| | | | Give a Unique Holiday Gift | Personalized Shelf in New Library Makes an Ideal Gift for Friends and Family
This holiday season you have a special opportunity to recognize a friend or loved one with a bronze shelf plaque. When you buy a shelf at the new library for someone on your list, you’ll accomplish two things: Your personalized shelf will be a perpetual reminder of your holiday gift, and it will support the books that entertain and educate future generations of library patrons in Kirkwood.
Pat Soraghan seized the opportunity for a unique gift for long-time friends who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. “It was a great gift for our friends because the library is something they truly honor. They share such high esteem for the Kirkwood Public Library, so this was better than any gift we could have given them.”
Contribute $100 toward new shelving, and you can name a commemorative shelf for anyone, including yourself. Even better, you can choose the section of the library where you’d like your plaque to appear.
For Pat Soraghan, she chose to put the plaque for her friends under Mystery. Why? “Because it’s a mystery to me how anyone can stay married for fifty years,” says Pat. She quickly added, “Really, they both enjoy mysteries, so it was the perfect place.”
Find your own reason for reserving a shelf at the new library. With the holidays sneaking up, there’s never been a better time to honor your favorite reader with their very own shelf.
 |
|
|
| | New Building Begins To Rise |  Plan is to get building closed in before cold of winter hits
Tom Teasdale, retired architect and member of the KPL building committee, reminds us of a common saying in his practice: “Once you get out of the ground, a lot of unknowns are taken care of.” Take a walk down Jefferson Avenue, and you’ll see the new section of the library is rising well above ground.
Tom was part of a special committee that included such Kirkwood stalwarts as Dave Albers, Rich Barr and Randy Miltenberger. The tremendous experience of this Kirkwood committee allowed the library to forego using a Project Manager and saved thousands of dollars for taxpayers.
Once the project is finished, most patrons will have a favorite part of the new library. For Tom, it’s how the entire thing comes together. “What you want to have turn out is the feeling, the emotion when you walk into a new space,” Teasdale says. “I don’t look for a particular spot, but rather the symphony of the whole building and how it plays when someone walks in for the first time.”
Keep your ears open. That sound isn’t too far away. “The contractor is working hard to get back on schedule after the October rains,” Teasdale says. “And they’re getting close to being back on schedule for a June finish.” |
|
| | Form a Book Club of Your Own | KPL Has the Resources to Help You Get Started
In a world of Twitter, texting, cable TV and TiVo, books clubs might seem old fashioned. Yet, book clubs are flourishing today. Why? Maybe we’re looking for less stress in our lives. Maybe book clubs remind us of a gentler time.
Librarian Joan Deuschle belongs to three book clubs. “People love book clubs because they find themselves reading books they never would have picked up on their own,” she says. “And almost always they’re surprised by the quality of the books discussed in their group.”
There’s another reason to join or start a group, according to Joan. It’s the friendships you make. “Each book club has a personality all their own,” Joan says. Keeping those bonds of friendship can be a joy forever.
Her book club of church friends enjoys socially redeeming books. Another book club reads well-written books and “woe to the person who has chosen one that does not meet our standards!” Yet another club reads for enjoyment, choosing books with good endings and not too much sex or violence.
Part of your fun can be finding just the right mix for you in a book club. The library has lots of book club kits available for all ages, from children to adult. Kits include a canvas bag, 8-10 copies of the book, a discussion guide and more.
For help starting your own book club, check some of these titles.
- The Book Club Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to the Reading Group Experience by Diana Loevy
- The Kid’s Book Club Book: Reading Ideas, Recipes, Activities and Smart Tips for Organizing Terrific Kids Book Clubs by Judy Gelman
- The Teen Centered Book Club: Readers into Leaders by Bonnie Kunzel
Call or stop by the library (314-821-5770 ext. 1) for more information and we’ll show you wonderful ways to make your book club the best |
|
| | Complete a Santa Letter form by December 8 to ensure a North Pole postmark!
|
|
| | La Salsa Gives Back to Kirkwood Public Library | Dine at the Station Plaza eatery and they’ll donate 10% of your tab
Just a few steps away from the library’s current location, La Salsa Grill is serving up Fresh Mexican delicacies and donations to the library. You can enjoy both of them.
“This is a way to give back to the community,” says Joe Sieve, owner of the Station Plaza La Salsa restaurant. “Each time a person comes in they can present the flyer and we’ll donate 10% of their meal to Kirkwood Public Library.”
Sieve, who is currently reading the thrilling Devil in the White City, says there is no limit and no deadline. He said they did the same program with Barnes-Jewish and when the hospital catered a big event, they garnered a $100 donation from one night alone. You probably won’t eat that much, but every little bit helps.
So next time you place an order for Mexico City Tacos, make them taste a little spicier with an added donation to the library. You’ll find it a delicious idea. To make your donation, you must get your flyer first. Stop by the library anytime and you’ll see them on the front desk or you can download as many as you need right here.
 |
|
| | Your Question or Comment Please | KPL Responds to Patron Comments
Give us your thoughts and we’ll do our best to respond.
Question:
“Would the library consider acquiring the DVD series of the Mr. Wizard television show produced in the 1950s?” – Michael Fioretti, Kirkwood
Answer:
What an intriguing idea! If a person can make learning science fascinating, we’re all for it. You might be like Kirkwood resident Michael Fioretti, recalling Mr. Wizard from your childhood. As Fioretti points out, the lessons he teaches are just as applicable today as they were in the 1950s and 60s. For some people, they might even be more applicable.
“The presentation has a much different pace to it that offers some kids an alternative way to get science and nature instruction,” Fioretti says. “Programs today gloss over the concepts in favor of the demonstration.”
The library has acquired eight volumes, each with multiple episodes of the time-proven series. Each Watch Mr. Wizard DVD features handpicked and unedited episodes from the original series that made it fun to explore the mysteries of science using everyday items found in your house.
Check out a volume from the hit TV series and see how the next generation experiences what you did. “These are concepts of science and nature the way a relative might explain them and demonstrate them to your kids,” Fioretti says. “Your kids will love this, and it might be interesting to see how your kids relate to it compared to other stuff on television today.” |
|
| | Save the Date | Mark Your Calendar for these Exciting Events on the Horizon …
Check out our online calendar for lots of upcoming events at Kirkwood Public Library. Here are a few to keep in mind:
January: Check out our schedule of computer classes
January 20: Author Eileen Dreyer
January 23: Storyteller Bobby Norfolk
January 30: Author Ridley Pearson
TAKE NOTE: Special library closings
The library will be closed for a software upgrade all day on Wednesday, December 2. We will remain closed the following day, opening at 5 pm on Thursday, December 3.
For the holidays, the library will be closed December 24, 25 and 31, 2009; and January 1, 2010. |
|