October "Reading Eras" Blog

 

This is the busiest time of year for Outreach at Decatur Public Library. We have 6 community events we will be attending to give away books and candy this month. We hope you can join us for one or more of them if you have little ones. The list of all programs at DPL and all Outreach events can be found at www.myDPL.org/events .

If you’ve been in the library lately, then you know we are getting our much-needed HVAC repair work done. At this moment in time, the mezzanine area (non-fiction), is closed due to the work. We expect that the fiction area will be closed starting some time next week. If you are a reader and come to the library regularly to check out books, you might want to stock up on fiction and check out extra this week.  Books can be renewed online once you sign into your account or you can call Public Services and we will renew or extend your check out period while the work is taking place.

The 44th Annual Quilt Show at DPL is on hold until the repair work is finished and we can get the library cleaned up. We will have a quilt show, but for now we cannot set a date. If you would like to reserve a space for a quilt or two, please contact Rhonda in the Marketing and Outreach office. We will contact the quilters who have reserved space in the show as soon as we have more information on dates for the show.

If you are taking part in the Adult Reading Challenge, there are only 2 more clues to be released. As we are closing in on the end of this era, let’s read something from the year Taylor was born. The October clue is to read a book either set in 1989 or first published in 1989. 

Happy Reading!

September "Reading Eras" Blog

 

September is going to be a little chaotic at DPL this year and we want our patrons to be aware of the repair work that will take place.  The mezzanine will be closed after Saturday, September 6^th, to prepare for the HVAC work starting on September 15^th.  The work will begin on the mezzanine so non-fiction books will be temporarily unavailable. Because some of the ceiling tiles will have to be removed along with the cassettes in the ceiling all books on the mezzanine will be covered until work on that floor is complete. Select titles will be moved downstairs to the shelves on the far side of the elevator wall.
If you are planning on reading non-fiction, please come check them out this week. The work is estimated to last 4 to 6 weeks and we do not know how long the majority of our non-fiction collection will be unavailable.

We have one all-day event for the family planned for Friday, September 19^th.  DPL will celebrate “Talk Like a Pirate Day” with special guests the Crewe O’ Ye Crooked Goat. These fierce and fun pirates will be roaming the library and doing story time in the Youth Services room. For this event they will also allow land lubbers to tour their life-size pirate ship, which will be parked in our Cherry Street circle drive.  If you always wanted to be a pirate-here’s your chance!  Dress up as a pirate and join us any time from 10:00am ‘til 4:00pm for a fun filled day in the library.

This year’s reading challenge is based on the idea behind Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. She celebrated all of the eras of her music, so we are reliving all of the past eras of the Adult Reading Challenge. You can’t look at the internet, television, or turn on the radio without hearing all about Taylor and Travis Kelce getting engaged last month. With that in mind, the task for September is to read a book where the main characters get engaged.

Happy Reading!

August "Reading Eras" Blog

 

August, while still very warm and summery, means the return to a school routine of getting to class on time, studying, and completing homework. On the fun side it means reconnecting with classmates, ball games and other social events that come with the school year. At the library it means taking a short break from programs in the Youth Services room to recuperate from Summer Reads. For our adult programming it means planning for the annual Quilt Show at DPL.

We are currently accepting reservations for those who wish to enter a quilt (or two) in the 44^th annual show this year.  There is not a date for the show yet, because we do not know when the repair work on the HVAC system will be complete. What we do know is that we intend to host the quilt show, even if the dates must be moved to accommodate the repair work. If you are a quilter or quilt owner who wants to be part of this year’s show, please call the Marketing and Outreach office at 256-340-5780 and speak to Rhonda to reserve your space.

The August task for the Adult Reading Challenge is August. Read a book that is set in the month of August or that has the word August in the title. The book must specify that the setting is the month of August, (not just summer) or it must have the word August in the title of the book.

Happy Reading this month!

July "Reading Eras" Blog

 

We hope you took time to enjoy good food, family, friends, and a firework show for the 4^th of July. The staff certainly enjoyed our holiday as the library was closed Friday (7/4/25) and Saturday (7/5/25). Once you have recovered from the festivities make plans to join us for some free fun at the library.

DPL will host Land to Sea Exotics on SUNDAY, July 13^th from 2:00pm 4:00pm. The library will only be open for this program; there will not be other services available. This program will be held in the main area of the library and is intended for all ages to be able to learn about and get close to wild animals.  The presenters did the program for us last year and the little ones loved it. We had adults who asked why we didn’t do the same type of program for older folks, so this year we decided to use the main area to have room for everyone to come take part in the fun. The program usually has multiple snakes, tortoises, a caiman, and lizards. Please join us for some scaly fun on the 13^th.

The finale for Summer Reads this year will be on Monday, July 28^th, at noon and is all about colors. The Science Guys will be here for the Sensational Science Super Summer Show. The program will be about 45 minutes long and is intended for children ages 3 and up.

Before the June 28^th finale there will be Story Times, Book Babies, LEGO programs, a ballerina, and an author event in the Youth Services room. Our outreach will be in the community this month also. You can find them issuing library cards and giving away books at Wesley Methodist Church on July 17^th from 11am until 1pm. We will also be giving free books to children at the next Once Upon a Saturday event at Delano Park on Saturday, July 19^th from  5:00pm to 7:00pm.  Please join us for any and all of the events DPL will be hosting or attending this July.

If you are taking part in the 2025 Adult Reading Challenge, here is your July task. Read a book that is about a character’s reputation. The definition of reputation is the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone. The word comes from Latin reputationem which means consideration.  When looking for a book for this task remember it needs to be about how the main character is perceived.  The book can be about someone  trying to save their reputation from being ruined or it could be about how they came to have a great reputation - or a nasty one. 

Happy Reading!

June "Reading Eras" Blog

 

June is here and that means Summer Reads is in full swing at DPL. Be sure to download the READsquared app to track the books you read this summer.  There is an adult program in the READsquared app; we want everyone to track their reading and earn all the digital badges, not just kids and teens.  There are badges for attendance to certain programs, too. If you need assistance or have questions about the app, please stop by the Marketing and Outreach office and we will be happy to help you get started.

If you haven’t heard, DPL will be hosting the 4^th Readers and Writers Jubilee featuring Lesa Carnes Shaul on Saturday, June 14^th from 11am until 4pm. There will be 20 authors set up on the ground floor of the library, doing meet & greets, selling and signing books, and participating in moderated author panels. The featured author’s book  Midnight Cry: A Shooting on Sand Mountain is a true crime story set in North Alabama in 1951. She will speak on the book and answer questions starting at 3pm in the main area of the library.

The June task for the Adult Reading Challenge is to read a book that has been the basis for a TV series. The book must have been used to create a series not a made-for-TV movie. Some examples that will work would be the Kathy Reichs Temperance Brennan series or James Patterson’s Alex Cross series.  If you have a favorite character, which version do you prefer?  Does the TV series stay true to the personality and character you met when you read the book?

Happy Reading!

May "Reading Eras" Blog

 

This May, make sure you check out the display cases as you enter the library. In the cases by the Cherry Street entrance there is a display of cloth art dolls created by DPL’s Heather Whiteside. The dolls run the gamut from fantastical to flashy fun.

To celebrate Star Wars Day (May the 4^th) there is a collection of Star Wars memorabilia in the 6^th Avenue cases. There are light sabers, figurines, and comic books. There is also a Featured Titles display on the new books shelf of books about Star Wars. Stop by the library this May to see the displays, check out a book or a DVD and visit a galaxy far, far away….

If you have children or know of a child 12 and under, make sure to mark your calendar for Friday, May 30^th, when we will kick-off the Summer Reads program from 10:00am until 2:00pm. Drive through DPL’s circle drive on Cherry Street - with the kids in the car - to receive a free goody bag to get the summer started right. Each bag contains a hardback book (courtesy of our wonderful Friends group), coupons from local businesses who are sponsoring the 2025 Summer Reads program at Decatur Public Library, and a full schedule of all the free fun programs this summer. We have 500 of the bags to give away.

May is the month we celebrate those that serve the red, white, and blue in uniform. May 17^th is designated to honor the men and women who are currently serving our country in one of the branches of our military. May 26^th is Memorial Day and is set aside to remember those who gave their lives in the service to the United States. If you know a member of the military, please extend your gratitude for their service.

The May task is to read a book where the main character is a member of the United States military.  The character can be a current member or a veteran who is no longer serving, but the book needs to have more than just a mention that they once were in the military. They need to still have some connection to the military or use the skills they learned while serving in the course of the book.

Happy Reading!

April "Reading Eras" Blog

 

“April is the cruelest month”, or so Eliot said in the beginning of “The Waste Land”.  Those who love poetry know it is the time to celebrate all things poetic at Decatur Public Library and we have many ways to do that this month. Check out the spine poetry display in the cases as you come into the library. Make sure to pick up a poem to carry and one to share for Poem in Your Pocket Day on Thursday, April 10^th. There are multiple copies of poems to choose from on the tops of the display cases.  Check out the featured books shelf beside the new arrivals for a display of poetry books from the collection. Make sure to pick up a leaf from the plug-in bar in front and fill in two lines from your favorite poem. Leave the leaf in the basket and we will add it to our “poet-tree”.  At the end of the month we will list all of the lines as a single poem on our Facebook page.

There is also a copy of “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on the bar to take. It is part of our celebration of the Two Lights for Tomorrow initiative, which commemorates Paul Revere’s famous ride on April 18, 1775  and America’s fight for liberty and independence. You can find more information about Two Lights for Tomorrow here.

There are also two FYI Series programs this month. The first one is on Wednesday, April 16^th, “Native Plants to Attract Pollinators” presented by Jessie Douglas Taylor. “CSI-K9” will be presented by Leona Conner and K-9 Micha on Wednesday, April 30^th. Both programs will begin at 12noon in the Community Room.

The April task for the Adult Reading Challenge is to read a novel in verse.  There will be a list of books that work for this task in the public lists on our catalog. For this task you will be able to use those juvenile titles that are on the list. We hope this task doesn’t leave you feeling like a tortured poet. If you have questions about if a title works, please email or drop by the marketing and outreach office.

Happy Reading!