We Love Libraries and Reading!!

Last evening we had the first meeting of our library book club.  7 of us met at the NICC/Peosta branch to form the group.  We decided to meet the 3rd Thursday of each month (except) December at 6:30 at NICC/Peosta.  For April 19th, we are reading "Wednesday Wars" by Gary Schmidt.  This is a wonderful young adult, fast read about a 7th grade boy trying to survive junior high during the mid-60s.  Holling Hoodhood, a protestant, ends up the only person in class on Wednesday afternoons because everyone else either goes to Hebrew School or Catechism.  So his teacher, Mrs. Baker, decides to teach him Shakespeare.  Holling learns a lot about the bard, his family, and himself on this school year journey. 

The library will provide copies of the book to check out for our discussion.  If you would like to join us, please call your local branch library and we will reserve one for you. 

Also for your April calendar, the Friends of the Dubuque County Library is holding a used book sale April 26-28.  The sale will be at Silker's Pavilion in Epworth.  They have hundreds and hundreds of book, videos, and books on tape to sell. 

All of the cities in our library system have signed proclamations announcing April 8-14 as National Library Week as well as the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors.  So, its official.  Please join us as we showcase our facilities, collections, and services.  Libraries: the heart of every community.

Schedule of Events:

Tuesday, April 10 - Who’s Hot? New Books and Authors – Holy Cross at 10:00

Wednesday, April 11 - Downloading Ebooks Workshop – NICC/Peosta at 6:30

Thursday, April 12 – How’s Your Heart? EMT Blood Pressure Checks  Epworth 3-7 p.m.

Friday, April 13 - Downloading Ebooks Workshop - Asbury at 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 14 - Drexler/Farley Grand Opening from 9-3.

Tours all day and a story time at 1:00 p.m.

Join us for fun, information, and refreshments at every event.

Be a National Library Week Winner!!

• Pick up your “Tour of Libraries” punch card at any branch beginning Monday, April 9^th.  If you visit every branch during National Library Week, you will receive a prize and entry into the grand prize drawings on Saturday, April 14^th.
• Challenge yourself with our “Seek and Find” activities at Epworth, Farley, Peosta, and Asbury branches.

Remember all Dubuque County Library locations will be closed on Friday, April 6th.  Asbury and Epworth branches will be open regular hours on Saturday, April 7th.  Peosta, Holy Cross, and Drexler will be closed for the weekend.

It's is supposed to be a gorgeous weekend.  Enjoy the weather and stop by the library.

We're Celebrating

April 8-14 is National Library Week!!!  Dubuque County Library is planning a big celebration.  The theme for 2012 is:

Libraries:  the Heart of Every Community

Schedule of Events:

Tuesday, April 10 - Who’s Hot? New Books and Authors – Holy Cross 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday, April 11 - Downloading Ebooks Workshop – NICC/Peosta 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 12 – How’s Your Heart? EMT Blood Pressure Checks

at Epworth 3-7 p.m.

Friday, April 13 - Downloading Ebooks Workshop - Asbury 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 14 - Drexler/Farley Grand Opening from 9-3.

There will be tours all day and a special story time at 1:00 p.m.

Join us for fun, information, and refreshments at every event.

Be a National Library Week Winner!!

• Pick up your “Tour of Libraries” punch card at any branch beginning Monday, April 9^th.  If you visit every branch during National Library Week, you will receive a prize and entry into the grand prize drawings on Saturday, April 14^th.
• Challenge yourself with our “Seek and Find” activities at Epworth, Farley, Peosta, and Asbury branches.
• Free National Library Week bookmarks and Dubuque County Library business cards.

Dubuque County Library truly believes that libraries are the heart of the community.  The library is a place to gather, to visit with friends, finish your homework, send an email to grandma, check out a book or DVD, create your resume, search for jobs, and get a great book recommendation.  We want all of our customers and potential customers to visit our branch locations and meet our wonderful staff members and see what we have to offer. 

You will be pleased to see that with 5 convenient locations, there is a Dubuque County Library near you.  And we work together so that if the book or DVD is not at your branch, we will send it out to you.  And if none of our branches has the book or DVD you want, we will borrow it from another library for you or purchase it for our collection.  During National Library Week, we are providing a small incentive for you to tour our libraries and we hope that you will become lifelong members.   

In other news, the Laura Ingalls Wilder program last Friday was a big success.  Over 70 adults and children attended Sarah Uthoff's presentation at our NICC/Peosta branch.  Fun was had by all.  Check our website for photos of the event.

Don't forget that the first library book club organizational meeting is next week.  We are meeting on Thursday, March 29th at 6:30 p.m. at NICC/Peosta branch.  At the meeting we will talk about what we want to read, how often we want to meet, and where.  Be there or be square!

Plans are currently underway for summer reading.  The official start date to sign up is May 29th.  We will be visiting schools and sending out information on all the wonderful programs and prizes soon.

All our branches will be closed on Friday, April 6th.  For the Easter weekend, Asbury and Epworth branches will be open regular hours on Saturday, April 7th.  NICC/Peosta, Drexler/Farley, and Holy Cross will closed.

Enjoy the weekend and make your plans to visit your local branch of the Dubuque County Library during National Library Week.

March Forward

When does Daylight Saving Time 2012 start and do you turn the clocks ahead or back? I never get this right.  Daylight Savings Time,or DST, starts on Sunday, March 11 at 2:00 a.m. so turn your clock one hour forward before you go to sleep Saturday night.  The one advantage to losing an hour of sleep this weekend -- it won't get dark as early as we get ready to say goodbye winter and head into spring. This year spring starts on Tuesday, March 20.  Today it feels like spring has already arrived.

I'm glad for more evening light.  The library has lots of programs coming up and we don't want the weather to prevent anyone from coming out for all the fun.

Tomorrow there will be a family story time at Holy Cross branch from 10:00-11:00.  Join Jill for stories, songs, and games.

Movie night at Peosta is Thursday, March 15th from 6:30-8:00.  Danielle will be showing the award-winning, family movie, Hugo.   Popcorn is provided.

Friday morning, March 16th at 10:00 AM. Elisha will be presenting Literacy Fun Centers at the Asbury Eagles Club. There will be stations with literacy activities such as alphabet stamps and shaving cream letters.  If you are a parent and would like some valuable strategies to help your child, please plan to attend with your little ones. Parents will have the opportunity to ask questions regarding early literacy and hear about the specific things they can do to increase their child's success in reading.  This program will be repeated at
Holy Cross - March 16, 6-7 PM; Drexler/Farley- March 30, 1-2 PM; and NICC/Peosta April 10, 1-2 PM.

In the afternoon on Friday, March 16th is our big Laura Ingalls Wilder program.  What’s My Story? (Reflections on the Life and Writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder) will be presented by Sarah Uthoff, Humanities Iowa Scholar at 1:45 p.m. at the NICC/Peosta Branch Library.  Sarah Uthoff is an expert on Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Ms. Uthoff will share stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life and times.  And audience members will be invited to pick one of Sarah’s artifacts and hear its story.  There will be lots of opportunities for everyone to take part. All area families are welcome to attend this free program.  Please call any of the Dubuque County Library branches and reserve your spot for this exciting opportunity to learn about one of America’s most beloved authors.

On March 29th we will hold our first library book club meeting.  Undaunted by our low attendance at our All Iowa Reads book discussion, Jenny and I are moving forward with plans for a library book club.  Come to NICC/Peosta branch at 6:30 p.m. that Thursday evening and help us decide how to organize the club.  Bring ideas for what you like to read, when you would like to meet, where, and how often.  We are excited to get this program off the ground!

Our March program calendars are available at all our branches.  Be sure to stop by and take one home to put on your refrigerator so you won't miss out on a single program.  For more details the Friends newsletter will be arriving at the branches next week.

A special thank you to the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors.  Last Monday they approved the county budget with a generous allocation for the Dubuque County Library.  The budget has more for materials and for programming so that we can provide quality library service to the residents of Dubuque County.  That means more programs, more speakers, and more books, DVDs, books on CD, and online services.  Thank you so much for your support!!

We want to be your library.  Tell us how we can serve you better.  Contact me at dawnh@dubcolib.lib.ia.us or 563-582-0008.  Enjoy the weather and have a great weekend.

Dawn

News Flash!! Book Clubs are Good for You!!

Book clubs make you healthier.  According to Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen in a recent Telegraph Herald "you docs" column, said that book clubs can boost your health in 5 ways:  1.  reduce your stress level, 2. increase serotonin levels which makes you feel happier, 3. protect your heart, 4. grow brain connections, and 5. reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease.  Book groups can make you feel six years younger.  Wow, who knew?  I love talking about books but I didn't know it could make me healthier.  The doctors are telling us that making social connections helps us stay mentally alert and happier.  We can even grow new brain cells to make us smarter at any age.

Case in point, last evening we had our All Iowa Reads book discussion at NICC/Peosta branch.  Even though we were a very small group, we had a great, intellectually stimulating, and challenging discussion of Tracy Kidder's "Strength in What Remains."  We all felt energized by talking about how we relate to the global human condition.  You missed a good one!

But you have another chance.  Dubuque County Library is going to start a regular book club this month!  On Thursday, March 29th at 6:30 p.m. at the NICC/Peosta branch we will hold our organizational meeting.  Come and help us decide what books we are going to read and when we want to meet.  Hopefully, the bad weather will be past and everyone who is interested can attend.

An exciting family program is coming up very soon.  What’s My Story? (Reflections on the Life and Writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder) will be presented by Sarah Uthoff, Humanities Iowa Scholar, on Friday, March 16th, 1:45 p.m. at the NICC/Peosta Branch Library.  Sarah Uthoff is a regularly featured speaker at the annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Remembered Day at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch. She has also been featured at the Laura Ingalls Wilder: New Perspectives Conference and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Teacher Day, both sponsored by the Ingalls Homestead in De Smet, SD. Sarah received both her history education BA and her Masters of Library Science from the University of Iowa.  Sarah will share stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life and times.  And audience members will be invited to pick one of Sarah’s artifacts and hear its story.  There will be lots of opportunities for everyone to take part.

All area families are welcome to attend this free program.  Please call any of the Dubuque County Library branches and reserve your spot for this exciting opportunity to learn about one of America’s most beloved authors. (Snow date: Friday, March 30th at 4 p.m.)
 
I hope everyone has a safe weekend.  Talk to you next week.  Dawn