Dressed Up and Having Fun

Little Red Riding Hood visited the Library this week, along with a smiling pumpkin and a really cute bumblebee (but how long can you keep that warm bumblebee suit on?). And did you see the bunny working behind our desk?

Woodcarving Display

Our display case is full of some wonderful wood carvings created by Lucinda Brogan; I understand that her husband Joseph helped with the two scenes portrayed (bottom shelf).

Stop by the Library soon to see the display - this picture doesn't do justice to the beautiful details of the carvings.

Early Closing

The Library will close at 5 p.m. on Halloween. We hope you all have a safe and fun holiday.

Halloween Preschool Story Hour

Preschoolers are invited to a Halloween story hour on Monday, October 30th, from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. We will be making lollipop ghosts, and any child who comes in costume will receive a bag of treats. See you there!

Thursday's BSI

Thursday's Books-Sandwiched-In was standing room only, with Audrey Ferris giving us some timely and very specific tasks we need to accomplish now so that our gardens can flourish next year.

The luncheon tables featured potted hens and chickens plants that had been put to bed in Shirley Patchett's cozy blankets!

October Books-Sandwiched-In

As we're picking the last roses of Summer, it's time to take special care of our gardens to help insure healthy, colorful blooms next year. Come to our October Books-Sandwiched-In, at noon on Thursday, October 19th, and hear Master Gardener and Rosarian Audrey Ferris present "Putting Your Garden to Bed." Because space is limited, reservations are required; they may be made by calling 483-9292 or by stopping by the Library. The cost is $3, which includes sandwiches, beverage, and dessert. Don't miss this one!

September Board of Trustees Meeting

The monthly meeting of the Library's Board of Trustees will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 12th. All monthly Board meetings are open to the public.

Holiday Closing

The Library will be closed Monday, October 9th, for Columbus Day. Click here to learn more about the holiday from the Library of Congress.

Quote for Banned Books Week

"Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us."
~ U. S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas (in 1953)

Banned Books Week, September 23-30

2006 marks the 25th anniversary of Banned Books Week, held during the last week of September each year. This event celebrates the freedom to read, and reminds Americans not to take this precious freedom for granted.

According to the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, the following books were the ten most frequently challenged in 2005:

It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris; Forever by Judy Blume; The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger; The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier; Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher; Detour for Emmy by Marilyn Reynolds; What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones; Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey; Crazy Lady by Jane Leslie Conly; and It's So Amazing: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families by Robie H. Harris.

New Books

Some of the new fiction titles we've added to our collection:

Fool Me Once, Fern Michaels; The Book of Fate, Brad Meltzer; Ricochet, Sandra Brown; Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen; Suite Francaise, Irene Nemirovsky; The First Cut, Dianne Emley; The Brambles, Eliza Minot; The Ruins, Scott Smith; The Emperor's Children, Claire Messud; Armageddon's Children, Terry Brooks; Brookland, Emily Barton.

And new nonfiction:

Grayson, Lynne Cox; Overcoming Life's Disappointments, Harold S. Kushner; In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind, Eric R. Kandel; The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer, Philip Carlo; Meals Made Easy: Quick and Delicious Recipes for Every Night of the Week, Renee Schettler.

Several of these titles already have OWWL Holds on them, so if you'd like to read them while they're still "hot off the presses," call 483-9292 or stop by the Library to add your name to the list. Next time you visit, ask a staff member to show you how to place your own Holds online. It's easy, painless, and really quite exciting to see how efficiently the system works. See you soon!

It seems impossible to me, but it's true - this blog is one year old today! I hope that it has provided a worthwhile service, and that it continues to grow in usefulness and readership.

CHEESE!

At yesterday's Books-Sandwiched-In, Joann Toner explained how CHEESE can help us keep our brains alive no matter what our age; i.e. Challenging leisure activities, Humor, Exercising physically, Exercising mentally, Strong social networks, and Eating healthy. Thanks, Joann, for a fun and very informative talk.

Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting

The September meeting of the Library's Board of Trustees will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 14th. All Board meetings are open to the public.

September Friends Meeting

The September meeting of the Friends of the Sodus Free Library will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, September 13th, following our Books-Sandwiched-In. We hope that many of you will be able to join us.

September Books-Sandwiched-In

Have you ever opened a cupboard door and then struggled to remember why? Walked to another room to get something, and had to retrace your steps to remember what you were after? (I hope I'm not the only one who does these things!) Help is at hand. Come in and sign up for our first Fall Books-Sandwiched-In, scheduled for Wednesday, September 13, at noon. Joann Toner will present "Keeping Your Brain Alive!" giving us lots of ideas on how to exercise our minds. Reservations are required; $3 per person is charged to cover a lunch of assorted sandwiches, homemade pie, and coffee or tea). Don't forget to stop by the Library at 17 Maple Avenue, or call (315) 483-9292 to reserve your spot!

New DVD Titles

Stop by the Library to pick up one of our new DVDs: Akeelah and the Bee, Brother Bear 2, Game 6, Inside Man, Lost - Season 1, 30 Days, V for Vendetta. If they are checked out when you come in, simply pick up one of our "Circle the Video" sheets, circle the titles you'd like placed on Hold, and turn the sheet in at the check-out desk. We'll call you when the DVD is in for you.

The Most Important School Supply

September is a time when the American Library Association and libraries across the country remind parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all. The observance was launched in 1987 to meet the challenge of then Secretary of Education William J. Bennett, who said: "Let's have a national campaign ... every child should obtain a library card - and use it." Since then, thousands of public and school libraries join each Fall in a national effort to ensure that every child does just that.


"Your library card is your ticket to a world of opportunities. Get it, and use it at your library."
~George Lopez, actor, comedian, author, and 2006 Library Card Sign-Up spokesperson

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend. If Ernesto's rain prevents you from enjoying the outdoors, stay in and lose yourself in a good book.