To listen to an author tell about their passion for writing and the inspiration for their books can truly bring a book to life. This is what we heard when author Dr. Joe and Trudy Williams shared their writing journey with us on Friday, March 6, 2020. Our patrons thoroughly enjoyed hearing about Dr. Williams’s love of medieval fantasy as a child and how it became the subject of his books series “Tales of Morningstar.” His wife, Trudy, plays a critical role in the writing process by editing as well as designing the covers.
As part of the Nebraska Library Commission’s Books2Kids Learning Initiative, Elgin Public Library received a grant to purchase children’s books from the First Book Marketplace. The award is part of First Book’s OMG Books Awards: Offering More Great Books to Spark Innovation, a program that will unlock funding to distribute brand new books and eBooks to children living in low-income communities in 33 states and territories. $28,000 in grant funding was allocated to Nebraska institutions. Elgin Public Library was awarded approximately $350.00.
On March 9, 2020 we visited the third grade class at Elgin Public School. In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, we read the book, Leprechaun on the Loose by Marcia Thornton Jones. A leprechaun is on the loose in the classroom and Sidney is the only one who sees him! Can Sidney catch the leprechaun before he ruins the St. Patrick’s Day party. Only the third graders can tell you! Following the story the students completed several activities that would help them unlock the case filled with the “pot of gold”. We also stopped by the second grade classroom on Thursday, March 5 to read several Dr. Seuss books for “Read Across America” week.
Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock, Things You Save in a Fire: A Novel by Katherine Center, Golden in Death: An Eve Dallas Novel by J. D. Robb, Lost by James Patterson, All the Gallant Men: An American Sailor’s Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor by Donald Stratton, Crooked River (Agent Pendergast) by Douglas Preston, When You See Me: A Novel by Lisa Gardner, Blindside by James Patterson, Last Day by Luanne Rice, The Girl Who Lived: A thrilling suspense novel by Christopher Greyson, Above the Bay of Angels: A Novel by Rhys Bowen, Sisters by Choice: A Novel by Susan Mallery, Long Range (A Joe Pickett Novel) by C.J. Box. WE also received complimentary copies of J.T. L. Williams’s books, William Firestar and the Text of Illumination and Menace Under the Mountain . New DVD’s include: Last Christmas, Harriet, Artic Dogs, Nebraska, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood starring Tom Hanks. We also received our first shipment of children’s books from the Books2Kids learning Initiative.
March book club will meet on Wednesday, March 25. The book for this month is The Astronaut Wives Club, by Lily Koppel. Copies can be picked up anytime.
The library recently started a “Book Bag” program in conjunction with the local daycare providers in Elgin. A book bag of children’s books is provided for the daycare and is exchanged on a weekly basis. At this time three daycare providers are participating in the program.
To keep up with everything that is happening at the library visit us on our website at http://libraries.ne.gov/elgin or on Facebook. Our regular hours are Monday 4-7 p.m., Tuesday 1-5 p.m., Wednesday 1-7 p.m., Thursday 1-5 p.m. and Friday 9 – 12 p.m.
