Fourth of July Hours

Good grief, is it really almost the Fourth of July? I guess June went by so quickly because most of it felt like March and April. Wow, almost up to July already. Okay, so here's the scoop on the Library's hours for Saturday, July 4:

There aren't any. Nor are there any on July 3.

We will be closed both Friday and Saturday of next week.

Expansion Presentations

The Mukwonago Community Library is pleased to announce that there will be a special Library Board meeting on Monday, June 29 for the purpose of viewing presentations by three architectural firms. The library and its board welcome community attendance for these presentations, which will be held at Clarendon Elementary School, beginning at 6 pm.

The three firms, Engberg Anderson, Uihlein Wilson, and Plunkett Raysich, will each make a 45 minute presentation to the board, with presentations to include question and answer components. These firms were selected from an initial pool of six, and the company chosen after the presentations will work with the community, library and library board to develop conceptual plans for a library expansion as well as some preliminary cost estimates. There will be an opportunity for community comment after the three presentations and before the board begins its deliberations over the selection of the final firm.

“All three firms are very well-regarded and have an excellent track record of building attractive, functional and budget-conscious library facilities,” commented Library Director, Nick Weber. “The Board and myself are really looking forward to seeing their presentations, and we hope interested members of the community will join us.”

The schedule for the evening:

5:45 Arrival and set up at Clarendon Elementary
6:00-6:45 Presentation by Engberg Anderson
6:50-7:35 Presentation by Uihlein Wilson
7:40-8:25 Presentation by Plunkett Raysich
8:30-9:00 Comments from the public
9:00- Deliberation by the Mukwonago Community Library Board

Visit Read the Books, our new Reader's Advisory tool for children and their families. A reader can search by topic, grade, series, author, state, and time period. Give it a try. Have fun!

Be Creative @ Your Library: Children's Programs

2009 SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM
June 15-August 8
Be Creative @ Your Library

SPECIAL EVENTS:

BE CREATIVE @ YOUR LIBRARY SUMMER READING CHALLENGE
Registraion begins Monday, June 1st.
Open to Newborns-grade 6
Read good books, earn fun prizes.

101 BOOKS EVERY CHILD SHOULD READ BEFORE KINDERGARTEN
For parents and caregivers
Tuesday, June 23, 6:30 PM

Join Miss Jane as she shares 101 of her favorite picturebooks for preschoolers. You will take home a great reading list to use with your children all summer long. With so many wonderful books available at the library, it will be hard to limit the list to just 101!

BEDTIME BUDDIES PAJAMA PARTY
Tuesday, July 7, 6:30 PM

Wear your pajamas, grab a pillow and a "bedtime buddy" and come to the library for an evening filled with books and fun. For families of all ages. Drop in; no registration necessary.

FAMILY FILM NIGHT
Tuesday, July 28, 6:00 PM

Gather up your friends and head to the library for an evening of family fun. Bring a pillow and blanket or a bean bag chair to snuggle into and bring a snack to munch. Call the library for the movie title. For families of all ages. Drop in; no registration necessary.

SERIES PROGRAMS:

PAWS TO READ
For readers of all ages

Visit the library and read a poem, picture book, or book chapter to Scooby, B.J., or Cinnamon the Therapy Dogs. Drop in; no registration necessary.

Scooby the Golden Retriever
Mondays, 7:00-8:00 PM
June 15, July 6 & 20, August 3 & 17

Cinnamon the Afghan Hound
Thursdays, 1:30-2:30 PM
June 18, July 16

B.J. the Rottweiller
Fridays, 1:00-2:00 PM
June 19 & 26, July 10, 17, 24 & 31, August 7

LAPSIT STORYTIME
For ages newborn to 36 months
Thursdays at 10:00 AM
June 18 - August 6

This program is designed for children and their caregivers to enjoy together. It features Mother Goose, books, songs, bouncy rhymes, fingerplays and lots of fun for little ones and their caregivers.Drop in; no registration is necessary.

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAYS
For families of all ages.
Wednesdays at 10:00 AM

June 17
Mama Baer, Storyteller: Good Sense & Nonsense

June 24
Chris Fascione: Juggling Funny Stories

July 1
Kathy Luck: Silly Stories & Kooky Critters

July 8
Erock for Kids

July 15
Nature in the Parks: "Toadally" Cool Summer Adventure

July 22
Jean Andrews, Storyteller: Storylore

July 29
Tim Glander, Magician: The Magic of Reading

August 5
Mary Tooley, Educator: Creative Creatures

ONE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES FOR PEACE CLUB
For grades 3-8
Thursday at 1:30 PM
June 18-August 6

Join us as we share the legend of the Grateful Crane, remember Sadako, share peace tales, learn about wild cranes, and work together to make one thousand paper cranes as a wish for world peace by Peace Day on August 6th.

EXTRA SPECIAL FUN OPPORTUNITES:

BE CREATIVE @ YOUR LIBRARY ARTS & CRAFT CONTEST
June 15-August 8

Use your imagination to create "art" from a book checked out at the Mukwonago Community Library. Bring your artwork to the library for display throughout the summer. All entries will receive a FREE order of Domino's Cinna Stix. The Grand Prize of a $25 giftcard to Michael's will be awarded to one person in each of the following categories: grades K-3; grades 4-6; grades 7-12.

FAMILY BOOK BINGO
June 15-August 8

It's back! Complete two lines of bingo on our special game sheet and your team will be entered into a drawing to win a gift certificate to a local restaurant.

ROCKIN' READERS HALL OF FAME
June15-August 8

Be on the lookout this summer as talent scouts search the library for kids caught in the act of reading. A few select readers will be inducted into the Rockin' Readers Hall of Fame and have their portrait hung in our photo gallery. Get caught reading!

Express Yourself @ Your Library: Teen Programs

2009 SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM
June 15-August 8
Express Yourself @ Your Library

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

Registration begins Monday, June 1st

Read good books, earn fun prizes.

TEEN BOOK PASS

Wednesdays at 3:00 PM

June 17 & July 15

Bring a recently read book and express your thoughts about it with other Teens. Get ideas for new books to read. Pssst! We are saving the new Young Adult books for you to check out before they reach the shelves. Open to grades 7-12. Drop in; no registration required.

"ESPRESSO SELF" AT YOUR LIBRARY: PAINTING WITH ESPRESSO

Tuesday, July 14 at 7:00 PM

We drink coffee, use it in recipes, and even use the grounds in the garden. But, paint with it? Believe it! Coffee art is truly a unique art form. Completed artwork will be displayed at the Library. Open to grades 7-12. Drop in; no registration required.

ONE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES FOR PEACE CLUB

For grades 3-8

Thursdays at 1:30 PM

June 18-August 6

Join us as we share the legend of the Grateful Crane, remember Sadako, share peace tales, learn about wild cranes, and work together to make one thousand paper cranes as a wish for world peace by Peace Day on August 6th. Drop in; no registration necessary.

TEEN TERRITORY TRIVIA CHALLENGE

June 15-August 8

Complete 50 activities and you will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win a prize such as a pizza, sporting tickets, a skateboard, or a coffee gift card to list a few. Check out the library display cases for other fun possibilities. Open to grades 7-12. The game ends Saturday, August 8 at 2:00 PM.

MUKWONAGO ROCKS! SCAVENGER HUNT

Win a rock tumbler!

Search the village of Mukwonago for unique rock formations--natural rocks, walls, cornerstones, art objects, etc. Searh high, search low. Search on foot, by bike, or by car. All rock formations can be viewed from public property; please do not enter private property. Open to families and friends of all ages. One random winner will be chose from all correct enries. Contest ends Saturday, August 8 at 2:00 PM.

BE CREATIVE @ YOUR LIBRARY ARTS & CRAFT CONTEST

June 15-August 8

Use your imagination to create "art" from a book checked out at the Mukwonago Community Library. Bring your artwork to the library for display throughout the summer. All entries will receive a FREE order of Domino's Cinna Stix. A Grand Prize of a $25 gift card to Michael's will be awarded to one person in each of the following categories: grades K-3; grades 4-6; grades 7-12.

A Timeless Treasure-- A Great Book Discussion Read

About two weeks ago a friend and I were talking books. My friend is a member of a WCTC book discussion group and she began talking-up their latest read-- the story surrounds the life of a woman who has spent her life managing a household, being an attentive wife and mother. She is a woman who feels caged by her second-place existence where everyone else comes first . On her 40th birthday she announces she is "retiring" from her responsibilites to find time for herself. The result is a conflict between her responsibility to her family and her personal freedom. Does any part of this woman's emotional being sound even a smidgen familiar? My friend went on to say that the reading group enthusiastically discussed the book in-depth.

Did it matter that the book was written in 1946? Is it significant that the setting is China? Absolutely not! Pearl Buck's "Pavilion of Women" transcends time and culture. Radical for its time, the book raises relevant questions about marriage, the roles of men and women, self-discipline and happiness.

Are you hooked? The Mukwonago Community Library is currently updating a very worn copy; it's replacement will be found in Adult Fiction with the Call number: BUCK P PAVILION.

"We read to know we are not alone!" C. S. Lewis

A Darrin Stephens Production

Okay, this has to be one of the creepiest ads ever (click on it for a larger version):

Doesn't it feel like something that would've happened on Bewitched? I can just see Endora encapsulating these young welps, probably the twin grandsons of Gladys Kravitz. Darrin freaks out, "Saaammm, your mother has shrink wrapped the babies!", but then later hastily scrambles together the mishap into an advertising campaign for DuPont.

Darrin's boss, Larry Tate, is duly impressed, and the young whelps are confined to their air-tight prison. Darrin pecks Sam on the cheek, gives a sharp "Hah!" to Endora, and takes a small modicum of satisfaction in her scowl.

The unsuspecting mother of the twins would later settle out of court with DuPont for unspecified damages.

Just a little something to keep in mind the next time someone talks about how wonderful things were in the past.

Greater Than the Sum of Our Parts

The Mukwonago Community Library is part of the Waukesha County Federated Library System (WCFLS). What this means is that we have access to a tremendous amount of materials and resources that we would never be able to provide if we weren’t part of the system. Most of the books, movies and other materials you put on hold come to us from other WCFLS libraries. Our online catalog is a joint venture with the other county libraries. Many of our online resources, including the very popular Ancestry.com and HeritageQuest genealogical databases, the Auto Repair and Small Engine Repair collections, and the Morningstar Investment Research Center are only available because of our collaboration with WCFLS.

Remembering Tiananmen

Today is the 20th anniversary of the "tank man" showdown between student protesters in Beijing and the Chinese Army. The image is iconic and the events well-worth remembering. Interestingly, a previously unpublished photo of the lead-up to the confrontation was released yesterday.

It is an interesting view of the event-- I didn't even see the "tank man" in the picture the first time I looked at the picture. But once you do see him, it is startling. He is positioned well in advance of the tanks arrival, straight-backed, undaunted. His protest was no spur of the moment action, and while everyone else is running away, he is standing. Just standing.

What do you suppose he was thinking as those tanks slowly rumbled toward him and bullets flew all about him? Was he aware of the image he created? Did he hope that his actions would have an effect on outside opinion? Or was he just saying, "Enough. No more. Enough."?

Thought for the Day

Hold on to what is good-Even if it is a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe in-Even if it is a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do-Even if it is a long way from here.
Hold on to life-Even if it is easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand- Even when I have gone far from you.

-Native American Poem