February 2009

Storytme
Feed the Birds Feb. 5
Valentine’s Day Feb. 12
Pancake Day* Feb. 19
Brush Your Teeth Feb. 26
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss Mar. 5

*Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent (Feb. 24, 2009). England celebrates the day by eating pancakes which use up the butter, milk, and eggs that are given up for Lent. New Orleans Mardi Gras and German Fastnacht are similar pre-Lenten carnivals.

Family Night will be inaugurated on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 6:30. Feed the Birds is the topic. Several books and stories about birds will be featured and a bagel bird feeder will be the craft. The birds really benefit from supplemental feeding during this cold snowy weather. A feeder also provides a great setting for some nature observation.

The program is designed for a wider than preschool age range and the night has been changed. The evening program may make it more possible for working parents, especially fathers to attend. The goal remains encouraging children (and the whole family) to read and to become more familiar with library resources. Bird resources at the library include an Identiflyer with frog and bird songs, bird house and feeder plans, videos and stories about birds, and many identification sources.

Home School Book Talk - We Ohio -is on Feb. 17, at 10:30. The program will celebrate Ohio’s 206 years of statehood. Books and crafts relating to Ohio and its symbols will be featured. Programs are geared for first through sixth graders. All home schoolers are welcome.

Chinese New Year Jan. 26, 2009 the Year of the Ox.

FREE resources at your public library. The Wornstaff Library has numerous free resources which can be particularly valuable during difficult economic times. Books, movies, audio materials can be checked out and used - time and again by anyone in the community. Internet connections, both direct and wireless are also available and can be especially valuable for seeking employment and filing online applications. Study guides and basic information can improve job skills and help with certification. Why pay more? Check the library for recreational, educational and informational needs.

Library budgets (and all those “free” resources) are provided by the state of Ohio and dependent upon tax money. In 2001 the Wornstaff Library received $170,000 Funding was frozen at $156,000 from 2002 - 2007, and the estimate for 2009 is $142, 000. So, at a time when those library resources are even more valuable for local communities the money available for their support is less and the competition for tax monies increases. You can help. The most important help is just taking good care of library materials and RETURNING them on time. We also accept donations. Extra change in 2008 totaled over $1000.

The Delaware Fish & Game Club donated $400 for subject related materials. Hunter safety and hunting DVDs are on the top of our list followed by some new fishing and hunting books. Thank you very much. Suggestions are encouraged.

Caldecott and Newbery winners were announced Jan. 26, 2009. The best children’s book illustrator is Beth Krommes for The House in the Night. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman gets the juvenile writing award. Caldecott Honor illustrators include Marla Frazee for A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, Uri Shulevitz (who won in 1969) for How I Learned Geography and Melissa Sweet for A River of Words. Newbery Honors go to The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle, Savvy by Ingrid Law, and After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson. Typically, our holdings are slim but will be improved. What would your choices be?

Discarded magazines are now available. Take your pick for pictures, crafts, and articles - yours for the taking. Please recycle what you don’t use.

Kindy Circle Time: Sarah Etheridge is offering a program for homeschooled kindergarteners aged 4 to 6 years. There will be songs, games and art inspired by seasonal and fairytale themes every other Tuesday, 10:00 - 11:30 at Mandy Bear’s House, 201 South Street, Ashley. Call 740-747-0389 for details.

Sewer repairs: The good news is that the broken sewer line has been repaired. The bad news is that after delaying twice the repairs were done the day before the big snow storm - and all that broken up concrete needs to be replaced. The plan was that this would be done immediately after the repairs and all would be back in shape within a week. That’s not going to happen. The back stairway and access to the bookdrop will be blocked until the concrete can be poured and cured. We apologize for the inconvenience and will certainly give that consideration.

Picturing America is on display here and there. Keep looking. A celebration of the Presidents’ Day and the inauguration plus some crafts to go with the hand crafted knives in the display case were our first choice. It’s a wonderful collection.