Activities in the Children's Department

Winter Story Hours: Winter Story Hours for ages 3-5 will be offered starting January 15. Registration is required to attend these free five-week sessions. Normal residents can register beginning on Wednesday, January 2, while residents outside of Normal may register beginning Friday, January 4. Classes will be offered on Tuesdays at 5:30 & 6:30 p.m. and on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Build a Marshmallow Snow Fort! Preschoolers through 6th graders accompanied by an adult are invited to drop by the Discovery Room between 10am-1pm Saturday,
January 19, to build a marshmallow snow fort. For this family craft activity, participants will need to bring one bag of miniature marshmallows per child; the library will provide the rest of the supplies. No registration is required – hope to see you there!

Tuesday Tales: Preschoolers and their families are invited to the Children’s Department Book Nook area every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. beginning January 22 to enjoy stories, from old favorites to new discoveries. The stories are geared for ages 3-5, but everyone is welcome. No registration is required for this free storytime. Tuesday Tales will be held from January 22 – April 29.

Family Story Hours: Join us in the Community Room at 10 a.m. Friday & Saturday, January 25 & 26 for stories and activities. No registration is required; bring a blanket for sitting on the floor. Family Story Hours are designed for preschoolers age 3-5 and their families. Younger children may require extra help for some of the activities, but are welcome to attend. If you plan to bring a large group (more than 10 children), please contact Tori or Jennifer in advance so that we can be sure to have enough craft supplies on hand.

For more information about these and other activities, call the Children’s Department,
454-4668

Wegman Retiring After 35 Years at NPL

The Staff and Board of Normal Public Library will be hosting a public reception
to honor Mr. Wegman for his 35 years of service to the library.
Please mark your calendars now:

Saturday, January 26, 2008
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Normal Public Library Community Room

We hope that you will plan to stop by to wish Mr. Wegman well in his retirement, and to thank him for all that he has done for our community through his years of library service. Please join us!

Partners in Reading Resumes

Partners in Reading, a child/college student reading buddy program, resumes Monday, January 28. Children who are in kindergarten through 6th grade are paired with a college student partner to participate in fun reading activities once a week. Registration for all participants begins Wednesday, January 2. The final day for children to register is January 25; college students may register until all children are matched. For more information or to register, call 454-4668, or visit the Children’s Department during regular library hours.

Mitten Tree Collection Through January 3

Normal Public Library will once again display the Mitten Tree, and invite our community to help decorate it with new or gently used mittens, scarves, gloves and hats for children and adults. NPL will donate these items to day cares, schools and shelters, to be given to those in need. The collection will take place through January 3. Several other libraries in the area are also serving as Mitten Tree locations. Thanks to radio station TALK 92.5 FM for co-sponsoring this event with local libraries!

Movie Matinee for Adults at NPL

NPL’s Movie Matinee series continues this month at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, January 17. The featured film features four episodes about a backwoods family with 15 children whose misadventures create many humorous situations. The cast includes Fred McMurray and Marjorie Main. Bring a friend and enjoy the afternoon – free, and snacks provided!

Teen Advisory Council Activities

NPL’s Teen Advisory Council will meet January 10 & 24 at 4 p.m. in the Community Room. The 10th will be a potluck, and everyone should bring a favorite dish to pass, along with the recipe. On the 24th, members should bring a book to recommend for a future discussion. All teens in grades 7-12 are welcome, and snacks will be served. For more information, contact Linda Hutchins at 452-1757.

NPL Newsletter Has Gone“Green”

The Town of Normal is encouraging all departments to make an effort to “go green” by recycling and eliminating as much use of paper as possible. With this in mind, Normal Public Library will no longer publish a paper newsletter, starting in January 2008. (A few paper copies will be available at the library)

The newsletter will be available online via the library’s website (click on the newsletter tab at www.normal-library.org). If you do not have access to a computer at home, visit your local public library!

If you choose, you may have the newsletter e-mailed to you: send your e-mail address to Mari McKeeth, Lud19@hotmail.com Please indicate “library newsletter” in the subject line, so that your message won’t be deleted as junk mail. Once you have done this, future newsletters will be e-mailed to the address you have sent.

Please note that if you are a paid member of the Friends of Normal Public Library, you will continue to receive notice of the Book Sales in the mail!

Donate Your Used Books

The Friends of NPL are happy to accept donations of used book throughout the year.
Bring them to the library marked ‘for the Friends book sale’. Please DO NOT leave your book donations at the off-site book drops!! All donations for the sale must be brought in to the library. Thanks!