August 2011

Story time : There will be no children’s programs in August. Storytime will resume on Thursday morning September 1, at 10:00. All preschoolers are welcome and no registration is required. Caregivers may stay with their children. Programs last approximately forty-five minutes and include stories, finger plays, craft activities and a small related snack. Children often stay after the program for extra playtime in the children’s room.

Storytime supplies needed include washable glue sticks, markers, Crayola crayons, lunch sacks, and plain paper plates. Donations are appreciated and sometimes before school promotions have great bargains. Thank you for thinking of the library.

Buckeye Valley students go back to school August 31 (later than most because of renovation projects). Supply lists for Buckeye Valley East Elementary are available online and at the library.

The Library Community Garden will have a program on fresh food preparation with Diane Mays from the Delaware County Extension Service on Saturday August 20 at 2:00. People are invited to bring their recipes to share.

The Canning and Freezing program with Joyce Fittro had fourteen attendees with the focus on freezing. Handouts on safe, updated procedures for both canning and freezing are available. Produce from the community garden plot was shared.

The Brownie Scouts have planted pumpkins in one community garden area. This is a fund raising project for them. The Delaware Episcopal Church has planted the other area for produce for their free community dinners and for distribution.

The Ashley Corn Show is August 4, 5, & 6.

Blood Drive August 4 5:00 - 10:00

Attendance total for the first through sixth grade summer reading program has been 167 and for story time 70. One World Many Stories has been an interesting theme with lots of possibilities. Final statistics allow a little vacation leeway and will be in September’s newsletter. Prize winners are still making their choices. August will certainly be a calmer month. The Eiffel Tower will make room for the school bus and then the train table. The Buddha board will replace the Canon 3D paper craft creations on the desk. And then another school year will begin and summer will be over. Next year’s theme is Dream Big - Read! and there are already ideas and book possibilities to sort through.

The Comedy & Juggling of Matt Jergens was rated by Miss Vicky as the best program ever. Fifty-five children attended and a wonderful time was held by all. Included was a juggling jamboree which offered practice with Chinese Yoyos, etc.

The Bookmark Society will meet August 25 at 6:30. The selected book has not been announced. All book lovers are invited to join a social evening with refreshments.

BVEE SACC children have walked to the library on Tuesday afternoons for a story (read by Jane Horn) and books to take back to the school. The younger group has joined the Thursday morning Storytime on a few days.

Perseid Meteor Showers peak August 13 & 14. Blues Creek Park has a special free Saturday Aug. 13 campout with plenty of activities.

Family Movie Night in August?? Maybe. The teen movie night was enjoyed by eight teens - and served as a test use for the projector. We should make use of having that capability. Suggestions for times and titles are welcome.

Proctoring exams has been popular recently with the third patron request currently in process. Perhaps taking online or correspondence courses (not a bad idea, especially in relation to the job market) is what’s popular.

August events include continuing performances of three - better than 3-D - outdoor dramas at New Philadelphia (Trumpet in the Land and White Savage) Chillicothe (Tecumseh) and Cambridge (The Living Word). Check for outdoor concerts. Marysville has the Balloon Fest Aug. 19 & 20. There’s a Tomato Festival in Reynoldsburg, a Melon Festival in Dresden, a Sweet Corn Festival in Millersport, and the Bratwurst Festival in Bucyrus. It’s the summer finale.

The County Liners 4-H Club is having a car wash at the Delaware County Bank parking lot on August 13. They are donating their proceeds to the Wornstaff Library. We appreciate the support and hope they will be supported in this effort.

The Book Display commemorates the NASA space shuttle program which recently ended. There’s a healthy sample of science fiction and some interesting somewhat related reads. There’s more than one way to go where no one has gone before.

Library bonuses : A recent article on the rise in Netflicks’ prices ended with a public library mention. DVDs can be borrowed at NO cost, and thanks to interlibrary loan we get you things we don’t have. There are Discovery Packs for the younger set, Home Learning Media for students, and books and magazines for everyone . It’s all FREE. Use our open wireless anytime. Visit your library today.

July 2011

One World Many Stories

Antarctica (sign-up) June 20

Africa (worm race) June 27

The Americas July 5

Europe July 11

(cartooning with Dan Collins)

 Australia July 18

Asia July 25

Back in the U.S.A. July 30 (closing program) (Saturday)

The Comedy & Juggling of Matt Jergens

Storytime for preschoolers is Thursday morning at 10:00. Summer programs share the One World, Many Stories theme and program topics parallel the Monday presentations.

Questions to Antarctica are being e-mailed to an astronomer at the South Pole. http://www.polarwinter.com/

Adult readers can receive an Ohio travel and event packet. Their first review will be rewarded with a Ohio State Parks camping coupon.

Weekly drawings for free admissions and discount coupons for Ohio events are held. Sign-ups are limited to one per family per week but no reading is required !

Teen Movie Night is July 27. The Tourist will be shown and drinks and popcorn will be provided.

The Bookmark Society will meet on July 28 at 6:30. The selected book is Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls. All book lovers are invited.

Read with Me Storytime children and caregivers can receive a book, an Ohio State Park camping discount, and McDonald’s certificates by completing six reading activities. It’s a fun way to include reading in summer family time and helps to develop learning skills. Suggestions for the summer months include encouraging children to spend time reading, reading to young children daily - and talking about the stories. Older children also enjoy (and benefit from) being read to or sharing an audio book during car trips. Magazines, instructions, even recipes provide reading practice. There’s more involved than just sitting down and reading books.

Summer Reading statistics : Monday morning programs have 107 children signed up and 149 hours already read. It’s been a busy morning with 40-50 children attending plus miscellaneous parents and an ample supply of much appreciated helpers. Twenty-three teens have read 80 hours. There were 23 preschoolers at Storytime with expectations of being joined by the younger SACC group. The older ones are coming for a story and book selection on Tuesdays. Our adult readers are less visible.

Summer Letterbox Adventure with Preservation Parks of Delaware County is a great way to familiarize your family with six parks in the area. The trail to each letterbox introduces special features of the park and encourages a careful look at the natural environment. There are incentives for visiting all six. Sign up at Delaware libraries.

The Library Community Garden July program focuses on canning and freezing and will offer instruction by a certified USDA person. The program time and date will be announced. Morrow County extension educator Dana Copple will test dial gauge pressure canners on July 19 and Aug. 16 at the OSU Extension office in Mt. Gilead.

Free Kids’ Movies are shown at The Strand Theatre in Delaware on Tuesdays 11:00am and 2:30pm through August 16.

Local Events : Harmony in the Park on Sunday evenings, Perkins Observatory programs, Summer Harvest Festival at Ottawa-Bota Farm, Gardening and Arts Festival at Scioto Gardens, Blast from the Past Cruise-in, flea markets, farmers‘ market …and yard sales everywhere. We may even have some days with sunshine for better enjoyment.

Tour the world in Ohio. Towns with names of foreign countries and cities include Palestine, Warsaw, Toledo, Berlin. There’s an Ohio map posted with markings to lead you to all those places. Toledo has big city attractions. Small town Berlin is a tourist’s mecca. Warsaw, on the other hand could be a challenging adventure trip. Life in the Slow Lane: Fifty Back Road Tours of Ohio, or Ohio Pride : a Guide to Ohio Roadside History might help. So could A Taste of Ohio History : a Guide to Historic Eateries and Their Recipes. And www.letterboxing.com can take you all over the country.

The Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure may have been inspiring to some. Ohio Trails and Greenways has information about bicycle friendly routes and those marvelous rails to trails opportunities.

Special thanks to Heather and Claire McRae for sharing their Eiffel Tower collection and to Jane Horn for our paper panda and penguin and pyramid. You, too, can spend hours crafting critters. Just Google Canon 3D paper craft.

Follow the theme : The end of the range display features adult books related to the continent of the week. Some African locales include The Falcon at the Portal by Elizabeth Peters, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, The African Queen by C.S. Forester, and Emil Ludwig’s The Nile. Visit Europe through Emily Grayson’s Night Train to Lisbon, Best European Fiction 2010, The Moon Spinners by Mary Stewart, Death in Holy Orders by P.D. James, and The Mouse that Roared by Leonard Wibberly. Happy traveling.

June 2011

Story time : There will be no story time on June 2, 9, & 16.

Story time will resume on Thursday morning at 10:00 on June 23, the week summer reading starts.

One World Many Stories

Antarctica (sign-up) June 20

Africa (worm race) June 27

Europe July 5

(cartooning with Dan Collins)

The Americas July 11 Australia July 18

Asia July 25

Back in the U.S.A. July 30 (closing program) (Saturday)

The Comedy & Juggling of Matt Jergens

The 2011 Summer Reading Program begins on Monday, June 20, at 11:00. These programs last approximately one hour and include book related talks and craft activities. Participants can keep track of reading time and earn various incentives. The programs are geared for grades one through six. Sign-up begins with the June 20 program and can be done anytime after that date.

Teens can sign-up (and get a prize) starting June 20. Teen Night, June 29 at 6:30 will feature temporary body art and international foods and crafts. Teen Movie Night July 27 at 6:00 will show The Tourist and provide popcorn and a drink.

Preschool story time will resume on Thursday mornings at 10:00, starting June 23, with themes related to the summer reading program. Children and their caregivers can earn prizes in the Read with Me program which consists of several reading readiness activities designed for fun & learning.

 

Adults who sign-up will receive an Ohio travel and event packet. Their first review will be rewarded with a Ohio State Parks camping coupon.

Weekly drawings for free admissions and discount coupons for Ohio events will be held. Sign-ups are limited to one per family per week but no reading is required !

Community Garden planting day was sparsely attended perhaps because there actually was sunshine. Master gardener Nancy Reynolds and Twana Smith spaded and planted the small garden area at 201 South Street with a sampling of less familiar vegetables. FREE PLANTS AND SEEDS ARE STILL AVAILABLE.

The still unplowed garden areas are being cleared. An exciting development is the interest of the Delaware Episcopalian Church’s interest in planting a section to provide vegetables for their gardening project. Plots can be reserved. It’s not too late to plant. Many vegetables have short seasons.

Garden Maintenance could be a good topic for June 18, Saturday at 2:00. The plants are in the ground but there is still work to be done before the benefits are on your plate. Come to the library.

The Bookmark Society will meet on Thursday June 23 at 6:30. The selected book is Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, the story of two women in 19th century China. All book lovers are invited to join the group.

 

New DVDs include The King’s Speech, True Grit, The Deathly Hallows, The Tourist, Despicable Me, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Love Finds a Home plus The Botany of Desire and Planet Earth. Now on DVD are Outsiders, Shawshank Redemption, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Bambi.

Replacements for unreturned materials are another category. Whether deliberate or careless, moving seems to seriously impact our DVD collection - wiping out six at a time, or more, when it is Band of Brothers. It’s, well, criminal.

Kudos to the BVEE second grade Lazy Bones Opera Company for their excellent production of The Princess and the Posy. Thanks to the Gazette for front page coverage and more especially to Candy Staley and her class plus that long list of volunteers and contributors. Those who missed the performance can view the DVD produced by Scott Horn - soon to be available at your local library.

June events : Perkins Observatory has weekly programs on Friday June 3, 10,17, and 24 with program content dependent upon sky conditions.

The Pig & Corn Roast sponsored by the Council for Older Adults is Saturday June 11.

Youth Fishing Derby at Delaware State Park is Saturday June 18 at 9, 10, & 11. Poles and refreshments are provided.

GOBA, the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure, June 18-25, loops through Delaware County on the 20-21.

Delaware Amateur Radio Field Day is June 25 and 26. Watch local ham operators; be on the air.

Farmers’ Markets are open, the Gales are back in business on Route 42 at the south edge of Ashley. There’s sheep cheese available from Ben and Lisa Sippel (sippelfamilyfarm@brightchoice.net) .

Gooding Scholarships from the Community Foundation of Delaware are available to college students entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year. Applicants should be Delaware residents who attended local schools. Last year 75 scholarships totaling $145,000 were awarded.

Online resources coming soon to a library near you include Mango Languages and Ancestry the library edition. The Ancestry program will only be available in the library but this premier database should be a welcome addition for genealogy buffs. We may have to extend our computer time to its users along with those for homework, employment, and business. We could not afford a subscription. All the computer databases available at this library are paid for by the State Library’s OPLIN project - and soon there will be fiber optic connections.

May 2011

Storytime: (Thursday mornings at 10:00)

Mother’s Day May 5

Pets May 12

At the Pond May 19

The Zoo May 26

NO STORYTIME June 2, June 9, June 16

One World, Many Stories begins June 23

Summer Reading will start on June 20. This year’s theme is One World, Many Stories which provides a wonderful opportunity for exploring countries and cultures all over the globe.

Storytimers can earn McDonald’s coupons and books by completing reading readiness activities.

1st - 6th grade will have regular Monday morning programs

and can earn books, coupons and prizes by reading.

Teens receive an incentive for signing up and hourly reading and have two programs.

Adults receive a tour Ohio packet and can earn State Park camping discounts and prizes.

Weekly drawing for Ohio discount tickets.

The Comedy and Juggling of Matt Jergens will provide the finale on Saturday July 30.

The Bookmark Society will meet on Thursday May 26 at 6:30 and are reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. All readers and book lovers are welcome to join the group for a convivial evening .

Local voting issues on the May ballot include a 6 mill Ashley police levy, the county wide 911 renewal levy, and the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities renewal. Polls are open from 6:30am-7:30pm.

Delaware County Master Gardeners are hosting a discussion on the benefits of community gardening at the William Street Methodist Church in Delaware on Monday, May 2 at 6:30.

The Library Food Garden Workshop on Saturday May 21 at 2:00 will, we hope, be a planting day at Mandy Bear’s House, 201 South Street. There will definitely be plants to share. Take a look at the peas and lettuce in the straw bale cold frame. Don’t forget, the library has garden tools for checkout including a sod stripper.

Nine people attended the Herbs and Vegetables program presented by master gardener Susan Leichty. Handouts listed compatible vegetables and herbs and included several recipes. Suggestions for preserving herbs included freezing, drying, simple syrup infusions, and layering in salt.

Community Garden plots will be available if the ground ever dries out enough to plow and plant. Sign up at the library.

The Trout Fishing Tournament will take place at Ashley’s Newman Park reservoir on Saturday May 7 from 8:00am to noon. Lunch will be served and trophies awarded. Youths up to age 12 are eligible but must be accompanied by an adult and have their own fishing pole and bait. Pre-registration is available at the library and village office or can be done at the tournament.

Ashley Healthy Neighborhood The Delaware General Health District needs local input and help in developing health related community activities. Suggestions have included a farmer’s market (or DATA transportation to Delaware’s), fitness classes, community gardens, family cooking classes, and teen groups. Call Audra Jordan 740-203-2012.

Multicultural readiness for One World, Many Stories - Asian Festival at Franklin Park in Columbus on May 28 & 29, and Native American Traditional PowWow at Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard May 28-30.

http://www.delawarecountyevents.com/ lists activities in the area. May 20-22 has a Civil War Enactment in Sunbury and the Delaware Arts Festival is May 14 & 15.

Orange Branch Library community open house is Saturday May 14, 10:00-2:00 at 7171 Gooding Boulevard. Check out Delaware’s new addition !

Children’s Book Week is May 1 - 7. April was your month for reading poetry. Here’s your excuse for indulging in picture books - one of the valuable perks of being a librarian which we’re willing to share. Ike LaRue the dog, rabbit siblings Max and Ruby, Lily of the purple plastic purse, Olivia the charming egotistical pig are enjoyable characters who would be glad to make your acquaintance.

Workers’ Rights are internationally celebrated on May 1st, a day of demonstrations for an 8 hour work day in 1890.

May Day is a spring festival in many countries.

Memorial Day, now on the last Monday in May, originally honored those who died in the Civil War. Today it provides recognition for all Americans who gave their lives in military service. Our display case will feature military memorabilia.

April 2011

Story time : (Thursday morning 10:00)

Library Week is Coming April 7

How Does Your Garden Grow? April 14

Easter April 21

Rainy Days April 28

Mother’s Day May 5

Homeschool Book Talk is scheduled for Tuesday, April 12 at 2:30. The week before is Money Smart Week and that’s the general theme. Some educational materials have been provided by the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank and The Bank.

Programs are geared for first through sixth grade. Theme related activities and refreshments are part of the program. All homeschoolers are invited.

Game Day will be held Wednesday April 6 from 2:00 - 4:00. Meet at the library for food and fun during spring break. All ages are welcome. Bring your favorite non-electronic game to share with others or take advantage of our selection which includes skittles. Bring your parents, your siblings, and your friends.

The Library Food Garden Workshop on Saturday April 16 at 2:00 will be led by the Backyard Master Gardener Susan Leichty. She will talk on using herbs with homegrown vegetables. Growing and cooking ideas will be shared in a round table discussion. Susan Leichty and Connie Zuga helped the Brownies start seeds for starter garden plants to be given away at the May meeting. The Saturday March 19 meeting competed with summery weather but five attendees constructed and planted the straw bale cold frame in front of the library. Thanks to Bill and Shirley Thurston for donating the straw bales.

 

Poetry should not mean But be. - Archibald MacLeish

Poetry is truth in its Sunday clothes. -Joseph Roux

 

The Bookmark Society will meet Thursday, April 28, at 6:30 and is reading Arranged Marriage by Chitra Banerjee - a collection of stories about India-born girls and women in America as they balance old treasured beliefs and surprising new desires. The club celebrated its second birthday at the March meeting. Many thanks to organizer Marsha Carroll. All book lovers are welcome.

 

National Library Week is April 10 -16. That’s seven days to celebrate. Try seven ways to enjoy your library. Come to a program (3 that week!), Order an old time favorite movie. Take advantage of high speed wireless Internet. Browse the hundred magazines or the $1 a bag book sale. Read a book.

Call with a reference question. Love your library -for bonus points.

 

Delawarecountyevents.com has a new category Library”, a collaborative effort of all the Delaware County libraries : Wornstaff Library, Community Library in Sunbury and the Delaware County District Library. This makes it easy to search for story times, book clubs, and other library programs which fit your schedule and provide a wider awareness of program opportunities.

Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by Ashley Village will take place Saturday April 23 at 1:00 at Newman Park (swimming pool / reservoir area). This is for youth up to 8 years old. Volunteers and donations are still needed. Contact Elaine McFarland at 740-747-2891. Help support local activities for youth.

Legislative Day for Libraries was March 24 and Delaware County District Library, the Community Library of Sunbury and Wornstaff Library were all represented. Ohio Library Council spokesperson Lynda Murray reviewed the status of library related legislation. The overwhelming personal response from library users last year made a continuing impression on legislators.

A large group met with Senator Kris Jordan to express relief that library cuts were limited to an additional 5% while emphasizing the importance of libraries for computer and Internet access, preschool literacy, and general information - plus the library’s function as a community center. Andrew Brenner was not available for our appointment with him.

Probable future dependence on a significant portion of local funding raises concerns about equitable library service, charges for out of area patrons, and the uncertainty, cost, and time of levy campaigns.

Internet access will be updated this summer - a prime example of the benefits of statewide library support and collaboration. The state OPLIN project brought Internet access to all Ohio public libraries many years ago - and long before Ashley would have managed that step. It pays the Wornstaff Library annual cost of $7000 for internet access and data circuits and provides EBSCOhost, a popular magazine, etc.. database, for $559 as opposed to an individual cost of $11,940.

State wide funding enables many collaborative projects and provides much economy of scale. Interlibrary loan is another example. Sharing books throughout the state helps patrons get the materials they want and reduces duplication of lower circulating items.

 

April is Poetry Month. Take time to sample and enjoy some poems. Narratives, limericks, haiku, Shakespearian sonnets, and modern blank verse - surely there is something to like amongst them all.

National promotions suggests “a poem in your pocket” day on April 14 -great for sharing favorites.

Poems come like boats With sails for wings ; Crossing the sky swiftly They slip under tall bridges Of clouds. - Hilda Conkling.

March 2011

Story time

Thank You, Dr. Seuss Mar. 3

Pancakes Mar. 10

St. Patrick’s Day Mar. 17

It’s Spring ! Mar. 24

Celebrate Art Mar. 31

Library Week Is Coming April 7

Gardening series: Seed Starting is the basic topic for the March 19 program. There will be seed to share and tips on starting seeds at home. Plus, help make a straw bale cold frame and plant lettuce and spinach. The Backyard Master Gardeners will be here on March 15 to help the Girl Scouts start seeds for plants to be distributed in May.

The Buckeye Dulcimer Festival is set for March 9 - 13 with Friday and Saturday night concerts $10). Workshops are available during the day. This is the 20th annual event, organized by Ashley’s own Louise Ziegler and held at Recreation Unlimited. Develop your own musical skills or just enjoy the music of other well trained and talented musicians. All proceeds go to Recreation Unlimited.

Maple sugar time is here. Three area festivals provide an opportunity to view the operations, share the experience, and enjoy a breakfast. Camp Lazarus is open two Saturdays March 5 and 12. Stratford Ecological Center has tours on March 5 & 19, and tours and a reservation only breakfast on March. 12. The Lutheran Camp on Route 61 has breakfast on Sunday March 13. Indians produced maple sugar long before white settlers arrived and it was a basic sweetener for the pioneers. You get a history lesson along with motivation for venturing out into the cold to celebrate a genuine harbinger of spring as the trees come out of dormancy. Stay tuned for the chorus of frogs, the march of the salamanders and the return of the buzzards.

 

** Attention Harry Potter Fans ** The Central Ohio Symphony is providing a Magical Musical Month of March as promotion for its March 27 concert featuring The Harry Potter Suite and Carmina Burana. Downtown Delaware will be turned into Harry Potter locales on First Friday, March 4. Get your house assignment and free train ticket from the Sorting Hat at Platform 9 ¾ ( 24 E. Winter St.). Strolling Renaissance characters, wand makers, face painting, potion making, and carnival games are included. There will be a symposium on the writing of J. K. Rowling on March 22 and a Quidditch match Sunday afternoon, March 27.

Learning Express (www.ohioweblibrary.org then click on A+) has recently updated their computer skills courses to include Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010. Available databases include practice tests and tutorials for education levels from elementary school through college plus general workplace skills improvement. These are free to all Ohioans, funded by the State Library with a federal IMLS LSTA grant to libraries Connect Ohio. See what you could be learning at your library.

The Bookmark Society will meet on March 24 at 6:30. They are reading Possession by A. S. Byatt. Share a social evening with other book lovers. Refreshments are provided.

St. Patrick’s Day : Plant peas, wear green, and bake some soda bread, maybe sing an Irish tune.

The Christian Science Monitor is being passed on to the library and its users by a subscribing patron.

New DVDs will be ordered in March, with the usual effort for diversity - some popular commercial movies (Secretariat, Social Network ), children’s (Jr. Detective Agency, Barbie, Goosebumps), a couple of documentaries (Gasland, European River Tours) and a couple of foreign films (White Wedding Night, Inspector Bellamy). DVD replacements of some videos are also on the list - oldies but goodies doesn’t just apply to music.

Free tax preparation for low to moderate income people is provided by Delaware County VITA. Sites are 200 South Washington Street, Delaware (Wed. 5:00 - 9:00 and Sat. 10:00-2:00) and 7991 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center (Tue. 5:00-9:00 and Sat. 10:00-2:00). No appointment is required at these two sites. The Sunbury Community Library, Delaware County Senior Center, and Andrews House are other VITA sites where appointments are required. Farther information can be had by calling 1-800-906-9887. Over twenty people had their taxes filed at the Wornstaff Library by VITA workers on Feb. 5 and 19.

Big Screen opportunities include the Ohio Wesleyan Community Film Series at the Strand on Tuesday and Wednesday nights starting March 1 & 2 with some classics, some foreign samples, an independent or two and The Kids Are All Right. A series sponsored by Sustainable Delaware began Feb. 16 and will provide films, discussion, and tours of local facilities - Sims Recycling in Marion on March 19. For something completely different try the live HD broadcasts of Metropolitan Opera productions Saturdays at Crosswoods Cinema.

March is the beginning of Daylight Savings Time on the thirteenth, a whole week before Spring arrives. Perhaps Mother Earth will give up snow for Lent - at least in Ohio.

 

Juvenile biographies have been refurnished with almost forty selections from more contemporary series such as Wicked History and Who was…? It’s a fresh look at some standards (Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman) plus Princess Diana and Vlad the Impaler among others. Real stories about real people for real boys and girls.

February 2011

Story time : (Thursdays at 10:00)

Groundhogs & Shadows Feb. 3

Be My Valentine Feb. 10

What Shall I Wear ? Feb. 17

Brush Your Teeth Feb. 24

Thank You, Dr. Seuss Mar. 3

The Library Food Garden workshop will be held on February 19 at 2:00. The Backyard Master Gardeners will present a program on garden planning with ideas on what, when, and where to plant. Seed and plant options, bed preparation, and container gardening will be discussed. Find out how you, too, can grow vegetables for your family. Save money, enjoy the outdoors, and benefit from really fresh tasty results.

Homeschool Book Talk will be on money matters Tuesday April 12, 2:30. April is financial literacy month and will be celebrated with displays and some collaborative programming by all Delaware County libraries.

Big crayons were crafted for the library by story time parent, Alisa Agin. Various volunteers helped sort all the leftover small ends of crayons into color groups and Alisa melted and molded them for reuse.

One Christmas “present” remains, brightening up the library on these wintery days. This glass package filled with lights and tied with a fancy ribbon was made by Bret and Jennifer Rader and presented to the library.

The Bookmark Society meets February 24 at 6:30. Joanna Fluke’s Sugar Cookie Murder is the selected reading. All readers and book lovers are invited to share good company and food.

Free tax preparation for low to moderate income people will be available at the Wornstaff Library on February 5 and 19 from 10:00 to 2:00. Call 211 to schedule an appointment. Delaware County VITA is providing this service. Other VITA sites are 200 South Washington Street, Delaware (Wed. 5:00 - 9:00 and Sat. 10:00-2:00) and 7991 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center (Tue. 5:00-9:00 and Sat. 10:00-2:00). No appointment is required at these two sites. The Sunbury Community Library, Delaware County Senior Center, and Andrews House are other VITA sites where appointments are required. Farther information can be had by calling 1-800-906-9887.

Tax forms are still arriving and may be had at the library. State and school district forms, and many federal forms are available or can be printed from www.irs.gov. Schedule A will not be sent until sometime in February and instruction booklets for 1040A and 1040 are also not currently available. The library also has W2s and 1099s for employers,

Mardi Gras is Tuesday March 8 and New Orleans is on display. Get ready for your own celebration. Discover the worlds of James Lee Burke, John Kennedy Toole, Anne Rice, and Rebecca Wells. Make your own shoebox float or king cake.

You are our Valentine A big “we love you” to all our patrons from all the staff.

Love n’ chocolate - the perfect combination for a Valentine’s Day book display. Take a look & savor.

Magazine discards from previous years are now available, and they are free. They are just in time for making valentines and whiling away winter hours creating collages - or browsing articles and clipping recipes. Who knows what treasures lurk within. Please continue the recycling process. Don’t forget the library’s continuing book sale while enjoying the cool basement clime. At ten cents each and $1.00 a bag, they are almost free.

Newbery and Caldecott winners for most distinguished contribution to children’s literature and best children’s picture book are announced in early January. Winning is a guarantee of being in print forever which is great for the author/illustrator but decisions are just as argued as Academy Awards. We have ordered the winners but did not have either on the shelf and only one of the honor books : Interrupting Chicken by David Stein. The winners are Newbery: Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool with honors to Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, Dark Emperor by Joyce Sidman, and One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia ; and Caldecott : A Sick Day for Amos McGee illustrated by Erin E. Stead and written by Philip Stead with honors to Dave the Potter illustrated by Bryan Collierand written by Laban Hill, and the chicken book. Stay tuned for the Buckeye Children’s Book Awards. Students can nominate their favorites through March 2, 2011.

Winter wonderland?? You’re here in Ohio, why not enjoy it? Preservation Parks has regular park access plus a number of programs featuring an appreciation for the winter outdoors. The Great Backyard Bird Count on February 19 at Deer Haven Preserve will help you recognize birds at your feeder. Valentine’s Day weekend features Cuisine along the Ravine and a Sweethearts Walk. State parks also have hiking, sledding, and cross country ski opportunities. Maple sugaring is coming! Last Child in the Woods looks at the decreasing contact today’s youth has with the outdoors world. Adults may be suffering from a similar deprivation.

January 2011

Story time : (Thursday morning at 10:00)

Unbirthday Party Jan. 6

Hat Day Jan 13

Let It Snow Jan. 20

Penguins Jan. 27

Groundhogs & Shadows Feb. 3

Storytime sessions start the new year with a birthday celebration for everyone. These programs are open to all preschoolers. Stories, finger plays, activities, crafts, and (frequently) snacks last about forty-five minutes. Parents are encouraged to attend and participation is quite flexible. No registration is required. Many families extend the program with an upstairs play period in the children’s room while parents socialize and select materials for checkout.

The Bookmark Society will meet January 27 at 6:30. Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods : Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail is the January selection. February’s selection is Joanne Fluke’s The Sugar Cookie Murder. All readers are invited to share an evening of books and food.

Community Gardening 2011 will start off with the first in a series of third Saturday programs. Planning for the coming season will be the general theme with garden catalogs available and recommendations for basic vegetable gardening. There will be an opportunity to order seed to share and to suggest varieties for the beyond-the-basics vegetable garden. January 15 at 2:00 at the library.

Recycle your cell phones, batteries, and chargers. The Delaware County Health Department and The Friends for Life Fund have a collection box at the library for safe recycling of these materials.

Winter activities : There’s more than the mall in Columbus. The Columbus Museum of Art has a grand opening on Jan. 1 for the renovated building and new Center for Creativity. (Admission is free on Sundays.) Orchid Forest at Franklin Park Conservatory will be available for a winter reprieve from Jan. 15 - Mar. 27. Marion offers The Music of Florence Hardin at OSU Marion (Jan. 20); Amateur Film Finals (Jan. 22) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Jan. 28) at the Palace, and a Bridal Extravaganza (Jan. 23) at the fairgrounds.

Inventory in progress. We’re making a list and checking it twice- or not too many times more we hope. Books get misplaced or, unfortunately, sometimes stolen. It’s a good to periodically verify just what is actually here and available. Winter is a bit slower and a good time to concentrate on indoor activities. Preparation for summer reading is regularly on the top of the list and this year we’re also working on the inventory of materials. We’ll be checking on long overdues and clearing lost items from the catalog. Inventory is also a good check on misshelved and inaccurately labeled books.

Prospects for 2011 The income provided by the library levy will ensure a full year of full service with staff, programs, and materials. Thank you Ashley Village and Oxford Township. Summer Reading will take us everywhere with One World Many Stories. We may get the carpets cleaned before flying off to all those novel destinations.

Time magazine is being donated by a patron and will be available regularly for checkout.

New DVDs Eat Pray Love, The Expendables, Toy Story 3, Handy Manny, Letters to Juliet, Ramona and Beezus, Iron Man II, Temple Grandin, The Kids Are All Right, and Salt are some of the new purchases, plus several DVD video replacements, and documentaries on The Founding Fathers, Heroes of the Bible, and Ancient African Kingdoms. We do take reserves - and suggestions. We can also borrow from other libraries though not the most recent releases. And it is all FREE.

Magazine discards are another winter housekeeping activity. Articles are available online and the library no longer needs to keep back issues. Discards are free and may be requested. Duplicate requests are usually shared. The rest are available FREE to the general public for articles, recipes and both crafts and craft materials. You, too may have a bit more time and be more interested in indoor activities at this time of year. Creative Paper Jewelry is a new addition to the collection. Collage Discovery Workshop : Beyond the Unexpected has some interesting projects.

Profile Ohio, an informative pamphlet published by the Ohio Secretary of State is available at the library. History -People - Events of interest-More

WANTED : Bottle caps and jar lids are needed for BVEE’s visiting artist project in February. Used ink cartridges help the library purchase office supplies. The BVEE food pantry needs year round donations of both food and clothing.

Garden Tours ? Christmas in Ashley was such a wonderful experience perhaps something similar could be planned for the summer. Garden tours would fit in nicely with the library’s community gardening program, possibly in conjunction with the Corn Show. Vegetable gardening, flowers, and landscaping are all possibilities. Call the library (747-2085) and talk with either Susan Bussard or Liz Barker with your suggestions - and offers to help.

December 2010

Holiday Hours :

Closed December 24 & 25 ;

Close at 5:00 Dec. 31 ;

Closed January 1, 2011.

Storytime : (Thursday mornings at 10:00)

Holiday Treats Dec. 2

Animals in Winter Dec. 9

Christmas Dec. 16

No Storytime Dec. 23

Dec. 30

Happy Unbirthday Jan. 6

Megan Burns, our page and regular story time helper, will present the Dec. 2 Holiday Treats program. Storytime will take a short holiday break and resume January 6, 2011. Happy New Year !

Game Day, Wednesday December 29, will provide some activity for all those vacationing students. All ages are invited. We’ve even had some adult participation. The time is 2:00 - 4:00. This will be a good opportunity to try out the County Fair game purchased at the Buckeye Book Fair.

A Christmas Adoption Tree is at the library. Participants choose an Elf with age, size, and possibly a suggestion which should be attached to the unwrapped present for a child in need and delivered to a BV school no later than 2:30, Dec. 14.

Christmas in Ashley December 4, 6:00 - 9:00

Luminaries will line downtown High Street, a live nativity, Santa Claus, carolers, and a tour of homes will celebrate the season. What a wonderful way to appreciate what volunteer efforts can accomplish. The library has been collecting milk jugs for the Scouts to turn into luminaries, generous individuals are preparing and sharing their homes, and Amy Ruggles deserves some special credit. ENJOY !

The Library Food Garden evaluation and 2011 planning meeting consisted of five Master Gardeners, one library staff, and three community participants. Starting seeds, starter garden kits of plants and seeds, gardening assistance, and garden space would be the primary focus. The season would start with a January garden planning meeting encouraging group seed purchase. A list of people in the area available for plowing, rototilling, and spading (both volunteer and paid) should be made. Library gardens would continue the square foot garden, and have a straw bale cold frame followed by a bean teepee. The Brownies would again start seeds for community distribution and have a garden for donations to the food pantry. They will also have a fund raising pumpkin patch. Monthly programs, weekly visiting gardener support, and a Facebook page were discussed.

The Master Gardeners received an Excellence Award for an outstanding master gardener volunteer project for their participation in this year’s program. The award included a $50 gift certificate from A.M. Leonard Company which they presented to the Wornstaff Library.

The Bookmark Society is meeting December 2 at 6:30 (instead of Thanksgiving Day), reading Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand. All book lovers are invited for a social evening. The next meeting time - and book - will be decided at the December meeting.

Art projects at Buckeye Valley East include a January visit from folk musician Russ Childers with a community square dance at Radnor Buckeye Valley North on Jan. 13 and a February residence by bottle cap artist Michelle Stitzlein. Visit her web site http://www.artgrange.com/ for a look at some of the projects. And save your plastic bottle caps. The library may be a display site for some creations. What about a Wornstaff Library sign for the lawn?

Thanks to Brownie troops #2636 & #633 for books donated to the collection and summer reading.

We’re glad to host their meetings.

More space. Bookshelves from the now defunct used book store in Delaware have been donated to the library by the new occupant, The Central Ohio Symphony. One will go in the back room for paperbacks and audio books and one in the basement to provide better book sale access and storage. The moving logistics are still being worked out - both getting the shelves here and getting the materials back in order.

The Buckeye Valley East Food Pantry has been reorganized to include food and clothing and extra hours. The pantry is open Tuesdays 10:00 to noon and 4:00-6:00, and Thursdays 1:30-3:30. If no one is there, go to the school office . The Brownies are collecting coats. There is a box at the library.

 

K. C. Kay’s Tanning Salon is announced and looking very Christmasy in the space that housed the Phoenix Bakery. Work is progressing on the stabilization of the Sargent building and will include a modified front and opened streetscape sidewalk area. Christmas flags should be up and please may all the water leaks be found and repaired.

Gratitudes for the year : First and foremost we again thank our dedicated levy committee and the voters of Ashley village and Oxford Township for passing the library levy. After the previous months of shortened hours and no expenditures on materials we are all delighted to be able to be a full service library. Local interest and support for the Community Garden grant, donations of and for books, grants, and general community support were especially encouraging as we continued to gain appreciation for the benefits of staff time. We were able to provide the summer reading program thanks to a grant from the Delaware Community Foundation and the efforts of children’s librarian Vicky Collins and assistant librarian Susan Bussard plus volunteer help. We are looking forward to 2011 and the ability to serve the community with materials, computer access, meeting space, and friendly, unstressed staff. We thank our patrons.

November 2010

Storytime (Thursday morning at 10:00)

Daytime/Nighttime Nov. 4

Friends Nov. 11

Thanksgiving Nov. 18

No Storytime Nov. 25

Holiday Treats Dec. 2

The library will be closed on Thanksgiving, November 25, and there will be no story time that week. Hours otherwise will be the same.

Homeschool Book Talk will be Wednesday, November 17 at 2:30. We the People Bookshelf, a grant sponsored collection of American history, will provide the theme, with a focus on the Civil War. There will be a craft and some food. The program will be geared for 1st through 6th but all ages are welcome. Please note the change of day and time.

Community Gardening planning for next year should be looked at some time in November. We’re meeting with the Backyard Master Gardeners to lay out a full schedule and are interested in comments and participants.

Election Day is November 2 and the library is now the polling place for all of Ashley Village. There will be a temporary, handicapped parking place on the east side of the parking lot and (hopefully) a moderate amount of traffic during the day. Village council meeting will be held on Wednesday even though the village office is no longer a polling place.

The book sale is overflowing. There are lots of juvenile fiction books, some children’s (both from discards and donations), romance novels, and many others. As always, it’s ten cents a book or a dollar a bag. Stock up now for those long winter days. Video tape discards are also in the sale.

Movies at the Library

Thanks to all the donations of materials and time for the Community Gardening grant we were able to acquire a projector and DVD player with funds from the grant. Movies at the library debuted with the Pumpkin Circle program and there are other possibilities including summer outdoor showings, Another possibility would be a books-made-into-movies discussion group. We are in the process of looking at movie licensing which would enable us to share many of our holdings.

The Council for Older Adults display will be on the table at the front entrance during November. This Delaware County organization provides many services that help older residents maintain a healthy life style and stay in their own homes. The associated Senior Center has a variety of educational and recreational programs and facilities. Their monthly newsletter is available at the library.

A Board of Trustees retreat for The Delaware County District Library included directors and trustees of the Sunbury Community Library and the Wornstaff Library. Linda Murray from the Ohio Library Council spoke on the role of the trustees. A discussion on possible collaborations focused on personal finance, health and early childhood literacy and concluded with plans to use the Delaware Reads site as a community library calendar.

DVD purchases are a possible grant that Susan Bussard is exploring. Many video tapes would be replaced, especially in the children’s section. Many patrons still use tapes but younger families may only have DVD capabilities. We’d have more room.


New Juvenile Fiction Lots and lots of choices are available thanks to an extensive donation of several boxesful and the economical results of the conveniently located Junior Literary Guild sale. Be sure to mark your calendars for next year. Juvenile fiction circulation last month showed a 49% increase over that month’s circulation in 2009. How wonderful to be able to cater to that interest.

A tip for adults is the crossover interest. Many of these titles can be enjoyed by you, too. Perhaps we could use that strategy to increase the picture book circulation. One of the advantages of being a librarian is the “dreadful” necessity of being familiar with all the books - which is a legitimate excuse for reading Olivia, A Balloon for Isabel and Jon Scieszka.

The Book of Genesis illustrated by R. Crumb is the basis of a current exhibit at the Columbus Museum of Art. Sundays are free. Should we have a copy??

The Family Tree Maker is exciting donation number two. We’re working on installing it and making it available to patrons.

Thanks to BVEE PTO for donating the DVD How To Train Your Dragon and the short Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon.

The BVEE Halloween parade had a sunny, not-too-cold afternoon for its march uptown. The library passed out around 350 bookmarks and suckers with Vicky Collins as a party going witch and Liz Barker sporting a flamingo hat. Storytime’s Halloween program saw a number of princesses and the requisite Power Ranger.

Holiday help at the library is there for you - recipes, Thanksgiving 101, gift suggestions and patterns, decorating ideas, and much, much more including ever popular seasonal books and movies. It’s not too early to start your planning as the store’s are already reminding you. Enjoy the season.

October 2010

Story time : (Thursday at 10:00)
Fire Prevention Week Oct. 7
Apples & Pumpkins Oct. 14
Pizza, Pasta, & Popcorn Oct. 21
Halloween Oct. 28

Daytime/Nighttime Nov. 4

Buckeye Book Fair is coming to Wooster on Nov. 6. This annual event features 100 or so authors either from Ohio or writing about Ohio. Books are discounted and authors available for autographs and conversation. Watch for fliers with a list of authors and their books. Plus, it’s fall; it’s Amish country.

The Youth Catfish Fishing Tournament will be held Saturday, October 16 from 6:00pm to 9:00 pm at Newman Park reservoir. It’s free for all youth up to age 12. Bring your own fishing pole and adult supervision. You can register at the library.

A Scarecrow Contest is being sponsored by Preservation Parks. Families should bring clothing and other decorations. Frames and stuffing will be provided. Make your scarecrow on Oct 1 at 6:30 and come back for the judging Oct. 10 during the annual Pioneer Day event - both at Gallant Woods.

The library will not have a scarecrow workshop.

Growing Community : the Library Food Garden is getting wrapped up in a report and in the ground. Central Ohio Landscape Company and volunteers have planted fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, and some miscellaneous items at Delaware Manor, Ashley Manor, Ashley Villa, Newman Park, BVEE, and the library. We expect other fruit from this project in coming years. Scheduled for late fall is a meeting with master gardeners to plan next year’s programs encouraging and nurturing local gardening. There’s interest in a pumpkin patch.

The Bookmark Society will meet on October 28 (6:30) and will be reading The Optimist‘s Daughter by Eudora Welty (which is actually here). It’s tricky to get half a dozen copies of the same book and we’ve run into problems the past couple of times. Not to worry. The book itself seems less important than the fellowship leavened with a bit of good food. All readers and book lovers are welcome.

Halloween costumes, customs, and consumables are lurking in October magazines and numerous books on the library shelves. You’ll find many new ideas and specifics for creating things that are ghostly images in your head. Ashley’s beggar night will be Sunday October 31. 6:00 - 7:30. The school Halloween parade is Friday afternoon, October 29 at 2:30. It’s quite a treat for everyone. The library lawn has bench seating and room for chairs and blankets.

Daylight saving time will be with us until November 7, six and one half weeks after the autumnal equinox, with ten whole hours of daylight to save. For a detailed history and rationale read David Prerau’s Seize the Daylight : the Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time.

Discovery Kits for younger children are themed back packs with books, games, models, and sometimes a video. These packs may be checked out by adults and can be used at home for enrichment or plain fun and general interest. Subjects are Careers, Cooking, Dinosaurs, Feelings, Fire Engines, Frations, Get Ready to Read, Human Body, Insicts & Spiders, Music, Nature, New Sibling, Puppetry, Reptiles & Amphibians, Thomas the Tank Engine, Transportation, and U. S. Geography.

Home Learning Media are similar, singular, materials for older children and include a magnetism kit, microscope with slides, Spanish flash cards, and a rain gauge. Check our online catalog for a full list: , call numbers Dscvrykt and HLM.

The Pumpkin Circle will be shown at the Wornstaff Library, Wednesday October 20 at 6:30. Both the projector and the DVD were purchased with Growing Community funds. The movie is a unique celebration of pumpkin growing and will be followed by related crafts and food. Join us for what we hope will be a unique celebration of this year’s Library Food Garden.

Constitution Day ( September 17) was an ideal time for a display featuring We the People bookshelf and Picturing America posters that the library has received this past year. These books and posters are available for classroom and home school use and include some instructional materials. Books and DVDs may be checked out by individuals. DVDs include four Sunnyland seminars on the constitution. Ratification by Pauline Maier, a recently published book on pre-constitutional discussion, is on order.

Ashley History worth knowing. The Delaware County Fair is fresh in everyone’s minds - especially those young participants who proudly paraded their livestock and displayed all sorts of projects. The village of Ashley has a very special relationship to them. Years ago fairs were for adults. Mom and Dad and Aunt Minnie paraded their livestock and brought their pies and quilts. Ashley had the first junior fair in the nation, hoping to compete with other local fairs by attracting more visitors. The local R. B. Powers company supplied ribbons to reward the young participants. The rest is history.

What is a Green Hour? - National Wildlife Federation

What is a Green Hour? - National Wildlife Federation

September 2010

Storytime
Back to School Sept. 2
Grandparents’ Day Sept. 9
Elephants Sept. 16
Let’s Go To the Fair Sept. 23
Falling Leaves Sept. 30

Storytime is a program for all preschoolers. Programs last about forty-five minutes and include finger plays, reading aloud, craft activities, and (frequently) a related snack. Parents are encouraged to attend with their children and participation throughout the program is flexible. There is time for extra play and socializing in the library children’s room afterwards. No registration is required.

Summer Reading concluded with a water activity themed program at the library. Drawings were held for first - sixth graders who completed 10 hours of reading. A total of 1526 hours were read by 119 children who signed up. Nine preschoolers and caregivers completed the Read with Me program. Adults who participated in the program (16) received prizes. Five local area children completed the Preservation Parks Summer Letterbox Adventure and will be eligible for their drawing. Vacations were enjoyed by all. School is right around the corner.

Aaron Scheeler is the new library board member replacing David Knape. Mr. Scheeler is a local area native who lives in Ashley. He has a background in banking and a law degree and is a very welcome addition to the board. We appreciate his interest in the library and his willingness to serve the community.

The Worthington Deaf Services Center provides American Sign Language classes starting Sept. 21.

Garden Clean-up and Fall Planting workshop will be presented by Delaware County Master Gardeners on Thursday evening Sept. 2 at 7:00 at the library. No matter what your gardening success this summer this is a good evaluation program that will provide a start for an even better year in 2011. We hope to see many of you there.

The Community Garden plots have been providing fresh produce for the BVEE Food Pantry. Fruits, nuts, and berries will be planted at Delaware Manor, BVEE, Newman Park, Ashley Villa, Ashley Manor and the library. Books, magazines, and DVDs for the library and SACC are in the ordering process. Garden tools have been provided to SACC and are still available for check-out at the library. The Growing Community grant has definitely been a learning process. Thanks to all the donations of materials and help, spending the money has been more of a problem than anticipated. The good part of the small cost is that we hope to continue similar programming support next year with better planning and logistics - and minimal record keeping.

Safer steps into the library are thanks to Boy Scout Noah Eblin working on his citizenship badge. The Scouts provided white striping several years ago and Noah redid that and painted the bicycle rack.

The Bookmark Society will meet on Sept. 30 at 6:30 - at the library. The selected reading is The Optimist’s Daughter by Eudora Welty. All readers are invited to share a social evening.

Delaware County Health Department educators Audra Jordan and Caryn Roth visited the library and the school recently, educating themselves on the needs of the community and possibilities. What services and programming do you recommend for the area? One of our suggestions was a teen group with cooking classes.

Library and school partnerships are often a workshop topic and this was one of the questions the health educators asked. The Wornstaff Library is a local, accessible resource for students and teachers. In past years there were regular visits from school classes, teacher collections were provided, and school reports kept us scrambling to find and keep materials available for whole classes. Times have changed. Teachers are overwhelmed by requirements and, of course, everything is available on the internet. The library has public internet access and a wireless connection. (Not everyone does.) Extra time on the computer is allowed for homework assignments. And sometimes books are a better and more reliable source for information. The library can borrow materials from other libraries (though it takes some time and planning) or provide a teacher with a collection that could be used by the whole class. Parents and students can help the library and the school work together cooperatively for everyone’s benefit by communicating assignments or reporting on local resources.

Ashley updates: Best wishes for a better civic atmosphere and more cooperative efforts for the good of the community. Popsters seems to be thriving and gives a welcome look of activity to downtown. The drive-through has new local ownership and perhaps new possibilities. Unfortunately both The Phoenix Bakery and Wade’s Barbershop have closed.

Thanks to Rick Lindsay who has helped with a variety of tasks at the library including the refurbishing of the SACC strawberry bed.

School assignments can be made easier with some help from the library. Magazine articles can be accessed at http://www.ohioweblibrary.org/ at the library or at home.

Gardening Materials : Watch for gardening and healthy eating books, magazines, and DVDs paid for by the Growing Community grant. Some materials will be donated to the BVEE SACC program to encourage their participation in their garden plot.

August 2010

There will be no story time during August.

Splish Splash summer reading closing party will be held in the library parking lot on Monday August 2 at 11:00. All ages, preschoolers through teens are invited to attend for a fun filled water activity based finale. Final reading hour tallies and prize tickets will be recorded. The prize drawing for first through sixth graders will be held. Winners don’t have to be present to win but will have fewer prize choices. Adult prizes will be drawn later in the week.

One thousand and fifty-four hours have been tallied so far. The library was raided by pirates (twice!) brandishing hooks and searching for treasures. Underwater trips were made in the bubble room. Fun was had by all and many books were read.

Teen Night entertained half a dozen teens with food and games. The party might count as a partial thank you for some of our hard working summer reading volunteers. Thank you Nikki and Bailey Lucas, Megan Burns, and David Layman. Helping set up and keeping all those reading records up to date is an essential part of the program.

Summer reading statistics - sign up 118, hours read 1063; teens signed up 46; story time participants 41 with 39 Read with Me sign ups.

Thanks to all who made summer reading programs possible: The Wilds, Joe's Crabshack, CAPA, Magic Mountain Polaris, Target, Meijer's, Layman Family, Kauble Family, Walmart, Richland Carousel Park, Longbranch Pizza, Ohio State Fair, Ohio State Parks, McDonald's Delaware/Sunbury, Columbus Crew, Columbus Museum of Art, Rocky's Italian Ice, Cameron Mitchell Restaurant, Franklin Park Conservatory, Marengo Country Market/Subway, everyone who donated items on our story time wish list, library staff, and especially to the Community Foundation of Delaware County.

Buckeye Valley School starts Wednesday Sept. 1.

Fresh Foods Nutrition and Preparation will be presented Tuesday, August 17 at 6:30 by Diane Mays of the Delaware County OSU Extension Service. This program is part of the Growing Community grant.

Canning and Food Preservation was presented by OSU certified Cora French-Robinson who came all the way from Lancaster to discuss techniques and new standards with sixteen attendees. A variety of fact sheets are available. The current revised USDA Complete Guide to Canning is available online at www.uga.edu/nchfp tab Publications.

The Food Pantry at Buckeye Valley East is currently open on Thursday afternoon from 1:30 - 3:30. Thank you for volunteering, Robert and Twana Smith. Volunteers are needed for Tuesday mornings 9:30 - 11:30. Call Shelly Stewart (937-594-0859) or Smiths (614-593-6872) if you are interested. The Food Pantry has been serving close to 80 persons. Gardens at the library and one maintained by the local Brownie group have contributed produce to the food pantry. Anyone can donate extra produce.

The Ashley Corn Show is set for August 4, 5, and 6. Games, rides, music, barbecued chicken and corn on the cob are highlights of this traditional local festival and home-coming.

Ashley on the main route. Ashley has been host to the man walking across the United States, the bicyclist from out west and one morning in late July a group of bicyclists riding a mission fund raising trip from Pigeon, Michigan to Columbus, Ohio. They stopped for a break at the Wesleyan Church .

http://www.ohioheretohelp.com/ connects to public and private entities for job searches, education, training, etc. Search the web at the library or bring in your computer and take advantage of wi-fi which is fast and FREE.

The Bookmark Society meets on Thursday August 26, 6:30 - 7:30. The book selected for reading is The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet by Jamie Ford, the reflections of an elderly Chinese American who when quite young had loved a Japanese girl who was interred during World War II. All book readers are invited to join these discussions.

Used ink cartridges help us save money on office supplies. We appreciate your donations. There is a box for deposit beside the copier.

Fall Planting and Garden Cleanup presented by Master Gardeners is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 11, Saturday, at 1:00. This will be the final program in our Growing Community : the Library Food Garden grant funded program. It has been an interesting experience so far with many thoughts on how it could have been done better. We were very excited with the initial community response. Progress was a little sidetracked by grant terms, our levy campaign, and the weather. Tree plantings which should have been done in the spring will be done in late August at Ashley Villa, the Ashley Village Park, Buckeye Valley East Elementary, and Delaware Manor. There are still books and DVDs to come - and more vegetables. Thank you to the Brownies, SACC, Ashley Manor, and those busy Master Gardeners.

Mother Earth News Aug./Sept. 2010 has two interesting graphs. Where does the money go? from Consumer Expenditures April 2009 shows average annual household expenditures with percentages.

U. S. food system energy use (not cited) shows percentages of energy used from farm production through consumption.

July 2010

Make a Splash summer reading
Programs for first through sixth graders continue through July with a closing party on August 2.
Captain Dan’s Cartoon Adventure July 12
Pirates Ahoy ! July 19
Oceans of Fun July 26
All programs are held on Monday morning at 11:00 and last approximately 1 hour. Reading tallies can be done at the beginning of the program or at any other time. Children do not have to attend the programs to participate in the reading program and qualify for incentives and prizes. Nor are children required to read in order to attend the programs.
Storytime programs for preschoolers and kindergartners are held on Thursday mornings at 10:00. Themes are related to summer reading topics. Everyone is invited to the closing party on Monday August 2 at 11:00.

Read with Me encourages reading to young children. Eight out of ten reading activities can be chosen and completed for appropriate McDonald coupons for both child and reader. The activity sheet also includes information on developing skills necessary for reading.

Teen Night is set for July 20 from 6:30 - 800. Join us for food, fun and games. All teens are welcome. There’s still time to sign up for Catch the Wave READ and be eligible for prizes.
Adults receive a reduced state camping fee certificate when they sign up, and participate in a prize drawing when they rate books they read.

Books are for the mind what exercise is for the body.

The Bookmark Society will meet on Thursday evening July 29 at 6:30. The reading selection is Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. All book lovers are invited for an evening of socializing with food.

It’s Canning Time A canning and food preservation workshop will be presented by Cora French-Robinson from the OSU Extension Service at the library on Tuesday July 27, 6:30 - 8:00.
Growing Communities: The Library Food Garden grant sponsors the canning program. Other results of the grant include the following.

Our sample square foot garden and garden-in-a-bag are on display on the library lawn. Three families plus the Brownies have planted gardens at the community garden area. Soil and plants were provided for Ashley Manor planters. Anyone’s excess produce can be given to BVEE Food Pantry.

A large number of books were donated by master gardeners and video recordings and books are being reviewed for addition to the library collection.

We are in the process or arranging the planting of various fruit and nut trees and berry bushes at Buckeye Valley East Elementary, Ashley Villa, Ashley Newman Park complex, and Delaware Manor.

Food gardens encourage local growing of produce and its use and engage all ages and abilities in learning about plant life, gardening practices, life cycles, ecology, nutrition, hunger, and more.

New books related to the Growing Community grant include Grocery Gardening, Preserve It!, and You Can Can. Made by Hand by Mark Frauenfelder sounds like interesting supplemental material.

Non-fiction reading both adult and juvenile is lower than lat year. Broke, USA by Gary Rivlin, Every Other Monday by John Kasich, Elsie and Mari Go To War by Diane Atkinson, The Great Silence by Juliet Nicholson, God is Not One by Stephen Prothero, Russia Against Napoleon by Dominic Lieven, Sandhill Boy by Elmer Kelton or The Most Powerful Idea in the World by William Rosen might up those statistics.

Lighter reading (thanks to the means to order new fiction) includes Dean Koontz’s latest Frankenstein book, two Covington Ladies updates, a Discworld novel, a new Honor Harrington, Janet Evanovich’s number 16, an “adult” Darren Shan, more Amish romances, the last Robert Parker, Danielle Steel and James Patterson…and more. Enjoy.

The Summer Letterbox Adventure is offered by Delaware County Preservation Parks in conjunction with area library summer reading programs. Follow nature clues and find Letterboxes hidden in seven Preservation Parks. This free, award winning program continues through August and is a great way to visit all the parks along with introducing your family to letterboxing and some nature facts.. Pick up a flier on summer park activities. Mt. Gilead and Delaware State Parks, Highbanks, and Stratford Ecological Center provide additional nature programs and opportunities. Check the library for identification guides and books that provide even more natural history information and activities.

The library needs a new board member. Members should represent the community and have experience or knowledge applicable to their roll. Five board members establish general library policy and advise and make judgments on subjects ranging from personnel and public relations to financial and legal matters Regular meetings are held once a month at 7:30 pm on the second Monday of the month. Occasional special meetings are held. Applicants must live in either Ashley village or Oxford Township. Current members are Shirley Thurston, George Patterson, Lisa Kimble, and Michael Wion. Persons interested in serving on the library board should contact the library (7470-747-2085) or send a brief statement of interest and qualifications to Wornstaff Library, Box 358, Ashley, OH 43003. For additional information contact any of the board members or the library. The next board meeting is July 12.

June 2010

Summer Reading : Make a Splash
(1st - 6th grades Monday at 11:00)
(preschool story time Thursday at 10:00)
Dive in to ..Summer Reading June 14
Sign-up activities
Fishing Worm Race June 21
(bring your own worm)
WOW ! The Wonders Of Water June 28
Library closed July 5
Captain Dan’s July 12
Cartoon Adventure
Pirates Ahoy ! July 19
Oceans of Fun July 26
Closing Program Splish Splash Aug. 2
Activities, games, reading, and prizes! Join the summer fun at the Ashley Wornstaff Library. First through sixth graders meet Monday mornings at 11:00. Storytime for preschoolers and kindergarten continues on Thursday mornings at 10:00. The programs listed above are for 1st - 6th graders. Storytime programs will have similar themes
READ READ READ 1st - 6th graders who keep track of the time spent reading will receive prizes and incentives. “Read with Me” provides incentives for younger children and their caregivers.
Teen Make Waves @Your Library provides a prize for signing up and a prize-drawing ticket for each two hours of reading time. Teen Night on July 20 6:30 - 8:00 features food, fun, and games.
Adults can Water their Minds by reading and get an Ohio State Park certificate good for 50% off camping or getaway rentals plus other prizes by contributing a book review. Adults may also sign up for a weekly drawing for passes and prizes.

The library levy passed by 80% in Ashley village and 69% in Oxford Township. This was one of the three largest margins of victory in the state. Twenty-five out of 29 library levies passes. While we are concerned that the days of stable, equitable funding for Ohio libraries may be over, we are very pleased that local residents feel that the library is an essential community service. Special thanks to everyone on the levy committee, Shirley Thurston, Gary Buechel and the Bell family. Thank you Ashley Village and Oxford Township.
Levy money will not be received until March 2011. The library has contracts with the village of Ashley and Oxford Township for the collection and distribution to the library of the levy funds. Any other use of those funds is not permitted and would be an illegal breach of contract.
Library services can be restored immediately because the library still has reserves and that levy money is forthcoming. The library is now open on Wednesdays. Staff hours have been restored. There is a budget of $17,000 for materials for 2010. Books have been ordered and magazine subscriptions renewed. Individual magazines were renewed prior to the levy by Kathleen Layman, Sue Dicke, Donna Swisher, Shirley Thurston, Barbara Nibert, Elizabeth Barker, Ohio Fish and Game Association, People’s Fund, and the Growing Community grant.
Summer Reading funded by the Community Foundation of Delaware County.
Staff Picks :
While preparing for the Summer Reading program Vicky Collins enjoyed three books among others : Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer by Carol Bendler, Bird, Butterfly, and Eel by James Prosek, and Bubble Homes and Fish Farts by Fiona Bayrock.
Jane Horn has been enjoying children’s audio books - especially A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck.
Whiter than Snow by Sandra Dallas is Karen Stein-Pendleton’s pick. An avalanche in the 1920ssweeps away nine children and four survive. Which four have survived in this tale of before and after events?
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke is Liz Barker’s choice. This story of a revival of English magic in the early 1800s is a 780 page turning commitment that was worth the effort.
Susan Bussard recommends Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani. This second book of a trilogy is a great read with an always winning combination of Italian shoes, family life and finding love.
Delaware This Week is available at the library thanks to the Delaware County District Library which sends them via the interlibrary loan delivery service. Extra copies are at the post office.
Megan Burns presented the Pet story time to a full house of 14 children who made cat hats and snacked on puppy chow. Megan is the library page and a regular storytime helper. She’s a welcome fill-in for Miss Vicky who had an opportunity to attend the National Book Exposition in New York.
Hand whittled nursery rhyme illustrations are on display in the children’s room. They are the work of Ed Schuler, a resident of Ashley Manor. He could be Olive Green’s Elijah Pearce.
Father’s Day is June 20. Give Dad his due.
Growing Community has suffered some from cold weather and lots of rain but should be back on track. The Boy Scouts helped fill the planters at Ashley Manor. Master gardeners John Kerr and Connie Yugo offered beginning gardening advice to those attending the Starter Garden meeting. Ten starter garden baskets complete with plants were distributed. Baskets were filled by The Jolly Rangers. It’s not too late to grow some greens and more.
The library gardens are a good (belated??) example. Two samples on the front lawn made the May deadline. One is a square foot garden with specific sol composition. The other is simplicity itself - bags of topsoil laid on the sod with a large window cut in the top and holes punched in the bottom. Watch our plants grow.
There are still plants, seeds, and garden space available -fresh cheap food and exercise. Garden tools can be checked out at the library. It could be the “greening of Ashley” with Farmers’ Market proceeds donated to the village.
Ashley village financial statements can be viewed at the library. Copies are available for the usual fee.
The current water bill included a cash summary by fund for 2010. Council meetings are the first Tuesday of the month. Committee meetings are listed on Ashley water bills. Be part of the solution.
The Bookmark Society will meet Thursday evening June 24 at 6:30. June’s selection is Sarah’s Key by Tatiana Rosnay. A woman journalist is assigned a review of the 1942 roundup of Jews in Paris and discovers a connection with the event and much about her husband’s family and herself.
The perpetual book sale has received many, many romance novels and a large collection of contemporary hardback fiction plus miscellaneous items - all for that fabulous price of 10 cents or $1.00 a bag. Stock up on worry free vacation reading while the selection is good.