Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library

3512 Darrow Road
Stow, OH 44224
Phone: (330) 688-3295
Fax: (330) 688-0448

Library News

This edition of LIBRARY E-NEWS is sponsored by:
Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library
3512 Darrow Rd. Stow, Ohio 44224
Phone (330) 688-3295 Fax (330) 688-0448
www.smfpl.org

Welcome to the January 2005 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
Friends of the Library
Quilt on Display
Spotlight on Outreach
Staff Picks
Website of the Month
Previous Issues

Notices

Patron Computers
Due to high demand, all internet access patron computers in the Adult Services Department will no longer be available on Sunday afternoons for unlimited time on a first-come-first-serve basis. Beginning Sunday, January 23, these computers will be reservable for one hour. Please call the Adult Information Desk at 330-688-3295 if you wish to reserve a computer or for further information. Computers may be reserved up to one week in advance.

Community Jazz Band
The next Jazz Band concert will be at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 2 in the upstairs meeting room.

Library Board
The next meeting of the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library Board of Trustees will be Tuesday, January 25 at 7:00 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room. To read minutes from previous board meetings go to http://www.smfpl.org/trustees.htm.

Coffee Club Winners
Winners of the Coffee Club drawings held in December are: Lynn Schmidt, Marsha Oshiro, Chris Chimera, and Gladys Ashenfelter. Each winner received a gift certificate for Arabica Coffe House, compliments of the Friends of the Library and Arabica.

Coffee With the Editor
Monday, February 7 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library presents coffee with Stow Sentry editor Sean Gerski the first Monday of each month between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. Sean will be available to answer questions, discuss stories and ideas, or just get acquainted. Coffee and tea supplied by the library.

Read a Classic
Stop by the Adult Information Desk to pick up a copy of "Read a Classic," compiled by Reference Associates Jim Williams and Chris Caccamo. This brochure lists classic literature titles, web sites for information about classics, and films based on classics - all available at Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library.

Display Case
Collector Amanda Kinaitis is displaying her Breyer model horse collection in the display case near the Corner Gallery in January. Amanda has been collecting for ten years. She has models of many different breeds, as well as models of famous horses such as Misty of Chincoteague and Man O War. Please stop by to see this fascinating collection.

Recycle Your Phone Book
Blue recycle bins for phone books are located in the vestibule of Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library.

Wish List
You can help Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library by purchasing an item to add to the collection. Library staff have selected popular books and materials and placed them on the library's Wish List provided by Amazon.com. Simply browse the Wish List and select an item that you would like to purchase for the library. Once you have purchased an item, it will be shipped directly to the library and added to the collection. To access the library's Wish List go to our website at www.smfpl.org. Click on "Make a Donation" on the left under "Resources." Click on "Take me to Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library Wish List."

Chapter-A-Day Online Book Clubs
Join Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library Online Book Clubs and receive chapters from popular books in your daily e-mail. Each day we'll send you a portion of a chapter. After you've read two or three chapters from a book, we'll start sending you a new one. Sign up by clicking this link www.dearreader.com/library/stow or by going to the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library website at www.smfpl.org. Click "Adult Services," then click "Informational Websites." Scroll down and click "Bestsellers," then click "Chapter-a-Day." Choose which club you wish to join and follow the directions.

Chapter-A-Day is sponsored by the Friends of Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library.

Upcoming Special Events

Guitar Concert
Guitarist Jonathan Gangi will present a classical performance Thursday, January 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room. Gangi has been heard at a range of venues throughout Northeast Ohio, including the Hudson Public Library, the University of Akron, Ashland University, and Stow-Munroe Falls Public High School. He is a featured soloist on the CD Guitar at Akron 2003 and has composed and recorded several of his own original works. He is currently in the performance degree program at the University of Akron. The concert at Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library is free. Reservations not required.

Reflections Student Art Show
The Reflections Student Art Show will be held in the upstairs meeting room from Sunday, January 16 to Sunday, January 23 during library hours. The show features the talent of Stow-Munroe Falls students.

Financial Education Workshops
"Avoid Mistakes When Withdrawing Your 401K!"
Saturday, January 15 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room. Learn how to determine your risk management, financial situation, retirement goals, and examine how to avoid double taxation on withdrawals from retirement plans. Registration deadline for this class is Tuesday, January 11. This class will also be offered Thursday, February 10 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration deadline for the February 10 class is Monday, February 7.

"Avoid Paying Too Much in Taxes During Retirement"
Tuesday, February 1 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the upstairs meeting room. Discover how to pay less taxes in retirement, manage finances to accommodate loss of purchasing power and inflation, determine risk tolerance and investment preferences, preserve assets for heirs, determine whether documents are titled correctly, avoid probate, and preserve assets in case of a medical catastrophe. Registration deadline for this class is Friday, January 28.

Tracy Kirk of Milestone Tax Advisory Group (www.milestonetax.com) will be presenting these workshops. Registration is required. Please call 330-688-3295 and ask for the Adult Information Desk to register.

Tax Program 2005
Tax Counseling for the Elderly, free assistance for completing income tax forms will be held Fridays, February 4 through Friday, April 15, 2005. Appointments will be between noon and 4:00 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room. Appointments are for one hour only. Appointments may be made at the Circulation Desk

This tax program is designed for the low-middle income elderly (60 and over), but younger people may participate if income is $60,000 or less. The Tax Assistance Program is sponsored by AARP and the IRS. Volunteers are trained "in cooperation" with the IRS

Each taxpayer must bring:

a copy of last year's tax forms and social security card
any forms showing income you earned or pensions or social security paid
1099 forms showing interest or dividends that your investments have earned
receipts or cancelled checks for income or property taxes you have paid or any contributions you have made to charities

Recent Library Happenings

Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast
Seventy Friends of the Library, volunteers and staff members attended the recent Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast held December 2. The breakfast included a nice assortment of homemade items prepared by the staff to honor and thank both our volunteers and Friends of the Library for all of their hard work and dedication. Many favorite recipes were prepared including Julie Gedeon's coffee cake, Bridget Hair's french toast strips, Christina Getrost's sausage/apple bake, Linda Sutherland's egg strada, and many other tasty dishes.

Special recognition went to Library Board of Trustee member Ray Hall and Friends of the Library Executive Board Member Carol Flask for their successful production of the Christmas Tree Ornament Presentation.

Holiday Ornaments
Twenty-five people attended craft night on December 7 with Librarian Diana Parker and Crafter Sarah Jones. Diana and Sarah showed the group how to create unique, painted Christmas ornaments. Sarah, pictured at far right, works with several particpants.

Annual Monopoly Tournament
Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library held its fourth annual Monopoly Tournament for youth ages 10 to 16 on December 29. Winners after four rounds were: Shahbaz Minhas, age 13, first place; Tyler Wright, age 13, second place; and Jason Newberry, age 15, third place. Winners received board games as prizes.

New Titles
New titles are arriving daily at Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library. Check out the growing DVD collection, as well as books on CD. Some of the new titles this month are:

Books - Fiction: The Celestial Jukebox by Cynthia Shearer, Forgotten Destiny by Janet Tanner, Cleopatra 7.2 by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Pearl by Lauraine Snelling (large print), and Love and Honor by Randall Wallace (large print).

Books - Nonfiction: The New Normal: Great Opportunities In a Time of Great Risk by Roger McNamee with David Diamond, Bound to Please: An Extraordinary One-Volume Literary Education: Essays on Great Writers and Their Books by Michael Dirda, Stealing History: Tomb Raiders, Smugglers, and the Looting of the Ancient World by Roger Atwood, The Africa House: The True Story of an English Gentleman and His African Dream by Christina Lamb.

Books-on-CD: The 8th Habit From Effectiveness to Greatness by Stephen R. Covey and I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe.

Videos: Princess Diaries 2, Royal Engagement and Bourne Supremacy.

DVDs: Anchorman, the Legend of Ron Burgundy, I Robot, Resident Evil, and King Arthur.

Department News

Adult Services

Best Reads of 2004
The Adult Services and Teen Departments of Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library have compiled a list of favorite books read (or listened to) in 2004. Titles include fiction and non-fiction, biographies, thrillers, romance, fantasy, and more. You may pick up a list at the Adult Services Desk. A few of the favorite titles include The Time-Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Night Watch by Terry Pratchett, Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt, and Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee.

Evening Book Discussions
The evening book discussion group with Amy Garrett will be meeting the fourth Thursday of the month except in March. The March discussion will take place on the third Thursday. All discussions will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Copies of the books will be available approximately four to five weeks before the date of discussion and will be held at the Information Desk. Books may be checked out for a six-week loan period instead of the standard two-week period.

January 27: Hornet's Nest by Jimmy Carter
February 24: Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt
March 17: Rocket Boys/October Sky by Homer Hickam
April 28: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Alternates (in case we cannot get enough copies of some books) are: Rainbow's End by Bob Adamov, Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult, Hidden Power by Kati Marton, Leaving Home by Art Buckwald, and Two Souls Indivisible by James Hirsch. If you have any questions, please call Amy Garrett at 330-688-3295.

Morning Book Discussions
The morning book discussion group with Chris Caccamo meets the second Friday of the month at 10:00 a.m. from October to May. As always, sign up is not required. If you have any questions, please call Chris Caccamo at 330-688-3295.

January 14: Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Short Stories by Truman Capote
February 11: Einstein's Wife: Work and Marriage in the Lives of Five Great 20th Century Women by Andrea Gabor
March 11: Running With Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burrough
April 8: Blessings by Anna Quindlen
May 13: Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik

Computer Use
Computers for use by adult and teen patrons are in very high demand! This is a reminder that you can reserve a computer ahead of time. Just call the Information Desk at 330-688-3295 to reserve a computer for a one-hour time limit. Computers may be reserved up to one week in advance.

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 computer class schedule for February will be released Monday, January 31 at 9:00 a.m. The class calendar can be viewed at www.smfpl.org/calendar.htm. Please call 330-688-3295 if you have any questions.

Computer Volunteer
Computer volunteer Tom Labbe is available to help patrons with computer questions during the following hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:00 - 2:30.

Local History
The Local History Room is looking for "a few good people." Volunteers are needed to staff the Room on afternoons or evenings once a week. The Local History Room is a unique resource for the community, providing access to Stow's 200-year history via books, maps, news clippings, photo albums and more. Volunteers will welcome visitors and help them find information, as well as perform tasks to further organize the collection. If you are at least 18 and like to sleuth out the occasional mystery, please call Bridget Hair at 330-688-3295.

Teens

Online Book Discussion
Students ages 10 to 17 - Join our online book discusson group by going to the Online Book Discussion page at www.smfpl.org/bookdiscuss.htm. Each month a different teen or middle grade fiction book is featured. When you've read the book, stop by this page to post a comment about it, and see what other students have to say about it. You can even comment about another book you're reading. It's like having a book discussion group without having to leave your home. There is no registration necessary.

Chess Club
Tuesday, January 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Yu-Gi-Oh Club
Saturday, February 12 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Bring your cards and prepare to duel or swap for new cards. No sign up is necessary. The program is for ages 6 to 17.

For further information on Teen programs please go to the Teen Services web page at www.smfpl.org./TS.htm.

Children's

New Children's Librarian
Please welcome Children's Librarian Gloria Adams to the staff of Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library Children's Department. Gloria is the new Children's Outreach Coordinator, taking library materials to local preschools and daycare centers.

Traveling Bears
We've heard rumors that bears are coming to hang out at the library, but they won't stay long! They are anxious to travel - maybe to go on a trip with you! Watch for them coming to the Children's Department soon.

Professor E Rides Again: Science is Fun
Science Programs for students in third through sixth grades will be held on the following Saturdays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Sign up for each session individually. Space is limited. Call 330-688-3295 to register.

January 15 Density and Air
February 19 Attractions and Reactions
March 26 Polymers and Chemistry

To see a complete list of Children's programming, please go to the Children's Department web page at www.smfpl.org/CS.htm. For further information please call 330-688-3295.

Circulation
Drive-Up Window
Don't forget about the Drive-Up Window service at Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library. This is an especially helpful service during inclement weather! The drive-up window is open during regular library hours and closes 15 minutes before library closing.

Pick 5 Bestsellers Club
How would you like to automatically be placed 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!

Honorees
Arabica gift certificates have been awarded to the following patrons visiting Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library recently: Rebecca Hladik (700,000th check-out of 2004), Karen Huth (760,000th check-out), Sandy Wilson (24,000th window check-out), Nikki Marchmon-Boykin (26,000th window check-out), Emmett Snellenberger (6,000th new registration of 2004), and Monica Dunton (20th BestSellers Club member).

Cardholders have their privileges at Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library!

Art on Display

Corner Gallery
The Corner Gallery features the works of artist Nina Robishaw during the month of January. Robishaw currently teachers art at Garfield Senior High School in Akron. She has 31 years teaching experience in the visual arts (including introductory and advanced classes in painting, drawing, photography, ceramics, and crafts media such as stained glass, silver jewelry, and batik.) She holds a bachelor's degree in education and a bachelor of fine arts degree. Robishaw has participated in watercolor technique classes given by artists Cathy Welner and Jack Mulhollen. She has exhibited in the Church of Bath Art Show, Cuyahoga Valley Art Center "Summer Splash" show, the Kent Art Expo, and the Katherine Crampton Memorial Art Show at Lakeside.

Friends of the Library

The Friends, one of the largest organizations in Stow, 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. Friends membership is currently at 495 members.

If you are interested in joining Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library Friends of the Library you may call the library at 330-688-3295 for further information, or you may go to the Friends page on the library website (www.smfpl.org/friends.htm) for an online application.

Quilt on Display

Drunkard's Path is a quilt recently displayed over the Circulation Desk. The quilt was made and quilted by Gloria Wyatt-Smith. Gloria started quilting when she was 12 years old. Her mother and grandmother were also avid quilters. Her first Drunkard's Path was made from grey and brown wool her husband brought home from his job as a clothing cutter. Drunkard's Path was made in 1991 for her son while he was stationed in Germany as a medic during Desert Storm. Gloria has made many quilts and finished some her mother made. Like most quilters, many of the quilts have been given to family members.

Spotlight on Outreach

January marks the one-year anniversary of the expansion of Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library's outreach service to local senior communities. Beginning March 1, 2001 the library began taking books, recorded books, music CDS, and videos every other week to the residents of Keys Towers. In the fall of 2003, the library was approached by another local senior facility and asked if we could bring library materials to their residents. It appeared that this was an area of service we could expand to include other senior facilities. Under the direction of Outreach Librarian Vickie Evans, the program has proven to be a welcome addition to the lives of many seniors in the area.

The library currently serves twelve senior facilties in the Stow-Murnoe Falls area. Mrs. Evans and the Circulation support staff travel to seven local senior communities, including apartments, assisted living, and nursing homes. They take a collection of fiction and non-fiction books, recorded books, music tapes and CDs, magazines, best-sellers, large print books, and videos for residents to choose from. They also register people for library cards, take special requests, and answer reference questions. If a patron requests a favorite author or a favorite genre (mystery, romance, western, etc.) Mrs. Evans will provide books for those special interests. The library also provides "drop collections" to three other facilities. These collections of mainly large print books, recorded books, and videos are assembled by Mrs. Evans and delivered to the facilties for residents to use for one month (when they are collected and another collection of library materials dropped off). One other facility has a weekly pickup of videos for residents. Patrons who receive this service are very appreciative, as many of them are unable to get out because of bad weather or various health reasons. As one gentleman remarked: "It's so wonderful you are doing this...I"ll be waiting for you."

To learn more about Adult Outreach go to www.smfpl.org/outreach.htm. The Children's Department also provides Outreach to preschools and daycare centers. If you have questions about either service please call the library at 330-688-3295.

Staff Picks

January's staff pick is Shogun by James Clavell, recommended by Circulation Assistant Susan Manus. Clavell got his inspiration and story from actual historical events. Shogun follows the life of a British sea captain (Blackthorne) who lands in the islands and is forced to learn Japanese culture, politics, and laws. He also becomes involved in the political intrigues of two of the most powerful leaders in Japan. Although this book contains many different characters (all with foreign names), Susan states that by page 100 she could not put the book down! Clavell draws the reader in and puts the reader in the same predicament as Blackthorn/Angin-san.

Website of the Month

January's website is Ohio News Network at www.onnnews.com. Devoted to news from and about Ohio, this website allows you to select an area of the state (such as northeast Ohio) or view news from around the state. Read about Ohio politics, weather, sports, business, and more. Look for recipes and household tips. Click the "Discover Ohio" link to find fun and educational places for family outings. This site is a great resource for current Ohio information.

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