Dec 28, 2009

Donations

Thanks to Erica Nugent and Kari Ryan and Family for donating a large number of books and videos to the library. Thanks also to Kayla Trowbridge and Marla Provin for donating books to the library. All donations are greatly appreciated!

Dec 21, 2009

Holiday Hours

The library will be closed Friday, December 25, Saturday, December 26, 2009 and Friday, January 1, 2010 in celebration of the Holiday Season.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your friends at Melvin Public Library!

Employment Opportunities

Temporary part-time jobs are available working with the United States Census 2010 and all the information you need to explore these employment opportunities can be found at your local library.

The Champaign Co. census office has provided us with brochures describing the positions available, such as Census Clerk, Census Taker, or Crew Leader; as well as detailed descriptions of the information you will need for the application.

The census job website is http://www.2010censusjobs/. gov and the contact numbers are 217-239-4408 or toll-free 1-866-861-2010.

Dec 15, 2009

Free Gloves at the Library

The Mitten Tree is up and we hope all the neighborhood children will stop by the library and pick themselves out a warm pair of gloves with Merry Christmas wishes from the library! School will soon be out for winter break and we want you to keep your hands warm as you play outside and enjoy your vacation.

Dec 8, 2009

With snow, sleet and ice in the forecast it's a good time to remind folks that the library may close early or remain closed during severe winter weather. Please phone first and make sure we are open, 388-2421. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and remind the public that there are no late fees charged on these days :)

Dec 4, 2009

Holiday Books at the Library

We have many new holiday books for you to enjoy thanks to Diane Doyle, a regular book donor and true Friend of the Library. Try An Amish Christmas: December in Lancaster County by Beth Wiseman and others, White Christmas Pie by Wanda Brunstetter, or Shadows of Lancaster County by Mindy Starns Clark.

Other holiday titles include Patchwork Christmas by Renee DeMarco, Simply Christmas by Pamela Dowd, Patchwork Holiday by Wanda Brunstetter, The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans, The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck and The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber.

Nov 24, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!


The library will be closed on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26 but will observe regular hours the rest of the week. We wish a Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Notes from the Library

Thanks to everyone who visited the library to help celebrate Children's Book Week. We gave away 115 items to visitors during our popular book giveaway.

A new book recently added to the collection is an unusual contribution from prolific author James Patterson, The Murder of King Tut, also billed as "The Plot to Kill the Child King--A Nonfiction Thriller. It should appeal to all fans of a fast-reading mystery as well as history lovers.

Nov 16, 2009

Children's Book Week Celebrated!

Melvin Public Library is celebrating Children's Book Week from November 15-21, 2009 and Family Reading Night falls on Thursday, November 19.

It's a great time to celebrate books and reading so turn off the tv and read together as a family! Share a favorite story or read a book together. Make a book related craft like a book mark or book cover. Have fun as you help your children increase their vocabulary, creativity and attention span.

The library always holds a book giveaway this week so stop by the library and help yourself to free books!

Nov 10, 2009

Memorial Books and Donations

Esther Ficken has donated two books to the library in memory of Mike Moody. The first is The Christmas List, the latest release from popular author Richard Paul Evans and the second is the Guinness World Reconds 2010: The Book of the Decade.

The library has also received material donations from Leon and Brenda Henry, Lindsay Meyer and Linda Moody and we thank everyone for their donations!

Nov 3, 2009

New Books in Library

New books at the library include Danielle Steel's latest, Southern Lights, which looks to be a good story! Other new books include The Steel Wave by Jeff Shaara, The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss, Blood Game by Iris Johansen and the second book in the Nora Roberts' Bride Quartet series, Bed of Roses.

Oct 27, 2009

New Dan Brown Novel

Yes, the library has the new Dan Brown novel, The Lost Symbol. The author of the incredibly popular book The Da Vinci Code has crafted a follow up mystery featuring the same main character, symbologist Robert Langdon.

This thrilling sequel is set in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. and Langdon must solve a puzzle to save his kidnapped friend. With twists and turns; secrets, symbols and codes; this story proves to be as interesting as The Da Vinci Code and a motion picture based on the novel is also in the works.

True fans and those wanting to learn more should go to the author's official website danbrown.com.

Donations to the Library

Thanks to the folks who have recently donated to the library! We have received book donations from area residents Diane Doyle and Joe Larkin and also from out-of-towners Steve & Jan Bangert and Celeste Honn. We appreciate all such donations and thank these Friends for their support!

We have also received a cash donation from Don & Lisa, folks from Southern California who were in the area and library doing genealogy research. They chose to make a donation after spending a few hours looking through the historical books in the library's collection and enjoying the library's ambience.

Oct 26, 2009

Rainy Weather Returns

Good weather didn't last long and we are back to cloudy skies and drizzly days. Farmers are again waiting for the weather to break and harvest to be completed. Many of us remember years gone by when fall weather wasn't cooperative and harvest ran into November, December or even January!

If weather is a subject that interests you or your children check out the library's collection of books on weather. Try The Nature Company Guide to Weather, Savage Earth, El Nino: Stormy Weather for People and Wildlife, Hurricanes & Tornadoes or the Eye Wonder book of Weather.

Oct 20, 2009

Harvest Progresses--Finally!

The library is located by the grain elevator and has a good view of the trucks and tractors and wagons as they haul grain in from the fields each fall. This year it's been pretty quiet until the last few days as the farmers finally have a break from the rainy weather and harvest is now proceeding at a rapid pace!

There was once a time when the majority of children were raised on a farm and were intimately familiar with farm life but that day is past and gone. Nowadays children are fascinated with the big machinery associated with farming and farm life and the library has many good books to satisfy their curiosity.

Check out Vintage Farm Tractors or the Eyewitness book Farm. Also available is the Picture Library book Farm Machinery or the book by Champaign-Urbana author Raymond Bial titled Portrait of a Farm Family which features The Steidinger family of the Fairbury area.

Oct 12, 2009

Pageturners Meet Tonight

The library is open today to accomodate kids who have the day off from school as well as others who may have a day off for Columbus Day. We are here to serve you!

The Pageturners Book Club is also holding it's monthly meeting this evening at 7:00 p.m. at the library. The book for discussion is The Longest Trip Home by John Grogan who also wrote the popular book Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog which the Pageturners read last year.

The group meets on the second Monday of each month and members get together to discuss a book they have all read. The group chooses its own selections and copies of the books are available free to check out at the library. New members are always welcome.


Oct 9, 2009

Many good quotes regarding books and reading abound like "Those who read, succeed" and "A house without books is like a room without windows," but we have just discovered a new quote:

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend, inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." Groucho Marx

Oct 5, 2009

New Books in Collection

The library has recently added several new books by popular authors including Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson, Smash Cut by Sandra Brown, The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, Black Hills by Nora Roberts and Wicked Prey by John Sandford.

Gentle reads or Christian fiction books include Bachelor's Puzzle and Sister's Choice by Judith Pella, Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin, Kidnapped by Dee Henderson and Stealing Home by Allison Pittman.

Also new is the 2010 edition of the Guinness World Records. The library has many of volumes of this popular book series.

Sep 30, 2009

Library Receives Book Donation

Thanks to John and Anne Freehill Zick for making a very large book donation to the library! These former area residents live a ways to the north but have often taken the time to bring books to the Melvin Library when they are in this area.

The library welcomes book and other material donations so if you are sorting through your own collection and find the shelves are a little too full, we would be happy to have the surplus. Some donated books are added to the collection and some are placed in our book sale and the proceeds from the sale is used to purchase new books.

Sep 22, 2009

Raffle Winners Announced

Congratulations to the winners of the Melvin Public Library fundraising raffle!

First prize winner of a Weber Q gas grill donated by Hicksgas of Roberts is Al Hethke. Winner of the second prize of $75 cash donated by Linda Moody in celebration of the library's 75th anniversary is Tymothe Willis.

The third prize of a $50 Tastefully Simple gift certificate donated by Judy Schall was won by Deb Rexroat and the fourth prize of a $25 MaryKay gift certificate donated by Rhonda Hornstein was won by Ron Courtright.

The library thanks these donors for making the raffle possible and thanks to everyone who bought tickets in support of the library's fundraiser!

Sep 15, 2009

Book Donations to the Library

Thanks to Kayla Dunahee, Class of 2010, for donating many books to the library including the latest high school yearbook, The GCMS Falconer 2008-2009. This edition joins the library's nearly complete collection of yearbooks for Melvin, Melvin-Sibley and Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley that begins with the 1935 M.C.H.S. Mirror.

Thanks also to Diane Dawson and the Swearingen Family for donating the 1944 yearbook edition that belonged to Frances and Lucille. This fills one of two holes in the collection and we are now missing only the 1942 M.C.H.S. Mirror. If anyone should have a copy to donate the library would be most grateful to receive it.

The library has also recently received a second book donation from Steve and Jan Bangert and we thank them once again for their donation.

Sep 14, 2009

Pageturners Meet September 14

The Pageturners book discussion group meets this evening, September 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the library. This month's selection is Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Food Critic in Disguise.

The club meets monthly to discuss a book they have chosen to read. Meetings are always open to the public and newcomers are welcome. You don't have to "join" anything formally, you can read a particular book if it appeals to you and just attend that meeting to join in the discussion. Meetings run about an hour and titles are available free through the library's interlibrary loan program.

Quilts on Display at Library

Thanks to Harold and Sharon Forbes the library is fortunate to have the village of Melvin and the Ford County quilts on display. In celebration of the county's sesquicentennial, each village in the county created a quilt and also a quilt block that represented some bit of local history and the blocks were then combined to create the Ford County quilt.

The Mevin village quilt is named Melvin Starshine 2009 and was designed and quilted by Sharon Forbes with the help of Harold Forbes who photographed and printed photo blocks of points of interest around town that are featured on the quilt. Also helping to piece and stitch the quilt were Marilyn Gudenrath, Jane Froidcoeur, Jayne Sinn and JoAnn Althouse.

Make it a point to visit the library in September and view these beautiful works of art created by local artisans.

Sep 8, 2009

Summer Reading Winners Announced

Congratulations to the winners of the Summer Reading Challenge! In first place is Erika Painter who read a total of 43 books and in second place is Lindsey Meyer with a total of 31 books. Each of these super summer readers wins a special prize, a back pack to carry their books!

The Summer Reading Challenge ran from early June until mid-August and the library had 34 youngsters participate. The children read and recorded a total of 222 books and 66 prizes were awarded to the readers. Good job kids!

Sep 1, 2009

Check It Out

There are many new books at the library to enjoy as summer slips into fall. As the nights get cooler and the days get shorter try one of the following new titles: Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich, Matters of the Heart by Danielle Steel, Swimsuit by James Patterson or KnockOut by Catherine Coulter.

Also new is the second book in a series by Karen Kingsbury called Take Two and three titles in the Brides of Gallatin County series by Tracie Peterson, A Promise to Believe In, A Love to Last Forever and A Dream to Call My Own.

For fans of the wildly popular Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, try The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith; titles include The Awakening, The Struggle, The Fury and Dark Reunion.

Aug 25, 2009

Sesquicentennial Event at Melvin a Success

There was a great turnout for the two day Sesquicentennial/Meet Melvin Celebration held on August 22nd and 23rd. Thanks to everyone who donated material and time, helped with displays and events and supported local organizations including the Melvin Women's Club, the Melvin Fire Department and the Melvin Public Library at the two fundraising dinners.

The historic material displayed at Community Hall was of great interest and included information on the founding of the village and township, local schools and businesses, the 1971 Melvin Centennial Celebration and local figures from Melvin's past. We were fortunate to have the Ford County quilt on display along with the Melvin quilt and Ford County Sesquicentennial souvenirs were available for purchase.

This 150th birthday has been celebrated throughout the year at several Ford County communities. From Elliot to Piper City; Sibley, Roberts, Paxton and Gibson City; Melvin's celebration is the last scheduled event in a historic year for Ford County.

Aug 21, 2009

Melvin Celebrates County's 150th Birthday


Residents of the village of Melvin and the surrounding area will be celebrating Ford County's Sesquicentennial this weekend on Main Street and at the Melvin Community Hall. Come and join the celebration and take part in the events to be held on Saturday, August 22 and Sunday, August 23, 2009.

Saturday's events include a pork chop dinner prepared by the Melvin Fire Department and the Melvin Women's Club and served from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. Following will by a viewing of the 1971 Melvin Centennial Film and other historic pictures and then an ice cream social. The evening wraps up with a dance to One 2 Many at Bubba's Tap from 8:30 until 12:30 p.m.

From 3:00 until 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, various events will be held at the Community Hall including a free throw contest, a jump rope contest and other children's games, a cake walk, toilet races (it's hard to explain...), and a BBQ and hot dog lunch to be served from 4:00 until 6:30 p.m. by Friends of the Melvin Public Library. All of this is to be followed with free bingo until the evening ends.

Aug 11, 2009

Pageturner Program at Paxton Library

The Melvin Public Library book club The Pageturners met Monday, August 10, 2009 at the Paxton Carnegie Library to discuss the book Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Iowa Librarian Vicki Myron.

Max, the library cat who has resided at the Paxton Library for many years, joined the group and deemed it a purrfectly lovely evening.

Thanks to Paxton Library Director Anne Newman for hosting the group, preparing an interesting display of information about library cats and Max in particular, and for sharing stories about Max's years in the library.

Jul 31, 2009

Check It Out

The Summer Reading Challenge continues at the library and children K-8 grade can enroll and participate for several more weeks. Youngsters are encouraged to read three or more books at or near their reading level, record the books in the reading logs provided at the library, and then choose a prize as their reward!

More new youth books have been added to the collection including Phineas and Ferb: Wild Surprise and Thrill-o-rama, Best Friends, Fireflies, Baby Elephant, Cheetah Cubs, Emperor Penguins, Baby Panda, Officer Spence Makes No Sense, Coach Hyatt is a Riot, Mr. Granite is From Another Planet, Mr. Sunny is Funny and The Boys' Book of Survival.

These books and prizes for the Summer Reading Challenge were purchased with funds from the Michael Moody Memorial donations and we thank the family for making this possible.

Jul 21, 2009

Pageturners' News

The Pageturners' book club met Monday, July 20th at the library and had a good turnout for the Diane Ackerman book The Zookeeper's Wife.

The group has a delightful program set for the August 10 meeting; the book for discussion is Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Spencer, Iowa librarian Vicki Myron and the meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Paxton Carnegie Library located at 245 South Market Street.

Why hold the meeting there? Because Paxton Library is one of hundreds of libraries across the nation that has a resident library cat! Max the cat is featured at the library's website http://www.paxtonlibrary.com/photo_gallery/photo_gallery.htm.

We will have several copies of the Dewey book available and newcomers are always welcome so call the library at 388-2421 to reserve a copy in your name.

Jul 14, 2009

Thank You for Your Donation

Thanks go to Jimmy & Karen Moore for their donation to the library in memory of Inez Copas.

Jul 10, 2009

Pageturners

A reminder for the Pageturners book club that the July meeting has been moved back one week and will be held the thrird Monday, July 20, at 7:00 p.m. at the library. The book for discussion is The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman and copies may be obtained at the library.

Check It Out

Melvin Public Library News
7/09/09

The Summer Reading Challenge for children Kindergarten through eighth grade continues at the library and youngsters may enroll in this free program at any time.

Participants are challenged to read three or more library books at or near their reading level, record the titles in their reading logs and then may choose a prize. They may win one prize a week throughout the summer.

Several new children's books have been added to the collection so kids will have lots of books to choose from! Some of the new titles include Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf, Babe Ruth and the Ice Cream Mess, They Came From Center Field, T-Ball Trouble, The End Zone, Lily's Lucky Leotard, Mackenzie Blue, Quick Draw: Cats and Dogs, Lawn Boy and Skippyjon Jones.

These new books and the prizes for the Summer Reading Challenge were purchased with funds from the Michael Moody Memorial donations and the books include bookplates in his memory.

Jun 17, 2009

Melvin Public Library Thanks Donors

We extend our thanks and appreciation to Mike and Linda Moody and Family for choosing the library as a memorial option for donations in Mike’s memory.

Our thanks to all the many donors including Sandra Burton, John & Jane Super, Don & Cheryl Kurtenbach, Don & Joy Ahearn, Roger Arends, Norman & Judy Schall, Alora Ford, Gene & Ann Stevens, Jay & Robin Meurer, Gary & Judy Hansen, Wilbert & Cecelia Lee, Bob & Margy Shambrook, Dan Schmidt, Gwen Lindholm, David & Evelyn Patton, Don & Janey Hansen, Bud & Marilyn Hamilton, Paul & Pat Reitz, Jimmy & Karen Moore, Ron & Rose Ann Moore and Carolyn Case.

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Melvin Public Library News
6/18/2009

Our thanks to the Ford County Press and staff members Jean Thackeray, Alan Thackeray and Pat Gramley who have been great Friends of the Library over the years. You can continue to follow library news at http://melvinpubliclibrary.blogspot.com/.

The library has been microfilming the Ford County Press for many years and will continue through the last issue. We have a microfilm reader available and the microfilm begins with the 1897 issues of what was then titled The Melvin Transcript.

Congratulations to Gabby Steger and Sasha Thompson, the first two young people to enroll in the Summer Reading Challenge and win prizes for reading books. The program runs throughout the summer and children can enroll and participate at anytime.

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Melvin Public Library News
6/11/2009

Thanks to Linda Moody and Sandy Moody Burton who brought refreshments to the Pageturners book club meeting Monday night as they delivered memorials to the library in memory of Mike Moody. And thanks to all the many Friends of the Library who made donations.

The Summer Reading Program for children K-8th grade begins this week so bring or send the kids in to sign up, read books and win prizes! Children will be allowed to choose their own prizes and may earn a prize each week from June 10 through mid-August.

New books at the library include Rebecca’s Promise and Rebecca’s Return by Jerry Eicher, St. Patrick’s Day Murder by Leslie Meier, The 8th Confession by James Patterson and Mr. and Miss Anonymous and Under the Radar by Fern Michaels.

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Melvin Public Library News
6/04/09

Thanks to Norm Siems for making a donation to our recent fundraiser. And thanks to Dolores Clauss who had donated previously and our apologies for overlooking your name. All the generous donations of time, food and money made this an extremely successful event!

The new large print book collection has arrived and contains 71 different titles by authors like Max Brand, Sandra Brown, Mary Higgins Clark, Jonathan Kellerman, Elizabeth Lowell, Jodi Picoult and John Updike.

The Summer Reading Program for school age children K through eighth grade begins in early June and we hope lots of youngsters will take advantage of the program to help keep reading skills sharp during summer vacation.

Our thanks to the Ford County Press and staff members Jean, Alan and Pat who have been great Friends of the Library. Having a local print forum to promote library events will be missed but you can continue to follow library news at http://melvinpubliclibrary.blogspot.com/.

May 27, 2009

Check It Out


Melvin Public Library News
5/21/09

Thanks to Gloria Brinkman for making a donation to our recent fundraiser. Between all the generous cash and food donations and the hard work of the volunteers the library raised over $660 at the Paxton IGA cookout and bake sale in early May.

New books at the library are The Secret by Beverly Lewis, Hannah by Jerry Eicher, Prairie County Fair by Freda Chrisman, Maryland by Loree Lough, Maine by Carol Mason Parker and Montana Skies by Ann Bell.

A new collection of large print books, 65-70 different titles, will arrive in the library this week and be available to the public for the next two months.

The children’s Summer Reading Program will begin early in June. This year we hope to top last year’s numbers when a total of 26 children read over 179 books and won prizes for their efforts.

Check It Out


Melvin Public Library News
5/14/09

Thanks to Jamie Brown, Karri Ryan, Shannon Pabian, Jean Thackeray and Joe Larkin for donating books to the library and to Sherrill Dunahee for making a donation to our recent fundraiser.

Congratulations to Dane Wheeler, 3-month-old son of Bryen and Arla Wheeler. Dane is the newest recipient of the library’s Books for Babies program in which youngsters under the age of one are gifted books to promote the beginning of a life-long relationship with the library.

Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto by popular talk radio host Mark Levine has been added to the collection as a memorial book for Joy Thompson.

Other new books at the library are The 8th Confession by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, Deadlock by Iris Johansen, Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux, Under the Radar by Fern Michaels and Vision in White, which is Book One in the Bride Quartet series by Nora Roberts.

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Melvin Public Library News
5/07/09

The May 2nd fundraiser at the Paxton IGA was a great success thanks to all these Friends of the Library!

Those who contributed to the bake sale or made cash donations are Roger Arends, Donna Kendrick, Pat Denault, Jean Watterson, Judy Ficken Engelstad, Tori Breeden, JoAnn Althouse, Ed Eagleson, Donna Courtright, Janice Ehmen, Linda Moody, Cheryl Kurtenbach, Pat Donovan, Kay Swearingen, Lynn Duke, Diane Dawson and Judy Schall.

Those who helped by working that day are Pat Donovan, Amy Rohrer, Jim and Lynn Duke, Faith Duke, Diane Dawson, Ed Hinthorn, Charlie Orcutt, and Ron and Donna Courtright.

We are so fortunate in this community to have such great Friends and we thank each of you for your contribution. Thanks also to everyone who came out and enjoyed a delicious meal in support of the library!

Apr 28, 2009

Support Melvin Library at May 2 Fundraiser

Melvin Public Library is having a fundraising cookout at the Paxton IGA on Saturday, May 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please come out and support the library and enjoy a delicious meal!

We will also hold a bake sale that day and are seeking donations of baked goods. Pies, cakes, cookies, muffins, breads and other treats would be most welcome! You may deliver goodies to the library Friday afternoon from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. or to Cheryl Kurtenbach at 321 N. Crossley after 5:00 on Friday evening or Saturday morning before 9:00 a.m. We thank you for your support!

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Melvin Public Library News
4/23/09

The library has received a donation in honor of Esther Ficken from Cindy Hewitt and the Melvin Convenient Store. Thanks go to Shannon Pabian, Lorie Ford and Virgil Rueck for donating books to the library.

New books at the library include the just released Mary Higgins Clark novel Just Take My Heart, also The Lost Quilter by Jennifer Chiaverini, Take One, the first book in a new series by Karen Kingsbury, and two Amish novels by Shelley Shepard Gray; Hidden and Wanted.

Other new books are Unwrapping Christmas by Lori Copeland, Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler, and Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik. There is also a new culinary mystery (it includes recipes!) by Diane Mott Davidson titled Fatally Flaky.

We gave away 114 free books during National Library Week and we still have free magnets to give away so stop and visit the library soon!

Apr 17, 2009


Check It Out


Melvin Public Library News
4/16/09

National Library Week, April 12-18, 2009, continues through Saturday at the library. We are holding the popular free book giveaway and have gifts to hand out to thank you for your patronage over the years.

In honor of the library’s 75th anniversary, library trustee Judy Schall has designed and donated an array of library magnets for the public to choose from. We are also giving away free books and other items from our book sale area each day so stop and visit the library this week and join our celebration!

Thanks go to Esther Ficken who has donated two books to the library in memory of Joy Thompson. Feisty First Ladies & Other Unforgettable White House Women by Autumn Stephens and 100 Easy-To-Grow Native Plants for American Gardens in Temperate Zones are now available for circulation.

Esther Ficken Week at Melvin Public Library

Esther Ficken Week, April 5-11, 2009, continues through Saturday at the library. Esther was a member of the Melvin Junior Woman’s Club that originally founded the library, one of the first Library Board of Trustee members and has been a lifelong supporter of the library.

In Esther’s honor, the Vicki Myron book Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World has been added to the collection. Dewey (full name Dewey Readmore Books) is the delightful story of how an abandoned kitten brought a rural Iowa community together.

National Library Week, April 12-18, begins next week and we have gifts for the public to say thanks for your patronage these first 75 years. We also have book displays and a free book giveaway so stop by and visit the library soon!

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Melvin Public Library News
4/02/09

To honor one of the library’s founders in this, the library’s 75th Anniversary year, April 5-11, 2009 has been declared Esther Ficken Week at Melvin Public Library!

A group of dedicated young women known as The Melvin Junior Woman’s Club founded the library in 1934 as a way to do something good for their community during the tough economic times of the Great Depression. One of the enthusiastic members of that club was Esther Ficken.

Esther was also one of the original members of the Melvin Public Library Board of Trustees when the village library later became a township library and she served for many years as a library trustee.
Esther is still an active patron of the library, a great promoter of books and reading, and also a member of the library’s book club The Pageturners.

For more information on the founding of the library read the history of the Melvin Public Library which is included in this issue of the newspaper.

Mar 31, 2009


Melvin Library Celebrates Anniversary


Founded in 1934, Melvin Public Library is celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2009. The library primarily serves the residents of the village of Melvin and town of Peach Orchard and is a member of the Lincoln Trail Libraries System.

The library's collection numbers over 10000 items and includes adult books, children's books, large print books, audio books, magazines, videocassettes, DVDs, reference and genealogy material, and microfilm.

The library offers many services including public Internet access, computer and printer, fax machine, copy machine, TV/VCR, tax forms, student financial aid forms, and adult and children's programs.

The library is open Monday through Wednesday from noon to 6:00 p.m., Friday from noon to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The library's book discussion group The Pageturners meet the second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the library and new members are always welcome!

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Melvin Public Library News
3/26/09

Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell is a wonderful children’s book that teaches about manners and morals. The book has been donated by Francis and Ardelle Walle in memory of Stella May Harper, mother of Judy Schall.

Thanks to Ray Arends for making several donations to the library and to Kayla Dunahee for donating a large number of books.

A new collection of large print books has arrived and will remain in the library for the next two months. Authors include Donna Andrews, Max Brand, Jill Churchill, Jackie Collins, Jennifer Crusie, Barbara Delinsky, Nicholas Evans, Dorothea Benton Frank, Elizabeth Lowell, Ed McBain, Linda Lael Miller, Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel.

The library is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and we have surprises in store for the public that will be announced in the next few weeks, stay tuned!

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Melvin Public Library News
3/19/09

Thanks to Diane Doyle and Denise Grady for donating a large number of books to the library. Material donations are always welcome so if you are weeding out your movie collection or spring-cleaning the bookshelves, consider the library for your surplus!

New books at the library include One Day at a Time by Danielle Steel, Eclipse by Richard North Patterson, Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult, While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky, When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin, and Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz.

The library is partnering with the Cooperative Extension service during their program planning process and has surveys for the public to fill out to give the CE office ideas about the public’s information and education needs. There are print copies available at the library or surveys may be completed online through the CE website.

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Melvin Public Library News
3/12/09

The library has received a donation from Vicky Coffin for two cookbooks in memory of Stella May Harper, mother to Judy Schall. Added to the collection are The Ultimate Soup Cookbook by Reader’s Digest and Martha Stewart’s Cookies and both books are filled with delectable recipes and marvelous pictures.

We are filling up the new library shelves with books and want to thank everyone involved with this project. Thanks to Harold Forbes and Tom Johnson for donating their time and skill in building the shelves and to Kirchner Lumber of Paxton for donating lumber.

Thanks also to Milly Aponte and Sheila Hinthorn for helping to paint shelves and to all the wonderful volunteers who offered to help paint. Last but not least, many thanks to the Melvin Public Library Board of Trustees for making this project possible!

Mar 13, 2009

Melvin Public Library History

The library began as a project of the Melvin Junior Woman’s Club in 1934. It was during the Great Depression and the members were looking for a way to provide entertainment and recreation for community residents because in their words “no one had much money and very few ever got out of town.”

Club members collected and donated books and the library began with about 50 volumes on a shelf in Ben Kaufman’s grocery store on Main Street where the Post Office is now located. When Mr. Kaufman died his store was sold and Bill Holmes, who had a grocery store next door where the Evergreen Cafe was later located, provided shelf space.

In 1939 a WPA (Work Projects Administration) government program worked with the group to form, as they put it, “a real library.” The village board gave the group the northeast room in the town hall and the WPA helped secure books on loan from the State Library in Springfield and employed the first librarian, Miss Gertrude Lamoreaux. With about 1400 books on the shelves, Melvin Public Library was open for business.

The WPA project ended in 1942, and the first Library Board of Trustees was elected in 1943. Members were Dorothy Freehill, Glyde Dietterle, Rev. Turner, Walter Iehl, Esther Ficken and Adelaide Dixon. The board then held a referendum to become a township library and it passed overwhelmingly. New shelves were built, new books were added and the library began to grow.

When more space was needed the village board offered the northwest room in town hall that was formerly used as a jail, the wall was removed, and this became the children’s library. In 1965 another room was partitioned off from the back of the building and a rest room and air conditioning were also added to the library.

In 1967 when Illinois libraries were organized into groups, the library became a member of The Lincoln Trail Libraries System, headquartered in Champaign.

Improvements to the library in the last several years include painting and redecorating, adding a new circulation desk and book return, landscaping the building, adding computers and Internet access, adding copy and fax machines, adding new programs and services, building new shelves and expanding and updating the collection.

In 1998 a group of local readers met and formed a library book discussion group and the Pageturners have now been meeting together monthly for over 10 years and have read and discussed over 100 books.

Founded in 1934, the library is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2009 and continues to provide material and services to residents in the village of Melvin and Peach Orchard Township as well as people from neighboring communities.