Drake Public Library

Seeking Excellence

Friends of the Drake Public Library

|

Book Signing, Sarah Rupalo

On Saturday, November 11th we will be holding a book signing and author visit with Sarah Rupalo who is the author of A Shaken Leaf. Sarah’s newest book promises to be a very intriguing story.  The characters draw you into this important theme.  Her book, Keeper’s Choice, is a well read mystery here at Drake Public Library. Sarah will be available with copies of her newest book and her previous books from 10:00am until Noon.

Sarah has been a guest author at Drake Public Library before and we are very pleased that she is available to visit with our patrons and the fans of her writing again.  Her books are available for check out here at the library or you can find them on Amazon.com. Sarah will be also selling signed copies for patrons the day of the book signing. Please join us to celebrate the published works of this Seymour, Iowa author!

“In A Shaken Leaf, Lora Hobart, an ambitious preacher’s wife, manipulates the lives of her family to push her husband’s career to a higher level. Hiding her bigotry and greed, she forces her twins, Damaris and Deborah, to keep a terrible secret. Years later, Keisha Carter’s search for her biological mother reveals shocking truths that could destroy the family. Can a symbolic dried leaf bring two families back together again?”

The Friends of the Drake Public Library are proud to be hosting this wonderful event. Come and meet Sarah, hear a little more about her books and perhaps buy a signed copy for yourself.  Refreshments will be available.

|

Author Visit – Writers Come Home

Garry Cox (CHS 1960) will be reading from his book of poetry, The Waters of Appanoose County .

Kathryn Wood (CHS 1958) will be reading from her book, An Unbroken Promise.

Join these two CHS alums as they share their poetry and storytelling skills with an audience of old and new friends.

 

|

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.

|

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

|

FUN raising!

Two small children reading together

Turn in your reading photos by the end of March for our Photo Contest.

Raising money for Drake Public Library is a continual function of Friends of the Drake Public Library (FDPL), but that doesn’t mean fundraising has to be mundane. Nor does it need to be burdensome to donors. Friends has launched several fundraisers in the last month, and has several others in planning stages, which it hopes will be interesting as well as fun. FDPL seeks money, but it wants to give its donors something in return.

FIFTY POUNDS OF PENNIES

Jar full of pennies

The collected pennies at the Drake Public Library.

For example, Friends wants to help members of the public get rid of those unwanted pennies. At the same time, it offers to let the public help gather 50 pounds of pennies just to see what that looks like.

Everyone knows pennies are heavy. People collect them, not on purpose, but because businesses insist on giving them to us in change. We have them in jars and drawers and perhaps underneath couch cushions. They are considered a nuisance. They get no respect. FDPL wants those poor, sad pennies. It will take them off your hands and give them new life. Bring them to the library.

Every week Friends will weigh the pennies and post the weight. If the goal of 50 pounds is reached before the end of the month, FDPL go for 60 pounds. Ten pennies weigh about an ounce. Sixteen ounces make a pound. Do the math.

EASTER EGG SURPRISES

Easter eggs

Eggs

Friends is celebrating Easter with surprise-filled eggs. Members of FDPL have prepared a basket of plastic eggs for sale at the library. Each egg contains some sort of surprise, and several eggs contain $5. Visitors to the library can purchase an egg for $1.00 at the front desk to find the surprise inside. Unlike the lottery, Friends guarantees you’ll win something, even if it’s just candy.

READING PHOTO CONTEST

Cat on a bookshelf

Cat chilling with some books

The Friends’ April fundraiser needs a little preparation, and FDPL has asked the public to help. FDPL needs photos related to reading or books. Children and pets always make cute pictures. Photos that represent reading in an artistic manner are welcome, too. In April, library patrons will pay to vote for their favorite photos. Prizes will be awarded to the top three vote-getters. It’s like American Idol except with book-related photos.

To participate, put your name and phone number on the back of a photo and bring it to the library. Anyone at the front desk will be happy to take the photo. FDPL will post the photos in the library in April and the voting will begin.

Keep an eye on the library website and Facebook page for future Friends fundraisers. FDPL wants to keep donors wondering, “What will Friends do next?”

 

 

|

‘Tis the Season for giving

Lit Christmas tree in library

Drake Public Library Christmas tree on main floor courtesy of the Friends of the Library.

The holidays are a time for giving. This year why don’t you consider giving a gift to Drake Public Library. After all, giving has always been an integral part of the library’s history.  Its very creation was made possible by a gift from Gov. Francis M. Drake in 1901.

Our library has a reputation for excellence. Its reputation has been earned … through the hard work of the library staff, the support of government agencies, and the support of individuals within the community. But excellence doesn’t just happen. It takes the right materials and personnel to make the library successful. In order to maintain the quality of the services the library currently provides, additional funds are needed.

Throughout the years the operating expenses of the library have been generously cared for via public funds. However, more recently, public funds no longer even cover day-to-day expenses. So the library needs our donations just to remain open. All donations to help our library are tax-deductible and 100% of all donations go to support the library. There are several ways to give to Drake Public Library.

First, you can give directly to the library by purchasing books or other materials in your name or in honor or in memory of a loved one. Contact our Library Director, Jami Livingston for details. Book plates can be placed in the books to indicate your donation if you desire.

You can also give by becoming a member of the Friends of Drake Public Library. Memberships are just $5 for an individual or $10 for a family. Giving a membership to another person would be a super gift. Consider giving a little more and become a Friends’ Sponsor. The Friends do so much for the library. Please click on the “Friends” tab on the menu bar above for more information about this organization and how you can help.

Finally, the Library Board is excited to announce the establishment of the Drake Public Library Foundation in January 2015. This private, tax-exempt, charitable organization has the support of our library as its sole purpose. Its board is made up of local volunteers and all donations are tax-deductible. The foundation is set up to receive any bequests and other planned gifts. The most rewarding part of making a planned gift is the knowledge that generations of children and adults will be transformed by the library thanks to the resources you have accumulated during your lifetime. For the new year please resolve to name Drake Public Library as a beneficiary of your will.

So, for the holidays, why don’t you relax, put your feet up and enjoy a good book – from the Drake Public Library, of course.

 

 

|

Welcome to our New Website!

Drake Public Library website

Drake Public Library’s new website!

Welcome to our new Drake Public Library website! We will be using our website to provide timely information, access online materials and answer any questions you may have about our library.

Spend some time getting to know your way around our new site. You will find lots of pictures of our beautiful building, our active ‘Friends of the Library’ group, and toddlers at Story Time in the various website photo galleries.

The site is easy to navigate and full of information, but please do not hesitate to call, email or visit the library in person. We are here to help you meet your life goals – whether you’re perfecting a resume, reading a classic novel or finding the perfect recipe for a roasted chicken.

Thanks to technology, libraries are different these days – but our core mission statement remains the same. We are here to help our patrons! So feel free to browse, search, click, “like,” and certainly bookmark this website for future use!

Our blog will be updated regularly with library information, news stories, book reviews, and fun tidbits of information. If you’re interested in receiving our blogs as they’re published, please subscribe in the right sidebar.

Our beloved Drake Public Library – serving the community for 111 years and looking forward to the future!

Staff at Drake Public Library