The Dow Jones industrial Average was 3,750, gasoline cost $1.01 a gallon, and interest rates were at 6 percent. No one had a smartphone, but that was fine, because there was no Google, no Facebook… there was barely a World Wide Web.

The world has changed dramatically since 1993 when our library building opened; our building has not. So we are taking a few weeks this winter to update our physical structure to bring it into the 21st century. The article on our new renovations blog outlines the exciting improvements to come; more information will come as the details become known.

By summer, you’ll be able to enjoy more flexible space, brighter and more energy-efficient lighting, and more browseable displays of our most popular items. And we’ll be better positioned to meet the needs of our 21st century patrons and fulfill our mission of connecting our community to information, education, ideas, stories, entertainment, and one another.

Happy reading, happy holidays, and best wishes for 2012,

Cindy

It’s fall. Before we know it, Thanksgiving will be here. In that spirit, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for our community partners, whose support is integral to many of the special programs and resources we are able to offer.

Please join me in thanking the local businesses and organizations who contributed to the success of popular programs such as our Reading Clubs, the Big Read initiative, the annual “One Book, One Community” program, and our growing author series.

Special thanks are due to our faithful group of Friends, who support the library and its goals through fundraising and volunteering. Each year, the Friends fund the Allen Meyer Memorial Scholarship, the Summer Reading Club paperback book giveaway, the “Books for Babies” initiative, and improvements to the building and grounds for all to enjoy.

And thank you, dear patrons, whose continued support and use of your library helps ensure a bright future for us and for our community.

Happy reading,

Cindy

Free music downloads, free admission at museums, delivery for homebound patrons, computer classes, homework help, research assistance… your library card provides access to a surprising variety of resources and benefits. Of course, it allows you to borrow books, videos, DVDs and CDs for free, too: more than 250,000 items right here,thousands of e-books online, and millions more items available through Interlibrary Loan.

September is National Library Card Sign-up Month. There’s no better time to sign up for a free library card. This month only, new cardholders will automatically be entered in a drawing to win an iPod Nano, Nook e-reader or other great prizes. Already have a card? Great! Refer a friend for your own chance to win.  Anyone who lives or owns property or a business within the library district boundaries is entitled to a free library card. Look on our website at www.vapld.info > Services > Library Cards for details.

We look forward to welcoming you.

This summer, we celebrate the U.S.A with our Summer Reading Club theme, Read, White, and Blue! The whole family—kids, teens, and adults—can earn prizes and have fun while reading over the summer. If you need selection suggestions, look no further than the special displays and reading lists throughout the library. Our librarians have hand-picked top titles for you.

I also encourage you to join your neighbors and fellow library patrons in reading this year’s One Book, One Community selection, Widow of the South by Robert Hicks. The selection pays homage to this year’s 150th anniversary of the Civil War. We will host a book discussion in July and a special keynote presentation and book signing with the author. [details and links]

This summer, we have a calendar exploding with summer diversions and family fun. From big-name author visits to concerts, workshops, and even a summer picnic, your Vernon Area Public Library is the place to be this summer vacation. Check us out!

We are excited and honored to be one of 75 communities selected nationwide to host “The Big Read”— a program of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture.

The Big Read answers a big need. Less than half of American adults read literature (novels, short stories, poetry, drama). The Big Read addresses this issue by bringing communities together to read, discuss, and celebrate books and writers from American and world literature... to re-engage us with reading for fun.

And so we present a month of special programs, projects, and discussion surrounding The Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Why Poe? His influence is so important and his work is so accessible. The detective story, the horror tale, the short story, and “pure poetry” each owe him a debt. There was no one like Poe before, and no American storytelling form has been the same since.

Whether you’re a regular reader already or making up for lost time, I encourage you to renew your relationship with books this spring. Grab a good book, and may you enjoy reading evermore!