February "Total Reads" Blog

 

Welcome to the blog for the Adult Reading Challenge at Decatur Public Library. This year’s title is “Total Reads” and all of the clues are based on all types of numbers: GPS coordinates, the Dewey Decimal system, dates and times, addresses, statistics, and Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center Radio Communication Codes.  As always there are 3 levels to achieve a chance to have your name entered into the drawing for one of the prizes. However, if 5 books are a challenge for you, we are happy to have you be part of the fun! Join us this year as we read books based on clues and tasks inspired by the world of numbers.

You can sign up by coming by the Marketing and Outreach office at Decatur Public Library. We encourage you to call or email first to make sure we will be available to meet with you. Part of our job is Outreach and Adult Programming so we may be out of the building or hosting a program and not in the office to assist you. You can call the office at 256-340-5780 or email us at StephRhonda@myDPL.org to make an appointment. Generally, we are available Monday through Thursday 10am until 5:30pm and Friday 10am until 5pm.

The first book club this year will be Thursday, February 5^th starting at 11:30am until 2pm in the Community Room.  Immediately after book club, there will be a program with local author Betty Bolté called “Discovering Mary Katharine Goddard”. This program is part of our yearlong celebration of 250 years of American history. Come learn all about the woman who printed and signed the Declaration of Independence.

We will also host an FYI program this month on Wednesday, February 25^th, at 12noon in the Community Room. The first FYI program this year is called “Stress Less, Live More: Practical Tools for Everyday Calm” and will be presented by Jetaun Bailey, LPC-S, CSC. This practical, skills-based session will focus on recognizing stress and learning simple tools to manage everyday stress.

At the end the month (Saturday, February 28th, at 3:30pm) we will host author Sharon Udasin for a discussion of her book Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemical Contaminated America. The book concerning forever chemicals polluting the Tennessee River from chemical plants, features Decatur and Courtland. She will speak and then answer questions from the public. She will also have some of the local people she interviewed for the book with her for the question-and-answer portion of the program.  This program is made possible by the Friends of Decatur Public Library. Books will be available for purchase from Brown Books and More.

The first task for the Challenge this year is to read a 2026 debut book. This means it has to be the author’s first book ever published. I noticed on a few of the book promotions I receive, publishers pushing books as “her adult debut” if the author is an established children’s author. These do not work for the sake of this task. It must be the very first book published by the author and it must be copyrighted 2026.   It must also be a book found in the adult section of the library. Juvenile titles do not work for this task.

Happy Reading!

 

November "Reading Eras" Blog

 

There is a lot of HVAC work going on at DPL this fall. Phase I ended last week so fiction and non-fiction are now open again. Phase II began Monday, October 27^th, and because of this, we have made the decision not to host a Quilt Show this year. The work for the HVAC in phase II could take up to 18 weeks so the library will be a little noisy and perhaps dusty during this time. There will be different areas of the library that we have to close off for an hour or a couple of days at a time, and we will not know where or when until the time comes. Please have patience with the staff and the workers as the much-needed repair work is done so that the library will have heat and air conditioning in the future.

For the Adult Reading Challenge we will accept reading logs starting Monday, November 10^th, at 10:00am. The last day to turn in your reading log will be Wednesday, November 26, at 5:00pm. This year if you do not turn in your reading log during the time frame given you will not be invited to the Finale. We need the reading logs on time in order to determine the stats for the reading challenge, the winners of each level, and how many people to plan for at the Finale. When you turn in your reading log make sure your name, phone number, and library card number are on the front. We will give you a ticket for the Finale when we accept your reading log. You must bring the ticket with you to the Finale. It is required for admission and it will be your ticket for the door prize. If we are not in the office when you come to turn in your log you can slip it under the door. We will contact you via the phone number on your reading log about picking up your ticket for the Finale. 

If you want to be entered for a prize drawing here are the requirements for each level:

©      ❤    Trend Setter: 15 books total and 5 of them must be monthly tasks from the blog

©      ❤    League of Your Own: 30 books total and 7 of them must be monthly tasks from the blog

©      ❤    Phenom: 60 books total and 9 of them must be monthly tasks from the blog

If you have questions about any of the rules or the challenge itself, please reach out to us. We are in the office most days 10am until 5:30pm, you can email us at stpenhonda@myDPL.org, or call our office at 256-340-5780. If you want to make sure we are available when you are coming to the library, please call or email ahead of time to schedule a meeting.

The inspiration for this year’s look back at all of the previous adult reading challenges came from Taylor Swift and her Eras Tour. For the final task read a book about a strong independent female solo artist in the music industry. You can find a couple of books on The Life of a Showgirl herself in our catalog or one on any other woman who made it in the music industry on her own terms. Artists who made it in a band or group do not count for this task.

Happy Reading!

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!