March 2008

Spring Story Hours: Story Hours for children age 3-5 will be offered starting April 1. Registration is required to attend these free five-week sessions. Normal residents can register beginning on Tuesday, March 18, while residents outside of Normal may register beginning Friday, March 21. Classes will be offered on Tuesdays at 5:30 & 6:30 p.m., Wednesdays at 9:30 & 11:00 a.m., and Thursdays at 9:30 & 11:00 a.m.

Tuesday Tales: Preschoolers and their families are invited to the Children’s Department Book Nook area every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. 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 through April 29.

Family Story Hours: Join us in the Community Room at 10 a.m. Friday & Saturday, March 7 & 8 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.

Mark Your Calendars for the
SPRING BOOK SALE!

Preview Sale for Friends Members Only:
Friday, March 28: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Memberships accepted at the door

Public Sales:
Saturday, March 29: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 30: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

PARKING WILL BE EXTREMELY LIMITED. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Assistance will be provided to help you get your purchases to your car.

NEW Anime Manga Club at NPL

Do you enjoy Japanese comics and animated films? Our new Anime/Manga Club meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month from 4:30 – 6 p.m. in the Community Room. Participants read manga, watch anime and eat snacks. This month’s dates are March 4 & 18. No registration is required for this free activity – contact Linda Hutchins at 452-1757 for more information.

Tale for Two Cities Returns!

Normal and Bloomington Public Libraries have chosen A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell as the “Tale for Two Cities” selection for 2008. Highlighting this year’s program is an appearance by the author on April 15, 2008 to discuss her book.

A Thread of Grace tells the little-known, but true, story of the vast underground effort of the Italian citizens who saved the lives of 43,000 Jews during the final phase of the war. The result of five years of meticulous research, A Thread of Grace is a novel of ideas and history
Copies of the book are currently available for check out at both libraries.

Author Mary Doria Russell will celebrate National Library Week in the Bloomington/Normal area with a free, public program on Tuesday, April 15, beginning at 7pm in the Bloomington Center for Performing Arts Ballroom. Doors open at 6:30pm. Ms. Russell will finish her program with a book signing. Books will be available for purchase. Ms. Russell is also the author of The Sparrow, Children of God, and the newly released Dreamers of the Day.

Prior to Ms. Russell’s visit, “A Tale for Two Cities” will host two additional programs.
An award-winning film, directed by Vittorio De Sica (director of The Bicycle Thief), will be shown at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 6 in the Community Room of Bloomington Public Library. A book discussion of A Thread of Grace will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 13 in the Community Room of Bloomington Public Library. Participation in these programs is free, and registration is not required.

“A Tale for Two Cities”, a community wide reading program, is sponsored by Normal and Bloomington Public Libraries. It is funded by the Friends of the Normal Public Library and the Friends of the Bloomington Public Library. The purpose of “A Tale For Two Cities” is to encourage residents to read and discuss the same book. Additional sponsors include the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, Moses Montefiore Temple, and Holiday Inn Express. Previous selections include Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montana 1948 by Larry Watson, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck. For more information about “A Tale for Two Cities,” contact Mari McKeeth at Normal Public Library, 452-1757, or Jane Chamberlain at Bloomington Public Library,
828-6091.

‘Rosetta Stone’ No Longer Available
After March 31, 2008

Because of a decision by the Rosetta Stone company, the popular Rosetta Stone language-learning program will no longer be available to public libraries for use in online database offerings. Therefore, Normal Public Library will no longer be able to provide online access to Rosetta Stone after our current contract expires on March 31, 2008.

We have another excellent language-learning instruction system called Pimsleur, which Normal Public Library cardholders can download to computers or MP3 players through NetLibrary on our home page (www.normal-library.org). Pimsleur offers instruction in 39 different languages. For more information, contact Jeanne Moonan at 452-1757.

Movie Matinee for Adults at NPL

NPL’s Movie Matinee series continues this month at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20. The 1953 romantic comedy was filmed on location in Rome and stars Audrey Hepburn (who won an Oscar for her role), Gregory Peck and Eddie Albert. The film also won an Oscar for costume design. Bring a friend and enjoy the afternoon – free, and snacks provided!

Activities for Teens

NPL’s Teen Advisory Council will meet March 13 & 27 at 4 p.m. in the Community Room. On the 13th teens will enjoy Game Day, including Dance Dance Revolution, card and board games. On the 27th, members will discuss the book The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven. All teens in grades 7-12 are welcome, and snacks will be served. For more information, contact Linda Hutchins at 452-1757.

Game Fest for teens in grades 6-12 will be held Friday, March 7, 5-7 p.m. at Bloomington Public Library. Beverages and pizza will be provided. Games will include Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, video games, board games, and more. Registration at www.bngamefest.org is suggested for this FREE event. Call Linda Hutchins, 452-1757, for more information.

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!