Children's July 4th Parade on the 1st

 

7-5-2024

Our first Children’s Parade was a resounding success. The weather was lovely with the sun shining but the temperatures in the low 70s, we had about 65 participants. Everyone gathered outside the library at 1:30 to decorate bikes, scooters, wagons, or strollers. We had red, white, and blue streamers and garland staff had pre-cut, pin wheels we assembled, and tattoos for the adventurous. I was deemed brave for applying one to my face. With the parade before the actual holiday, it just allowed me to continue the celebration.

Police Chief Jeremy Swendrowski led the parade on his scooter. He even carried a pin wheel. The fire department made an early appearance, they thought the parade was at 1:00. Unfortunately, they never made it back for the real parade time. Our thoughts are with whoever needed them more. Thank you to both departments for being part of the day, Trustee Santa Consiglio and her guests from Albuquerque who wanted to see a small-town July 4^th and ended up handing out water and fruit snacks at parade’s end, and Miss Maria for the idea.

The Lower Level’s facelift was completed the same day with the addition of a blue and yellow, southwestern rug for the adult programming side of the space. I took a chance in running to Home Depot to pick it up along with the really long hose that will make watering both flower beds easier. There is always a lot of extra set up after holiday weekends (four trips to empty the book drop) and some cleanup from the festivities (left over wrappers and other garbage from the parade and fireworks). This year was a breeze as Ryan Holle’s FFA students were picking up trash when I arrived. They did a great job.

The hose is all set up and ready to make lift easier. Every year following their plant sale, Holle’s landscaping classes plant the flower beds at the corner of West and Graydon for the library and Playmore Park. This year the addition of our new landscaping in Nancy’s honor has added quite a bit more watering until those plants are established. That area has added such beauty to our space, that we are being very vigilant in maintaining it.

We need to thank Paul from Benchmark again for his work and that of his crew. I wrote in an earlier article that he donated the paving stones and labor. Now that the time has come to settle up, he waved off the cost of materials as well and donated his company’s work on the entire project. Paul tells me they do a couple projects for the community each year and this was a fun one and while he didn’t know Miss Nancy, he could see that the community cared for her.

Now I can find another project on which to spend those funds. Stay tuned.

Reading Now: People You Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, There, There by Tommy Orange

Listening to Now: Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (Book Club meets next week)

 

Fire at the Library

 

6-28-2024

Monday was an exciting day at the library. For a moment I thought it may be too exciting, but all I really needed was a little faith in Prairie Lakes Library System and Mad Science.

The Mad Science program on Monday was all about air and included combustion. I didn’t think anything of the lit candles until a flammable powder was blown through it, but that wasn’t nearly as dramatic as the ethanol in what basically amounted to the type of jug found at a water cooler. That woosh made me happy to know the fire department was scheduled to visit the library anyway that day and hoping their visit would be pushed ahead and hour. This was the first time we hosted Mad Science. It looks like a winner.

After the 1:30 performance, Miss Maria runs a Choose Your Own Adventure book club for 9–13-year-olds. The program is actually sponsored by the publisher who will send participants a free book and swag bag. This week’s theme was fire; hence the scheduled visit. We were honored to have Captain Brian Pluess and volunteer firefighter Jon Gulig from East Troy Fire & Rescue here with their gear including the new fire engine. The book club members were a bit hesitant about climbing inside, but we did draw a few families from the park. Among the more enthusiast was a young man who was happy to meet one of the firefighters who helped put out the fire at his house last year.

We have another scheduled visit from Fire & Rescue next week for the Children’s Parade. A police officer will also be present. I wonder who will be more popular. There’s a challenge.

The library is closed Friday, June 28^th and Saturday, June 29^th for the Lion’s July 4^th celebrations at Rossmiller Park. We will also be closed on Thursday, July 4^th. That means no Preschool Play Group or Teens & Tweens this week. The library will be open again on Friday, July 5^th for Storytime.

The closures do make it tricky to hand in the June reading grid for participants of the Summer Reading Program. Those are due on Monday, July 1^st. I fear patrons will be so focused on the parade, they’ll forget to come into the library to hand them in, but having them due on Thursday, June 27^th seemed a bit early. Adult and teen grids aren’t due until the end of July as their drawing tickets are earned by reading entire books rather than counting minutes.

Reading Now: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Listening to Now: Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (July Adult Book Club selection)

Goldilocks at the Library

6-21-2024

Guess what I did last weekend. Last week’s article provides a clue to one of my activities: the library was a stop in the 2024 Scavenger Games. It looked like a lot of fun. For any reader who was worried, Miss Anna made short work of putting my hair in a bun. However, that isn’t what I meant.

Last week Wednesday eight boxes were delivered to the library. Four small easily handled ones, two medium sized heavy ones, and two large impossible to move alone even for the DPW men. That sounds like an alternative version of Goldilocks. In a way it works as inside the boxes were items on which to sit. Unfortunately, the small boxes were arms for the chairs and sofas in the medium and large boxes ruining the story.

At this point, anyone who knows me would realize putting together furniture is the correct guess. The two chairs were in place for the Snake Discovery on Monday at 1:30. Only the chairs though as the sofas are so heavy that even I realize they will require two people to assemble. Don’t worry, I have a plan.

That means I have also spent a bit of time this week on Home Depot’s website looking at area rugs. We held off on purchasing one until seeing the actual color of the furniture. Websites just do not show true colors. The rug won’t bother me as much. Its life expectancy is shorter to begin with as we’re just going to walk on it anyway. After that, maybe some folding side tables?

Looking ahead at the calendar threw me for a loop. We are closed next weekend for the Lion’s Clubs 4^th of July celebration. Time really is flying. The closure is for Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29. We’ll reopen on Monday, July 1^st when that fun is over. However, the library will continue the festivities. Our Monday program that day is a Children’s Parade. Children are invited to bring their bicycles, scooters, strollers, and wagons at 1:30 for decorating or bring them pre-decorated.

The parade will begin at 2:00. The route will begin in the library parking lot, cross over to the sidewalk in front of the high school, cross Graydon to the sidewalk in front of the middle school at the point where the high school bus lanes feed into the middle school’s lot, ending at Playmore Park. Spectators can set their lawn chairs up and watch from the grass side. We will have representation from both the police and fire departments.

This coming week look for Yarn & Stitch and Mad Science on Monday, June 24^th as well as our weekly programs.

Reading Now: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Listening to Now: Five Bloody Hearts by Joy Ellis (DCI Matt Ballard #2)

 

2024 Scavenger Games

 

6-14-2024

Each year public libraries submit an Annual Report to the state detailing our finances, both income and expenditures, staffing, and programming. The state uses that data for various reasons most importantly related to funding and accountability.

This week’s summer programming kicked off and giving us plenty to report come January. Monday alone, we saw 301 patrons at signing up for the SRP and attending the three programs for that day. I was so drained that I picked up a pizza on the way home, thank you Genoa, and ate it while watching Netflix. To put that in perspective, I watch focus on one show at a time. While I have slipped in two seasons each of The Witcher and Bridgerton, The Crown has been that show for at least four years. I simply do not watch television.

It was a wonderful day.

This summer the East Troy Chamber of Commerce is organizing the 2024 Scavenger Games and the ETLPL is taking part. More complete details are available on the Chamber’s website, but in a nutshell teams will be completing a series of challenges at various locations around the Village. The winning team receives $1,000. The games will run on three different dates: June 15^th, August 17^th , and October 19^th. If you prioritize the Puzzle Practice at the library this Saturday, there will be other opportunities.

Miss Maria is working on our task. It will involve logic puzzles and basic knowledge of library organization. My focus is on my costume: total old school librarian which means I have to finally master the bun and can’t cut my hair until the last game is over. Perhaps it’s good that I actually need reading glasses so that’s already covered. I have my cardigan picked out as well.

Last week’s article listed all of the programs for what was the upcoming week. Doing so took up the half my minimum word count. This week, I will omit specifics for those that repeat every week (Choose Your Own Book Club, Bedtime Storytime, Lego Club, Preschool Play Group, Teens & Tweens, Friday Storytime) and highlight the two that change.

Saturday, June 15^th beginning at 10:00 – Puzzle Practice: This is technically related to the puzzle competition later this summer, but also just an opportunity for groups of puzzle lovers to put one together without taking up their own table space.

Monday, June 17^th at 1:30 – Snake Discovery

Reading Now: One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by BJ Novak

Listening to Now: Beware the Past by Joy Ellis ( DCI Matt Ballard #1)

SRP Sign Up and New Programing Begins

 

6-7-2024

The first day of Summer Reading Program families were so excited to sign up and beat next week’s rush, they braved the rain and came pouring in. Actually, we had more adults sign up than children 18 to 14, but that will change. Remember this was only the first week, sign up continues well into the summer.

We have 30 prizes this year thanks to the annual monetary donation from the Friends of the East Troy Lions Public Library and prize donations from three library families. Little Prairie Primary students have had a lot to say about them during their end of the year visits. Walkie Talkies and the kayaking Barbie are definitely favorites. Personally, I’d go for the Twister that attaches to a hose or the wagon that folds up for easy storage in a car.

Thank you to everyone who baked for, set up, ran, or stopped by the Friends’ Books & Bites sale on May 25^th. They nearly doubled last year’s sales and raised just shy of $700. While all was going on outside, I gave the storage room used for book donations a major re-organizing and purging. The room looks positively spacious. While we seek out book donations in the months leading up to the sale, there is now a full shelf dedication to incoming donations. Feel free to drop them off at anytime.

This will be Miss Maria’s first summer with us. Thankfully she has many years of experience through the Alice Baker Memorial Library and is fully prepared to sleep in September. Many of the programs below were added due to her willingness to give her all to summer at the library.

Coming up this week at the library.

Saturday, June 8^th at 10:00 – IT with Lori and (Sometimes) Wade

Saturday, June 8^th at 10:30 – Preschool Storytime

Saturday, June 8^th at 11:00 – Nancy O’Connell Memorial Dedication

Monday, June 10^th at 10:00 – Yarn & Stitch

Monday, June 10^th at 1:30 – Zack Percell of TNZ Magic

Monday, June 10^th at 3:00 – Choose Your Own Adventure Book Club for Ages 9-13

Tuesday, June 11^th at 1:00 – Adult Book Club: Lessons in Chemistry

Tuesday, June 11^th at 3:15 – Library Board Meeting

Tuesday, June 11^th at 6:30 – Bedtime Storytime

Wednesday, June 12^th at 3:00 – Lego Club

Thursday, June 13^th at 10:00 – Preschool Play Group

Thursday, June 13^th at 3:00 – Teens & Tweens: Create a Painted Glass Votive Candle Holder

Friday, June 14^th at 11:00 – Preschool Storytime with Craft

Friday, June 14^th at 12:30 – Books, Crafts & a Dog: Sydney the therapy dog is back

Friday, June 14^th at 1:30 – Adult Book Club: Lessons in Chemistry

 Reading Now: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (for book club), Minx by Julia Quinn (Splendid Trilogy Book 3 - her first series)

Listening to Now: Darkness on the Fens by Joy Ellis (DI Nikki Galena book 10)

Summer Schedule Changes & Saturday Programs

 

5-31-2024

We are on the cusp of June. As I enter my third summer posting teaching, I have finally begun to shift my thinking and realize I won’t looking for projects and activities to fill the time until school starts up again. The library’s summer schedule fills it for me. And never before has it been so full.

Six weeks ago, this article contained a preview of programming for Mondays and mentioned the Adult Book Club (June’s book is Lessons in Chemistry by the way). Those are standard programs. We have several new programs planned and a few schedule changes beginning Saturday, June 1^st.

Let’s start with Saturday programs. Miss Anna will be working the 1^st and 3^rd Saturdays of each month. On her Saturdays we will open the Lower Level to groups who would like to work on puzzles. While this is open to all, we have an ulterior motive. The Prairie Lakes Library System, which ETLPL is a member of, is sponsoring a puzzle competition this fall. No word on the actual rules yet as far as number of pieces or time allotted. It will have three levels of competition: individual library, county, and system. That means East Troy can have a team that would compete against teams from other Walworth County libraries. The winner of that competition will compete against winners from Racine and Rock Counties.

In order to prepare our team(s) for competition, 500-piece puzzles will be available on Miss Anna’s Saturdays for practice (or just family fun). Once the official rules are adopted, we will announce an official competition date for ETLPL’s representative team at the county level. For now we’ll pull puzzles from the permanent puzzle swap. New, identical puzzles will be purchased for the competition.

Miss Maria will be working the 2^nd and 4^th Saturdays of the month. She will be offering a repeat of her Friday storytime without the craft for families who are unable to make it during the traditional work week. The Saturday storytime will begin at 10:30 and run approximately 30 minutes. Also new for families with young children is a 6:30 Tuesday Bedtime Storytime. All participants are welcome to attend in the PJs.

Schedule changes will go into effect this coming week for Preschool Playgroup (Thursday morning), Teens & Tweens (Thursday afternoon), and Lego Club (Wednesday afternoon). To keep it all straight, we have a summer calendar available at the library or online under the Activities and Events tab.

The 2^nd Saturday storytime will be held on the main level of the library in June as that is also the day of Nancy’s Dedication ceremony. Remember that will start at 11:15 by the flagpole before moving inside to the storytime area.

Reading Now: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (June Adult Book Club Selection), Dancing at Midnight by Julia Quinn (pre-Bridgerton)

Listening to Now: Fire on the Fens by Joy Ellis (DCI Nikki Galena #9)

Memorial Day and Wisconsin Reads

 

5-24-2024

This week I’m going to switch gears quite a bit. It’s rare that I focus on new books in the library, but the timing on two of them have me convinced this is the week to do so. Therefore, this article will be a mix of Memorial Day and local author titles or series.

It would be all Wisconsin if not for one of the military titles: This Troubled Ground by Les Carroll. Carroll served in the Air Force and National Guard for twenty-eight years including two tours of Afghanistan and on tour at the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center. The opening chapter, which takes place at Dover Air Force Base where he witnessed the dignified transfer of fallen service members to their families. It doesn’t get any easier after as he works to describe his experiences at Dover and on the battlefield.

The second Memorial Day inspired choice is written by a Wisconsin author. Tailspin by John Armbruster was recommended by this year’s speaker at East Troy’s observance. I’m afraid I didn’t catch his name, but he made the recommendation as the book will be a focal point in his speech. The book is about Wisconsin veteran, tail gunner Gene Moran, whose plane was shot during WWII. Gene fell four miles without a parachute, was captured by the Germans and survived eighteen months as a prisoner of war.

Continuing with biographies, Wisconsin writer Catherine Young writes about her childhood spent in Pennsylvania in Black Diamonds: A Childhood Colored by Coal. Young’s focus is actually the environmental history of her section of Pennsylvania and the changes from fueling America’s industrial revolution.

On a lighter note, if fictional murders are considered light, Sue Berg’s Driftless series has Detective Jim Higgins solving mysteries in the LaCrosse area. The series began with Driftless Gold which mixes Civil War history with modern day bodies discovery. The fifth book, Driftless Insurrection, was released last month. While it also pulls in Wisconsin history this time Sauk warrior Black Hawk, the three books in between stay in current times. Recommending these books has given me and patrons a break from Joy Ellis and has been well received.

In the hopes this is being read on Friday, I will end with a plug for the Friends of the ETLPL’s Books & Bites sale. This is the one time each year that all the books, DVDs and audiobooks in our storage room are on display at the same time. In addition, the Friends have some mighty good bakers to help keep bargain hunter’s blood sugar up and hats, scarves and book marks made by the Yarn & Stitch group will also be on sale. The sale runs Saturday, May 25^th 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Reading Now: The Trees by Percival Everett

Listening to Now: Buried on the Fens by Joy Ellis (DI Nikki Galena #7)