Tea & Mystery Update

The Tea & Mystery event is rapidly approaching-- this Sunday, from 2-4 pm. One of the two featured authors, Deb Baker, will be on the TMJ's Morning Blend (Channel 4) tomorrow, Oct. 19 between 9 and 10 am. She'll be talking about her new book, and will also plug the event here at the library. Check it out!

Halloween Happenings

Wear your costume and

come trick-or-treating at the Library.

HALLOWEEN

BEDTIME BUDDIES

Tuesday, October 26, 6:30 PM

An evening storytime for families of all ages.

A SOMEWHAT SCARY

STORYTIME

Wednesday, October 27, 10:00 AM

A preschool storytime for ages 3-6 years.

BABY BOO

Thursday, October 28, 10:00 AM

A lapsit storytime for ages newborn to 36 months.

ORIGAMI WORKSHOP

Thursday, October 28, 2:00 PM

For grades 4-8.

Previous experience helpful but not required.

HALLOWEEN

CRAFTY STORIES

Friday, October 29, 2:00 PM

A story and a craft for grades K-3. Please register.

Night on the Town Event!

You may have seen it in the paper, or heard about it around town, but if not-- please mark your calendars for Sunday, Sept. 26. The Library is holding A Night on the Town, a fundraiser for the expansion project featuring John McGivern. All proceeds will benefit our expansion fund, and the night should be a lot of fun.

Some of the details:

• A pre-performance gathering at Heaven City. It will feature gourmet hors d'oeuvres and a wine tasting, with a separate cash bar available. This "opening act" kicks off at 5:45.
• Doors at the Mukwonago High School Auditorium open at 7:15, with material on the expansion available for viewing. The Blood Street Blues Band, a local jazz group, will provide entertainment until the curtain is ready to go up on the main event.
• 8:00-- the Main Event. Jim "Lips" LaBelle will be your host, and he will introduce the Premiere, an award-winning female quartet that are part of the Sweet Adelines.
• John McGivern, local storyteller, actor and radio personality will take the stage after Premiere is done to bring you some of his one-of-kind stories and reminiscences.

This will be an awesome night of entertainment, food, community spirit and most of all, fun. And all the money will go to the Library's expansion, helping to ensure that Mukwonago has a top-notch cultural center that is good for everyone.

Details on the event are available here. Details on the expansion, and how you can help us reach our goal, are available here. Please, call the library with any questions, or send an email to us.

The Super-Dooper, Splendid, Spectacular, Stupendous, Simply Sensational, End-of-Summer Scavenger Hunt is HERE!

The Library's Summer Reading Program ends on Saturday, Aug. 7, but there's still fun to be had at the Mukwonago Community Library before the summer is over. All families with school-age children are eligible to participate in the SDSSSSSEoS Scavenger Hunt. One lucky family will win a $100 Kohl's gift certificate, and every family that successfully completes the hunt will receive a special prize.

This contest ends Friday, August 27 at 4:00 pm, but don't wait to start until the last minute-- there are 50, yes five-zero, items on the list and all of them need to be brought into the library and verified to qualify for the drawing for the $100 gift card.

Full rules and the scavenger hunt list are available in the Library, but here's just a small taste of the things you and your family will be hunting for:

• #6: Fly Swatter
• #17: Stick of White Chalk
• #33: Steel Wool
• #39: Blue Crayon
• #47: Coin Purse

Not Just Nautical Knots-- TONIGHT!

Join us this evening at 5 bells (6:30 pm for landlubbers like me) for a presentation on knot tying and much more. Which side is port and which starboard? Come find out! Craig Grisham, technology support person here at the library, will be your host for an informative and fun evening of nautical terminology and knot tying techniques. He will also relate a few of his exploits on the open seas.

There will be prizes for sailors 12 and under and fun to be had by all. Make sure to find out why five bells is 6:30-- I'm sure there is a good reason, but I can't imagine what it might be.

Summer is Here!

School's out and summer has begun (okay, officially it is still four days off, but once school's out, summer is here). The place to be cool this summer is the Mukwonago Community Library. There is simply tons of cool, "wet" and "watery" things happening here during June, July and August-- the theme this year is "Make a Splash at the Mukwonago Library".

Next week alone we have a Pirate Pajama Party at 6:30 pm on Tuesday the 22nd. The next morning, join us at 10 am for "Silly Songs and Stories." Teens can play many of their favorite Wii games in the afternoon, 1:30-3:30 pm on Wed., June 23. That night, you can be a detective, or a suspect, in the Library's Murder Mystery Party: Hulas and Homicides, 6:00-8:30 pm. Thursday is lapsit storytime at 10 am, then Ocean Origami for grades 4-8 at 2:00 pm.

And those are just the one-time events. The weekly reading challenges are ongoing throughout the summer, with separate challenges for children, teens and adults. Join in the fun and you could win a cool prize in one of our raffles. Story and drawing challenges are also underway-- tell us about "The One That Got Away," or draw a sea monster. And we have a "Guess How Many Origami Frogs" contest open to children as well.

Later in the summer, we'll have our Second Annual Recipe Contest, a bunch of cool movies-- with water/fish themes, and a Hula dance troupe. Visit our Youth Services and Adult Services web pages for a full listing of what's going on. Or, stop in to the library and pick up our brochures that give a full listing of the special events and activities available throughout the summer.

Make Waves this summer-- at the Mukwonago Community Library!

Stuff this Week

A busy week, so my apologies for not posting more and providing more advanced notice-- remember, you can always check our online calendar to see what's happening as well. So, it the spirit of better late than never, here's a breakdown of the remaining Spring Break week at the library:

• Tonight, Tuesday April 6: Job Hunting Workshop; 6:30-7:45
• Tomorrow, Wednesday April 7: Pigeon Party-- fun and games for K-2nd graders; 2:00 pm
• Thursday, April 8: Mad Hatter Tea Party-- enjoy tea and crumpets while make a mad creation; grades 7-12, 2:00 pm
• Friday, April 9: Game day-- we'll have a Wii station (but only one), and a variety of board games.

Next Tuesday, April 13, LaBak the magician will be here for an evening of magic and fun, starting at 7:00 pm.

Join us at the library!

Family Film Night

Tonight we have a 6 pm showing of the recent animated movie about food raining from the sky and spaghetti tornados. Based on the well-loved children's book, the movie got good reviews and is a lot of fun, so stop in! Bring along a pillow and blanket, or sleeping bag, or even a bean bag chair if you wish.

Upcoming and Ongoing Events

A heads up on a few upcoming events, plus some ongoing activities:
Upcoming

• Family Film Night, Tuesday, Jan. 12 @ 6:00 pm. Strange, food-based weather is the center of this movie (which, because of licensing restrictions we can't actually name) based on a well-loved children's book. Bring a pillow, sleeping bag or bean bag chair and some snacks!
• Origami Workshops, Monday, Jan. 25 and Friday, March 5 @ 3 pm. These workshops are open to 4th-12th graders. Previous experience is helpful, but not necessary.
• Wacky Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 18 (Teens only, grades 7-12) and Friday, Feb. 19 (grades K-6), both at 3:00 pm. Not quite the bobsled or ice hockey, but we will have marshmallow shot put and potato hockey.
• Winter Wisconsin Winters with Books: Adult Reading Challenge. Enter each week starting January 18 and running through March 17. Weekly prizes. Full details here.
  

Ongoing

• Pop Open a Good Book: Winter Reading Challenge. Open to grades K-12, the challenge runs through February 13. It's not too late to come in and sign up.
• Magazine Title Scramble. Open to grades 7-12. Correctly unscramble a list of magazine titles for a chance to win a 1-year subcription to your favorite magazine (some exclusions apply. Value not to exceed $40).
• Guess How Many Kernels of Popcorn Contest. Guess how many kernels of popcorn are in a container in our display case and you could win the PASS THE POPCORN game. To be eligible, you must not go over the number of kernels. Open to students in grades K-12.

Remember Our Veterans

Today is Veterans Day, a day to remember and honor all of the brave men and women who have served in our country’s armed services. It is held on November 11 in remembrance of the ceasefire on November 11, 1918 that effectively ended World War I. Originally meant to honor the veterans of that war, the day has grown to include all who have served in our country’s armed services.

This year, the Library is honored to have a display of memorabilia from the Badger State Chapter of the 82^nd Airborne Division.

Currently in our lobby, the display features photographs, equipment, badges and more from Wisconsin 82^nd Airborne veterans of World War II.

The 82^nd Airborne was organized on March 25, 1917 and is an elite paratrooper unit of the U.S. Army. Members of the unit typically parachute behind enemy lines and work to disrupt enemy supply lines and communications. They were a vital component of D-Day during World War II, as they were dropped behind the German lines with a mission to destroy bridges and railroad lines in order to cut off the Germans ability to resupply their forces in Normandy.

Unlike most units, the 82nd Airborne drew recruits from across the country, rather than being geographically focused. It is truly an All-American force with a long and proud history of service to our country.

The display will remain at the library for the next three months.

This Thing On?

Wow, has it really been that long since I posted anything? Yikes! Sorry about that.

Okay, well some catching up to do then. Expansion plans are still moving ahead, though we did reschedule our final meeting with Uihlein-Wilson into November to allow time for full development of all our options. Depending on the Village and their fiscal situation, we hope to be able to further develop our plans in 2010 and break ground in 2011. We'll see how it plays out.

Jacquie retired (waaah!), but we have hired a friendly, experienced replacement for her, so I think we'll be okay.

The library participated in a variety of Halloween events, including the Rotary Club's inaugural Halloween Haunt. I think things went quite well for a first year effort.

Thanks to the generosity of Jeanne and Bob Romanowski, we have some new, attractive and user-friendly CD racks in the library.

More and more and more, but I'll try to expand on the above and fill in the gaps during the course of this week.

Sorry for the long absence!

Schedule for Listening Sessions

The "final" version of the listening workshops for next Wednesday and Thursday is this:

AGENDA – Day I
Wednesday, August 12

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Executive Session: Building Committee
Introductions, overview of workshop
Key issues and upcoming workshops scheduled

10:35 – 12:00 Library Staff Group I
Collection sizes
Service issues
Patron and staff program needs

12:00 – 12:45 p.m. Lunch

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Friends of the Library, Library Board, neighbors

2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Break/Working

4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Library Staff Group II
Collection sizes
Service issues
Patron and staff program needs

5:45 – 7:00 Dinner

7:00 – 8:30 Neighborhood Group Listening Session


AGENDA - Day II
Thursday, August 13

9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Municipal Staff (at village hall)

10:45 - 12:00 p.m. Business/Chamber of Commerce Group

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Working Session

3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Report out and adjourn


Most of this workshop is focused on getting input from the library staff and municipality, but we do want community feedback as well. The prinicple place for community input during this workshop is 7-8:30 on Wednesday, August 12th. If you can't make that time, however, the public is welcome to attend the 1-2:30 slot on Wednesday and the 10:45-nooon slot on Thursday. If none of those times work, stop in during one of the staff sections.

1000 Cranes for Peace

This summer the Library is highlighting the crane, graceful birds that have been embodied in a variety of legends, poems and stories. Our "One Thousand Paper Cranes for Peace Club" has been busily folding cranes all sommer long. You can see there handiwork hanging in the library, as pictured above.

The goal is to work together to make one thousand paper cranes as a wish for world peace by Peace Day on August 6th. Next Thursday! We currently have over 700 cranes "flying" above the children's reference section, so we're getting close, and today at 1:30 still more of the beautiful, paper avians will be added. Come join the club (for 3rd through 8th grade), it's not too late!

For anyone interested in learning how to fold a paper crane, two of our club experts have demonstrated the process for us. Just click on the video below and follow along!

A Busy Week

On Monday, the Page Turners Book Club met in the afternoon to discuss the book Don't Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhoold. That evening Mary Blott, Executive Director of the Mukwonago Area Chamber of Commerce, talked with our patrons about Staycations-- fun, local and inexpensive vacation and relaxation opportunities during the summer.

Tuesday night was Espresso Self night, with local teens painting with espresso. The art is very cool.

Last night, the Library hosted an open mic event, and local authors, musicians and artists came out to read, sing, play and discuss their works. Fueled by some excellent coffee donated by Espresso Love, the night was a lot of fun.

This morning, Miss Jane had her lapsit storytime for our littlest patrons-- newborn to 36 months-- a session that featured quite a bit of quacking. Later today and tomorrow, there will be gatherings of the 1000 Cranes for Peace Club. 1:00-1:30 both days, the event is open to grades 3-8. Help us reach our goal of 1000 paper cranes by the end of the summer. Current crane total: 213.

Also today and tomorrow, we will have visits by our therapy dogs for the Paws to Read progam. Today at 1:30, Cinnamon will be in the house, while tomorrow at 1:30 B.J. will be available.

We are having a fun, creative summer at the Library-- come join the fun!

Food For Fines

Reduce your fines and help your community! From Monday, June 15 through Saturday, June 20, for every non-perishable food item brought to the library, we will credit $1 to any fines on your account. The food collected will be donated to Mukwonago’s two food pantries. Maximum reduction of fines is $20, and the reduction in fines does not apply to lost or damaged item fees or to fines from other libraries.

Food pantries can really use our help, as the economic crisis (recession? What are we calling this thing these days, other than "really scary"?) continues to disrupt livelihoods all across America. Of course, if you wish to bring in non-perishable food items even if you don't have fines, or in amounts greater than your fines, that would be most excellent as well.

Culver's National Day of Caring

Today, Tuesday, May 12, is Culver's National Day of Caring. And this year (and next!), the owner of the Mukwonago Culver's, Greg Landon, has selected the Mukwonago Community Library as the recipient of the National Day of Caring donation. This means that today, and today only, 10% of all sales at the Mukwonago Culver's will be donated by Greg and Culver's to the Library's expansion fund.

Thanks, Greg! Thanks, Culver's!

So, if you are looking for lunch, dinner or dessert today-- make it Culver's in Mukwonago and benefit the Library while enjoying a delicious meal or tasty custard.

Student Art @ the Library

As part of our National Library Week celebration, the Library currently has a variety of student art on display. These lovely and lively pieces of art have been created by local art students and will be on display at the Library for the next several weeks-- stop in and see how talented and creative the children of Mukwonago are!

Here's a small sampling of the art we have on display:

And They're Off!

The March Madness Author's Showdown is begun!

This week there are several high profile match ups, including Isaac Asimov (well known for his hook shot as well as his genre defining Foundation and Robot novels) facing off against Robert Heinlein (believed to be the originator of the phrase 'There ain't no such thing as a free lunch' and famous for his fade away jump shot). Another intriguing first round pairing is the gritty, hard-edged crime fiction of Mickey Spillane going up against the more refined, intellectual crime solving chops of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. While Spillane's main hero, Mike Hammer, is a powerhouse in the post who loves to block opponents' shots, Doyle's creation, Sherlock Holmes, is often regarded as a long distance marksmen, able to rain down three-point shots from nearly anywhere on the court.

Come pick your winners! Filling out a bracket is easy, and fun-- we don't require you to read all the authors. Just pick who you want and then see how your picks compare to the "game" results the following week.

And there are prizes! Each week, the patron whose bracket most closely matches the actual results will win a $10 gift card from our fabulous sponsor, Espresso Love Coffee. Espresso Love's coffees are outstanding, and their bakery items, quiche, soups and signature sandwiches are all delicious. Enjoy their tasty treats in a cozy, comfortable environment.

Stop into the library and grab a bracket by the reference desk. Once you fill it out, just return it to the friendly folks at the reference desk. Then tune in the following week to see how good your predictions were and how your favorite authors did.

Will Terry Pratchett's satirical genius and wicked bad cross-over dribble carry the day, or will Kurt Vonnegut's stream-of-consciousness writing and mad dunking skills prevail-- vote today and find out on Monday, March 16.

March Madness: Further Details

Once again here's the bracket for Week One:


If you've ever filled out an NCAA Men's Tournament Bracket, this is the same thing, only for authors. If not, well the process is pretty simple. Just pick a winner for each of the eight matchups, then pick a winner for the resulting four matchups, then pick a winner for the "competition" between the two remaining authors. A completed bracket might look like this:


The actual "winners" will be selected by the staff, and for every "winner" in the first round that you correctly picked, you'll get 1 point. For every winner in the second round, you'll get two points, and if you select a correct bracket "finalist" you'll get four points. A total of 24 point is possible for a week, if you pick everything perfectly. The winners will be posted over the course of the following week.

Whoever has the highest total each week will win a prize, and there will be a running total for the entire "tournament" with the highest cumulative total after five weeks winning the grand prize. Ties will be broken by a random draw from all entries with the highest total.

Stop in to the library and get a bracket-- it'll be fun. Week One brackets will be available on Monday, March 9 and will need to be turned in by 4:00 pm on Saturday, March 14.

Donkeyball Post Game Assessment

We was robbed! You thought the officiating was poor to criminal in the Super Bowl? That was nothing on the Donkeyball tournament on Friday. The community team took the court against the school administrators, and it was quickly clear that the cards were stacked against us. Jeff Spang, of the YMCA Phantom Lake camp, had bravely volunteered to ride the sweetly named Honeypot, a misnomer if ever there was one.

Honeypot (shown above, with me trying to stop him so I can attempt to ride him for 5-10 seconds until he bucks or ducks me off) is one ornery, unsweet little equine. So, right from the get go one of our four players was hamstrung trying to get on the donkey, much less actually ride and direct it. Two of our other donkeys steadfastly refused to move. Yet despite playing roughly 1 on 3 (the adminstrators did have one donkey that did not move as well), we were ahead at half-time and tied 12-12 with only seconds left in regulation.

As a side note, 12-12 is huge scorefest in donkey ball. The first game, 7th grade teachers vs. 8th grade teachers, ended 8-6.

But I digress. After a controversial ruling on an adminstration technical foul, the game ended in a tie, with the adminstrators winning in "overtime". OT consisted of an arm wrestling match and a Rock, Paper, Scissors throw down, both of which the community lost. All of which should've been irrelevant, since we had the game cinched in regulation-- despite our donkey disadvantage!-- until the ref weighed in and virtually handed the game to the admin team. But I'm not bitter.

Seriously, it was fun, the crowd was great, and the school raised a lot of money for their technology drive. As for your intrepid correspondent and erstwhile donkey rider-- I was not in much, as the community team had 12 people to rotate into four slots. But I did get to know Honeypot up close and personal. He actually seems like a nice enough donkey-- he just doesn't like large people riding on him.

Which is understandable. So, I spent a good part of my time sliding alongside him as he pulled me wherever he happened to want to go. I did manage to mount up a few times. I think I even lasted longer than seven seconds once-- which is pretty good! Oh wait, that's in bull riding.

Well, either way, it was fun and I applaud my team, the opponents, everyone who came to watch the show, and the donkeys themselves-- they were very patient.

Here's a few more pics from the show (sorry they are a little dark-- the lighting in the gym wasn't so good for pictures):