7th Annual School Supplies Collection

Please join the library in its seventh annual collection of school supplies for the students of School #19 on Seward Street in the city. Donations of new pens, pencils, paper, colored pencils, markers, crayons, scissors, erasers, rulers. glue sticks, etc. may be dropped off at the display table in the library until the second week of September. Each year we have done this program we have been duly impressed by the community’s generosity.

Two Special Visitors

We had two special visitors at the library yesterday. Two spotted fawns came out from the woods with white tails flickering as they grazed upon the wild berries that were growing along the edge. As time went on their courage grew and they walked on the grass towards the library. That is until they became aware of a car coming into the parking lot and off they leapt, one following the other disappearing into the undergrowth.

Chili Public Library Survey of the Community

The Chili Public Library would appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to answer the following Survey of the Community. The results of the survey will assist the Library Board and staff to improve library services. Responses will be collected until September 30, 2008. Thank you.

All Aboard...

The annual Trucks, Diggers, Tractors, Children's Program was held in the library's parking lot on Tuesday, August 19. The morning started out clouded but the sky soon smiled upon us as the vehicles pulled into the parking lot. This year was especially exciting as there was a variety of vehicles we haven't had before. In all, there were several tractors, an ambulance, fire truck, police car, a salt truck, a truck for sanitation, a plow, and more. The kids bravely hopped into the equipment and honked a horn or two. I even hopped into one of the salt trucks that looked to stand 18 feet high making me feel like a child. Many thanks to staff from the Chili Highway Department, city police, the fire department, local ambulance, and local farmers who brought in their own tractors for the joy on the children's faces.

Smugtown Stompers at the CPL

The Friends of the Chili Public Library coordinated a fun evening of music by holding a free concert of the Smugtown Stompers on August 12th. It was a beautiful day for an outside concert. Known for their Dixieland Jazz and for playing at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the Smugtown Stompers have played several times for the library.

If you have yet to hear them I recommend you go and have a listen. They'll be playing on Sunday, August 24th, at the Perinton Amphitheater concert; 6:00pm - 8:15pm, as well as on Monday, September 29, at the Fairport Village Inn; 7:00pm - 9:30pm. Visit their website at www.smugtownstompers.com/.

Friends of the Chili Public Library Booksale

The Friends of the Chili Public Library had another successful book sale last Thursday (for Friends members), and Friday (for the the general public). The amount collected in sales, donations, and memberships will help the library provide programs and purchase equipment, in addition to what is provided by the library's operating budget. Past gifts by the Friends include book trucks, software, digital camera, digital projector, projection screen, the New Book shelving, and the Wii. Here, Friend's board president Sandra Roether gets ready for the booksale. Many thanks to the Friends who helped coordinate the booksale and who worked at the sale tables.

House of the Seven Gables

My wife and I just returned from a summer vacation northeast of Boston in the picturesque setting known as Cape Ann. The towns of Gloucester, Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Rockport make up Cape Ann. Each town is a delight to visit with beautiful oceanside views, good food, whale watching, cruises, and historic sites. We also visted Salem, just south of Cape Ann. There we learned about the town’s maritime history.

Librarians love literature so we had to take the tour of the House of Seven Gables, the house known to inspire the work of the same name by Nathanial Hawthorne. Built in 1668, the house is all black and has beautiful gardens and a secret staircase best to be avoided by the claustrophobic. Also moved to the location was the home Nathanial Hawthorne was born in.

We learned that Nathanial Hawthorne was a recluse for 12 years during which he honed his craft. He also moved to Concord where he was neighbors with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. He also became friends with Oliver Wendell Holmes and Herman Melville.

Our visit to Salem has inspired me to read the House of the Seven Gables. For those interested in learning more about this author the Chili Public Library has the book Hawthorne in Concord by Philip McFarland, call number H399m.

July Proves To Be A Record Setting Month

About 670 children signed up for Chili summer reading programs this year, which is the highest registered number for the library and about 100 more kids than last year.

For the month of July, the Chili Public Library set records for circulation of materials (37,473), door count (19,509) and reference transactions (2,562).

Through it all the staff worked together as a team and pitched in whenever and wherever needed.

Area families Find Free Fun at the Library

If you haven’t yet had a chance, look at today’s Democrat and Chronicle article. In these challenging economic times public libraries are being use more and more. As I write this, I am at the reference desk looking across at the circulation desk as 13 patrons check out their material, in preparation for the weekend.

The value of the Chili Public Library

What would it cost you to buy four books, take your child out for an afternoon activity, and spend one hour on the Internet? Using the Return of Investment calculator at http://www.libraryweb.org/libraryroi.html the estimated cost is $118. The calculator was originally provided by the Massachusetts Library Association and then adapted for the web by the Stanislaus County Library. Here at the Chili Public Library books and DVDs can be checked out for free using your library card and we offer free programs to children on a regular basis.

In study after study researchers find that libraries are a good investment, putting anywhere from $4 to $8 back into the community for every dollar spent. Some studies put the return on investment (ROI) at over $10 or more per dollar invested. After you visit the library, try out the Rate of Investment spreadsheet to see how much you have saved.

Fun on a Tuesday Morning

Here is Laura Bunk age 2 who took part in our recent Bug Photo Frame program. The picture says it all...