December 2016 Passages by Peoria PublicLibrary

newsletter of the Peoria Public Library Volume 25, No.12

DECEMBER 2016

Two Inductees are First in Lincoln Branch Hall of Fame Peoria Public Library Lincoln Branch has often been on the brink of extinction. The fact that this Carnegie Library, built in 1911 as Peoria Public Library’s first branch, is now referred to an as “architectural gem” that has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places and is buzzing with activity is a testament to those who stepped up during the darkest times and kept it open. In order to honor the extraordinary dedication of the many who stepped up when Lincoln Branch was in need, the Peoria Public Library Board of Trustees established a Hall of Fame in March of 2016. The first two inductees were honored in a ceremony on November 15 at Lincoln Branch and have their stories permanently displayed in the Carnegie Room of the Lincoln Branch. Those included this year in the Hall of Fame are Henry Slane, former head of the Peoria Journal Star who donated a half million dollars to repair the building; and Kathleen Powers Ditewig, a neighborhood resident who ran a massive grassroots campaign to keep the branch open. In 1970, Lincoln Branch was nearly closed and demolished due to declining circulation and concerns over the deteriorating neighborhood surrounding it. Kathleen Powers Ditewig, a neighborhood resident and mother with no experience in politics, no money and no connections, ran a successful grassroots campaign that saved the branch from closing. More than 20 years later it was Henry Pindell Slane who stepped in and turned the fate of the branch. Henry Pindell Slane was a descendant of one of Peoria’s pioneer families and helped run the Peoria Journal Star, owned by his family, for more than 30 years. In the early 1990s when he learned that an area used primarily for children had been closed to the public because it no longer met safety codes he approached the Peoria Public Library Board of Trustees and learned the library did not have the means to repair the 1911 Carnegie building. His concern led him to donate more than $500,000 to have Peoria Public Library Lincoln Branch refurbished inside and out in 1993. His donation remains the largest ever received by Peoria Public Library. For more information about the Lincoln Branch Hall of Fame, call (309)497-2000.

Kathleen Powers Ditewig

Henry Pindell Slane

Twenty Years Ago Peoria Public Library Became the First to Offer Free Public Internet Access On December 18, 1996, Peoria Public

Library became the first place in the region to offer free public access to the World Wide Web on the Internet. According to the Peoria Journal Star the next day, in an article by Elaine Hopkins, it was “a holiday gift to the citizens of Peoria.” The article explained the type of access made possible by internet access saying, “From out-of-state tax forms and government documents to subway maps of cities throughout the world, the information on the Web is almost limitless, for those able to search and find it.” At the time fewer than one-third of households owned a computer and only 10 percent of those computers had modems allowing Web access. The library had been receiving four or five requests per day for access, according to then Library Director Sue Herring and so the library found a way to fund the program for the public. Friends of Peoria Public Library gave $3,500 and Heart Electronics and Communication, owners of Heartnet, a local Internet provider, gave a grant of $2,000 and created a Web page for the library that included search buttons and a tutorial. SeniorNet was offering lessons to those who wanted to learn how to use the system and reservations were taken for half-hour blocks of time on the single computer. Today Peoria Public Library offers free wifi at all locations, has two computer labs and offers a total of 118 public computers with internet access.

Illinois State Library Again Funds Project Next Generation at Peoria Public Library Lincoln Branch by Cynthia Smith

The Peoria Public Library Lincoln Branch has once again received a grant from

the Illinois State Library. The Project Next Generation program teaches 5th thru 8th grade students the latest technology and helps build character, confidence, and a competitive edge in the classroom. The goal of Project Next Generation is to bridge the digital divide by making recent technologies accessible to students who have limited access to computers and other technologies at home. In addition, this program strives to provide a safe and friendly environment with positive role models. The Project Next Generation grant allows the hiring of qualified mentors to teach all sessions and travel with students on field trips. This year three sessions will be offered. The first session, October 3- December 6, will focus on communication technology. Students will research and explore common communication channels including traditional and electronic media. Students will conduct and record veterans interviews for inclusion in the Illinois Veterans History Project that will be sent to the Office of Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White in Springfield. Students will learn how to interview by following the guidelines set by the Illinois Veterans History Project before the actual interviews. Also students will learn how to film from a camcorder and download their project to a memory card. The second session, February 6 – April 11, 2017, is dedicated to an in-depth study of the 3D Printer. Project Next Generation students will learn to build their own models from shapes online using our very own 3D Makerbot Replicator Mini Printer. During this process students will gain a broader understanding of computer modeling and basic mechanics of this new technology. In the final session, May 1 – July 11, 2017, students will explore the language of computers through the Raspberry Pi Micro-Controller. Students will learn to code and assemble computer boards as a project. Finally, all students will travel to Chicago for an educational field trip to the Museum of Science and Industry to view the latest in technology. Participants are required to sign up. For more information on this FREE program contact Cynthia Smith, Branch Manager, Peoria Public Library Lincoln Branch at 497-2600. Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library, a Department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

December Children’s Book Review by Madison Gailus

NO By Claudia Rueda Little Bear does not want to go to sleep for the winter. His mother warns him that winter is cold, long and there won’t be any food. Little Bear has a counter reason for each of these statements, determined not to go to sleep. He decides that winter will be fun and starts to build a snowman. Only then, a storm rolls in and his snowman is blown away and Little Bear realizes that staying out for the winter isn’t such a good idea. He calls for his Mama while in the storm, and she leads him back to the den. Cutely, Little Bear claims that he’s back because he doesn’t want Mama to get lonely all winter long without him. As the story progresses snow and snowdrifts take over the page. The simple images of Little Bear and Mama Bear stand out starkly against the white backgrounds, making the images easy on the eyes. It is the hope of many parents that a lesson or two could be learned from Little Bear and his Mama. (Picture Book, PreS-K) –

Holiday Half-Price Sale Friendly Finds Used Books

Saturday, December 3 Noon to 5 LL2 Main Library Everything on sale Shop our Christmas Book selection!

December

The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle is a domestic thriller. Iris and Will have been married for by Robin Helenthal seven years and they seem to have the perfect marriage. When Will flies to Florida on a business trip, Island of Glass is the third book in the Guardians it starts as just another day, until Trilogy by Nora Roberts. As the six guardians Laura is contacted about a plane continue to hunt for the final star, the Star of Ice, that was headed for Seattle which Doyle the immortal must come to terms with his crashes into a field and everyone terrible past. He closed his heart, three centuon board was killed. Will’s name ries ago but he is attracted to Riley and the wolf within her. Riley is an archaeologist and familiar is on the passenger list. Thinking it must be a misunderstanding, Iris begins to try to discover what Will was with the coast of Clare but she is finding herself on unsure footing when she is under attack by the doing on that plane and what secrets he was keeping from her. What she uncovers is at first odd and confusing but dark goddess who now wants revenge as well as the stars and the blood of the guardians. As they as she begins to dig deeper, she becomes frightened and is search through Irish history for the final star on the mystifying Island of not sure who she can turn to or trust. Glass, Riley must accept Doyle’s love, for it will be his strength that will Babylon’s Ashes is by S.A. Corey. give her the power to save them all. The first two titles in the trilogy are: This is the sixth novel in the best Stars of Fortune and Bay of Sighs. selling Expanse series which is a major television series on the Syfy The Midnight Bell is the latest novel of intrigue by Channel. There is a revolution Jack Higgins. Three different events take place brewing and The Free Navy (a in three different countries: in Ulster, Northern violent group of Belters) has cripIreland, a woman is killed in a drunken car pled the Earth. Their campaign crash caused by a petty criminal and her sons of piracy and violence extends to vow revenge; in London, Sean Dillion and other the outer planets where colony members of the “Prime Minister’s private army” ships are easy prey and no single have just beaten a lethal al-Qaeda operation navy is strong enough to protect them. James Holden and when they receive a warning, “You may think his crew know the strength of this new group and even you have weakened us, but you have only made though they are outnumbered and outgunned, they call us stronger;” and in Washington, D.C. a special on the Rocinanate to put together a mission to reach projects director in the CIA puts into play a bold anti-terrorism plan without getting the go ahead from the President because, “He knows he Medina Station which is the heart of the network. The is right and the nation will thank him later.” As the ripples from these struggle for power has just begun and the choices of a few damaged and desperate people may determine the fate of events meet and overlap, they will cause chaos. Men will react, secrets more than just humanity. will be exposed and the midnight bell will ring.

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EP!Casso Art Studio Display at Main Library in the Wheeler Case by Beth A. Stogsdill

“The Spirit of America,” a display of art by those participating in the EP!Casso Art Studio at Ep!c, will be on display from December 2 through December 29 at Peoria Public Library Main Library in the Wheeler Case on LL2 during regular library hours. EP!C says, “For more than sixty-five years, EP!C has refused to accept a diagnosis as an identity. We are a leader in providing care, education, and opportunity to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and we are passionate about discovering and developing potential.” EP!Casso Art Studio provides individuals at EP!C with the opportunity to explore the visual arts, to study art history, to acquire an array of art skills, to develop creative styles, and to experience art in the community. During the summer, inspiration came from American holidays as the artists created their work. Participants in the studio discussed the significance of Memorial Day and Flag Day, shared their excitement after watching fireworks on Independence Day, and reminisced about the events of 9-11. With their peaked interest in American history and events, the art studio members decided to salute America by creating art work depicting icons which are often associated with America. More than 20 artists participated in “The Spirit of America” art project over the course of the summer. The artists of “The Spirit of America” exhibit hope that the viewers enjoy the art exhibit at Peoria Public Library. Additional art work is exhibited in the EP!Casso Art Studio at EP!C, 1913 W. Townline Road, Peoria. EP!Casso has a monthly Art Sale on the third Wednesday of each month, 1:00 to 3:00, in the Art Studio. Please visit EP!C’s website at epicpeoria.org. and epicpeoriafacebook.

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Dece

CALENDAR

December

Thursday, December 1

MAIN LIBRARY Crafts-to-Go: December Holiday Edition

NORTH BRANCH One-on-One Genealogy Digital Resource Assistance

LINCOLN BRANCH TNT Holidaze Party – 5:00-6:00 p.m.

Kids ages 5-12 can pick up a Holiday packet at the 1st Floor Information Desk. December MAIN LIBRARY December Holiday Activity Booklet

Looking for something fun to do during your Winter Break? Pick up a December Holiday Activity Booklet at the 2nd Floor Information Desk at the Main Library. Each booklet will have coloring sheets, craft ideas, recipes, activity sheets, bookmarks and other fun ideas for all the major winter holidays including Bodhi (Buddha) Day, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa and the Winter Solstice. There’s something for all kids ages 3-12. December LAKEVIEW BRANCH Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

This winter the Lakeview Branch is trying to build a snowman as big as the amount of books our readers are reading! Stop by the information desk to pick up a snow globe reading log. Each time you finish a book, you’ll mark off a snowflake. Return your completed snow globe log for a snowflake to add to our snowman. Just how big will our snowman be by the end of 2016? If we complete a snowman by the end of December, one lucky builder will win a mug with some hot chocolate goodies! Readers of all ages are invited to help us build our snowman. December LAKEVIEW BRANCH 1 to 1 Tech Help

Have you ever wished you had your own personal technology guru to help you? Pick a time slot that works with your schedule and provide some information about the computer or device you would like help with. At the meeting, a librarian will be ready to help and focus on you. Drop in or call to schedule your session in advance.

of programs and events

Are you interested in exploring your family history and don’t know where to begin? Schedule a thirty minute appointment with one of our library reference assistants and receive an introduction to some of the valuable and free online research databases Peoria Public Library has to offer. We can give you a basic introduction to Ancestry Library Edition, Heritage Quest and Newsbank, as well as suggestions for other useful resources to guide you in your research. Call Mary at 309-497-2100 to schedule. December 1-23 ALL LOCATIONS The Search for the Christmas Pickle

Take part in this German holiday tradition! The Christmas Pickle will be hiding in the children’s department, waiting to be discovered. After you find it bring it to the desk to claim your prize. It will be hiding in a new spot every day, so be sure to come back and find it again every day until Christmas! December 1-30 MAIN LIBRARY Candy Cane Hunt

All month long, go on a candy cane hunt at the Main Library. Try to find a paper candy cane in the children’s room and trade it in at the Information Desk for a real one! You might just find a good book to read while you’re at it. Grades K-4. Thursday , Dec.1, 8, 15, 22, 29 MCCLURE BRANCH Fun Time Storytime – 10:00-10:30 a.m.

Ages 3 to 6. Thursday, December 1, 8, 15, 22 NORTH BRANCH – 10:30-11:00 A.M.

Monday, December 5, 12 & 19 LAKEVIEW BRANCH – 10:15-10:45 A.M. Tadpoles Storytime

Ages 2 to 3.

For tweens and teens ages 10-18. It’s the most wonderful time of the year… to party! Come and join us for some festive activities and snacks, as well as a little Christmas karaoke. We guarantee that it will be snow much fun! And don’t forget to wear your most “ugly” holiday sweater for a chance to win a prize. Thursday Nights Are For Teens! Friday, December 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 NORTH BRANCH Busy Bees Storytime – 10:30-11:00 a.m.

Children of all ages. Friday, December 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 NORTH BRANCH A-Z Storytime – 3:00-3:30 p.m.

We’re learning the alphabet! Join us for stories, songs, and crafts as we focus on learning the shapes of letters and the sounds they make! Children of all ages. Saturday, December 3 Friday, January 27 MAIN LIBRARY GALLERY 22 VA Veterans’ Art Exhibit 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

22 VA is a group of talented Veteran Artists that want to help other Veterans express themselves through visual and creative arts. 22 VA stands for 22 Veteran Artists who have come together in an effort to help reduce the number of Veteran suicides currently claiming 22 veteran lives a day. Artwork of all types by those who served in the United States Military will be on display. An opening reception will be held Saturday, December 3 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Gallery. The public is invited to attend.

Saturday, Dec. 3, 10, 17 & 31

Monday, December 5

Wednesday, Dec. 7, 14, 21 & 28

NORTH BRANCH Busier Bees Storytime – 10:30-11:00am

LINCOLN BRANCH Front & Center: How the Grinch Stole Christmas – 5:00-6:00 p.m.

MAIN LIBRARY E-reader Assistance – 3:00-4:00 p.m.

Did you miss Friday’s storytime? Join us on Saturday! Stories, songs, and fun for the whole hive! Children of all ages. Saturday, December 3 MCCLURE BRANCH Homemade Holiday Gifts: Get Inspired and Get Started! – 11:00 am-12:30 pm

Save some money by making some unique gifts this holiday season! At this event, you’ll get ideas and instructions for creating homemade presents, and you’ll even get to try one out for yourself. Please call 309-497-2150 to register by November 26. Only those who register will be guaranteed supplies for the crafting portion of this program. All are welcome to attend for the gift ideas and instructions!

Join us for fun activities, snacks and the showing of the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Grades K through 4. Tuesday, December 6, 13, 20, 27 LINCOLN BRANCH Terrific Tattletale Storytime – 10:00-10:30 a.m.

Ages 3 to 6. Tuesday, December 6, 13, 20, 27

Have a smartphone, tablet, or ereader but need some help learning how to download ebooks from the library? Free one-on-one help is available. Sessions are first come, first served. Other times are available by appointment. Call Cindy Wright at (309) 497-2000 to schedule. Wednesday, December 7 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Graphic Novel Club – 4:00-4:30 p.m.

This month: Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar

Join us each month to discuss which comics we’ve read, what we loved, and what we wish we’d skipped. Each month we’ll have a different theme and try to read one graphic novel that fits the theme, but we’ll also discuss everything else we’ve read since our last meeting. This month’s theme: Space. Grades 6-9.

Saturday, December 3

Tuesday, December 6, 13 & 20

December 8 & 13

MCCLURE BRANCH Holiday Crafting Extravaganza – 3:00-5:00 p.m.

LAKEVIEW BRANCH After School Homework Help – 4:00-5:00 p.m.

LINCOLN BRANCH Puppet Show: “Santa Cures a Cold” – 10:0010:30 a.m.

Christmas is not the only holiday happening this month. Drop in and learn about some new traditions as we create different crafts in celebration of holidays from all over the world. While supplies last. Sunday, December 4 & 11 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Sunday Crafternoon – 12:00-5:00 p.m.

The storytime room will be open for families to relax and read books, color, and work on projects. Some crafting supplies will be provided. Parental supervision is required. December 5-31 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Guess the Number of Candy Canes

LAKEVIEW BRANCH Preschool Storytime – 10:30-11:00 a.m.

Ages 3 to 6. Tuesday, December 6 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Bibliophiles Book Club – 1:30-2:30 pm

A room will be booked for you to use to work on homework or assignments, alone or in groups. A staff member will also be on hand to assist with research and library resources. Grades 4-8. Tuesday, December 6 LINCOLN BRANCH Front & Center: Buttons on Canvas – 5:00-6:00 p.m.

Let your creativity and art juices flow. Design a beautiful wintery scene on canvas using buttons and your imagination. Call 497-2600 to register. Grades 7-8. Wednesday, Dec. 7, 14, 21 & 28 NORTH BRANCH Brainy Baby Storytime – 1:30-2:00 p.m.

Help Santa feel better for Christmas Eve! Ages 3 to 6. Thursday, December 8 LINCOLN BRANCH TNT Movie of the Month: Elf – 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Tweens and teens ages 10 to 18, join us for a movie up on the big screen! In Elf, Buddy, a human raised as an elf at the North Pole, is sent to the U.S. to find his true identity. Elf is rated PG.

Develop your baby’s pre-literacy skills with this program, designed to introduce children and their caregivers to books, songs, rhymes and finger plays that will help them understand concepts and enhance their love of learning. Caregivers will be encouraged to engage their child through one-on-one interactions, making reading time fun. Age 0-23 months.

Saturday, December 10

Monday, December 5, 12 & 19

Wednesday, December 7

NORTH BRANCH– 10:30-11:00 A.M.

LAKEVIEW BRANCH

NORTH BRANCH Math Challenge – 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Wednesday, December 7, 14, 21

Wednesday, December 21

LAKEVIEW BRANCH – 10:15-10:45 A.M.

NORTH BRANCH Puzzle Club – 2:00-4:00 p.m.

How many candy canes do you think are in the jar? Stop by and make your guess for a chance to win all of the candy canes!

Tiny Tots Storytime Ages 12 to 23 months.

Do you love doing puzzles with others? Join our Puzzle Club!

LINCOLN BRANCH Minecraft – 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. & 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Ages 8 to 14 can join us for Minecraft in the computer lab. Our theme for this month is “The North Pole.” Space is limited, so please call 497-2600 to register. Saturday, December 10 Experience the joy of math by visiting the Beehive for a fun self-guided math challenge. Challenges will be geared toward students in grade three and up. Drop in any time. While supplies last.

Calendar Continued Saturday, December 10 MCCLURE BRANCH Holiday Fairy House Construction – 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

We’re making a fantastic fairy house that is completely edible! Come join the fun and construct a beautiful holiday masterpiece. All materials will be provided for you. When completed, you will have a scrumptious display that will grace your home (or you can eat the entire project, except the plate!) Supplies are limited, so please call 309-497-2150 to join the fun! Saturday, December 10 LINCOLN BRANCH Holiday Gingerbread House Craft – 2:30-4:00 p.m.

Make your own gingerbread house. Grades 1 to 6. Space is limited, so please call 497-2600 to register. Saturday, December 10 NORTH BRANCH Winter Olympic Games – 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Do you want to build a snowman? How about dress like one? Can you throw snowballs through a target? Or run a reindeer relay? Join us for an afternoon of crazy games and dress to go outside if the weather lets us! Sunday, December 11 NORTH BRANCH Frozen Sing-Along – 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Winter blues got you down? Is your heart as frozen as the air outside? Let it go, and come sing your favorite songs along with the movie Frozen. Costumes welcome! Sunday, December 11 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Between the Lines Genre Book Club – 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Join us for a book club designed for reluctant readers. We will focus on a specific genre each month. This month we will be reading historical fiction books. Choose one of your favorites or visit the Lakeview Branch for a suggested reading list. Ages 13-17. Sunday, December 11 NORTH BRANCH Biography & Non-fiction Book Club – 3:00-5:00 p.m.

This month: Bourbon Empire: the Past and Future of America’s Whiskey by Reid Mitenbuler

Monday, December 12

Wednesday, December 14

LAKEVIEW BRANCH Gingerbread Man Hunt – 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

NORTH BRANCH – 10:00-11:00 A.M.

Can you catch the Gingerbread Man? Find one of our gingerbread men hiding in the children’s section and win three coupons to local restaurants. Monday, December 12 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Graphic Novel Club – 4:00-4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, December 27 LAKEVIEW BRANCH – 2:30-3:30 P.M. Coloring Club for Adults

Come enjoy the latest stress-busting trend for grown-ups – good old-fashioned coloring. We will have a quiet space, beautiful patterns, and a variety of coloring utensils (or feel free to bring your own). We ask for no children in the room as this is for adults only!

Celebrate winter with us by painting your own snowflake tape art to take home. Grades 4 to 8.

Monday, December 12

Wednesday, December 14

LAKEVIEW BRANCH SciFi & Fantasy Book Club–6:30-7:30pm

NORTH BRANCH Genre Evolution Book Club–6:30-7:30pm

This month: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

This month, we’re discussing the evolution of the holiday fiction genre. Please read any of the books below! A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; The Father Christmas Letters by J.R.R. Tolkien; The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum; The Birds’ Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin; The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke; Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

Monday, December 12 NORTH BRANCH Pajama Storytime – 7:00-7:45 p.m.

Join us for a picture book party! We’ll enjoy stories, songs, and a craft! Wear your pajamas and bring a blanket or stuffed friend to snuggle --- you’ll be ready for bed when you head home! Children of all ages. Tuesday, December 13 LINCOLN BRANCH Front & Center: The Night Before Christmas Readers Theater–5:00-6:00pm

Do you have a desire to perform? Would you like to express yourself? What about act up and act out? If so, join us for a fun evening of Readers Theater as we perform The Night Before Christmas. Grades 5 and 6. Tuesday, December 13 LAKEVIEW BRANCH 1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Club – 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Have you seen the book 1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die? Stop by the Lakeview Branch every month to see a different movie from a different decade featured in the revised and updated edition of 1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Feel free to bring your favorite snack! This month: Rushmore (R, 1998).

Wednesday, December 14 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Snowflake Tape Painting – 4:005:00pm

Thursday, December 15 NORTH BRANCH Third Thursday Film Fest–2:00-5:00 pm

Join us on the third Thursday of each month for a different film released in the 1960’s. Bring a snack and enjoy an oldie but goodie on the big screen. This month: Babes in Toyland (1961, G) Thursday, December 15 LINCOLN BRANCH Homework Help Lab – 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Anyone in need of help with homework can get it at the Library! Help is available for reading practice and for all school assignments. We can assist with test preparation if students bring textbooks or study guides. Assistance is available on a first-come, first served basis. A library staff member will be available to help as well as live online one-on-one help available through Brainfuse. Study groups are welcome!

Thursday, December 15

Saturday, November 19

Tuesday, December 20

NORTH BRANCH Thursday Night at the Movies – 6:00-8:00 p.m.

MAIN LIBRARY Autism Resource Group – 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

LINCOLN BRANCH Front & Center: Marbled Ornaments – 5:00-6:00 p.m.

Children of all ages (and families) are invited to join us every month for a family-friendly film. Feel free to bring a snack! This month: Babes in Toyland (1961)

Are you a parent with a tween or teen with Autism Spectrum Disorder? Join us for resource sharing and support.

Join us to design beautiful marbled ornaments for your Christmas tree or as a gift for a loved one. Grades 7 and 8.

Saturday, December 17

Tuesday, December 20

NORTH BRANCH Winter Wonderland Tea Party – 2:00-4:00 p.m.

LAKEVIEW BRANCH YA for Adults Book Club–6:30-7:30 pm

Friday, December 16 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Toddler Art – 10:15-10:45 a.m.

Come join us once a month for a fun artful activity geared towards toddlers. Let your child explore the world of colors and shapes while learning fine motor skills along the way. Art projects might leave something to be desired but it’s the process that really counts. Please dress for a mess. For ages 2 to 4 years old with a caregiver. Friday, December 16 LAKEVIEW BRANCH LEGO Builders Club – 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Calling all LEGO fans! Join us at Lakeview Branch for our Lego Builders Club. Drop in any time to play. Parental supervision is required. Saturday, December 17 MAIN LIBRARY Minecraft – 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Ages 8 to 14 are invited to join us for three hours of uninterrupted play. Space is limited, so please call 497-2150 to register. Sunday, December 18 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Book ‘Em Mystery Book Club – 2:00-3:30 p.m.

This month: Silent Knife by Shelley Freydont

Join us for a fun, festive, and fancy Tea Party celebrating the beauty of winter. We will have warm winter drinks, snacks, and winter-themed songs, games, and crafts. Wear your favorite festive outfit.

This month: Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty Thursday, December 22 LINCOLN BRANCH Crochet a Simple Ruffle Scarf – 6:00-7:00 p.m.

This month: White Christmas starring Bing Crosby; directed by Michael Curtiz.

For ages 12 and up. We will teach you how to crochet a simple but spectacular ruffle scarf in under an hour. All materials will be provided. To register, or for more information, please call 497-2600.

Sunday, December 18

December 27-31

NORTH BRANCH Music in the McKenzie Presents: Nathan Taylor Band – 2:00-4:00 p.m.

MCCLURE BRANCH Countdown to the New Year Make It! Take It!

Nathan Taylor and Friends perform a range of vintage American roots music. Enjoy classic roots songs, blues of the delta, jazz of early New Orleans, and some great originals that fit right in with the old styles. You’ll want to dance to the tasty tunes these guys have put together. Their feel-good music will transport you back to simpler time, and it’s a show that you won’t want to miss! Featuring Adam Kimbrell on standup bass, Tom Stoner on trumpet, Larry Harms on Clarinet, Jason Brannon on drums, and Nathan Taylor on vocals/guitar/harmonica. A portion of CD sales support The Friends of Peoria Public Library.

Come in any time this week to prepare for the first holiday of the year by doing different crafts each day as we countdown to New Year’s Day! While supplies last.

Sunday, December 18 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Silver Screen Sundays – 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 31 LAKEVIEW BRANCH Countdown to Noon – 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Get ready for an exciting party for all the youngsters who can’t stay up until midnight to ring in the New Year! We’ll countdown to noon by dressing up, enjoying snacks, reading a book, and taking silly photos in front of our special New Years Eve backdrop. At noon we’ll have a balloon drop and dance to some favorite songs. Ages 1 to 7.

All locations of Peoria Public Library

will be closed

& Christmas Holiday

Saturday, December 24 through Monday, December 26

Saturday, December 31 (at 3:00pm) through Monday, January 2

for the

New Year’s Holiday

North Branch always closed Tuesday

January Book Clubs At Peoria Public Library

The Big Read Peoria Reads! Selection for 2017 Everyone is encouraged to read Silver Sparrow by Taryari Jones during our one-city, one-book program this spring. The author will visit Peoria February 2325. Visit www.peoriareads.org for more information. “My father, James Witherspoon is a bigamist,” is the opening line of Silver Sparrow, a novel written by Tayari Jones that unveils a breathtaking story about a man’s deception, a family’s complicity, and the two teenage girls caught in the middle. Set in a middleclass neighborhood in Atlanta during the 1980s, the novel revolves around James Witherspoon’s families—the public one and the secret one. When Witherspoon’s daughters from each family meet, they form a friendship, but only one of them knows they are sisters. It is a relationship destined to explode when secrets are revealed and illusions shattered. As Jones explores the backstories of her rich and flawed characters, she also reveals the joy, and the destruction, they brought to each other’s lives. At the heart of it all are two girls whose lives are at stake, and like the best writers, Jones portrays the fragility of her characters with raw authenticity as they seek love, demand attention, and try to imagine themselves as women.

The Read on Book Club will meet on Tuesday, January 24 at 5:30 p.m. at Lincoln Branch to discuss Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones, this year’s Big Read, Peoria Reads! selection.

Join a book club at Peoria Public Library this month. New members are always welcome!

The Biography and Non-Fiction Book Club will meet on Sunday, January 8 at 3:00 p.m. at North Branch to discuss Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS by Joby Warrick. In a thrilling dramatic narrative, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joby Warrick traces how the strain of militant Islam behind ISIS first arose in a remote Jordanian prison and spread with the unwitting aid of two American presidents. Drawing on unique high-level access to CIA and Jordanian sources, Warrick weaves gripping, momentby-moment operational details with the perspectives of diplomats and spies, generals and heads of state, many of whom foresaw a menace worse than al Qaeda and tried desperately to stop it. Black Flags is a brilliant and definitive history that reveals the long arc of today’s most dangerous extremist threat. &

non-fiction book group

Club Read will meet on Wednesday, March 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Lakeview Branch to discuss Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones, the Big Read Peoria Reads! 2017 selection.

New! Sherlock Holmes Story Society will meet at North Branch on Thursday, January 26 to discuss “A Scandal in Bohemia” the first short story collection in the Holmes canon, from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. The first short story to be published in The Strand magazine, it revolves around Holmes’ assignment to acquire a damning photo and thereby save the reputation of a certain royal personage.

The Book ‘Em Mystery Book Club will meet on Sunday, January 15 at 2:00 p.m. at Lakeview Branch to discuss Brush Back by Sara Paretsky. V. I. Warshawski tangles with Chicago’s political bosses while investigating an old murder and it leads her straight into the vipers’ nest of Illinois politics.

The Sci-Fi Fantasy Book Club will meet on Monday, January 9 at Lakeview Branch at 6:30 p.m. to discuss Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. A job interview arranged by a former teacher leads Madeline “Max” Maxwell to a new career as a time-traveling historian with St. Mary’s Institute of Historical Research. The researchers are under strict orders to observe only—no interaction with the locals is allowed. But from her first mission rescuing artifacts from the Great Library of Alexandria, Max soon realizes that time travel is a dangerous activity and that history will go to elaborate lengths to protect itself.

The Genre Evolution Book Club will meet on Wednesday, January 18 at 6:30 p.m. at North Branch to discuss early works in the dystopian fiction genre. Selections include The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, where we are introduced to the peaceful Eloi and the fearsome Morlocks. Or try The Iron Heel by Jack London, whose vision of the future proved to be eerily prescient of the violence and fascism that marked the initial half of the 20th century. Other selections include Paris in the Twentieth Century by Jules Verne, The Fixed Period by Anthony Trollope, and “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster OR “The Repairer of Reputations” by Robert W. Chambers. Choose from the list, or try them all!

What’s Trending?

At Peoria Public Library

The YA Book Club for Adults will meet on Tuesday, January 17 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss The Living by Matt de la Pena. Shy took the summer job to make some money. In a few months on a luxury cruise liner, he’ll rake in the tips and be able to help his mom and sister out with the bills. And how bad can it be? Bikinis, free food, maybe even a girl or two—every cruise has different passengers, after all. But everything changes when the Big One hits. Shy’s only weeks out at sea when an earthquake more massive than ever before recorded hits California, and his life is forever changed. The earthquake is only the first disaster. Suddenly it’s a fight to survive for those left living.

Intercontinental Readers will meet Tuesday, March 21 at 1:00 p.m. at Main Library on LL1 to hold a Skype discussion with the group in Clonmel, Ireland about All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. A stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel. In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.

To find out what’s trending at Peoria Public Library, visit: peoriapubliclibrary.org/whats-trending

www.peoriapubliclibrary.org

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