Oh my gosh -- look how long it's been since the last post!

I'm sorry about that -- anyone who had been following our blog has probably gotten bored and wandered away weeks ago......

However, this does give me lots to talk about. :)

We've been busy with the "Little Friends" calendar -- the 2010 Calendar put out by the Friends of the Library as our major fund-raiser for this year. It's full of terribly cute pictures of children from right here in Minden, and it's only $12.95 which includes the sales tax. Stop by the library and check it out!

This was a huge project for us, but we had so much help, it was easier than I thought it would be. Everyone was very generous, including the advertisers, who made it possible for us to afford the printing costs.  We'll have a complete list of them here later.  Susan Fries donated her time (and pictures) to us and we thank her very much for that.  Ellen Burchell did the picture layouts and they look fabulous!  Fifth Street Printing did their usual excellent work.  And to the Friends members who scurried around doing all the necessary tasks and errands as they came up -- thank you so much!

The Raffle went off without a hitch!  We are so pleased with the support from the community -- not only from the businesses that donated the great prizes, but from everyone who bought tickets.  The winners were Reina Hernandez, Kim Mellman, and Mary Lutkemeier.  I think we should do it again next year!

We had a movie night last weekend which was very well attended; we're still learning how to run the silly popcorn maker, so we were late with the popcorn AGAIN.  Urgh.  We'll get it in time the next time --  which is Dec. 6.  We didn't remember when we chose that date that there would be a conflict with the Pageant; so we'll be starting the movie earlier, at 3:00. 

Night at the Museum 2!

It should be a good one -- don't miss it!

It's Fall!

October 18th thru the 24th is National Friends of the Library Week.

We are running a dual membership-drive/raffle that will conclude with a drawing for the raffle prizes Friday, October 23.

If you are already a Friend, drop in and buy some tickets @ $1 apiece;

If you're not yet a Friend, you can become one with a donation of as little as $5, and we'll give you the 5 raffle tickets free! (You can buy more tickets if you'd like.)

The prizes are really cool ~ Joy's Floral has donated a Halloween gift basket full of terrific stuff; the Minden Opera House has donated a gift certificate for two tickets to the Jim Salestrom

Concert in November; and Burchell's White Hill Farmhouse Inn has donated a gift certificate for Dinner for Two.

I'm so sad I can't win.....I love that black cat in the gift basket.......

We've picked out the movie for October ~

This should be a good spooky movie for Halloween (but not TOO scary).

It's rated PG ~ a movie from the director of The Nightmare before Christmas.

Oct. 18th at 6:30 at the Library.

Bring your own chair, the popcorn is free, the soda is .50/can. See you then!

TIME FOR.....

Another movie party!! Yay!!


We're hoping to be able to show a movie once a month. It's tough to find something new that's PG.....but we found something this month, and we think we have the movie for October. So maybe after that, something else will show up.......

This month, we're showing a film based on a very popular series of books by Alexander McCall Smith, the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.

This looks like so much fun! I hope I get to watch the movie this time instead of sitting with the popcorn popper making popcorn!

We want to think Susan Fries for spending a couple of days last week entertaining and then taking photos of the kids. And thanks to all the parents who participated ~ the calendars are going to look great, and it's because of your terrific kids!

It will be a couple of months before the calendars are ready ~ we'll let you know!

Don't Forget!

This Thursday and the succeeding Saturday are the days to bring your child to the library to get his/her picture taken. Write it on your hand!

The flowers in the pots at each door of the library are beautiful -- thanks to Loni and Pam for taking such good care of them. I took some pictures of them last week during the rain.....

Click HERE for the big version!

Do you have a cute kid?

You do!!

The Friends of Jensen Memorial Library would love to have your child's picture on our calendar. We're sponsoring a photo shoot this month, to get the pictures for our 2010 calendar,

SO

if your cutie pie is age 4 or less, we'd love to have them come!

Susan Fries, a local photographer who takes great pictures, will be at the library Sept 17, 7:00 to 9:00 PM, and Sept. 19, 1:00 to 4:00 PM.
There is no charge for attending. There will be inexpensive discs with all the photos Susan takes of your child available for order, from which you can make as many copies as you like.



Maybe your sweetie will be Miss May!


Ask the ladies behind the counter at the library for the details; and sign up for your time slot (so we know approximately how many people will be attending).

We hope to see you and your mini-mes there!

The movie party was a success!

At least everyone seemed to have a good time. Let us know if there are other movies you'd like to see. And next time we'll try to have the popcorn popped by the time the movie starts!

We'd like to call your attention to a couple of things right here at the Friends blog -- over in the left hand column, under the daisy.....is a section for links. At this point there's a link to the Jensen Memorial Library website, and a link to the Library's "What's New?" blog. (There may be others later.)

The website is not "done", but it's begun, and you can check back from time to time to see the progress that's being made; there is a calendar of upcoming events you may want to check out! The blog is a good way to keep up on new things and events, and you can add it to your feed reader to get alerts in your inbox!

Another new item is the "Search" field. This works! It's not that hard to find a specific post here at this point, we don't have that many. But later, this could be a real time saver, if there's something in particular you want to look up. Like the name of the author who came just recently to talk about his book. (I know, it's just a couple of posts down, but this is just an example.) If you put Author in the search field, and click, you will get links to all the posts that mention the word "Author". It's cool!

The other thing is at the bottom of the left hand column, and that is a Paypal link. This is just a convenience we've added, for those of you who pay your bills online, now you can make a donation or pay your dues online as well. Thanks very much to those of you who take the time to support us and our activities!

Movie Night coming up!

Coming up! A family movie night -- August 12 at 7:30, we will be showing Race to Witch Mountain, a movie just out on dvd. Bring your lawn chair ~ no, we're not showing it outside, but as of yet we don't have comfy chairs to watch the movies in. Maybe that should be our next project! Anyway, come prepared to eat popcorn and have a good time!!

Summer is half over

Not by the calendar.....according to the calendar, summer started a little over a month ago, and we've got 2 more months to go....and if we're going by the school calendar, summer is MORE than half over, school starts in about 3 weeks. But by MY calendar, summer is June, July, and August, and it's now half over. Sigh.

Better get some summer reading in before it's too late!!








We want to think Bob Wolfe for coming to Minden and sharing his and his wife's stories with us. The afternoon was enjoyable for everyone who was able to be here at the library, I believe; and Mr. Wolfe's books will be available to check out soon, for those of you who were not able to be there.

Author Talk and Book Signing

Don't miss out on the next Friends-sponsored event at the library!

Sunday, July 19, at 2:00 PM, we are pleased to have Bob Wolfe coming to give us a presentation about his book, "Clara, the little girl from the prairie".

From the publisher's promotional material:

When two immigrant families from Denmark connect in a small Nebraska farm town, the stage is set for Clara Rasmussen to enter the world. In his new biography, Clara the little girl from the prairie, (published by Authorhouse), C. Robert Wolfe honors his wife by sharing her story -- a true tale of ambition, dedication and pure love.

Clara Rasmussen Wolfe grew up in this area, and is a relative of many people here in Minden, and we hope that everyone will turn out to hear Bob and say Hi!

There will be an opportunity to buy the book and have it autographed after the talk.

Summer Reading is Not Just for Kids!

The Summer Reading Program for children is a familiar program at the library....but this year, the Friends of the Library are also sponsoring a program for adults. Stop at the counter and pick up a sheet to record the books you read. Along with the title and author and your name, jot down a small critique. After the program ends at the end of August, we will compile the critiques (minus your name) into a readers' advisory that everyone can use. PLUS! The reason for adding your name with every book is that after the program ends, we will put all the records into a hat (or a bucket, or whatever) and have a drawing for a prize (or two or three).


The more you read, the better your chances of winning! And you will be helping your fellow readers find good books.........or avoid stinky ones. *wink*

Have you noticed?

The library has pots of flowers at each entrance, courtesy of Loni Johnson.

After we were given the pots by the City (since they got new ones to put in front of the City Office), Loni took the initiative, bought the flowers and planted them, just because.

She's a good friend of the library.

Loni and Pam will be taking care of them (they are the librarians with the green thumbs); and I'll be taking pictures again later in the year.

This is a great example, every little thing we can do improves the library for all its users.

Thanks very much!

It's Hot, Hot, Hot!

Wow, it got hot in a hurry. With the humidity from the rain, it was like a sauna outside this afternoon.




You know what, though....it's cool in the library. When you're doing your errands around town, stop in the library to cool off. Pick up a movie or a book, or leaf through a magazine. We have comfortable chairs and friendly people, and it's quiet (most of the time) and cool.

The movie party was big success! We had lots of hot dogs, and chips, and watched a good movie with friends. Watch for the announcement for the next one. If you have any ideas for a movie you'd like to see, or a type of movie party you'd like to have, let us know.

The Friends are also sponsoring Thursday movies for kids as a part of the Summer Reading Program, and that is also going very well! Stop in the library for a schedule.

Stay cool!!

Come to a party!!

Come to our first Movie Picnic!

To christen our new big-screen TV, we're having a party (just the first of many!).

Bring a lawn chair and a cold drink, we'll provide the hot dogs and chips. This first movie showing is limited to Friends members, but if you'd like to come, just become a member and you can. In fact, you can become a member when you show up with your lawn chair!

Please RSVP if you will be attending, so we know how many hot dogs to cook!

Sunday, June 14, at 4:30 PM

(Flag Day)

To help celebrate the day, we'll be showing

"National Treasure"

with Nicholas Cage

(it's patriotic, don'tcha know)

Aren't the baby bears cute?

The Friends of Jensen Memorial Library are currently funding "Books for Babies". We are involved with identifying parents in the community that have new babies and providing a free book for those children. Since the beginning of 2009, we've given out 5 free books, along with information on children's services in the library.

If you'd like to get involved with the children's programs at the library, especially with the reading programs this summer, just stop in and let the librarians know. Volunteers make the world go 'round!

Fanfare please!

The big screen TV that has been in the works for several months is now finally up and ready to use! It's been sitting in it's box in the Heritage Room since Scott and Lorie brought it to the library; on Thursday Gary Braun Electric fixed it up on the wall in the children's section. They did an excellent job making everything very convenient for the librarians (hee) and they cleaned up after themselves very well. It looks fabulous and we can't wait to start using it for activities!

Come in, take a look!

(Now all we need are comfie chairs......)

It's FINALLY Spring!

Spring is finally here.....and boy, am I ready for it.

To celebrate spring, the Friends of the Library sponsored the Christian author Terrye Robins to come here to Minden and give us a little talk about her series of Christian mysteries and let us in on some of the mysteries of writing as well.

We met Terrye's husband Dan, too, and after her talk, refreshments were served. Members of the Friends supplied the cookies and lemonade; it was an entertaining afternoon.

The library has purchased the three books she has published so far, and they will be ready to be checked out soon.

Terrye's website is here. Hop on over there and take a look!

Go Green......Some More!

March is almost over, but the Friends recycling program isn't!

We are planning to continue into the future, so if you didn't get your recyclables dropped off at the library yet, there's still time. I can't say we are planning to collect recyclables forever, but at the present time, we have no plans to stop.

The response from the community has been very good, and we are expecting it to continue to grow.

Remember, cell phones, ink cartridges, toner cartridges, used computer equipment, cameras, small batteries (especially the rechargables!), electronic equipment of all sorts, can all be recycled instead of filling up our landfills.

The next Friends of the Library meeting is April 6. We will be talking about the projects we are presently involved in, as well as plans for new activities. The meetings are open to everyone!

Happy April!

-Mary Anne

This month, go green!

Spring is on the way! Spring cleaning and St. Patty's Day go hand in hand -- March is the perfect time to begin (or continue) becoming environmentally friendly. Along with the recycling pickups already offered by the city, the Friends of the Library are sponsoring recycling of those things you know you shouldn't put in the garbage, but you don't really know what else to do with them. Like your old cellphones, or empty printer cartridges, or the old computer equipment sitting down in your basement. Even the dead batteries you take out of your cd player -- those should not be in our landfills, leaking toxic chemicals into the water our children drink. Do your family a favor, and do your library a favor at the same time -- bring those recyclables to the Jensen Memorial Library and let us recycle them for you. We will be able to trade them for items the library can use, and keep our town safe and clean for our children at the same time.

(Please, no oil, paint, cardboard, glass, etc. The library is not set up to handle those kinds of things, and there are other places for them. Thanks!)

We Need You!

Spring is also the time to renew your Friends of the Library memberships -- don't forget! In times like these, the library needs our outside support more than ever. Every membership and every donation, whether it's dollars, or gently read books, or gently watched movies, or even magazines and (as was donated last month) 3-ring notebooks, is important if the library is to go on providing our patrons with the same services as it has in the past. And speaking of that ---

We want to thank very much everyone who loved their library during "Love Your Library" month. The request tree was a big success, the library received many of the dvds we asked for, as well as about the same amount of other donated dvds. Look for the "Love Your Library" tree next year!

--Mary Anne

Happy Valentine's Day!

.

Half of the "Love Your Library" month is over, and there are still some 'wishes' left on the library's Valentine tree; but some of them have been taken and the library has received some nice gifts. There's still time to pick up a heart and do the same!



The Friends of the Library have purchased a fax machine for the use of the patrons of JML! Thanks very much to Scott and Lori for doing the shopping and picking it up for us. We librarians know (and the others know because we've told them) we get many requests to send faxes, and now it's possible. Just ask!

.

An article from USA Today recently:

U.S. libraries on borrowed time?

An excerpt:

Cities are making tough choices, says Chris Hoene, director of policy and
research at the National League of Cities. As people lose income or curb
spending, income tax and sales tax revenue falls. Local officials must choose
between core services, such as police and fire protection, and services such as
libraries and parks.
"Obviously, when push comes to shove," he says, city
governments facing budget cuts "will protect city services considered more vital
to the safety of the community."

This is a real danger, and Friends can make a real difference when budget cuts threaten services.

Read the whole article here.

.

.

Some news from the National Friends Group:

FOLUSA and ALTA to Become ALTAFF
New ALA Division Will Unite Voices for America's Libraries

A small excerpt from the article:

Meeting challenges and taking advantage of opportunities in the 21st century
won't be possible for libraries that don't have powerful advocates in their
communities - in other words, Trustees and Friends.

Read the whole article here.

Stay warm on this snowy weekend!

--Mary Anne

February is 'Love Your Library' month!

And next weekend is Valentine's Day, so.......

The library currently has a tree of hearts -- some of the hearts have printed on them an item the library would love to have. Take a heart and then give a gift to everyone who uses the library's collections! We will love you for it! *wink*

A meeting of the Executive Council took place Monday Feb. 3. It was very well attended (you know you are all welcome at any meeting), and plans are progressing very well. We are always happy to hear from anyone who has a fund-raising idea, or an idea for something that will benefit the library, or just a comment. Leave a comment here, come in the library, or snag one of us on the street---let us know what you think!

--Mary Anne