Are you stuck with how to start your 100 Book Club challenge this year? Here are five big book lists to get you started:
Happy Reading!
Turn in your 2020 tracker by January 8
Did you reach your reading goal in 2020? If you joined the 100 Book Club and have a tracker to turn in, make sure you do so by Friday, January 8, in order to get your T-shirt and club membership card. This year, our in-person reception has been postponed. We will contact all eligible members when t-shirts are available for pick up and when we have a date for a reception. Call us at 330-343-6123 with any questions. Congratulations to all who made reading a priority in 2020!
December 24, Christmas Eve, is a very special day to many people. It’s also my birthday and I love it! Growing up other kids thought I was lying about my birthday. As I got older, people asked if I got duped out of presents, or if I got combined birthday and Christmas presents. The short answer is no, not typically.
I had birthday parties and sleepovers, separate gifts and birthday presents wrapped in birthday paper! (Not Christmas wrapping paper.)
My birthday tradition has been continued by my wonderful husband, Zach, for the past 17 years. I have been blessed with an amazing family. He makes the same special meal my mom used to cook and he’s gotten better at it every year. He never expects anything in return because it’s my day, and he loves me unconditionally. That’s a pretty special gift.
Speaking of giving unconditionally: One of my favorite gifts ever given to me on my birthday were Shel Silverstein’s books.
The first one I received was The Giving Tree. In it a boy asks the tree for her resources, and she willingly gives him whatever he asks for, never asking anything in return, as the boy grows and his needs and wants change. The tree is constant in her devotion and willingness to give her love unconditionally.
I think The Giving Tree is a great example of the concept of Agàpe: a selfless, giving, unconditional love. During the Christmas Season – especially in 2020 – I like to think that we should all work to share a little more Agàpe with our friends, family, neighbors and those in need.
So that’s my Birthday wish for his year: share hope and love unconditionally with those around you this year.
-Ellen Lint, Library Assistant
Last year, I had the great fortune to be able to host not one but TWO ukulele programs teaching patrons of all ages some easy Christmas songs. It was such a blast to be able to get together and sing and share the love of music and the holiday season.
Then 2020 happened, and in-person programs, especially hands-on programs like a ukulele lesson, are out. So, this year, to save me from tears, I took to the Internet to keep up the tradition that I hope A Very Merry Ukulele becomes.
Going on Facebook Live and singing and playing on the Internet was a big step for me. I am not a confident singer nor in any way a professional musician. What I lack in skill, I hope I make up for in excitement and humor. My biggest goal with this video was just to brighten someone’s day.
The holiday season, with its short days and cold winds, can be a challenge for many. I know it can be a challenge for me. Sometimes, just a little thing like a silly ukulele video (or a funny sign, or a coworker doing the hula) can help.
So, take a break for a second and do something silly. Sing a song, dance. Make someone smile. And have a happy holiday, despite what 2020 has thrown at us.
Hope to see you next year for another in-person Very Merry Ukulele program!
Watch my music lesson on Facebook here and download last year’s handout here.
-Liz Strauss, Teen/Outreach Services Manager
This month I want to talk about the pandemic and the wearing of masks. As the person ultimately responsible for the safety and welfare of both the public and my staff in our facility, I take the Ohio Department of Health’s mask mandate seriously. No one reading this column can deny that COVID-19 is inching closer and closer to each and every one of us. Library patrons, staff, volunteers, and friends have battled the virus. Some have lost spouses and loved ones. My parents have tested positive. My children have had their in-person education halted, been in quarantine, and had sports canceled or postponed because of the virus.
I read once somewhere that “you get what you expect.” I have always kept that quote in mind when I hire a new employee. If you are clear about your expectations up front, then performance improves because there is no doubt what one’s responsibilities are. As you read this, please know that our library’s mask requirement will be enforced. If you have a health issue that makes wearing a mask difficult, we will work with you to serve you, as mandated by the Ohio Department of Health. Please ask for myself or a manager if this situation relates to you.
I will close with this. The whole mask debate reminds me of what is known as Pascal’s Wager. Pascal was a 17th century French philosopher, theologian, and physicist who argued that a rational person should live their lives as if God exists and should seek to believe in God. If it turns out that God does not exist, then the worst case scenario is that an individual may have missed out on some luxuries or pleasures in life. They would have at least lived a good life. On the flip side, if it turns out there is a God, then the individual will receive “infinite gains,” as in eternal life, and avoid “infinite losses,” the opposite of eternal life. Believe me, I am not here to debate or proselytize or argue. I simply see a very similar parallel to today’s mask issue. Wearing a mask is the “rational” thing to do. If it turns out that the health benefits of wearing masks were meaningless, then at least you followed directions and were considerate of others. If it turns out that mask wearing does make a difference, then you were doing your part to help minimize the spread of the virus.
Thank you for your understanding on this matter! Together, we can keep each other safe so the library can remain open for all!
-Jim Gill
Director
There are so many ways that 2020 has not lived up to our expectations. BUT, there are some good things that have come from this pandemic. In having to go digital with our programs, the Dover Public Library has reached a wider audience than ever before. Check this out!
Chris Zoller, Assistant Professor at the OSU Extension Office in Tuscarawas County, gave an Overview of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms).
Two gentlemen joined us from Lima, Peru to learn about Genetically Modified Organisms. In Peru, there is a debate about the advantages and disadvantages of GMO potatoes. Some agriculturists want to introduce GMO potatoes into Peru in order to help the poor farmers of the highlands, but there is a group of people who oppose it because they want to preserve the multiple ancient strains of potatoes. In 2011, the latter group convinced the government to impose a 10-year moratorium on the planting of GMO potatoes. There was an international research center about potatoes in Lima, but, due to the moratorium, they had to move their center to Kenya, where there was more of a possibility of planting and researching GMO crops. Next year, the moratorium will expire. The group against GMO crops wants to extend the moratorium for another 15 years, but the men who joined us argue in favor of the GMO potatoes.
The questions in my mind are these: Do they care more about the traditional crops and ancient seeds? Are they considering the nutritional value of the potatoes grown in the Andrean highlands? Can a poor farmer get more yield if he planted GMO potatoes and therefore make a profit for his family?
Chris Zoller agreed to send his presentation to the gentlemen so that they can translate the information into Spanish and use it in presentations in the upcoming year (to convince the government officials to allow the planting and further research of GMO potatoes.)
I asked the Peruvian gentlemen how they found out about our program and they simply said a colleague told them about it. And just like that, the Dover Public Library went international!
-Sherrel Rieger, Adult Programming Specialist
This year has been different to say the least. Most people have not traveled anywhere or at least have stayed close to home.
So, we decided to give everyone a little taste of adventure this holiday season by transforming the top of the bookshelves in the Children’s Department into a trip around the world.
Christmas is celebrated by a lot of people in the United States and a lot of European countries, but you can’t forget about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa too.
I have learned so many cool facts about different countries, like how Ukraine uses a spider web on their trees due to an old folk tale. In Thailand most people are Buddhist, but those that celebrate Christmas like to use the fish, which is a Christian symbol, to make special ornaments for the tree.
Kwanzaa came into existence in 1966 to celebrate African American heritage.
Hanukkah is celebrated for 8 nights because the Maccabees were able to survive with a day’s worth of oil that lasted 8 days.
Of course, the Christmas season in the United States is a religious holiday for many representing the birth of Christ, and homes and churches decorate with manger sets, trees and hold family gatherings.
It is also welcomed by many celebrating the arrival of Santa, gift giving and the reading of the ever popular The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore. Did you know that it was first published as an anonymous poem in 1823, and in 1837 was found to be authored by Moore.
Stop in and find out more about this joyous holiday season!
This display starts November 16 and will continue until the end of December. It is for kids of all ages.
-Jen Gardner, Children’s Department Manager