Latzer Library holds a wealth of information

National Library Week will be observed April 10-16, 2016 with the theme, “Libraries Transform.” First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nations libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. To celebrate, return overdue items Latzer Library items and fines will be waived during this week.

New Community Room

With the addition of so many exciting programs and a new partnership with the city of Highland and SWIC to offer the community for credit and non-credit continuing education, additional meeting room space was a necessity. This new community room was finished in a portion of the existing storage room. It is the first finished space added since 1983, when the Jennie Latzer Kaeser Children’s Library was completed. This room will also be available for non-profit groups to use. The project has been partially sponsored by two groups, and additional sponsors are being sought.

Looking Glass Genealogy Group

This genealogy group meets the third Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Everett Genealogy Room at Latzer Library. Resources, tips, and ideas are shared to assist with family history and genealogy research. Guest speakers and field trips are also occasionally planned. Kathy Kessels, executive secretary, has been leading this group for over a decade now and has extensive knowledge of genealogy research, as well as maintaining the large collection of rare local history items in our collection. The library subscribes to both Heritagequest.com and Ancestry.com. The group hosted its first Genealogy Fair last week. They plan to do another event in the near future.

Also available for use in the Genealogy Room are two microfilm reader printers, one of which is a brand new Scan Pro 1100. With this technology, old microfilm can be searched and the articles, photos, or information that is found can be printed, emailed, or saved to an external device or disc through the computer that runs the reader. Microfilm dating back to 1860 is available, some of which is in German.

Book Clubs

There are now two book clubs meeting at the library. Join other book enthusiasts to discuss interesting books the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the library. Lead by volunteer Angie Chute, this program is recommended for adults and high school students.

The second book club is “Stuck on Earth.” This group discusses books with themes that focus on issues related to the environment that the world is facing. They meet the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

Digital Resources

Latzer Library, and many other libraries in the Illinois Heartland Library System, have entered the electronic age in a BIG way. Together, we have joined to form the 3M Cloud — a part of eReadIllinois. At the present time, the 3M Cloud collection includes almost 7,000 eBooks that can be downloaded from the online patron access catalog www.ilshareit.com at no cost to the patron.

Also available to patrons is an online electronic magazine consortium, called Zinio. Patrons can check out and download a wide variety of magazines to their computer or reading device. There is no limit to the number of magazines that can be checked out. After the magazine is checked out, it is on your computer or reading device until you choose to delete it. Just a few of the more than 170 magazines available are: Food Network, Good Housekeeping, US Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Country Living, Women’s Day, Car & Driver, Apple Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, Country Gardens, The Economist, Eating Light, Elle, Forbes, Glamour, National Geographic, and so many more. Patrons can page through the magazines on their device as well as go directly to articles or links from multiple pages. Recipes or articles can also be saved or shared with friends through various options.

Adult Coloring Club

Coloring pages for adults is quickly gaining popularity. It has been shown to release stress, boost creativity and reduce anxiety. Join us the second Tuesday of the month from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Supplies are provided.

Chess Club

The new chess club at the library has really taken off. Under the direction of Nic Weiss, the session includes chess instruction, as well as play time for people of all levels of experience. This club is recommended for anyone from ages 6 to 106 and meets the third Monday of each month from 4 to 5 p.m.

For Kids

Stop in and join in the fun on the fourth Monday of every month from 4 to 5 p.m. for LEGO Club. All ages are welcome to come use their imagination to build Lego creations. The library supplies the LEGOs, you supply the creativity. Donations of LEGOs that are no longer used are also welcome. This program has been very popular.

The third Thursday of every month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., children practice reading to a trained therapy dog. The PAWS for Reading Program utilizes the dogs, who are viewed as non threatening to promote reading, writing and increased social skills in children. Gypsy and Amigo (along with their handlers, Debra and Kelly) donate their time to make this valuable and unique program a success.

TumbleBooks is a database designed especially to promote reading and education for grades K-4 is available on the Latzer Library website under the “Resources” tab. This collection includes over 550 e-books (in English, French and Spanish), animated books, games, puzzles, read-alongs, videos and many teacher resources. The website address is www.highlandillibrary.org.

Story Hours and Summer Reading Programs are featured throughout the year with activities for children of all ages. The newest program series is “The Young and the Restless” for ages 0-18 months. Other programs include our Lap sit programs for ages 18-36 months, story hours for ages 3-5, and family programs for all ages bring stories to life through puppet shows, performers, crafts and special snacks. Performers for this year’s Summer Reading Program, “Read for the Win,” are already set up. Watch for sign up information sometime in May.

Library Hours

▪ Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

▪ Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

▪ Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

▪ Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This story was originally published April 13, 2016 at 2:47 AM with the headline "Latzer Library holds a wealth of information."