Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Celebrate the birthdate of one of the most popular children's book authors ever on March 2--Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Theodore Seuss Geisel was born on this date in 1904. Also visit seussville.com for some great Seuss related activities to celebrate the day.

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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.

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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.

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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/.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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!

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Melvin Public Library News
03/22/2007

The public support of the Show Your Love for the Library fundraising campaign has been outstanding! So far the library has received donations from over 45 individuals and families, many from the local area and several from more distant locations.

Recent donations have been received from Mike & Linda Moody, Ken & Susan Lee, Theresa Lange of Bloomington, Gayle Ford of Paxton, and the Mike & Donna Kendrick Family. Jill Howk Gengler of Champaign has made a donation in memory of her mother, Amy Howk, who always appreciated having a library in town.

New DVDs have arrived at the library and include the titles Are We There Yet?, Barnyard, Christmas with the Kranks, I Heart the Huckabees, Lucky Number Sleven, Miami Vice, Spiderman 2, Sugar Creek Gang, Underworld, Uptown Girls, Walk the Line, Wedding Crashers, We Were the Mulvaneys, The Wild and You, Me and Dupree.

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Melvin Public Library News

03/15/2007

Donations for the Show Your Love for the Library fundraising campaign continue to arrive each week. Our sincere thanks to the great friends whose support of the library will enrich the lives of all area residents! Recent donors are Evelyn Beck, Ken Thackeray, Sharon Forbes, Teresa Freehill, Florence Knittles, Rick & Lois Arends of Loda, and Carolyn Eberhard of Sierra Madre, California.

The Melvin-Sibley Class of 1964 has made a donation to the library in memory of George Junior Brown, father of Carolyn Brown Lang, a member of that class.

New books at the library include Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama, Sisters by Danielle Steel, Partner in Crime by J.A. Jance, Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky, White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz, Ever After by Karen Kingsbury, The Chocolate Cat Caper by JoAnna Carl and The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.

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Melvin Public Library News
03/08/2007

Thanks to all the Friends of the Library who have responded to the Show Your Love for the Library fundraising campaign! Each week new donations are received by mail and in person, and even in the book return! Recent donors include Jayne Sinn, Norm & Lola Siems, June Arnold, Jim & Brenda Shearl, Arnold & Nancy Brucker, Bill & Helen Curtis, Jim & Lynn Duke; Carl, Beth & Austin Hornstein, and Darrell & Sherrill Dunahee.

Raymond & Margaret Freehill Buening of Indiana have made a donation in memory of Ambrose & Evelyn Freehill; and Rev. Gerald & Lois Weber Peterson have sent a donation along with a note from Lois expressing fond memories of her youth, reading at the Melvin Library when Miss Lamroeux was the librarian.

Thanks also to Nancy Brucker for donating the 2-DVD set of The DaVinci Code. This interesting movie, starring Tom Hanks, was based on the Dan Brown bestselling novel of the same name.

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Melvin Public Library News
03/01/2007

The response to the library’s Show Your Love for the Library fundraising drive has been fantastic! Very generous donations continue to arrive by mail and in person each day and recent donors are Lottie Reaves, Victoria Beck, Diane Doyle, Mabel Netherton, Glen Netherton, Delmar & Janice Ehmen, Ray & Gloria Brinkman, Denise Grady, Bruce & Eleanor Carter, Dolores Clauss, Tamie Jo Porch, Gary & Judy Hansen and Deb Trautman.

All Melvin mailing addresses should have received a pink postcard invitation to participate in the Show Your Love for the Library fundraising drive. If you did not receive a card and would like to participate, phone 388-2421 for more information.

Thanks to Pat Gramley for donating several bags of great mystery books by authors like Patricia Cornwell, Anne Perry, J.A. Jance, Nancy Atherton, Marcia Muller and Sue Grafton; they will be processed and added to the collection soon!