I love my job. I have wanted to be a librarian since I was a Camp Fire girl in the 5th grade. Almost all my merit "beads" were completed at the Cedar Rapids Public Library much to the chagrine of the children's librarian. This year's summer reading theme, DREAM BIG - READ is an apt description of much of my childhood. I love libraries and what they stand for and the services they provide, but let me tell you, vacations are nice. Last week my family and I rented a cabin near Rhinelander, WI at the Merry-Dale Resort on Lake George Rhinelander. What a beautiful place. The cabin was roomy, fully furnished and about 200 feet from the lake. We saw deer, loons, eagles, and every night we had a frog serenade. We had a lovely lawn, a fire pit, our own dock, a boat and motor, and no mosquitos! Everyone else fished and I read. I read "The Yellow House" an historical novel by Patricia Falvey. The story of the Irish rebellion is told through the eyes of one valiant young woman, a millworker, who tells the tale as no one else could. The novel has family drama, adventure, and a couple of love stories. I enjoyed it. I also started a nonfiction work titled "The Dragon's Trail" by Joanna Pitman which traces the history of Raphael's famous painting of St. George and the Dragon. It is a fascinating tale of power and intrigue. So, that's what I call a vacation--time for nature, time for family, and time for reading.
Today I am excited about a brand new book. Heather Gudenkauf, Dubuque resident, has just published her third novel, "One Breath Away." I just bought it today. Gudenkauf is the author of "The Weight of Silence" and "These Things Hidden" which are stories about secrets that can tear families apart. She is skillful at drawing you into her characters and the settings are small town Iowa. I read both of her other novels and loved them. I can't wait to begin this new one which is about a school shooting. Gudenkauf is signing books tonight at River Lights and will also be at Books a Million on Saturday, July 9th. Dubuque County Library owns the book but the holds are mounting up. We will be ordering more copies so get your requests placed now.
Summer reading is in full swing. Storytimes are going and there are lots of programs. Be sure to check our website at http://www.dubcolib.lib.ia.us/ for all the details. Remember now is the time to enter our drawing for a free, color NOOK. We are giving away 7 NOOKS at the end of summer reading.
Don't forget that our Real Science series starts Monday, July 16th. Plan to attend the program, which will be a hands-on science demonstration, at your local branch. Every child who attends will receive a certificate, program folder, and they will make a project to take home. All this is free courtesy of a grant from IEEE (Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineering/Chicago Section.) Call 582-0008 for more information.
Dubuque County Library branches will be closed for the holiday on July 4th. I hope you have a safe and happy holiday.
Dawn
Friday, June 29, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
We're just batty about bats
Wow! We had our kick-off program for summer reading last Friday. Sharon Peterson of Incredible Bats did two shows for us. At Asbury we had 105 people!! In Holy Cross, there were 35. People of all ages came to see her Egyptian fruit bats. After the Asbury program, I got to pet one of them. I'm not especially fond of bats, but this guy was so soft and so cute.
Summer reading is off and running. Be sure to bring sign up. There are programs for all ages at all our locations. Check out our website www.dubcolib.lib.ia.us for program flyers and event details.
Remember, every child who completes their July reading calendar goals will receive a free paperback book courtesy of the Friends of Dubuque County Library. It is so good to have Friends.
The big announcement is that we will be giving away 7 color Nooks for summer reading grand prizes!!! Adults can register and have a chance to win one in June and one in July. At the end of July, we will give away one at each branch for the kids. These prizes are made possible by generous donations from Dubuque Bank and Trust, American Trust and Savings Bank, Fidelity Bank, and J.P. Scherrman. Many thanks for supporting our libraries and expanding horizons for our communities.
The next event you have to put on your calendar is to bring your child or grandchild to the Real Science program at your local branch.
I hope you are as excited as I am about what's happening at Dubuque County Library.
Tomorrow I am headed up north to spend a week with our grandson and family at a small lake resort near Rhinelander, WI. I intend to spend lots of time playing Chutes and Ladders and reading. Happy trails!
Dawn
Summer reading is off and running. Be sure to bring sign up. There are programs for all ages at all our locations. Check out our website www.dubcolib.lib.ia.us for program flyers and event details.
Remember, every child who completes their July reading calendar goals will receive a free paperback book courtesy of the Friends of Dubuque County Library. It is so good to have Friends.
The big announcement is that we will be giving away 7 color Nooks for summer reading grand prizes!!! Adults can register and have a chance to win one in June and one in July. At the end of July, we will give away one at each branch for the kids. These prizes are made possible by generous donations from Dubuque Bank and Trust, American Trust and Savings Bank, Fidelity Bank, and J.P. Scherrman. Many thanks for supporting our libraries and expanding horizons for our communities.
The next event you have to put on your calendar is to bring your child or grandchild to the Real Science program at your local branch.
Monday – July 16th - NICC/Peosta Branch
Tuesday – July 17th - Drexler/Farley Branch
Wednesday – July 18th - Epworth Branch
Thursday – July 19th - Holy Cross Branch
Friday – July 20 - Asbury Branch
All programs are at 1:30 p.m. No registration is required. The programs are free and open to the public.
Each program will be an exciting, hands-on experience designed to fire up kids about science. The programs will present science experiments from five new science kits acquired by the library through a grant from IEEE (Institute of Electrical
Our Real Scientist is David Christ, NICC Peosta graduate and 2012 National NASA Aerospace Scholar. David has just returned from the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena , California
David will share with kids some electrifying experiments that may even stand your hair on end. He will explain the new kits and the many experiments you and your child can do at home.
Every student who attends will create an amazing project to take home and receive a Real Science certificate and portfolio.
Following the program series, the science kits will be available for check out from Dubuque County
Presented by Club STEM of Northeast Iowa Community College/Peosta. Sponsored by a grant from IEEE-Chicago Section and Dubuque County
Tomorrow I am headed up north to spend a week with our grandson and family at a small lake resort near Rhinelander, WI. I intend to spend lots of time playing Chutes and Ladders and reading. Happy trails!
Dawn
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Summer Reading starts!
I have to begin with a personal note. I apologize for not writing the past couple of weeks. My father had a stroke and passed away on Memorial Day. His funeral was last Friday in Cedar Rapids. Dad would have been 91 this Thursday. My father taught me so much. My values of respect, tolerance, fairness, love of family, free speech, and public service all come from his example. I will miss arguing politics with him and talking about books. In his later years, he was a voracious reader who loved espionage novels and savored every new book by David Baldacci. It's been a difficult time softened by gathering together with our extended family.
On the library front, summer reading began May 29th. We are busy signing up children and adults for Dream Big-Read which is our 2012 theme. Staff has planned a host of programs for all ages. The kick-off event is Incredible Bats this Friday, June 8th. Check our website (http://www.dubcolib.lib.ia.us)/ for three opportunities to see, touch, and learn about Egyptian fruit bats.
In June we will have a magic show, music with Darrell House, and learn about nocturnal animals with Jenny from the Dubuque County Conservation Department. There are movie showings every 3rd Thursday and Friday as well as several storytimes each week. Tween programs are scheduled throughout the summer for students who have completed 5th grade. Come pick up a summer reading brochure when you sign up for the Read @ Home program and put all these events on your summer calendar. Remember it is important to keep your child reading over the summer. Studies show that students can lose up to half a year of progress over the summer if they don't continue to read.
You may have noticed a new face behind the desk at our Holy Cross branch. Sam Sporer, long-time library courier and local resident, is filling in for Bea Ellerbach who had knee surgery on May 24th. Bea is doing well with her physical therapy but it will be a while before she is back in action. Sam is having a great time serving customers in Holy Cross. She started just in time for summer reading! Stop by, say hello and wish her well.
School is out, but in Farley the Drexler Middle School branch of the Dubuque County Library is still open for business. The library is open 10 am to 7 pm Monday through Thursday; 10 am to 6 pm on Friday, and 9-3 on Saturday. It is a gorgeous facility and we want everyone in Farley to come by and sign up for a library card. Maggie will be there every afternoon and mornings you will see Elisha, Jill, and Danielle there to serve you.
I am excited that our library continues to improve and grow. We have added to our electronic resources with new databases available through our website. Check out Legal Forms for all the documents you may need for real estate transactions, adoption, estate planning, etc. The database is specific to Iowa and has sample forms included to help you see how to complete the form. We also added several language programs through PowerSpeak Languages. For you antique collectors out there, we added Price It! to help you research current prices for an endless variety of collectibles. All of these resources are available from our website and are yours to use with your Dubuque County Library card.
Speaking of growing, last night I attended the Municipal Building Committee meeting in Asbury. The City of Asbury is planning a new community center complex that will include City Hall, police, and the library!! The community center will be adjacent to Asbury Park with adequate parking and outdoor leisure space for reading, community concerts, and markets. The building will substantially increase our square footage and provide common space for library programming. Think of it, a wonderful room for storytimes, book discussions, film showings, etc. I will continue to give you updates as the planning continues.
School is out and summer has begun. The library is ready to help you have a great summer. See you at the Library!
On the library front, summer reading began May 29th. We are busy signing up children and adults for Dream Big-Read which is our 2012 theme. Staff has planned a host of programs for all ages. The kick-off event is Incredible Bats this Friday, June 8th. Check our website (http://www.dubcolib.lib.ia.us)/ for three opportunities to see, touch, and learn about Egyptian fruit bats.
In June we will have a magic show, music with Darrell House, and learn about nocturnal animals with Jenny from the Dubuque County Conservation Department. There are movie showings every 3rd Thursday and Friday as well as several storytimes each week. Tween programs are scheduled throughout the summer for students who have completed 5th grade. Come pick up a summer reading brochure when you sign up for the Read @ Home program and put all these events on your summer calendar. Remember it is important to keep your child reading over the summer. Studies show that students can lose up to half a year of progress over the summer if they don't continue to read.
You may have noticed a new face behind the desk at our Holy Cross branch. Sam Sporer, long-time library courier and local resident, is filling in for Bea Ellerbach who had knee surgery on May 24th. Bea is doing well with her physical therapy but it will be a while before she is back in action. Sam is having a great time serving customers in Holy Cross. She started just in time for summer reading! Stop by, say hello and wish her well.
School is out, but in Farley the Drexler Middle School branch of the Dubuque County Library is still open for business. The library is open 10 am to 7 pm Monday through Thursday; 10 am to 6 pm on Friday, and 9-3 on Saturday. It is a gorgeous facility and we want everyone in Farley to come by and sign up for a library card. Maggie will be there every afternoon and mornings you will see Elisha, Jill, and Danielle there to serve you.
I am excited that our library continues to improve and grow. We have added to our electronic resources with new databases available through our website. Check out Legal Forms for all the documents you may need for real estate transactions, adoption, estate planning, etc. The database is specific to Iowa and has sample forms included to help you see how to complete the form. We also added several language programs through PowerSpeak Languages. For you antique collectors out there, we added Price It! to help you research current prices for an endless variety of collectibles. All of these resources are available from our website and are yours to use with your Dubuque County Library card.
Speaking of growing, last night I attended the Municipal Building Committee meeting in Asbury. The City of Asbury is planning a new community center complex that will include City Hall, police, and the library!! The community center will be adjacent to Asbury Park with adequate parking and outdoor leisure space for reading, community concerts, and markets. The building will substantially increase our square footage and provide common space for library programming. Think of it, a wonderful room for storytimes, book discussions, film showings, etc. I will continue to give you updates as the planning continues.
School is out and summer has begun. The library is ready to help you have a great summer. See you at the Library!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)