Welcome to the February 2008 edition of LIBRARY E-NEWS. This monthly newsletter includes several features containing information about the library. If you would like to join other subscribers in receiving the Library E-News in your e-mail every month, please fill out the following form online or complete a paper registration form at the circulation desk.

For a complete calendar of events at Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library go to www.smfpl.org/calendar.htm

Go directly to the following features by clicking on the name of the feature you want to read, or scroll down this page to read all of LIBRARY E-NEWS.

Notices
Upcoming Special Events
Recent Library Happenings
New Titles
Department News
Art on Display
Library Foundation
Friends of the Library
Quilt on Display
Book Picks
What do I Watch?
Website of the Month
Previous Issues

Tax help available
A free tax service will be available to older residents and residents with low to middle incomes at Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library beginning Friday, February 1. This annual program is sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons, who work in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program to assure that the volunteers are knowledgeable about the special tax provisions for older people. The service will be available on Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. at the library through April 11. One-hour appointments may be scheduled by contacting the library at 330-688-3295. Bring with you a copy of last year’s tax return, social security card and picture ID. If a child is claimed as an exemption, you must show his or her social security card, no exceptions. Also bring any forms showing income you earned or pensions or social security paid to you, 1099 forms showing interest or dividends that your investments have earned and receipts or cancelled checks for income or property taxes you have paid or any contributions you have made to charities. Bring with you documentation of medical expenses. Please be aware that library staff are not permitted to give tax advice, answer questions on your taxes or fill out your form for you. However, they will help you locate books and the appropriate forms and publications to help you complete your tax return.

Coffee With the Editor
The next Coffee With the Editor will be Wednesday, March 5 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

Back By Popular Demand.....Book Bags!!
You can again purchase Zippered Top Pocket Book Bags at the front Circulation Desk at Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library. These are roomy bags with a gusseted bottom and made of 600 denier polyester nylon material. They have 24-inch long handles. The bags are $10, including tax. All proceeds benefit the Stow-Munroe Falls Library Foundation.

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This City Reads: Annual Day of Reading
On Wednesday, February 13 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., be a part of this annual effort to have as many people as possible, all reading on the same day! Stop by our magazine area for refreshments, and log some time reading on your own. For more information visit http://www.thiscityreads.org/
The program is for patrons of all ages. Registration is not required.

Jazz Band Concert
The next performance of the community jazz band will be Wednesday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m. in the Stow-Munroe Falls meeting room of the library. The concert is free. Reservations are not required.

Bridge Club
Come to the library for cards and conversation. The Bridge Club will meet on the second Monday of the month from 12:45 until 3:30 p.m. Players should arrive at 12:45 p.m. and bridge will begin promptly at 1:00 p.m. The next meeting is February 11. Bridge Club meets in the Stow-Munroe Falls meeting room at the library. There is no fee to join the club, but a small collection will be taken for refreshments. For more information or to register, contact Cheryl Nelson at 330-688-3295. Bridge Club is co-sponsored by Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library and the Stow Woman’s Club.

Home Staging-Preparing to Sell Your Home
Come to the library on Wednesday, February 20 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. to learn how to prepare your home and avoid costly delays before listing it on the market. Lynn Koerner will present ideas on how to maximize the positives and minimize the negatives. Registration is required. Call 330-688-3295 or stop by the Reference Desk to register. The program will be held in the Stow-Munroe Falls Room at the library.

Antique Appraisals
Bring your favorite antique to the library for an appraisal by Susan Marocchino on Saturday, March 8 from 11 a.m. until noon. Limit one item per person. To register stop by the Reference Desk or call 330-688-3295. Registration is not required for spectators.

The Tomb of Tutankhamen
Explore the mysteries behind Egypt's most famous icon, King Tutankhamen. Canton Art Museum Director, Dr. M.J. Albacete will bring actual artifacts found in King Tut's tomb. Program is Wedndesday, March 19 at 6:30 p.m. Registration begins on Monday, February 18 and is limited. Call 330-688-3295 or stop by the Reference Desk to register. This program will be held in the Stow-Munroe Falls Room at the library.

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Winners of the Lifesize Monopoly Games were Cora Coen and Keaton Parks (ages 9 to 11 game) and Abby Lavely (ages 12 to 17 game). Winners received Monopoly-themed t-shirts.

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New Titles

New titles are arriving daily at Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library. Some of the new titles are:

Fiction: The Abyssinian Proof by Jenny B. white, The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky, Duma Key by Stephen King, The Far Reaches by Homer Hickman.

Mystery:After a Dead Dog by Colin Murray, The Art Thief by Noah Charney, Beverly Hills Dead by Stuart Woods.

Nonfiction:Sundays with Vlad: from Pennsylvania to Transylvania, one man's quest to live in the world of the undead by Paul Bibeau, Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, my betrayal by the White House by Valerie Plame Wilson.

DVDs: Saw 4, Mr. Woodcock, Blonde Ambition, Good Luck Chuck, Wedding Daze,

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Department News

Adult Services

New Programs for Writers!

Larry Smith is the Director of the Firelands Writing Center and the Editor-in-Chief of Bottom Dog Press, Inc., a non-profit literary and educational organization dedicated to publishing the best writing and art for the midwest and beyond. He is a graduate of Muskingum College and Kent State University and is the author of six books of poetry, a book of memoirs, two books of fiction, two literary biographies, a life biography and more. He is co-founder of the Independent Midwest Publishers and Authors Consortium. (IMPAAC)

Carole Calladine, writes about relationships, life stages and choices. She has a Master's Degree in Social Service Administration from Case Western Reserve University and an undergraduate honors degree in Sociology from the State University of Iowa. Her most recent book is Second Story Woman: A Memoir of Second Chances which deals not only with her mid-life passage but also her diagnosis with type 2 diabetes. Her other titles are Praising Siblings...raising brothers and sisters without raising the roof and One Terrific Year: supporting your kids through the ups and downs of their year. The program is free of charge. Light refreshments will be available. Stop by the Reference Desk or call 330-688-3295 to register. Seating is limited. This program is sponsored by the Lit- Cleveland's Literary Center,Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library and the Friends of Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library.

Author Sarah Willis
Sarah Willis, author of the books Some Things That Stay,The Rehearsal, A Good Distance and The Sound of Us, will speak to writers at Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library on Saturday, February 23 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. She will do a reading of new work and discuss writing: from idea to print. There will be a question and answer period.

Willis was born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, where she still lives. Her father, Kirk Willis, was a well-known actor and director at The Cleveland Play House. After walking out of Lakewood High School when she was sixteen, she attended Friends Free School, a small alternative high school started by Quakers. In 1971 she began working at the Cleveland Free Clinic, where she worked for the next ten years in a variety of jobs from janitor to Medical Coordinator. During this time she attended Cuyahoga Community College, Otterbein, and finally graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 1978 with a BFA in Theater Arts. She then went on to earn a Certificate in Photography from Cooper School of Art. At the age of thirty-four she began taking non-degree graduate classes in creative writing at Cleveland State University.

She finally found her calling, writing fiction. Her short stories have been published in Book Magazine, Confrontation, Crescent Review, (this story was nominated for a Pushcart Prize), Vincent Brothers Review, Rockford Review, Whiskey Island Review, Riverwind, No Roses Review, Artful Dodge, The Missouri Review, and the anthology, Our Mothers Our Selves. Sarah Willis' first novel, Some Things That Stay, (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2000) was listed as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, won the Stephen Crane Award for First Fiction 2000, and was awarded The Cleveland Arts Prize in Literature 2000. Some Things That Stay was made into a movie which opened in Canada in October, 2004. Her other novels are, The Rehearsal (Farrar, Straus & Giroux 2001), A Good Distance (Berkley, 2004), and The Sound of Us, (Berkley 2005). She writes essays which can be found in the Plain Dealer Sunday Magazine. She is now writing her fifth novel.

Willis has taught creative writing classes at numerous writer's workshops and colleges, including Hiram college, John Carroll University, The Imagination Conference at CSU, The Columbus Writers Conference, The Writer's Center at Chautauqua, and the Maui Writer's Retreat.

If you are serious about writing as a career, register for this program by stopping by the Reference Desk or calling 330-688-3295.

The program is free of charge. Light refreshments will be available. This program is sponsored by the Lit-Cleveland's Literary Center, Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library and the Friends of Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library.

Ohio Writer Magazine available
Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library now offers Ohio Writer Magazine. Ohio Writer Magazine is designed to help writers at all levels of accomplishment connect with other writers. They publish feature stories, interviews, informative how-tos, and articles relevant to all types of writing. The reviews keep you up to date on area small presses, literary publications and the work of other Ohio writers. Check out an issue today!

Foreign Language Books
The Reference Department has an arrangement with the Foreign Language Department of the Cleveland Public Library to provide a rotating selection of print materials in various languages that may be checked out by our adult and juvenile patrons. The collection is rotated after a two-month period, so there will always be new titles to choose from. Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Polish, Portugese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukranian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Welsh and Yiddish. Check one out today!

New to ReferenceUSA!
ReferenceUSA is one of our library's most popular databases. Patrons have used it for years to look up U.S. residential and business information. New to ReferenceUSA in 2008 is EmployersUSA, which allows users to find information on every U.S. employer, large or small. Use it to find the company you want to work for based on location, type of business and educational background. Access ReferenceUSA in the library or at home using your library card number. For more information, contact the Reference Department at 330-688-3295.

Need to Use a Computer? Call ahead and reserve one!
Computers with Internet Access, located in Computer lab at library are always in great demand. If you are planning a trip to the library to use the computer, please call ahead and make a reservation. There may NOT be one available if you don't make a reservation! Computer time can be reserved up to one week in advance. Staff in the Computer Lab can schedule you for up to two hours of time once per day, Monday through Saturday and up to one hour of time on Sunday. Don't be disappointed! Call ahead! To make an appointment, call the Adult Services Department at 330-688-3295.

Evening Book Discussion
The evening book discussion group with Amy Garrett meets the fourth Thursday of the month through April 2008. Discussions will be on these Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m. except in November and December.The November meeting will be the third Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and the December meeting will be the second Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Copies of the book will again be available at the Reference Desk prior to the discussion date.

Monday Evening Book Discussion
The evening book discussion group with Barbara Nelson meets through June 2008. Discussions will be on the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m. Copies of the book will again be available at the Reference Desk prior to the discussion date.

Daytime Book Discussions
The daytime book discussion groups with Chris Caccamo will meet the second Friday of the month from October through May at either 10:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. Books will be available at the Reference Desk prior to the discussion date.

Computer Training
The library offers classes for beginning computer users and more advanced users. They include Introduction to Computers, Introduction to the Internet, and training in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. Classes are offered both day and evening at no charge. The class calendar can be viewed at www.smfpl.org/calendar.htm.


New Computer Class Signup Procedure
You no longer have to sign up for computer classes weeks ahead of time! Instead, stop by the Reference Desk one half hour before class time and sign up. Be sure to have your Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library card with you! It is that easy!

Chess Club
The next Chess Club will be Tuesday, February 19. Peer instruction is from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. and game play is from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Play chess against a variety of opponents, and learn new moves. Chess club is for students age 5 and older who are familiar with the basic rules of chess. Snacks provided. No registration is necessary.

Teen Newsletter
The Teen Services Department is seeking submissions by teen patrons for the next issue of the Teen Newsletter. Submit stories, artwork or reviews. To view a sample issue, follow the link on the Teen Services page. Items can be turned in at the Reference Desk or E-Mailed to the Teen Librarian at the following address:

Please go to the Teen Services web page at www.smfpl.org./TS.htm for information about current Teen activities. To see photos of Teen events go to www.smfpl.org/tsphotos.htm.

Celebrate Black History Month
On Monday, February 25 at 6:30 PM, Janice Chappell will present a hands-on and interactive program for school age children in grades 1-6. She will bring to life stories of African Americans from slavery to Civil Rights, focusing on the legacy of those who faced great adversity and still sought to treat all human beings with dignity and respect. Don't miss this high quality program designed to encourage student participation, audience engagement and salute famous Americans. Registration begins Monday, February 11. Call the Children's Department at 330-688-3295.

Please call 330-688-3295 or go to the Children's Department web page at www.smfpl.org/CS.htm for further information about Children's activities and programs.

Pick 5 Bestsellers Club
Don't have a computer or are you too busy to get to your computer? How would you like our staff to automatically place you on the reserve list for five of your favorite popular authors? Join our Bestsellers Club and that's exactly what will happen! Just pick up a form at the Circulation Desk and join over 300 satisfied members. Are you already a member, but would like to change an author or two? Ask for an "add/delete" form at the circulation desk. It's just that easy! Here's a few authors whose new books could be waiting for you!

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The Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library Foundation was incorporated in 1994 as a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizaton. The Foundation is dedicated to ensuring a great library system by raising, managing and allocating funds to expand and improve the library.
Why a Foundation? Maintaining Stow and Munroe Falls' top-notch library isn't possible with public funding alone. The Foundation's mission is to stabilize the library in times of reduced public funding and secure the ongoing excellence of the library.
The next Foundation meeting will be Tuesday, February 19 at 5:00 p.m. at the library. The public is welcome to attend.

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The Friends of the Library is a citizen support group for Library services and activities. They sponsor booksales as well as the annual Needlework Show and other activities. Friends meet the third Tuesday of every month (except December and July) at 2:00 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room.

New Friends Officers for 2007 (from left to right) are: Peg Niemeyer, Corresponding Secretary; Hermine Meyer, Treasurer; Peggy Shaffer, Vice President; Helen Meier, Recording Secretary; Martha Keisler, President.

Also pictured are Jane Mesereau (far right) and Lois Patton (handing out the flowers).

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This month's quilt is by Shelly Sicliano. It is displayed over the front checkout desk.

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Book Picks

February's book pick is Duma Key: A Novel by Stephen King.

From Amazon.com:

It would be impossible to convey the wonder and the horror of Stephen King's latest novel in just a few words. Suffice it to say that Duma Key, the story of Edgar Freemantle and his recovery from the terrible nightmare-inducing accident that stole his arm and ended his marriage, is Stephen King's most brilliant novel to date (outside of the Dark Tower novels, in which case each is arguably his best work). Duma Key is as rich and rewarding as Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (yes, that Shawshank Redemption), and as truly scary as anything King has written (and that's saying a lot). Readers who have "always wanted to try Stephen King" but never known where to start should try a few pages of Duma Key--the frankness with which Edgar reveals his desperate, sputtering rages and thoughts of suicide is King at the top of his game. And that's just the first thirty pages... --Daphne Durham

Place a hold on Duma Key: A Novel by going to the library's online catalog at http://opac.smfpl.org.

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What Do I Watch?

Looking for a great film to help celebrate Valentine's Day? Try one of these DVDs, listed by the American Film Institute as America's Greatest Love Stories. They are all available at Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library.

Casablanca

Gone with the Wind

West Side Story

Roman Holiday

An Affair to Remember

The Way We Were

Doctor Zhivago

It's a Wonderful Life

Love Story

Annie Hall

My Fair Lady

Out of Africa

Singin' in the Rain

Moonstruck

Vertigo

Ghost

From Here to Eternity

On Golden Pond

King Kong

The Sound of Music

The Shop Around the Corner

An Officer and a Gentleman

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Website of the Month

The website for this month is for The Academy Awards at http://www.oscar.com/

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Academy Awards. Film buffs should visit the site for this year's nominations, Oscar history, fashion photos and details on this year's show. Red Carpet retro allows you to pick a decade and see photos of classic movie stars attending the festivities. The 2008 Academy Awards show is February 24.

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