Wishing You Happy Holidays

On behalf of the Marion Public Library staff, I'd like to wish all of our patrons a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!

~Tracy

We will be closed
December 24 & 25 in honor of Christmas
and
December 31 & January 1 in celebration of the new year.

SNOW DAY

The Marion Library is closed today due to inclement weather.
We will reopen tomorrow (Saturday) at 9:00 AM.

Holiday Reminders

If you selected an angel from our tree wrapped gifts must be turned in ASAP for pick-up by families. Thank you for your help!

Next Monday, December 22 the library will close briefly; from noon - 1:00 for the staff to enjoy the town holiday luncheon.

We will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as well as New Years Eve and New Years Day.

Happy Holidays!

Visit the Book Fair

Dec. 4, 5, 6 & 8 - The Marion Public Library will be having a Scholastic book fair. There is a great selection of beautiful books -- perfect for gifts. Personally, I've got my eye on a Hannah Montana cookbook for my niece. Shhhhh...As a special treat Santa will be joining us for Breakfast on Saturday morning, hosted by the MCS German club. Click here for details.


Beyond books for the whole family we are also offering entertaining and educational software, posters, fun kid gadgets and stocking stuffers. Thank you for your support.

Breakfast With Santa

We will be having a Scholastic Book Fair in the library:

• Thursday 12/4
• Friday 12/5
• Saturday 12/6
• Monday (last chance!) 12/8

Also -- the Marion HS German club will be sponsoring their annual Breakfast with Santa on Saturday 12/6.

Serving 8:30 - 10:30 in the community room.

Tickets are available in the library.

• children (6 and under): $3.00
• all others: $6.00

Thanksgiving Closing

This is a reminder that the Marion Public Library will be closed on November 27 in honor of Thanksgiving.

Marion Community Angel Tree

With snow in the air (thankfully, not too much on the ground) it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and it's not even Thanksgiving yet! The holidays are looming with their sights, sounds, fragrances and flavors. We've been sharing gift ideas, exchanging family recipes and preparing for one of my personal favorite traditions -- our community's angel tree.

Please visit the library soon to select a special angel from our tree. It feels so good to fill a wish of a child in need at Christmas time. So simple. While you're making a list and checking it twice, consider a little angel. Wrapped gift items need to be returned to the library by December 12. Thank you for your generosity! It's one of the great things about our small community.

OWWL 2 Go

Doing some traveling this holiday season? Stuck in the car? Kids squabbling in the backseat? Been there, done that. Here's a simple and FREE solution --

Before traveling over the river and through the woods visit our OWWL2Go site, where you can amaze your family with your *technological skills and preparedness by creating an atmosphere of **peace and tranquility in your family vehicle.
At OWWL2Go you can checkout and download audiobooks and eBooks for listening and viewing on your personal computer. Audiobooks can also be transferred to compatible MP3 players or burned to CD.

*it's not difficult, but you'll get credit for being clever.

** typical results may vary, as we cannot guarantee peace and tranquility, but since it costs nothing, you have nothing to lose.

Knot Only Knitters will meet again on Monday November 17 from noon - 2:00 PM

Later that day --
Join the book club as they meet on Monday, November 17 at 6:30 PM to discuss this month's selection, The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson.


The library board of trustees meets on Tuesday, November 18 at 7:00PM. The community is welcome to attend.

FYI --

We will be open on Veterans Day
Tuesday, November 11.

What's New

Well, congratulations to all -- we survived another loooooong, mudslinging election season.
History is in the making with our new president and that is big news.

However, that is not the only big news in these parts.
The Marion Public Library now has a coffee bar!Come for a visit, enjoy a cup and spend some time with a good book. Look out, Barnes & Noble!

November Book Club

Join the book club on Monday, November 17 at 6:00 as they discuss this month's selection, The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson.Use the online OWWL catalog and your library card to reserve a copy or ask a library staff member to assist you.

Too Cute to Spook!

I just had to share some pictures of the cutest lil' library patrons ever!


We celebrated Halloween in the library with a not-so-scary storytime with "Capt. Blue" Arrrr!

Ready For Halloween?

Last night my family carved pumpkins into spectacular faces and eerie scenes -- an annual tradition that we all look forward to. The weather was horrid so the kids posed with their masterpieces indoors. Do you have favorite traditions associated with Halloween?

Post a comment below and let us know!

Visit the library for some spooky, clever ideas to spice up your Halloween celebrations.

How about borrowing a CD to create the perfect, creepy atmosphere for your party or to greet your trick-or-treaters as they approach your door? I used this CD at a party at our house recently and the kids loved it (me too)!


We have lots of new Halloween stories for little ones, as well as old favorites. Remember this one?


Of course there are spooky reads for the slightly bigger ones.
And the even bigger ones, too.
Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Storytime Continues

Check out the awesome storytime attire worn by this little lady:Join us for fall storytime for the next 3 Wednesday mornings at 10:15. This week, in honor of Halloween, come in costume!

Wireless Internet Access

Did you know?

With your library card and pin number you can enjoy wireless Internet access at the library.

Don't know your pin number?
We can help you with that!

Knot Only Knitters

Starting:

Monday, November 3

12:00 noon - 2:00 PM

and/or

Tuesday, November 11

6:30 – 8:30 PM

You don’t have to be a knitter!

Anyone is welcome to attend and to bring whatever they are working on: knitting, crocheting, sewing, needlework, whatever keeps your hands busy!

Groups will meet 1st and 3rd Monday afternoons or 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings of each month. Sign ups have begun at the library desk.

Trustees Meeting

As always, the community is welcome to attend the Board of Trustees meetings.

Join us Tuesday, October 21 at 7:00 PM in the library.

Family Time

I don't care that the forecast for tomorrow includes wet snow! Well, I care a little. I am just not ready to let go of the gorgeous fall weather we've been enjoying. It's so hard to say good-bye!

This weekend my family, kids' bikes and puppy in tow, enjoyed a nice, long walk by the Erie Canal. It made me think - everyone should do this! It's fun. It's healthy. It's family time well spent and it fits everyone's budget (F-R-E-E) . Free... like a lot of things in the library!
We have a new book for you in the library about just this kind of outting:


Cycling the Erie Canal - 400 miles of history and adventure along the Erie Canalway Trail is an indispensable resource for dedicated cyclists planning to bike across the state or the casual rider looking to take the family out for a couple of
hours. Great for walkers, hikers, in-line skaters, boaters
and auto travelers, too.

Click here to learn more.

Twilight Fans!

The Marion Public Library will be hosting a first-ever Twilight tournament on Friday night, October 17.

This is very last minute, but the high school librarian stumbled upon this and we thought we'd jump in. Better late than never!

It's like a book battle, but run virtually. Each library is hosting its own party and the tournament will be run in a password protected chat room that one of the programmers has created on Meebo.

I am still nailing down specific details, but I know that the online, virtual book battle with other public libraries will be held from 6:30 - 7:30 PM. Come early - we'll have pizza!


If you are interested, call or email Tracy. Run! Don't walk.

926-4933
twhitney@pls-net.org

October Book Club

This month's selection for the monthly book club is The Wednesday Letters, by Jason F. Wright.

The group will meet for discussion on Wednesday, Oct. 22 @ 6:30 PM.

Come in with your library card or call to reserve your copy!

Like to Save Money?

With the prices of just about everything rising people are turning to the library as a way of cutting costs. Patrons are taking advantage of collections of best sellers, DVDs, favorite magazines, etc...

I love this quote from the Pioneer Library System's executive director, Jennifer Morris:
"A library card is the one card in your wallet that actually saves you money.”

True!

CLICK HERE for an great article that was featured in the Daily Messenger recently.

Book Sale

Last minute reminder:
Book Sale Tomorow!
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

$.50 paperbacks
$.50 videos
$1.00 hardcovers
$2.00 bag of books

Join us for refreshments and live musical entertainment provided by Orbit Underground!

Teens & Reading

I found a great site today for young readers. Click here. Let me know what you think.

September Reminders

There will be a board of trustees meeting tonight, September 16 @ 7:00. The community is welcome to attend.

Storytime sign ups continue for our fall session.

We are looking for volunteers to help with our upcoming book sale on Sept. 27.

Speaking of September 27...
Please join us on this date as we celebrate 100 years of the Marion Public Library!

9:00 AM – 2:00 PM: BOOK SALE

12:00 – 2:00 PM: Live musical entertainment

by ORBIT UNDERGROUND

Sponsored by the Marion Friends of the Library

Complimentary Refreshments

The Round Boys will be selling hamburgers, hot dogs, pulled pork and salt potatoes.

Here's an image from 1956 of former librarian, Myra Crane, where the Marion Library was once located. Recognize where it is?

Sign Up For Story Time

The fall 2008 program will be as follows:

Story Time will be held Wednesday mornings from 10:15 to 11 AM. The first 15 minutes will be devoted to greeting the children and having them pick out books. Please see that your child is here sometime between 10:15 and 10:30 AM.

There will be no story time program if schools are closed due to inclement weather or for holidays.

Parents/Caregivers are asked to bring their library card to Story Time to accommodate the check-out process. Each child may borrow as many items as desired unless specific arrangements are made to limit them.

Story time sessions for the fall will begin Wednesday, September 24^th, and continue through Wednesday, November 12^th (8 sessions).

Celebrating 100 Years!

We will be celebrating
the 100th anniversary of the Marion Public Library
on Saturday, September 27.

We are looking good at 100 years, don'tcha think?!

Please join us from
12:00 noon - 2:00 PM for refreshments
and musical entertainment
provided by Orbit Underground.

Book sale from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Festivities are sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Ask about donating or joining The Friends when you stop by!

Second Meeting

This is a reminder for the mother/daughter book club. We will have our second meeting this Saturday, August 16 at 11:00 AM to discuss The United Tates of America.

Please RSVP by either posting here or calling 926-4933 so I can have an accurate headcount for the mini scrapbook project that is planned.

Book Club Selection

This month's book club selection is The Summerhouse, by Jude Deveraux.


All are welcome to attend the next meeting, which will be Wednesday, August 27 at 6:30 PM in the community room.

Also, as a reminder the mother/daughter book club will meet again this weekend, August 16 at 11:00 AM.

Breaking Dawn!

Are you excited?!

While you wait for Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer, may I suggest some other books?

Anderson, M.T. Thirsty. 2003
Chris is your typical guy: annoyed with his parents, irritated by his friends, ignored by girls…and rapidly turning into a vampire.

Brook, Kevin. Road of the Dead. 2007
When their sister is murdered, Ruben and Cole travel to the village where she was killed to claim her body. There the boys discover brutal and close-minded villagers determined to cover up the cause of their sister’s death.

Cabot, Meg. Shadowland: Mediator Book One. 2004

Suze is a mediator — forcing ghosts to move on from this world — whether they want to or not.

Colfer, Eoin. The Wish List. 2004
Meg was killed while committing a crime, so to get to heaven she must first go back to Earth and complete a task. Unfortunately, hell has sent someone back also.

De la Cruz, Melissa. Blue Bloods. 2006
The Blue Bloods, an ancient group of vampires, thought they were invincible until something starts hunting them.

Delaney, Joseph. Night of the Soul Stealer: The Last Apprentice Book Three. Illus. by Patrick Arrasmith. 2008
Tom Ward, apprentice to the Spook who gets rid of witches, must this time face a rogue Spook turned necromancer.

Draper, Sharon. Tears of a Tiger. 1996
A drunk driving accident causes the death of Robert Washington, captain of the basketball team at predominantly African American Hazelwood High. New articles, dialogues, and other innovative formats show how the student body reacts to the tragedy, and how Andy Jackson, who drove the car, is pulled down by his own feelings of guilt.

Freyman-Weyr, Garret. Stay with Me. 2006
After Leila’s sister commits suicide, Leila’s anxious to learn why and what that means to her.

Gaiman, Neil. Death, the High Cost of Living. Illus. by Dave McKean, Chris Bachalo and Mark Buckingham. 1994
Death takes a holiday with a suicidal teen.

Green, John. Looking for Alaska. 2007
Smart loner Miles, whose hobby is to memorize famous people’s dying words, leaves home for boarding school in search of a “Great Perhaps.” There he meets his first close friends, including enticing but screwed up Alaska Young, and experiences his first great tragedy.

Hicks, Faith Erin. Zombies Calling. 2007
Joss’s friends think her obsession with zombie movies is ridiculous, but when their college campus comes under attack they’re glad she knows the rules.

Hino, Matsuri. Vampire Knight, Volume 1. Illus. by Matsuri Hino. 2007
Yuki Cross lives at Cross Academy, where she is caught up in the struggle to keep the peace between the Day Class of humans and the Night Class of vampires.

Howard, Josh. Dead @ 17. 2006
Nara may be dead, but she’s the last hope her town has of surviving the zombie invasion.

Kagesaki, Yuna. Chibi Vampire. 2006
Karin is the middle child in a family of vampires. She is an unvampire producing blood instead of drinking it. The Vampires in this manga don’t really drink blood; they drink basically sin in the blood (i.e. lies, stress, and misfortune).

Kotegawa, Yua. Line. Illus. by Yua Kotegawa. 2006

Chiko found a cell phone and now it’s up to her to save the lives of suicidal people calling with one last plea.

Kubo, Tite. Bleach, Volume 1. Illus. by Tite Kubo. 2004

Ichigo can see ghosts, but he’s unprepared when he is forced into the world of Soul Reapers — warriors who fight Hollows, evil spirits who prey on human souls.

Leavitt, Martine. Keturah and Lord Death. 2006
Lost and hungry after following a stately hart through the forest, Keturah encounters Lord Death, who is ready to take her. Using her storytelling skills, she persuades Lord Death to set her free if she can find her true love in one day.

McKinley, Robin. Sunshine. 2004
Sunshine, a young woman with powers yet unknown, must pair up with an ostracized vampire to help defeat an evil force in a post-Voodoo Wars world.

Marrone, Amanda. Uninvited. 2007
Jordan’s ex-boyfriend keeps trying to get in her window at night — she’d be thrilled, if he wasn’t dead.

Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. 2006
Bella moves from Phoenix to Forks, Washington and finds her life in danger when she falls in love with a vampire named Edward. Luckily for Bella, the vampires in Edward’s coven only drink the blood of animals, not human blood. While their passion for each other grows, so does the danger when another vampire coven passes through town setting their sights on Bella.

Musk, Justine. Uninvited. 2007
Kelly’s brother Jasper disappears after a car wreck that killed two other people. One night, Jasper returns, but someone else has followed him home.

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Jade Green: A Ghost Story. 2001

Orphaned Judith gets caught up in a series of mysterious events which may be tied to a previous orphan who lived in her house — a girl who died by cutting off her own hand.

Nix, Garth. Sabriel. 2008
When the dead cease to stay dead, budding necromancer Sabriel must take the place of her father, a necromancer who has journeyed too far into the land of the dead and becomes trapped.

Ohba, Tsugumi. Deathnote, Volume 1. Illus. by Takeshi Obata. 2005

Light, a bored high school genius, finds a notebook that gives him the power of death. Soon he finds himself on the run from a special police task force, but they can’t prove that he’s the killer.

Peach-Pit. Zombie-Loan, Volume 1. Illus. by Peach-Pit. 2007
When rings that foretell their death appear on the necks of two boys at Michiru’s school, she becomes caught in a struggle between the living and the dead.

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Life As We Knew It. 2008
Tsunamis, earthquakes, massive floods, volcanic eruptions, increasingly hazardous air quality are just the beginning. Millions of people just within the U.S. are dead in the first week. With electricity completely off line and warnings of oil and gas shortages, Miranda and her family must depend on each other if they have any hope of surviving the record-breaking cold winter to come,

Qualey, Marsha. Come in from the Cold. 2008
Maud’s sister died protesting the war, Jeff’s brother died fighting it. Now they’re both trying to make sense of their world — and each other.

Richardson, E.E. Devil’s Footsteps. 2006
Five years ago, Bryan lost his brother Adam to the Dark Man who haunts the town of Redford, England. Now another boy has seen the grim legend come to life, and the teens team up to bring down the Dark Man for good.

Shan, Darren. Lord Loss. 2006
Grubbs Grady thinks he’s a normal middle schooler until he comes home to find his family killed by demons. Suddenly, he’s plunged into a world of werewolves, magic, and horror.

Shiomi, Chika. Canon, Volume 1. Illus. by Chika Shiomi. 2007
Canon survived a vampire attack that wiped out her entire class. Now she fights the undead from the inside as one of them.

Shiomi, Chika. Yurara, Volume 1. Illus. by Chika Shiomi. 2007

Yurara thinks she’s alone in her ability to see ghosts. When she starts high school, however, she meets two handsome guys who also have powers and discovers a mysterious protector living inside herself.

Shusterman, Neal. Everlost. 2006
After dying in a car crash, Nick and Allie are on course towards an eternal light, but instead, they are detoured to a parallel universe known as Everlost. Determined to escape, they have to enlist the help of shady and dangerous souls.

Spears, Rick. Black Metal, Volume 1. Illus. by B.B. Chuck. 2007

Metal head twins Shawn and Sam Stronghand are outcasts wherever they go, but the appearance of a mysterious sword shows that their rightful place is in the Underworld.

Stolarz, Laurie Faria. White is for Magic. 2004
Seventeen-year-old Stacey is having nightmares again — creepy dreams where she is haunted by the ghosts of people who have been brutally murdered. Dreams that can clue her into potentially saving the lives of others.

Takami, Koshun. Battle Royale. 2003
One ninth grade class, three days, only one can survive or else they all die.

Whitcomb, Laura. A Certain Slant of Light. 2005
Sex, drugs and restless spirits.

Willis, Connie. Passage. 2002
Dr. Joanna Lander is determined to figure out the truth behind why people have near-death experiences, but she never expected so many people to see the same thing…the Titanic?

Woodson, Jacqueline. If You Come Softly. 2006
Ellie is Jewish; Miah is black. Both teens believe their love can overcome obstacles, even if their families don’t agree. But after tragic, racially motivated violence, there are some hard truths to face.

Wright, Eric. My Dead Girlfriend, Volume. 1. 2007
Very much alive Finney falls in love with ghostly Jenny.

Zevin, Gabrielle. Elsewhere. 2007
Liz lives Elsewhere, aging backwards and waiting to be reborn. Can she leave her old life behind and embrace the new one?

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. 2007
Death narrates the tale of Liesel and her experiences during World War II.

Last Snack-n-Craft Session

Can you believe it? The last one! Soon we'll be shopping for new school shoes (**sob**). I am not done with my flip flops yet!

Kids, join us for snack-n-craft tomorrow:

Tuesday, July 29
2:30 - 4:00.

This is the last full week of our summer reading program.

Mother/Daughter Book Club Begins

Just a reminder -

the Mother/Daughter Book Club will have their first meeting on Saturday July 26.

For details click HERE.

Bracelets For TEENS

TEENS:

You can't possibly spend ALL of your time outdoors soaking up the summer sunshine (more like RAIN this week).
Want to learn some cool bracelet-making techniques? Come cool off and join your friends (or make new ones) in the library.

Wed. JULY 30 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM

Space is limited, so call or sign up at the desk soon!
(6th grade and up)

Be Free, Little Fellas!

Thank you to Lindsay Kuhn for a terrific experience and for sharing her knowledge and love of butterflies with us for our special program. We enjoyed having the winged beauties living with us in the library and the release was awesome - lots of learning, wonder and good ol' fun!

It was wonderful to have a great turn out of friends to bid farewell to the butterflies. Maybe they'll find a happy place to live right nearby.

Keep your eyes open for them when you visit the library!

Butterflies!

We now have our beautiful summer visitors residing in the library. Come see!

We will have a live butterfly release on
Tuesday, July 22 at 4:00 PM
in the yard outside the library.