Have a safe and happy holiday!

New Books

New books added to our adult fiction shelves this week include: The Ravenscar Dynasty, Barbara Taylor Bradford; One Good Turn, Kate Atkinson; Beasts of No Nation, Uzodinma Iweala; Bleeding Hearts, Ian Rankin; The Book of Samson, David Maine; The Deception of the Emerald Ring, Lauren Willig; Hannibal Rising, Thomas Harris; Heart of Winter, Diana Palmer; Measuring the World, Daniel Kehlmann; Odyssey, Jack McDevitt; Ride a Painted Pony, Kathleen Eagle; and The Threat, David Poyer.

New adult nonfiction titles include: The Complete Guide to Reducing Energy Costs by the Consumer Union of the United States, Inc. editors; Crashproof Your Kids: Make Your Teen a Safer, Smarter Driver, Timothy C. Smith; Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement: A Step-By-Step Guide, Julian Cassell; Dragon Rising: An Inside Look at China Today, Jasper Becker; The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic and How it Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World, Steven Johnson; How To Speak Your Spouse's Language: Ten Easy Steps to Great Communication, H. Norman Wright; The Joy of Cooking (75th Anniversary edition); and Last Rights: Rescuing the End of Life from the Medical System, Stephen P. Kiernan.

Stop by the Library Saturday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to pick up any of these new titles or to place Holds on those already checked out. Keep in mind that although we'll be closed Sunday and Monday for the New Year's holiday, our OWWL catalog is available 24/7 for placing Holds, renewing materials, and checking due dates. If you need help accessing your account, stop by and we'll walk you through the process.

New Magazines

Thanks to a generous patron, we have added Essence and People en Espanol to our magazine shelves. New issues of our magazines are always available for browsing, and all older issues may be checked out for three weeks. Take time to stop by and see the great variety of topics which our periodicals cover.

Holiday Closing

The Library will be closed December 31st and January 1st for the New Year's holiday, and will reopen at noon on Tuesday, January 2nd. Be sure to stock up so you're not caught without a good book and a movie or two.

Knitting Class Offered

Sarah Harper, an accomplished knitter, will be offering a beginner's class from 10 a.m.-noon, starting on Friday, January 12th (note change of day and time). There will be a small fee to help cover the cost of supplies. Call 483-9292 or stop by the Library to sign up or for more information.

New Movies at the Library

DVDs recently put on our shelf include Ice Age 2: The Meltdown; How To Eat Fried Worms; Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest; Lassie; Barnyard; The Ant Bully; Air Buddies; Talladega Nights; World Trade Center; Superman Returns; The Fox and the Hound 2; Seinfeld, Season 7. With our new one-week loan period, there will be plenty of time to watch these new titles. You may put any of them on hold, or just stop by the Library, pick up one of our "Circle the Video" forms, and we'll do it for you.

Memorial Sign Installed

Our new sign, crafted by Michael Boone, has been installed, and announces our presence and our hours to passersby. It has been donated in memory of Ruth Richards, a unique and special woman, who worked as a teacher and made a positive impact on many lives. Thanks to the Joe Coons family for making this memorial possible.

Christmas Closing

The Library will be closed December 24, 25, and 26 for the Christmas holiday, and will reopen for regular hours at noon on Wednesday, December 27th.

Preschool Storyhour

"The Mommies on the bus go 'Shh, shh, shh,' all around the town!" Four singers have fun with "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round" while our new "Storyhour Lady," Jan Koch (pronounced "Cook") accompanies them on her guitar. There's room for more, so bring your preschoolers to the Library at 10:30 a.m. every Monday.

December Board of Trustees Meeting

The monthly Board of Trustees meeting will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 14th. Because the Friends' Holiday Bake Sale will be underway in our meeting room, the Trustees will be meeting upstairs in the Ruth Mills Room. All Board meetings are open to the public.

Friends' Annual Christmas Bake Sale

Stop by the Library to pick up some delicious homemade breads, cookies, muffins, and more, all wrapped and ready to give as gifts, or just as a treat for your own family. Sale hours are from noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 14th, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, December 15th. Plan to come early as these goodies tend to sell out quickly. If all the holiday chaos has left you exhausted, relax for a few minutes in our Koffee Korner; the Friends will be serving individual baked goods along with coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.

Donations of baked goods will be gratefully accepted Wednesday evening before 8 p.m. or Thursday morning between 9 and 10 a.m.

The Flakes Are Flying

Now that the snowflakes are starting to fly, remember that when the Sodus Central School District announces that our schools are closed, we are also closed.

Homework Club

Thanks to these members of Sodus Central's Homework Club, our "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" is up in the children's room, and it looks great!

Get Out The Popcorn!

Starting next Thursday, December 14th, all videos and DVDs will check out for one week, with one renewal allowed. Along with several other OWWL libraries, we are standardizing our loan periods to better serve you. So get out the popcorn and pop down to the Library next Thursday!

Music and More Story Hour

Jan Koch will present a Music and More Preschool Story Hour on Monday, November 27th, at 10:30 a.m. This program was rescheduled because of illness. We hope to see lots of children enjoying themselves Monday morning.

Thanksgiving Closing

The Library will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 22nd, and will remain closed for Thanksgiving and the day after, November 23rd and 24th. We will reopen at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 25th.

Want to try a new recipe for your feast? Stop by early in the week to check out a couple of books from our cookbook collection. While here, you might also want to pick up a movie or two; DVDs taken out Tuesday or Wednesday won't be due until Saturday.

High Demand Fiction

Place OWWL Holds now on these in-demand new titles: A Spot of Bother, Mark Haddon; The Long Night of Winchell Dear, Robert James Waller; Home to Big Stone Gap, Adriana Trigiani; Born in Death, J. D. Robb; Dear John, Nicholas Sparks; H. R. H., Danielle Steel; Keeper of the Keys, Perri O'Shaughnessy; Lisey's Story, Stephen King; and Echo Park, Michael Connelly.

Nursery School Field Trip

Children from the Sodus Cooperative Nursery School, along with several parents, visited the Library this week. We shared facts about how to use the library, enjoyed two stories, and took a walking tour of the downstairs.

Thanks to all of you for being such good listeners and for behaving so well on your visit; I hope you will plan to visit us again soon!

Today's Books-Sandwiched-In

Jean Seymour's book review was, as always, enthusiastically received by a sold-out crowd. Stop by the Library or call 483-9292 if you would like to place an OWWL Hold on Swanson's Manhunt.

"That's All, Folks!"

Contrast the photo of the children's corner which was posted earlier to what was left after our used book sale. Thanks to our Friends group and their many helping hands, we had a record-breaking sale, taking in $1,542! We are so grateful to all who helped; a complete list of those wonderful people will appear soon.

More Books, Please!, this year's theme for the 87th observance of Children's Book Week, encourages children, and the adults who care for them, to spread the joy of reading by spending some time with a book each day. Celebrate Children's Book Week by stopping by the Library to check out the new books on our children's shelves.

November Board Meeting

The Library's Board of Trustees will hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, November 16th, at 4 p.m. All Trustee meetings are open to the public.

November Books-Sandwiched-In

This month's Books-Sandwiched-In will feature Jean Seymour reviewing Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase For Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson. Jean is a retired high school English teacher, and is well-known in the area for her wonderful reviews. The program will be this Wednesday, November 15th, at noon. Reservations are required; a $3 charge covers lunch.

Bag Sale Continues Monday

Because the Library was closed on Saturday in honor of Veterans Day, our Friends group is extending their Bag Day Sale to Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You don't want to miss these bargains!

Book Sale Started Today

Hundreds of children's books (picture at left) and tables groaning with the weight of all genres of fiction and nonfiction books greeted approximately 200 shoppers at the Friends of the Sodus Free Library's Used Book Sale today.
The sale continues tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Take time to stop by and pick up some bargains!

Library Closing

The Library will be closed on Saturday, November 11, in honor of Veterans Day.

Quote for the Week

"Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote."
~William E. Simon

So, no matter how sick you are of all those political ads, make your choices and get out to your polling place Tuesday to vote!

Teen Book Club

Our Teen Book Club held its first meeting Friday afternoon, discussing Vivian Vande Velde's book Heir Apparent. All the work of organizing the club has been done by Jesi Jonasse as part of her Girl Scout Silver Award project, and the Friends of the Sodus Free Library donated the books. After a lively discussion of Vande Velde's book, the girls decided that the next book they want to read is Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

We Top The List!

Our Library has once again made the list of America's Top 100 Libraries! The 2006 HAPLR (Hennen's American Public Library Ratings) Index is being published in the November 2006 issue of American Libraries, and will list the top 5 libraries in each of 10 population categories based on the size of the communities the libraries are chartered to serve. (We are chartered to serve the Village of Sodus, so our population category is that of 1,000-2,499.) The author of the Index, Thomas J. Hennen, gathers statistics from all U.S. libraries' State reports, including information on circulation, staffing, materials, reference service, funding levels, along with ten other areas, and then computes scores for all the libraries according to their size.

With a score of 934, the Sodus Free Library was named #1 in our category! We're all excited about this honor, and broke out the brownies in celebration this afternoon. For more information on the Index, or just to see your library's name at the top of the National list, click here and start with "What's New."

Annual Used Book Sale

Stop by the Library next week, and we'll help you fill your emergency bookshelf - the one you need to keep stocked for those (hopefully rare) times when you can't visit us. Our Friends group is holding their annual used book sale starting, as always, the Thursday after Election Day. Sale hours are: noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 9th; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, November 10th; 2 - 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 12th; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, November 13th. The funds raised from this sale will be used to purchase items and sponsor programs not included in our annual budget. There will be literally thousands of bargains, starting at 25 cents. On both Sunday and Monday, the books will be sold for $1/bag. Bargains include books for all ages and reading levels, audiobooks, CDs, and movies on VHS and DVD. Special offerings include our SFL tote bags, purchased full of books for $12, and autographed copies of Bob Pearson's Stinky's Tales for $20. Plan now to shop early and often!

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.

Click here to hear a message for your family from actor George Lopez!