Drake Public Library

Seeking Excellence

JeNel Barth

|

Meet a Board member!

Board Member Dana Moritz

Board Member Dana Moritz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Dana Moritz

 

How long have you served on Drake Library Board of Trustees:

I’m not sure—I think about 7 years.

 

Any other volunteer or civic groups that you belong to:

Appanoose County Museum, Centerville Concert Association

Centerville Community Schools Foundation, Off the Square Theater Board, Hospital Auxiliary, Centerville Municipal Housing Authority

 

How long have you lived in Centerville:  50 years

 

Why are libraries important to you? Libraries preserve information, the basis of making good decisions.  In order to maintain a democracy, an informed public is needed.  That information is available equally for all at the library.

 

Favorite book, author, or type of reading material?

I like to read history, classics, novels, science-fiction, fantasy and mystery. One of my favorite books was Moby Dick by Herman Melville.  The whaling information was fascinating.  One of my new favorite fantasy writers is Patrick Rothfus, author of The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fears.

|

Meet a board member!

Library Board member Pete Lind

Name: Pete Lind

 

 

How long have you served on Drake Library Board of Trustees: I think I’m getting close to 5 years.

 

 

 

Any other volunteer or civic groups that you belong to: AGL Memorial Youth Hunt

 

 

How long have you lived in Centerville: Most of my 35 years

 

 

Why are libraries important to you? Access to the accumulated ideas of humankind is the most important liberty we enjoy.

 

 

Favorite book, author, or type of reading material? I read all kinds. Fiction and non-fiction. All kinds of Science, Philosophy, Journalism, History… Some of my favorite writers are Stephen Jay Gould, Denis Johnson, Wallace Stegner, David Foster Wallace, Mark Twain, John Cheever, Breece Pancake, Christopher Hitchens, A. C. Grayling.

|

Meet a Board member!

Library Board member Nicole Cox

Library Board member Nicole Cox

 

 

Name: Nicole Cox

How long have you served on Drake Library Board of Trustees: I have been a board member since 2014 and Secretary since July 2015.

Any other volunteer or civic groups that you belong to: Not at the moment

How long have you lived in Centerville: July 2014

Why are libraries important to you?  Libraries are important to me because they act as keepers of knowledge for our communities.  They are places to turn when you need to know more about a topic, a place for families to bring children to be introduced to and learn to love reading, and they are also a place for gathering with others in the community.  Libraries also serve a much more practical, but much needed purpose as a place for patrons to use computers, magazines, books, gather for children’s story times, and the many other services the library provides.  A free public library is an absolute asset to those in the community who would not have access to such benefits otherwise.

Favorite book, author, or type of reading material?  I enjoy autobiographies the most – everything from historical and political figures to popular culture!

|

Meet a Board member!

Library Board member Kathy Cridlebaugh

Library Board member Kathy Cridlebaugh

Name: Kathy Cridlebaugh          

 

 

How long have you served on Drake Library Board of Trustees: Since 2007

 

 

Any other volunteer or civic groups that you belong to: First Baptist Church Fellowship Committee, Historic Preservation Board, Hospital Auxillary, Appanoose County Coal Mining Museum Board, Centerville Concert Association Board.

 

 

How long have you lived in Centerville: Always lived in Appanoose County

 

 

Why are libraries important to you? Always brought my kids and just love the atmosphere and the historic building.

 

 

Favorite book, author, or type of reading material? Rebecca, Jane Eyre. I have eclectic tastes—read various types.

 

 

 

|

Meet a board member!

Board Member Kris Laurson.

Board Member Kris Laurson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Board member questionnaire

 

Name: Kristopher (Kris) Laurson

 

 

How long have you served on Drake Library Board of Trustees: Since 2015

 

 

Any other volunteer or civic groups that you belong to: Rotary Board of Directors, Milestones AAA Board Member, Community Resources Chair, Chamber Ambassador, HCI Care Services Board Member, Iowa Partnership For Success Member, Community Improvement Coalition Member, Wellness Coalition Member, Knights of Columbus Member, St. Mary’s Parish Council Member.

 

 

How long have you lived in Centerville: I was born in Centerville, Iowa moved away in 1998 moved back in 2007.

 

 

Why are libraries important to you? It is important to me that the Library continues to be an intricate and essential part of the community. I enjoy being part of the board as it continues the process of changing to meet the needs of the community. Also my 8 year old son loves the summer reading program and I think it is very important that children understand the value of the library.

 

 

Favorite book, author, or type of reading material? I most enjoy science fiction as well as books giving expert advice on how to.

 

|

WHAT’S YOUR SPECIALTY?

Friends of the Drake Public Library are in need of several unique, quality items to include in our upcoming ‘Boutique’ fundraiser. The boutique will not be held until Saturday, November 14th but it is necessary for us to know what we can count on, in advance. The exact venue and time will be announced later.

Do you have a special talent for creating a unique item(s) that Friends’ can sell to raise money to support the Drake Public Library? Examples may be, but not limited to, crocheted pieces, knitted items, embroidered items, quilts (large or small), paintings, pottery, jewelry, anything handcrafted that would draw interest from shoppers looking for unique gifts.

If you have an item to donate, you may bring it to the library and leave it with Jami or any staff person, or contact Sue Sacco (boutique chair). It will be helpful if you give an approximate value for your item. Persons donating items will be given full credit for their donation, via emails, newsletters, Facebook, flyers, and the Drake library website. We welcome artisans to attach a business card or brochure to their items to promote their business or talent. For more information, call the library at 641-856-6676 and speak to Jami.

|

It was a dark and stormy night………

It is October, so here is the obligatory scary book blog post! There are a ton of scary books; vampire books, dystopian books, ghost stories, and psychological horror. Perusing online, a person can find lists and lists of scary books.

Stephen King is the master of the scary story, from short terrifying novellas to thousand page mammoth books full of the undead, he can make a reader sleep with a light on all night long. Salem’s Lot and Pet Sematary are two of his that absolutely scare me to my wit’s end. Interesting side note, King’s books are always vanishing from the Drake Library. We have to re-order multiple copies of his books. That is horrifying.

King has a son named Joe Hill. He is a talented writer. His short story collection 20th Century Ghosts is full of hair raising spooky tales.

The scariest book I ever read has to be Doris Lessing’s The Fifth Child. This family has a child and he is violent, super strong, and not very lovable. The siblings don’t want anything to do with Ben. The mom can’t handle him. This story is scary to me because I think that is every parent’s nightmare. Having a child that is uncontrollable and unpleasant would be a heavy burden for a family.

Whatever your flavor of fright, you can find a spooky story at the Drake Public Library to fill your October evenings with terror.

Stop by the store and buy a fresh light bulb on your way home from the library! Just in case!

 

 

Scary books

Some of the scary titles available from the Drake Library.

 

|

I stand with the banned

This book has been banned by some libraries.

This book has been banned by some libraries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey did you know it is Banned Book Week?

 

Banned Book Week was started in 1982 as a way to bring attention to books that were being banned. Why do books get banned? They get banned for containing material that is deemed inappropriate by the School Board or the Library Board, or any organization that governs a library.

 

Here is a list of the top banned books in 20014 from Bannedbookweeks.org website:

 

1)     The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

Reasons: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: “depictions of bullying”

2)      Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”

3)      And Tango Makes Three, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Reasons: Anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “promotes the homosexual agenda”

4)      The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “contains controversial issues”

5)      It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris

Reasons: Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: “alleges it child pornography”

6)      Saga, by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Reasons: Anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group. Additional reasons:

7)      The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence

8)      The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “date rape and masturbation”

9)      A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard

Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group

10)  Drama, by Raina Telgemeier

Reasons: sexually explicit

 

 

Promote your freedom to read by checking out a title that is controversial from your local library.

 

For more information about banned books, check out the American Library Association website at ala.org

 

 

 

 

|

Book Review

The luckiest girl alive by Jessica Knoll

 

I picked this title off of Bridges for an easy read. I thought it would be standard light fluffy “chick lit” and would be easy mindless reading. Boy was I wrong!

Ani is the narrator and she is getting married to a seemingly perfect hunk. Then the story is told through flashbacks that delve into her turbulent teen years. She starts a new high school and tries so hard to fit in with the popular kids. She makes some foolish and downright dangerous decisions that alter her life forever. Her mom is portrayed as a clueless and narcissistic social climber. Her dad is there, but not there in Ani’s life.

The characters in this story are not good people! Everyone is flawed. Ani is probably the most flawed of all. The book begins to discuss an “event” from her high school. I found myself staying up late, avoiding conversations, and frantically reading to get to the “event” and find out what was going on.

The climax of the story seems horribly realistic. The author Jessica Knoll is able to put the reader right in the middle of the chaos. The story is satisfying and twists and turns to a finale.

Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will enjoy this story and the main protagonist. I will definitely read all of Jessica Knoll’s books in the future. Her debut novel is a stunner. I recommend it to anyone who struggled to be “popular” in high school! I ordered a copy for the library, so readers can find it online at Bridges or on the shelf at the Drake Library.

 

Other new titles on the Drake Library shelves include:

 

Dance of the Bones by JA Jance

Good Girl by Mary Kubica

Driving Heat by Richard Castle

Dishing the dirt by MC Beaton

Gilded life of Matilda Duplaine by Alex Brunkhorst

The Drowning by Camilla Lackberg

Corridors of the Night by Anne Perry

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

Why Not Me? By Mindy Kaling

 

 

New books at the Drake Library

New books at the Drake Library

|

News from the Children’s Department

Iowa Public Television Announces 2015-2016

Ready for School Communities

Education specialists work to strengthen math and literacy skills of young Iowa children

 

Johnston, IA – Iowa Public Television’s (IPTV) commitment to early childhood education continues with the expansion of its Ready for School initiative. Educational specialists will work with educators, parents, care providers and community partners in 25 Iowa communities to implement literacy-based activities for children ages two through eight years old.

 

“Iowa Public Television uses the power of media to spark children’s curiosity and excite them about learning,” said Terry Rinehart, director of Educational Services at IPTV. “Ready for School activities are designed to enhance early reading and math skills for young children. This roll-out to twenty five new communities furthers IPTV’s efforts to serve families across Iowa with trusted educational content.”

 

IPTV’s third year of Ready for School will focus on giving all children equal opportunity to succeed. IPTV will provide access to high-quality educational media resources including online games, instructional materials and educational activities that help children increase their school readiness and success. The Drake Public Library Children’s Department has been provided 3 iPads as a part of Ready for School, a collaborative project between Iowa Public Television and the Drake Public Library. The multimedia content and related activities are based upon the work of educational children’s programming from PBS, such as The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!, The Electric Company, Odd Squad, Martha Speaks, Sid the Science Kid and Super WHY!

 

The program builds from the successful pilot testing of these methods and resources in Storm Lake, Perry and Waterloo that IPTV began in 2008. The initiative has been validated by scientifically-based research funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Ready for School has been deployed in fifty other Iowa communities prior to this year.

 

The 25Ready for School communities for 2015-2016 are:

 

Allamakee Community School District

Anamosa Community School District

Atlantic Community School District

Cedar Rapids Community School District

Centerville Community School District

Coon Rapids-Bayard Community School District

Des Moines Independent Community School District (2)

Estherville Lincoln Central Community School District

Fairfield Community School District

Green County Community School District

Howard-Winneshiek Community School District

Maquoketa Valley Community School District

Moravia Community School District

Mormon Trail Community School District

Mount Pleasant Community School District

Newell-Fonda Community School District

North Fayette Community School District

North Union Community School District

Oskaloosa Community School District

Postville Community School District

Saydel Community School District

Spencer Community School District

Starmont Community School District

Wayne Community School District

 

Learn more at Iptv.org.

 

For more information about Iowa Public Television, please contact Susan Ramsey at 515.725.9703 or Susan.Ramsey@iptv.org.

 

###

 

P.O. BOX 6450 l 6450 Corporate Drive, Johnston, Iowa 50131 l515-725-9800

Iowa Public Television is Iowa’s statewide public broadcasting network. IPTV provides quality, noncommercial programming to make a difference in the lives of Iowans. As one of the last locally controlled media enterprises in the state, IPTV is committed to telling Iowa’s stories like no one else can. Our mission to educate, inform, enrich, and inspire Iowans enables IPTV to present an unequaled array of programs of lasting value to Iowans regardless of where they live or what they can afford. More than 2 million viewers a month turn to IPTV for programming that reflects a range of interests for Iowans in all demographic categories. Iowa Public Television offers three programming channels statewide: IPTV, IPTV LEARNS and IPTV WORLD. Iowa Public Television stations include: Channel 11, Des Moines; Channel 12, Iowa City; Channel 21, Fort Dodge; Channel 24, Mason City; Channel 27, Sioux City; Channel 32, Waterloo; Channel 32, Council Bluffs; Channel 36, Davenport; Channel 36, Red Oak. Information on programming channels, reception and more can be found at Iptv.org.