New books!  The fundraiser was such a great success, that we will be enjoying several new books in the children’s department.  Plus young adults and adult readers will benefit from the increased spending outside of budgeted funds, since that means more of the budgeted monies will be shared by them.   The problem of the  lack  award winners is now being solved.  There are also St. Patrick’s Day books for children!

Activities are being planned for the next 2 months at the library.  There is only one special  program left planned for this month .    Mother Goose will be appearing on Wednesday March 20^th at 10. am.

April events that are already planned at the library :There is something every Monday night!

Scrapbooking with Susie Feldkamp: April 8 at 6:30 pm.

Fishing Forecast with the Lake Perry Biologist Kirk Tjelamand:   April 15^th at 6:30

Family night: stories crafts, games April 22^nd 6:30 –Earth day theme

The  Library is also grateful to the County Line Extension Unit that will be hosting an author visit with a baked potato/salad bar on April 20^th  featuring Judith Miller, a Topeka inspirational fiction writer.

Warm weather, great programs, new books, what is keeping you from visiting the library?  Hope to see you soon!

The library is hosting a FUNdraiser this Saturday, February 16,  to support the purchase of new children’s materials.  The Libri Foundation has awarded a matching funds grant to us.  So, we hope we have ALOT of people with a sweet tooth, plus  interest in solving the  mystery “Quicker than the Eye.”   Stop by between 1-3 pm for dessert tasting or come at 3 and enjoy the desserts plus the mystery.  Tickets are available at the door.

Cost $7.50 desserts;   $10.00 dessert/mystery combo.

I hope that everyone had a chance to see the wonderful trees here at the library!  We had 13 groups decorate trees to lend a festive touch .  A big thank you to all who participated.   The top votes went to the Township Fire department, The  Methodist Church and the Veterans tree.  Again, thanks to all for sharing.

The holidays are over and the decorations are put away.  What resolutions did you make for this year?  The top resolutions can be found on the internet under different searches.  There are business resolutions, family resolutions, health resolutions.   I have one for the library:  To make Winchester people think of the library as the center of the community.  How does that happen? I hope with a lot of programs, and new materials.

Would you like more time with your family?  We will begin offering a family night once a month.  The goal will be to promote literacy and good library habits.  The activities will include of course, a couple of stories, plus a craft a game and some snacks.   Some of the side effects might be: finding new areas of interest for your family.  I am also looking for programs for adults in the community.   Keep your eyes open for more information about an afternoon of desserts and mystery coming in February.

So, see you at the library!

“Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree,

                        How lovely are thy branches…”

 “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,

                        Everywhere you go”…

Stop by to view the wonderful Festival of Trees here at the Library! There are thirteen trees on display. The trees have been decorated by several groups in the community.   Each has a unique theme to enjoy from angels to and gingerbread to pets and patriotism, all giving us more Christmas spirit.

Thinking of the Christmas spirit, do you know the rest of the words from the songs above and enjoy singing? Maybe not, but you would like to brighten your day with some holiday music?  We have Christmas music on CDs to check out. But, don’t forget that we do have great books, and several Christmas titles. Come check us out!

Banned Book Week 2012:

What do these titles all have in common?  They are all books that have been banned here in the United States! Celebrate your first amendment rights and practice your freedom to read!  This is just a partial list.  I am only listing the top titles most challenged.  There are plenty more.

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Ulysses, by James Joyce
Beloved, by Toni Morrison
The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
1984, by George Orwell
Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Animal Farm, by George Orwell
The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

Greetings to all of you! My name is Cheryl Sylvester and I am thrilled to be joining your library as the new Director. I truly believe that free public libraries and the access to information is such an important part of our country. I have had visitors from foreign countries in the library that are amazed that they can even touch the books, let alone able to check them out! Winchester should take great pride in the providing such a fine library to the community.

I have been a librarian since 1990 when I was employed as a children’s librarian in Ottawa, Kansas. My husband and I are empty-nesters, with our only dependent at the moment is Lamar our 6 year old Golden retriever. Our daughters live in Denver, Portland and Washington DC. We live in Atchison where I am a member of Kiwanis and Zonta. We are also very active members of Atchison United Methodist Church.

I have seen a lot of change come to libraries in the past 20 years. Does anyone remember when there was a struggle in communities whether or not videos should be purchased by libraries? Library school teaches us that libraries are ever changing. That’s a good thing. Life demands that we grow and change to stay vital. Libraries need to also follow that guideline. Just as we incorporated videos, then dvds into collections, now it’s the need for e-books and defining the libraries role in an ever-changing society. This is exciting to me.

I hope to meet a lot of you and hope that you share with me your ideas of this library’s role in the community. I am changing the look of the book shelf. The books I have enjoyed this past summer are in the side bar to the left. Maybe there are some titles that you would be interested in also. Now you can click to see if it’s available in NExpress.

The Winchester Public Library together with the Jefferson County Extension Center, will be  presenting a workshop on social networking, Thursday, April 5th, at 1:30 pm, in the library meeting room.

Social networking is a wonderful way to connect with people near and far, from the past, and the present. Learning to connect with others that share your interests, and past and present experiences opens up a whole new world to those who choose to take that step . This workshop will take the fear out of taking a dip into the social networking arenas of Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Instagram, and more. Safety in social networking will also be discussed.

If you have a laptop computer, please feel free to bring it along, and interact with this discussion.  All social networking topics will be presented on a large screen, and questions will be answered.

For more information, contact the library at 913-774-4967, or Cindy Williams at the Jefferson County Extension Office.

Are you “peeking around” for a way to meet new people? Maybe you are new to the Winchester area?  Do you enjoy books?  The Winchester Public Library Book Club may be the place for you!
Each month, our book club members take turns choosing a book, and the choices are from all different   genres,  to keep the reading material fresh and interesting.

So join us for a lively book discussion, the first Monday of every month, at 4:30 pm, new members are always very welcome!

Call or email the library: 913-774-4967 or director@winchesterlibrary.org  for more information.

The Winchester Public Library will be hold a quilt show, beginning October 12th, and lasting until November 12th. All quilters, or those who would like to display a quilt, are urged to contact the library at 913-774-4967 or director@winchesterlibrary.org to reserve a secure place to place it on display.  We will welcome all forms of quilting, and hope to make this the best quilt show in the area!

Would you like some suggestions for great reads? Would you like to know more about the different genres of books, and possibly discover a new favorite book and author?

Join us in a 40 minute review of several books;  some new, some not so new (but that you possibly haven’t heard of), in two separate interactive sessions. There will be video book trailers (similar to movie trailers…they are very fun) and lively discussions, so please join us either on Friday, August 26th,  at 2:00 pm, or Tuesday, September 6th, at 4:00 pm. We will be having light refreshments, so an RSVP of your attendance would be most appreciated at: 913-774-4967 or director@winchesterlibrary.org