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Drake Public Library

06.21.17 |

Help Wanted

Part Time Librarian Assistant for Children’s Department

The Drake Public Library is seeking candidates to fill a part time opening in the children’s department, beginning immediately. This is a part time position (15 – 20 hours a week) with a set schedule that includes Saturdays.

The Librarian Assistant is responsible for daily operations at the Circulation Desk. This position requires the ability to work directly with children of various ages, a familiarity with authors, books and genres, a basic understanding of the internet and various computer programs, the ability to alphabetize and an understanding of the Dewey Decimal system in order to re-shelve materials accurately. You must be over the age of 18 and out of high school to apply.

Please fill out an application at the circulation desk of the library and submit it to the librarian on duty. Previous applicants may reapply.

 

05.17.17 |

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR 2017

The annual Scholastic Book Fair will be held at the Drake Public Library Monday, May 22 through Saturday, May 27 during normal business hours.  In years past, this event has been held in March but we are trying something new this year.  This year’s “table top” fair is being held at the end of May in order to help kick off Summer Reading Program season.

We are still looking for volunteers to help run the fair during business hours (10-6).  It is relatively simple.  Any adult with a bit of cash register experience can do it.  Its more fun with a buddy, so bring a friend!  If  you are interested, please contact us at 856-6676.  As a volunteer, you will be lucky enough to see the books that are available for purchase right away!

This year’s theme is “Happy Camper Book Fair: S’more Fun with Books!” and promises to be full of wonderful reading choices as well as a few fun novelty items.  There will be books of all types and price ranges for children pre-school through young adult.  Scholastic provides good quality reading materials that are very popular with kids and families.

This book fair helps us earn “Scholastic Dollars” to purchase books and other materials for the library.  We can earn up to 50% of our total sales!  Its been a wonderful resource for the Children’s Library and we hope that you will help support the Drake Public Library through this fun event.  Come to our book fair!

05.04.17 |

Writers Come Home – Authors Visit at the Drake Public Library

On Saturday, May 13 at 11am, two popular authors from Centerville, Kathryn Wood (CHS 1958) and Garry Cox (CHS 1960) have been invited home to share their poetry and storytelling skills with an audience of old and new friends.

Garry L. Cox is a teacher, poet, actor, playwright and public speaker. Garry will be reading from  his book of poetry, The Waters of Appanoose County.

“I’m really just a big ham-ever since I was in the Lincoln Elementary School Production of The Big Bad Wolf and brought down the house by diving head-first into a huge waste can we were using as a chimney.  Anything to please an audience.  Including standing still and sharing some poems I’ve written to express my gratitude for a life full of blessings.”

The Waters of Appanoose County is available at Amazon.com.  For an even more fun option, go to Garry’s website, garrycox.com and check out his blog and click on BOOK to purchase.

Kathryn Wood will be reading from her book, An Unbroken Promise.

“I currently live in Cedar Falls to be close to my daughter and her family.  I grew up in Centerville and graduated with the class of 1958.  I married Clyde Wood of Exline, Iowa and we had a son and a daughter.  My son is a history professor and teaches at a small college in West Virginia.  My daughter is a physical therapist in Cedar Falls.”

“Clyde died in 1987 and since then, I have been exploring life as a single person, walking a trail cut out for one.  Since the writing of An Unbroken Promise, I have also contributed a story as part of a book, Sex, Lies and Scandals in Two Rivers.”

An Unbroken Promise is available on Amazon.

Copies of Garry and Kathryn’s books will be available for purchase through cash or check during their visit to the Drake Public Library.

The Friends of the Drake Public Library are graciously hosting this event.

03.08.17 |

Help Wanted Part Time Librarian Assistant

Help Wanted

Drake Public Library

Part Time Librarian Assistant for Children’s Department

The Drake Public Library is seeking candidates to fill a part time opening beginning March 15, 2017. This is a part time position (15 – 20 hours a week) with a set schedule that includes Saturdays. The Librarian Assistant is responsible for daily operations at the Circulation Desk.  This position requires a familiarity with authors, books and genres, a basic understanding of the internet and various computer programs, the ability to alphabetize and an understanding of the Dewey Decimal system in order to re-shelve materials accurately.  The ability to and desire to work with children of all ages is required. You must be over the age of 18 and out of high school to apply.  Please fill out an application at the main desk of the library and submit it to the librarian on duty.  Previous applicants may reapply.

03.02.17 |

We Were the Lucky Ones, by Georgia Hunter

Another book review by dedicated Drake Public Library reader and patron, Deb Egeland.  This book has been very popular among readers who enjoy historical fiction…although, it is based on a true story.

There have been a multitude of novels written about WWII and the Holocaust. “We were the Lucky Ones” is yet another. It is worth picking up, even if you’ve read many already.

This book does delve into the many horrors the Polish Jews had to face. What Georgia Hunter does in addition in this book is to show how fractured families became, the prolonged uncertainty of where and how siblings, children and parents were, and how devastating that was as well.

It was a horrifying and shameful time for the world. But a time that brought out tremendous strengths, allegiances, courage and fortitude. These attributes were called upon not only during the war, but also during the search for surviving family afterwards, and trying to figure out where they might safely land…and live.

Read the story. Then continue to read the ‘author’s note’ and the ‘since then’. There you will discover that the story that you thought too horrible, too intense, too heartbreaking to be real, was in fact true!

02.16.17 |

Georgia, A Novel of Georgia O’Keeffe by Dawn Tripp

This is a novel about the life of American master painter Georgia O’Keeffe, her love story with photographer Alfred Stieglitz, and her quest to come of age as a woman. In this novel of a couple, and of passion, betrayal, and art, Georgia comes alive as never before.

Georgia is a young art teacher and artist when she travels from Texas to New York to meet Alfred Stieglitz.  He is a married photographer, gallery owner and contemporary art promoter.  Their attraction is instant and their love affair begins just as Georgia also begins to develop as an artist. She soon gains notoriety as the artistic muse for Stieglitz’s renown nudes series. But Georgia begins to feel trapped in her role as subject while trying to hold her own in the art world.  Her desire to be seen and understood as an independent woman and artist pushes the boundaries of her relationship.  And, we watch as it transforms her into the powerfully independent woman and artist that we know of today.  You can see her independence shine through in the forward, “This is not a love story.  If it were, we would have the same story.  But he has his, and I have mine.”

For fans of the iconic artist, you will enjoy delving into her personal life and see this transformation for yourself.  The story itself is quite romantic and inspirational.  Her struggles and feelings, very real.  It gave me a little more insight into this artist that I have to admit, I idolize.  I read this with my Georgia O’Keeffe print books handy so that I might see the paintings that are mentioned throughout the book.  The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum website was useful as well.  Check out Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O’Keeffe if you are in the mood for the romantic but very interesting story of an iconic artist.

 

11.23.16 |

Thanksgiving at Drake Public Library

The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday makes me realize how very thankful I am for the Drake Public Library and for those of you who support us.  The Friends of the Drake Public Library fund children’s programming and so many other things!  Thank you for working very hard to make sure that our library has whatever we need.  Our Drake Public Library Foundation raises and manages funds through memorials and large donations.  Thank you for ensuring the future of our library and our services.

Our library Board of Trustees is a strong support for me.  Thank you for planning for the future, assisting me in developing policies, and advocating for the library throughout the community.  The City of Centerville provides funding for the library and I am thankful to have strong leaders within the City Council, the Mayor’s office and administrative team to help me and support the library.

The staff at Drake Public Library has some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met.  Thank you, Beth, Julie, Kristin, Pam, Chaz and our volunteers John, James and Nikki, for being reliable, knowledgeable, patient and kind.  I am very lucky to have these coworkers and friends.   Finally, our patrons…because without you, we wouldn’t be here!  Thank you for kind words, patience, timely suggestions, interesting conversations, and of course tasty treats!  Our patrons are some of the best and the staff at the Drake Public Library is very thankful for all of you.

happy-thanksgiving-wishesPlease enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday.  We will be closed on Thursday and Friday so that our staff can enjoy time with their families.  Thank you!

 

JeNel

11.04.16 |

Bats at the Library, by Brian Lies

bats-at-the-library-image

It’s a wonderful day when I get to help Kristin out with the story time programs. So, I just couldn’t resist coming downstairs for the Halloween party with the Rising Readers on Monday. As I was helping clean things up, one of our “library kids”, Layla, asked me “What is your favorite book in this whole library?”  It took me a minute!  I’m a librarian…I like to read.  I could have named off a whole lot of books.  But, I had a thought as I was chatting with her about what I like to read.  “Bats at the Library by Brian Lies!” I exclaimed.

This was one of the first books that I fell in love with as a children’s librarian and storyteller. The pictures are grand, the prose poetic but very readable…it’s simply a whole lot of fun to read and even more fun to READ TO children.  Brian Lies captures the amazing things that children can see and do at the library through bats who have snuck in through an open window after closing.  They play with the water fountain, make photocopies, play shadow puppets on the wall and have story time.  The older bats tell tales that they had learned from these books long ago and the younglings drift into pretending that they are the characters in the book.  It’s a wonderful view of the public library.

The author has written a few other books including, Bats at the Ballgame, Bats at the Beach and Bats in the Band.  They all show a unique view of these activities, after hours, through the eyes of bats.  If you have come to any of my story times or classroom visits, you’ve probably heard me reading one of these books.  I admit, bats became a bit of an obsession for me after finding this book.  I have quite a collection of bat puppets, plastic figures and crafts.  I was able to find a fantastic youtube series published by the Bat World Santuary ( batworld.org ) and I even have a bat wing headband and bat covered shirt (if anyone remembers me being “The Batty Librarian” one Halloween)

So, as we “flitter and fly” through Fall, remember that “for now we’ll dream of things we’ve read, a universe inside each head. Every evening, one and all will listen for that late-night call: Can it be true? Oh, can it be? Yes! Bat Night at the Library!”

Keep reading!

JeNel

10.13.16 |

“When the Frost Is on the Punkin”

As I went out the door to come to the library today, I noticed the frost on the ground and a chill in the air.  It immediately reminded me of one of my favorite children’s books and poems.  I thought it would be nice to share it with you.  Its one of the many, beautifully illustrated Fall themed books available in the children’s area.  Come by and take a look.

When the Frost is on the Punkin

By James Whitcomb Riley

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock,

And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock,

And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens,

And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;

O, it’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best,

With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,

As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.

They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere

When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here—

Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees,

And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin’ of the bees;

But the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze

Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days

Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock—

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.

The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,

And the raspin’ of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn;

The stubble in the furries—kindo’ lonesome-like, but still

A-preachin’ sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;

The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;

The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover over-head!—

O, it sets my hart a-clickin’ like the tickin’ of a clock,

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!

Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps

Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps;

And your cider-makin’ ’s over, and your wimmern-folks is through

With their mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too! …

I don’t know how to tell it—but ef sich a thing could be

As the Angels wantin’ boardin’, and they’d call around on me—

I’d want to ’commodate ’em—all the whole-indurin’ flock—

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!

Keep reading!  -JeNel

 

10.06.16 |

A Book Review of “Fireman”, by Joe Hill

My friend and patron, Deb Egeland, loves to read and enjoys writing a few words about the books that she is reading. I always appreciate her perspective on books and love that she’s willing to “check out” something new and different from her usual genres. She sent me this review on “The Fireman” this summer. If you are interested in reviewing a book, let me know. Patrons of all ages are welcome to submit a one page book review on any book in our collection. Just email it to us at library@centerville-ia.org or turn it into the librarian on duty.

“This morning I finished the first book I’ve read by author Joe Hill. The book was “The Fireman”. It was a very strange book.

An odd virus is sweeping across the globe. Soon after being infected, the victim develops tattoo-like markings on their body. Various parts of their body may also start smoking and/or burning. Inevitably, the victim ignites completely and burns to death. Gruesome!

The primary characters in the book are infected and have managed to gather into a well-hidden commune. The plot goes back and forth between the internal workings and politics of the commune, and rest of the world with it’s increasing battle to deal with the infected and to keep the uninfected ‘clean’.

I wavered between disgust and intrigue, frustration and excitement, disbelief and page turning. There were a few times I considered putting the book down for good and calling it quits. I persevered and finished it. I can’t say it was the best use of my time; but it was different than my usual reads. It is always good to get out of the rut once in awhile.

If you are looking for something different, give it a shot. I may look at another of Joe Hill’s at some point…”

Submitted By: Deb Egeland

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