Galesburg Public Library | 40 East Simmons Street | Galesburg, Illinois | 309.343.6118

Calendar• May 01 Family Story Night• May 03 Teen Advisory Board• May 03 Tots and Tunes• May 05 Comicfest• May 05 Sensory Storytime• May 07 BYOB Book Club• May 07 New Director Meet and Greet• May 08 Tuesday Book Club• May 08 Lego Night• May 10 Thursday Book Club• May 11 Spring Book Sale Begins• May 14 Writer Support Group• May 15 Movie Club• May 17 Free Movie: 12 Strong• May 19 Hypnotic Techniques Program• May 19 TAB End-of-Year Party• May 21 Keep Calm and Color On• May 21 Summer Reading Registration • May 23 Anime Club • May 25 Tome Raiders Book Club• May 31 Pinterest Club• May 31 Food for Thought Book Club

Galesburg Public Library Newsletter | www.galesburglibrary.org

May 2018

Off the ShelfDon’t Miss the Friends of the Library Book Sale on May 11, 12, & 14!

The library will host a Comicfest on Saturday, May 5 from 11:00 until 2:00 PM. Cosplay contest! Prizes! Crafts! Coloring! Art! Free buttons and bookmarks! And more! Purchase original art from Studio2:22 for a small fee, join the Youth Pokemon League in open play, and engage with the local live action roleplaying game group Rust. This year from 11:00 AM -12:30 PM we will be visited by guests from a galaxy far far away, members of the 501st Legion Midwest Garrison. The perfect opportunity for fan photos!

Comicfest 2018

New Library Director HiredThe Galesburg Public Library is very happy to announce the hiring of its new director, Zack Holt. Zack’s first day at the library will be Monday, May 7. Community members are invited to meet him at a cake and coffee reception from 4:30 until 5:30 PM in the library lobby.

Friends of the Library Spring Book SaleThe Friends annual Spring Book Sale will take place on May 11, 12 and 14. From 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM on May 11, members of the Friends are invited to the preview sale. Nonmembers may pay $5 to come to the Friday night sale or join the Friends on Friday night. On Saturday, May 12, the sale will run from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM, and entry is free for all who attend. The sale will conclude on Monday, May 14, with a $3 bag sale happening from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM.

If you are interested in volunteering, please email Friends’ president Diane Dooley at dianelouisedooley@gmail.com for details as to how you can help.

• Astronaut Annie by Suzanne Slade

• The Big Umbrella by June Bates

• My Pet Wants a Pet by Elise Broach

• My Pillow Keeps Moving by Laura Gehl

• What a Wonderful World by Nicola Edwards

Recommended by: Hillary (Children’s)

Favorite Pictures Books of 2018...so far

New Librarian Joins StaffAs the library sadly says goodbye to Lauren Pierce as who moved on to a new position, we happily welcome Eileen Castro as the new Big Read Coordinator and Reference Librarian. Eileen joins us from southern Wisconsin, where she received her undergraduate degree from UW-Madison and her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from UW-Milwaukee. Eileen enjoys reading YA literature, fantasy, and mysteries, and rereading Harry Potter. She also likes travel-ing, board games, and Wisconsin sports (Go Badgers!).

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Library Book Clubs Copies of all discussion books are available at the library about one month in advance. Newcomers are welcome.

BYOB Book ClubMon. May 7, 10:00 AM at the libraryJoin a discussion of Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, a memoir of a black man who was born free in New York State but was kidnapped, sold into slavery and kept in bondage for 12 years in Louisiana. While you engage in adult conversation about the book, Children’s Room staff will provide a fun activity for children 4 and older (younger ones are welcome too, but must be supervised by the parent). Adults without children are also welcome. **May is Galesburg Public Library month in Galesburg, and our May discussion book titles celebrate the value of libraries.

Tuesday/Thursday Book DiscussionsTue. May 8, 1:00 PM at the libraryThur. May 10, 6:30 PM at Jimmy John’swe’ll discuss Molly Guptill Manning’s book When Books Went to War, about the efforts of librarians and publishers in World War II to get books in the hands of American service personnel fighting for freedom around the world. The Tuesday discussion will be followed by a video of the author talking about the book.

Food for Thought Book ClubThur. May 31, 11:30 PM at Buenos Aires Bakery Café We’ll discuss Seed Libraries and Other Means of Keeping Seeds in the Hands of the People by Cindy Conner. You will order and purchase your own food.

Tome Raiders Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book ClubFri. May 25, 6:00 PM at Hardee’sWe’ll discuss About Time by Knox grad Jack Finney, which includes the story “I Love Galesburg in the Springtime.” You will order and purchase your own food.

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Movie Club

Tue. May 15, TBAThe library’s movie discussion group will meet to watch a new movie at the AMC Showplace. The exact time and title will be announced the week before. We’ll head to Perkins Restaurant afterwards for discussion.

Thursday, May 17, 1:30 PMFree showing of 12 Strong, based on the true story of the first Special Forces team deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11. (130 min. rated R, ©Warner Brothers)

Other Adult Programs

Writer Support GroupMon. May 14, 4:00 PMAre you a writer? Meet with other writers to hone your skills and give and receive constructive feedback. All writers welcome. Please note that this is the last meeting of the Writer Support Group until September.

Hypnotic Techniques for Self-Relaxation Sat. May 19, 2:00 PMWhile a little bit of stress can be good for mental focus, chronic stress can have negative health consequences. In this workshop you will learn a hypnotic techniques that you can use to put your whole body into a state of calmness and relaxation. Open to all ages. Led by Marian Spurgeon, a Consulting Hypnotist and member of the National Guild of Hypnotists who practices in Galesburg.

Keep Calm and Color OnMon. May 21, 2:00-3:30 PM Join us in adult coloring for relaxation. We’ll provide music, drinks, coloring pages, and colored pencils (donated by Blick Art Materials). Free!

Pinterest ClubThur. May 31, 6:30-7:30 PMMake some awesome slime and learn a little bit about the science behind it. Cost is $1 per person. Register and pay at the Reference Desk by May 29. Open to all ages, but younger children may need adult assistance.

Human Search

Engin eBy: Faith Burdick Question: Is the tornado siren computerized to turn on under certain conditions, or does a person turn it on?

Answer: In search of the answer to this question, I called Galesburg’s emergency management coordinator, Tom Simkins, who also happens to be the fire chief. Chief Simkins says that he knows of no computer program that could automatically set off a siren. It’s definitely done by a human, in this case the fire chief himself. He reminded me that it is not just a tornado siren, so it should properly be referred to as an outdoor weather siren. Among the many things that can cause it to be activated are hail of ¾ inch in size or more, winds of over 70 mph and, of course, a sighted tornado or a call from the National Weather Service stating that they have spotted on their radar a rotation that is headed for Galesburg. Whatever the cause, it always means to take appropriate shelter and listen to the radio for the all-clear. Chief Simkins suggested that those especially interested should attend one of the weather spotter classes that are occasionally offered by the city in cooperation with the NWS. They are usually free. Spotters are very important to community safety, as they are the people who provide NWS forecasters with the first-hand information on which warnings are based.

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Storytimes:

***Toddler and preschool storytimes will not take place in May, but will begin again when Summer Reading starts in June.

Other May Events:

Family Story NightTues. May 1, 6:00 PMBring the whole family to enjoy stories, crafts, and activities. Fun for all ages, from babies to grownups!

Tots and TunesThurs. May 3, 10, 17, 10:00 AMSinging and dancing for children ages 0-5 accompanied by an adult.

Sensory StorytimeSat. May 5, 11:00 AMOpen to all children ages 2-7 but designed for children with sensory integration challenges.

Lego NightTues. May 8, 4:30-5:30 PMCome build with Legos!

Delivering the Mail via the North Star

On a cold Wednesday night in December, 1937 at exactly 7:25 pm, two men were standing on the southwest corner of E. Main and N. Chambers Streets doing something odd. One was Edward Webb, a construction engineer for the U. S. Treasury Department. The other was Knox County Surveyor S. S. Scott, and what they were up to was something that I doubt would happen today. Scott and Webb were using the best technique they knew back in the day to find true north by using the fixed stars of Mizar and Polaris (the North Star) to precisely locate the site for the new Galesburg Post Office. Mr. Webb explained that using a compass for locating north would have been “unsatisfactory due to the proximity of electric lines and automobiles which would have caused a problem if they used a magnetic compass.” The time for the sighting was determined by astronomical calculations so that the two stars formed a perfect check in relation to the established meridian line. I would have just pointed across the street and said to the contractor “Have it facing that way,” but what do I know. When the two men found the perfect direction, they placed temporary property markers in the soil on what would be the four sides of the property. They were later replaced by cement markers at each corner, which can still be seen to this day. Then the government hired a contractor who began the demolition of two houses that stood on the same land we now know today as Galesburg’s U. S. Post Office. An older post office still stands and is a white tiled building with the words Mail Building at the top. It is across the street and a couple of buildings down from the Galesburg Public Library.

by Patty Mosher

Summer Reading RegistrationMark your calendars! Galesburg Public Library’s 2018 Summer Reading program kicks off on Monday, June 4. The theme for this year’s program is Reading Takes You Everywhere. Early registration for all ages begins

on May 21 at the library or on the Summer Reading page on the library website (www.galesburglibrary.org/summerreading). Registration will

look a little different this year: from May 21 until June 9, all ages will be able to sign up at our registration table in the library lobby. After

June 9, children ages 12 and under will sign up in the Children’s Room while adults and teens will sign up at the Reference Desk. A full list of

programs will appear in the June newsletter.

Teen Advisory BoardThurs. May 3, 6:00-6:45 PMJoin the Library’s Teen Advisory Board, an open forum to make YOUR voice heard about the library! You can suggest and vote on program ideas, pitch new ideas to improve the Teen Scene, and give the library recommendations for new YA books to purchase. Open to teens aged 12-18 (or 6th-12th grade). New members always welcome.

TAB End-of-Year PartySat. May 19, 2:00-3:30 PMCelebrate the end of another year of TAB by joining us for food, fun, and games! Open to all teens who have attended a Teen Advisory Board or High School Action Committee meeting from 2017-18.

Anime ClubWed. May 23, 4:00-5:30 PMLooking for a place to share your love of anime and manga? Come to our anime club! Binge-watch new and classic anime, talk about your favorites, and argue the merits of subtitles versus English dubs. We will have Japanese snacks and other anime-related activities as well, so tell all your fellow otaku! Open to teens aged 12-18 (or 6th-12th grade).

Pinterest ClubThur. May 31, 6:30-7:30 PMMake some awesome slime and learn a little bit about the science behind it. Cost is $1 per person. Register and pay at the Reference Desk by May 29. Open to all ages, but younger children may need adult assistance.

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Inside1 Friend’s Spring Book Sale1 New Library Director 1 Comicfest1 New Librarian Joins GPL2 Human Search Engine 2 Adult Programs3 Children’s Events3 Local History3 Summer Reading4 Teen News

GPL Mission Statement

To serve the community as a general center of information,

and to provide opportunity and encouragement for people to

use its services and materials to meet their educational, personal,

professional, recreational, and cultural needs.

Galesburg Public Library 40 E. Simmons St.

Galesburg, IL 61401

HoursMonday - Thursday:9:00 AM - 8:00 PMFriday & Saturday:9:00 AM - 5:00 PMSunday: Closed

Closed: Monday, May 28