LME's FY2017 Annual Report

90th anniversary of the LME Library-Princeville Reads

The Lillie M. Evans Library District is celebrating our 90^th anniversary this year, and we continue with our special anniversary programming. In the month of September, we will host Princeville Reads. Princeville Reads is a community-wide reading and discussion program focusing on the book, One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson.  In One Summer, Bill Bryson, one of our greatest and most beloved nonfiction writers, transports readers on a journey back to one amazing season in American life.  This book is especially relevant since the LME Library was founded in 1927. Starting September 1^st, ten copies of the book will be given away to the first Princeville Reads participants and additional copies will be available for checkout at the LME Library.

During Princeville Reads, we will also have several programs that focus on the 1927 time period.  These programs include:

Drone Aircraft on September 7^th 6:30pm—in 1927, Charles Lindbergh made aviation history by completing the first solo nonstop flight, but with the technological changes over the last 90 years, now anyone can fly!  Drones have many applications and they're only getting smarter, more powerful and less expensive. Many farmers are joining the trend by using drone sensors and robotics to supply data for agriculture.  Our speaker, Dean Poignant is a commercially licensed drone pilot.  He will discuss the many uses for drones, purchasing drones, and drone safety. If the weather cooperates, there will also be a flying demonstration to illustrate their capabilities.

Family Movie Night on September 11 6:30pm—join us for a family movie night featuring Laurel & Hardy and Our Gang. The movie night will be approximately 1 hour in length and appropriate for all ages. Laurel & Hardy were a comedy duo that became well known during the late 1920s through the mid-1940s for their slapstick comedy. They appeared as a team in over 100 films—some of them silent films. Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals, was a series of comedic short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. The franchise began in 1922 as a series of silent short subjects and was converted to sound in 1929. In total, the Our Gang series includes 220 shorts, one feature film, and featured over 41 child actors.

Ice Cream Social/Concert on September 17 3:00pm at Stevens Square—in case of bad weather, the program will be moved to the LME Library. Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy a concert from the Kewanee Community Band. Ice cream socials are a traditional gathering dating back to the 18th century and their popularity only increased when modern refrigeration became common in the 20th century.

Book Discussion on September 28 3pm—this program is for anyone interested in discussing the book, One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson. All readers are encouraged to attend the discussion session.

So join us for all the programs or just one but remember that Princeville Reads!

Heritage Days Art Show

The Art Show will be open to the public during Princeville Heritage Days on Friday, June 23^rd from 9am until 6pm and on Saturday, June 24^th from 9am until 6pm.  The Lillie M. Evans Library is located approximately 1 block from the Stevens Square on the corner of Evans and Walnut.  Our address is 207 N Walnut, Princeville.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR an opening night reception on Friday, June 23^rd from 4:30-5:30pm. All artists, the public & the press are invited. Refreshments will be served.

In addition, starting Monday, June 26^th, the Art Show will be on display during the LME Library’s regular hours through July 15^th.  The library hours are Mondays & Wednesdays 9am-7pm; Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays 9am-5pm; and Saturdays 9am-1pm.  The library is closed on Sundays.

Art submissions should be picked up on the following days unless other arrangements have been made:

Monday, July 17th 9am-8pm

Tuesday, July 18th 9am-5pm

Wednesday, July 19th 9am-8pm

Thursday, July 20th 9am-5pm

Friday, July 21st 9am-5pm

Saturday, July 22nd 9am-1pm

Individuals who drop off artwork must pick it up or sign a release form for a third party to pick up.  

Summer of Discovery at LME Library

Registration for all ages starts Tuesday, May 30. It may be done online in the convenience of your own home, in person at the library or by phone. Online registration can be done through the library’s website at lmelibrary.org. Registration will continue throughout the month of June.

We are offering 4 different programs this summer. “Read-to-Me” is for birth through Pre-K. The children will get a prize after enjoying 10 books, and they will get a book to keep after reading 20 books. They may continue to read and get prizes as long as prize supplies last.

“Reading by Design” is the theme for K-5th graders (grade just finished). In this program, readers will get a prize every time they finish reading 90 minutes. After reading 360 minutes, readers in this age group will be invited to the private pool party put on by the library in mid-July. Additionally, this group also has been issued a challenge. If they collectively read a minimum of 19,270 minutes by July 8, one lucky winner will be drawn to either dump Jello on Ms. Anita’s head or have it dumped on them.

The “Summer Creators’ Showcase” is for 6th – 12th graders. This program will focus on creating/making/doing a project of the reader’s choice. Finished projects will be displayed or presented at a showcase here at LME on Friday, July 21st.

The “Summer Challenge 6 of 9” is for adults. The log sheet is set up like a tic-tac-toe board with different activities in each square. Upon completing 6 activities, the reader will be entered into a drawing for a prize basket.

That’s just the basics! In addition to the actual reading programs, many fun activities are filling June and July. We have a representative from Ameren doing a safety program, a juggler, a Guinness World Record holder, and a science show that will literally explode! There are also Toddler Storytimes, Pre-K Storytimes and Maker Camps (hands-on STEAM activities). The full calendar can be found on our website at lmelibrary.org.

Let’s not forget the kickoff dance party on Thursday, June 1st from 10-11:30am!!! Come sign up and have some fun in the process. Let’s get this summer of discovery started!

Princeville History Programs at the LME Library

As part of our 90th anniversary celebration, the LME Library will be hosting a series of programs on Wednesdays in May at the Library. Our first program was May 3rd on the Highlights of Princeville History. Thank you Julie Delbridge of the Princeville Heritage Museum for presenting this program! During the week of May 10th, we have a slideshow presentation featuring Princeville Businesses through the years. The slideshow is available for viewing in the library or on our website, http://lmelibrary.org. It will also be shown at Community Coffee at the Princeville Heritage Museum on May 10th from 8-10am.

Our third program will be on May 17th at 2pm at the library on Caterpillar’s History in Central Illinois. We’ve had a change of speakers, and now Zack Brown from Caterpillar Inc. will discuss Caterpillar’s history and workforce recruitment through the years. Our May 24th program is on Canning Factory History in Princeville at 2pm at the library. Since 1922, the canning factory has been an important economic player in the history of Princeville. Mary Ann Mercer from Seneca Foods will present a program on the history of the canning factory and the migrant workers program. Our final program is on One Room Schoolhouses and will take place on Wednesday, May 31st at 2pm in the library. This closing program will focus on the history of education and the one-room schools houses in the Princeville area and will be presented by the Princeville Heritage Museum.

We’re not done yet--watch for other 90th anniversary activities in 2017! In September, we will be hosting Princeville Reads, community-wide reading and discussion program focusing on the book, One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson. This book is especially relevant since the LME Library was founded in 1927. Copies of the book will be available for checkout at the LME Library and all readers are encouraged to attend a discussion session. We also plan to have an open house late in 2017 to celebrate the Lillie M. Evans Library and the completion of the library addition. More details will be posted on our website at http://lmelibrary.org.

National Library Week 2017

National Library Week, April 9 – 15, 2017, is a time to celebrate our nation’s libraries and library workers for transforming lives through technology, information literacy, diverse collections and opportunities for community engagement.

In a world of rapid technological and cultural change, libraries and library workers are establishing themselves as trusted resources for both individuals and the community at large. Conducting an online search can be a daunting task, even for an experienced researcher, with millions of hits for any question or topic. Librarians are trained experts who can guide library users through this information jungle to find what they are seeking, whether they are verifying news sources, investigating healthcare options or exploring sources of student financial aid.

Libraries also provide a wide range of opportunities for people with diverse wants and interests, including cultural heritage collections, materials in alternate formats such as large print, online language courses, and many other programs.  Library programming and offerings continue to expand to reflect the changing needs of the communities they serve.

This year’s theme for National Library Week is “Libraries Transform,” and Olympic soccer gold medalist and World Cup champion Julie Foudy is lending her support as National Library Week Honorary Chair. Foudy is helping to shine a light on the value of all types of libraries – school, public, academic and special – and the expertise of library workers.

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is observed each April by the American Library Association and libraries across the country. For more information on National Library Week, visit ILoveLibraries.org/NLW or follow #NationalLibraryWeek.

Friends fundraisers

There will be two upcoming painting programs at the Lillie M. Evans Library in Princeville.  Both are fundraisers for the Friends of the Library.  The mission of the Friends is to support the needs of the Library in a variety of ways. The Friends strive to enhance the available resources of our library to meet current and future needs of our community. Some of the items provided by the Friends include: furniture in the young adult area, Nintendo Wii gaming system, patron shopping cart, sturdy benches outside the library, and help with the summer reading program.

The first program is on Saturday, February 25, 10AM-noon – Cost $20. Come to the LME Library to paint away the winter blues! There will be a hot chocolate and coffee bar and staff from “Your Kiln Me” will instruct us on painting ceramic bunnies. Enjoy some creative time with friends and family @ the Library.  Class size is limited to 20, so be sure to register ASAP.  Cost is $20 for each bunny and bunnies will be fired at “Your Kiln Me” before being available for pickup.

The second program will be on Saturday, March 11, 10AM-noon – Cost $20. Come to the LME Library to paint a glass! There will be a luau theme and we’ll have a build your own kiddie cocktail bar.  No need to have experience—just come and enjoy some great creative time with friends @ the Library.  Class size is limited to 20, so be sure to register ASAP.  Cost is $20 and each painter will paint a glass to take home. 

Registration for each class is required. Children under 5th grade must be accompanied by an adult. Call the library at 385-4540 or email us at lill@lmelibrary.org to register – class size is limited so reserve your spot today! Any additional funds collected will go to the Friends of the LME Library. To join the Friends, please contact the library.