March 2024 Newsletter
Rick Meyer, the Decatur Public Library Director, comes to all of our board meetings. This month he shared that Circulation was up 7%, Electronic usage was up 25%, Foot traffic was up 12%, and Program Attendance up 7%. These are great statistics, and Friends has had a part in that. I believe that the foot traffic could well be up because people are coming to our book sales. We also support the programs, so we can take a little credit for that 7% also.
Our Books Between Bites had a new high (since covid) with 52 people attending. Mark Sorenson talked about how he went about researching the book Priscilla and the Hollyhocks to find out if Priscilla really ever existed.
We will be ordering Summer Reading Program t-shirts to sell to the students and volunteers. We are looking forward to expanding our sales with these t-shirts. We are also purchasing new bookmarks with our sale days listed on them.
For the near future we have approved funding for a wild animal expo, and for 2025 we approved funding for a Local History Escape, which will be part of the library’s 150 Year Anniversary Celebration in 2025.
Finally, if you would like to volunteer, either to work and the desk for a book sale or help sort books, please contact Friends of the Library. The best way to do that is to contact me via e- mail, either at fol@decaturlibrary.org or conniepeters@juno.com . We invite you to become a part of the important work we are doing to encourage reading for all ages in our community!
FOL President
Books Between Bites – May, 2024
Please join us May 1st at 12:15-1:00 PM in the Decatur Public Library’s Madden Auditorium for our monthly Books Between Bites review.
Subject: Guest speaker and Decatur author, Ruth Siburt will review with the audience her journey of writing a book and getting it published. She will also introduce her next book which is in production, “Spit”
About Ruth: Ruth Siburt (nee Traughber) is a lifelong Decaturite. The 7th of 7 children, I learned to love story through my mother’s tales of childhood—which included a covered wagon jaunt to a claim in New Mexico with father, mother, older and younger sisters. What an exciting life!
My love of story was also fed by Decatur teachers. Until 4th grade I imagined only New York people wrote books. Thanks to my 4th grade teacher who read a book from a Decatur author Richard Peck!! My Jr. Sr. Lakeview teachers helped turn scribblings into language. I am thankful to them all.
“Spit” My next book is in production. Set in Stevenson, Illinois, it is a small town in a changing time 1963. Spit’s narrator, Jessica Louise Chrisman, must make the jump from elementary to Jr. Sr. High. She’s both excited and terrified. Luckly her brother Cal and her best friend Allie have already breached this turn of events. Still there are obstacles to overcome...like kissing? Yuck. She’d much rather Spit!!!
Books Between Bites is a free program at the Decatur Public Library, sponsored by Friends of Decatur Library
Weekday and Second Saturday Book Sales! FOL booksales are at the library 3 to 4 days a week! At the new Friends area on the lower level of the library. Every Monday from 10:30am – 2:30pm, Tuesdays from 10:30am – 2:30pm, Thursdays from 3pm – 6:30pm. Second & fourth Saturdays sales will be from 9:30am – 12:30pm.
Come see us in our new home on the lower level of the library!