Adult Winter Reading Club 2013 has Fabulous Prizes!

Chill out with a good book!

Not only is it a great way to stay warm now that it's really cold, it's also a great way to win!
Through the generous support of the the VFW Post 2992 and the Friends of the Library, participants in the 2013 Adult Winter Reading Club have a chance to win a wide variety of prizes, just by reading.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of Des Plaines is not only focused on supporting Veterans but also the community in which it resides. This year Post 2992, under the leadership of Commander Mike Lake, has donated a series of prizes to the Library in support of their Adult Winter Reading Program. Those prizes include Gift Certificates to Jimmy’s restaurant, oil changes at Accurate Auto and an overnight stay at the Hilton Inn. The goal is to increase the number of participants.

The Friends are a volunteers organization dedicated to helping the library provide services to the community. They raise money through used book sales held throughout the year in order to fund special programs like our Winter Reading Club. Their generosity means that several participants will receive $25 gift certificates to local businesses and one lucky winner will walk away with a Nook HD.
So curl up under the covers or next to the fire and read the winter days away. Then simply fill out an entry form and drop it into a box on the 3rd or 4th floor of the library. Entries are being accepted now through February 24th and the drawing will be held on February 25th. The more you read, the better your chances to win!

Show and Tell Time!

It's time for the Friends of the Library book sale again! I know, I know, you've probably already heard about this from our awesome web services librarian, Brodie Austin, on Plaintalk. But since this is an event I get absolutely giddy about, quite frankly, you shall hear about it again! This is just too good to keep to myself. Today I got sixteen books, and spent less than $10. Just to give you an example, here are the books I picked up.















J.R.R. Tolkien's Unfinished Tales
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Shakespeare's King Lear
Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamozov
C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch, And the Wardrobe
Eric Knight's Lassie Come Home
Henry James's The Turn of the Screw
Shakespeare's As You Like It
Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass
Shakepeare's The Tempest
Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita
Jean Rhys's Sargasso Sea
Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being
William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying
Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis

(In case you can't tell, I'm trying to bulk up my Shakespeare collection at home!)

Although this was most likely just my first trip around, considering this selection, I think I restrained myself admirably.

The Friends of the Library book sale will take place in Meeting Room B/C on the first floor of the library, Friday the 23rd (Today!) from 6pm-9pm, Saturday the 24th from 9:30am to 4pm, and Sunday the 25th from 1pm-5pm. You can find more information here.

and a partridge in a pear tree

Today I got a sneak peak at the Friends of the Library annual Holiday Book Sale, and it is the shopping event of the season. I saw pop-up books and chapter books for kids, LP records and VHS tapes for anyone into vintage, along with popular fiction, classics of literature, beautiful coffee table books, cookbooks and more, all in excellent condition, perfect for gift-giving.

I bought 12 great gifts for under $10. And I didn't have to crawl out of bed to stand in line at 4 AM or even set foot in a mall or a superstore to get them. None of these gift gyrates to dance music or requires batteries, unlike the $50 Fijit on my daughter's list, but I know that each and every one will be enjoyed by its recipient. Who doesn't love a book, lovingly selected just for them?

I'm so thrilled with the low impact on my budget, I feel the need to repeat myself: 12 great gifts for under $10, satisfying my thrifty nature and giving a little something back at the same time. Buy a gently-used book from the Friends Book Sale and you'll be a multitasking force for good - recycling while encouraging literacy and supporting library programs that benefit our community.

Tomorrow is your chance to find that perfect gift that won't break your budget. If you know any readers, this book sale is sure to have something they'll love. The Des Plaines History Center and Des Plaines Art Guild will be there with even more unique and affordable gift ideas, too.

Don't miss it! Saturday, December 10, 2011from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM in Friends Rooms B and C.