Megan was a Reference Librarian at Cudahy Public Library before starting here at GPL and has a background in Elementary/Middle School Education. She likes reading, streaming new shows, traveling and theater. Some fun facts about her include she has a cat named Harper who she taught to do tricks, she's been to 13 countries outside of the US, she doesn't drink coffee/tea, her favorite food is pizza, she's climbed the Great Wall of China and she's skydived in Sydney, Australia!  She is pictured here holding a YA book she recommends, Kate in Waiting, by Becky Albertalli.  She is super excited to be the new Teen Librarian here at Greendale Public Library and looks forward to meeting all of you!

 

Programs for Kids

Youth Programs are on a short break.

Programs for Teens
 

Meet the New Teen Librarian Hangout (Lower Level)
Wednesday, Nov. 10th, 3-4:30pm
Come meet the new teen librarian, Megan! We’ll have Jackbox games and snacks. Please bring a device to play with and questions for Megan to answer. No registration required.

After School Teen Movie (Lower Level)
Monday, Nov. 22nd, 3-4:30pm
Teens! Join us for a movie after school and some popcorn. Movie TBD. No registration required.

Programs for Adults
 

Color Me Calm (Lower Level)
Tuesday, November 2nd, 6-7:30pm
Enjoy a stress-free evening of coloring fun and intricate coloring pages designed just for adults. The library will provide the materials but feel free to bring in your own supplies. The 1st Tuesday of the month from 6-7:30pm.  Registration is not required, just drop in!

Adult Book Discussion of, The Night Watchman, by Louise Erdrich
Thursday, Nov. 4th, 6-7:30pm (Lower Level)
Join us for an in-person Book Discussion on the Pulitzer prize winning book, The Night Watchman, by Louise Erdrich. Registration Required.

Advancing the Science at any Given Moment: The Latest in Alzheimer's and Dementia Research (Zoom)
Wednesday, Nov. 10th, 6:30-7:30pm
Join us for this Virtual Presentation on Zoom to learn more about the latest advances in clinical trials, treatments and lifestyle interventions. Registration Required to receive Zoom Meeting Link. Register online at the above link.

Book A Librarian (Info Desk)
Thursday, Nov. 11th, 3-5:00pm
Every 2nd & 4th Thursday of the month, book a 30 minute, one-on-one session for library and basic technology help. (EXCEPTION: Not Thanksgiving). Registration Required.

 

 

"The bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility and master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction returns with a stylish and propulsive novel set in 1950s America. In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett's intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother, Billy, and head to California where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden's car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett's future, one that will take them all on a fateful journey in the opposite direction-to the City of New York. Spanning just ten days and told from multiple points of view, Towles's third novel will satisfy fans of his multi-layered literary styling while providing them an array of new and richly imagined settings, characters, and themes"-- Provided by publisher.

Online Card Renewal

One of the tasks I set myself to relieve the boredom of COVID, was to finally count all of the books in our house. The rather staggering number of 3,200 plus was then posted (along with pictures) on our Facebook account. In searching for a topic for this Footnotes article, and having just finished Pride and Prejudice for the Nth time, I thought about book ownership.

In 1800 a measure of the means of a gentleman could be found in his library. With the invention of movable type, book ownership moved from the Church and royalty to those of more modest means; but books were still out of the reach of most people. Until the invention and large scale production of paper made out of wood (1840), the leather bound, rag paper volumes of reading material ( and the gift of education they afforded), were almost exclusively the province of the upper and upper-middle classes.
While lending libraries had been in existence since 1728 in the U.K; and 1731, when Benjamin Franklin founded the first one in Philadelphia, in what would become the United States, they were by subscription only, and a yearly fee was charged. Actual book ownership represented two important status symbols: education and wealth.

So what does my home collection of 3,200 titles represent? That depends on your scale of measurement…..If it were 1800 they would represent approximately $12,800 (about $4.00 each). Given that the average wage of a teacher (our household profession) was about $180.00 per year; those volumes represent possessions far beyond our means. In 2021 they represent one of our family’s main pursuits - reading. They also represent the fact that we have an exceedingly difficult time letting them go! Is it necessary for us to purchase books to enjoy them? No! We choose to do so, as other families choose to put their hard earned dollars into sports equipment, vacations or dining out.

So, what do you do if you want to have your books and Brewers/Bucks/Packers tickets too? Obviously you patronize another recipient of your hard-earned dollars - our Greendale Public Library (and by extension, the collections of all of the other member libraries in our system). Our wealth and education as a society today is represented, in part, by the free and open access to the treasures of public libraries. With the advent of computers, and access to the programs they hold, this treasure has expanded to include not only the printed page, but audio and e-books, movies and music as well.

Our library budget for 2022 is about to be finalized. As you follow where your village tax dollars are expended, I trust you will view the library allocation in light of the privilege it affords to all of us who find pleasure in the pursuit of recreation, education and information that was, at one time, the privilege of only the wealthy.

Greendale Public Library
Learning  ●  Curiosity  ●  Service  ●  Community 
http://greendalepubliclibrary.info 
greendale.reference@greendale.org 
(414) 423-2136