By Diana Johnson

During this season of gift-giving, remember the gift of a public library in your community supported by the residents of the city of Stromsburg. This gift continues to give to those who utilize it.

A recent report from the PewResearchCenter found that 95 per cent of Americans agree that libraries play an important role in giving everyone a chance to succeed. At a time when more information can be found online, people continue to highly value free access to books and media, assistance from librarians, a safe and welcoming public space, and a range of resources and programs. Library services improve the quality of life according to the report.

Public demand for digital training and technology classes continues to increase as does the demand for public Internet-connected computers. The Pew study found that 72 per cent of all American adults have either used a public library in the past year or live in a household with a family member who actively uses the library.

“The future of libraries is both online and in person,” said Barbara Stripling, American Library Association president. “Libraries mix traditional and new services to meet changing community needs.”

Stop in and learn about all the offerings of your local library. During the Christmas holidays the library will be closed December 24-25. The library will be open Monday, December 23, and Friday and Saturday, December 27-28.

The library will be closed November 28, 29, 30, and December 1 for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will reopen December 2, 2013 @ 1 pm. 

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

The next meeting of the library board will be November 18, 2013 at 7 p.m. Library board meetings are open to the public.

We will have a lapsit all about hungry animals on November 19 at 11 a.m. We might have to eat a snack after we read these books! Lapsits are open to children ages 1-4 accompanied by an adult.

The Library will be closed Monday, November 11, 2013 in honor of Veteran’s Day

Thank You

Daylight Savings Time ends tonight, Saturday, November 2 at 2:00 a.m. 

Set your clocks back before bed and enjoy the extra hour of sleep!

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