Happy New Year

The Library is closed early 10-2
on Monday, December 31 st .


We are closed on Tuesday, January 1st.


Have a great holiday. See you on
Wednesday, January 2nd.

Library Holiday Closed Dates

Kasson Public Librarywill be closed

on the following dates:

Monday, December 24th

Tuesday, December 25th

Closed Early Monday, December 31st 10:00-2:00

Tuesday, January 1st Closed

Jill Foley Violinst at Praire Meadows

The library, as part of our Books on Wheels program, had Violinist Jill Foley play at Prairie Meadows today. The residents thoroughly enjoyed her performance of Christmas songs. Her daughter Sydney played a few songs with her mother and her sister Kayleigh picked up her toy violin to try to play along with them. We felt very privileged to have Jill and her children take time to entertain all of us.

Jill and her family are new residents to our area and currently live in Manorville. She started playing the violin at nine years old and has played for the past twenty four years. Jill has played with the Peoria Symphony and has a Masters in Suzuki Violin Instruction. She is available for lessons, weddings, and special occasion and you can contact her at 507-635-3437 or fiddlejill@yahoo.com.

I took pictures of the residents, Jill and her children.

Christmas Activity 12/19/07

Today was the second of our Christmas storytimes and many children came to hear stories, watch a movie, make Christmas cards and receive treat bags.

Christmas Activity 12/18/07

Our library has storytime twice a week for preschool and kindergarten children. We have about 25 children between the two story hours. On holidays we have special programs and crafts that the children really enjoy. Below are pictures of the Tuesday group for Christmas crafts.




Children's Librarian Mary Mataitis is talking
with the children and their moms during Christmas card craft.

Moms help their children with Christmas cards.

Mary Mataitis hands out treats after the holiday storytime.

Wreaths Across America

I and my family were privleged to participate in the first annual Wreaths Across American last Saturday, December 15th at New Life Worship Center and Soldiers Field in Rochester.

My brother Terry was the MC for the program and my brother Jan Throndson carried the wreath and family members followed in honor of our father Warren Throndson who served in the Merchant Marines in World War II. KAAL covered this event. Go to the website and view the video. kaaltv.com/article/stories/S286664.shtml?cat=10151

All of these specially made wreaths are donated by Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine. It's a holiday tradition in honor of those who gave their lives for our country.
Ten-thousand Christmas wreaths were laid on headstones at Arlington National Cemetary today for the annual "Wreaths Across America" celebration. The tradition began 16 years ago when the "Worchester Wreath Company" in Maine began donating wreaths to honor fallen soldiers. Two years ago that annual tradition spread throughout the country, and now it's here in Rochester. http://www.blogger.com/www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/ . View the video of the national event and the history of behind the event.

"Wreaths Across America" is being celebrated in more than 260 veteran cemetaries and memorials across the nation.

Definr-A Fast Dictionary

Definr bills itself as an "incredibly fast dictionary." Just start out typing in your word and Definr will try to guess what word you are looking for. If it guesses it, just stop typing and click on the term. You will get a concise definition without a page load to wait for. Very slick!

I found this on Tasha Sandecker's website, Sites and Soundbytes at www.greenlakelibrary.org/blog/.
Check it out!

Holiday Decorations

This month the library is decorated with a holiday village and snow people theme. This is a result of one of our talented staff, Donna Kirchgatter who used all of her own decorations to create a festive atmosphere in the library. We have heard many postive comments on the overall look of the library throughout the year.

GO GREEN INSTITUTE

I just got back on Wednesday, December 12th from my trip to Chicago for Library Journal's Go Green Institute at the Chicago Public Library. (CPL). I am pictured with the Editor-in-Chief of Library Journal, Francine Fialkoff on the left.

This full day seminar of architects, planners, and librarian shared the latest developments and options, addressed concerns about the cost of going green, and revealed cutting edge solutions now being adopted. Very lively discussions from architects and the librarians.

I learned a lot about green architecture at this workshop and plan to implement green as much as possible in the new library.

I just have to say something about the Chicago Public Library. This library takes up 1 1/2 city blocks and has 10 full floors with everything imaginable inside. The outside of the library is unique with all of its green copper gargoyles and brass doors. Very Impressive. Didn't have much time to explore, but managed a few floors. A must see if you are ever in Chicago. It is on State Street and takes up 1 /2 city blocks.

Olde Fashion Christmas at the Library

There were many activities at the library during the Olde Fashion Christmas on Main Street Kasson last Saturday. We had some great volunteers to help us with the activities. Children could chose to listen to stories , write a letter to Santa, create Christmas cards, or color some holiday pictures. There were many chances for prizes for both children and adults. Some of the prizes were wreaths, books, memory card games, stuffed animals. Everyone who attended had a great time as did the staff and volunteers.


Library employees Donna Kirchgatter and Bonnie Adams could not have done this alone we had excellent help. Volunteers Pat Coy read stories, Pastor Clint Patterson help with registration, Mary Schilling worked with children to create cards. Library employee Paula Talbert was not present, due to a broken leg, designed the wreaths for the drawing.

Internet Radio Site

This is even better than Pandora radio. This web radio has the best sub-groups. My favorite is the oldies with sub group
1953-63.

AccuRadio is an Internet radio site definitely worth visiting. They not only have a wide variety of channels for rock, pop, jazz, classical, country, oldies, Latin, world music and more, but each channel is broken into even more specific channels. Even when you are listening to a channel, you can customize it and de-select artists you don't want to listen to. This is one of the most intuitive and fun interfaces I have seen in awhile.

Santa Hats and our Storytime

Today at our Wednesday Storytime, a mom brought her two girls dressed for the holiday season.

What Book Got You Hooked on Reading?

FirstBook, which gives away books to children, asked people to tell them what book got them hooked on reading. Find out what the poll revealed about the top 50 books - you may be surprised by some of the results!

Did your book make the list? Mine did!

Number 12. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell.

Old Fashion Christmas Main Street Kasson

Saturday, December 8, 2007

We encourage families to take this time together to enjoy some sights, sounds, and activities of an Old Fashioned Christmas. This event is sponsoredby the Kasson Chamber of Commerce and several downtown businesses.

10-12 Storytime at the Library

10-2 Activities at Jimmy's Pizza decorating a Christmas cookie, 1 free picture when you visit

Mrs. Claus.

10-2 String popcorn at the Kasson Dollar & Video.

10-2 Bring a parent and make an ornament at Kasson Variety.

10-2 See one of Santa's reindeer in the parking lot of (former building of Miller's Antiques).

10-1 Santa will be at the State Theater, pictures will be taken by Copycat Printing

Bring your homemade ornament to decorate the tree outside of Kasson Liquor.

Holiday treats available at some businesses. Special holiday drawings in select businesses. Hometown Singers will be caroling in and out of Main Street Businesses.

Friends Book Sale

Hannah and her mom stopped by the book sale this morning and took time deciding just what special books they would buy.

Sybel and Kristi were there to bag the books and collect the money. The library is very fortunate to have a dedicated and active Friends group that helps with our library programs. All of the library staff would like to thank the Friends group for all of
their support this past year,
without them we could not do all of the programs that the children and adults participate look forward to.

The last book sale of 2007 is now in progress at the library and Monday, Dec 3 and Tuesday,Dec 4 will be $1.00 bag days in which you fill a bag and pay only a dollar.

Library Closed for the Holiday

The Kasson Public Library will be closed

Thursday, November 22,
Friday, November 23, and
Saturday, November 24.

2007 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALISTS

The winners of the 2007 National Book Awards have been announced.

Fiction
Mischa Berlinski, Fieldwork

Lydia Davis, Varieties of Disturbance

Joshua Ferris, Then We Came to the End

Denis Johnson, Tree of Smoke

Jim Shepard, Like You’d Understand, Anyway

Nonfiction
Edwidge Danticat, Brother, I’m Dying

Christopher Hitchens, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
Woody Holton, Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution

Arnold Rampersad, Ralph Ellison: A Biography

Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA

Poetry
Linda Gregerson, Magnetic North

Robert Hass, Time and Materials

David Kirby, The House on Boulevard St.

Stanley Plumly, Old Heart

Ellen Bryant Voigt, Messenger

Young People’s Literature
Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Kathleen Duey, Skin Hunger: A Resurrection of Magic, Book One

M. Sindy Felin, Touching Snow

Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Sara Zarr, Story of a Girl

Friends Book Sale

Friends of the Kasson Public Library

Thursday, Nov 29

10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Friday, Nov 30

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Supplemented by Thrivent Financial For Lutherans

Children's Books Week

RISE UP READING!

The 88th celebration of Children’s Book Week is November 12-18, 2007 and the theme Rise Up Reading is very appropriate.


As we all know, reading is not a solitary, stationary activity. People learn, grow, and benefit from reading day-to-day lives because so much of today’s information is only available through the word—in books, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and even on television.

Children cannot "Rise Up" to this challenge without many, many hours of reading practice, impossible for anyone to read that much without first developing a love of reading. During Children’s Book Week, parents, educators, and other caregivers can "Rise Up" to this take a stand. Introduce your kids to all sorts of books and "Rise Up Reading" together.

Veterans Day Library Closed

The Kasson Public Library will be closed on Saturday, November 10th and Monday, November 12th for Veterans Day.

X-Ray Discovered On This Date

As with many of mankind's monumental discoveries, X-ray technology was invented completely by accident. In 1895, a German physicist named Wilhelm Roentgen made the discovery while experimenting with electron beams.

Roentgen placed various objects between the tube and the screen, and the screen still glowed. Finally, he put his hand in front of the tube, and saw the silhouette of his bones projected onto the fluorescent screen. Immediately after discovering X-rays themselves, he had discovered their most beneficial application.

Roentgen's remarkable discovery precipitated one of the most important medical advancements in human history. X-ray technology lets doctors see straight through human tissue to examine broken bones, cavities and swallowed objects with extraordinary ease.