stacks of news - Pottsville Free Public Library

September 2016
STACKS OF NEWS
Pottsville Free Public Library
1911—2016
Volume 14 Number 2
Library Card Sign Up Month
Today’s libraries are about more than books. They are creative educational spaces for learners from birth to high school and beyond.
September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when the
Pottsville Free Public Library joins with the American Library Association and public libraries nationwide to make sure that every
student has the most important school supply of all – a free library
card.
Librarians provide important resources to families whose children
are at the earliest stages of development, by teaching parents and
caregivers the components of early literacy which help children develop the basic tools for school readiness.
If you haven’t been to your local library lately, September is a great
time for a visit.
Since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month has been held each
September to mark the beginning of the school year to highlight the
value of a library card. This year’s Library Card Sign-up Month
Honorary Chair is Snoopy, the world-famous beagle featured in the
Peanuts comic strip, calling attention to the supportive role libraries
and library professionals play in the education and development of
children.
Ways to Celebrate
1. Visit your library.
Head to your library during September to see what's new and take
part in the celebration. Libraries across the country are participating.
2. Show your support for libraries on social media.
Follow your library on Facebook and Twitter and the hashtag
#LibraryCardSignUp to join the celebration on social media.
For more information on how to
sign up for a library card, visit the
Pottsville Library in person or
visit the library online at
www.pottsvillelibrary.org.
Inside this issue:
Banned Books Week
2
Summer Reading Club Recap
2
Fall Programs for Children
2
Funding Woes
3
Pottsville Open Writers
3
Pottsville Page Turners
3
Memorial & Honor Donations
4,5
What to Read Next!
5
Library Calendar
6
Banned Books Week
Celebrate Banned Books Week, September 25
to October 1, with a visit to your local library!
Top 10 Banned or Challenged Books of 2015:
1. Looking for Alaska by John Green
2. Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
3. I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz
Jennings
4. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak
Out by Susan Kuklin
5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the
NightTime by Mark Haddon
6. The Holy Bible
7. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
8. Habibi by Craig Thompson
9. Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from
Afghanistan by Jeanette Winter
10. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
Top Banned or Challenged Classics:
 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
 The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
 The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
 The Color Purple by Alice Walker
 Ulysses by James Joyce
 Beloved by Toni Morrison
 The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
 1984 by George Orwell
 Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov
Page 2
Summer Reading Club Recap
This summer, 254 preschoolers and school-age students registered for the Summer Reading Club. A
total of 426 logs for the school-age reading program
were completed. Each participant needed to read two
hours to complete a log. A total of 852 hours were
spent reading by the children and teens who took
part during the eight week Summer Reading Club.
Congratulations to those who participated; and to
Hope Feno, Margaret Schachte, and Julian Harley,
the grand prize winners, who won $50 in ride tickets
to Knoebels, a $50 gift card to Barnes and Noble,
and $50 worth of books, respectively.
Fall Programs for Children
The Fall 2016 youth programming session starts on
Monday, September 19th with Storytime for ages 3-5
at 10:30am. Our Laptime program for ages 17
months-three years begins on Wednesday 9/21 @
10:30am. Please call 570-622-8880 to register.
Also, the Pottsville Library District has received a
3D printer and other fun and interactive educational
sets and toys through a grant, so programs for those
will be coming up as well.
Finally, children's book author and illustrator Lindsay Barrett George http://lindsaybarrettgeorge.com/
will be visiting the library to do a presentation on
Thursday, November 10th @ 6:00pm to help celebrate our 105th anniversary. Lindsay's visit is made
possible through Sherrill Silberling’s designation of
memorials given to the library in honor of her
mother Florence Silberling, who was a life-long library user. It is Sherrill's desire that an author's visit
becomes an annual event for the young patrons of
the Pottsville Library. Look for some of Lindsay’s
books next time you're in the Children's Department.
Flyers are displayed at the library to let you know
about all the programs and their days and times. You
can also click on the “What’s Happening in the Kids Room” link on the library’s web site for a list of all programs offered. Updates will be posted
on the library's Facebook page.
STACKS OF NEWS
Funding Woes
The Pottsville Free Public Library
has been dealt a blow, but we
aren’t down for the count yet. In
July the library was notified that
this year the Pottsville Area School District will
not be able to provide its annual support to aid in
the maintenance of the library and its services.
The Pottsville Area School District has supported the library since at least 1914. As a result
the Pottsville Library is now facing a $55,000
deficit for the rest of 2016.
What does this mean for the future of the library? At this time we are not planning on reducing hours or cutting staff; that is, not more than
we already have over the past several years from
state budget cuts. The library’s Board of Trustees is working on ideas for fundraisers and other
ways to help fill that hole. But it is a big hole, so
you may see fewer new books and DVDs on the
shelf this fall.
What can you do to help? Contact your municipal representatives, the Pottsville Area School
Board if you live in the district, your county representatives, and your state representatives. Let
them know how you use the library and why you
think it needs to continue to provide those services to the community.
DID YOU KNOW…
In 2015, the Pottsville Free Public Library…
 had 6,055 registered library users
 provided 61.5 public service hours per
week or 3,099 hours
 answered 4,367 questions for information
 had 53,570 visits to the library
 circulated 68,544 items for home use, including 20,344 items specifically for children
 provided users with 132 magazine and
newspaper subscriptions
 borrowed 1,831 items from other libraries
in the state/nation for our users and loaned
other libraries 623 items from the PFPL
collection
 had 5,592 participants attend 202 programs for children under 12 years old, 79
programs for teens (12-18 years old) and
26 for adults
 provided 17 public computers which were
used 15,819 times by the general public
 had 8,019 uses of its WiFi network
 employed 8 fulltime and 5 parttime staff
members to provide coverage 6 days/61.5
hours per week.
Pottsville Page Turners
Pottsville Open Writers
Pottsville Open Writers, or POW, is an informal
group that gathers together at the Library on the
second Saturday of the month to support and encourage each other in writing original prose or poetry. Each month a different person leads the group
and chooses the subject. New members are always
welcome!
Meetings are from 11 AM until 1 PM. Upcoming
dates: October 8th, November 12th, & December
10th.
Volume 14 Number 2
The Friends of the Library sponsor a book discussion group on the 4th Thursday of each month at 6
PM in the Library. Facilitator Pat Geirsson leads
the group in fun, informative and lively discussions
about the book of the month.
Upcoming books and dates are:
 September 22nd, The Girls of Atomic City: The
untold story of the women who helped win
World War II by Denise Kiernan.
 October 20th, Empire Falls by Richard Russo.
 November 17th, Joyland by Stephen King.
 December 8 or 15th, The Good Lord Bird by
James McBride.
New members are welcomed by the group. Call
the Library for more information.
Page 3
Memorial & Honor Donations
Memorial donations received since March 2016:
For Andrea Riotto Bentz by Catherine Snopek.
For Ann Marie Shadler by Donna Bentz; by
Robert & Donna Bentz. For Annie Shadler by
Cathy & Kate Zimmerman & Ken Singley. For
Barbara Kull by John & Mary Holobetz. For
Betty Burns by Dory Laudeman. For Will
Shugars by Margaret Ann & Dick Fenstermacher. For Dr. William Shugars by Catherine Zimmerman; by Kathryn Case. For Bill
Shugars by Cathy & Kate Zimmerman & Ken
Singley. For Bill Zimmerman by Cathy &
Kate Zimmerman. For William J. Zimmerman
by Cathy Zimmerman. For Billie Payne by
Margaret Ann & Dick Fenstermacher; by Cathy
& Kate Zimmerman & Ken Singley. For Wilhelminia Payne by Dr. & Mrs. William R.
Davidson. For Charles Lorenz by Bob Hahner,
Carolyn Heffner, Lois Dalton, Butch Hahner, &
Dorothy Stangl; by Dr. & Mrs. William R.
Davidson; by Cathy Cortese; by Patricia & Joseph Stoffey; by Elizabeth Jones; by Sarah
Donohue; by Dave & Joan Deiter; by Rosie &
Carl Raring; by PFPL Board of Trustees; by Rita
& Ellen Foley; by Mary Ann Uranium; by Thomas Bosack; by Naomi Morrow Ost; by Frances
C. Lorenz; by Jean Towle; by Nancy Smink; by
Sandi Murton; by Eve Bauser; by Louise & Bob
Wachter; by Patricia Geirsson; by Betzy Guzick.
For Charlotte Daldo by Patricia Stoffey. For
Dan Guers by Margaret Ann & Dick Fenstermacher; by Carol & Bob Blue; by Dr. & Mrs.
William R. Davidson. For Douglas Mendini
by Dory Laudeman. For Edward K. Devabey
by Susan DeFalco. For Ellen Schlitzer by The
Donohue Family; by Peggy & Ralph Jaeger; by
Marcia Smink; by The Keating & Duttry Families; by Christine Broderick; by Krista & Christian Varano; by Employees at Dimensions,
Wyomissing; by Schuylkill Economic Development Group; by Jay & Ellen Zane; by Will &
"sister" Guers Yaag; by Gerry & Sandra GriesPage 4
baum. For Eva Kutz by John & Agnes Reiley.
For Florence Silberling by Sandra Griesbaum;
by Ellen Hildreth; by Margaret Thomas; by
Donald Schneider; by Marion Bashore; by Dave
& Rosie Schneider; by J.A. Rile; by Elsie &
Herman O. Thomas; by Michael Lazarchick; by
Kathleen & George Zwiebel; by Mary Ellen &
James Setlock; by Robert & Mary Webb; by
William & Grace Schoffstall; by Phyllis
Bensinger; by Tom & Phyllis Mullin; by Kris &
Barry Siple; by Barbara & Charlie Wagner; by
Rudy & Gerri Natalini; by Marilyn Devroye.
For George Heffner by Cindy & Kids. For
George Ondeck by Cathy & Kate Zimmerman
& Ken Singley. For Harry E. Wilson Sr. by
Dr. & Mrs. William R. Davidson. For Jack
Purcell by Que & Joanie Bronson; by David S.
Marshall; by Patrick Purcell; by Dan & Denise
Stoner; by Joni Lavery, Anya Olsen, Dave
Shoffner, David Rogofsky, Teresa Daniels &
Mark Sarney; by Richard & Joanne Purcell; by
Broad Mountain Friends; by C. Alice Berkheiser; by Betzy Guzick; by Nancy Smink. For
John Frie, Sr. by Cathy & Kate Zimmerman &
Ken Singley. For Julia V. Noga by Louise Wachter. For Keith D. Mitchell by Ellen & Jay
Zane. For Loraine Heffner Spotts by Gerry
Spotts. For Lorraine Spotts by Cindy & Kids.
For Maribeth Lantz by Cathy & Kate Zimmerman & Ken Singley; by Betzy Guzick. For
Martha Jane Conrad by Cathy & Kate Zimmerman & Ken Singley. For Michelle Tranquillo by Cathy & Kate Zimmerman & Ken
Singley. For Myrtle Furness by Harold
Furness. For Nancy Gallagher by Bette Chelak
& Jacci Lord. For Nick Einsig by Joe, Debbie,
Jake, & Nolan Ferhat. For Pat Jones by Margaret Ann & Dick Fenstermacher; by Bud & Ann
Koch. For Patricia Jones by Cathy & Kate
Zimmerman & Ken Singley; by Judy, Jim, &
Gina Bohorad; by David & Christine Ambrose;
by Stephen Lilenthal; by Dr. & Mrs. William R.
Davidson; by Gary & Cathy Cortese. For
Patricia Piccioni by John & Mary Holobetz.
For Regina Farber by Ellen C. Schlitzer Family. For Regina J. Yanek by Dr. & Mrs. WilSTACKS OF NEWS
liam R. Davidson. For Roy Ashman Sr. by
Cathy & Kate Zimmerman & Kenny Singley.
For Sabina Quinn by Kathy Case. For Shawn
McCloy by Cathy & Kate Zimmerman & Ken
Singley. For Susan Tonitis by Steve Lilienthal.
For Teri Andrews by Friends & Co-Workers at
Empire Education Group, Inc. For Thomas J.
Curran by Rita Zelonis & Maureen Hurley; by
Dave & Joan Deiter; by Dorothy Homa. For
“Pete” Buehler by Sylvia K. Buehler. For
Anna Filanowski by Joe Filanowski. For Beth
Vice by Daniel Vice. For Charles “Chow”
Heffner by Mrs. Jeanne V. Heffner. For Dorothy Murtha by Maryann Conway Gursky. For
Fred Valent by Ellen Valent. For Jerry Nagle
by Jeri Nagle. For John & Teresa Zvorsky by
Ann Marie Zvorsky. For Joseph Yourshaw by
Marge Yourshaw. For Martin & Anna Hezzron by Paul & Bernadette Gombola. For Mary
Honicker by Susan Hahner. For Robert &
Betty Shuman by Deborah S. Reed. For
Robert N. Bohorad, Esq. by Lipkin, Marshall,
Bohorad, & Thornburg, PC. For Stephen E.
Urenko by Jean M. Urenko. For Steve & Frances Prokop by Margaret Ebling. For Thomas
Shelhamer by Peg Shelhamer. For Theresa B.
Morgan by Carolyn Bernatonis. For Vera Lile
by Karen Winkelman. For Veronica & Edward D. Sullivan by Frank & Lucy Kaczynski.
For our Veterans by Joanne Barton. For the
Families We Have Served by Schlitzer, Allen,
Pugh Funeral Home. For Michelle J. Potlunas
by John & Micki Potlunas.
In Honor of:
Joanne & George Uritis by Margaret
Twardzik. Dorothy Rosenberger by Rick &
Janet Thomas. Leah Guzick by Betzy Guzick.
Meghan R. Hallick by Dr. & Mrs. William R.
Davidson. Rachel & Mathew Troxell by
Marlene & Michael Troxell. Trudy Shaw by
Deb & John Yuda.
Volume 14 Number 2
What to Read Next!
Watch for these upcoming new books by some of
your favorite authors.
Pushing up Daisies by M.C. Beaton. Book 27 in the
Agatha Raisin mystery series set in a cozy village in
the British Cotswolds.
Downfall: A Brady novel of suspense by J.A. Jance.
Arizona sheriff Joanna Brady already has her hands
full with a baby on the way, family deaths to deal
with, a reelection campaign, and getting her daughter
off to college when two women who fall to their
deaths from the peak known as Geronimo become
the focus of a murder investigation.
Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter. New novel in the
Will Trent series—an electrifying, emotionally complex thriller that plunges the Georgia detective into
the darkest depths of a case that just might destroy
him.
Home by Harlan Coben. Ten years after the highprofile kidnapping of two young boys, only one returns home in this explosive and deeply moving
thriller about friendship, family, and the meaning of
home.
Woman of God by James Patterson and Maxine
Paetro. In St. Peter's Square, Rome, white smoke
signals that a new Pope has been chosen. Is it possible that the new Pope is a woman?
The Whistler by John Grisham. What happens when
a judge bends the law or takes a bribe? It’s rare, but
it happens. Lacy Stoltz is an investigator for the
Florida Board on Judicial Conduct. After nine years
with the Board, she knows that most problems are
caused by incompetence, not corruption. Until a
case comes along that may be dangerous, even
deadly.
Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood. William Shakespeare's The Tempest retold.
Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks. At 32, Russell
Green has it all: a stunning wife, a lovable six yearold daughter, a successful career as an advertising
executive and an expansive home in Charlotte. But
in a matter of months, it all turns upside down and he
is without a job or a wife, struggling as a single parent.
Call, email, or stop by the Library and we will be
happy to put your name on a waiting list for any of
these titles. Phone: 570-622-8880.
Email: [email protected]
Page 5
Pottsville Free Public Library
215 W. Market Street
Pottsville, PA 17901
(570)622-8880
Library Hours:
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday
8:30-8:30
Wednesday, Friday & Saturday
8:30-5
Denise A. Miller, Editor
www.pottsvillelibrary.org
As one of our cost cutting measures, we are not mailing our newsletter by postal mail. We can save the printing and postage costs
by sending the Stacks of News by email and we can reach more
library patrons and supporters!
We hope you enjoy this digital copy of the latest newsletter.
Library Calendar


Week of 9/19—Fall Programming for
Friends Helping Friends
Children begins
 Purchase a shopping pass for
Boscov’s at the Library
Book Sales: Mondays—10/3, 11/7, & 12/5
from 12 noon to 2 PM
 Passes entitle you to 25% off most
purchases on Tuesday, 10/18/16

POW—10/8, 11/12, 12/10 at 11 AM
 Passes are $5.00 each

Page Turners—9/22, 10/20, 11/17, 12/8 or
 Money from the purchase of a pass
goes directly to the Library
12/15 at 6 PM

Friends Helping Friends—10/18/2016

Thanksgiving—Library closed 11/24

Christmas holiday closings—12/23, 12/24,
& 12/26
 Shop on Tuesday, October 18th
from 9 AM to 11 PM
 Register for prizes, enjoy free refreshments, and help the Library