Monday, January 21, 2013

Tax time at the library!



Thinking Library!

Meredith Scherb
January 19, 2013

New Books Upstairs @ the library!
          Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini
Footprints in the Sand: A Piper Donovan Mystery by Mary Jane Clark
The Bughouse Affair: A Carpenter & Quincannon Mystery by Marcia Muller & Bill Pronzini
          To Honor and Trust by Traci Peterson
Blood Gospel: The Order of the Sanguines Series by James Rollins
The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier
The Husband List by Janet Evanovich & Dorien Kelly
Kinsey and Me: Stories by Sue Grafton
Collateral Damage (Stone Barrington) by Stuart Woods

Coming Events @ the Library!
  • Library Hours!
Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Sundays - Closed
  • Check out our website http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us
  • Library email: atlanticpubliclibrary@gmail.com
  • Every Wednesday is Craft Day from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • The Library Board regular meeting will be held on Monday, February 11, 2013, 5:30 p.m. meeting room upstairs.
  • Pre-School Storytimes will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays this fall from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for 3-5 year olds.
    • Jan 22/23 – Snowbuddies!
    • Feb 5/6 – Valentine Time!
    • Feb 19/20 – Are You Sleeping?!
      • Reminder! Bring a backpack or bag!

Did You Know…
You can download free e-books and audiobooks from the comfort of your own home? Go to our home page and click on the “download audiobooks and e-books” icon.  All you need is your patron barcode number (which we will happily provide to you) and your phone number which is used as your password. 

Behind My Desk…

I can’t believe it’s already that time of year again.  Taxes.  Certainly not my favorite thing and I’m guessing most people would agree with me.  For years, the State supplied public libraries with tax forms and booklets.  Unfortunately, that will not be the case this year, largely due to budget constraints.

However, you can access the forms and booklets from our website.  From the main page, go to “Helpful Links”, then “Find Information”.  Under the “Government” heading, select “Iowa Taxes”.  That will take you to the Iowa Department of Revenue website where the forms are located.  If you need any assistance in locating the forms, don’t hesitate to ask.  We’re more than happy to help.  Also, this is only for the Iowa state tax forms.  Federal tax forms have been ordered and should be arriving soon.

On a much more fun topic, I had the opportunity to speak to the women’s group at Heritage House yesterday morning about how Atlantic acquired a Carnegie Library.  The process was the same for every library across the country that applied for a grant from steel-magnate, Andrew Carnegie, but I was able to find some local newspaper articles from 1903 that provided some unique details about the process for Atlantic.  (Thanks to the Cass Co. Genealogical Society for digging those up for me!)  It was a lot of fun to research it and a lot of fun to share it.  I could not have been more warmly welcomed.  And if they have pastries like that at every meeting, I would be happy to come again! 

It’s been a chilly few days so stay warm and keep…Thinking Libraries!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Happy New Year!



Thinking Library!

Meredith Scherb
January 5, 2013

New Books Upstairs @ the library!
          Empire and Honor by W.E.B. Griffin
Shadow Woman by Linda Howard
          Life is a Gift: the Zen of Tony Bennett by Tony Bennett
          The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin
Dear Chandler, Dear Scarlett: a Grandfather’s Thoughts on Faith, Family, and the Things that Matter Most by Mike Huckabee
Rosemary Opens Her Heart by Naomi King
Trial of Fallen Angels by James Kimmel Jr.
Thomas Jefferson: the Art of Power by Jon Meacham

Coming Events @ the Library!
  • Library Hours!
Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Sundays - Closed
  • Check out our website http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us
  • Library email: atlanticpubliclibrary@gmail.com
  • Every Wednesday is Craft Day from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • The Library Board regular meeting will be held on Monday, January 14, 2013, 5:30 p.m. meeting room upstairs.
  • Pre-School Storytimes will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays this fall from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for 3-5 year olds.
    • Jan 8/9 – “Snow” Place Like Storytime!
    • Jan 22/23 – Snowbuddies!
    • Feb 5/6 – Valentine Time!
    • Feb 19/20 – Are You Sleeping?!
      • Reminder! Bring a backpack or bag!
Did You Know…
There is an advanced search feature in the online catalog?  Just click on “More Search Options” and search by author, title, subject, material type or any combination.

Behind My Desk…

The holidays are finally behind us and unless we have another blizzard (knock on wood we don’t), the library will be open its regular hours from now until Memorial Day!  As much as I enjoy the time off and time spent with family, it will be nice to get back into a regular routine again.

A couple of weeks ago, the City arranged to have an energy audit of all the city buildings, so I had the pleasure of giving a tour of the library to the two gentlemen conducting it.  In doing so, I finally had a legitimate reason to check out the attic of the library!  It was very cold, but also very interesting.  In addition to the cooling system, there was also a lot of history: pictures, what looked like scrapbooks, some furniture.  Who knows what else?  Maybe someday when it’s not so cold, but before it gets too hot, it might be worthwhile to sift through what’s up there! 

It seemed very fitting that I should be exploring the attic of the Carnegie portion of the building at the same time I’m putting together a presentation on how Atlantic got a Carnegie library for Heritage House on the 15th.  I very much enjoy history so it’s been fun putting that together and I’m looking forward to sharing my discoveries with them!

I thought I would close this column with a quote in honor of the New Year.  I love a good quote.  I think that’s one of the reasons I love to read so much.  Every now and again I come across a passage and it captures exactly what I am thinking or feeling but would never be able to express as well, if at all. 

“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.”
Rainer Maria Rilke

Happy 2013 everyone…and keep Thinking Libraries!

Friday, December 21, 2012

The weather outside!



Thinking Library!

Meredith Scherb
December 22, 2012

New Books Upstairs @ the library!
          Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis
Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966-2012 by Carol Loomis
          Luck of the Draw by Piers Anthony
          Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan
          Windows 8: Out of the Box by Mike Halsey
Head in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality by Jacob Tomsky
Little Century by Anna Keesey
Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter: A Memoir by Melissa Francis

Coming Events @ the Library!
  • Library Hours!
Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Sundays - Closed
  • Check out our website http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us
  • Library email: atlanticpubliclibrary@gmail.com
  • Every Wednesday is Craft Day from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • The Library Board regular meeting will be held on Monday, January 14, 2013, 5:30 p.m. meeting room upstairs.
  • Pre-School Storytimes will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays this fall from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for 3-5 year olds.
    • Jan 8/9 – “Snow” Place Like Storytime!
    • Jan 22/23 – Snowbuddies!
    • Feb 5/6 – Valentine Time!
    • Feb 19/20 – Are You Sleeping?!
      • Reminder! Bring a backpack or bag!
  • The Atlantic Public Library will be closed Monday and Tuesday, December 24 and 25 for the Christmas holiday.
  • The Atlantic Public Library will be closed Tuesday, January 1 for the New Year’s holiday.
 Did You Know…
Library patrons can access national and regional newspapers for free on Newsbank, including the Atlantic News Telegraph from 2006 to the present, right from our homepage? All you need to login is your patron number.  Contact the library if you need yours!

Behind My Desk…

Well, the weather outside was certainly frightful the past couple of days!  I hope everyone stayed safe and warm!  The blizzard prompted the library to close early on Wednesday and close for the day on Thursday.  It just was not in the best interest of the staff or our patrons to try to open.  We are open our regular hours on Saturday so there is still time to get that necessary reading material before the Christmas holiday! 

Because of the recent blizzard, I think it is also a good time to remind everyone of the Library’s policy for bad weather and programs:

If the local Atlantic schools cancel school for the day, the library will cancel any programs they have on that day.

If the local Atlantic schools have a late start for school, the library will have their programs as scheduled.

Check the local radio stations for cancellations or call the library @ 243-5466, ext. 1.

Since we’re going to have that White Christmas after all, everyone please travel safely, and have a very Merry Christmas and, as this will be my last column of 2012, Happy New Year!

And of course, remember to keep Thinking Libraries!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

So many books!



Thinking Library!

Meredith Scherb
December 8, 2012

New Books Upstairs @ the library!
          Threat Vector by Tom Clancy
          Target Lancer by Max Allan Collins
          Nano by Robin Cook
          The First Prophet by Kay Hooper
          Wolf Hall: A Novel by Hilary Mantel
          Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
Political Suicide by Michael Palmer
Private London by James Patterson

Coming Events @ the Library!
  • Library Hours!
Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Sundays - Closed
  • Check out our website http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us
  • Library email: atlanticpubliclibrary@gmail.com
  • Every Wednesday is Craft Day from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • The Library Board regular meeting will be held on Monday, December 10, 2012, 5:30 p.m. meeting room upstairs.
  • Pre-School Storytimes will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays this fall from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for 3-5 year olds.
Dates are: December 18/19
                 Theme: Christmas Party (Bring a backpack or bag)     
  • December 13, 3:30-5:00 - Christmas Movie Day for ages Kindergarten and up.
    • May bring a drink in a closeable cup – popcorn served!
    • No sign-up required.
  • The Atlantic Public Library will be closed Monday and Tuesday, December 24 and 25 for the Christmas holiday.
  • The Atlantic Public Library will be closed Tuesday, January 1 for the New Year’s holiday.
Did You Know…

December is Learn a Foreign Language month? Use the library’s online database, Powerspeak Languages, to begin learning Spanish, French, German, or Mandarin.  The link is right on our homepage!

Behind My Desk…

Here it is Thursday afternoon and I’m just now getting around to writing my column!  I’ve been busy this week preparing for Monday’s board meeting, but I must confess I have also been distracted by all these “best books of the year” lists various publications (Library Journal, Booklist, etc.) are putting out.  I, not surprisingly, am always looking for my next book, plus it’s always fun to see and either agree or disagree with the various titles listed.   Sadly, this year there are many I haven’t read which just makes my “to-read” list that much longer.  So many books, so little time! 

I also had another “first” this week that I wanted to mention.  I was interviewed by Lavon Eblen for her Backyard and Beyond program on KJAN.  I’ve never been on the radio before, so that was pretty exciting!  Thank you to Lavon for providing me with the opportunity to talk about the library and introduce myself to the community.

I also want to thank the Rotary Club for inviting me to speak at their meeting and for their donation to the library which will be used to purchase books in the name of each of their speaker’s throughout this past year. 

Though it maybe doesn’t feel like it, I hope you’re enjoying this holiday season!

And be sure to keep Thinking Libraries!