I'd like to take a second to visit our Mission Statement:
The Balsam Lake Public Library provides materials, resources, and services that enhance and contribute to
individual knowledge, enlightenment, and enjoyment creating a vibrant center of our community.
Something to think about:
Our library is special to each person who visits. It’s a place for a child to go after school, the student that needs tutoring, the business person needing use of the internet, the casual reader, the families coming to plan and read, the teens who come in to play games and socialize, the job seeker working on a resume, etc.
How’s it important to you???
- Linda Heimstead, Library Director
Happy New Year to all of our readers. We begin 2019 with our first Book Club meeting that will be held on Tuesday, January 8th at 2:00 pm. We will be discussing the 2016 book entitled News of the World by Paulette Jiles, author of Enemy Women.
In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction. Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings from newspapers to paying audiences who are hungry for news of the world.
In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. And so the story begins as this book explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.
Start the new year off by joining our group and joining other avid readers like you. We welcome newcomers as we spend an hour sharing our thoughts and impressions about each book we read, which is usually a recommendation from other library users.
Order you book on the MORE SYSTEM at http://www.more.lib.wi.us/ or we will be happy to do that for you!
- Jeanne Johnson, Assistant Librarian
Happy New Year!
Story time will resume on Tuesday January 15th at 10:30 am
Our themes for the month are as follows: music, names and numbers, and opposites. Our story times are open to children and families of all ages. On days we do not have a story time scheduled we offer "Open Play" such as on Tuesday, January 8th at 10:30 am where you may lead your own story time using all of our great resources such as kits, puppets, books, coloring sheets, toys, and Legos.
Upcoming Events
Swim Night Extravaganza
January 17th at Unity School
4 pm Open Swim
5 pm Dinner
5:30 pm "The Little Mermaid" Rated PG
Registration is required. Give us a call at 715-485-3215 to reserve your spot(s) before Jan. 11th.
Lego Party
January 31st 4-6 pm
Bring your friends and imagination!
Snacks will be provided.
AND
Our winter reading program this year is...
Winter Land! Starting January 14th and ending March 1st, we will be hosting this interactive reading/activity program designed to help everyone see ALL that we have to offer here at the Balsam Lake Public Library!
Winter Land is a spin-off of Candy Land and can be played with a group, individually, or with the whole family! Work as a team having lots of fun, trying new things, or something you haven't done in a while. When you complete activities, your player moves spaces and each activity completed receives ONE raffle ticket to put into one of 3 fabulous prize baskets with the themes of "cozy," "games and movies," and "DIY dinner." When you complete the game, you will receive FIVE more raffle tickets to put into ANY baskets!
Winners will be drawn and contacted the last day of the program.
For all the details and to sign-up for FREE, stop by the library and/or ask us all about it next time you're in!
Make the Balsam Lake Public Library part of your 2019!
Junk: Digging Through America's Love Affair with Stuff By: Alison Stewart
The New Year brings thoughts of starting a-new, making resolutions, and perhaps cleaning "junk" out of drawers, closets, basements, attics, and garages. Everyone has their own definition of “junk”: Something kept around, but broken; a possession taking up more space than it’s worth; clutter that’s in the way; an item which hasn’t been used in ages. Junk may be kept for a variety of reasons: sentimental; family history; might be valuable some day; too good to throw away; might need it for parts; plan to give it to the grandchildren; too overwhelming to clean out the room; someone gave it to you as a gift; you grew up with a non-wasteful and resourceful lifestyle. Do any of these “junk” definitions or reasons apply to you?
Author Alison Stewart spent 3 years investigating the junk culture—what junk do we keep and why. She got an inside look at junk and the rationale for it by riding around the country with junk-removal trucks (which is a growing franchise). And she made discoveries about the fascination with junk on television shows such as Hoarders, Storage Wars, Pawn Stars, American Pickers, etc.; and the number of organizational books and magazines dealing with the problem.
Often, there’s a practical reason to clean out our spaces due to moving (how do those Tiny House residents do it?) or dying, or even the desire to invite over friends and family without embarrassment. Or, there is a realization that time to find something in the disorganized chaos or lack of physical space is causing issues.
Stewart also mentions the positive impacts of getting rid of junk, such as donations to others in need; up-cycling or repairing it to use again; and giving it away through the non-profit organization, freecycle.org.
This book may inspire you to examine and deal with your junk in a new light.
Book review by Friend of the Library, Sheryl Kieselhorst
Welcome to another year as part of our library!
With a new year comes the inevitable New Year's resolutions where we make promises to do something healthier for ourselves in the fresh new year. While the motive behind doing this is admirable, it is also one that many (me included) fail in accomplishing long-term. We're talking about changing a lifestyle whether it's eating healthier, quitting smoking, reaching out to loved ones more, getting into a better exercise routine, getting more sleep, drinking more water, becoming more mindful, etc.
I've become tired of making inflexible resolutions because they don't seem to stick. Perhaps it's human nature that despite best efforts, goals can fall through the cracks, especially as that week after New Year's hits and the charm wears off.
So what's the secret to making goals and incorporating them into our lifestyles successfully?
I'm not sure. Everyone's different but if you're like me, what helps is not having such high expectations. There are always going to be setbacks but accepting them and working to improve gradually is what establishes a healthy habit.
Something I have been working on lately and I will continue to include in my daily routine is reading more often. As an adolescent, I always had a book in my hand and enjoyed the wonder and escapism that it offered (and still do) but sometimes, I feel so distracted by technology and everyday life that trying to focus on something like reading a book can be difficult; I often find my mind wandering to other things.
However, I recently read an article (that I shared on our Facebook page Monday) that discusses the extreme benefits that reading has on our overall health.
For example, reading stimulates muscles in the brain and prevents it from losing power. Much like exercising or feeding our bodies, our brain needs the same care and thought to slow and even prevent the development of aging diseases including Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Books can also be quite complex and making connections, remembering plots, spotting character developments, and so on exercises the brain like nobody's business, strengthening its analytical skills.
Slipping into the comforts of a good book also promotes stress reduction and relaxation, because while reading a story, the mind is able to let go of any stressors (even if it's only temporary) and this concentration then becomes a skill that can be applied in other daily activities.
And of course, learning new bits of information adds to the brain's vast bank of knowledge, which always stays with us, along with new vocabulary and phrases that we can use in future conversations or in our own writing.
My objective has been to read at least one hour every night before bed and while there are obstacles here and there, it has been wonderful getting back into the groove and discovering new (to me) authors and beautiful writing that is truly inspiring.
Is there anything positive you'd like to add to your routine?
Mara Martinson, Marketing/Technology Librarian
Visit our Little Free Libraries! Take a book and return a book. Anytime - 24 hrs. a day, 7 days a week. They are located at the beach, the park and the Polk County building.
Sign up here to receive updates to let you know about upcoming library events and programs.
