Delayed Opening Today 1/28/09

We will open at 1:00 pm today, to insure the safety of our staff and patrons in getting to the library. Story Times will be cancelled for this morning.
We apologize for the inconvenience.

Newbery, Caldecott and Printz Award

Every January, librarians hold their breath to see if they own the books that receive the famous Newbery, Caldecott and Printz Awards. It is not always a sure thing. It's very similar to watching the Oscars and saying, "who ever saw that movie?" This year we breathed a sigh of relief as the Newbery Medal Winner-"The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman; "The House in the Night" by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated b y Beth Krommes (Caldecott) and "Jellicoe Road" by Melina Marchetta (Michael L. Printz- Young Adult Fiction) were all on our shelf.

Were they patron favorites? Our copies of "The Graveyard Book" went out 10 times from in a year; "The House in the Night" circulated 3 times "Jellicoe Road" went out 2 times. I know that the awards aren't popularity contests, but I sure wish they represented what kids were reading, or would be interested in reading. As a former Teen Librarian, I would have chosen "13 Reasons Why" by Jay Asher for the Printz...I'll leave the Children's selections up to our Youth Services Staff. If you are interested in the rest of the winners and honorable mentions-go to the Children's Services Page of ALA . Want to read them...well now that they have been determined "winners" you'll have to reserve a copy-Monday morning they were all alone waiting for someone to check them out...

Twinsburg Parks and Rec Youth Theater Presents...

Have a sweet tooth? Make plans to see the Twinsburg Youth Theatre's production of Willy Wonka! The show will be performed at the Twinsburg High School Auditorium, 10084 Ravenna Road in Twinsburg, Ohio
on the following dates:

Friday, February 6th at 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 7th at 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 8th at 2:00 p.m.
Friday, February 13th at 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 14th at 2 p.m.
Sunday, February 15th at 2 p.m.

Tickets will be available for presale at the Twinsburg Parks & Recreation Community Center.
Presale tickets will be sold for $7. Tickets can also be bought at the door on days of production for $8. There are 103 cast members ranging in age from 5 through 18 years old. Don't miss this fun and engaging show!

Cooking Demos @ the Library

Don't get shut out of our cooking demos this Winter!

• DIY Dinners visits us on Sunday February 8 @ 2 pm to demonstrate their Spicy Baked Shrimp.
• Bay Lobsters Fish Market will demonstrate their Herb Crusted Orange Roughy and Marinated Salmon Sunday February 22 @ 2 pm.
• Our friends at Mavis Winkles will show us how to make Shepherd's Pie on Sunday,
  March 1 @ 2 pm.

Enjoy free samples of these and other dishes!
Register by call (330) 425-4268 x 2 or online at www.twinsburglibrary.org
We've installed an overhead camera so you can see everything the chef is preparing!

English For Young Learners Funded by Library Foundation Again

English for Young Learners will be offered again at the Twinsburg Public Library, thanks to the generous funding of the Library Foundation. Classes are taught by KSU instructor, Ms. Uma Krishnan. Classes will be held Wednesdays, February 4 - April 8,
5:30 - 6:15 P.M. PRE-K(5+) - 2ND GRADE
6:15 - 6:45 P.M. 3RD - 6TH GRADE GRAMMAR
Children pre-kindergarten through 6th grade, can receive help learning basic English speaking, reading and writing skills. $10.00 materials fee applies. Call 330-425-4268 ext. 3 to register.

Miracles still happen

When I saw the Yahoo News story about Flight 1549 and the amazing landing and rescue that happened, I was truly amazed. It certainly was a great reminder that there are still heroes and miracles in our everyday life. While I was complaining about the cold, people were facing a real crisis situation and dealt with in such a brave, commanding manner. Just some food for thought.

Tax Help

The AARP tax help will be returning again to help seniors with their taxes.The Reference Desk will begin taking appointments on Friday, January 16.Each each taxpayer will be signed up for a one-hour slot between noon and 3 p.m. on a Tuesday, Feb. 3 through Apr. 14

*This year, appointments must be made in person because the taxpayer must receive a handout which details the documents that must be brought to the tax help session.* A family member or friend may come in to make the appointment for anyone who finds it a hardship to get to the library personally.
These spots fill up quickly. This tax help is done by people generously volunteering their time, including training that they must undergo. Questions can be answered at 330-425-4268 x 2, but remember, appointments can only be made in person.

Early Closing

Due to the inclement weather and rough driving conditions-the Twinsburg Public Library will be closing at 2:30 pm today, January 10. Please stay tuned to your local news channels and the webpage, should there be any need to close on Sunday, January 11.

Romancing the Islands-Win a Trip to Hawaii!

Raffle tickets for a trip to Hawaii are available as part of the Library Foundation's Luau Fundraiser. Raffle tickets are only $5 each or 5 for $20. Raffle ticket holders do not need to be present at the luau in order to win! The trip includes four nights for two at the Hilton Waikoloa Village,located on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii in the midst of Waikoloa Beach Resort, and $1500 towards flight expenses.

Both raffle and dinner tickets can be purchased at the administration office from 9 to 5, or call 330-425-4268 x 129 to have them set aside. The Twinsburg Public Library Foundation's annual Hawaiian Luau Fundraiser will be held on February 14, 2009 at the Twinsburg Hilton Garden Inn. Cocktails at 6 pm; dinner 7 pm. During the luau dinner and show, the Foundation will be conducting both live and silent auctions and raffles, which will feature many special items-including a trip to Hawaii! The luau program will showcase the Merrie Monarch Dancers and Musicians of Halau Mohala ‘llima and Mapuana de Silva of Hawaii, an internationally known Hula “kumu.” The $65 dinner ticket includes dinner, 2 complimentary drink tickets, soft drinks and authentic lu’au entertainment. A complete table of 8 only $500.

After Holiday Shopping

Have you not had enough of shopping yet? Don't forget there are opportunities at the library to indulge your habit. The Twinsburg Public Library Calendar is on sale for $7.50 at the circulation desk. The sale of the calendar will go towards programming for literary and photographic contest throughout the year. Beautiful seasonal pictures of Twinsburg by our photography contest winners are featured. Don't forget the Friend's Gift Shop! There is much to be had including unique seasonal items, and handmade crafts including jewelry and those adorable doll clothes! Also available at the Friend's Gift Shop are commemorative decals for your car featuring Officer Josh Miktarian's Badge 45. All proceeds for the decals go towards the scholarship fund sponsored by the Twinsburg Police Association.

Best Selling Mystery Author Comes To Twinsburg!

I am very excited to see J.A. Jance on Sunday, January 18 at 1:00 pm as part of our Readers Row program. We are so lucky to have a nationally known author in our midst. This is due to the hard work and partnership of the three libraries that make up Readers Row-Hudson, Stow-Munroe Falls, Twinsburg AND Liz Murphy of the Learned Owl Book Shop in Hudson. While I have helped many patrons find her books-I hadn't delved into them myself. I spent 2008 get acquainted with mystery authors, by listening to books on CD-and the upcoming program gave me a new author to try. I listened to "Hand of Evil" part of the Ali Reynolds series. Ali is a former LA TV journalist who lost her "on-air" job as her producers thought they needed a "younger face." Now Ali writes her own blog. In this the third title of the series, we get the bonus of two suspenseful crimes in one novel. Jance writes wonderful dialogue and really makes you feel like Ali is speaking to you. If you haven't tried her novels, yet, I definitely recommend starting with this series. Ms. Jance will be signing copies of her newest title "Cruel Intent." The Learned Owl will be here to sell copies. Don't miss out! Register online or call 330-425-4268 ext. 2. For more titles check out this list of books by J.A. Jance

New Magazines for 2009

One of the best ways using the library can save you money, is by taking advantage our large number of magazine subscriptions. You can find a list of our subscriptions on our web page. Our newest magazine titles can be found on the display shelving right across from the checkout desk.