WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY IRREGUL AR
An occasional publication of the Whitehall Township Public Library
3700 Mechanicsville Road, Whitehall, PA 18052 … Phone: 610/432-4339
Web: http://www.whitehallpl.org
Director: Patty Vahey
Table of contents
Vol. 2, #4
May–June 2014
2
2
Simply Stories
Diversity scavenger
hunt
2
Open Mic Night
2
@ your library
3
‘Fizz Boom Read:’
summer reading
programs
3
Murder, she said
3
How to sell on eBay
3
Holiday closing
3, 4
Bits and pieces
3
 it out!
4
Whatdoyougeek?
4
Looking ahead
4
Literary Elements
Board of Trustees
Fiscal year 2013–2014
Daria Gehris, Treasurer
Michael T. Gerould,
Vice President
Helga Grundmann, Secretary.
Kyle T. Kern
Judith Ott
George R. Schermerhorn,
President
Colleen Webster
From the director’s desk
The Whitehall Township
Public Library was busy in
April with National Library
Week activities and the kickoff of our “GEEK the
Library” campaign. We’ll be
even busier in May and June
as we get ready for our annual summer reading
programs.
If you haven’t been here
lately, do check out the new
paint job in the children’s
area the next time you’re in.
Thank you to Home Depot
for giving us a discount on
the bright and beautiful paint
and the Friends of the
Library for providing the
necessary funds. (We’re
already planning ahead —
the project for next winter
will be to paint the reference
and adult areas.)
Along with painting and
general cleaning up, we will
be rearranging and moving
some items within the
library. The children’s video
collection will be moved
closer to the adult video
area. The children’s book
collections are still being
rearranged and new signage
will be put up after everything is properly placed.
Thank you, everyone, for
your patience!
New signs are also up for the
Pennsylvania and local history areas. We are trying to
increase the size of these
collections, with the intent of
making them a unique part of
the Lehigh Valley.
So I’m asking a favor of you:
If you have old high school
yearbooks from Whitehall or
surrounding school districts,
please consider donating
them to us. We are looking
for other Lehigh Valley and
Whitehall-specific items, too.
If you are cleaning out your
home or that of your parents
or grandparents, please consider giving us the old pictures, yearbooks, cookbooks,
copies of family histories,
etc., that might otherwise be
thrown away. Your donated
items will become a permanent and valued part of our
reference collection.
For the month of May,
Daniel Moyer, art teacher
at Whitehall High School,
has hung some of the high
school students’ art work in
the children’s area, and it
looks great! Please stop by
and look at this wonderful
display during our regular
library hours.
On Wednesday, May 7, at
6:30 p.m., John Evans of
the Greater Lehigh Valley
Writers’ Group will discuss
writing for publication. The
workshop will address both
fiction and nonfiction writing. Among the topics for
discussion are research for
content and markets, elements of storytelling,
agents, and resources for
writers.
Call the library at 610/4324339 or check our website
(www.whitehallpl.org) for a
complete listing of activities
and information.
— Patty
Vahey
Words for new graduates
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any
direction you chose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy
who’ll decide where to go.” — Dr. Seuss, author
Congratulations and best wishes to all!
Page 2
Whitehall Township Public Library Irregular
Simply Stories – Canceled for this year
Periodically, the library
read picture books to any
offers a story time —
child who comes in. SimSimply Stories —
ply Stories is
Canceled for
the tentatively
for which no registration is necessary. rest of the year. scheduled from
This event is made
10:30–11 a.m. on
possible by the
May 6, 13, 20,
participation of
and 27 and on
community memJune 3, 10, 17, and
bers who volunteer to
24.
Whether or not it’s held,
however, depends entirely
on our finding the “person
- power” to staff it. If you
are interested in volunteering for one, two, or more
Tuesdays, please contact
Lorraine Santaliz, youth services
librar-
Diversity scavenger hunt
What is there to do (excluding yard work and spring cleaning!) in the merry month of May?
Our diversity scavenger hunt is an activity that has no age limit and that you can do by yourself
or in the company of others. You can pick up our hunt rules at the library, along with a list of
experiences you’ll be looking to collect. Keep track of your points (just for fun) — a list of
everybody’s scores will be posted after June 6 (the date your required info is due). Prizes will
be awarded following a random drawing on June 7.
Open Mic Night
Perform a little improv?
Yodel? Then share your
talent with the rest of us on
Monday, May 19, and/or
Monday, June 16, when
Earl Andrews will again
host our Open Mic Night
from 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Here are the guidelines for
those planning to perform:
If you’re bringing an
instrument, it should be a
keyboard or something
acoustic. Please stick to
a limit of three songs or 15
minutes for your act.
Sign-up happens
from 6–6:30 p.m.
Slots are available
on a first-come,
first-served basis.
too quiet! So come, even
if your talent is being
appreciative. Show your
support for our local talent, and they’ll appreciate
you back!
And what’s a performance
without an audience? Far
@ your librar y ...
Genealogy overview—On
Monday, June 9, at 6 p.m.,
library director, Patty Vahey, will review library resources available for family
research. The library offers
Ancestry Online, Heritage
Quest, and Digital Sanborn
Maps n the library website
(www.whitehallpl.org) Ancestry and Digital Sanborn
Maps must be used in the
library, but Heritage Quest
may be accessed from home
through the library website.
Family Movie Nights …
Please join us @ your
library at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20, and/or Tuesday, June 17, for Family
Movie Night! We’ll be enjoying movies suitable for
family viewing — call the
library at 610/432-4339 for
the titles. Young attendees
are invited to add to the fun
by wearing their PJs and
bringing along their pillows
and blankets!
The never-ending book
sale … The Friends of the
Whitehall Township Public
Library sponsors a sale that
is open during regular
library hours on every day
the library is open.
the library is open! Here’s the
price list: books, 25 cents–$2;
magazines, 25 cents or five for
$1; DVDs, 50 cents; VHS
videos, 25 cents; puzzles, 50
cents; CDs and CD-ROMs, 25
cents; cassette tapes, 10 cents;
everything else, 50 cents each.
You can develop your
personal library at prices that
are hard to beat. ... Where’s
this sale? @ your library!
Whitehall Township Public Library Irregular
Page 3
‘Fizz Boom Read:’ SummeR Reading pRogRamS
Sometimes the lazy days of summer quickly turn into weeks of endless boredom.
Add some literary elements and a dollop of science to your activity mix, however, and
you’ll find your summer developing unexpected sparks of fun!
With an overall theme of “Fizz Boon Read,” our 2014 summer reading programs run
from mid-June into August and offer something for everyone. Please note that while all
our programs are free, registration for each of the three age groups is necessary. Registration for children, tweens, and teens begins on Tuesday, June 10; registration for the
adult program begins on Monday, June 16.
 For kids, we have “Fizz Boom Read,” with a calendar that begins with a kickoff
event featuring Ronald McDonald and goes on to include lots of crafts, a show-and-tell
on making ice cream with liquid nitrogen, a program on birds of prey, and much more!
 For tweens and teens, we have “Spark a Reaction.” Those in this group can take
part in any activity available to “Fizz Boom Read” participants plus enjoy a special
gamers’ night designed just for them.
 Even very solemn adults in three-piece suits often revert to being kids in the summer! Under the
banner of “Literary Elements,” we will again run our summer reading program for “Really Big
Kids.” (You know who you are!) Our book discussions on the first Tuesday of the month will continue, under the broad theme of “Literary Elements: Science/Fiction.” We’ll also throw in a few science-related quizzes and even help you find the answers!
For more information, please check our website (http://www.whitehallpl.org) and our calendars, call
the library at 610/432-4339, and/or pay us a visit at 3700 Mechanicsville Rd., Whitehall. Still have
questions? Call Lorraine Santaliz, youth services librarian, or Patty Vahey, library director, at
610/432-4339. Let us be a part of your terrific summer!
Murder, she said
Join Patty Vahey,
library director, at 6:30
p.m. on Wednesday, June
4, as she talks
about this popular
genre.
Bring your favorite mysteries
to the library with
you for a lively
discussion on murder and
death in fiction!
How to sell on eBay
Holiday closing
On Wednesday, May 28,
and again at 10
a.m. on Saturday, May 31,
library director
Patty Vahey
will repeat her popular
program on the basics of
eBay. Come and learn
how to list your items,
ship them, and get paid!
The Whitehall Township
Public Library will be
closed on May
26 (Memorial
Day observed.)
If you see a
veteran, particularly on
May 26, take
time to thank
him or her for
service to our country.
Bits & pieces ...
Betcha didn’t know that
May 8 is No Sock Day!
Just for that day,
lighten your laundry
burden by not wearing
socks, and give your
toes a break.
 it out!
If you like to check multiple sources prior to buying important-to-you items, here’s another site to check out for recommendations: <www.findthebest.com>. The site claims to use three sources for its info: public databases, manufacturer websites,
and expert sources. Some free options are included in the program ratings.
“There’s an app for that!” You’ve heard that before, but that doesn’t mean you will actually be able to find that app!
Quixey: The Search Engine for Apps <https:/www. quixey.com>, claims to be able to find it (or them), however. You don’t
even have to know the name of the app you want — all you have to be able to do is write a few words to describe the function
you need the app to provide.
Note: As with any website suggestions, your mileage (as the saying goes) may vary!
Page 4
Whitehall Township Public Library Irregular
Geek (verb):
Bits & Pieces
The first public zoo
opened in Paris, France,
on June 10, 1793. And
speaking of zoos … did
you know that both the
book and DVD versions of
Benjamin Mee’s “We
Bought a Zoo” are
available for borrowing
from the Whitehall
Township Public
Library?
1.
To love, to enjoy, to celebrate, to have an intense
passion for.
2.
To express interest in.
3.
To possess a large
amount of knowledge in.
4.
To promote.
“Geekthelibrary,” as a
phrase, is the name of an
awareness campaign
designed to draw attention to the role of public
libraries and the critical
funding issues they face.
Everybody geeks something — the things you
geek are the things
you’re passionate about.
Whatever you geek, your
public library supports
you.
While more people
than ever are turning to
their public libraries —
for entertainment, for
educational opportunities, for job help, for free
access to computers and
the Internet — funding
has not kept up with the
increased demand. And
although many people
think that state and federal funding makes up for
deficits in local support,
the truth is that most public library funding comes
from local dollars. There
is no mechanism in place
that triggers more state
and/or federal funds for
those libraries for which
local support has
dropped.
If you are interested in
learning more — and we
certainly hope that you
are! — please visit
<geekthelibrary. org>.
Looking ahead
The Knitting Guild will meet in the community room at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, and Thursday,
June 5. Bring your needles and your current project and join us! … The board of library trustees is
scheduled to meet on the second Thursday of each month. The May meeting is planned for Thursday,
May 8, while June’s meeting will be on Thursday, June 12,. Each begins at 7 p.m. As always, the public
is invited to attend. … The Friends of the Library group will meet on Wednesday, May14, and Wednesday, June 11, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Interested in joining? Just drop in!
This list doesn’t cover all scheduled programming. Please consult the calendar inserts and/or our website (http://www.whitehallpl.org) to see what else is happening @ your library!
Literary Elements:
Science/ Fiction
Watch as First Tuesday morphs into Literary Elements right before your very eyes!
The books we’ll be reading in June, July, and August are science fiction.
From 1–2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3, we’ll be in the library’s community room to discuss “The Hitchhiker’s
Guide to the Galaxy,” by Douglas Adams. (As ardent readers of sci-fi may already know, this book is #1 in an
eight-volume trilogy. [Don’t ask.])
On Tuesday, July 1, we’ll tackle Ray Bradbury’s “The Martian Chronicles.” Bradbury famously described this
book as “a book of stories pretending to be a novel.” No pretense — this is a novel, and a good one at that..
Tuesday, August 5, will find us debating the issues brought to life in Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Finally, on Tuesday, August 19, every adult who read or heard books over the summer is welcome in the community room at 1 p.m. We’ll talk about the other books we’ve read over the summer.
Note: The library owns at least one copy of each of the titles selected. If the book you want isn’t on our shelves, you may
use your ACCESS PA or interlibrary loan privileges to seek borrowed book copies from other libraries. Speak with a staff
member for more details.