Book Review: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

by Alan Bradley
Flavia de Luce, 11 years old with a chemistry lab full of poison inherited from Great Uncle Tar, lives on the bankrupt decaying estate of Buckshaw. Second in the series following the first book, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Flavia again uses her sleuthing abilities and charm to investigate a murder and an accident by misadventure.
Set in England during the 1950s, Flavia has a lot of free time on her hands with a father immersed in his stamp collection, and two older sisters who have their own activities: boys and novels. A puppeteer and his beautiful assistant become stranded when their van breaks down next to St. Tancred’s church and the vicar offers them the church for a puppet show in return for getting their van fixed. Flavia hangs around and offers to help but her sleuthing skills are put to work when murder occurs during the showing of Jack and the Beanstalk.
For more information about Alan Bradley and his books, go to the website: http://www.flaviadeluce.com/

Weekend Event: 7th Annual Range of the Arts

Buy your passport today to get into all the events free!

2010 Events include:

Saturday February 27th
* Arts International Market 10am - 2pm
Kaleva Hall Art, music, demonstrations and hands-on projects, door prizes and more!
* Guitar Workshop with Greg Herriges 2:30pm at The First Stage.
* Telluric Currents trio 7:00pm at Kaleva Hall concert of world fusion music.

Sunday February 28th
* Chamber Ensemble of Minnesota 2:20pm at Messiah Lutheran Church.

Monday March 1st
* Words and Lyrics featuring Ray Nargis 6:30pm at The First Stage.

Monday March 1st - Friday March 5th
* Arts-101 introduction to 5 different art projects noon - 1:30 at The First Stage.

Thursday March 4th - Saturday March 6th
* Brownbag Art Exhibit at The First Stage featuring Chris Koivisto 11am - 3pm at The First Stage. Artist reception on Thursday at 6:30pm.

Friday March 5th at 7pm and Sunday March 7th at 2:30pm
* Small Parts Players Children's Theatre Company presentation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at The Upper Room 516-1/2 Chestnut Street.

Sponsored by the Lyric Center for the Arts with help through a grant from Iron Range Resources.

Lyric Center for the Arts
The First Stage gallery and performance venue
P.O. Box 416
Virginia, MN 55792
218-741-5577
http://lyriccenterforthearts.blogspot.com/

Final Free February Friday Flick

The last free movie for February is "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." This 1971 film stars Gene Wilder as Wonka. It will be presented on the library's big screen at 3pm on Friday, February 26.

As always, there will be free popcorn!

Volunteers Needed!

A hazardous insect, the Emerald Ash Borer, poses a threat to all ash trees. Ash trees make up a very large number of the trees in our area and they could be wiped out by the Borer.

To help fight this danger, the University of Minnesota has chosen Hibbing for a very special project. We have been selected as one of only six communities in Greater Minnesota to work with the U. to lessen the potential impact of Emerald Ash Borers and other future tree diseases.

Part of the University's work will include a detailed inventory of every tree in town. Because of the large population of Ash trees throughout Hibbing, we hope to minimize our losses by being pro-active.

Volunteers will be needed to help conduct this tree census. The inventory will provide vital information needed to protect our trees now and into the future.

Staff from the University will be in Hibbing to train volunteers in March 2010. Once the training is complete, the inventory will begin and be worked on through the summer.

It is a great honor for Hibbing to be chosen for this project. Not only will it have a direct benefit to us, but it will also be an extremely important part of statewide research.

Anyone that is interested in helping should contact:

Daryl Brekke at City Hall
218-262-3486, ext. 723

or

Hibbing Parks and Recreation Dept.
218-362-5940

2010 Census, Website of the week.

The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States, and is required by the Constitution to take place every 10 years.

The 2010 Census will help communities receive more than $400 billion in federal funds each year for things like:
•Hospitals
•Job training centers
•Schools
•Senior centers
•Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
•Emergency services
The data collected by the census also help determine the number of seats your state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In March of 2010, census forms will be delivered to every residence in the United States and Puerto Rico. When you receive yours, just answer the 10 short questions and then mail the form back in the postage-paid envelope provided.

The Olympics

Keep up with the Olympics on this website: www.vancouver2010.com/

Latest news, medal counts, schedule of events, pictures and shop at the Olympic store.

Watch podcasts and videos on the latest events whether it's hockey, skiing, figure skating or curling.

Free Friday Flicks Continue!

This week's free movie is another modern classic from the folks at Disney/Pixar, "Ratatouille."

The delicious animated-adventure centers on an ambitious French Rat named Remy who dreams of becoming a great chef. Because of his passion for cooking, Remy accidentally uproots his family from the French countryside to the sewers of Paris, and finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. When Remy helps create a soup that wins rave reviews from the world's most powerful food critic, he sets in motion a hilarious and exciting rat race that wreaks havoc on the entire city, allowing him to achieve the impossible and pursue his true gift. The screenplay, written by Academy Award-winning Brad Bird ("The Incredibles"), is flavored with a colorful cast of characters and exquisite French backdrops making "Rataouille" a tantalizing recipe of imaginative fun and unexpected delight.

The movie starts at 3pm, Friday, February 19. Free popcorn is included!

New DVDS

Come in and check out the following DVDS:

The Hurt Locker: Disarming bombs in a war zone.

District 9: Science Fiction thriller that looks like a documentary.

Michael Jackson's This Is It and discover the man you never knew.

The Time Traveler's Wife: Time travel between 2 lovers.

The Boys Are Back: Sportswriter Joe Warr finds himself parenting a 6 year old.

New Nonfiction: Check out the following

Andy Rooney: 60 years of wisdom and wit by Andrew a Rooney
brings together the best of Rooney's work from his beginnings as a correspondent for Stars and Stripes during World War II to joining CBS - first as a writer then "A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney" on 60 Minutes.

Diabetes Rising: How a rare disease became a modern pandemic and what to do about it by Dan Hurley
In the tradition of Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation and Richard Preston's The Hot Zone, Diabetes Rising takes you to the front lines of the diabetes crisis.

The Last Train From Hiroshima: The survivors look back by Charles Pellegrino.
Drawing on the voices of atomic bomb survivors and the new science of forensic archaeology, Charles Pellegrino describes the events and aftermath of two days in August when nuclear bombs detonated over Japan changed life on earth forever.

Prime-Time Health: a scientifically proven plan for feeling young and living longer by William Sears, MD with Martha Sears, RN.
Based on twelve years of scientific research and a lifetime of medical expertise, Prime-Time Health is your road map to a life filled with health, happiness and vitality.

Take Your Kids to the Lollipop Concert

Get free tickets to the 47th Annual Lollipop Concert at the DECC in Duluth.

Join the Duluth-Superior Youth Orchestras and friends on a musical trek through the animal Kingdom! Many of the area's finest young musicians and dancers will explore music from The Carnival of the Animals, Jurassic Park, The Lion King, and more. There will be family-friendly animal activities provided by the Great Lakes Aquarium, Animal Allies and Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center.

Event Details:

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Children's Animal Activities starting at 2:00 p.m.

Wild Things! Lions and Tigers and Bears-Oh My! Concert at 3:00 p.m.

DECC Auditorium, Duluth, MN

Bring your card to the library and check out free tickets.

This project was funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008, which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota’s arts and cultural heritage.

A "Music To You" Event

A "Music To You" program is coming to Hibbing Public Library.

Diversity in Music
Thursday, February 18th
Hibbing Public Library
10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Musicians, Larry Zimmerman (trombone) and Lucia Magney (cello) from the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra will be providing a refreshing new look at the world of music. Through wonderful music and interesting discussion they will show the audience how their unique instruments are different and yet somehow the same.

All ages are invited to this very special program. This project was funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008, which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota’s arts and cultural heritage.

We're off to see the wizard!

If you've never seen "The Wizard of Oz" on a big screen, you can this Friday! A free showing of the classic movie will be Friday, February 12 at 3pm in the auditorium. Plus free popcorn!

History World: Website of the Week

Historyworld’s aim is to make world history more easily accessible through interactive narratives and timelines. Written by Bamber Gascoigne, it consists of about 300 narratives ( the alphabetical list runs from Aegean Civilization to Zoroastrianism) and some 10,000 events on searchable timelines.
Choose your favorite topic about world history and read about it:
http://www.historyworld.net/default.asp?gtrack=mtop1

AARP Tax-Aide Starts Friday

AARP volunteers will be at the library Fridays (February 5 - April 9, 2010) downstairs in the Dylan Room from 9 am to 3 pm.
Please bring the following with you when you come:
current year's tax forms and preparation booklet
copy of last year's income tax returns
W-2 forms from each employer
unemployment compensation statements
SSA-1099 form if you were paid Social Security benefits
ALL 1099 forms
all receipts if you are itemizing deductions
Social Security cards or other official documentation for yourself and dependents.

Be kind to AARP volunteers who are there to help you.
For Taxpayers with low and moderative income, with special attention to those age 60 and older.

Impact by Douglas Preston

One night in Portland, Maine, Abbey and her friend Jackie observe a large meteorite streak across the night sky. By extrapolating the path of the meteorite, Abbey and Jackie decide to search the local islands with her father’s lobster boat for the meteorite and become rich. Three very different story lines, 2 girls searching for meteorites, an ex CIA operative looking for radioactive gems, and a murdered professor converge in a thriller with plenty of action and suspense.
Douglas Preston writes books on his own as well as coauthoring several books with Lincoln Child. See the Preston and Child website for a listing of all books by both authors.
http://www.prestonchild.com/

Black History Month

February is Black History Month!

Shmoop salutes those -- from the biggest names to the most ordinary people -- who've shaped the African American experience over nearly 400 years. From David Walker to Toni Morrison, from Malcolm X to Jay-Z, we've got you covered.

Go to http://blog.shmoop.com/2010/02/01/black-history-month-2010/ for reading and listening ideas.

New in the Children's Room

Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis by Barbara O'Connor

Popeye thinks life is boring in Fayette, SC, where his grandmother keeps her mind sharp by reciting the kings and queens of England in chronological order and gives her grandson vocabulary words each week to keep his mind exercised. Life changes when a boy named Elvis and his nomadic, quirky family get their Holiday Rambler motor home stuck in red mud near Popeye's house. They meet and Elvis quickly names Popeye the senior vice president of the Spit and Swear Club. Popeye is impressed and longs for Elvis's interesting life. He, too, would like a paper plate with his name written on it in crayon and a mother who asks his opinion for rhyming words while writing her newest country-western tune. Elvis suggests they go on an adventure, which begins when they spot boats made from Yoo-hoo chocolate drink boxes floating down the creek carrying mysterious notes and they set off to track down the boat maker and the meaning of the notes. Like Eben in Betty G. Birney's The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs, Elvis and Popeye's journey reminds readers to look for and enjoy the small treasures in their lives. Save a spot on your shelves for this small adventure with a grand heart. (From School Library Journal)

Call for Hibbing Hematites

The library has a collection of Hibbing Hematites dating from 1919 to the present. There are some gaps in our collection and donations of the following years would be appreciated: 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1989, 2004. Anyone that is interested in donating a Hematite should call the library (362-5959) and speak with either Cheryl or Nancy.

The collection is kept at the front desk and is available for in library use.

Riddles of the Sphinx:

The Great Sphinx of Giza has inspired reverence and contemplation for millennia. It is the largest monolith statue in the world, and it is generally believed to have been built by the ancient Egyptians in the 3rd millennia BCE. For centuries, there has been a growing concern about its long-term preservation, and this NOVA documentary takes visitors into the ongoing preservation process. Visitors can watch the entire program here, and they may wish to start by reading the important background essay, "Saving the Sphinx". The essay includes an interview with Zahi Hawass, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. An interactive feature will allow user to take a 360 degree perspective across the Giza Plateau. Finally, visitors will want to click on "The Dream Stela of Thutmosis IV" to learn about the message written on the stone monument that was erected between the Sphinx's front paws. Taken from the Scout Report.

Free Tickets To The Reif Center

Take your children to see “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” for free. Check out free passes at the library for the Friday, February 19, 2010 performance at 7:00 p.m. at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids.

This is a kids/family performance based on Judy Blume's book. This Two Beans Productions is a hilarious play about sibling rivalry. Peter struggles with an end-of-the-year assignment to write about the most important thing that happened to him during 4th grade. Peter writes about his pesky brother Fudge; his refusal to eat, a disastrous third birthday party, and getting blamed for knocking out his two front teeth. Peter always has to help out with Fudge, who gets all the attention, while Peter gets all the blame. It´s enough to make a kid feel like a fourth grade nothing!

Take advantage of this great program. Just bring your library card to the front desk of the Hibbing Public Library and check out the tickets.

This project was funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008, which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota’s arts and cultural heritage.

Watch for more outstanding opportunites offered by this program!

Heat Wave by Richard Castle: Read the book and watch the series Castle on ABC.

ABC's Castle may not be the most popular mystery show on television — but the book "written" by its main character, Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion) is racing up the charts. Heat Wave, the oft-mentioned first book in the Nikki Heat series, was ostensibly written by Castle himself — though he is as much a fictional character as are the characters he creates in Heat Wave.
http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-heat-wave-by-richard/

Blog Critics Website: the latest news, opinions, and reviews on music, books, film, TV, popular culture, technology, and politics. Blogcritics.org is an online magazine, filtered microcosm of the blogosphere, and a full service news and reviews source, covering all aspects of contemporary culture and society: http://www.blogcritics.org/

February Friday Flicks

Come in to the library every Friday in February and enjoy a free family movie. Plus free popcorn!

Each film is less than 2 hours long and starts at 3pm sharp!

2/5: Madagascar
2/12: The Wizard of Oz
2/19: Ratatouille
2/26: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Great Escapes: The stories behind 50 remarkable journeys to freedom by Scott Christianson

They say a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. The same is true for any escape. This book is about Great Escapes: true stories, based on authentic accounts. These stories span every continent: from jungles to deserts and mountain peaks. Soldiers, fire fighters, tourists and refugees overcome conflict and adversity to try to control their own fate.

Check out this website: Wiki How, the how to manual you can edit.

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The Red Door by Charles Todd

Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge is back in the 12th installment of the series set after World War I in 1920, England. Inspector Rutledge, haunted by Hamish, a Scottish deserter he had to execute towards the end of the war, offers comments on all aspects of Inspector Rutledge’s life.
The current case involves a woman who waited patiently for her husband to return from the war until she was murdered and a man who goes missing and then returns on his own. Two different cases start to converge with the murdered woman and the missing man having the last name of Teller. Everyone in the Teller family denies knowing Mrs. Florence Teller, whose husband, Peter, never returned from the war. As Inspector Rutledge digs deeper into the lives of the Teller family, he must decide who the real killers are and if he can bring them to justice.
Read more about the mother-son writing team, Charles Todd: http://www.charlestodd.com/

Story Time is back!

Beginning Tuesday, January 26th, story time will be held at 10:00 a.m. This is a program for pre-schoolers including books, songs and the “letter of the week”. There will be open play in the auditorium if time permits. If anyone wants to volunteer for craft projects please contact Mr. Bell at 362-5959.

Toddle time starts on Thursday, January 28th at 10:00 a.m. Toddlers, age 2-3 will especially enjoy this program. There will be books, songs, and finger plays. Open play in the auditorium will take place at the end of the program if time permits.

Travel Blogs: Live vicariously by reading about the adventures of others in this list of Travel Blogs.

Many travel bloggers share their experiences with travel through online travel journals that provide an interesting and sometimes entertaining record of the places they visit and the people they meet. Here are some of the best to check out. Seeking advice, traveling with family and friends or solo, there is a wide variety of places to visit.
Live vicariously by reading about the adventures of others:

10 Travel Blogs You Should Bookmark in 2010

http://www.elliott.org/blog/10-travel-blogs-you-should-bookmark-in-2010/

100 Best Travel Journal Blogs
http://www.airlinecreditcards.com/travelhacker/100-best-travel-journal-blogs/

Another Format in the Downloadable Library

Adobe EPUB eBooks have been added to our “Downloadable Library”. Now in addition To OverDrive WMA Audiobooks and OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks, a selection of titles are available in the EPUB format.

An Adobe EPUB eBook is a digital version of a print book that has been optimized for on-screen reading. The book can be downloaded and read on your laptop or any other computer. You can change the font, resize the text, or alter the size of your display!

For more information on the new Adobe EPUB eBooks go to

http://arrowhead.lib.overdrive.com/F6573100-3BAF-4830-B816-7925233C0DEF/10/431/en/Help-FAQ-Format410.htm

In order to download any digital materials you need:

· A valid ALS library card (This resource is governed by a licensing agreement which limits access to users in our service area. Only those who have an Arrowhead Library System card or a Duluth library card can use the resource remotely.)
· Internet access
· A computer or device that meets the system requirements for the type(s) of digital materials you wish to check out
· Free software for the computer or device on which you wish to use the materials which is available on the site.

The Mayo Clinic Diet

Is your New Year's resolution losing weight, eating healthier or just adding an activity? Check out the following book by the weight loss experts at the Mayo Clinic. A Quick start plan helps you lose 6-10 pounds in 2 weeks as well as a long term plan where you continue to lose 1-2 pounds a week until you reach your goal. Meal planners, recipes, tips on breaking bad habits and adding good foods and eating habits will help you find a healthy weight and keep the weight off.

Check out the Healthy Lifestyle section of the Mayo Clinic Website:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/HealthyLivingIndex/HealthyLivingIndex

Program Flyers

Program flyers for Spring 2010 children's programs are now available at the circulation desk and in the kid's room. Programs will run January through early May.

If you need a large number of flyers, please contact Chuck at the library, 218-362-5959.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The library will be closed on Monday, January 18th, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This is one of four U.S. Federal holidays to commemorate an individual person. King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. He was assassinated in 1968. The day is observed on the third Monday of January each year, around the time of King's birthday, January 15th.

To learn more about Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement the following and many other titles and DVDs are available at the library:

A Dream of Freedom: the civil rights movement from 1954 to 1968 by Diane McWhorter.

He Had a Dream: Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement by Flip Schulke.

One Book One Community

The idea of an entire community reading the same book originated in 1998 at the Seattle Public Library. The past two years Hibbing has participated in the Iron Range Reads projects along with the Minnesota Discovery Center.

This year Hibbing, Cloquet, and Duluth Public Libraries will be sponsoring "One Book, One Community", in April. The book will be Barabara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. The library is currently planning programs that will enhance the reading of this title. If you have suggestions or want to present a program or have a discussion group at the library during the month of April, please let us know.

More details and program listings will be available soon!

Tax Season Has Arrived!

We have a display of tax forms by the front gate as you come into the library.
For tax forms not on display, use the following web sites:

Federal Tax Forms: www.irs.gov
Look for Forms and publications
Forms and instruction number
Enter form number or select from list
Helpline: 1-800-829-1040

MN Tax Forms: www.taxes.state.mn.us
Look for 2009 individual income tax forms
(choose from the list)
Helpline: 1-800-652-9094
Order forms and instructions or check on your refund: 1-800-657-3676

Tax forms are $.25 per page. Collect your copies at the front desk.
Tax forms are offered as a public service.
Library staff cannot give tax advice or help you choose your tax forms.
We hope to have Tax volunteers starting in February to help seniors and low income families fill out their tax forms.

Winter Reading Program for kids

You're checking out all those books anyway, why not get something for reading them?

The Winter Reading Program has begun! Come in and sign up January 4-29 at the circulation desk. Each participant will get a booklog, activity sheets and a book mark, as well as a sticker sheet that is displayed at the library. For every three books that you read, you get a sticker for the sheet!

Cool, huh? But that isn't all! Every participant will get a prize bag, regardless of how many books they read AND are invited to a special pizza party at the library on Friday, January 29.

Don't miss out! Any questions? Call Mr. Bell at the library, 218-362-5959.

Deeper than the Dead by Tami Hoag

A serial killer is stalking young women in California in 1985. With the advent of shows like CSI, DNA and computer databases to link criminals and crimes make 1985 seem like the dark ages. Criminal profiling as portrayed in the television show, Criminal Minds, was in its infancy.

Four children are running through the woods in a local park when they fall on top of a body of a young woman buried with only her face showing. The four children will never be the same as their lives unravel with the realization that one of their parents may be the serial killer.

For more information about Minnesota author, Tami Hoag, and her books, see:
http://www.tamihoag.com/

St. Louis County Law Library

Located in the St. Louis County Corthouses in Duluth, Hibbing, and Virginia, the public law libraries are for all area residents.

What is in the library?

• Minnesota Cases (from the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Supreme Court).
• Minnesota Statutes & Cases.
• Federal Statutes & Cases.
• Legal Textbooks and Treatises.
• Legal Forms On-line for Minnesota Courts.

The services include the use of various legal books and Westlaw online computer service. Patrons of the library may also photocopy.

There is a librarian in the Duluth location. For questions and services contact:

Michele Des Rosier, Librarian 1.800.450.9777 or 1.218.726.2611 or desrosierm@co.st-louis.mn.us

New Non-fiction in the Kid's Room

The Great and Only Barnum:

The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum

by Candace Fleming

Grade 6 Up—It is unlikely that Barnum ever actually said "There's a sucker born every minute," but he freely admitted to being a master of the "humbug"—a spectacle that both fooled and entertained the public. This highly readable biography uses primary sources, including Barnum's own words, to trace the man's roller-coaster life from his boyhood in Connecticut to his early career as the creator of the country's most famous "museums" (comparable to sideshows) to his later role as the master of enormously successful circuses, winning and losing several fortunes along the way. Fleming captures Barnum's exuberant personality and describes how his gift for promotion and dedication to delivering what the public wanted made him the world's most famous showman. She also reveals the private Barnum, a man who valued culture, had deep religious beliefs, and devoted considerable time and funds to charity and public service. Fleming is admiring of Barnum, but does not dismiss his weaknesses and faults. The text is supplemented with sidebars and reproductions of period photos and illustrations, including several of Barnum's advertisements. The bibliography includes Web sites and a selection of primary- and secondary-source books, and notes are done in paragraph format. This book goes beyond traditional biography to give students an objective and informative glimpse into the sometimes-exploitative world of 19th-century entertainment. An outstanding choice for all middle level and secondary collections.—Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO (School Library Journal)

The Top Ten New Years Resolutions most people share

•1. Stop smoking
•2. Get Fit
•3. Lose Weight
•4. Enjoy Life More
•5. Quit Drinking
•6. Get Organised
•7. Learn Something New
•8. Get Out of Debt
•9. Spend more time with the Family
•10. Help Others
http://www.squidoo.com/newyears

Nothing to do this weekend? Go see a Movie.

We have movies on DVD and video cassette to check out, but if you can't get in today, go see a movie at Cinema 8 in Hibbing: http://www.manntheatresmn.com/locations.php?lID=5

The movies based on the books: the Stephenie Meyer Twilight Series and Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. We also have The Princess and the Frog paperback.

Pulling Weeds

In order to make room for all the new books that are purchased each year, the children's room collection is weeded every January. Any item (books, music, etc.) that has not been checked out in over four years will be removed. Also, any item that is no longer in acceptable condition will be removed and replaced.

Don't worry about those old books! They get a second chance at life as part of the Friends of the Library book sale in October.

Notice for January 6th and January 7th

During these two days the Arrowhead Library System’s software will be upgraded. We will be using backup software so we want all library users to be aware of the following:

· You will only be able to check out items with a library card. Other types of identification CANNOT be accepted.

· New library cards will not be issued.

· Library cards cannot be renewed.

· Lost library cards cannot be replaced.

· The library catalog will not be available.

· Holds or requests for items cannot be placed.

· No notices of any type (pre-overdue, overdue, holds) will be issued.

· Items cannot be renewed.

· Fines totals will not be available.

· We will not collect fines or fees these two days.

· Items will not be due on January 6th or 7th.

· No fines will be charged for January 6th or 7th.

New Year's Resolutions: Here we are again.

If you are one of "those" people who can't wait to start a New Year's Resolution, the following articles are for you:

Tips For Making Good New Year's Resolutions from http://www.mygoals.com/
http://www.mygoals.com/about/NewYearsTips.html

New Year's Resolutions Guide from University of Maryland Medical Center
http://www.umm.edu/features/resolutions_guide.htm/

How to make a New Year's Resolution from http://www.ehow.com/

http://www.ehow.com/how_12077_new-years-resolutions.html

Christmas Cookies

You still have time to bake Christmas Cookies. The Christmas Cookie website lists 25 cookie recipes including Mexican Wedding Cakes, Fudge, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, and Thumbprint cookies.

http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/top25.php

We have holiday magazines and cookbooks available for check out:

Best Ideas for Christmas, Holiday Menus and Christmas Cookies by Lisa B. Zwirn.

Julie and Julia: See the movie and read the books!

In the movie, Julie and Julia, Julia Child is charmingly portrayed by Meryl Streep. Julia’s learning how to cook at the Cordon Bleu Culinary School in France is intertwined with Blogger Julie Powell’s (Amy Adams) challenge to cook her way through “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in 365 days. Julie later turns the blog into the book, “Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment”.
Hibbing Public Library has the movie “Julie and Julia” and the book, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” available for checkout. The book,” Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment” and “My life in France” are available through interlibrary loan.
Read more about Julie Powell at: http://juliepowellbooks.com/

Library Holiday Schedule

The library will be closed:

Thursday, December 24th (Christmas Eve)

Friday, December 25th (Christmas Day)

Stop in and get your holiday reading before 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

The library staff wishes all of our readers a safe and very happy holiday weekend.

Snow Angels by James Thompson

Inspector Vaara investigates the murder of a Somali film star in northern Finland on the edge of the Arctic Circle during winter. Finland, the land of the midnight sun in summer, depresses everyone in December, where daylight is a memory and the temperatures are well below zero.
Sufia Elmi, mutilated and murdered, causes much consternation with Inspector Vaara when he finds out his former wife lives with their main suspect, Seppo Niemi. Gritty and dark, the weather and the lack of sunlight adversely affect the people living there. Heavy drinking, suicide and family violence are frequent. Some Finnish phrases and the description of the Sauna are very familiar to my own background with great – grandparents who came over during the early 1900s.
Snow Angels is the first in a series by James Thompson, an American, who has lived in Finland for the last 10 years. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

New in the Kid's Room

Dream Stealer

by Sid Fleischman

"The author breathes life into this Mexican-flavored world with a storytelling manner that's teasing and intriguing by turns." (Kirkus Reviews )

"The tale twinkles with Fleischman's signature crisp language and laugh-out-loud wordplay.[a] unique read that's sure to give young chapter-book readers shivers, laughs, and satisfaction." (School Library Journal )

"This fanciful, original tale drawn from Mexican lore.will delight children, as will the narrator's expertly modulated storyteller's cadence. Sis' black and- white illustrations include inventive design elements that reinforce the sense of real and imagined worlds overlapping." (Booklist {starred review} )

"The range of fanciful inventions . . . in this fanciful, original tale . . . will delight children." (Book Links )

Enter the B.J. Rolfzen Creative Writing Contest

Over four decades, B.J. Rolfzen taught high school and community college English in Hibbing, Minnesota. Hundreds of students from all social classes and national origins drew equal and insistent inspiration in Rolfzen’s Iron Range classrooms, but perhaps many have only heard of one student: Bob Dylan. In memory of Rolfzen, who passed in 2009, and his passion for poetry and writing, the Dylan Days Creative Writing contest is calling for short stories, poems and one-act plays from students and emerging writers for 2010. The competition will henceforth be known as the “B.J. Rolfzen Creative Writing Contest” and each year’s winners will be commemorated on a plaque in Bob Dylan’s hometown. The deadline for all entries is March 15, 2010. Poems of less than 1,000 words and short fiction of 1,000 to 4,000 words will be accepted through an online entry system. One act plays will be accepted by mail only. The contest is changing this year. More entries will be considered for publication in the Dylan Days program and literary journal “Talkin’ Blues” and the categories are being renamed and realigned.

For more information see the Dylan Days website.

The 20 Best Gadgets of the Decade (2000-2009)

Paste Magazine selected 20 gadgets that makes our lives more productive and more fun. Inventors created Iphones, Blackberries, USB flash drives, Bose sound blocking headphones, Bluetooth earpieces, Sony playstations, Xboxes, Garmin GPS, The Kindle and Ipods. What gadget would you like for Christmas?

New Library Policies Approved

The Library Board of Trustees approved the following policies at the 12/9/2009 meeting.

Bulletin Board Postings Policy
The bulletin board is for posters or notices of local interest and for announcements by local groups of civic, educational, or recreational activities. Because of space limitations, posted items must be of reasonable size. Nothing is to be posted without the approval of a library staff member, who is to initial and date each item.

The following types of materials will not be posted:

• Political campaign posters
• Materials advocating or promoting one side of a social, moral, political or other controversial issue
• Commercial advertising
• Advertisements for personal profit

Paging Patrons for Telephone Calls

In order to maintain a reasonably quiet library, protect minors using the library, and to comply with Minnesota Statute Data Practices Act, Library staff is unable to accept requests to page patrons in the building.

The library's public address system is to be used for the following:

• Library closing messages
• Library emergency messages such as evacuation, weather warnings, calls for a physician
• Informing staff that they have a service call
• Requests for additional staff assistance in a public area
• Announcement of library programs

All library users are requested to advise people who might call them that the library does not offer a paging/messenger service, except in emergencies.

Holiday fun in the kid's room!

Monday, December 21st, come to the library for a special story time with holiday books, songs and a craft. It all starts at 10:00 a.m. Come in for a special start to your holiday week.

A Geek's Look Back at 2009 from Discover Magazine

DISCOVER charts the best sci/tech movies, books, gadgets and cars of the year. Check out popular movies on DVD and in theaters: Avatar, District 9, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and The Road. TV shows worth a look: The Big Bang Theory, Eureka and The National Parks: America's Best Idea. Best Books found in our library: The End of Overeating by David Kessler, Nurtureshock by Po Bronson, How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer, and Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.
For the complete article, go to: http://discovermagazine.com/2009/dec/07-geek.s-look-back-at-2009

Downloadable Digital Books 24/7

Titles are being added every month to our digital audio book collection. You can download 24/7 to your computer and transfer the books to a variety of listening devices. All you need is an internet connection and your Arrowhead Library System borrower’s card. Click on the "downloadable books" icon on the library's website.

Titles that have been recently added include:

One Less Thing To Worry About: Uncommon Wisdom For Coping With Anxieties by Jerilyn Ross.

Killer Dreams by Iris Johansen

Bad Place by Dean Koontz

Overlook by Michael Connelly

Tales For A Winter Night by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Keetax Mine Expansion

The Keetac Mine Expansion Draft Environmental Impact Statement (3 volumes) is now available at the library.

These documents have been prepared to disclose potential environmental, social and economic effects of the proposed Keetac mine Expansion project near Keewatin. They will be available for public review during the public comment period beginning December 11, 2009 and ending January 26, 2010 at 4:30 p.m.

The public meeting concerning this issue will be on Monday, January 11, 2010 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Hibbing memorial building in the dining room.

Reference copies (in library use only) are available at the front desk. A second set can be checked out with a valid library card.

Celebration of Lights

Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 11th. If you want to learn more about this Jewish festival of rededication the library has a number of books such as:

"Lights of Hanukkah" by Barbara Rush

"Happening Hanukkah: creative ways to celebrate" by Debra Mostow Zakarin.

These websites also relate the stories, traditions, and music of Hanukkah Judaism 101 and The Jewish Outreach Institute.

Local Restaurant Owners Featured

Did you know that Mr. and Mrs. Lo, owners of the Hong Kong Super Buffet in Hibbing, were recently featured as a success story in the "Asian Restaurant News"?

A copy of the magazine is currently available for viewing at the library.

New in the Kid's Room

Some books are absolute magic, and this is one of them. The main character, an unnamed angel, is a plucky creature with a bumbling vocabulary that is laugh-out-loud funny as well as a sassy running commentary about the "peoples" who reside in a small village in the Swiss Alps. Kids will giggle at the mischievous side of Angel, who throws pinecones at irritating mortals and smashes figs for fun. Angel can only be seen or sensed by the book's children—first and foremost, by spunky Zola. She is a free-spirited young girl who wears a trio of rainbow-colored dresses at any one time and teams up with the angel to bring the tiny town out of a time-worn gloom with good deeds, namely rescuing a motley crew of orphans with touching and humorous results. Creech's protagonist is hugely likable. Angel has moments of self-doubt and impatience that are appealingly human, while there is a sweet exchange with Zola about the potential of people to already be angel-like in this existence by using their lives for good. Thanks to the author's signature eloquence in detail, readers will wish that they, too, could live in the village among the quirky cast of characters. Creech's offering deserves to be read out loud and more than once to truly enjoy the angel's hilarious malapropisms and outright invented words, and to appreciate the book's tender, comical celebration of the human spirit.—School Library Journal

Give if You Can

If you are able to help out the Hibbing Area Chamber's Range Young Professionals and the Salvation Army need help making the holiday season a little brighter for Hibbing families in need. As you may know, Hibbing has had the highest unemployment statistics of any city or town in the state of Minnesota.

Please consider donating new, unwrapped gifts for children, teens, and adults. Donations may be dropped off at the following centers:

BARR ENGINEERING
CUSTOM LETTERING
DETROIT DIESEL-DMR ELECTRONICS
HIBBING AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
HOWARD COURT
PIZZA RANCH
SECURITY STATE BANK
US BANK
W.P. & R.S. MARS COMPANY
WALMART

Donations are being accepted until December 11th.

Seasonal Schedule for Story Time and Toddle Time

Spring: Story Time every Tuesday at 10:00am, Toddle Time every Thursday at 10:00am.
Last week in January through first week of May.

Summer: Story Time every Tuesday at 10:00am, Toddle Time every Thursday at 10:00am.
First week in June through last week of July.

Fall: Story Time every Tuesday at 10:00am, Toddle Time every Thursday at 10:00am.
First week after Labor Day through first week of December.

Look for other kid’s programs in the regular seasonal schedule.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

On this day in 1941, the Japanese raided Pearl Harbor and changed the course of history. This attacked brought an unprepared U.S. fully into World War II. Today is a day to remember the brave men and their families that served in the past and continue to serve and protect all of us today.

The Naval History and Heritage Command site features a historical overview of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Also included are a number of images which capture the horror of the day.

Yuletide Festival Fun!

5 Tips for Safe Web Shopping from CNET News.

63% of online shoppers abandon a purchase due to sites that ask too much information, are uncertain how their personal data will be used and lack of faith in the site's security.
Look at the following tips to avoid unpleasant surprises.
1. Know who you are dealing with.
2. Know exactly what you are getting and when and how your are getting it.
3. Watch for prechecked or disguised offers.
4. Maintain a complete paper trail.
5. Watch for unexpected charges after the fact.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13880_3-10404891-68.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0

Yuletide Festival Tonight

The annual Yuletide Festival starts at 6:00 p.m. tonight.

Stories will be told.

Music will be enjoyed.

Treats will be eaten.

Holiday decorations will be crafted.

Books will be given away.

Santa will listen.

Bring everyone!