Library Closed on Friday, April 30th - Staff training in Kokomo, IN

Staff training and learning is an important aspect for any organization. On Friday, April 30, the staff will be attending the Indiana Library Federation District II Conference in Kokomo, IN. The District II Conference in Kokomo provides staff training that will in turn assist us as a staff to be of greater assistance to patrons. Due to the staff attendance at the conference, the Library will be closed on Friday, April 30th.

We thank you for support for the library and please let me know at any time if there are ways we can improve our service to you, the patron.

National Library Week

April 12th to April 17th is National Library Week. In honor this special week, the library is doing a couple of things.

First, the library will waive all fines for overdue materials returned during this week, and a payment of $1.00 per card will remove all overdue fines previously accrued on that card. This offer is valid on overdue fines only, and does not apply to any other charges that may be on your card.

The library will also hold a drawing for the following books:

Apostle by Brad Thor; Associate by John Grisham; Circus in Winter by Cathy Day; Crow lake by Mary Lawson; Even money by Dick Francis; Fatally flaky by Diane Mott Davidson; Fearless fourteen by Janet Evanovich; Fish! By Stephen Lundin; Greedy bones by Carolyn Haines; In an instant by Lee & Bob Woodruff; Indiana butterflies & mothsIndiana wildlife; Intervention by Terri Blackstock; It's not easy being green by Jim Henson; Magicians by Lev Grossman; Modoc by Ralph Helfer; Ohio wildlifePlanisphere; Quiet strength by Tony Dungy; Shades of blue by Karen Kingsbury; So sexy so soon by Diane E Levin; Very valentine by Adriana Trigiani; Wishbones by Carolyn Haines; Your pregnancy week by week by Glade Curtis; Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber (MP3-CD); Two Brothers by David Jones (MP3-CD);

Stop by the library this week to take care of your fines and enter our drawing during the week.

Regardless of your reason for stopping at the library, the library hopes it is an important part of your life!

Battle of the Books

I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone involved in the Battle of the Books. The Library has another successful Battle of the Books with at least, i believe, over 400 in attendance of the the three days. I want to thank in particular April Nicely, Nancy Synder, and Laura Butler. It is another example of what a outstanding staff our library has! Congratulations to Southwood Jr, High and Sharp Creek Elementary for winning the event.

PROPERTY ACROSS FROM LIBRARY

The Library purchased the house across the street (189-191 W Hill Street/next to the Dr. James Historical Home) at the end of 2009 for the purpose of creating additional parking. Additional parking has been a need for a number of years particularly during times of library programming. At the Board Meeting on November 24th, 2009, it was decided to tear down current structure and adding parking in its place. This decision was made after through discussion and consideration! As an institution that values the cultural heritage and history of the community, the library respects the importance of preserving cultural history and heritage. After consideration of many factors, it was decided that parking was the best option in serving patrons. The Library anticipates the demolition to begin within the next few days.

We thank you for your corporation during the demolition time. If you have any questions, please contact the Director, Ware W. Wimberly III, at (260) 563-2972.

Suggestions for improving Wabash Carnegie Public Library's website

We're about to meet with our website designer, so if you have some comments about the Wabash Carnegie Public Library website, leave your opinions, questions, comments, complaints, suggestions, etc. in the comments. So think about this and let us know:

1. Is there something missing from the library website that you'd like to see?

2. Is the library website easy to use, or could it be simplified?

3. Could we jazz the website up to make it more fun or interesting?


*Want to thank Laura Beutler for providing these questions

Cassie - Computer reservation software

In the next couple of months, the library will be adding computer reservation software to the public computers. The computer reservation software is called Cassie. It will not change the access of the computers but just the management of the computers from the administration side. Most public libraries in the State of Indiana have a computer reservation program for the public computers. Cassie as with other similar programs allows patrons to sign in and reserve computers on their own. Once a patron is set up with a user id and password, the patron can sign in utilizing that information. This will replace the process of stopping at the Information desk to provide name, city/town of residence before being assigned a computer. Once this system is in place and running well, it will also allow staff to focus more on helping with reference questions both in person and over the phone. Although there might be some initial bumps from the adjustment, it should provide for a smoother computer use experience for both patron and staff.

Description of books for the Spring Book Discussion

Details on the Spring Book Discussion from Lottie Waggoner. Dates are March 18th, April 15th, and May 13th. The discussions will be at the library on these days (all Thursdays) starting at 7:00.


The New Woman

At the end of the Victorian Era, the New Woman emerged. She wanted to take up more space in the public arena. She wanted a voice in the way the government was run. She wanted the vote. She wanted to bob her hair, wear a short skirt, and dance the Charleston.
The three novels we are reading this spring all feature protagonists who are New Women. Lily, Bea, and Mildred live during the beginning of the 20th century and break the gender norms of that time. Their lives are not only interesting historically, but also emotionally because their struggles are the struggles that women at the beginning of the 21st century still face.
Each of these novels have been made into movies, so pop some corn as we will be viewing clips to decide if the book or the movie garners our “2 thumbs up.”


House of Mirth
Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton wrote about the privileged society she lived in and was critical of it. Her protagonist Lily Bart is stunningly beautiful, but she is almost 30 – and single. Throughout this novel Lily attempts to manipulate the marriage marketplace. She has no family fortune, so she has to parlay her beauty into the most financially beneficial union. Lily, however, asserts her own will.
Through Lily’s eyes, we are witnesses to a vicious society based on pretense and wealth. If this novel were made into a TV show, it would be called “The Real Housewives of Fifth Avenue.”


Imitation of Life
Fannie Hurst

If you are only familiar with the 1959 movie version (there was another film adaptation in 1934) of Hurst’s novel, you will be amazed at the differences. The novel’s focus is on Bea Pullman’s rise to success in the waffle-house business between the world wars after the death of her husband.
The sub-plot of Delilah’s daughter’s rejection of her mother and her race by “passing” as white was also totally revised by Hollywood. It should make for rousing discussion!



Mildred Pierce
James M. Cain

As with Bea, Mildred enters the business world out of necessity, not choice. The Great Depression and a shiftless husband force her to look for any available job to feed her children. But, her talent was always right there – Mildred can bake a mean pie. It will make her millions.
This dark novel contains lots of scrumptious elements. The secondary characters are well-drawn, and the importance of friendship is a strong theme. However, the book’s strength is the sinister daughter, Veda. Is she a New Woman? How should we define her?
The movie won an Academy Award for Joan Crawford.