April 2011

Easter Closing

The library will be closed from 12:00 noon until 3:00 pm to observe Good Friday on April 22.

Spring Story and Craft Hour
Spring story and craft hour will be on Saturday, April 30th from 10:00am to 11:00am. Kids ages 6 to 10 are invited to come and enjoy a Spring craft, games and listen to stories. If you are interested, please call 419-586-4442 or stop by the library to register.

Staff Monthly Picks

Liz’s Pick this month is “Some we Love, Some we Hate, Some we Eat : Why it’s so hard to think straight about animals” by Hal Herzog, a maverick scientist who co-founded the field of anthrozoology offers a controversial, thoughtprovoking, and unprecedented exploration of the psychology behind the inconsistent and often paradoxical ways we think, feel, and behave towards animals.Jean finished in four days, “Cross Fire” by James Patterson Detective Alex Cross and Bree Stone's wedding plans are put on hold when Alex is called to the scene of the perfectly executed assassination of two of Washington DC's most corrupt: a dirty congressman and an underhanded lobbyist. Next, the elusive gunman begins picking off other crooked insiders, sparking a blaze of theories - is the marksman a hero or a vigilante?


Good Reads

In the years preceding the United States’ entrance into World War II, radio journalist Frankie Bard broadcasts from London during the air raids. Among her listeners are several residents of a small Cape Cod town. Writing in starkly descriptive prose, novelist Blake offers a revealing and intimate look at this moment in history, moving back and forth between small town America and war-torn Europe and intertwining the narratives of three unique women along the way. Join Mercer County Library’s newest Book Discussion GROUP meeting the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm. Please pre-register by calling 419-586-4442 or emailing Connie Gray at grayco@oplin.org


Computer Class

The Mercer County District Library has been offering free computer classes to the public for over 10 years. There is absolutely no charge to attend, and anyone is welcome. Sign-up at the circulation desk or by calling the library. There is a limit of the first 6 people in the class. The classes are hands on in a computer lab setting. Currently the library offers six different classes.

For more information, visit our website www.mercer.lib.oh.us

March 2011

Third Annual Heart Health Mini-Fair

Due to unfavorable weather, the Heart Health Mini-fair has been  rescheduled for Saturday,March 12th. February was National Heart Health Month, and in recognition, the library will be hosting the annual Heart Health Mini-fair. Make sure to stop in anytime between 10am and 3pm for free blood pressure screenings, $2 cholesterol tests (non-fasting), exercise and nutrition demos, heart healthy goodies, giveaways and more! Medical services provided by Mercer Health and Grand Lake Health. 

Public Notary

The Library now has a public notary. If you are in need of having a document notarized, feel free to bring it to the Library to get it notarized for FREE! Make sure you bring picture ID and do not sign the document until the Notary is present.

New Monthly Book Lists

There are new monthly book lists available.  They are located in the information pillar by the circulation desk and on the end cap of the New Releases bookshelf on the Adult side. 

Good Reads

Joan Didion's memoir The Year of Magical Thinking is about grieving for her husband, fellow writer John Gregory Dunne. The couple had been married since 1964 when Dunne died of a heart attack at the end of 2003. His death came suddenly, just as the couple was sitting down to dinner after visiting their gravely ill daughter in the hospital. In her memoir, Didion contemplates how the rituals of daily life are fundamentally altered when her life's companion is taken from her. Her impressions, both sharply observed and utterly reasonable, form a picture of an intelligent woman grappling with her past and future.

Computer Classes

The Mercer County District Library has been offering free computer classes to the public for over 10 years. There is absolutely no charge to attend, and anyone is welcome. Sign-up at the circulation desk or by calling the library, there is a limit of the first 6 people in the class. The classes are hands on in a computer lab setting. Currently the library offers six different classes

For more information, visit our website www.mercer.lib.oh.us

February 2011

Valentine's Day Story and Craft

Children ages 6 to 10 may come to the Valentine’s Story and Craft hour on February 5th from10am to 11am. Enjoy doing a craft, playing games and listening to a story. Pre-registration is required and space is limited to the first 30 children. Stop in or call the library to register.



Tax Forms

Tax Forms…You Need ’Em – We Got ‘Em.  We have tax forms available in a variety of formats.  All library locations have free copies of federal and state tax forms, and most locations have municipal and school district forms.  Federal, state, and school district forms can also be printed for no charge from web sites accessible on the library’s Internet computers.  Although the library does not offer tax advice or interpretations of instructions, we can however help you contact the appropriate institution for assistance. 


Blood Drive at the Library
Interested in giving the gift of life? The library is hosting a blood drive and we’d like to invite you to join us and donate life-saving blood on Saturday, February 12th from 11am to 3pm.Please call 1-800-REDCROSS to get a donation appointment.


3rd Annual Heart Health Event

February is National Heart Health Month, and in recognition, the library will be hosting the annual Heart Health Event on Friday, February25th. Make sure to stop in anytime between 10am and 3pm for free blood pressure screenings,$2 cholesterol tests (non-fasting), exercise and nutrition demos, heart healthy goodies, giveaways and more! Medical services provided by Mercer Health and Grand Lake Health.

Good Reads

Join Mercer County Library’s newest Book Discussion Group. They meet on the 3rd
Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm. Please preregister by calling 419-586-4442 or emailing Connie Gray at smithco@oplin.org. The meeting is Tuesday, February 15th. The book is 2009 Pulitzer Prize winning Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. The tale of an aging schoolteacher too obsessed with the deterioration of her little town of Crosby, Maine, to realize the problems plaguing her own life.  Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition-its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires. Don’t miss out, call today to pre-register!

For more information, visit our website www.mercer.lib.oh.us

January 2011

Children's Story Hour

Preschool story hour is held every Tuesday and Thursdays from 10:30 am to 11:00 am. Come and learn nursery rhymes, finger plays, listen to stories and more. All children ages birth to 7 are welcome. Come join the fun!

Friends of the Library

The Friends of the Library Bookstore is open the FIRST SATURDAY of each month from 9am to 1pm. The Bookstore offers gently used books and book-related items. It is located directly north of the library on North Main Street

Supported Portable E-Book Devices

Did you get a new Nook, iPad, Kobo or otherebook reader for Christmas? Be sure to check out our iDownloads on the online catalog.Access millions of ebooks, both audio and print, with a few clicks of your mouse. If you need help, be sure to ask Liz!

http://www.overdrive.com/resources/drc/Default.aspx?type=ebook

Based on the Book

Doomed to—or blessed with—eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune. The 2001 motion picture adaptation stars Alexis Bledel, William Hurt, Sissy Spacek and Ben Kingsley. Sign up today for The Mercer County Library's Book Discussion Group with a Twist. The discussion group centers around books that were made into movies. Adult patrons are invited to read the book, listen to the book or watch the movie and join us for a lively discussion on the First Thursday of every month. We will compare various passages from the book with the movie's interpretations. Come to The Mercer County Library and enjoy refreshments and a chance to meet with fellow book lovers. Pre-register at the desk or by calling the library (419) 586-4442.

For more information, visit our website www.mercer.lib.oh.us

December 2010

Closings

The library will close at 5:30pm on Tuesday, December 14th for the Staff Christmas party. Friday, December 24th and Saturday, December 25ththe library will be CLOSED ALL DAY  to observe the Christmas holiday. Also, on December 31st, the library will be open from 9am-12pm and January 1st it will be CLOSED ALL DAY for the New Year!!! Happy Holidays from your library staff!


Christmas Family Day

On December 18th at 1:00pm, we will be having a Christmas Family Day. Come with the whole family and enjoy a family craft, games, listen to a story and some snacks. Space is limited to family tables. Parents must accompany the children. Call and sign up today.
Talking Book Services

For those individuals who are legally blind, are visually impaired, or have a learning disability, the library offers a program where an individual who has any of the above mentioned conditions may borrow a Talking Book cassette player and cassette tapes on a variety of subjects and reading preferences. The entire program is free of charge. Call the library for further details or if there are any questions concerning the program. 
Cell Phone Notices

The Mercer County District Library now offers another convenient customer service: text message notices. Borrowers opting for this service will receive text messages to their cell phones when requested materials are on hold for them. If a borrower has unlimited texting in their cell phone plan, there is no charge for this service—making this the most convenient way of all to receive notices from your library.
Story Times

Join us with your little ones on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30am for finger plays, nursery rhymes, singing, dancing and a story. Children up to age 6 are invited. They will be doing different things on Tuesday and Thursday so you are more than welcome to come for both days. **Santa will be here on Tuesday, December 21st @ 10:30am**

Audio Book

Are you planning on going away for the holidays? Don’t forget to come to the library and check out our selection of audio books for the car ride. We have books on cassette as well as books on CD. If you don’t find something that interests you on our shelves, we can order it in for you from another library which usually only takes a couple days if it is on another libraries’ shelf. If you have an MP3 player or iPod, check out our iDownloads on the card catalog. If you need assistance, please contact the library

For more information, visit our website www.mercer.lib.oh.us

November 2010

Thanksgiving Family Day

Join us for the Charlie Brown“feast”! Fun for the entire family. Do a craft, play games and enjoy the “feast”. Space is limited to family tables. Parents must accompany the children. Call and sign up today!

Closings

The library will be closed on Thursday, November 25th all day to observe Thanksgiving.We will reopen on Friday, November 26th at 9am.

Recycle Inkjet Cartridges

Help the environment and your library. Bring in your empty cartridges and we will recycle them. The Friends of the Library uses the money to support library programs. The list of accepted cartridges is at the library. We do ask that you put the empty cartridges in plastic baggies for us.

Home-bound Library Service

Are you not able to get out of your home? Do you know someone who loves to read but is unable to make it to the library? The library offers a service called home-bound delivery.  We have 2 staff members who will deliver materials tailored to the patron’s interests on a regular basis, usually once a month. Large print books, cassette books and books on CD are very popular with home-bound patrons. This service provides many hours of diversion for the home-bound patrons; as well as an enjoyable personal visit with a member of the library staff. Call the library to arrange a visit.

Microsoft Office

The library has upgraded 8 of the public internet computers to include Microsoft Office 2007. There is a significantdifference in the newer version and if you need assistance using it, please don’t hesitate to ask. The library also offers free computer classes including one on Microsoft Word 2007. Please stop at the desk for more information.

Mineral Tours

The Langsdon Rock & Mineral Collection is available for viewing during regular library hours.  Free guided field trips are offered for educational groups of any age level. Participants get hands on experience using our gold miner’s pans and kits. These programs are flexible, depending upon the age group and the goals of the leader. These mineral tours are lead by Professor Ken Strickland and Marilyn Thobe.

For more information, visit our website www.mercer.lib.oh.us

October 2010

Browsing Collection

We are proud to announce that the library has added a “browsing collection”. What does this mean? That you will have a chance to get your hands on the most popular books without having to wait in line for them. Come in and look on the “NEW” bookshelf for books with a “Browsing Collection” label, bring it to the desk to check out. You will then have 14 days to read it and they cannot be renewed. Look for newly released fiction and popular authors.

Fall Author Program

Are you In The Same Boat? You’re invited to join humor columnist and fellow frazzled mom Mary Beth Weisenburger on Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 6:30 P.M. at the Richardson-Bretz building located behind the library on Fulton Street. 

Blood Drive at the Library

Interested in giving the gift of life? The library is hosting a blood drive and we’d like to invite you to join us and donate life-saving blood on Saturday, October 30th from 11am to 3pm. Please call 1-800-REDCROSS to get a donation appointment.

Good Reads!

Join Mercer County Library’s newest Book Discussion Group. They meet on the 3rdTuesday of the month at 7:00pm. Please pre-register by calling 419-586-4442 or emailing Connie Gray at smithco@oplin.org. The first meeting is Tuesday, October 19th. The book is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan’s  last thirty years—from the soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to the post-Taliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them.” Don’t miss out, call today to pre-register!

Halloween Story and Craft Hours

Children ages 6 to 10 may come to the Halloween Story and Craft hour on October 23rd from 10am to 11am. Enjoy doing a craft, playing games and listening to a story. Pre-registration is required and space is limited to the first 30 children. Stop in or call the library!

For more information, visit our website www.mercer.lib.oh.us

September 2010

Fall and Winter Hours

We will be open later for your convenience! Our hours starting September 7 will be:

Monday-Friday 9am-8pm

Saturday 9am-5pm

Sunday CLOSE

Preschool Pajama Time

All preschool age children are invited to come in their pajamas and listen to nursery rhymes, do finger plays,  listen to a bedtime story and do an evening activity too! Come and join us on  Thursday, September 30th at 7:00pm. Pajama time is the last Thursday of every month at 7:00pm. Hope to see you there!!

FREE Computer Classes

The Mercer County District Library has been offering free computer classes to the public for over 10 years. There is absolutely no charge to attend, and anyone is welcome. Sign-up at the circulation desk or by calling the library, there is a limit of the first 6 people in the class. The classes are hands on in a computer lab setting. Currently the library offers six different classes. September schedule is as follows: 

Friday, September 10 - Computer Basics

Friday, September 17 - Digital Photography

Friday, September 24 - Internet 101

**All classes are from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.**

Based on the Book Discussion Group

The discussion group centers around books that were made into movies. Adult patrons are            invited to read the book, listen to the book or watch the movie and join us for a lively discussion on the First Thursday of every month. We will compare various passages from the book with the movie's interpretations. Come to The Mercer County Library and enjoy refreshments and a chance to meet with fellow book lovers. Pre-register at the desk or by calling the library (419) 586-4442

For more information, visit our website www.mercer.lib.oh.us