Reading Fun, Prizes, and Surprises

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Congratulations!

We're proud of all our Sodus graduates. A special congratulations to our Library Pages, Caitlin Gallacher and Valeri Murray!

Can He Catch the Reading Bug?

A click of your mouse will feed the frog!

Check Out Our Butterfly House

As part of this year's Summer Reading celebration, "Catch the Reading Bug," we have rented this beautiful butterfly house from Smoke Ridge Butterflies.

This picture shows one of the two Baltimore Checkerspot larvae; the house also holds tiny Eastern Black Swallowtail larvae and Painted Lady eggs.

We hope you stop by often to check the progress of our new boarders.

Summer's Here!

Registration for our Summer Reading program starts Monday, June 30th.

Children's Author/Illustrator Dies

I just read that renowned children's author Tasha Tudor has died at the age of 92. Click here to learn more about this remarkable woman's career and about her unusual lifestyle.

Friends Meeting

The June meeting of the Friends of the Sodus Free Library will be at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17th in the Library's meeting room. Come join us!

New Titles

We added some great new books today. Head to your computer to place an OWWL Hold, or give us a call if you'd like to reserve one.

Fiction:

The Broken Window, Jeffery Deaver
Careless in Red, Elizabeth George
Comfort Food, Kate Jacobs
Devil's Peak, Deon Meyer
The Enchantress of Florence, Salman Rushdie
A Fatal Waltz, Tasha Alexander
From Dead to Worse, Charlaine Harris
The Garden of Last Days, Andre Dubus III
The Gift of Rain, Tan Twan Eng
The Girl With No Shadow, Joanne Harris
I Shall Not Want, Julia Spencer-Fleming
The Other, David Guterson
The Plague of Doves, Louise Erdrich
Things I Want My Daughter To Know, Elizabeth Noble
Vineyard Chill, Philip R. Craig
Wit's End, Karen Joy Fowler

Nonfiction:

Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History, Theodore C. Sorensen
Earth, the Sequel: The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming, Fred Krupp
Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, Julie Andrews
The House Always Wins: America's Most Trusted Home Columnist's Guide to Creating Your (Almost) Perfect Dream House, Marni Jameson
Inventing Niagara: Beauty, Power, and Lies, Ginger Gail Strand
Medical Myths That Can Kill You: And the 101 Truths That Will Save, Extend, and Improve Your Life, Nancy L. Snyderman
Moyers on Democracy, Bill D. Moyers
Nolo Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business, Fred S. Steingold
Nolo's Every Landlord's Legal Guide, Marcia Stewart
One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War, Michael Dobbs
When You Are Engulfed in Flames, David Sedaris

Library Closing

The Library will be closed Sunday, June 15th, in honor of Father's Day.

Soldiers Honored

Some of you may have wondered why our flag was flying at half-staff today. Governor Paterson ordered the flags lowered in honor of the three Fort Drum soldiers who were killed in Iraq this week. Army Sgt. Shane P. Duffy of Tauton, Massachusetts, Army Specialist Jonathan D. Emard of Mesquite, Texas, and Army Sgt. Cody R. Legg of Escondido, California, were members of the 1st Battalion, 878th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division.

“On behalf of the citizens of New York, I extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families of Sergeants Legg and Duffy and Specialist Emard,” said Governor Paterson.

Library Board Meets Thursday

The June meeting of the Library's Board of Trustees will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 12th, in our meeting room. Board meetings are open to the public.

Thank you to all of our great Friends and volunteers who put together our "Just Paperbacks" sale, and to Shirley P. for organizing everything. (Shirley, you've done it again!)

The final total was $277 - a phenomenal amount when you think about taking it in a quarter at a time. As I often say, "We love our Friends!"

Paperback Leftovers

This is a bargain you simply can't miss:

All paperback leftovers are going for $1 for 2 bags - and they're going fast!

This is your last chance. Whatever isn't purchased today is heading off to the Salvation Army.

Bargains Today

The paperbacks that have not yet been sold are now available for $1/bag. Don't miss these bargains!

Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday hours are 2 to 4 p.m.

Stop In

There are lots of really good titles left in our paperback book sale. They're going for 25 cents each, 13 for $3, and 26 for $6. Stop in today - we're open until 5 p.m.

"Just Paperbacks"

The members of our Friends group are busy getting ready for their annual paperback sale. Our meeting room will be chock full of paperbacks of all types. Stop by next Thursday and Friday, June 5th and 6th, and you can pick up some great titles for 25 cents each, or a pile of 13 for $3. Then come back on Saturday, June 7th, and fill up a couple of bags for just $1 each. Don't miss this opportunity to collect an armload of terrific titles at a terrific price!

Fiction Additions

Some of the recent fiction titles we've added to our shelves are:

The Front, Patricia Cornwell
Odd Hours, Dean Koontz
Skeletons at the Feast, Christopher Bohjalian
Phantom Prey, John Sandford
Frames, Loren Estleman
Secrets in the Shadows, V. C. Andrews
Secrets, Jude Deveraux
The Rosetta Key, William Dietrich
The Lady Elizabeth, Alison Weir

Most, if not all, of these new books are already checked out, but OWWL Holds can be placed on any of them.

Click here for a history of the holiday.

24/7 Services

The Library is now closed for the Memorial Day weekend (we reopen Tuesday at noon), but many of our services are still available to you. You can log into your account at OWWL.org and check due dates, choose titles to put on Hold, or renew what you already have out.

You can log into our online databases to access full-text magazine articles, business and health information, local, New York, and national newspapers, and more. From the online databases link, you can also access LearnATest and practice for an upcoming civil service examination, your GED, college entrance and military exams, or work on various skill improvements. From that same link, a click on NoveList will let you browse through well over 100,000 recommended fiction titles. When you find one that sounds good to you, click on "Check the Library Catalog." This will take you directly back to OWWL, where you can place a Hold on the title.

There are many more things you can do through these subscription databases, but if I tried to list them all, you and I wouldn't have enough time left to be able to enjoy our long weekend! Enjoy browsing through our 24/7 services, and I'll look forward to seeing you in the Library soon.

New DVDs

I just put out a new "Circle the Video" sheet. These are some of the recently purchased titles now available for OWWL Holds:

P. S. I Love You
Charlie Wilson's War
I'm Not There
Mad Money
The Great Debaters
The Golden Compass
In The Name Of The King
27 Dresses
Cloverfield

Place a Hold online, stop by to pick up a circle sheet, or give us a call, and we'll place the Hold for you.

Library Closing

The Sodus Free Library will be closed Memorial Day weekend, May 24th, 25th, and 26th. No materials will be due on these three days.

Successful Vote

Thanks to the 266 people who voted "Yes" on Proposition #3, authorizing Library funding. We appreciate the support!

Remember to Vote Today

Today you can cast your vote on the school budget between noon and 9 p.m. in the Sodus High School lobby.

Proposition #3 reads "Shall a levy of $60,000 on the taxable property of the Sodus Central School District as a contribution to the Sodus Free Library for its maintenance and support be approved?" This funding will provide approximately 30% of our income this year.

We appreciate your thoughtful consideration of this proposition.

Friends Meeting

The monthly meeting of the Friends of the Sodus Free Library will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20th. Come join us as we finish planning our upcoming third annual "Just Paperbacks" sale - which will be held on June 5, 6, and 7 during library hours.

Books-Sandwiched-In

Join us at noon on Tuesday, May 20th, for this month's Books-Sandwiched-In. The program, sponsored by the Friends of the Sodus Free Library, will feature Jean Baker reviewing John Brogan's best-selling book, Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog. Reservations are required, and the $3 charge includes sandwiches, beverage, and dessert. I hope to see you there!

Holiday Closing

The Library will be closed Sunday, May 11th, in honor of Mother's Day.

Library Board Meeting

The May meeting of the Sodus Free Library's Board of Trustees will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 8th, in the Library's meeting room. The public is always welcome to attend Board meetings.

Memoir Writing Workshop

Have you ever wanted to write about your life experiences – whether for family members, or with an aim to someday be published? Poet and memoirist Michael Czarnecki will return to our library at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7th, to present a Palm-of-the-Hand Memoir Workshop to help you make that desire a reality. The free two-hour workshop will be easy-going and informal, and is open to all levels of writing. Michael's "Stories & Poems from the Road" last week was very enjoyable, and we're all looking forward to hearing about his writing process and how we can put it to use to tell our stories. See you there!

This program is made possible by a grant from Poets & Writers, Inc., with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency, with matching funds from the Friends of the Sodus Free Library.

New & Improved

Have you checked out our new user friendly OWWL website?

New Service Started Today

I'm excited to share an improved service we're now offering: as of today, our OWWL hold notification process has been streamlined. When we receive a reserved item, a message will now be automatically sent to your email address, letting you know instantly when your materials are ready for pickup. We will, of course, continue to make phone calls to those customers without email and to those whose messages bounce back to us.

To streamline the new procedure, I suggest that the next time you stop by, you check at the desk to make sure that we have your current email address in our database. We are committed to continually improving our service to you, and hope that you enjoy receiving hold notifications by email.

Earth Day 2008

Click here for lots of ideas to help you celebrate Earth Day. You'll find crafts to do with children, "go green" ideas, coloring pages, recipes, lists of earth-friendly products, and more.

National Poetry Month Program

In celebration of National Poetry Month, Steuben County poet Michael Czarnecki will be presenting "Stories & Poems from the Road" at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23rd. Since 1985, Czarnecki has given hundreds of readings throughout the United States. In 1995, he decided to devote himself full time to his craft, and hasn't looked back. He now makes his living as a poet, publisher, oral memoirist, and a self-described "encourager." He will be returning to the Library on Wednesday, May 7th, to conduct a memoir writing workshop - more information on that later. The events are funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. with public funds from The New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency, with matching funds from the Friends of the Sodus Free Library. Stop by the Library or call 483-9292 for more information.

It's National Library Week

This week we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first National Library Week, an observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country to promote library use and support. This year's honorary chair is entertainer Julie Andrews.

According to ALA, Americans check out more than 2 billion items each year from their public libraries, and every year an increasing number of people are making use of our educational and social resources. Our customers borrow books, audiobooks, and DVDs, learn computer skills, conduct job searches, and participate in the activities of community organizations. The average bill to American taxpayers is $31 per year, about the cost of one hardcover book. As stated on the cover of our 2008 Annual Report to the Community, libraries are truly "the best bargain in town." We hope to see you in the Library soon!

Library Board Meeting

The April meeting of the Library's Board of Trustees will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 17, in the meeting room. Board meetings are open to the public; please notice the change in date and time.

Books-Sandwiched-In

This month's Books-Sandwiched-In will feature Master Gardener John Baker; he'll be discussing Spring Garden Cleanup, and will also touch on some new "Victory Garden" ideas. The program will start at noon on Tuesday, April 15, in the Library's meeting room. Reservations are required, and there is a $3 charge for lunch, which includes a sandwich, beverage, and dessert. Stop by the Library or call 483-9292 to reserve your spot.

A meeting of the Friends of the Sodus Free Library will follow the luncheon at approximately 1:30. Come join us!

Looking For A Good Book?

New Videos Available

Some of the new videos we've recently added are:

Enchanted
In The Valley Of Elah
August Rush
Dan In Real Life (one of my favorites!)
I Am Legend
Meerkat Manor, Season 1
No Country For Old Men
Things We Lost In The Fire
Michael Clayton
Bee Movie

Call 483-9292 or stop by the Library to put any of these titles on hold.

2007 Annual Report to the Community

The math is done, and our 2007 Annual Report to the Community is now available at the Library. The statistical information will also be published in next week's Sun & Record, and in the following week's Sodus-Williamson Pennysaver. Some of the highlights from the report follow:

65,852 items were checked out
7,092 people logged onto our 4 public computers
1,065 people used our wifi
8,013 items were loaned to other libraries
6,383 items were borrowed from other libraries

276 children, parents, and siblings attended 40 Story Hours
1,251 children, parents, and siblings attended 38 additional programs
253 adults attended 32 programs

For the full report, stop by the Library (but not until Monday!)

Holiday Closing

The Sodus Free Library will be closed this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the Easter holiday. We will reopen Monday, March 24, at 10 a.m.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

What Others Are Reading

Want to know who's the hottest author and what's the hottest title in our OWWL catalog? Go to owwl.org, click on the "MORE" button in the What Others Are Reading box, and you'll get a list, with links, to the most popular authors, subjects, and titles checked out from OWWL libraries in the past three months.

Spring Books-Sandwiched-In

Join the Friends of the Sodus Free Library at their first Books-Sandwiched-In of 2008. Dennis Money will be presenting a talk on the white deer of the Seneca Army Depot at the luncheon, which will start at noon on Tuesday, March 18th. Reservations are required, and there is a $3.00 charge, which covers a sandwich, beverage, and dessert. Stop by the Library or call 483-9292 to reserve your spot.

Library Closed Wednesday

Because Sodus Central schools are closed due to the weather and nasty road conditions, we are closed also. Materials due today will now be due Thursday, and no fines will be assessed. See you at the Library tomorrow.

Sign Up For Emails

Want to keep up with best-selling fiction or nonfiction titles? Book Club suggestions? The hottest new mysteries? Los libros en espanol? Click here to sign up for our Rave Reads email newsletters, provided by BookSite.com, and tailored to your interests - there are over thirty available. Have fun!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Theodore Geisel was born on March 2, 1904. Click here for more information about the author and his books.

Congratulations!

The Sodus Chamber of Commerce has announced its Citizen of the Year, and it's our own Pauline Dodge! A lifelong Sodus resident and long-time Sodus Free Library clerk, Pauline is an active member of the Sodus Garden Club, the Council of Churches, Eastern Star, Sodus Rural Cemetery Board, and the Sodus Presbyterian Church. This year's award banquet will be held on April 4th at the Sodus Bay Heights Restaurant; if you'd like to attend, stop by the Library and speak to Christina Russell.

Congratulations, Pauline, on this well deserved honor!

Filing Taxes Online

Click here to file both Federal and New York State taxes online - at no charge.

Wow!

Our Friends of the Sodus Free Library made $496.90 at their Chocolate Sale! Valentine "hugs and kisses" to Shirley Patchett for chairing the event, and to all the Friends and contributors who helped make this event such a great (and tasty) success. We love our Friends!

If you think you might like to join this group, their next meeting will be this Tuesday at 4 p.m. I hope to see you there!

Library Closing

The Library will be closed Monday, February 18th, in honor of Presidents' Day. Our preschool Story Hour and knitting group will both resume Monday, February 25th.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Looking Forward To Wednesday & Thursday

Are you getting ready for the Friends' Chocolate Sale? I am!

Trustee Election Results

Tonight was our annual Association meeting and election of Trustees. Mike Madison, new to the Board, was elected to a five-year term. Tom Garlipp and Martha Miller tied for the two remaining positions; Tom will serve a five-year term, and Martha volunteered to serve for the four-year term.

At the meeting, the Board honored Martha for her three year tenure as President of the Board. Also honored was long-time Trustee Audrey Ferris, who retired from the Board effective this evening.

Officers elected to serve in 2008 are Carol Sergeant, President, Nancy Malchoff, Vice President, and Tracey Fox, Secretary.

Ash Wednesday

Doesn't it seem early for Ash Wednesday? The U.S. Naval Observatory site will explain why, and let you look up when it will fall next year and beyond (you can also enter past years). Click here.

Click on the Calendar Zone for a page of fun date-related sites.

Republican or Democrat?

Remember to

Ready to Rock

Shirley P. is ready to rock. She'll begin another session of her very popular rock painting classes again next Monday, February 4th, from 10 a.m. until noon (or so). Signup is almost to capacity, so stop by this weekend if you'd like us to squeeze you in.

Yes, It's Chocolate!

It's that time again - our Fifth Annual Valentine Chocolate Sale will be held from noon to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, February 13th, and on Thursday, February 14th. The Friends of the Sodus Free Library are now signing people up, both to make goodies and to work at the sale. If you have time to do either, please call or stop by the Library and add your name to the list. And be sure to mark your calendars so you don't miss the delicious fun.

Ask Us About ...

Knitting Group Resumes

Our knitters are at it again. They are now meeting every Friday from 10 a.m. until noon. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun. Don't know the difference between a knit and a purl? Drop by and we'll help you get started.

Cast Your Ballot

At the annual Association meeting of the Sodus Free Library, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 7th, we will elect three Trustees. The public is invited to come to this meeting, and to vote in the election. Two of the open positions are for five-year terms, expiring in 2013, while one position is to fill a mid-term vacancy, expiring in 2012.

Three people have applied for these positions: Tom Garlipp, Michael Madison, and Martha Miller. The two candidates with the highest number of votes will fill the full term open positions, and the candidate with the least votes will fill the mid-term vacancy.

If you would like to cast your ballot but will be unable to attend the meeting, stop by our circulation desk and ask for an absentee ballot. To be eligible to vote, you must be at least 16 years of age, live within the Town of Sodus, and have an active Pioneer Library System library card.

Holiday Closing

The Sodus Free Library will be closed Monday, January 21st, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Awards Announced

Congratulations to the award-winning authors and illustrators named by the American Library Association this morning! Laura Amy Schlitz won the 2008 Newbery Medal for the year's most outstanding contribution to children's literature, "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village." Brian Selznick won the Caldecott Medal for "The Invention of Hugo Cabret;" this award just made my day. In the teen category, Geraldine McCaughrean won the Michael L. Printz Award for "The White Darkness." Click here for the entire list of medal and honor books. There are some great titles listed, and you can place an OWWL Hold on any of them.

Friends Meeting

The January meeting of the Friends of the Sodus Free Library will be held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, January 15th. (Please note the change of time from 4 to 3.)

Tax Forms Available

January brings tax forms to the Library. If you're getting ready to file, stop by or call to see if we have the forms you need. We can help you download any that are not yet available.

"Sometimes Books Are Better"

Click here for the Library Ninja's take on books vs. computers.

Recognition

I was just looking through the November 30, 2007, issue of Entertainment Weekly. In every issue of the magazine, Jessica Shaw compares what's "in," "five minutes ago," and "out." According to this issues Shaw Report, buying books online is out, reading in the bookstore is five minutes ago, and ... drum roll ... getting a library card is in. It made my day!

As seen here, the issue also named J. K. Rowling as EW's 2007 Entertainer of the Year. Citing her ability to inspire countless numbers of children to read, the article states, "In an era of tinier-is-better mobisodes, minisodes, and webisodes, she got people to tote around her big, fat old-fashioned printed-on-paper books as if they were the hottest new entertainment devices on the planet." It's great to see books, reading, and libraries discussed in such a positive light - and twice in the same issue. Thanks for the recognition, EW.

A reminder: the current issues of our magazines are for in-library use only, while all past issues check out for a three week loan.

Library Board Meets Thursday

The January meeting of the Sodus Free Library Board of Trustees will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 10th. Library Board meetings are open to the public.

Receive Holds Faster

Spending an extra minute to check the "Full Details" of an OWWL record can shorten your wait for that book you can't wait to read, or that movie you're just dying to see. Follow these tips to receive those Holds faster.

You've probably noticed that some titles show up more than once in the online catalog. When placing a Hold at home, check to see if Sodus is listed on that specific record before you place your Hold. Did you know that OWWL Holds placed by Sodus Free Library cardholders rise to the top of the list for our library's copy of that title? So, click on "Full Details" to see if we're listed - if we are, place your Hold on that record. You'll then bypass the Holds of cardholders from other libraries and receive that book or DVD much faster. If we're not listed as holding the title you're requesting, place your Hold on the record which shows the greatest number of libraries owning the title; that will also speed up your journey through the reserve list.

Applications Due

If you are interested in serving as a Trustee on the Sodus Free Library Board, stop by after noon tomorrow to pick up an application at our circulation desk. Thursday, January 3rd, is the last day to submit an application. Trustees meet at 4 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month, and are responsible for policy making, building maintenance, funding, and advocacy.

Three Trustee positions will be voted on at the February 7th Annual Association meeting. Trustees Tom Garlipp and Martha Miller have stated their intention to run for reelection. After several terms of service, Trustee Audrey Ferris is retiring from the Board (and will be sorely missed!).

If you would like more information, stop by tomorrow, or give me a call at 483-9292.