executive branches of our government, the Annenberg Foundation Trust has donated DVDs of four Sunnylands seminars. Titles are:

Our Constitution: A Conversation
A Conversation of the Constitution: Judicial Independence
Key Constitutional Concepts
Mandate: The President and the People

Stop by the Library soon to pick up one of these informative DVDs.

Library Closing

The Library will be closed Monday, January 15th, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. At the age of 35, Dr. King was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. Click here for a biography by Nobelprize.org.

Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting

This month's Board of Trustees meeting will be held at 4 p.m. this Thursday, January 11th, in the Library's meeting room. All Trustee meetings are open to the public.

Best of the Year

Looking for a great book to share with a favorite young child or teen? Check out the list at the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books for the titles earning their 2006 Blue Ribbons. There are some terrific books on the list, including picture books, fiction, and nonfiction. Let us know which titles you'd like to read, and we'll help you place an OWWL Hold on them.

Rock Painting Classes

Shirley's very popular house painting classes will be starting again soon. House as in "rock," that is. You can create your dream house, or store, (or library!), or whatever you'd like. Only a couple of spots remain available, so call or stop by the Library soon if you want to be included. Classes will be held on Monday mornings from 10 to noon (or so), starting January 22nd. We guarantee you'll have a rockin' good time!