Happy Easter

What a gorgeous day!  I love this temperature and wish that it could be like this almost all year round.  Spring has sprung early and my tulips are going to be gone before Easter!

Library staff are working on the final touches of our National Library Week celebration.  We have planned something for everyone.  Don't forget to pick up your Tour de Libraries passport at any branch and visit all of our libraries to be entered into a prize drawing on Saturday, April 14th.  Prizes are generous gift certificates from local businesses.  Check out the library webpage (http://www.dubcolib.lib.ia.us/) for details of all the programs and be sure to stop by our open house at Drexler/Farley on Saturday.  There will be tours, a storytime, and refreshments.

Our newly assembled book club is reading "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary Schmidt for discussion on Thursday, April 19th at 6:30 at NICC/Peosta branch.  Please come join us.  Copies of the book are available--check with your local branch. 

Did you know that the Library's Friends group is providing books as prizes for the summer reading program?  Every child who completes their July reading calendar will receive a free paperback book appropriate for their reading level.  This is very cool!  What better way to reward reading than with more reading?  Friends is a great library support group and they need your help.

Now is the time to sign up to volunteer for the Friends used book sale which takes place at Epworth in Silker's Pavilion April 26-28.  We need helping hands to load up the books, sort the books, sell the books, and clean-up.  Call or visit your local branch and staff can sign you up for any amount of time you want to contribute.  Book sales are great fun and we hope to fill the Friends coffers so they can do more projects for the Library. 

This weekend is my grandson's fourth birthday.  The time has really flown by and it's hard to imagine he will be a kindergartner soon.  He loves to be read to.  It's part of his daily routine and he is becoming quite a discerning listener.  After I read him one of his Christmas gift books a couple of weeks ago, he told me he didn't like the story.  "It wasn't very interesting," he said, "we shouldn't read that one anymore, Grandma."   "Well!", I thought.  "How dare he?"  But on further reflection, I thought, "Wow, he really knows his stories and he knows when one succeeds and when it doesn't.  Good job!"  He is going to be a terrific reader.  I have to credit my daughter and son-in-law for great dedication in sharing with him the joy of language.

I hope all of you have a chance to enjoy the weather this weekend and have a very happy Easter.

Dawn