September 2012

Story time: (Thursday morning at 10:00)

Grandparents & Families Sept. 6

Bee My Honey Sept. 13

Elephant Day Sept. 20

Falling Leaves & Apples Sept. 27

Pizza, Pasta & Popcorn Oct. 4

Storytime is open to all preschoolers and kindergartners. Programs last about 45 minutes and include stories, finger plays or similar activities, a craft, and (frequently) a related snack.

Movie Night will be Thursday September 20 at 5:00. The movie will be The Hunger Games. Free popcorn and drinks are available.

Scrapbooking has become a regular event at the library. The next get together is scheduled for Tuesday September 11, from 10:00 until whenever.

The Bookmark Society will meet Thursday evening September 27 at 6:30. They are reading Jonathan Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. All book lovers are welcome to join a friendly discussion with refreshments. The library has the DVD available for loan.

A FREE Grocery Coupon class, Savings Nation, will be presented on at the library Tuesday evening, September 26, 6:00 – 8:00. Sign up online at ww.CleverlySimple.com/SavingsNation.

MyOhioVote.com allows Ohio voters to change their address online. The deadline for change of address or registration is October 9. Potential first time voters can register at the library or the Board of Elections. Those who are unable to change their address can cast a provisional ballot at the precinct of their voting day residence.



People magazine and Mother Earth News September issues are here. We hope that’s the beginning of uninterrupted yearlong subscriptions.

Audio books revival. All those donated CDs are sitting on the shelf waiting for listeners. Enliven that daily trip to work, lawn mowing, or a variety of household chores with entertaining stories.

The next phase will purchasing children’s materials to replace the book and tape cassette kits we have. These can be a follow along teaching tool for beginning readers or just an introduction to the world of the printed book.

Fall equinox arrives at 10:49 on September 22.

Display case material is artwork created by and on loan from Gena Wiley. Let us know if you have a collection you’d be willing to share.

Delaware County Fair starts Saturday Sept. 15 and continues through the following week. The All-Horse Parade will be Sunday Sept 8 at 3:00. Animals, rides, fair food, live entertainment, and motorized competition – just in case you’ve missed the National Lawn Mower races.

Quilts – of course there will be plenty of local displays at the fair and the Ohio Wesleyan Alumni Center is featuring a display of art quilts through Sept. 16. Crafty people might be interested in T-shirt Quilts Made Easy. We can only add so many to the collection and currently there are many quilt books in the book sale. Take a look, find a book.

Ashley Farmer’s Market: Set up a table on the sidewalk and sell your fruit, veggies, flowers, baked goods, candles, etc. Every Saturday 9 – 12, September and October. What else is there in Ashley that we can share with each other??

School and homework doesn’t rhyme with horse and carriage but seem to go together just as certainly. Several years ago an Internet resource was frequently added to requirements – to acquaint students with its value. Today it might be worthwhile to require a book or magazine article just to remind student’s that not everything is found on the Internet and not everything there is reliable. A student recently confirmed the benefits of using our print dictionary. On the other hand both students and teachers need a little reminder that magazine articles can be found either at the library or from our website at home and these are magazine articles, NOT Internet resources. Coming soon – Microsoft Office on our computers with Power point capabilities and, perhaps, easier document transfer.

Johnny Appleseed Day is Sept 28. Try a biography by Howard Means or the DVD Botany of Desire. 

Elizabeth Barker will retire as director of the Wornstaff Library at the end of September. The library board is hosting an Open House from 3 - 5 Saturday, September 29. Please stop by for refreshments, to say thanks and to wish Elizabeth well. Her energy and passion for libraries will be greatly missed.

I remember saying (years ago) to long time Wornstaff Library board trustee Dick Newman that being the director of the Ashley library was my dream job. Eighteen years ago that dream became true. It might be worthwhile to add that my mind has not changed during the time here.

Working in a small public library has wonderful advantages to begin with. One gets to do everything – those proverbial plumbing incidents, ordering and cataloging books, etc., working with the people of all ages, and trying to figure out how to make the most of space and money and other resources. The library has gone from no computers to being in the process of joining the local Cool-cat open source ILS consortium with a server hosted by OhioNet with access to resources throughout the whole state.

The biggest plus though is the people – the patrons and the staff are the most obvious. They make going to work everyday not just a job, but a joy. It’s a helpful, friendly environment with interesting challenges and a variety of interests to share. The library board has provided bragging material at meetings. Our service area supported a levy to compensate for state cuts – YEAH!! That’s so much to miss. Thank you everyone. Elizabeth Barker

 

August 2012

No Storytime will be held during August. Storytime will resume on Thursday September 6 at 10:00. All pre-school and kindergarten children are welcome. Programs last approximately forty-five minutes and consist of story reading, some finger plays or similar activity, and a craft. A small snack is usually provided. Parents may stay with children during story time and participation in all parts of the program is optional. There are toys in the children’s room and opportunities for both adults and children to socialize while selecting library materials to check out.

The Corn Show dates are Thursday, Friday and Saturday August 2,3, and 4. Pork on Thursday and traditional Corn Show barbecued chicken on Friday and Saturday - plus rides and games

Water Aerobics at the Ashley Pool are given on Tuesday and Thursday mornings 11:00 - 11:45. The cost is five dollars each session. It’s a hit. Weekly Yoga classes at the library are in the works. Thank Elaine McFarland, chairperson of the village parks and recreation committee. Regular pool hours will end on August 19 but the pool will be open weekends through Labor day, September 3.

The Perseid meteor shower peaks the night of August 11 between 11:00pm and 5:00am. There will be a crescent moon early in the morning and the darker sky is better for viewing. The shower will appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus in the northeast. Urban areas and security lights, and clouds and rain make viewing more difficult. Preservation Parks is hosting a Blues Creek campout (free but reservations required). It could be your lucky night for wishing on a shooting star.

The Bloodmobile will be at the White Lily parking lot Aug. 4 from 5:00pm-10:00. Bring your ID. Blood is needed.



Summer Reading sponsors help make the program a success. The library particularly thanks McDonalds who provided our opening Ronald McDonald program and coupons for children and caregivers completing the Read to Me program. The Sunbury Skate Park provided a skating party coupon for the weekly adult drawing and Meijer gave substantial amount of gift certificates. Other contributors were Target, Walmart, the Butterfly House, CAPA, Chiller Ice Rinks, Columbus Clippers, Columbus Crew, Columbus Museum of Art, Magic Mountain, Wendy’s, The Wilds, and Zoomers Skate Club.

Teen Mystery Night had 15 teens examining the evidence to determine the murderer - plus some neighborly inquiries about our “crime scene”.

The Bookmark Society meets on Thursday August 23 at 6:30. Muffin and Mayhem by Suzanne Beecher is the month’s selection.

Family Movie Night is scheduled for Thursday evening August 16. Popcorn and drinks are provided. The movie will be The Lorax.

Storytime supplies could be supplemented while library users are shopping those back to school sales. Donations of glue, glue sticks, and markers are especially appreciated.

Magazine glitches. We’re working on trying to get People magazine and Mother Earth News subscriptions back in line.

Donations have expanded our DVD collection significantly and have been much appreciated by library users. Sharing with the greater community is a great way to recycle items from personal collections. Duplicates provide replacements.

Green-Wise Fair will be held Sunday, August 26 from 11:00am - 4:00pm at Preservation Parks Deer Haven Preserve. It’s a free family event with vendors and exhibitors with ideas and products for sale, children’s activities, workshops, concessions and energy saving tips.

Don’t forget local recycling possibilities. The Village of Ashley provides recycling along with trash pickup. There are recycling bins at the school. Ohio Mulch, just north of Delaware on route 42 takes not only yard waste and brush but recycles a variety of electronic equipment. Two hazardous waste drop offs are scheduled for fall: Knox County on Sept. 22, and Delaware County on Oct. 20. Help keep Delaware County beautiful - and green.

Newark Earthworks Full Circuit Walk will be held at the Ohio Historical Center Newark site on August 11 from 9:00am to 4:00pm. The walk is 7.5 miles and covers the best preserved examples of the Hopewell earthworks. Parking and attendance are free. Bring your own lunch. The Great Circle Museum provides information about the Hopewell culture and includes an interactive video.

Geek the Library Let others know that you care.Share what you geek. Share what your library does for you and your community. Public libraries are truly resources for everyone. The Wornstaff Library offers free access for everyone to a wide assortment of materials for informational, educational, and recreational use. We offer computers and the Internet (including 24/7 wireless). These services are free to users but they do need to be funded. Until recently Ohio libraries were well supported by the state, providing equal library services in all communities and greatly contributing to the excellence of Ohio libraries. State funding has been reduced to two-thirds of 2006. The Wornstaff Library has received compensatory support from the local community with a 2010 five year levy. This will need to be renewed and state funding needs to be defended - hopefully restored. Show you care.

July 2012

Dream Big Read summer reading kicked off June 18. Forty-seven children and twelve adults attended a very enjoyable comedy show with Ronald McDonald. Preservation Parks presented a program on bats the following week.  Seventy-four  first through fifth graders and twenty-six teens have signed up for the reading program.  Information and packets for the Delaware County Preservation Parks letterboxing adventure are available. Summer reading children can  signup anytime and also at the beginning of the Monday programs.  Children do not need to attend programs to participate in the reading part.

(all programs are Monday morning at 11:00)

Nightcrawler Race July 2   (bring your own worm)

Draw Big July 9    (with cartoonist Dan Collins)

Reach for the Stars July 16

Camp In July 23

Closing Program (All invited) July 30

     Big Fun with the Magic of  Stephen Knight

Storytime programs are Thursday morning at 10:00.  Summer program topics will be similar to Monday’s. Read with Me offers preschoolers and caregivers McDonald’s coupons for completing six reading activities.

Teen Mystery Night Wednesday July 18 at 6:30. Teens solve a CSI murder mystery, A Crack in the Wall. Sixth graders and up are welcome.

Adults can signup up for Between the Covers, turn in a review for a camping discount and prizes. Weekly drawings include gift cards, museum passes, and tickets for the Wilds and sporting events.

The Bookmark Society will meet on Thursday July  26 at 6:30 and is reading Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik. Good food, good company, and books .  Who could ask for more?

Farewell to Larry and Penny Gale.  Thanks to their business efforts fresh produce has been readily available in Ashley during the summer months.  That won’t be true this summer and will be sorely missed. Maybe the Bargain Barn or some enterprising sociable person can fill the gap.

The Bargain Barn Food and More had its grand opening June 29. There’s a varied assortment of scratch and dent groceries and more, plus some regular groceries and excellent service - but no affordable milk which seemed to be on the local list.

Vouchers for Farmers’ Markets are again being distributed by The Council for Older Adults.  Community Action Organization can provide assistance with electric payments and/or air conditioners.

The Fourth of July in Delaware includes a parade at 3:00, the traditional outdoors Central Ohio Symphony concert at 7:30 and fireworks at 10:00.

Fair season is here. The Ohio State Fair starts July 25 and runs through August 5. The Marion County Fair is July 2-7 and the  Knox County fair is July 22 - 28. Enjoy.

Goodbye Fred, the Tale of a Fiddle Leaf Ficus. Many years ago a patron gave the library  a potted house plant which grew and grew and really grew when it got to spend the summers in the back entry.  It grew so much it couldn’t be moved back and forth any more and has been confined to an area behind the copier where it leans longingly toward the front door and endures periodic pruning to keep it a manageable size.  Unappreciated here perhaps, but not unnoticed by one patron who received delivery last week thanks to some help from Troy Clark. 

A Food Access Survey is being conducted in the Ashley area by the Delaware General Health District. The survey is conducted on the telephone and takes about twenty minutes. Cards with facts about participating are available at the library.  The first 30 callers will receive a $10 Kroger gift card. 

Applications for the position of director are being accepted by The Wornstaff Library.  The library serves the Village of Ashley and Oxford Township with a collection of 40,000 items and over 33,000 circulation. Yearly expenditures are approximately $170,000 financed by state funds and a local levy.  The library is in the process of moving to an Evergreen based ILS consortium.  

The library director oversees daily operations of the library supervises a staff of six, works directly with the fiscal officer, and reports to the library board of trustees.  The library director is responsible for collections, program, and library policy development and implementation, promotes the library to the community, and provides leadership for strategic planning and implementation of library services that meet the needs of the community

This position involves considerable interaction with the general public, employees, the fiscal officer and the board of trustees.  The applicant must have experience with library practices, be comfortable with technology, and have strong communication and management skills.  A Master’s degree in Library Science is required.

Compensation and hourly work week will be set by the board of trustees.  Starting date will be October 1 or before.

If interested please submit a resume by July 31, 2012 to Wornstaff Memorial Public Library, Attn: Fiscal Officer, 302 East High Street (Box 358), Ashley OH 43003; Fax 740-747-2085; e-mail wornstaff@gmail.com.

Director Elizabeth Barker is retiring Sept. 30, 2012.

Firefly Watch A free online citizen science program created by the Museum of Science in Boston is collecting information about the distribution of fireflies and possible environmental influences on them.  www.mos.org/fireflywatch.

Natasha Trethewey will be poet laureate of the United States starting Sept. 2012.  She’s a 48 year old African American from Mississippi. 

June 2012

Dream Big Read summer reading kicks off June 18 (Monday 11:00) with Ronald McDonald. First through fifth graders can enjoy a variety of activities relating to the theme.  Information and packets for the Delaware County Preservation Parks letterboxing adventure will be available.  Signup will begin that day for all programs.  Summer reading children can also signup at the beginning of the Monday programs.

(all programs are Monday morning at 11:00)

Dream Big Read signup June 18

Batty for Books June 25

                                 Nightcrawler Race July 2 (Bring your own worm)

                                         Draw Big July 9 (with cartoonist Dan Collins)

Reach for the Stars July 16

Camp In July 23

    Closing Program (All invited)  July 30

Big Fun with the Magic of Stephen Knight

Storytime will resume that same week on June 21 Thursday morning at 10:00.  

Summer program topics will be similar to Monday’s. 

Teen Movie Night Thursday June 21 at 6:00 will feature signup and a Sherlock Holmes movie. Sixth graders and up may join this program.  

Adults can signup up for Between the Covers, get a camping discount and turn in reviews for prizes.

Weekly drawings include  gift cards, museum passes, and tickets for the Wilds and sporting events. A special June 30 drawing will be held for a complete party at the Sunbury Skate Club!

Noah Eblin’s Eagle Scout project involved organizing and completing the painting of the railings at the library, resetting the damaged rail at the foot of the back stairs, and painting light strips on all the steps.  Approximately 90 man hours went into the project.  Leftover paint was donated to the library.   This project provides greater safety for both staff and patrons and accomplishes some needed maintenance.  The library is very appreciative of these benefits. It  also illustrates the long standing relationship between the Boy Scouts and the library, which has served as their meeting place for many, many years. 

The Bookmark Society will meet on Thursday June 28 at 6:30 and is reading The Beet Queen by Louise Erdrich.  What will Marsha serve - borscht or pickled beets and eggs?? or there’s cake, pierogies, and a beet and pear puree??

Cool-cat.org will be live at Selover Library in Chesterville on June 6.  Selover follows the Sunbury Community Library and Germantown as a member in a consortium using the Evergreen open source library system and sharing cards and resources.  Mt. Gilead and Cardington are next.  The Wornstaff Library is scheduled to join in March 2013.    

The Transit of Venus  “There’s a little black spot on the sun today” on June 5. The next chance to view this astronomical event is 2117.

New DVDs plus an assortment of donations should help while away the hot summer evenings.  TV series Downton Abbey and All in the Family, new releases Grey, Hugo, The Adventures of Tintin, Iron Lady, and Red Tails are a small sample.  It’s all free. 

Last chance for free video tapes. We’re getting the basement ready for summer reading and those tapes have to make room for other activities.

A Food Access Survey is being conducted in the Ashley area by the Delaware General Health District. The survey is conducted on the telephone and takes about twenty minutes. Cards with facts about participating are available at the library.  The first 30 callers will receive a $10 Kroger gift card. 

Red, White and Blues, the BVEE 2nd grade opera was an amazing production (and amazingly thought provoking). One viewer wondered how each year could be better than the previous. Thank you everyone for all the effort that goes into the show.  What an experience it must be for those students. If you missed the live performance you’ll be able to check out the DVD at the library.

Ashley geeks swimming.  Hurrah for the pool and the village newsletter. Various staff and board members helped man the Delaware County Libraries booth at the Arts Festival promoting library services with the Geek campaign.  We’ve collected quite an assortment of responses here ranging from “tieing shoes”  through family to sword play.   

The Ashley municipal building has been sold with some possibility of options in relation to its use. Suggestions and druthers will be entertained.  We’ll keep a list.  Some reminiscences about the long closed poolroom actually introduced that possibility - without the illegal gambling at cards and with access for all perhaps.  It would be a place to meet and exchange views, and something to do.  

The June Rural Electric Co-op magazine features The Wilds with information about its new zipline.  

Memorial Day weekend free pool days seemed to be a big success, a perk for patient residents, and a good operational run-through.  There are many summer days ahead. June 7 is the last day of school.

The Council for Older Adults is again distributing vouchers for Farmers’ Markets.  Community Action Organization can provide assistance with electric payments and/or air conditioners.

May 2013

Story time :   (Thursday morning at 10:00)

      At the Beach       May 3

Mother’s Day May 10

The Wild West May 17

Under Construction May 24

Let’s Play May 31

 

NO STORYTIME June 7 & 14

Storytime will take a two week break and resume on June 21st.  Summer themes will be coordinated with Summer Reading themes - featuring Night.

DREAM BIG READ starts June 18th.  Sign up and meet Ronald McDonald. Programs will be held Monday mornings at 11:00 and will start with a variety of activities including promotion for the Preservation Parks letterboxing adventure.  Following nature clues is a great way to familiarize the family with Delaware County’s resources - and you get a prize for doing it.    

What Do You Geek?  The Delaware Arts Festival on May 19th & 20th will include a county libraries table for the Geek campaign.  Stop by and say hello as you take advantage of Delaware’s annual arts and crafts festival. Promote your interests on the library’s GEEK board. Join the picture parade. Ashley village GEEKS swimming!  That means the pool will open.  Check the board for dates and fees.  We GEEK the pool - and Megan Wion’s participation.

The Bookmark Society will meet May 24 at 6:30, reading The Three Miss Margarets by Louise Shaffer. In case you’ve been intrigued but not persuaded by comments of the really good food and enjoyable company you can get a poster size good look at the happy group.  “We Geek book clubs.”

The Second Grade Opera is scheduled for May 23 & 24.  The AmeriKIDS will star in Red, White and Blues. Don’t miss this very unique event.  Next year the Central Ohio Symphony, with  a grant from the Ohio Arts Council, will have Marilyn Shrude     from Bowling Green University compose a piece for their former concert master, Ioana Alu.   Ms. Shrude will also work with the second grade opera at Buckeye Valley East Elementary.  A workshop at the Wornstaff Library, possibly on instrument making, is an additional proposal.  What a wonderful connection with the community!  Local resident Louise Ziegler has played a major role in the dulcimer revival, illustrated by Recreation Unlimited’s recent hosting of the 21st annual Buckeye Dulcimer Festival.    One story attributes Doug Felts’ introduction to his helping to build a cardboard dulcimer.   

Community Gardening updates:  Isaiah 2:4 calls for beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks which may be an appropriate lead-in for thanking Dean Baldwin for plowing the community garden area.  The Delaware Episcopalian Church will be using one section for produce for their monthly free dinner and the Brownies may be planting pumpkins.  Some space is available for individuals.  Plants started by the Brownies will be available for giveaway starting May 12.

Movie Night is May 17 at 5:00. Popcorn and drink are provided by the library.

Books on CD.  A huge donation will enable us to revamp our pretty pathetic collection.  There’s some interest but not enough to justify any active purchasing so what’s available now is a random assortment of cassette tapes and donations.  Included in this donation were numerous  books on cassette tapes which will be available in the book sale - as will many of ours currently in the audio section.    There are more materials to come including music CDs and paperbacks. All are from the estate of Jamieson T. Glade.  We are very appreciative of this generous donation.

A Social Painting Party is a new art as entertainment concept provided by library patron Kay Carroll, owner of the Art Nest.  Party goers receive supplies and instructions from a professional art instructor for the creation of an acrylic painting they get to keep.      

Electronic equipment recycling is available at Ohio Mulch on Route 42 just north of Delaware.  Computers, printers, cell phones and more can be dropped off at the site.  

A Passport to Your History features pages for each of the Ohio Historical Society’s 58 sites and attractions with a treasure hunt style question and space for personal notes.  Starting May 24 the Passport booklet and “I Visited” stickers will be available at historical Center each site.  Options include wildflower walks, vintage base ball games, flint knapping, a Civil War encampment, the Summer Festival of the Arts at Youngstown, an heirloom plant sale, and much more.  Tour Ohio.  Related Ohio attractions include the Statehouse Student Art Exhibit, War of 1812 with costumed  re-enactors at the Palace Theatre in Marion on May 5, Dawes Aboretum programs on urban gardening, native plants and a garden fair. 

Merry month of May quotes : 1)Ah! My heart is weary, waiting, Waiting for the May.  2.) May is a pious fraud of the almanac. 

April 2012

Story time :    (Thursday morning at 10:00)

Easter           April 5

Library Week           April 12

Nursery Rhymes & Folktales   April 19

How Does Your Garden Grow? April 26

At the Beach           May 3

Game Day is set for Wednesday April 4 from 2:00 to 4:00.  Refreshments provided. Take an electronics free break during Buckeye Valley’s spring break.  An assortment of board and card games and SKITTLES are available - or bring your own favorite game to share - and your friends.

The Bookmark Society will meet on Thursday April 26 at 6:30.  The selected book is Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. Twin sisters inherit a London flat owned by their mother’s twin sister.  Good company and food provided. 

Movie Night on Thursday, April 19 at 5:00,  will feature The Librarian and the Quest for the Spear.  

Drinks and popcorn are provided.

Library Community Gardening:  The front beds are looking ready for this early spring thanks to new square foot garden boards donated by Rotary Products, labor from Mason Walker, and some horse manure from the Buchwalter family.  Some lettuce and marigolds had seeded last year.  Peas have been planted.  Watch for red runner beans. The Brownies will be starting seeds again with the help of master gardeners - possibly good replacements for all the frosted plants planted in March?? The plan is to be more proactive about passing out plants.  Check out that garden equipment (sod stripper, shovel, rake, and hoe) at the library.  Cold weather plant seeds that can safely gratify the urge to get out there in this unseasonable weather…peas, carrots, lettuce. 

Bird houses decorated by the Brownie scouts are  currently in the library display case plus the bluebird  and Carolina wren houses made in recent Preservation Parks workshops.  

The Ashley Easter Egg Hunt will be held at Newman Park (beyond the swimming pool) on Saturday, April 7 at 1:00  for children up to eight years old.  Don’t be late.  

The Youth Trout Fishing Tournament is scheduled for April 28 from 8:00am to noon for children up to age 12.  Children must have adult supervision and should bring their own poles and bait.  Pre-registration forms are available at the library and the village office.

The Official Geek the Library Kickoff occurs Saturday, April 14 as a finale for  Library Week.  Find out what your library can do for you.  Let your library know what your passions are.  What do you Geek?? We Geek our local community.

Dream Big Read!  We still need your help providing  colored duct tape for a  craft project - red, yellow, blue, and white.

The amaryllis comes back. A couple of years ago a patron brought us an amaryllis which dutifully and beautifully performed and then it took a year’s rest while it produced another bulb, but it is gorgeous (and way too big) right now.

New books include recipes to try on the more dismal days Cake Pops by Bakerella and The Whoopie Pie Book.  DK Publishing offers Top Dog and The Women’s Fitness Book both with the expected excellent illustrations and layout. 

Magazine Alert  There may be gaps in our subscriptions due to before-the-levy-passed economies and subsequent renewals. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Author Brandon Mull creator of the Fable Haven series and   The Beyonders was brought to Delaware by Tammy Furlong of Fundamentals Book Store.  His itinerary included visits at The Delaware County district Library, Buckeye Valley East Elementary and the Wornstaff Library. Several home schoolers and teen fans took advantage of his stop at the library for a more personal visit and lots of autographing. He’s a Utah native and this was a rare eastern visit. 

E-book preparation. Vicky Collins attended a Barnes & Noble presentation Nook in the Library which examined how libraries currently use e-readers and tablets and how this might evolve in the future.  The State Library hosts an e-book subscription service.  We’re thinking about it.

National Library Week is April 8 - 14. AtYourLibraryOrg on You Tube has a collection of short videos with famous people touting what libraries mean to them.  Libraries are collaborations with their users.  April 10 is designated Library Workers’ Day but there is not a Library Users’ Day which seems to be missing a fine opportunity.  Those users are the smart ones - getting  books and movies, and internet access, and reader’s advisory and reference  - all FREE.  

National Poetry Month is also celebrated in April. Philip Levine is the current poet laureate of the United States. J. Patrick Lewis is the Children’s Poet Laureate.  Example: Great, Good, Bad

A great book is a homing devise

 For navigating paradise.

A good book somehow makes you care About the comfort of a chair.

A bad book owes to many trees 

A forest of apologies. 

http://Sunbury.cool-cat.org is now  available on the Sunbury Community Library web site.  Take a look at what our catalog will look like by this time next year.  We’ll have a common library card.  

March 2012

Story time :  (Thursday morning at 10:00)

Pig Day March 1

Celebrate Art March 8

Green Day March 15

It’s Spring         March 22

Trains March 29

Easter   April 5

The Bookmark Society  will meet Thursday, March 22 at 6:30 pm.  The book for that date is The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, a fictionalized account of Ernest Hemingway’s first wife and their life in Paris in the 1920s.  Woody Allen’s movie Midnight in Paris  could provide some  supplemental background.

Movie Night is scheduled for Thursday March 15 at 5:00 and will feature The Three Investigators & the Secret of Skeleton Island. Join the fun.  Enjoy free popcorn and drinks.

The American Legion Clyde C. Keltner Post #518 donated a replacement flag to the library.  Our thanks to them, and to the Boy Scouts who will properly dispose of our previous flag.

The Buckeye Dulcimer Festival will be strumming at Recreation Unlimited March 7 - 11 with public concerts on Friday and Saturday evening.  It’s a chance to hear some of the best. Doors open at 6:30 pm.

Dream Big Read ! That’s the summer reading theme.  Preparations are already in full swing and you can help.  We’re looking for donations of colored duct tape for a craft project - red, yellow, blue, and white.  In case you’re intrigued Got Tape by Ellie Shiedermayer will give you some idea of alternative uses for all those sticky strips.

“Geek the Library” Libraries are more relevant than ever.  Libraries can transform individuals and communities. “Friend” Albertus Wornstaff on Facebook and check out geekthelibrary.org. Get your geek on. Show your support. Look for us at the Buckeye Valley East Carnival March 16.

Free tax preparation is  available into April for low to moderate income people at the Woodward Family Resource Center and 7991 Lewis Center Road.  Call 211 or 740-369-3184  for an appointment.  The Council for Older Adults (363-6677) schedules AARP volunteers for seniors also into April. 

The Delaware Amateur Radio Association has donated four books on ham radio to the Wornstaff Library: The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual (2010), Getting Started with Ham Radio, and Ham Radio for Dummies, and Joe‘s Place. DELARA provides free ham radio training classes, FCC license examinations and mentoring for all interested people and events such as Field Day.

Delaware County Model Railroaders group meets at 10:00 every Tuesday at Big Walnut Community Trail in Sunbury. There’s an Open House from noon to 4:00 pm one weekend a month. Check the Preservation Parks schedule for dates.   March-May park fliers are available.  

Spring forward to daylight savings time on March 11. Spring itself arrives on March 20th.

Cobblestone, Kids Discover, and Ask - all children’s magazines featuring a special topic in each issue with Cobblestone emphasizing history and Kids Discover more science based.  Back issues on a variety of subjects are available. 

Don’t forget to vote! Be informed. There’s Best Editorial Cartoons 2012, The Obamas, The Real Romney, Fed Up by Rick Perry, Governing at Home, Health Care Reform, While America Sleeps by Russ Feingold, and A Simple Government by Mike Huckabee.

VCR bonus:  Take advantage of the change in technology to boost your viewing pleasure.  We have been discarding low circulating video tapes. Our discards may be your treasures -  FREE to any interested persons before we really discard them.

Hurrah for the Ashley Pool. Things are looking good. The village is advertising for life guards and some summer swimming is set.

Ashley Easter Egg Hunt will be held Saturday April 7, 1:00 pm at Newman Park for youth up to age 8.  The shelter house is available for rent. 

Bird houses built by the Girl Scouts will be on display starting mid-March. Check the shelves for plans for some of your own.  Now’s the time to prepare.  

Maple Sugar Festivals: Camp Lazarus Saturday March 3, 9 - 4; Lutheran Memorial Camp Sunday March 11, 10:30 am - 4:00 pm, Stratford Ecological Center Saturday, March 17,  reservations required. The sap is rising and spring is coming.  Take advantage of these festivals for some outdoor activity and a pancake breakfast.

Square dancing (eastern style) at Stratford Ecological Center might be a regular feature.  Give them a call if you are interested. (740-363-2548).

Comics for the doldrums: New Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes selections have been added to replace some very popular, very worn copies.  Some one recently recalled Pogo as in Walt Kelly’s Our Gang. The Short and Happy Life of the Shmoo by Al Capp - who remembers Lil' Abner?

March recognition goes to St Patrick’s Day, Women’s History Month, Youth Art Month…and SPRING.  Draw a picture of women planting shamrocks?   Celebrate the buzzards return  They are due in Hinkley March 15.  One’s been sighted here. 

February 2012

Storytime: (Thursday morning at 10:00)

Groundhogs & Shadows Feb. 2

Be My Valentine Feb. 9

In the Arctic Feb. 16

Leap Day is Coming Feb. 23

Pig Day Mar. 1

Movie night commentary. Something new to do in Ashley: save a night once a month for movies at the library. Thursdays are good for us. An earlier time, at least now, seems better for family schedules. Attendance has been small but worth the effort. We’d appreciate your suggestions and comments. Come Feb. 16 at 5:00 to see Real Steel.

The Bookmark Society (book club) will meet on February 23 and is reading Same Kind of Different as Me : a Modern Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall & Denver Moore.

What do you Geek?? It’s a county wide library campaign aimed at people’s real interests. What’s your passion? What makes your eyes light up? We’d like to know. Wornstaff Library staff geeks include cooking, geography, jewelry, and organic sustainability.

Free tax preparation for low to moderate income people will be available at the Wornstaff Library on Saturdays February 11 and 18 from 10:00 - 2:00. Call 211 to schedule an appointment. Delaware County VITA provides this service. Other Vita sites are Woodward Family Resource Center in Delaware Wed. 5 - 8 and Sat. 10 - 2 and 7991 Lewis Center Road Tue. 5 - 8 and Sat. 10 - 2. The Council for Older Adults (363-6677) schedules AARP volunteers for seniors Wed & Thu. 9 - 3 February, March, and April..

New DVDs have been ordered including The Big Year, The Big Lebowski, Spy Kids 4, Cowboys & Aliens, Dolphin Tale, How Beer Saved the World, Gnomeo & Juliet, Jeff Dunham, Jesse Stone, Prohibition, Midnight in Paris, My Life as a Turkey - there should be something for everyone.

The COOL cooperative has received its funding grant and is becoming a reality. Sunbury Community Library is in the process of migrating to the Evergreen open source library program and should “go live” early in March. Cardington, Chesterville, and Mt. Gilead libraries will soon follow. We hope to join the group within the year.

The Wornstaff Library has been fortunate in being able to provide a computerized, now web accessible, catalog at extremely low cost over the past 15 years. Our library program is no longer being supported by its current commercial owner. The options of either migrating to another commercial vendor or joining available consortiums (which also involves migrating to another commercial system) are very expensive and leave us similarly dependent.

The State Library of Ohio proposed a pilot program of the Evergreen open source system but was unable to follow through - after producing some real interest in this possibility. Chauncey Montgonery, the Community Library director, became one of the strongest advocates. His leadership and ample help from OhioNet are making a practical solution for small libraries a reality. The open source program provides more local control and bypasses the commercial vendors. By sharing equipment and technical support a combined group of small libraries can provide advanced, reliable digital services that would be difficult for those libraries to provide on an individual basis. There will be additional benefits shared by patrons.

 

Newbery and Caldecott winners are Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos, a depression era story, and A Ball for Daisy illustrated by Chris Raschka, a wordless book with a dog and a ball. Buckeye Book Awards (given by children) were Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton, Chalk by Bill Thomson, Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper, and The Exiled Queen by Cinda Chima. Our library’s top children circulations were Go Dog Go, Waddle, A Balloon for Isabel and Ten Friendly Fish. Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Suzanne Collins distopia series were YA tops along with graphic novels..

Magazine giveaway time has arrived. Requested discards have been pulled and requesters called. Others are available for the taking. Catch up on recipes and articles at leisure. Revive your picture file for crafts and reports. Create clever valentines.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Larry Rossiter for remaking the old into wonderfully workable. Our circulation desk built in 1928 by inmates at the Mansfield Reformatory has gone through various permutations in use - recently including housing the DVD discs (more or less). Mr. Rossiter installed modern glides and made both drawers accessible AND created a more functional and ergonomic computer desk. We love it.

Statistics 2011 : It’s time for all those reports.

Receipts $215,458               Expenditures $167, 457                        Patron visits : 18906

Total circulation 33117         Reference questions 1277                     Internet use 4916                       

Books added 1420              Total books 39, 245                              Audiovisuals 161

Total audiovisuals 4806        Meetings held 244                                 Attendance 3577

January 2012

Storytime : (Thursday morning at 10:00)

Unbirthday Party Jan. 5

It’s Cold Outside Jan. 12

Soup Jan. 19

My 5 Senses Jan. 26

Groundhogs & Shadows Feb. 2

Storytime begins the new year with a birthday party for everyone through the year. All preschoolers are welcome for stories, finger plays, crafts, and a few treats to sweeten the theme. There’s time for play and socializing afterwards, and plenty of books and DVDs to take home to enjoy through the week.

 

The Bookmark Society will meet January 26 at 6:30. The book is Home Rules by Jodi Picoult. All readers and book lovers are welcome. Join the group for pleasant socializing and delicious refreshments.

Holiday library activities included Game Day and Movie Night (showing Captain America). Thanks to all who attended with bonus points to those who brought refreshments to share. Extra points go to everyone who brought goodies for the staff - whose holiday library activity was sampling.

Free tax preparation for low to moderate income people will be available at the Wornstaff Library on Saturdays February 11 and 18 from 10:00 - 2:00. Call 211 to schedule an appointment Delaware County VITA provides this service. Call Community Action for other VITA sites.

Tax forms available at the library include many federal, and state and school district forms plus W-2s and 1099s. Or print forms from their web sites.

New for 2012: The juvenile inspirational section is having its own revival thanks to diligent weeding and selection by Vicky Collins.

Community gardening will be going into its third year. The original grant provided money for year one with a three year commitment. Last year was complicated by that long wet spring, but again assisted by Master Gardeners. Suggestions for the coming year include more flowers and an earlier distribution of plants to individuals. Other comments are welcome.

Boring to the public but exciting to staff is revising and expanding our DVD storage and access. It would be soooo much easier if people didn’t steal the discs but that’s too risky.

Stealing by another name. Recent articles about Columbus and Cuyahoga County libraries have discussed actual theft which seems to average around two percent of the collection. The BIG loss is unreturned items which is definitely confirmed by the Wornstaff Library. This is particularly true of DVDs. They are small, cheap in those big bins, and go out six at a time. That’s probably around $100 that the library has invested - for community use. With money limited and library services in big demand it’s a very unfortunate loss.  Our New Year’s resolution for patrons would be to return materials (preferably on time), give us a call if there are problems, and keep contact information current.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins DVD was donated by the Buckeye Valley East PTO. Watch the movie read the book.

Video cassette clearance Why discard videos if people are still using them? If no one checks them out, however, the space could probably be put to better use. So we’ve been clearing out those long neglected tapes. And now they are available to the lucky owners of a VCR for only ten cents each.

Magazine discards will begin in a month or two. Please let us know if you have requests. Duplicate requests will share issues. All are free.

Ashley Village Committee members are needed. Members need to be residents but do not need to be on council. Anyone interested should contact the village office 740-747-2889. Be part of the solution. Council meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00. It’s an interesting evening and deserves some recognition. Recorded minutes are available and official printed ones were distributed at the January meeting.

Ashley on the move. There’s a big sign in the Whipple grocery store building announcing Discount Barn discount food in summer 2012. Council meeting information includes expansion of the gas station to provide more miscellaneous retail space. Flor Plan is interested in purchasing the burned out municipal building. The front barricaded Hubbard building disposition will be determined by county offices with a six month time table. Popsters is open again. Gibeyes posted a lunch menu.

Congratulations to staff member Susan Bussard who now has a second part time job with Liberty Presbyterian Church working with their web site, newsletter, and calendar. She does an excellent job in similar areas here.

Three hurrahs for our patrons. Patrons both contribute and respond to the small town, friendly atmosphere. That’s the best part. Patrons help answer questions or offer to look for a 20 amp fuse for our furnace. They write smiley library messages in the snow and bring us goodies and supplies.

Three hurrahs for the library board members.           

President Shirley Thurston, vice-president Michael Wion, secretary Lisa Kimble, George Patterson, and Aaron Scheeler are your representatives, responsible for policy and general overview.

Three for the unseen staff. Custodian Don Baldwin keeps us clean and fiscal officer Linda Thomas keeps us honest and frugal. We need their help every day. Thank you all.

December 2011

Library Holiday closings: Dec. 24 & 26
No Storytime Dec. 22 & Dec. 29

Story time : (Thursday morning at 10:00)

Reindeer Dec. 1

Feed the Birds Dec. 8

Christmas Dec. 15

No Storytime Dec. 22 & Dec. 29

Unbirthday Party Jan. 5

Joyous Holidays to all our patrons and a very Happy New Year.

Thanks to Megan Burns for presenting the Reindeer program while Miss Vicky is on vacation. Megan is a regular helper at story time and hopes to become a children’s librarian. She has been the library page for six years and attends Ohio State Marion.

Credit Cards presented by the Delaware County Bank is the concluding program in Making Cents the Delaware County Libraries collaborative financial literacy series. Delaware Main on Dec. 1, Orange Branch on Dec. 15, and the Wornstaff Library in Ashley on Dec. 13 at 6:30.

The Bookmark Society will meet Dec. 1 at 6:30 to discuss The Room by Emma Donoghue. The next meeting will be Jan. 26, 2012.

Game Day is set for Wednesday afternoon, from 2:00 - 4:00 on December 28. Bring a favorite game and a friend or another family member. The library provides some old-fashioned skittles and up to date refreshments. Everybody is welcome.

 

Delaware County’s three library boards held a retreat in October and have chosen publicity of library databases as a joint project for the coming year. A statewide project provides all public libraries with a core collection of databases including magazine articles, language programs, genealogy, and medical resources. This information and much, much more can be accessed through the Internet either at a library or at one’s home. But not everyone (understatement) knows. Awareness, awareness, awareness - that’s the word for 2012.

COOL consortium, a group of eight or nine libraries with a common open source library program, has been meeting regularly and is looking forward to the submission of a grant proposal that would provide funds for the beginning migration to the system. Chauncey Montgomery, director of the Sunbury Community Library has been the prime mover in this project and is first on the list. The Wornstaff Library is currently in a second group that will follow within the year. This is an exciting collaborative solution to programs that are being phased out and increasing technological support requirements.

Book shelf transport is on our wish list. Over a year ago the Central Ohio Symphony offered the library book shelves that were inherited with their Winter Street location. Memory dims but there are two units, probably eight feet long, four feet high, two feet wide needing a big truck and a some burly guys. You’d get a thank you from both institutions.

 

Crafty Book Sale alert : A large quantity of needlecraft books has been donated to the library. We’ve made our list and checked it twice and there are many available for sale. Quilting and needlepoint are frequent topics. Take this opportunity to update your personal collection or to provide a bonus gift for a stitchy friend.

Boring but important That’s the tag line for a column in one of the news magazines. Fitting the bill is the renewal of a four library agreement concerning the distribution of state public library funds. State funds are distributed to each county and any necessary division within the county is determined or approved by the county budget commission. There are three separate library systems in Delaware County : The Wornstaff Library in Ashley, The Delaware County District Library in Delaware (and Powell and Ostrander and the Orange Branch) and the Community Library in Sunbury. The Westerville Library is a school district library with area in Delaware County and as the result of a tax law suit also receives a portion of the Delaware County distribution. An agreement established in the mid-nineties has been in operation since then and will continue.

More Louis L’Amour. Thanks to some other donations we have been able to supplement and refurbish our selection - and share the duplicates.

Inventory is done. There are no statistics at this point but the larger benefit is a more up-to-date catalog. No more “yes, the book is in the catalog but we cannot find it on the shelf” - or (more probably) it is way, way overdue and either way you might as well forget about it though we can order it for you from another library.

Unreturned materials do seem to account for most of our losses and we are trying to be a bit more proactive about overdues. People come and go - and take their checked out books and DVDs with them or just leave them behind. And it was all free.

Happier Holiday Notes on which to end the year and the newsletter. Amidst lots of talk about the pleasures of Christmas in Ashley we are reminded of the pleasures of being the library in Ashley, especially how much we enjoy the personal interaction with our patrons. There are still some benefits in being small.

November 2011

Story time : (Thursday morning at 10:00)

Bread & Butter        Nov. 3

Squirrels        Nov. 10

Thanksgiving        Nov. 17

No Storytime        Nov. 24

Reindeer        Dec. 1

Fraud, a program on protecting your money,  will be presented by a representative from the Delaware County Bank on November 15 at 7: 00 at the Wornstaff Library. This program is also available at the Delaware County District Library on Nov. 3. Right on the Money, a family program, is available at the Orange Branch on Nov. 9 and at The Sunbury Community Library on Nov. 10.   All of these programs are in the Making Cents : A Financial Literacy Series jointly promoted by the libraries of Delaware County.

The Buckeye Book Fair will be held in Wooster on November 5.  Fliers with complete listings of authors, books and activities are available at the library.   The focus is on authors from Ohio and books about Ohio.  Talk with the author, buy signed, discounted books.  Visit Lehman’s Hardware and the surrounding Amish community.  Enjoy the day.

The Bookmark Society will meet Thursday Dec. 1, and will read Room by Emma Donoghue. The next meeting will be Jan. 26. All are welcome.

Christmas in Ashley is coming Dec. 3, looking for as enjoyable, festive, and successful a celebration as last year.  Clean milk jug donations  may be made at the library to expand the luminary route.  Individuals outside the route are encouraged to put out their own luminaries. Milk jug design and a candle signup are available at the library. Scouts will deliver candles to those needing them. 

Movie night showed Red Riding Hood and served popcorn and soda.  Nine persons attended and one of them suggested making this a weekly event. Once a month might  be more feasible. Is there a better evening? Do we need permission slips for PG-13 movies?? Could we have a monthly movie discussion group similar to a book club?

Family / After School Science   We’ve been looking at a grant that could be used for materials and programs encouraging young people’s interest in engineering and electricity.  It seems like a worthwhile project - especially  programs which would involve hands-on making things and experimenting.  Materials for projects would be helpful  but books, etc. are harder to come by.  We have all the Popular Mechanics DVDS for kids and a good selection of hands-on science.  Comments?

Daylight Savings Time ends on Nov. 6, a little later in the United States than usual or than a few other countries. Russia is just not going to change having decided that it is too confusing for both cows and people and better suited to our present more urban life style. Some northern areas won’t be light until 10:00.  You can save that daylight for later in the day but you can’t make more of it.  

Veterans’ Day Remembrance Day  Armistice Day, - remember all our service men and women.

National Caregivers Month is one of November’s designations.  The Delaware Council for Older Adults certainly recognizes the value of all those individuals who serve as caregivers. The Council provides many services for older adults which complement and ease the caregiver’s work, along with support groups for caregivers. A display at the library highlights those services to both older adults and caregivers. 

Adoption and Foster Parenting is the focus of another display featuring informative pamphlets and promoting the need for participants.  The Delaware Orange Library will celebrate adoption with an Adoption Open House on November 14 from 9:30 - 11:00.Call the Delaware County Jobs and Family Services for any questions : 740-833-2340. 

Book Clubs abound.  There’s the Bookmark Society at the Wornstaff Library. There’s a men only one in Delaware.  Books are printed with book club guides in the back.  Then there are two rather beyond the norm possibilities in the area - The Shakespeare Club and The Joyce Group.  Both are trying to recruit new members.  The Delaware Shakespeare Club was founded in 1878 and is the oldest Shakespeare Club in America and the oldest social group in Delaware. If you like plays and books they are your kind of people.  They next meet Nov. 10 and the topic is Unruly Women. For more information call John Kneisley 740-363-3245. The Joyce Group is about 100 years younger and has been reading Finnegans Wake by James Joyce. The end is near but fortunately the final sentence is concluded on page 1. Joyce said he wanted anyone anywhere in the world to be able to open the book and enjoy.  It does seem that it connects with everything and vice versa with lots of word play and way too much fun.  Ask Elizabeth Barker 747-3909.  

New DVDs include Water for Elephants, Bridesmaids, Rodrick Rules, Comics without Borders, Yoga, Winnie the Pooh, and Hanna.  This month’s PTO donation was Zookeeper.

October 2011

Story time : (Thursday morning 10:00)

Llama Lama Red Pajama Oct. 6

Pizza, Pasta, & Popcorn Oct. 13

Fire Safety Oct. 20

Halloween Oct. 27

Bread & Butter Nov. 3

Read for the Record Millions of children in low income neighborhoods are at risk of school failure before they start kindergarten. On October 6 more than 2 million people will call for an end to America’s early education gap by reading Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney - setting a world record in the process. Sit down to read in your community. You’ll be standing up for children everywhere. www.jstart.org



The Fire Safety program will be enhanced by a visit of two firemen, Amy and Matt, from the local Elm Valley Fire Department. The department also donated fire safety materials for the program.



Right on the Money, a family program, in the Making Cents financial literacy series will be presented at the Wornstaff Library on Wednesday October 5 at 7:00. Activities and general information will provide a fun, educational experience for the whole family. It makes cents to attend. Check the list of county programs.



The Bookmark Society will meet on Oct. 27 at 6:30. They are reading We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg.



Ashley Walking Group meets at the library at 6:00 on Sunday evenings for a stroll around the village. See the village. Enjoy the company of your neighbors. It’s the easiest exercise - for your health.

Why Farm ? is an exhibit of art and texts at CCAD in Columbus through Oct. 15. Why Farm? seeks to explore the rewards and challenges of farming to encourage an understanding of a profession and a livelihood upon which we rely but about which we know very little. Delaware is an agricultural county.




Corn Husking Contest at Ottawa Bota Farm, on Oct. 8, 9:00am. Look for the red ears of corn.



Child’s Play : Games in 19th Century America at the Kelton House Museum in Columbus on Oct. 16, 2:00.



A new roof now protects the back two sections of the library thanks to M and R Roofing. The project was slightly delayed by more rain but we won’t have to worry about water in our one light fixture for many years to come.



Halloween is coming. Ideas for costumes and decorations in books and magazines make for good rainy day browsing while waiting for the big day. Village council has set Trick or Treat Night for Monday night Oct. 31, time to be announced. The school parade Oct. 31. Storytime Halloween is Oct. 27. Enjoy the season…and the next.



Christmas in Ashley planning dates are Oct. 20 & Nov. 17. Sponsors and homes to tour are needed. Contact Amy Ruggles 747-2028. Let’s celebrate.
 
The No Obligation Book Club in Real Simple magazine has a question of the month. Some recent ones of interest have been: What book character would you like to be? What book do you most frequently quote? and What book do you often recommend?




Fungus among us: It’s lovely weather for mushrooms in all sorts of shapes and colors. Armchair viewing is available in guide books which are as pretty as the Extraordinary Chicken portraits.

The Library Food Garden program evaluation is part of our commitment for the grant funds we received last year. One area in which we haven’t done very well is contributions to the BVEE food pantry. Not on our list was the library as a point for distribution. People have brought in squash, and cucumbers, and tomatoes, and peppers, and beans - and various patrons have reaped the benefits. If we had room we could consider expanding our book sale to ever so much more.



Books to Movies : There’s been a recent run on The Help apparently related to the movie release. Water for Elephants has had a pretty steady circulation which does not seem to be affected by the movie. Jane Austen has all those movie devotees and scores of derivatives and nobody seems to care about the original novels. ???



Proctoring exams at the library is another continuing education service to go along with study guides, online resources, and tutoring space. It can be of real value to people currently upgrading their education and skills through online classes.

Do some homework before signing up for classes. Check the school for completion and hiring rates. Be sure the requirements are compatible with your resources and learning style. Don’t forget about the increasing availability of more traditional classes in the area - OSU Marion, Marion Tech, Franklin, and Columbus State.



Banned Book Week was the end of September and the library celebrated by displaying several books (available for checkout) that have been challenged. The Gazette’s editorial page’s Voltaire quote seems appropriate: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” It’s also worthwhile pointing out that most schools permit alternative readings if parents object to their child’s being required to read a specific book. Coming in October 16-22 is Teen Read Week. Teens can celebrate by reading and adults can do that crossover thing - there are good books there.

September 2011

Storytime : (Thursday morning 10:00)




Back to School Sept. 1

Grandparents’ Day Sept. 8

At the Fair ! Sept. 15

Curious Day Sept. 22

Fall Farm Fun Sept. 29

Llama Llama Red Pajama Oct. 6



Storytime programs include readings, finger plays, a craft and (usually) a snack. Programs last approximately 45 minutes. Parents are welcome to stay with their children and participation throughout the program is optional. Storytime is open to all preschoolers and no registration is necessary. Caregivers and storytimers often stay after the program for playtime in the children’s room, book selection, and socializing.



The Bookmark Society will meet Thursday Sept. 22 at 6:30. They are reading Jill Smolinski”s The Next Thing on My List , a guilt-ridden young woman tackles someone else’s to do list with interesting results. All readers are welcome.



Delaware County Leads Headstart donated a book cart to the library which makes it much easier to sort and shelve returned books. Another furniture addition came from Buckeye Valley East - a low computer table that will be a real asset to story time.



Thank You The County Liners 4-H Club earned $320.60 with a car wash, and they donated the money to the Wornstaff Library. The money will be used for purchasing some appropriate books and, possibly, presenting a related program.



September - the Buddha Board back at the desk, the school bus in the Children’s room, two foot red noodle beans, School! and the fair.



Barbara Nibert, a long time library employee and frequent “front person at the desk, will be retiring at the end of September. She will be missed by many patrons and the rest of the staff. Please take time during the month to thank her for her years of service and the friendly face she offers library patrons.



The August Community Garden program, Preparing Fresh Vegetables was presented by Dianne May from the Delaware OSU Extension Office. She discussed the values of a rainbow of fruits and vegetables and fixed a zucchini casserole which was shared with those attending. Participants brought some produce and vegetable dishes to share. Handouts on the purchase, care, and use of fresh produce; ChooseMyPlate.gov; and seasoning vegetables were provided. There will be a garden clean-up meeting to review this year and plan for next year sometime in October. Enjoy the Fair !



Ashley Walking Group Sign up for the FREE 8-week non-competitive walking group and get a FREE pedometer. Thursday evening, September 8 at 6:00pm is the starting date. Contact Audra Jordan at the Delaware County Health Department. 740-203-2012 or audrajordan@delawarehealth.org.



Delaware County Fair Booklets are available at the library. Booklets include a full schedule of exhibits and judging and specifications for categories. The All-Horse Parade is Sunday, Sept. 11 at 3:00. The fair starts Sept. 17 and ends Sept. 24. Labor Day - celebrate with a book. Cool Women, Hot Jobs ; Gig ; Dangerous Jobs ; Water Cooler Diaries ; and 50 Jobs Worse Than Yours all portray various aspects of working. For the more serious minded there’s Death in the Haymarket (about the first labor movement) and a DVD, Harlan County.




Ashley Polling Site for precincts A & B has been changed from the Wornstaff library to White Lily. Voting for both precincts was recently consolidated at the library. Now a second change has been made as a review of the facilities by the election board had concerns that the library space would not be adequate for the number of voters anticipated in 2012. We have been assured that this change is no reflection on the library.

Money Counts is a series of financial literacy programs collaboratively presented by The Wornstaff Library, The Sunbury Community Library, and the Delaware County District Library. The Wornstaff Library programs will begin on Oct. 5 with a “Right on the Money” family program, followed by a Nov. 15 program on Fraud and a Dec. 13 program on Credit Cards. Programs at the other libraries also include Investments, Shopping on a Shoestring, Credit Reports, and Wall Street Wizards. Pick up a full schedule of programs and fit appropriate ones into your schedule.



Back to School : Your library can help. Bring your laptop to the library and take advantage of the wireless connection. Use the library computers. There’s no time limit (and perhaps a little help) when you sign on to do homework. Whether you are in the library or at home you can access databases that can help through the library website (www.wornstafflibrary.blogspot.com). MasterFILE Premier provides real full-text magazine articles. Learning Express has aids and practice tests for a variety of subjects. Mango Languages could be your own personal tutor.



Books are still valuable sources of information - especially if the assignment involves reading one. We can even borrow from other libraries so if there is a special project or a hard to find novel, a little planning ahead can get make a difference.



Homeschoolers may really appreciate library resources. That borrowing aspect is good, plus reference materials, and multiple sources. The library also has a Home School section with textbooks, reproducible worksheets, and supplementary materials.



Home Learning Media and Discovery Kits also provide supplementary materials ranging from exploring feelings with preschoolers to a weather station, microscope, or electricity kit.