Theft and the Library

Have you heard the news about the woman who was arrested for not returning an overdue book? It's made quite the story nationally and especially among the Iowa library community. While the Le Mars library has not made any attempts to have the police recover overdue books we are not immune to our patrons walking off and never returning or paying for lost materials. I wonder if our patrons realize that a refusal to return borrowed books after being overdue for 2 months is considered by Iowa law to be theft. So we send out overdue notices; we send certified letters; we call. We visit with our overdue patrons. And we get discouraged because the value of our collection to everyone in the community goes down. Oh sure, there are always legitimate reasons why someone might not get a book back on time, but we're talking about not even making an attempt to make it right with the library. That institution you promised you were only "borrowing" the book from. It's not the library who is losing, it's you the Patron who is losing. I don't know, maybe you don't mind giving $15 dollars away every time you turn around. As in, Multiply this one lady by many such ladies in every library in the state several times a month and perhaps you have a better idea of why this particular library would be so intent on getting their materials back!

Aunt Dimity Series by Nancy Atherton

Here's a mystery series that is quite nice. Cozy. Comfortable. Well, maybe on the side of 'chic flick' but very nice nonetheless. The series I'm talking about is the Aunt Dimity series by Nancy Atherton. I read Aunt Dimity beats the Devil. While Aunt Dimity didn't actually show up in the story until nearly 3/4 of the way through, the main character, Lori Shepherd was there throughout. I almost always think that it doesn't matter where you start in any given series because generally you get all the details you need to know about characters and events as you go along. I think I would have done better to have at least read the first book, but alas the Le Mars library doesn't have it. At any rate, the story, as with all the Aunt Dimity books, is set in England. Lori is on her way to a restored castle, Wyrdhurst Hall to catalog a collection of rare books. The trip, the hall, the residents are full of surprises. Some pleasant, others not so pleasant. There's a charming handsome stranger, ghosts, and a series of WWI letters that involve a mysterious romance. It is a very easy read book and...I read it without cheating by looking at the end of the book. That's always hard for me, but the ending was a nice surprise! This is a series I highly recommend.

Walking Beans Wasn't Something You Did with Your Dog

The Library recently added a book of short stories called Walking Beans wasn't something you did with your dog. This is a book of short stories written by authors from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Illinois and beyond. It contains stories of growing up in and around small towns in the Midwest. If you live near Le Mars you'll be able to identify with stories about pet pigs, milking cows or snowball fights with the neighbor boys. (or girls) One of the Authors of these stories, Arlene Walker, will be visiting the Library early in February, Feb. 10 from 4:30-5:30 to share with us and to sign books. This is part of our Winter Reading program for adults so be sure to stop in!

Reading Resolutions

I know, January is half over. This is a fine time for 'New Year's Resolutions' but I guess there's no time like now to get started. Every year I resolve to 'READ MORE' and every year I fall somewhere between making the goal and not knowing what that actually means. So. Here are 4 specific things I'm planning to do with my reading this year:

1. I will read from a genre I don't usually try. (Time for Terry Brooks, Bill)
2. I will read a book from the year I was born. (would you believe i might have to read Catcher in the Rye)
3. I will reread a book from my childhood (Diary of Anne Frank might fit here. Or should I try Wuthering Heights or a Trixie Belden book?)
4. I will read one mystery forcing myself NOT to look at the end of the book before i finish.
5. For good measure I will read every night instead of some of my wasteful use of time. (I don't think I'll tell you how I waste time.)

So, how about you? What reading resolutions have you had this year? I'd love to hear!

WINTER READING PROGRAM

Hey all you grownups who don't want to see the kids having all the fun! A winter Reading program will begin right here at the Le Mars Public Library beginning January 19. We're going to play "Book Bingo". Join us for an Author program in February, prizes when you get a bingo and a chance at a "Grand Prize" at the end of the winter. We need some fun to warm up these cold Iowa days. So stop down for a bingo sheet and to check out the rules beginning January 19.

Take a look at who we are!