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February at Curry Public Library

Raised: The Science of Leavening Agents, a talk by Meriah Timm

Join local baker Meriah Timm for an in-depth look at mechanical methods, chemicals, and living organisms used to raise baked goods. We will explore how these leavening agents work, intriguing histories surrounding them, and the peculiar lost art of fermentation. The talk will take place on Thursday, February 24 at 5:30pm at Curry Public Library.

Speaker Biography: Meriah Timm bakes naturally leavened sourdough breads for her small hometown of Gold Beach through the window of Leavened Bakery. She is passionate about learning and sharing the lost art of wild culture fermented breads and enjoys throwing herself into doughy, delicious, and sometimes smelly experiments to experience the tiny wonders of this world. Above bread she loves Jesus, the bread of life (ba-dum-ch), her husband and business partner, Conner, and their three birds, Wisely, Patience and June.

Conner and Meriah established Leavened in 2019 in Gold Beach, bringing their dream of giving back to the community who raised them a reality. They have truly been blessed by God as neither of them quite know what they are doing, but growing along the way through trials and triumphs, supported fully by their hometown community and their bellies.

New Holds Kiosk Dedicated by the Friends of Curry Public Library

A new custom “holds kiosk” was dedicated by the Friends of Curry Public Library on Wednesday, January 5th in the lobby of the library. Funding for the beautiful piece of furniture was provided by a generous donation to the Friends in memory of Mark Rasmussen, a library supporter and avid reader. The mobile, multi-use unit replaced a utilitarian shelf the library had used for the prior twenty-two months.

The three-way cabinet was custom built by local furniture designer and part-time library employee, Brodey Carpenter, owner of Dredge Design. It is a repository for books, DVDs, and audio-books ordered on-line by library users, or requested by phone. As soon as the materials are pulled from the library’s shelves, or are delivered from any of the fourteen libraries located in Curry and Coos counties, they are checked out and placed on shelves in the kiosk, located in the lobby. Folks can drive up to the front door of the library, run in, and pull their pre-checked out books from the shelves, with no wait time whatsoever.

The lobby “holds shelf” concept was the brain-child of library director, Jeremy Skinner, during the early days of COVID, when the library was closed to in-person service. While other libraries were forced to lock their doors and provided no means of checking out books during the first months of the pandemic, the “holds shelf” allowed our local library to continuously circulate books while avoiding in-person contact. It proved to be so popular with library users, Jeremy made it a permanent fixture in the library. With the recent upgrade to the new, custom designed/built kiosk, it is not only serviceable, it is an attractive, eye-catching addition to the library. Stop by and take a look!

Valentine's Day Card Take & Make Kits

Make Valentine’s Day cards for friends and family with this free take-home kit geared towards adults and teens. Kits will be available for pickup on Thursday, February 3rd. Pick up your kit from the holds pickup shelf in the lobby, while supplies last.

Meet Library Board Member Jerry Herbage

Each month we've been introducing library board members. We've met Kelly Margolis, Tim Scullen, Sandy Grummon, and Alaina Peppin. This month meet our fifth and final board member, Jerry Herbage. We asked Jerry some questions about reading and libraries. Here's what he had to say:

What book are you currently reading?
I am currently reading Mary Poppins Comes Back by P.L. Travers, and Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer.

Do you have a favorite book? If so, what is it?
I actually have several favorite books. One is Up Country by Nelson Demille, and others include Eye of the Needle and The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett, and the Burning Shore by Wilbur Smith.

What was the first book you can remember reading on your own?
The first book I remember reading was Go, Dog, Go by PD Eastman. What a book! It has adventure, action, and romance, all in a 75 or so word vocabulary. It also has the famous line: "Do you like my hat?"

Do you prefer hardcovers, paperbacks, or audiobooks? Why?
I like hardcovers, paperbacks, and audio books, but I particularly like audiobooks because I have to spend a lot of time on the road in my car, and it gives me a great diversion. The public should be aware that there is a great selection of audiobooks at Curry Public Library.

As an adult, have you ever read a graphic novel? If you have, what did you like or not like about it?
I have read a graphic novel; my daughter Katie was into them when she was a teen and I checked them out at that time.

What role have libraries played in your life?

Libraries have played a key role throughout my life, beginning when I was a child in grade school at St. Joseph's in Roseburg, Oregon. We had a special library run by a brilliant woman by the name of Francis Sohn. Fast forward...When I was in Law School at the University of Oregon, my wife Cathy and I both worked at the Law Library under Librarian Dennis Hyatt, a wonderful mentor and person. Beginning on my birthday, December 14, 1989, I started serving on the Curry Public Library Board, and have served on it ever since. It has been quite a ride! I am so proud of the community for its support of Curry Public Library. It was only back in 2008 when we still had the tiny facility on Colvin Street, but that same year we moved to the newly built 3rd Street Library, and then we added on with the community room and other facilities in 2018.

What is something about Curry Public Library that you really like?

There is so much to like about Curry Public Library; it has something for everyone. I like that the library is in a beautiful setting on, if I recall right, about 7 and 1/2 acres of land. (Compare this to a typical city library that is crammed in on a city lot.) The facilities are quite attractive, and we have great art shows (currently the art show is a Retrospective by talented local artist and library patron Pat Renner), nice landscaping highlighted by Anita's Garden out front in honor of Anita Harper, a technology lab that is open 5 days a week, frequent adult and children's programs, concerts, displays (check out Oregon Is Indian Country which is now featured in the community room),and a wonderful collection of books, movies, music, and outdoor movies in season, etc.

What is some inside information about the library that not everyone knows, that you would like to share?
Not everyone knows that our Library Director, Jeremy Skinner, earned the award Librarian of the Year for the State of Oregon in 2019. From the top, to all the remaining employees and volunteers, we have an excellent staff at Curry Public Library. If you have not been a regular patron of Curry Public Library, please stop by; I think that you will be pleasantly surprised.

Library Welcomes New Virtual Meeting Pod

We are pleased to announce the arrival of a new soundproof virtual meeting pod, pictured above. Library visitors will be able to use it for job interviews, phone calls, and meetings. It is equipped with power outlets, USB charging, lighting, ventilation, and a laptop equipped with a webcam and microphone. Thank you to SOWIB (Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board) for proposing this as a way to partner in the delivery of workforce services, and thank you to the State Library of Oregon for supporting this project with LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) grant funding. Also, a huge shout out to Dan's Ace Hardware who stepped in and brought a pallet jack to the library to help move this beast inside!

Tech Lab Offers Intro to Digital Sketching & Equipment Demos

Join us for an introduction to digital sketching using Sketchbook, a free digital sketching software from Autodesk. We will be using the library's Lenovo tablets, but feel free to bring your own device that is stylus friendly, or your own laptop with a USB digital sketch tablet. Space is limited. Please register by clicking this link. This program is brought to you by the tech lab at Curry Public Library.

The tech lab will also offer several demonstrations during the month of February. Drop in between the hours of 11am and 4pm on demo days to learn about the machine of the day and its processes. This is an informal and informative hands-on lecture; we will talk about proper setup and machine use, and end with a guided hands-on use of the machine.

Saturday, February 5: Vinyl Cutter Demonstration
Saturday, February 19: Sewing Machine Demonstration
Saturday, February 26: Large Format Printer Demonstration

Please contact techlab@cplib.net with any question and visit the Tech Lab Webpage for full calendar of weekly programs, hours, and available equipment.

From the Children's Room

New Books in Spanish
¡Ven a ver nuestros nuevos libros infantiles en español! Hemos agregado más de 50 libros nuevos en español para familias con niños de 0-6 años. Los libros fueron generosamente donados por el South Coast Regional Early Learning Hub.

Come check out our new children’s books in Spanish! We have added over 50+ new Spanish books for families with children ages 0-6. These books were generously donated by the South Coast Regional Early Learning Hub.

2022 Summer Reading Theme Announced
We are already in to the planning and preparations for our 2022 Summer Reading Program! The theme this year is, "Read Beyond the Beaten Path." For the children's programs here at Curry Public Library District, this is our largest annual event. We plan to begin the Summer Reading Program just after school is out (around the 3rd or 4th week in June) and will continue with our traditional format including: leveled age groups, reading incentives, fun activities, prizes, entertainment, and events. As our planning develops, we will share updates and occasionally ask for your input - which has proven to be instrumental in building a program that is exciting for all! Stay tuned as we head toward a great summer and please feel free to ask any questions or share any comments in the meantime.

Openings Available in Read to Darby Program
We have some openings available in the Read to Darby program! This program is perfect for children who are just beginning to read or perhaps struggling with reading or who could just use a little social time with a very sweet Darby the dog. To book your spot please contact Rebecca at rebecca@cplib.net. Time slots generally run 15 to 30 minutes each and can be scheduled between 10am and 12pm on Tuesdays. Ms. Barbara will be there with your child and is excellent at choosing the perfect level reading books too.

Online Storytime on Mondays and Thursdays
Join children's librarian Janée Lensing for two online storytimes weekly. Monday's short and sweet storytime has stories geared towards infants and toddlers, while our Thursday storytime is for all ages and often includes activities in addition to the stories. Storytimes are posted to the library's Facebook page and to the library's YouTube Channel.

Oregon Is Indian Country Currently on Display

In our last newsletter, we shared that Oregon Is Indian Country, a special traveling exhibit, was coming. This month we want to let you know that it is up and on display until February 20. Drop-in to see it during library open hours in our large meeting hall downstairs. Read on to learn more about the exhibit.

First exhibited in 2009 at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon Is Indian Country represents a groundbreaking project that brought together all nine federally recognized Oregon Tribes to present information, never-before-assembled in one exhibit, on contemporary Indigenous cultures. This rich content is now available for museums and cultural institutions across the state as a traveling exhibit of vibrant banners.

The exhibit is a direct result of the Oregon Tribes Project, a multi-year collaboration between the Oregon Historical Society’s former Folklife Program and Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes. Tribal members documented their contemporary traditions and worked with Society staff to create a series of heritage resources, including the Oregon Is Indian Country traveling trunk that is available for educators.

Support for this exhibit is generously provided by the following organizations:
Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation; Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund and the Siletz Tribal Council; Spirit Mountain Community Fund; Wildhorse Foundation; Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library; National Endowment for the Arts; Oregon Arts Commission; Oregon Heritage Commission; Collins Foundation; Jackson Foundation; PGE Foundation; and Oregon Council for the Humanities.

Mark your calendars!

The 2022 Friends of Curry Public Library annual book sale is planned for Memorial Day weekend, May 27-May 30.

LIBRARY & LOBBY HOURS
Monday-Thursday 10am-7pm
Friday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Sundays 12pm-5pm

FEBRUARY CLOSURES
President's Day: All day February 21st

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COVID-19 UPDATES

Masks are required for all library visitors. Our main library area, lobby, and restrooms are open to patrons and cleaned regularly. We maintain a no-contact shelf in the lobby where patrons can easily pick up requested items. All returned library items are cleaned before they are returned to the shelves.

Questions or ideas for how we can serve you at this time?
Please call us at 541-247-7246.