Celebrating Valentines Day

Everyone made a beaded bracelet for someone special.

The Source by James Michener

Compelling historical fiction based on tremendous research into how humans came to develop religion. This title is available in book format from the Hibbing Public Library and through interlibrary loan in the Arrowhead Library System.

New Books With Intriguing First Lines.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
First Line: "The Rutherford girl had been missing for eight days when Larry Ott returned home and found a monster waiting in his house."


Fifth Victim by Zoe Sharp
First Line: "The only thing more terrifying than fighting for your life is fighting for someone else's."

New Books With Foreign Locations.

The Leopard by Jo Nesbo
Called the best current Nordic writer of crime fiction, Jo Nesbo's books have been translated into forty languages. Previous novels include The Redbreast and The Snowman. http://jonesbo.com/


The Darkening Field by William Ryan
Captain Alexei Korolev of Criminal Investigations Division of the Moscow Militia finds himself on an airplane bound for Odessa in this historic thriller. Second novel in series by an English author. http://www.william-ryan.com/

Soft Target by Stephen Hunter

Stephen Hunter's new novel invites you to spend 4 hours at the Mall of America in Minneapolis on Black Friday. You and about 9,988 other people are there to shop but there are 12 others that have different plans.

Stephen Hunter's novel, Dead Zero, introduced Ray Cruz. Cruz is a hero; a retired marine sniper. He just happens to be at the mall with his new fiancée and her family. Twelve gunmen open fire in the mall corridors, driving the pack before them. Those on the upper floors take cover or get out any way they can; but within a few minutes the gunmen have herded more than a thousand hostages into the amusement park. Ray is one of the hostages. The only one with a plan and the courage to play it out.

The story follows the hostages, the gunmen, the police response, and the struggle of the Minnesota State Police and the FBI to control the crisis. The story is filled with suspense and there are some very graphic, violent scenes.

Reviews of the novel have been good:

"Stephen Hunter didn’t invent the high-action thriller. But, as he once again demonstrates in the lightning-paced Soft Target, he might as well have. . . . Soft Target is Die Hard with a brain and a plan. A lean, action-packed tale that begs to be read in a single sitting.”

-- The Providence Journal

“Combining elements of the locked-room mystery, the disaster novel, and the lock-and-load thriller, Hunter produces a remarkably gripping tale, building character (the captives, the bureaucrats, and the “terrorists” all get compelling back stories) every bit as convincingly as he drives the narrative to its High Noon--style finale.”

-- Booklist (starred review)

"Any thriller in which Middle Eastern terrorists whack Santa on the first page is bound to be exciting. As always, Hunter has crafted a fast-paced and all-too-plausible telling of our worst nightmares coming true. Ray Cruz is a worthy successor to Swagger. Hunter’s fans, along with new readers, will enjoy the violent battle between Cruz and the bad guys.”

-- Library Journal

Take an afternoon to read Soft Target.  It will be an afternoon well spent.

Free Tickets at the Library!

Don't Miss This Great Event!



Check out tickets at the Hibbing Public Library for free admission to the Kenya Safari Acrobats.  They will be performing on Friday, March 9, 2012 at 7:30 PM in the Hibbing High School Auditorium.

This program is in partnership with the Mesabi Concert Association and was funded in part with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.



Should I Prepare My Own Taxes? by Lifehacker

According to the article by Life Hacker, ask yourself these questions to decide if you should do your own taxes or hire a professional: http://lifehacker.com/5879395/should-i-prepare-my-own-taxes

Do taxes yourself:
1. Do you have a really simple return?
2. Do you like the hands on approach to your finances?
3. Do you have time to spend on doing your taxes?
You can use one of the tax software packages that is readily available.
Hire a Tax Professional if:
1. You don't have the time.
2. You are not comfortable doing your own taxes and feel you might make a mistake.

AARP volunteers are available to give tax help at the library on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Although library staff can't tell you what form to use or help you with your taxes, we have forms, instructions and reproducible forms available by the front gate.

2012 Hot Reads for Cold Nights

The annual adult winter reading program is in full swing.  Hot Reads mugs, notepads, and magnets are being given away daily.  Just check out library materials for a chance to win.

Put your name in the drawing for a chance to win one of two Hot Reads Baskets.  Enter your name every time you visit the library.  It’s easy and fun.

Friends of the Library and ALS are sponsors of the Hot Reads for Cold Nights program.

2012 Hibbing Public Library Children's Winter Reading Program Curl Up With a Good Book Sign-Up Begins January 30, 2012 Program Ends March 2, 2012 Keep track of the time that you spend reading on our timed book logs. For every  20 minutes you spend reading you receive a sticker to put on your reading chart, which will be displayed in the library. Also for every 100 minutes you spend reading you will get to pick out a prize from our PRIZE BINS! Anytime that you READ or are READ to counts! Weekly prize drawings! Check out library books, Enter to win, One entry per day! Awards given during the 5th week! Prizes maybe picked up thru March 9, 2012

The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell

Read the Mallory series for the depth of the characters. The latest book is The Chalk Girl, where homicide detectives, Mallory and Riker hunt down a killer leaving bodies strung up in Central Park. Coco, a small child found abandoned in the park, is unable to tell them where she came from or who she belongs to other than knowing a great deal about the rats streaming through Central Park on what was turning out to be a very unusual day. Read in order starting with Mallory's Oracle.

See the order here on the Stop You're Killing Me website: http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/O_Authors/O'Connell_Carol.html

Free Tickets!

The library has free tickets for the following events:

Lollipop Concert on Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 3:00 p.m.
Youth Orchestras with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra.
Symphony Hall Duluth DECC.  (In partnership with DSSO)

Fancy Nancy on Friday, February 24, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.
Theatre Works USA brings to you an all new revue featuting mini-musicals based on bestselling children's books.
Reif Center in Grand Rapids.  (In partnership with Reif Center)

Voces8 on Monday, February 20, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Performing a repertoire ranging from Renaissance polyphony to unique Jazz and Pop arrangements, the group has been praised for stunning performance, exquisite singing and creating a sound that spans the entire range of vocal colour.
Goodman Auditorium, Virginia High School.  (In partnership with the Arrowhead Concert Association)
The free tickets were funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.  Just ask at the front desk for tickets and information.


                                      

New Large Print Books

V is For Vengeance by Sue Grafton
Always popular, private detective, Kinsey Milhone, is back with a new action packed mystery.


Hotwire by Alex Kava
Special Agent Maggie O'Dell investigates a group of teens electrocuted while partying in the middle of the woods.


Prey by Linda Howard
A hunting trip turns deadly when Angie Powell witnesses a cold-blooded murder.

New Books

Seal Target Geronimo: The inside story of the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden

by Check Pfarrer

A Train in Winter: An extraordinary story of women, friendship, and resistance in occupied France

by Caroline Moorehead.

Nearing Home: Life, faith, and finishing well

by Bill Graham

In The Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Miller’s Kill, New York in December. Russ Van Alstyne, Chief of police for the past four years and previously an MP with the U.S. Army, is called about an abandoned baby dropped off at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church. The new priest, Clare Fergusson, formerly a helicopter pilot also with the U.S. Army, finds the baby on the church steps and meets Van Alstyne at the hospital. Reverend Fergusson, new to Miller’s Kill, has yet to meet many people including her own congregation.

Pinned to the baby’s blankets was a note “This is our baby, Cody, please give him to Mr. and Mrs. Burns here at St. Alban’s. We both agree they should have him, so there won’t be any trouble later on with the adoption. Tell our baby we love him.”

However, adoptions never go smoothly. Mr. and Mrs. Burns become part of a group of suspects when the body of a young woman is found who has recently given birth. Clare and Russ try to find out who murdered the unknown young woman and who is the father of Baby Cody?

First book in the series, In the Bleak Midwinter has been republished. Seven books about Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne in Miller’s Kill is a treat for anyone who hasn’t yet read this mystery series.

Website: www.juliaspencerfleming.com
 

Kiwanis Little Ones Play Park

About two years ago, several Hibbing parents started the process to build an indoor park that would be inexpensive for young children in the area. The biggest hurdle was finding space to house the equipment. After many different locations were investigated, the library offered a portion of the downstairs auditorium. There was overwhelming support from local businesses and individual community members (maybe even you!) in fundraising for the equipment. Equipment was purchased, and was then donated to the City of Hibbing and therefore covered under their liability insurance.  The cost for park admittance is a minimal $1 per day per child.

 For the past year, the park has been visited over 3,800 times!

Play park hours beginning on January 23, 2012 will be:

Monday - 10 am to 2 pm

Tuesday - 2:30 pm to 6:20 pm

Wednesday - 10 am to 2 pm

Thursday - 2:30 pm to 6:20 pm

Friday - 10 am to 2 pm

Please either check the library calendar (www.hibbing.lib.mn.us) or call the library at 362-5959 for changes in the schedule.

New Library Hours

Beginning on Monday, January 23, 2012 the hours of the Hibbing Public Library will change. 

New Library Schedule

Monday  10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Tuesday 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Wednesday 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Thursday 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Friday 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.



Reginald Hill: 1936-2012

Reginald Hill, crime author, is best known for his series featuring Superintendent Andrew Dalziel and Sergeant Peter Pascoe, a pair of police inspectors in Yorkshire, England which was also made into a television series on BBC. First book in the series, A Clubbable Woman, was written in 1970. Twenty-five books in the Dalziel and Pascoe series as well as numerous other novels made Reginal Hill a popular author. You can read his obituary here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/books/reginald-hill-prolific-writer-of-crime-novels-dies-at-75.html

Read the Dalziel and Pascoe series in order which can be viewed on the Stop You're Killing Me Website: http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/H_Authors/Hill_Reginald.html

William Kent Krueger

If you haven't yet discovered the Minnesota author, William Kent Krueger, you are in for a treat. Cork O'Connor, former sheriff and now a private investigator in Tamarack County, Minnesota, takes on murder and extremes in weather at the edge of the boundary waters in northern Minnesota. Read the books in order starting with Iron Lake, written in 1998 through Northwest Angle, 2011. See the order on The Stop You're Killing Me Website:
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/K_Authors/Krueger_William-Kent.html

William Kent Krueger has a website: www.williamkentkrueger.com

Okee Dokee Brothers at Library

Performing at the Hibbing Public Library

Tuesday

February 7, 2012

10:00 a.m.

The Okee Dokee Brothers--best friends Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing--play traditional bluegrass with a playful spirit. Described as a combination of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer with Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, their mission is to help children and adults find the music within and connect with each other.

USA Today describes them as “Authentic bluegrass for your little brother.  Best enjoyed with bare feet.” With witty lyrics, off-the-wall humor, and strong musicianship, they are a musical act not to be missed.

Admission to the event is free thanks to sponsorship by the Arrowhead Library System and funding by money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Naturally Clean, The Seventh Generation Guide to Safe & Healthy, Non-Toxic Cleaning by Jeffrey Hollender, Geoff Davis with Meika Hollender and Reed Doyle

Did you know the air inside our home is probably more polluted than the air outside?  This is a book that explains why we should use nontoxic products in our home.  It talks of ordinary household chemical products that are unregulated and untested.  Over time these chemicals are destroying our environment and endangering our health.  This book provides you with a list of environmentally friendly commercial cleaning alternatives and also a list of natural substances you can use to make your own cleaning products.  By making a few changes, you can make your home a happier, healthier and a greener place to live. 

Some Bennett Park History

Did you know that in 1926, 600,000 people visited Bennett Park.  21,959 motor vehicles passed through the park gates.  2,384 picnics were held at the campfire places.  30,383 persons participated in these picnics.  35,440 children enjoyed the wading pool.  6,352 people utilized the pavilion.  114,219 people visited the animal house.  45,270 people were served at the Refectory.  2,519 cars occupied the Tourist Camp.  9,289 people comprised the Tourist Camp parties.  63,124 people visited the conservatory and greenhouses, which were the most modern and finest of their size in the northwest.  65,000 flowering plants are produced annually in the greenhouses for the beautifying of public parks and grounds surrounding public institutions.  164 species of wild animals, water fowl, pheasants and song birds were contained within the zoological section.  4,364 persons attended the Chrysanthemum show.  563,547 people visited some part of the park in 1926.

New Year's Resolutions: Get Organized!

Many websites promote getting rid of clutter and getting organized. One website worth a look is the Get Organized Now website featuring a daily checklist.
Marcia Gracia, “Welcome to our monthly organizing checklist. There's a different organizing suggestion for you to do every day of the month--all easy, down-to-earth, and no thinking 'what should I do?' required. When the month changes, so does our checklist.”

A weekly newsletter notifies when the newest checklist is available.

We have many books on organizing and uncluttering your life - if this is one of your New Year's resolutions.
See Unclutter your life in One Week by Erin Rooney Doland. 648.8 DOLAN

Library Beginnings

Captain Walter McCormack, Hibbing's first unofficial librarian, opened his own collection to the town. The Captain's fondness of reading, and his willingness to lend his books lead to Hibbing's first library.
The first meeting of the library board of Hibbing was held December 11, 1906 in Nelson's Tailor Shop.
$25,000 from the Carnegie fund was given in 1907 and the doors to a new library were opened in 1908 with 4,000 books circulated among 8,000 people living in Hibbing.     
Today as in the past, the library is committed to serving all Hibbing residents, infants through senior citizens.  We provide traditional library resources as well as new technology. 
Check out our website: www.hibbing.lib.mn.us

Website of the Week: Pinterest

Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard.

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.
Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. (from Pinterest)

The Tax Form Season is here once again.

ALL TAX FORMS RECEIVED ARE DISPLAYED! 

Federal Tax Forms

www.irs.gov

MN Tax Forms

www.taxes.state.mn.us

All other forms will be displayed as soon as they arrive.

We hope to have Tax help in February.

The Miracle of Freedom by Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart

The Miracle of Freedom; 7 Tipping Points that Saved the World by Chris and Ted Stewart desribes 7 historical events that contributed to the rise of freedom in the world. The reader may find a useful framework to examine the concept of freedom as we know it today. This title is available in the Arrowhead Library system in book format at the Hibbing Public Library.

Best Books and Authors Worth Reading.

Lists of Best Books for 2011 abound.
What was your favorite book of 2011?

Check out our past blog entries to see some of the staff favorites.

What authors are you waiting for in 2012?

Check out these three books coming in January.

The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell

Gideon's Corpse by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

The Rope by Nevada Barr

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.

Steve Jobs

Tracking Santa

Starting at 4am Eastern Time on December 24, you can:

• Track Santa Online: Logon to www.NoradSanta.org.
• Call the Santa Hotline: From the United States or Canada, call
  1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723).
• Google Maps: Follow Santa with Google Maps for mobile.
• Mobile Apps: Download a free mobile app either from iTunes App Store or for Android devices.

For more information on NORAD and their history of tracking Santa go to

Tracking “Big Red”: NORAD’s Secret Santa Mission

The Beauty and the Sorrow: An Intimate History of the First World War by Peter Englund

Peter Englund writes about the personal experiences of twenty people who lived through World War I. Englund writes: "My cast of characters has been chosen with a view to provide an all-round picture of the First World War, both as an event and as an experience."
"Three of the twenty will perish, two will become prisoners of war, two will become celebrated heroes and two will end up as physical wrecks. Many of them welcome the war when it breaks out but learn to detest it; a few of them detest it right from the first day; one of them loves it from beginning to end. One of them will lose his mind, another will never hear a shot fired."
Read about an American wife of a Polish aristocrat, a German schoolgirl, a Russian army engineer, and English nurse, a Danish soldier, American army field surgeon, A British Army infantryman and many others in this personal look at World War I.
Found in the new book section under 940.30922 ENGLU

Books That Make Great Gifts

The following are some of Nancy Pearl's suggestions for gifts:

Adult Fiction Titles

On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry
The story of an Irish-American widow looking back over her life and her husband's involvement in the Troubles.  It's just a fabulous novel.  If you're somebody who loves wonderful writing, than this is the book for you.

In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard
One of my favorite novels this year, narrated by an unnamed fourteen-year-old girl growing up in a small town in the Midwest.  I don't think I'll ever forget the main character.

The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
One of the scariest and best written books I've ever read.  It's one of those books you don't want to start too late at night, mainly because you don't want to put it down.  A fabulous, boffo ending.

Blind Sight by Meg Howrey
One of those books whose strength is the dialogue.  All the main characters are wonderfully developed, three dimensional, and the kinds of people who will stay in your mind.

The Long Goodbye by Meghan O'Rourke
The writing is so magnificent, which makes perfect sense because O'Rourke is a poet.  It seems like she's a good friend telling you the story of her mother and those very intimate details of family relationships.

Ghost Hero by S. J. Rozan
S. J. Rozan writes a terrific series of mysteries, and I never think they get enough accolades from the the general public.

Adult Nonfiction Titles

A World On Fire: Britain's Crucial Role in the American Civil War by Amanda Foreman
A wonderful gift for anyone who loves Civil War history or biographies.  The story of two societies - American and British - in the five years leading up to the Civil War and what forces made Britain decide to aid the South rather than the North.

A History of thw World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor
Sometimes a book will come along where I think you can give it to every adult on your reading list.  This is one of those.

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean
I think Susan Orlean is one of the best nonfiction writers we have these days.

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

Just in time for Christmas, Explosive Eighteen is available for some light reading during the holidays. Plenty of laughs, Stephanie with her friends and relatives delivers another rolicking read of zany mishaps while attending funerals with Grandma Mazer; arresting bail jumpers with Lula; and keeping two boyfriends on the string.

The Drop by Michael Connelly

The open unsolved unit of the Los Angeles Police Department looks into unsolved murders going back 50 years. Of the 10,000 cases still open, using DNA can put new life into a cold case. Harry Bosch and David Chu handle such cases. Bosch finds that confronting killers years later who think they have gotten away with murder very addictive.
Bosch and Chu are given a cold case from 1989 involving rape and murder as well as a current case where the son of his arch enemy Irvin Irving was pushed or fell to his death.
Michael Connelly has a website: www.michaelconnelly.com

Inferno: the world at war, 1939-1949 by Max Hastings

Max Hastings: "This is a book chiefly about human experience. Men and women from scores of nations struggled to find words to describe what happened to them in the Second World War, which transcended anything they had every known."
"Some survivors found that the manner in which they had conducted themselves during the struggle defined their standing in their societies for the rest of their lives, for good or ill."
Read about the battles in the Pacific, Bataan, Midway, Guadalcanal; battles in the Atlantic, Arctic convoys; the Fall of France and Norway; the Russian front, the African front, the European front and finally the Fall of the Third Reich.
Both familiar battles and lesser known conflicts are represented in a fine military book for a broad overview of the Second World War. Find in our new book section under, 940.54 HASTI.

Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan

Illustrator Jon J. Muth has painted beautiful images and has brought to life a beautiful children's book, with words by one of our most admired song writers, Bob Dylan!
His song "Blowin' in the Wind" is captured in beautiful watercolor landscapes. 

This book includes a CD of Bob Dylan's original 1963 recording of the song Blowin' in the Wind from his album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan".  In 1999, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, it was ranked #14 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

This book is available at the Hibbing Public Library or through interlibrary loan.

Blowin' in the Wind
Lyrics by Bob Dylan

How many roads most a man walk down
Before you call him a man ?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand ?
Yes, how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea ?
Yes, how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free ?
Yes, how many times can a man turn his head
Pretending he just doesn't see ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky ?
Yes, how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry ?
Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

This would be a great Christmas gift 

for any Bob Dylan fan! 



Gadget Zoo

Have you been thinking of stuffing a stocking with an e-reader or tablet this holiday season.  Try one for yourself before you purchase.  Come to the library's gadget zoo on Wednesday, December 14th.  Drop in any time between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.

We will have the following devices for you to try:

Ipod Touch
Nook Color
Kindle Fire
Ipad 2
Ipod Nano

There will be comparison charts and reviews along with instructions on how to use the library's free "Downloadable Books Library" (Overdrive).

You can also check out the following sites for more information:

TopTenReviews

CNet Reviews

Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-book reader should you buy?

Best Five tablets

Lost December by Richard Paul Evans

Lost December is a nice Christmas story and a fast read for the busy holiday season.  The author is Richard Paul Evans, author of The Christmas Box.  Lost December is a story of second chances and patterned after the age-old story of the prodigal son.  Its message is inspirational and heartwarming.

Devil' Gate by Clive Cussler

Clive Cussler, adventurer and author, leads an exciting life of exploration: "Clive Cussler began writing in 1965 and published his first novel featuring Dirk Pitt® in 1973. His first non-fiction work, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996.
Clive is the founder of the National Underwater & Marine Agency, (NUMA) a non-profit organisation that dedicates itself to American maritime and naval history. Cussler and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers have discovered over 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites. After verifying their finds, NUMA turns the rights to the artifacts over to non-profits, universities, or government entities all over the world. Some of these finds include the C.S.S. Hunley, best known as the first submarine to sink a ship in battle and the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania. (from the Clive Cussler website.)
Clive Cussler's latest book, Devil's Gate is ninth in the Numa Files series featuring Kurt Austin.

Minnesota Education Department Has New Website

Hibbing Public Library has received the following notice from the Dept. of Education.

New Minnesota Department of Education Website - Scheduled for Launch December 1, 2011!


The Minnesota Department of Education is pleased to announce that our newly designed agency website is on the way.
Designed with you–our customers–in mind, the new site will provide the same useful information you’ve come to expect from us, presented in a more intuitive and accessible way.

Click here to check out the new site.

Eight Things You Should Know Before You Buy a Daily Deal

Information from the USA.gov team:

Frugalistas looking to snag a bargain on a massage or a fancy dinner at new restaurant can spend a lot of time browsing daily deal sites. While these sites provide the opportunity to try new businesses at a discounted price, shoppers need to be sure they read the fine print on their deals and understand the sites’ terms of service agreements to avoid complications when they redeem their deal vouchers.

These tips from USA.gov will help you better understand the daily deal sites so you can shop safely and enjoy the deals you purchase.

• Check the expiration and black-out dates: Most daily deals have expiration dates. Plan accordingly so you use your voucher before the deal expires. Make sure you check for blackout dates too. Some of the popular vacation deals can only be redeemed during certain times of the year.
• Do your research: Spend five or ten minutes reading reviews of the product or service you're thinking about purchasing. If the company has a lot of bad reviews, you may want to skip the purchase, no matter how great the deal seems to be.
• Understand how you can use the deal: Some deals you can use more than once until the entire amount of the deal is gone, but other coupons you have to use all at once. In general, you can't combine a daily deal with another coupon or promotion. Read the conditions of your specific deal before you buy. If you’ve read the fine print, but still don’t understand everything,ask questions before you buy. Many of the daily deal sites have a frequently asked questions section or an area of the site where they handle questions about specific deals.
• Verify which locations accept your voucher: Some deals for chains are only valid at certain stores. Check to make sure the location closest to you is one of the participating stores or else you might have to go out of your way to use the deal.
• Know when your credit card will be charged: Some sites won't charge you until after a certain number of deals have been purchased; other sites will charge you immediately or at the close of a business day. After you purchase a deal, keep an eye on your credit card statement to make sure you are charged correctly.
• Check the site's refund policy: Some sites will refund your money if you are disappointed in a deal. Others will refund your money if a merchant goes out of business before your deal's expiration date. Some won't refund your money at all. Make sure you understand and are comfortable with a site's refund rules before you make a purchase.
• Know whom to contact with problems: In most cases, the daily deal sites can't help you solve problems with the company you bought the deal from. You will need to work with the company directly. If you have an issue, stay calm and state exactly what happened and how you would like the situation to be resolved. You can use the tips from the USA.gov sample complaint letter to help fix the problem.

The Next Decade by George Friedman

George Friedman founder and CEO of STATFOR, a publisher of worldwide geopolitical intelligence, shares some of his insights about Iran, Russia, Germany, China, Latin America and the US role in history and the next 10 years. Available at Hibbing Public Library, other Arrowhead Libraries and in electronic format.

Z Puppets at Library!

Street performer Chris Griffith and playwright Shari Aronson started Z Puppets Rosenschnoz in 1998 with some fluorescent paint, a $3 pack of ping pong balls, and inspiration and imagination.  Today, they have fifteen original productions and also bring their workshops to thousands of audiences across the country.

Z Puppets’ performances include a unique blend of live music, zealous humor and hand-crafted puppets.  They will be bringing this extraordinary family experience to story time at the Library on Tuesday, December 13^th at 10:00 a.m.

Everyone is welcome to this free program that is funded by Arrowhead Library System, the Minnesota Library Legacy Fund, and the Hibbing Library.

Santa Will Be At The Annual Yuletide Festival

We all know that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole with his magical elves and his flying reindeer.  He makes a list of children throughout the world, keeps track of their behavior and what they have asked to receive on Christmas morning.  The elves work feverishly in the North Pole workshop to make all the toys and the reindeer condition themselves for a marathon flight.  Then on one single night, Santa visits all of the homes in the world and delivers presents. 

Once again Santa is taking time from his busy schedule to spend a couple of hours with all the families that attend the library’s annual Yuletide Festival on Tuesday, December 6^th.  He will be arriving about 6:00 p.m.  There will be a holiday story and song by the fireplace and then Santa will spend time talking to each child that has something to tell him.

Please join us for our annual holiday celebration.  In addition to Santa’s visit, there will be a holiday craft area, the Hibbing City Band will be performing, the Literacy Action Center will be giving away books to children, and the Friends of the Library will be serving refreshments.

New Nonfiction

Learning to Breathe: My yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Life by Priscilla Warner

One woman's journey to find peace from her panic attacks.

Attack on Pearl Harbor: Strategy, Combat, Myths, Deceptions by Alan D. Zimm

Evaluation of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor from the Japanese point of view.

You are Not so Smart by David McRaney

Psychology says that you have no idea why you act the way you do.

Book Give Away at the Yuletide Festival

Bring the kids to the Yuletide Festival and have them pick out a free book to take home.  The Literacy Action Center and the book-give-away is another event that has been part of the library’s holiday celebration for many years.

The Literacy Action Center office is located in the basement of the Hibbing Public Library.  It is a program of the Hibbing school district through the Community Education Department.

The Center:
•Provides free, confidential and private tutoring to adults who wish to improve their reading, and writing skills.
•Provides tutoring for people in which English is a second language.
•Works with other community education programs for GED testing and preparation.

It also promotes reading by putting books in the hands of children through book give-aways.  Funding for the books is provided by United Way of N.E. MN, Minnesota Community Foundation, Northland Foundation, Hibbing/Chisholm Rotary, and Security State Bank.

The annual Yuletide Festival will be on Tuesday, December 6^th from 6:00 until 7:30 p.m.

Trout Caviar: Recipes from a Northern Forager by Brett Laidlaw

The author grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and spent time each summer on Lake Brereton in eastern Manitoba: “I can recall so clearly all the sensations of cleaning the fish we caught, an activity which took place in late morning in the cool shade of the pines beside the cabin, on a wooden table covered with newspapers in the yard of packed dirt with a patina of pine needles. I recall the smell of the fish, kept on a stringer in the lake until we were ready to clean them. They smelled … lakey, not fishy, not bad at all, but fresh and watery. When I’m lucky enough to find supremely fresh fish today, I’ll take a good whiff and think, Ah, it smells like Lake Brereton.”

Brett Laidlaw wants to share with the reader his interest in natural foods while finding those foods in the wild, local gardens or the market. Check out the recipes and try a few including: Summer Lake Trout Chowder, Trout Caviar and Apple Blackberry Galette. Find the book in the new book section: 641.302 LAIDLAW

100 Famous Novels with Catchy First Lines

Snoopy, in the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, often started his novel with this line: "It was a dark and stormy night."
The opening lines of a novel can prove crucial. From Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities to Melville's Moby Dick, often the opening sentence or two of a book will become the most frequently quoted and iconic passage from the entire novel. From American Book Review.

The Ranker Website list 100 famous novels with catchy first lines.

What favorite first lines do you remember?