Library Notes

Last month I read the book “Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey through His Son’s Addiction” by David Sheff, this is anything but your typical addiction story for many reasons; one being the authors ability to write beautifully the other his willingness to be so honest with his readers. Mr. Sheff provides no solutions, no fixes, no real answers he simply with great elegance tells of one of the most painful periods of his life and that of his family. I keep a journal of the books I’ve read with a little note about each book and at the end of this journal entry I wrote, “David and Nic Sheff along with their families will forever hold a special place in my heart.” The book had an impact.

Well Nic, David’s son whom he writes about in his book has written his own story, “Tweak: Growing up on Methamphetamines” and this book is outstanding. Nic is about 25 years old and the book chronicles a 642 days of his life, tragic days, good days, clean days, wasted days. The book is outstanding, it is raw and brutally honest, it is not easy to read about all of Nic’s circumstances and situations, but I think it is important to read. During the last ten pages of the book I am weeping, weeping for Nic and his family and the pain and anguish years of addiction have cause them all.

Just last week David and Nic were on “Oprah” I watched, curious about how they talk publicly about something so painful and entranced. It is without doubt that the Sheff family will always hold a special place in my heart.

Other books of interest include “The Execution of Willie Francis: Race, Murder and the Search for Justin the American South” by Gilbert King. I recently stumbled upon an author who has been around for a while but was new to me. I was watching “Book TV” a taped rerun actually because you need C-SPAN 2 to get it live, but that’s another story. Anyway, they were interviewing Nathan McCall and I was fascinated by him. That’s the thing about “Book TV” I am fascinated by just about everyone, well we now have Nathan MCCall’s books, a nonfiction title called “Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America” which is a nonfiction title and his newest work “Them” a novel.

It seems these days everyone is taking about the electric car or who killed it for that matter. We have the DVD “Who Killed the Electric Car” and we can’t even keep it on the shelves everyone is checking this out, we also a book titled “The Electric Car: Development and Future of Battery, Hybrid and Fuel-Cell Cars” by Michael H. Westbrook, at the very least these titles are sure to get you thinking.

If you are participating in our book club series title “The New Political You” you will want to be sure to read “Primary Colors” a work of fiction originally published anonymously. If you have finished this title or want something a bit different but related I suggest “All the Kings Men” by Robert Penn Warren this gem of a book was published in 1946 and totally relevant today and it has been made in a movie twice. The book also won the Pulitzer Prize.

On April 24^th we will have guest speakers at the library speaking about a recent trip to China, there will slides as well. Mark your calendar for this special event.

Story time is Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. bring the whole family for an evening at the library.

I am sure that most of you are aware we as a nation are in an election year, a Presidential election year to be exact. You will have the opportunity to vote for other offices as well, including local offices and your input is crucial on all levels. Over the past 14 years I have, through the vehicle of this newspaper column encourage you to all get out and vote. I have to stress that I don’t care how you vote as long as you vote. This year I’d like to take that a step further and say I hope that each and everyone of you will not only vote but will make every effort to actually get educated on the issues and the candidates and make informed voting decisions.

The first step is making sure you are registered to vote and you can actually stop by the library and pick up a voter registration card. Yes, that’s right every year we make voter registration cards available at the library so you can easily get registered. You can also pick up voter registration cards at the Court House, so which ever way is easiest for you is fine with us. If you are stopping by the library to pick up tax forms, grab a voter registration card, if you are picking up or dropping off library materials grab a voter registration card. Registering to vote is incredibly easy, you will know all of the answers on the little card and it is pre-addressed making sure it will be returned to the appropriate place.

The library’s book club which is led by Susan Sanford will be embarking on an amazing journey during the next eight months leading up the elections. Each month the book selections, including fiction and nonfiction will deal with issues facing the upcoming election along with books about the political process and elections.

Our movie selection during the next eight months will follow the same theme. It is our hope to raise the bar on our level of understanding surrounding important issues that truly do impact our daily lives. Along with our book and movie selection each month we will also have lists of supplemental reading, because as we have discovered there are too many books and not enough time.

We also hope these monthly meetings will foster meaningful discussions and an opportunity for personal growth and understanding. Our Democracy is a beautiful thing, we should not take it for granted we should also expend our energy increasing our brain power in regards to preparing for the upcoming elections and the issue that we proclaim to be so passionate about, we should perhaps examine a little more closely.

This week I encourage you to visit the website www.votesmart.org this is a nonpartisan organization that maintains information about Senators and Representatives pertaining including biographical information, voting records, issue positions, interest groups, campaign finance and more. This is a fantastic website it even includes a short video that explains this organization that is run through donations and volunteers.

March was Women’s History month I will also suggest visiting our biography section and selecting a title about any woman you choose and reading up a bit. I might recommend explorer Anne Bancroft, Newspaper owner Katharine Graham, or actress Lucile Ball. Trust me the selection is huge and the reading will be worth your while.

I think perhaps that at the very least each week I should try to recommend a book, movie, or audio to the readers of this column. I hope that the recommendations are at the very least considered by those of you looking for a good book or movie. What’s nice about recommendations from others is that sometimes, without prodding we stay stuck in our usual fare and don’t challenge ourselves to explore new frontiers.

“The World Without Us” by Alan Weisman is work of nonfiction which examines just what the planet might become if people where no longer to inhabit it. This book has been on best seller lists and received tremendous praise by critics and readers. Weisman uses real science to explore the state of the planet without people.

Award winning writer Ha Jin’s novel “A Free Life” follows the life of a family that leave china 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and begin a new life in the United States. This of course is what I would consider a quality piece of fiction, real literature so to speak and worth your attention.

Whether the snow is falling or the sun is shinning spring will really make an appearance and many of us will not be able to fight off the desire to plant things. Some will plant vegetables and others will plan flowers, some will stick with the program and what they plan will grow others of us will fail miserably at the whole gardening experience. What could really help with your gardening experience and maybe help secure a successful growing season would be to check out some our amazing gardening books. “Midwest Top 10 Garden Guide” put out by Sunset books may provide some much needed information or inspiration. We have books on organic gardening and starting seeds and specific flowers and plants so get a jump on the season by checking out our gardening books.

I try to squeeze books anyway I can and audio books are a terrific way to digest a book. I listen to books on audio tape or compact disc frequently. I almost always have one checked out that I can listen to in the car or house. While baking or doing dishes I find the time goes much faster when listening to a book. I strongly recommend listening to “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy this is an amazing work of literature and was very captivating to listen to. Cormac McCarthy is also the author of “No Country for Old Men” which was made into a movie which was nominated for and won a number of Academy Awards.

How about your musical tastes, a bit stale, tired of the same old stuff on the radio might I suggest checking out great CD collection. The sound track to “Across the Universe” is delightful, the remakes of Beatles songs has been done so well, it is refreshing to say the least. If you are a Beatles purest you may want to checkout our “Beatles Anthology” collection we have volumes 1, 2 & 3. Lenny Kravitz has a new CD out “It Is Time For a Love Revolution” I couldn’t agree more. Lenny Kravitz has an amazing voice and this CD has a great deal of depth. The soundtrack to “Juno” is a breath of fresh air. Make use of your CD player and checkout some of our fantastic music.

We have a fabulous selection of magazines one of my favorites is “Gourmet” which is currently edited by my favorite foodie, Ruth Reich. If you enjoy cooking or eating or reading about restaurants “Gourmet” is the magazine for you.

Well, it’s here; after months of gearing up for the Big Read book discussion on “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan, this Thursday, March 20^th at 7:00 pm. marks the time and date. The discussion will be held in the lower level of the library in the Sanford room, this event is free is everyone is welcome to attend. I really want to extend the invitation to even those who have not had a chance to read the book. The discussion is sure to be enlightening and it is always nice to spend the evening in the company of others.

We can use your help, the library loves donated materials your donations of gently used books, and movies really help us to stretch our budget. Often we add your donated items directly to our collection to be checked out by others, even if we already own a book or movie sometimes ours so worn that we can really use a new copy. Other times we add your donated items to our annual used book sale. The money made from our used book sale goes towards funding children’s reading programs and purchasing new materials. So when you are spring cleaning, getting rid of items you no longer need or books and movies your kids have outgrown so to speak please consider donating them to the library, we really appreciate it.

This past week I read an amazing book called “Beautiful Boy: A father’s Journey through his Son’s Addiction” by David Sheff. The book is so well written it was a literary treat to read. The story of this family’s painful story was very compelling and so honest that when reading more than one passage tears were unavoidable. Addiction is a tricky thing, no one sets out be an addict, the occasional drinker becomes an alcoholic someone looking for a quick high smokes some pot or tries meth and for some reason some people are hooked and these drugs take over their lives and they no longer have control of the their brains or bodies instead the drug or drugs have all the power and getting off these drugs is no easy task. The painful and expensive road to recovery can be too large of a toll for many families. There is a passage in the book that speaks to the destruction of addiction and acknowledges that regardless of the drug the end result is death depending on the drug is what ends up affecting the length of time before the end.

If you or someone you know needs help with issues of addiction I encourage you to get help. The library can be a source of support, a few years ago we received a huge donation of new materials relating to addiction and recovery, these materials are available in book and video format and are geared towards people with the addiction and the family and friends supporting them. If we don’t have what you are looking for we will do our best to find the resources you need from another library.

It is no secret that I really like my computer and the Internet. Without doubt it is one of most incredible inventions of my life time. We have had a computer and the Internet for at least 10 years, and I am always amazed at how what is available continues to evolve and improve. Let there be no doubt that I realize and acknowledge that there is a huge amount of trash and offensive material on the Internet, but by no means does that come close to all of the great access the World Wide Web provides.

Each morning from the comfort of my home I am able to read or at least scan almost any newspaper in world; from the “Grant Count Herald”, to “The New York Times” or the “Liberation” from

France

. Let’s say I miss a segment on the evening news, I can visit that news station’s website and view a video of what I’ve missed.

I can want to find a rare copy of a book or a retro watch from the 80’s (the 80’s are retro, I’m old) by visiting a site like Amazon.com, ebay.com or Alibris.com. Maybe I’m reading and I can’t pronounce a word, I can visit an online dictionary and have the word pronounced for me. I can use a site like the Mayo Clinics to learn more about a medical condition or health concern. I can plan a vacation and book a hotel the possibilities seem limitless.

What is essential for people to remember is that you have to be discerning when visiting a website and determining if the site is reputable or not. Too many people think if they saw it on the web it is legitimate; trust me that is not the case. You need to use your best judgment when evaluating websites because scams, hoaxes and just pure bad info is everywhere.

I have no intention of going on about all of the pros and cons of the Internet, but I am going to make mention of a couple of my online pet peeves. Email, its uses, abuses and annoyances will be my rant. Something I have wanted to address for years.

I love email, talk about a convenient way to communicate, you just can’t beat it. I can send the same email to hundreds of people simultaneously saving time and money. I don’t have to use paper, I don’t have to make phone calls, and it is truly slick and for the most part non-intrusive. I don’t normally email hundreds of people however; it is not uncommon for me to send my entire family an email inviting them for a barbeque. More often I send myself notes from home to work or vice-a-versa reminding myself to do something or be somewhere at a certain time.

When I say email in non-intrusive, I mean I can check it at my leisure, I can choose to delete emails without ever reading them, that’s something I do a lot of.

I do not like most email forwards, I find little if any humor in the jokes people send, I don’t think I have read an email joke for years; I see it is a joke and hit delete. I also don’t really go for the inspirational forward, I am somewhat selective in what I read and like all of you I have limited time to spend on anything so I do need to pick and choose and truthfully most fluffy emails don’t make the cut. Even when the email warns a curse will be upon my head if I should delete this or if I send it to 10 other friends I will be blessed, I hit delete I. If you send me something I find offensive, racist, sexist, anti-homosexual, hateful, gossipy or mean spirited not only will I delete your email I will block you from ever sending me another email. I wouldn’t let you talk to me that way in person so don’t expect me to let you communicate that way to me in print.

The other thing that surprises me is how people are willing to send emails that they propose to be fact which are really just filled will lies or misinformation. I really encourage people to think twice before sending a forward especially those that shed a negative light on others without first making every effort to check sites and sources for accuracy. None of us want to be guilty of defiling another human being’s reputation onerously.

I hope most of you will continue to communicate with me by email, and when you really want to share information with me and really think I could benefit from knowing something, or that I would enjoy something by all means send it to me, but like they say in the fashion world, “If in doubt go without.”

You may recall that I have been having a hard time coming up with a New Year’s resolution and we are already to the third month of the year. Well, I think I finally have one. I am going to floss my teeth so well that the next time I go to the dentist they are not going to ask me if I floss or suggest I floss more or better. Instead they are going to say, Wow! You really floss! It may seem simple but when is the last time your dentist said you were an excellent flosser. In six months when I go back to the dentist I will let you know how it all works out.

The “Big Read” is officially kicked off and now all you have to do is stop by the library and pick up a copy of “The Joy Luck” by Amy Tan and start reading. We also have free reading guides and a 28 minute CD to give you for free. Think about our entire community along with that of Fergus Falls and Pelican Rapids all reading the same book at the same time. We will be sharing this literary experience and joining together to discuss this book on March 20^th at 7:00 p.m. I really want to extend an invitation to everyone to participate; we also have the book on compact disc, as well as an abridgement for immerging readers. We are showing the movie on Tuesday, March 4^th and everyone is welcome to attend. If you are unable to make our public showing you can check out or video or DVD. For a list of all “Big Reads” events visit www.fergusreads.org This event is an opportunity for us to as a unity community to participate in.

For children we are recommending “When the Circus Came to Town” by Laurence Yep. We will have Chinese themed movies and books for people of all ages available for checkout at the library. We will grow together as we explore and learn about the Chinese culture. Even you choose not to read the book please feel free to join us for the discussion to learn what others think about the book.

I frequently hear people say they love to read and yet I have never see them in the library. While I realize you don’t have to visit the library in order to be an avid reader, it certainly can’t hurt. Libraries are the spark to your imagination the place you visit when you just aren’t sure what you want to read next, the place you go to explore new authors, new titles, or topics you never even realized you were interested until you saw the book in front of you.

I have heard it said that “libraries are the people’s university” so visit soon to see what you can learn.

Because I am late in writing my column, it is less to an hour until Oscar time. I could wait and pound this little piece out after the Academy awards but I have a feeling I will be too sleepy at that late hour to do any sort of justice to writing. As usual I have seen very few of the movies that are nominated for awards; without seeing all of the movies I can’t really say which film or actor deserves any given award.

No need to panic I can at least comment on the films I have seen and I can assure you that as soon as each movie is out on DVD you will be able to check them out from the library.

First up “Juno,” this is a delightful little film that while being quirky and refreshing is meaningful, and so well written you just hope the writer publishes a novel. I laughed and cried and thought; I love when that happens.

Second, “Into the Wild,” I found this film absolutely beautiful and pretty much perfect. I read the book, which was written by Jon Krakauer, a number of years ago and it is the kind of book that sticks with you, you just can’t shake it. I was excited to find out a film was being made and intrigued that Sean Penn would be directing. Sean Penn did an outstanding job creating the feeling and honoring the journey of Christopher McCandless. The actor, Emile Hirsh, was wonderful portraying this amazing Super Tramp, my only regret is that this film was not nominated for more awards. The sound track for the movie is performed entirely by Eddie Vedder and it too is fabulous. I became an instant Eddie Vedder fan and listen to the CD repeatedly. I should recognize the author of the book, Jon Krakauer, who is a great writer and often contributes to “Outside” magazine. Jon Krakauer has written other fantastic books also available at the library.

The library maintains an extensive collection of Videos and DVDs more than 1600 combined about 800 of each. There are so many movies that I want to see but it seems it make take me forever to get caught up on my viewing. Just a couple of weeks ago I finally watched “Citizen Kane” which is hailed by many as the greatest film of all time. “Citizen Kane” came out in 1941 and was nominated for a number of Academy Awards, it is also probably one of the most controversial movies of all time, and I got the whole scoop because our copy at the library consists of two discs that second exploring what the fuse was all about making the movie even more interesting.

The other film I recently watched was “Ragtime” based on the book by E.L. Doctorow. This movie too was nominated for a number of awards and the book is amongst my stack of favorites, I was trilled to finally get to watch this film which was first released in the early 80’s.

That is probably one the best attributes of the library’s movie collection, we have the new releases, the obscure films and the older releases you always hoped to watch. Our videos and DVDs check out for seven days at a time, you can renew them if you need to and like everything else this service is free. We do have late fees but with seven days and the ability to renew that shouldn’t be an issue. Stop in and check out our diverse movie collection, check out what you’ve always wanted to watch, or something you’ve never heard of; you have nothing to lose.

And remember to watch our film club schedule and join us the first Tuesday of each month in the lower level of the library where at 7:00 we show great films free of charge. I should mention we do pay an annual licensing fee making it legal for us to show these films, it is the only way it legal for anyone to show films publicly. Children’s matinees play the second Saturday of each month at 12:30.

More information about library events can be found on our webpage www.alexweb.net/library

It seems all over the world men are engaging in a very intricate hobby, in these parts we often associate the hobby with women, but truth is it is hobby for men and women. To me it seems like a new phenomenon but I know that’s not true. I think for centuries all over the globe men and women have engaged in arts and crafts out of necessity and enjoyment. The particular craft/hobby I am speaking of is knitting.

I know men knit and partake in fabric and tread art and crafts, I’ve witnessed it for some time, but what surprised me was how tremendously popular knitting has become for men, especially young men. Recently someone was telling me about a friend of theirs about 18 years old; “he’s hip, and cool, plays hockey, drives a monster truck and he knits.” Truthfully, I was surprised to find out he was a knitter but I also must admit I thought it was pretty cool. And then a couple of months later a friend of mine is showing me pictures of his recent adventure climbing Mt. McKinley and in one of the pictures I see one of his friends and could it be? Well, upon closer examination it appears his friend is knitting. I had to confirm what I saw, “What exactly is your friend doing there? “He’s knitting a scarf.” “You don’t say.” It doesn’t end there, I was reading this children’s book, as part of my job and my passion for literature, and I read a wide variety of things. Any way, I’m getting off track here. In the story the lead characters father knits. He’s like a great knitter who knits sweaters for all the kids in the neighborhoods. And I’m thinking men knit en masse and I really like it. People should feel free to explore whatever interest suits their taste weather you want to paint, sculpt, rock climb, dance or knit do what you enjoy, dare to explore the possibilities before you. It is never to late or to early to try something new and without doubt whatever is you are interested in perusing chances are we probably have a book about it at the library.

If you have not already signed up for the F.R.E.D. event please do so right away; stop and call the library to let us know that are going to attend this fantastic event on Thursday, January 31^st at 6:00 pm. F.R.E.D. stands for Father’s Reading Everyday and is sponsored by the Minnesota Humanities Commission. The Friends of the Library will provide a meal, we will have guest speakers and guest readers along with a craft project for children. At the conclusion of the evening every child will receive two free books, thanks to the Humanities Commission. While the word father is in the title this is an event for children ages birth to 10 and any adult who would like to bring them so we hope to see you there.

Reading everyday, I can’t imagine life any other way, yet believe it or not, some people choose not to read. It is never too late to turn over a new leaf and begin the voyage that being a reader will take you on. Reading has broadened by perspective, taught me about people, places, periods in history; you name it, reading fiction and non-fiction have the profound ability to enrich and maybe change your life. The nice thing about the library is that the books are free, that’s right take a chance pick up a book and start reading and if you decide it’s not the book for you bring it back and pick another one. We have thousands of books on just about every topic imaginable; I really think there is something for everyone. We recently added a book called “How To Do Everything With You Tube,” that has my curiosity peaked. Or maybe one of our new books on wiring a home network is what you’re really looking for. Technology not your thing, check out the very impressive photo essay of sorts called “Punk House” that explores the houses punks live in from cost to cost. We have books on painting, car repair, knitting, outdoor survival, computers, cooking, yoga, pets, decorating, history, and I’m not even touching the iceberg of topics available.

There is still a bit of winter left so why not check out one of books about snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, building original snow sculptures or ice fishing.

Valentines day is on its way and we have books to help you make the day extra special with decorations, gifts and food. We also have perfect gifts for Valentines day consider giving a couple of our great new library mugs filled with chocolate kisses or hot chocolate.

The library is partnering with Fergus Falls and Pelican Rapids for the Big Reads event the book we will be reading and discussing is “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan, be a part of the event by stopping by the library to check out a book.

For more information about the library and upcoming events visit our web page at www.alexweb.net/library

It is that time year, federal tax forms have arrived at the library and state forms should be arriving any day. As a disclaimer, we do not provide tax preparation assistance we only distribute forms. You can also use our computers to print forms we do not have, but remember the cost is .20 a page.

Keep on eye on library happenings because we have a great deal going on in the next few months. This Thursday we will be showing the movie “Super Size Me” this is a repeat because we were snowed out last month. After that you can expect to see a different movie the first Tuesday of each month free of charge.

On the second Saturday of each month at 12:30 we will be showing children’s movies, what a great way to spend a winter afternoon.

Children love attending our weekly story times Tuesdays at 6:30 this is a great way for children to explore books, make crafts and meet new friends.

Speaking of children’s programming, we will be hosting a F.R.E.D. event on Thursday, January 31^st. F.R.E.D. stands for fathers reading everyday so this event is for dads and kids ages preschool through 3^rd grade. While we are focusing on dads any adult dads, grandpas, neighbors, moms, aunts are all invited to accompany a child. The Friends of the Library will be supplying a meal to all in attendance and the Minnesota Humanities Commission will be providing each child in attendance with two free books! We do require pre-registration for this event so call and sign up.

We are also working on a very special program focused on serving friends, family members and neighbors who take care of children while parents are at work or school. The friends family and neighbors providing care may or may not receive pay, we have some great resources for your so please stop in a let us know if you fit the description of a friend, family member or neighbor providing care.

As 2008 is an election year make sure you are registered to vote, you can stop by the court house to register or pick up a form at the library. All levels of public office are important and will impact your life, be proactive by attending County and City meetings, meet your representatives and make sure they know what your concerns are and what issues are important to you. I think it is important that you also express your opinions and ideas, trust me elected officials do not have all of the answers they are people just like you and I and they will benefit from hearing your input. If you have any desire or interest in serving on a committee or board on the city or county level let people know, I think it is essential that we keep circulating the members of committees and boards to keep ideas fresh and original. This is your community go ahead and take ownership.

Last week you may have noticed a press release in the newspaper announcing that Fergus Falls has received a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts to facilitate a “Big Reads” event. What makes this even more exciting is that Fergus Falls has invited the Pelican Rapids and Elbow Lake libraries to participate. We are very excited to be on board with this event that encourages community reading.

The selected book this year is “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan in conjunction with reading the book Fergus Falls , Pelican Rapids and Elbow Lake will be hosting special events with an emphasis on Chinese culture in keeping with books theme. I should mention that the special events are for the most part open to the public and everyone is welcome to attend. That means you can attend events in Fergus Falls or Pelican Rapids and of course we are really hoping that people from those communities will join us in Elbow Lake for our special events. A calendar of special events will be found on our website and on our bulletin board at the library.

Our Adult Community Reading Group will be shifting towards Asian themes beginning with Maxine Hong Kingston’s China Men, which will be discussed on January 22^nd. This book is regarded as one of the classic American works on the experience of immigration.

Of Civil Wrongs and Rights: The Fred Korematsu Story, is an Emmy Award winning documentary which brings to life the inspirational story of Fred Korematsu who, in 1942 refused to obey the Executive Order which sent 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry into internment camps. The film chronicles the 40-year legal fight to vindicate Korematsu and offers a cautionary tale about the safeguarding of civil liberties in the mounting war on terror. We will show the film for February 5^th.

I really have to encourage people to participate in our book and film clubs, these events are free and everyone is welcome. This is a great to expand your knowledge about a variety of topics and meet other community members.

In late March we will host a community wide book discussion on “The Joy Luck Club.” We have held community book events in the past and they have proven very popular please feel free to attend. Because the demand for “The Joy Club” is going to be heavy we encourage you to read it early or purchase a copy and to make purchasing it easier we are selling copies at the library through Victor Lundeen’s who is a sponsor of “The Big Reads” event. Reading guides will also be available free of charge.

If you are a new reader or a reluctant reader or know someone who is, we do have an audio version of “The Joy Luck” as well as an adaptation of the book that is perfect for adult emerging readers.

We have also selected special titles for students to read that will also explore the Chinese culture and history. Two sections of Home Base at West Central Area Barrett will be reading “Dragon Wings” Laurence Yep. Some West Central Area 4^th graders will be reading “Ruby Lu, Brave and True” by Lenore Look. During February and March the Young People’s Book Group will be discussing “When the Circus Came to Town” and “Dragon’s Gate” both by Laurence Yep. Our weekly children’s story time will be reading books and creating craft projects with a Chinese theme and during the month of March.

We are looking for volunteers who would consider reading the book aloud to others. Some people are more comfortable being read to and your service would be very meaningful. We will make library space available if there is interest.

This is an extremely exciting event for our community so please be a part of this incredible event and help ensure that every gets a chance to be a part of the discussion.

I will start on Monday, I will start on the first on day of the month, I will start at the beginning of the year. Well guess what, the new year is hear so what are you waiting for? Did you make a New Year’s resolution or are you still waiting for inspiration as to what it should be. Did you make a New Year’s resolution and already break it? Or would you like to consider changing it? Maybe even adding to it? It is just a thought. Let me give you a few things to consider when setting out to live your life this year.

First of all I’m not implying that anyone has to improve themselves or is in someway deficient, although a true personal inventory may result in the realization that we all have a little work to do.

A piece of advice I have given my kids and try to remind myself about is “own your words.” If you own your words you are prepared to admit you said something and stand by what you said. This doesn’t mean that you can’t change your mind or see things differently or apologize, it just means you are not going to hide from what you say or perceive as a truth. As a matter of fact if you are mindful about owning your words there is a good chance you will spend less time with your foot in your mouth or cruelly criticizing others. It doesn’t mean you can’t criticize it just means you might want to get your facts straight. So, “Own your words.”

Another piece of advice I like to dole out is “Don’t be ruled by fear.” Too many of us resist speaking up or being honest because we are afraid of what others will think or what repercussions could follow. We are silenced by fear, we do not report things that are wrong, troublesome or illegal because we are fearful of how others will react we would just as soon hide under a bush than speak and live authentically. Stand up for issues you believe in, defend those without a voice, tell the truth. “Don’t be ruled by fear.”

This little rule follows the spirit of the golden rule “Do unto others as you would have them to unto you.” And blends in the Native American saying “Don’t judge others until you walked a mile in their moccasins” Only I sometimes adapt it to “Consider others.” Consider the concerns of others, consider the feelings of others, consider the faith and beliefs of others, consider the plights of others. It is far too easy to pass judgments or make comments without fully consider the other person. I ask myself, “How would I feel if someone mocked my religion or religious symbols?” How can I possibly expect someone to respect my believes if I don’t extend the same courtesy, respecting is not agreeing with our condoning it is just extending this branch of understanding and this philosophy of agreeing to disagree. It is having the patience to accept the fact that the cashier seems incompetent and then considering that perhaps they suffer from a physical or mental ailment that limits their ability and then maybe acknowledging that considering that, they are doing pretty good. It is considering the blessings of my life and realizing that few people are as lucky as I consider myself to be and if I were living their life with their circumstances could I even begin to do it as well as they do. Consider others.

This final rule is sometimes difficult to adhere to, but well worth the effort. “Be the better person.” That’s right, walk away and let them think they are right, don’t retaliate, don’t add fuel to the fire. Resist the desire to partake in gossip in or bullying or picking sides. There is a fine balance between being the better person and being arrogant, or apathetic so walk that line carefully. Be the better person.

As the Christmas season comes and goes I like to caution you against rushing to pack up Christmas, chances are you may have found yourself with little time to enjoy the simple delights of the holiday season because you have been traveling from one gathering to another and bustling about to get your all of your pre-holiday work completed. So after the holidays you may find yourself with a day, an afternoon or even and evening to sit and enjoy a holiday movie, or some seasonal short stories or poetry.

Sometimes it does take making it through the actually events to come to a place to where maybe you and your family and can just sit and reflect and enjoy one another’s company. I think about taking the time to reread “The Birds Christmas Carol” by Kate Douglas Wiggin and realistically it is unlikely that will happen before Christmas, but there is no reason that it can’t happen after the 25^th of December. I can certainly play Christmas music long after the day, after all, it may be after Christmas that I actually have the time to sit in front of my tree with a glass of eggnog and reflect on what it is that Christmas means to me.

As far as packing up Christmas this year, I plan on doing it slowly, making sure I have the proper storage for items I cherish and passing on to others items I can do without. I would like to inventory what I have and make a list of things that need to be replaced or purchased. Sometimes detailed planning helps us to save money in the long run. So, as I am packing up the Christmas season in the middle of January (why rush) I am going to consult some Christmas decorating books and make plans for next year and then maybe be able to do more efficient after Christmas shopping.

I may read “Skipping Christmas” by John Grisham so I can laugh out loud, or “If You’re Missing Baby Jesus” by Jean Gietzen so I can feel that magical holiday touch. I’ve still never finished reading “The Cat Who Came for Christmas” by Cleveland Amory, maybe this is the year for that. I’d love to spend some time pouring over “The Pictorial Guide to Christmas Ornaments & Collectibles” by George Johnson, I love seeing Christmas trimmings that I remember my Grandmother having in her home.

During the days following Christmas take some to reflect and replenish your spirit. Remember Christmas is not just one day, but everyday.

We’ll here we are very near Christmas and I find myself once again running pell-mell. I started out so strong, baking and freezing cookies; finding a few perfect gifts back in October. What happened, where did the time vanish to, how did I end up so far behind?

I find myself traipsing around for the perfect gift only to find the size or color choice I need is not available. I have decided to entertain, I love entertaining but I forget how much work it can be and how my family revolts at my demands of what I must have done to grantee the perfect party. To all of this might I add my cat is loosing his mind. I don’t know if it is old or what but he has gone completely wacky. It is like he is chronically trying to tell us something and we just can’t seem to get the message.

But enough about me, how are you doing in regard to preparations for the season? One thing is for sure we are lucky to live in a place that has so many goods and services available to help us with our gift giving and holiday fair and food. If you have last minute shopping to do might I suggest a trip up and down Main Street and then a jot along highway 79. I mean really it just occurred to me that a gift certificate for gas would be the perfect gift for a certain someone on my list. Tools or hand-dandy gadgets can be purchased at Project Central or Sturdevant’s and I’m sure a host of other places as well. Knot-n-Vane, Trumm Drug and Dueber’s are filled with so many options from the whimsical ornament to the practical towels or blankets.

Of course a gift certificate to one of our fine dinning establishments, or the grocery store for that matter would surely put a smile on many. Perishable gifts are perfect because we really create no waste. There is no need to head out of town just head down town to fill those stockings. A box of greeting cards and a book of stamps would be the perfect blessing to many.

The library has recently added some exciting items that would the perfect gift for just about anyone on your list. The Friends of the library are for a limited time (now through December 22^nd) selling book bags (with zippers) for only $10.00 great for books, knitting, marketing or school supplies. For only $5.00 you can get everyone on your list a great cell phone holder you can also use them to housed IPODs and other MP3 players. This little holders are the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone with a cell phone, they make it much more easy to locate and will help protect it from drops and scratches.

I went to the doctor a couple of weeks for my annual physical; like usual I expressed by concern about my constant struggle with weight. I went on to explain that I used to sometimes get up and exercise in the morning, but the last year or so I have found myself so fatigued all of the time that getting up is increasingly difficult. Basically, I have really started to enjoy being asleep. My doctor went on to talk about aging (and did by the way say that I wasn’t old) but that I am aging (as of course we all are) and that one sign of aging is that we start to loose our “zip.” And, that’s it I thought, I’ve lost my zip and however will I find it again I wondered. Well my doctor must have been reading my mind because he gave me some ideas about getting my zip back. Here’s the good news it turns out to get your zip back you mostly just need to get out and do stuff. He said when you get home after work try not to just stay inside go do something even it’s just going to a movie. I mean how cool is that and he didn’t even say that I couldn’t have popcorn while at the show (well he didn’t actually say I should or could have popcorn but I know he also didn’t say I couldn’t have popcorn). So I started thinking about it, “Zip where are you?” And I thought, hey my zip might be at a friend’s house waiting to help with a special project. Or it might be at Roosevelt Hall in Barrett watching “Sven and Ole’s Christmas.” I might find my zip at a concert or church. Very possibly my zip could be at the Ice skating rink or a great sledding hill. I’ll bet I could spot my zip volunteering at the Grant County Human Society or maybe the Food Shelf. If I were to attend the library’s book club it’s possible my zip would be in front of the fireplace. If I brought young children to Tuesday evenings story time I think I for sure would get a bit of my zip located. The whole movie suggestion reminds me that the library does show an interesting film the first Tuesday of each month and that would be the perfect place to search for my zip and possibly meet someone new.

I need my zip, and one thing is for sure I’m not going to find it just sitting here.

Well, from the looks of outside this may be the first year in many you won’t have to listen to me whine about the lack of snow. When I was walking to work Monday morning I was exhilarated by the chill in the air and the beautiful snow covering most everything and there was this business all around of people moving snow and I felt refreshed, this after all is winter in Minnesota.

As the holiday seasons approach hopefully we will all manage to focus on the true meaning of the season and think of others more than we think ourselves. There are a number of ways we can spread holiday cheer and ease the struggles that our friends and neighbors may carry this holiday season. First, please consider a donation to “Toys for Tots & Teens.” There are a number of drop off sites for donated items throughout our community including the banks. There is really hardly anything sadder to me than a child at Christmas without a gift. This year may be more difficult than most for families struggling to pay for heating with the current cost of fuel. Many people work vary hard to make ends meet, they budget carefully and try to plan ahead, but increased costs are often incurred with no increase in a family’s income. Sometimes an unexpected expense like a car repair or medical bill can completely send a family’s financial situation in a downward spiral. Well, I know the people who live in this area are truly great and will do everything they can to make sure all children in our community have a gift a Christmas.

Some of you may be thinking, “I don’t know what to buy for child.” Well, you can actually donate money to “Toys for Tots & Teens” and someone else will do the shopping for you. Each year I used the opportunity to purchase a gift for someone else as a learning opportunity for my children. We would discuss how lucky we as a family were to have so many relatives who choose to give us gifts at Christmas. We also talked about how not everyone is fortunate enough to have the same situation, and then we would head out shopping and I would ask my kids to pick out something they would really like to get for Christmas (in a certain price range) and then we would buy those items and donate them to “Toys for Tots & Teens.” The truth is that old saying “Tis better to give than to receive” really is true. Nothing feels better than knowing you are spreading joy and blessings to someone else. I hope each year we exceed the expectations of “Toys for Tots & Teens.”

The Food Shelf is another worthy cause that can certainly use our donations at this time of year. You can donate food or money to the food shelf as well, and know you are helping to ensure people in our community eat.

I hope we as a community create an atmosphere of compassion and love that is so strong it is actually visible, like a radiant light that glows like a halo.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, truth be told I love all of the holidays but there is something about Thanksgiving that seems to really focus on the value of friends and family and sharing. If you are still making last minute plans for the holiday please note we have excellent resources for planning the perfect celebration; “Thanksgiving 101” by Rick Rodgers, “Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving” and “Martha’s Classic Thanksgiving” this is a fantastic DVD featuring some of Martha Stewarts segments geared towards creating a beautiful Thanksgiving celebration.

It is fitting that as Pilgrims and Native Americans broke bread together on that first Thanksgiving that November is also Native American Heritage month.

Now I ask you, how much do you know or understand about the original, authentic Americans? It may just be time you cracked a book and expanded your knowledge.

“On the Rez” by Ian Frazier is about modern-day American Indians, with a focus on the Oglaala Sioux who live in the badlands. “Little Crow: Spokesman for the Sioux” by Gary Clayton Anderson is a compelling historical narrative. You may want read “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West” by Dee Brown, or “From the Deep Woods to Civilization” by Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa), “Lakota Woman” by Mary Crow Dog or “All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life.” By one of my favorite people Winona LaDuke. We also have a beautiful series of Time-Life books titled “The American Indians” this series include beautiful photographs. For your visual enjoyment we have a video series titled “The Native Americans.”

The above mentioned are all non-fiction titles, keep in mind we also have a great selection of fiction titles by or about Native Americans including “Last Standing Woman” by Winona Laduke, “The Education of Little Tree: The Story of a Cherokee Boyhood” by Forrest Carter (an excellent read). We also have titles by Alexie Sherman including is latest work, “The Absolutely True Diary of a part-Time Indian.” The movie “Smoke Signals” which is based on his book “The Lone Ranger & Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” is also available at your very own library.

So grow your mind and expand your horizons, learn about the life experiences of other people and other cultures. Trust me you nothing to lose by opening your mind.

It seems these days that just about every magazine has a section recommending books, music and movies. Truthfully, I love these sections of magazines; it is interesting to see what a magazine like “Time” may review compared to “Health. These different periodicals really represent different subjects all of which have interest to me. I trust health gurus to make strong recommendations about books related to health, and a magazine such as “Gourmet” will most likely review a nice assortment of cookbooks and I would venture that one could trust their reviews. There does seem to be just about as many magazines topics as there are Dewey numbers in the Dewey decimal system so all subjects should be covered. Not only do magazines review books, music and movies but they also ask the telling questions to celebrities; “What book is on your bed stand right now?” Or “What’s playing in your IPOD?” and “What’s the last movie you watched?” Oprah takes it a step further with “What books have most influenced or changed your life?”

For what it’s worth here are my answers. The books on my bed stand include (sorry there is never just one) I just finished “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” by Lisa See a very good read with great detail about the life of Chinese women. “Little House in the Big Woods” by Laura In galls Wilder, which I’m reading for the Young People’s book group I lead. “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett is there, I plan to read that soon. However I couldn’t resist the temptation to pick up Valerie Plame Wilson’s book “Fair Game” and I wanted to look something up in “Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World” by Jack Weatherford and Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables” which I will someday read. I also have a recent issue of the “Paris Review” which happens to contain an interview with the great writer Norman Mailer, who passed away this weekend. About three issues of “Outside” magazine along with “Presbyterians Today” and an assortment of technological things that Kent reads all stack up precariously on my night stand. It is really quite a sight.

I don’t actually have an IPOD or an MP3 player, but I do have a CD player. I have been listening to the music from “Songs from the Tall Grass,” a couple of Amy Grant CDs, Cyndi Lauper, and Sting.

I just saw a great movie at the Center for the Arts in Fergus Falls “Into the Wild” based on the book by Jon Krakauer. I read the book a number a number of years ago it is the true story of Chris McCandless. The book was great and the movie is absolutely beautiful, I highly recommend it.

So, what book is on your night stand? And “What’s in your IPOD? And what’s the last movie you’ve watched?

Remember “Annie Get Your Gun” is being performed this Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2:00.

I am giving you a big heads up here because what I am about to tell you is very significant, and I want to be sure you are aware of it and make arrangements to attend. On November 15^th through the 18^th West Central Area high school will be presenting Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun.” Now you might be thinking a couple of things at this point; you might be thinking, “Well of course I plan to attend.” Or perhaps you are thinking, “A play, I never go plays.” Well my friends if you are thinking the latter that is all about to change. You might be asking yourself, “Why should I go to the local high school play.” Relax, I am about to explain all of that to you.

First of all the talent possessed by our local high school students is amazing, I am not biased, I am a horrible critic who likes hardly anything. I am the person who after a play or a meal out rake it over the coals listing all of the ways it could have been better and in what ways it was awful. So, when I say the talent in West Central Area high school is outstanding, I mean it. The level of vocal and acting talent in our school is rare to find at a high school level, but these students have had some of the best instruction available and they are seasoned in the craft. Most of our students have participated in theatre for years and in different venues beyond the doors of the high school auditorium. You will see real talent and real skill under the direction of adults I consider to be among the very best at what they do.

Ok, and then there is this, “Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun” to say the least you will be entertained with a classic show like this featuring nostalgic songs that will put a smile on your face. I for one will have a really difficult time not singing along.

The young people in this play deserve your support they have worked hard on putting together a top quality show, all the while all of them have been attending school, studying participating in sports and extra curricular activities they are busy. You know these kids, they work at our local businesses, they sell you goods, they wait on your tables, they help to keep you safe at the beach, and they mow your lawn or your neighbor’s lawn. These are also the young people who attend our churches and volunteer for organizations like the humane society and help with town celebrations like Flekkefest. Lets it face these young people are valuable members of our community they enrich our lives. These are the young people that we hope, after college, will consider moving back to Grant County to work and start businesses and raise families, these young people are our future.

I am going to attend the show simply because I know it is going to be fantastic and I will be highly entertained.

Let’s show our school and the children that attend it how much we value them by turning out for this show. Let’s be the community we strive to be by getting behind local events and being our community’s biggest advocate.

Remember to consider offering to provide rides for friends and neighbors who may not have other transportation options.

Check other sections of the Grant County Herald for exact times and dates of the performance. I’ll see you at the show.

October 26, 2007

Building community or community building whatever you choose to call it is necessary in creating a sustainable community. We need to plan for the future, we need to visualize the type of community we desire and they put our money, resources, time and energy in building that. We start with our own homes and families building the atmosphere we choose to live daily in; we take that to our places of worship again creating by participation and bringing forth ideas to build a place of true sanctuary. We embrace our schools, the foundation for all that’s yet to come; knowing it is not just the future of the students at stake but the future of all of us collectively dependent on educating those who will become the keepers of our communities. We work to build businesses by supporting and promoting them, we support agencies and non-profits with our donations and volunteering our time and talents. We are our own community builders. If we are at all dissatisfied with what find, with the status quo, with the establishment then we too must work to implement change, to be heard to work toward improving the places we choose to be. What are the perceptions of others of our community? We are all stake holders in place were we dwell, what will your contribution be?

Read any good books lately? I have been trying to keep up with the Community Reading Groups list which has had some amazing selections. What I really like about this book group is how it getting me to read books I’ve always intended on reading, but never got around to; such as “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair. Fantastic book, very powerfully, very troubling a book that when it was published had tremendous impact on labor laws and food processing practices and as significantly as things have evolved I am sad to say they have also stayed very much the same. Currently the book group is reading “Fast Food Nation” by Eric Schlosser I read this book a couple of years ago and it is very eye-opening to say the least.

I am currently leading the Young People’s Book Group which, is giving me an opportunity to read a number of books from our juvenile section and what a treat that is. I have recently read “Every Thing on a Waffle” by Polly Howarth, “The Borrowers” by Mary Norton and “From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” by E. L. Konigsburg. Some of these books I read as a child and some I did not, I enjoy children’s literature; I encourage you to pick up a title from our juvenile section, you just never know what you’ll find, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised.

Sometimes people are interviewed and one of the questions they ask is, “What book or reading materials is on your bed stand right now?” I usually always have a pile of reading material on my bed stand which I know isn’t good Feng Shui, but it is how I live.

Currently you would find the two most recent issues of “Outside” magazine, the summer issue of “The Paris Review,” “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” by Lisa See, and “Little House in the Big Woods” by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I just finished “The Dog Says How” by Kevin Kling. So, what’s on your bed stand?

Without doubt I enjoy reading, and I know many of you have the same affection for the written word. I also understand that some of you read a little and some of you have yet to delve into that ever enchanting pastime of absorbing a good book.

Some people are nervous about becoming a reader and even more nervous about using the library. Let me just reassure you that using the library is painless, easy and free. Often people will check out a book and with great distress in their eyes and ask, “What if I can’t finish reading the book by the time it’s due?” We can renew the book for you. For the most part books can be renewed and usually more than once. Let me be the first to say, it is not always possible to finish a book in three weeks or even six weeks or for that matter even nine weeks. Trust me if you are reading a book and no one else is waiting for it, we will work with you to make sure you have adequate time to read the book. Life is busy and some books just read more slowly than others, I renew plenty of things myself; please know there is no shame in renewing materials, it is a service we offer.

Some people avoid the library because they don’t know where to find things. Trust me I’ve worked here 13 years and still don’t know where everything is (although I’d like to think I do). As luck would have it our library has an amazingly friendly staff that are just waiting for the opportunity to help you find what you are looking for, or we would gladly point you in the right direction so that you can browse and browse to your heart’s content. Browsing is one of the most fun aspects of visiting a library. I mean I just get lost in libraries looking at all of the books on all of the amazing topics and knowing that I can page through them at my leisure in the library or I can check out as many as I’d like and take them home to enjoy them in my home. Recently while I was visiting another library I stumbled upon about 10 books that I really really wanted to check out, so I did. Some of the books I skimmed, just reading bits and pieces a couple I didn’t actually get to read at all, but one, called “Lost Mountain” about mountain top removal during coal mining, completely enthralled me. It was a fascinating book about a topic I new very little about; and that’s the thing about library’s you find things you never even knew you were interested in.

The other nice thing about the library is, if you try a book or movie and you don’t like them you can just simply return them and you aren’t out a thing. It’s pretty much a risk free venture.

The library staff and I want to welcome each and every one of you to the library; it is after all your library. You can also begin exploring the library and our catalog by visiting us online at www.alexweb.net/library Viking Library System has just lunched a new website and it is fantastic, you’ll want to check that site out too www.viking.lib.mn.us

Friends, what are they? That question may be a little too philosophical for me to answer all at once. To hasten the meaning I consulted the good old Merriam Webster online dictionary found at http://www.merriam-webster.com. The site defines friend in a number of ways including: “one attached to another by affection or esteem” as well as “one that favors or promotes something (as a charity).” Those, my friends, are the perfect definitions of what it is to be a Friend of the Library

For a number of years the Friends of the Library have been meeting, and working and raising money to enhance library services, collections and physical space. While many of our Friends members are very active in volunteering, raising money and providing goods and services you can become a Friend simply by paying annual dues of just $10.00 a yea (You can actually join at other levels as well; Individual $10.00, Family $20.00, Sustaining $35.00, Patron $75.00, Life 250.00, Business $100.00) you can join and you do not have to work, volunteer or help with fundraisers if you’d rather not. There are a couple of organizations that I am a member of because I really think they are an important part of our community, I appreciate what they do but, I don’t want to be called to volunteer; we all only have so much time. There are other organizations I belong to that I pay my dues and also volunteer once or twice a year. The Friends of Library understand and respect that about their members, we just really want you to become a Friend in whatever capacity works best for you.

Over the past few years the Friends of the library have done the following (by no means does this cover everything). Every year during Flekkefest they help with the used book sale, face painting and selling root beer floats the money made at those events is used to pay for our annual Summer Reading program for kids. They pay for all of the reading incentives such as, t-shirts, pencils, and book bags (costing about $1,000.00 a year). They also pay for special entertainers like the “Noiseguy” who was here this summer. The Friends pay for all of the snacks served at any of our events for children or adults. During our remodeling project the Friends raised over $20,000 to pay for the fireplace, a portion of the expense of the lift, refinishing tables and chairs and other related projects. The Friends have purchased books and DVDs, they especially like to help with special collections like documentaries originally aired on PBS often costing more than $150.00 each. They also help with purchasing large print and Braille books. Each winter the Friends host the “Hot Reads for Cold Nights” reading promotion for adults where reading earns you hot beverages and a mug to drink to them in. The Friends of the library also work diligently to support early literacy by providing book bags filled with information about the library and reading to public health who in turn distribute them to all families having babies in Grant County and this year the Friends were also able to help make sure each family received a book for their newborn. Most recently the Friends paid for a screen, DVD player, projector and movie license so that we can show movies in the basement. This equipment may be used by anyone using the Sanford Room, so if you have a training DVD to show your staff or a PowerPoint presentation you can use this equipment free of charge.

As I see it the Friends of the Library help build a better and stronger library and in doing so also help to build a better and stronger community, it all goes hand in hand. We hope you will want to get in on the action by becoming a member of the Friends of the Library and join us for a free Friends appreciation breakfast on Saturday the 13^th at 9:00 a.m. This event will be held in the Sanford room of the Community Building . We ask that you call the library at 218-685-6850 or email library@runestone.net to let us know that you will be joining us for breakfast as well as becoming a Friend. This meeting will give you an opportunity to meet other friends and learn about upcoming projects and of course you’ll get a delicious breakfast. Whether or not you can make it to the breakfast we still hope you will join the Friends you can stop in the library a pick up a form or visit our website at www.alexweb.net/library click on the Friends link, print it out, fill it in and mail it to the Friends at P.O. Box 423 .

Inspiration; it deserves some contemplation. I find inspiration from many sources. I may watch a movie and find inspiration in the conduct of the characters, a movie like “And Justice For All,” or “The Color Purple” inspiration for wanting to help make the world a better place or helping people to reach their individual greatness. I find inspiration from television, a person or situation I may see on “60 Minutes” such as the manufacturer you had such high ethics that he treated his employees with dignity and equity. Or maybe it was the segment on hospitals dumping homeless patients on Skid Row that makes we want to in some way lend a hand.

I find inspiration in nature; I have sat on my front steps on countless occasions devouring the colors of leaves, the smell of freshly cut grass and sounds of birds.

I have found inspiration in colors, music, sound and even food. I have eaten marvouls food and thought this is brilliant. Recently butternut squash ravioli with a cranberry sauce was bliss to experience and inspired me to take more time to create delectable meals for my family and myself. I will explore new cookbooks and dare to try something I have never tried before.

I find inspiration in literature. I will read a piece of fiction and may reread a sentence multiple times, letting the authors brilliant achievement with the written word ruminate in mind, thinking how grateful I am that they took the time to write that sentence to write that book. I have non-fiction that tells stories of risk and adventure and that teach me about people, places and issues that I had little or no knowledge of until that book made it into my hands and expanded my mind.

I am inspired by architecture, ideas, and the accomplishments of others. I am inspired by music, rock and roll, folk, classic and opera. And art, I can’t forget art; the ideas, the medium the expression all of it exhilarating all of it inspiring.

Many of the above mentioned that I find so inspiring can be found right at your local public library. So, what are you waiting for? Get inspired at the library.

What’s it all worth? Sometimes it is extremely difficult to put a price on something. We know we like the goods or services and we know it has value it’s just difficult to assess that value.

Fresh air, clean water, quality schools, parks, safety, health; things we value and appreciate have value, some may even be priceless. We are not always in a position to see the value of certain amenities what is valued by one may not be of as great of value to another. For instance parents of a preschooler may place tremendous value on safe parks for children to play. You may see the need for handicap accessibility, but you may not understand how the ability to get into a store in order to purchase your groceries is really a matter of life and death to someone in a wheelchair. We can probably learn the most and develop the most empathy for others by trying to look at things from another’s perspective.

Instead of criticizing the actions of another we may want to admit that we don’t know what we would do in a situation, being we’ve never actually faced such a situation. Rather than thinking we’d take another road, most likely we think we’d take the higher road but what do we really know about circumstances we’ve never incountered.

Back to where I started. When we, the staff, check out materials at the library a little number pops up that shows us how many times that item has been checked out. I don’t always pay a great deal of attention to that number, being in hurry and all. I do know that there are videos that have circulated over 100 times, DVDs in the high double digits and the same could be said about books. Sometimes I feel angry that something is warn out or broke and than I look at its circulation number and I realize 56 times is a lot of times to play a DVD. Some books have been read so many times they are falling apart and we have to purchase new copies. I think we are on our third set of “Harry Potter” books.

Just the other day I checked out a book and noticed it had been checked out 35 times previously. Just your average book, and I thought 35 people have read this very copy of this book. The book cost $25.95 If each reader had purchased that book they would have collectively spent $908.25 if those 35 people had split the cost of the book it would have cost them about .74 each. As luck would have it we all, through our taxes, pitched in to pay for this book and we all have equal access to this title. What is the value of that book that has been read by 35 people and may easily be read by another 35 before its life is over. Now let’s think about this, how much more valuable does that book become when we realize that some people who read the book may have never had the ability to purchase the book on their own or ever had access to its contents. The books value increases exponentially. And that is really the point. Your local library contains more than 18,000 volumes and with your library card you have access to all materials in Viking Library System and the state of Minnesota . To tell you the truth we have gotten in materials for people from throughout the country including the Library of Congress. Your local library card number gives you access to thousands of periodicals and newspaper online for free. Information for free is yours for free as long as you have your free library card. So what is the value of your library card? I guess it depends on how often you use it.

September is National Library Card sign-up month and the perfect time to get a library card if you don’t already have one. Library Cards are free and are a ticket to all the information you could possibly want. Your library card is good at most libraries throughout the state. With your card you are welcome to check out any thing you like at our library books, audios, DVDs and software. If we don’t have exactly what you want we can also request materials for you from any where in the state. You can use your library card to use our high speed Internet or other computer programs we have Word, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint, FrontPage, Access, Photo Drawer and MapPoint. And get this; we have a built in tutorial that you can use at your leisure to learn how to use each of these programs. We also have a number of educational children’s programs on our computers. Your library card will also allow you from home to request materials from any library in Viking Library System by visiting www.alexweb.net/library and clicking on online catalog or you can search any library in the state visiting www.mnlink.org and your materials will be delivered right here in Elbow Lake. You can also access thousands of full text newspapers and periodicals at www.elm4you.org your library card is your ticket to this information. Magazines such as “Consumer Reports” actually cost money to access online; unless you have a library card then you can get that information for free.

We are approaching the last few days to purchase a library raffle tickets and we hope you will show your support for the library by purchasing a ticket or two. The tickets are $5.00 a piece and the prizes are amazing and most importantly the proceeds support the public library. It is actually the Friends of the Library holding the raffle, the Friends do amazing things to support and develop the library. The Friends of the library sponsor all of our children’s reading programming including our Summer Reading Program, our Weekly Story Times, and Young People’s Book Club. The Friends also have provided funds for developing special collections such as Braille Books. The Friends are also responsible for our new projector, screen and DVD player that can be used to show movies, and show movies we will, thanks to the movie license the Friends paid for. I should also mention that if you or your business needs to make a presentation that is on DVD or PowerPoint you too can use this equipment for free. Of course the Friends were also responsible for raising more than $15,000.00 used towards our remodeling project. So please consider supporting the Friends by purchasing a raffle ticket. You can actually purchase raffle tickets at the library.

Thursday, September 13 the library is hosting Minnesota Author Joan Claire Graham, she is the author of seven volumes of Minnesota Memories. She will be joining us at 7:00 p.m. to speak about her books and writing memories. This event is free and we hope you can attend.

The discoveries ones makes about themselves during a course of a lifetime can be rather surprising and maybe a bit refreshing. You see, recently I discovered I really like Gene Simmons. You know him, the lead singer in the rock band “Kiss”. He was the one with the rather forbidding looking face makeup; he spit fire and blood and had that amazingly long tongue that he stuck much of the time. “Kiss” is that rock band where the four musicians had total face makeup they were popular in the 1970’s and 80’s. Truth be told I never actually owned a “Kiss” album and I don’t remember being a huge “Kiss” fan, although I do think I had a “Kiss” sweatshirt while in junior high. I know some of their songs but I was never a real “Kiss” enthusiast, I didn’t dislike them they just weren’t my favorite.

What I also remember about this group is that my neighbor boy, who I will affectionately refer to as “Carrot Top” because that’s what my mother called him the entire 12 years we lived next him, loved “Kiss”. Carrot Top was always wanting me to listen to his newest Kiss album and telling me every little fact about them. He loved the way they painted their faces and all the wildness that they exhibited during concerts, so I had a little “Kiss” knowledge thanks to my neighbor.

The other thing I remember about “Kiss” is the hysteria the group caused among some parents and a few extremist groups. There were many rumors about the alleged evils of

“Kiss”, fortunately for “Kiss” and its members, they prevailed over all of the false accusations and rumors.

Now, I’m sure some of you are wondering when I become a Gene Simmons fan. Well, on A&E “The Arts and Entertainment” network they run a show called “Gene Simmons Family Jewels.” Last year when flipping through channels I would instruct my family not to watch this show, after all what kind of influence was Gene Simmons on a kid? Turns out I was wrong; he’s a pretty good influence on a kid and adults too for that matter; he’s not perfect by any means, but who is? I actually decided to watch the show one day and to my astonishment (and that of my family) after one episode I was hooked. So hooked that I recently read Mr. Simmons book “Kiss and Make Up” it’s a pretty interesting book. You see I don’t agree with every thing Mr. Simmons says or does, some things are actually contrary to what I believe, but I find that true with most people. Let’s face it few of us see eye to eye on every issue.

I’ve learned a great deal about Mr. Simmons and his partner Shannon Tweed seems to be a wonderful person, their two children are absolutely charming and delightful. Mr. Simmons himself has never used drugs or alcohol, he may have other vices but those are not two of them. He is also an extremely talented business man who has amassed a great deal of wealth and yet seems every bit as common as you and I.

I find a great deal of comfort in realizing just how “normal” some celebrities are, how well grounded, what great parents they are. I really enjoy having a look at other people’s lives, my daughter would tell you it’s because I’m nosey. I’d argue it’s because I’m curious. Observing human behavior is fascinating that’s why we read autobiographies, and watch documentaries about people’s experiences. We can learn from observing others.

You too can become a fan of Gene Simmons and his family because I bought myself the first session of the show on DVD and once I watch it I will be donating it to the library.

Is there a lesson in all of this? I think it’s that usual don’t judge a book by the cover. Give people a chance and don’t think that just because someone makes different life choices or lives by a code of ethics that is different than yours that it’s necessarily bad. Remember different means only different not better or worse.

My daughter recently told me that sometimes I’m judgmental and prudish. I would never guess that anyone would use those two words to describe me. Let me just say the last words I would ever want used to describe me are prudish and judgmental. I’m going to make some changes in regard to how I look at people and what my reaction is to them so that I can redeem my self, how about you?

As the end of August approaches and kids head off to school the library will be losing two amazing staff people who are headed off to college. Beth Brehmer and Tawni Kaluza have worked at the library for more than a year and have been absolutely delightful additions to the library staff. As Beth and Tawni are teenagers they still have a lot of life to explore and I am thrilled they are both furthering their education and heading off to college. I am sad beyond belief that they will not be at the library but that’s just how it goes.

Not all people and not all employees are created equally. I have worked with many people during my lifetime some I’ve loved, some I’ve loathed. Let me say Beth and Tawni are among those I’ve loved working with. These two young women are amazingly hardworking and dedicated to what they do. As soon as they began working at the library they become devoted to the library's mission, they obviously love the library. They will be successful in future endeavors because they have good judgment and wonderful personalities. I want to publicly thank these two people who helped make the library the wonderful place it is; they have become a part of the atmosphere and have been essential in getting things done. It won’t be the same without them.

During the duration of Beth and Tawni's employment the library has undergone numerous changes physically the building has changed, we've added new staff, and they have watched programming developed and evolve. Never complaining, they pitch right in on whatever task was in front of them. Moving all of the books and shelving (actually more than once) was one of the more grueling projects Beth and Tawni got in on. Up until the last day these young women pitched in 100%. Just this past week we had the prevledge of decorating display boards at Roosevelt Hall, and because my original plan fell a little short, I had to redesign things and within minutes Beth and Tawni where designing and cutting out letters for our display and Beth accompanied me to decorate the boards. Beth has a good eye and is very artistic so her help was to the success of the project.

Working with me is not always easy, I talk fast, have many many ideas that I want to implement and I assume people get the picture. I need people who I can count on and who are trustworthy. Beth and Tawni have lived up to my expectations. Truly their efforts have very positively impacted the library.

They have worked tremendously hard and are the kind of employees any employer would want to hire. They have served many of you on your library visits and I know you too will miss their smiling faces.

If you see Beth and Tawni around please thank them for a job well done, we couldn’t have done it without them.

The library staff is gearing up for fall programming and wow, do we have great things planned for the up coming year.

Our adult reading group has a great line up of books for the next six months, in September they will be reading “Tender at the Bone” by Ruth Reichl. This happens to be a book I really enjoyed reading. Once you start reading Reichl, you have to read everything she’s written.

This year we are adding a new element to the reading group; a film group. Yes, that’s right; Elbow Lake now has its own cinema so to speak. Thanks to the Friends of the Library the Sanford Room is now equipped with everything you need to show DVDs, earlier remodeling even added surround sound. The Friends of the Library have paid for a movie License so we can legal show a large selection of movies. We will also be selling popcorn thanks to a generous patron who has donated a popcorn machine.

The reading group will be watching films that coincide with their book selection however; we will be showing other films as well. We will be hosting movie events for families and children as well.

The Young People’s Book group will have its first meeting on Tuesday, September 11at 3:45. This group is for students in grades 4, 5 & 6, if you are interested in attending you can call the library to sign up. Our first book will be “Everything on a Waffle” by Polly Horvath and you can pick up a copy of the book at the library this week.

Story time for youngsters ages pre-school and up will be starting the second week of September as well. This group will meet Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. it is the perfect way to introduce small children to literature.

For your convenience the library provides wireless Internet, you can actually access our wireless from most spots in this building as well as outside of the building.

To contact the library for more information on this and other upcoming programming you can call 218-685-6850 or email library@runestone.net

Remember this weekend you can see the fantastic musical “School House Rocks” in Barrett at Roosevelt Hall. Show times are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2:00.

There are many different aspects of living in a place like Grant County that separate us from other places, not the least of which is our lack of traffic jams. Ok, sometimes a person does get behind a large piece of farm equipment and that might slow you down a bit but usually the traffic flows pretty smoothly around these parts. I also enjoy that fact that when I dial a local wrong number I usually always know the person on the other end of the telephone.

One of the things that I find most enjoyable and most unique and surprising about living in Grant County is the access we have to the Arts. Living here has afforded us and our children the opportunity to attend and participate in theatre and music at a level that I just do not believe exists in many other places.

This past weekend my son participated in Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre Camp which was held in Barrett. More than 60 kids from throughout the United States make the pilgrim to Barrett to participate in this event. The kids pay to attend camp and need to have arrangements for a place to stay, for many kids this is no easy task, yet they come have a great time learning about theatre, perform in a show and form friendships that are long lasting. Thanks to cell phones and the Internet many of these young people keep in contact all year long. How lucky we are to have this in our own back yard so to speak.

And that is really just one example of the Arts in our area. We are truly blessed that Prairie Wind Players is a thriving organization in Grant County; they have maintained and improved the historical Roosevelt Hall magnificently. I know the PWP has been in existence a long time, I personally have been attending shows there for almost 20 years. The first two shows I saw were “The Sound of Music” and “Oklahoma”. My mother-in-law took me to the theatre and I remember being so impressed with the performances that I could hardly wait to see wait to see the next show.

As my children got older they had opportunities to participate in children’s shows as well as general productions and lucky for me I even had a chance to take the stage with my children in “Playing with Memories.” I am grateful for our experiences in the Arts in this community.

The impact of the Arts on my children is amazing; they have a better grasp of theatre and what goes into a production than many adults. I believe participating in the Arts has helped build their self confidence, and ability to speak confidently in public. Being on the stage isn’t for everyone, there are many ways to participate such as working with sounds, lights, the pit band, helping with props or being stage manager. The theatre also pulls people together from many different communities so it is a great way to get to know people.

I am incredibly thankful for West Central Area School, I can’t comment on other schools because we attend West Central so that’s what I’m familiar with. But let me say this about West Central and the Arts; top notch. The theatrical products put on at that school are so professional and fine tuned that I always boast boast boast about our great students are and of course without adults willing to take on the challenge of working with students in the Arts we would be in trouble. Our music department is one of the most professional I have ever experienced. When our students leave here and go onto other places to participate in band or choir and theatre they are well prepared.

Without doubt we are a place were the Arts are alive and well, we are an enriched public because of it.

What is all of this leading up to? Well I am giving you a heads about an upcoming performance that will be presented by Prairie Wind Players at Roosevelt Hall, so mark your calendars. “School House Rock” will be performed August 23^rd, 24^th, 25^th 26^th

Show times are Thursday through Saturday night 7:30 with a Sunday matinee at 2:00. This show is being performed by area children from elementary school age through high school. The show is directed and choreographed by local recent alumni and teachers. This show will feature children who are on the stage for the first time and others who are seasoned players having participated in numerous shows. Here is a chance for you to take in a show at Roosevelt Hall, and at the same time show your support for the young people in our community who have spent all summer working on this show.

I’m giving you advanced notice so you can plan ahead. If you have grandkids or nieces and nephews this show will be perfect for them as well so plan to take a car load when you attend the show.

The library is also an outlet for WCA School Choir CDs. You can a copy of our local high school choir for a mere $10.00 I have given those CDs as gifts to friends and family and recently someone asked if more CDs were available because they enjoyed it so much.

The library is selling Friends T-shirts for ½ price pick up a t-shirt for back to school for only $6.00. We are also selling our Billboard Bags at ½ price so you can get one of this very handy, very durable, very environmentally friendly bags for only $15.00 I should mention that quantities of everything we have is limited so get yours quick.

Part of building a strong community that other people want to visit or live in is by supporting one another. We need to put our time, energy and resources into accentuating the positive. We have a lot to celebrate.

For years I have held the belief that the United States should only engage in trade with countries that adhere to the same standards, rules and regulations that United States businesses and factories adhere to; and, it appears that perhaps, recently I was validated in that concern. Unfortunately, for some the lesson will come too late.

Obviously, the recent recall of toys manufactured in China and sold in the U.S. has everyone paying a bit more attention to the issue. When my children were smaller I always avoided those incredibly cheep toys sold in variety of locations such as gas stations and generic stores for fear they wouldn’t be safe for my children. I always felt save purchasing items from reputable brands, however now even that is no longer a safeguard. The U.S. should under no circumstances allow into our country any products that do not meet or exceed our safety standards for any products, but those specifically for children should be rigorously scrutinized. I don’t care how cheap something is, it should not pose any health risk to anyone especially not the audience to whom it is intended. There are some safety issues we can measure with our eyes, such as the size of a toy in regard to risk of choking, but lead, how would I as a parent test my child’s toys for lead. Truthfully with the strong measures this country has taken to educate people on the hazards of lead in paint I should be assured that nothing would be able to enter this country containing lead, absolutely nothing, and I should never have to question the integrity of toys.

What would the penalty be to a factory that manufactured a product with lead in the paint, I would say a huge fine, and that business would not be allowed to send imports to the U.S. for a minimum of 10 years. After which time they would have to proof that all such practices of using lead based paint has stopped.

My standards would actually go a bit further. I would not allow imports from countries whose environmental standards to not at least meet ours. If you do not think that contaminated air, waters and land in other countries will impact us, you are mistaken; we will feel the impact of the toxins other countries dump into the environment. And, even if it didn’t why would I ever want to engage in trade with a nation that is willing to expose there population to polluted water, air and land. Let us also look at human rights and livable wages, by having high standard yourself you can help raise the standards for other nations, building a truly better world.

I recently purchased something that actually holds food and it was manufactured in China, can someone please tell me how I can test this product to see if there is led in the paint, it seems ridiculous that I should have to test it, but apparently that is the way we are going to have to live if we don’t raise the bar.

Well, as I walked to work this Monday morning I think I could smell Flekkefest in the air. There was just this kind of feeling in the atmosphere. Everyone is making final arrangements for the big weekend. I know we are gearing up for one of our largest used book sales ever. We also of course will be selling popcorn, lemon aid and our famous face painting and tattoo art will be available with some exciting new option for mask painting. And we may just give the phrase “pick your nose” a whole new meaning, but you’ll have to stop by the library to find out what that’s all about. We are the new home of Billboard bags, if you haven’t picked one up yet you better get move on because supplies are limited. We are also selling completely out of our library Friends t-shirts, so this will be your last change ever to purchase this classic tee. There is still time to purchase raffle tickets, we are giving away great prizes including a Nintendo Wii, $100 gift certificates to Salon Depot and Victor Lundeen’s as well as a $250.00 gift certificate to West Central Computer Solutions. Raffle tickets are $5.00 each and we really need your support this year because we have great things planned for the future but need to raise funds first.

You are still going to want to read at the end of each day, even the busyness of Flekkefest can’t detour a true reader. The library will be open and checking out books, audios and DVDS. Some newer additions to our book shelves include “The Race Beat: The Press, The Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation” by Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff by the way this book is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize. “The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression” by Amity Shlaes is also available. Other new titles include “Matters of Life & Death: by Bernard MacLaverty and “Gods in Alabama” by Joshilyn Jackson.

If you are looking for decorating ideas inside you might want to check out “Candice Olson On Design: Inspiration and Ideas For Your Home” by HGTVs Candice Olson. For the outdoors don’t overlook “The New Outdoor Kitchen: Cooking Up a Kitchen for the Way You Live and Play by Deborah Krasner.