Stromsburg Public Library will be participating in the Downtown Boo festivities on Halloween. Stop by our table between 5 pm and 7 pm  to receive your treats and a chance to win a prize bag.  See you Thursday! 

Downtown Boo is sponsored by the Stromsburg Chamber of Commerce and area businesses. There will be free hot dogs, popcorn, and apple cider along with hayrack rides and bucket truck rides!

2013 downtown boo

By Diana Johnson

Meet Nebraska author Willa Cather through her letters, first published in February this year. Stromsburg Public Library will host Andrew Jewell, co-editor of the collection of letters titled, The Selected Letters of Willa Cather, Tuesday, October 8, at 12 noon.

As the editor of the Willa Cather archive at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Jewell is well qualified to introduce the character and personality of the author. The program is funded by Humanities Nebraska. The library encourages patrons to bring a lunch. The library will provide coffee and cookies.

Because Cather wanted to be judged on her work alone, she left clear instructions in her will that her letters were not to be published. With her literary reputation now secure and the death of her nephew, the will’s executor, the will has expired and the letters have become available for publication. The present collection represents only 20 per cent of her total letters. They cover her teenage years in Red Cloud through her distinguished career as a novelist.

Remember that free Wi-Fi at the library is now password protected and a new password was issued Oct. 1. Stop in during open library hours to get the password after signing a form outlining Wi-Fi use policies.

The first lapsit of the season will be held on September 17, 2013, 11 am at the library. Lapsits are open to children ages 1-4 accompanied by an adult. Lapsits are a great way to introduce your toddler to the joys of reading and the library.  We have many fun activities planned to help with early literacy in young children this year.

For this first lapsit, we will be reading the book, “There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly”, then we will page through the book while listening to the song by the same title. After introducing this classic rhyme to the children, we will also read “I Know a Shy Fellow Who Swallowed a Cello”.

New to lapsits this year will be a “Discovery Time”. This is simply a time for the children to play with puzzles, and other items out of our “Discovery Packs”. This is another aspect to early literacy for children that we would like to encourage. It also gives moms a chance to visit and connect!

Lapsits will be held the 2nd Tuesday of each month through April. Check our calendar for other montly activities held at the library.

Stromsburg Public Library is proud to offer free, wireless Internet access to the community around the clock. This service is important for students to complete homework, for job seekers to complete applications and for numerous other responsibilibites that cannot be accomplished during the limited number of hours that the library is open.

Reports have recently surfaced that the unfiltered service has been inappropriately used, making it necessary to password protect the access to Wi-Fi. Those wishing to use the service will need to enter the library during open hours to get the password after signing a form agreeing to abide by the library’s Wi-Fi policies. Password protection will begin September 3. The password will change the first of each month. Users will then need to get a new password from library staff.

Library hours are as follows: Monday and Friday 1 to 5 pm. Tuesday and Wednesday 1-8 pm. and Saturday 10 am to 2 pm. The library will be closed Monday, September 2, for Labor Day. It will reopen Tuesday, September 3, from 1 to 8 pm.

Diana Johnson,

Library Director

Quick note:

There are some changes to the Teen Summer Reading schedule for August.

Book Club has been cancelled.

The Wrap-Up Party is being rescheduled due to the Open House at the school. Look for that party to be on a Saturday sometime in August.

If you have reading logs to turn in, do that before school starts the 14th!! There are three more trivia questions to participate in, prizes will be given to those that have turned in the most correct answers.

Photos of the Sidewalk Art Show held last night at the library are now on the library’s Facebook page. Search “Stromsburg Public Library” from your Facebook account.

I wasn’t always outside so if you know who any of the artists were feel free to comment with their name! We want these fabulous students to receive recognition.

It was a great evening and we will be sure to hold the event again. Thanks to all who participated.

By Diana Johnson

Artists are wanted to display their creativity for the sidewalk art show July 23, at Stromsburg Public Library. Teens (or adults!) may sign up for a section of sidewalk and use the colored chalk provided by the library. We are hoping for many artists and invite the public to view the outdoor chalk drawings.

The community is invited to participate in One Book One Nebraska for 2013. The book selected is O Pioneers by Willa Cather. Cather’s first Nebraska novel was written at a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization and reflects the uneasiness felt by citizens toward the changing United States culture. The novel touches on other themes as love, marriage, temptation, and isolation.

The library has multiple copies of O Pioneers until mid-August. It would be helpful for patrons to read the novel before the extra copies must be returned. The Hallmark Hall of Fame adaptation of the novel is available at the library. The film stars Jessica Lange, a two-time Academy Award-winning actress. Special programs highlighting the novel are scheduled for this fall.

Summer reading continues for the next two weeks. Come and join the fun and discover new and exciting books.

Used books at a bargain price will be sold at the Polk County Fair next week July 25-27. Books sell for 50 cents for hardbound copies and 25 cents for paperbacks. The book sale is sponsored by the Polk County Libraries Association.

Summer Reading started today with 20 K-2 students attending. They learned about roots and how they help a plant grow. Our books focused on gardening. The students made reading goals and wrote them on roots so our tree in the children’s area can grow.

Summer Reading continues tomorrow with the 3rd-5th grades at 9 am. All 3rd-5th graders are welcome, even if they haven’t registered.