By the time you read this, March will be finishing and we’ll be looking at my son’s favorite holiday. No, not Easter – April Fools’ Day!!! He’s thirty-two, now, but as a child, he would bedevil us the entire day. Makes me almost happy he lives in Chicago, now.

Those of us involved in the Dolly Patron Imagination Library are excited as we approach a milestone. When the program was begun, it was believed we could manage 500 children. We are nearing that number after only two and a half years. In late March, we had 448 children actively enrolled to receive a free book each month, and 145 who have reached the age of five and graduated.

If you have a child or children under the age of five and you reside in either the Uniontown or Laurel Highlands School Districts, you are eligible to register the child for the free program. We have applications here at the library, or you can go online at http://www.dollysimaginationlibrary.com and register that way. Call us here at the library (724-437-1165) if you have any questions.

Please remember the library will be closed Friday, April 2 for Good Friday.

Two deadlines in April have us watching the calendar and filling out forms. April 15 is of course, tax day – the deadline to file your income tax. We do not carry any tax forms here at the library, but can print them from the IRS web site for you for $.15 a page.

Then, April is Census month! You’ve received your questionnaire by now, so please answer the questions and send it in. If you are having trouble with any part of it, bring it to the library on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday when a representative of the Census Bureau will be here to help you. Monday, he’s here from 4:00 to 7:00. Wednesday and Friday, he’s here from 1:30 to 4:30. This schedule will be in place until the end of April.

If you are sorting through your collection of DVD movies and find some you no longer want, consider donating them to the library for our collection.

We also accept used books, but please – no dusty, musty, dirty or moldy books, no National Geographic magazines, and no text books. Thank you.

I’m making this short this time. I’ve been working on our annual report to the state for two weeks, now, and I’m nearly done. It takes many hours of compiling figures, entering them in an online report, and praying that it will all match our figures when it’s complete. What a relief when it’s done!

Come see us in the library, fill out your census forms, and donate your gently used books and DVDs to the library.

“If information is the currency of democracy, then libraries are its banks.”
Wendell H. Ford, U.S. Senator, Kentucky, 1974-1998

I’m convinced that you can learn something new each day, and occasionally in unusual places. While sitting in my dentist’s chair this week, I studied a poster in front of me. Did you know that in the early 1900s, golf balls had square dimples?? Another poster in his office showed me that there were golf balls at one time with ‘outie’ dimples rather than ‘innies’. Fascinating.

A sure sign of spring! No, not the reappearance of road kill along the side of the road – the spring library story times are scheduled. Sorry about that visual….

Miss Dianne has announced that beginning Wednesday, March 17 and Thursday, March 18 from 11:00 A.M. to 12:00, she will again delight the children with stories, finger~play, crafts and snacks. While it’s geared toward toddlers, everyone is invited. The Spring Story Time schedule will run for ten weeks, and we extend our thanks to the Friends of the Library for their generosity in making this happen.

We’re all in the throes of tax season, so I need to remind you that the library DOES NOT have tax forms. Limited federal forms are available at the Post Office and PA State forms can be found at Rep. Tim Mahoney’s office at 66 Lebanon Street here in Uniontown. If you have a computer and Internet connection, you can print out your own federal forms at www.irs.gov. State forms are online at www.revenue.state.pa.us. If you do not have Internet access at home, you can print the forms here at the library for
15¢ a page.

Many of us are watching the mail for the arrival of our census letter/questionnaire. When it arrives, if you have any concerns about how to answer questions on it, a representative of the Census Bureau will be here at the library three days a week through April 30. He will be in our Reading Lounge each Monday from 4:00 to 7:00 and Wednesday and Friday from 1:30 to 4:30.

Mark your calendar…the library will be closed Friday, April 2 in observance of Good Friday.

Have you started your seeds, yet? A walk through some stores will quickly get you in the mood as you see seed trays, packets of seeds, soil – all that you need. Are you ready for a new garden plan in your yard? Stop by and take a look at the beautiful books we have on the subject. Lots of great ideas you can use or adapt. It won’t be long now until planting time!!

Come see us in the library, bring your little kiddles to Story Time, and find your tax forms online.

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.~ Mark Twain

Do you remember that lovely warm spell we had back in January? January thaw, I suppose, but it was so warm, we had daffodils popping out of the dirt in front of the library. Someone commented that the Farmers’ Almanac stated we’d have snow in February that could be measured in feet! We all pooh-poohed that…now we’re eating our words…and shoveling day after day.

Here at the library, we have the world’s best snow shoveler – Steve. Our sidewalks are clear and wide and salted when needed. Thanks, Steve. You are the best.

Recently, Jeanne McFeaters, daughter of our Children’s Librarian, donated boxes and boxes of her gently used books to our young adult collection. They’re all popular books the teens are reading now, and guaranteed to be used by our YAs. Authors include R.L. Stine, Diane Hoh, L.J. Smith, and many murder mysteries, fantasies, and dragon subjects. Stop in and browse the collection. They’re located along the windows on the first floor.

Last month, a computer in a kiosk was delivered to the library from Washington and Jefferson College and is meant to inform the public about Post-Traumatic Stress and what can be done. It’s part of the Combat Stress Intervention Program and is free for anyone to use. Family members are encouraged to take advantage of this information center, and it’s free.

The screen is sensitive to touch and walks you through to the next screen. A stack of trifold pamphlets are available with phone numbers and web site you can check into as well. It’s located just inside the front door by the circulation desk.

We’ve been fortunate to acquire additional material for our PA Room. Some new acquisitions include The Rockwells (Rockholds) of Fayette County, Pennsylvania/ Dobson Sides; Families of the Andrew Bird, Sr. Volumes I & II/ Brierly; William Galliher and Some of His Descendants/ Galliher; Some Gallihers, Gallahers, and Gallaghers of Fayette, Pennsylvania and Some of Their Descendants/ Galliher; The Hidden Half of the Family: a sourcebook for women’s genealogy/ Schaefer; Pennsylvania Agricultural Society Volume 5, partial collection of group sheets and genealogical information from the late Jean White Cox; partial collection and examples from the estate of the late Attorney John Core; Families of Fayette County, Quarterly of the Fayette County Genealogical Society, Inc. both current and past issues; Ewing Family newsletters; and Vance Family newsletters.

We’ve also added family Bibles from:
v Holliday Family includes Neighbors, Crawford, Wood, Hardin, and Queen

v Crawford Family Bible includes Smith

v Brownfield-Prentice Family Bible includes Beeson, Whyel, Mitchell, Hyett, Ache, Barbour, Andrew, and Hutchison

v Hutchinson Family Bible includes Shrum, Knox, Louttit, Stacher, Leonard, Rutter and McDonald and includes family photos

v Beryl Burchinal’s Mother’s bible

v Seeman Family Bible includes Rowen, Weimer, Ickler, Bortz, Duff, Avery, Nixon, Burns and Guthrie

v Hopwood-Deford Bible

v Asa Ross Bible
Because of the rarity of most of these materials, they can only be viewed here in the library’s Pennsylvania Room.

Come see us in the library, take a look at our expanded young adult collection, use the Combat Stress computer, and look into the fascinating resources in our Pennsylvania Room.

We’ve all read a book at one time or another that would prompt us to say, “This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.” ~~Dorothy Parker

          Enough already!  Maybe if we stop talking about all the snow and cold, it will leave!  Repeat after me “At least we don’t get hurricanes or earthquakes….at least we don’t get hurricanes or earthquakes…”  This is certainly one of those occasions when I wish for heated driveways and sidewalks.
            We are sorry for any inconveniences, but we’ve closed the library a number of days during the last two weeks for the safety of our staff and patrons during the storms and blizzards.  Not surprisingly, there were very few books returned in the book deposit box days we were closed.  It was too treacherous to drive on the roads.  We cancelled any accumulated fines on overdue materials as well.
            Recently, I spent a month organizing and barcoding our magazine collection so we may better track what we receive, where it comes from, and when we miss an issue.  Were you aware we receive over eighty subscriptions?  Some of the most popular include People Weekly, Sports Illustrated, Martha Stewart Living, Time, Petersen’s Hunting, Whitetail Journal, Reader’s Digest, Reader’s Digest large print, Ebony, Jet, O, the Oprah Magazine, Woman’s Day, Ladies’ Home Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, Motor Trend, Car & Driver, New Yorker, Golf Digest, Birds & Blooms, Family Handyman, Every Day with Rachel Ray, Cooking Light, Cabela’s Outfitter Journal, Christian Century, Body & Soul, Health, Vanity Fair, Consumer Reports, and Entertainment Weekly.
            For the children, we subscribe to American Girl, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Kids Discover, Family Fun, Girl’s Life, Home Education, National Geographic for Kids, and Your Big Backyard.  While we’ve had to reduce the number of magazines we subscribe to because of reduced funding from the state, we strive to provide you with a variety of publications you need. 
            We do not circulate the current issues, but once the newer one arrives, we circulate the past months’ copies.  You can read the current issues here in the library, or wait until the next month to check it out.
            By way of explanation to those who placed memorial books for loved ones, we publish the list in the Herald Standard each month.  Last week, the December list was published, and shortly, the January list will be published.  Because of the holidays and sickness, we were late in getting the lists to the newspaper.  Our apologies for any problems this may have caused.
            Bear with us as we work our way through all the problems the snow and emergency conditions present.
            Come see us at the library…..when it’s safe to!

“Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.”
   ~~  Arnold Lobel

Come see us in the library, enjoy a night of Scrabble, and try out LearningExpress.
“To add a library to a house is to give that house a soul.” - Cicero

Brrrr…..it is still winter. By the time you read this, Punxsutawney Phil will have made his prediction, but no matter what the outcome, it is still COLD! In my last column, the library hours were listed incorrectly. Here are the correct hours: Monday 11:00 to 8:00; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10:30 to 6:00; Friday 10:30 to 5:00; Saturday 10:00 to 5:00. Also, it was brought to my attention that the library’s phone number is not listed in the white pages of our phone book this year. While it is listed in the City Government pages near the front of the book, it will appear next year in the white pages as well. In the meantime, our number is 724.437.1165. Remember playing board games as a child? One of the all-time favorites is Scrabble. On the third Monday of each month at 6:30, we have a Scrabble Club that meets in our upstairs meeting room to play, and we’re extending an invitation to you to come play, too. You need not call ahead – just show up. The February Scrabble meeting has been moved to February 22, the fourth Monday as we are closed the third Monday for Presidents’ Day. After that, the club meets on the third Monday of each month. We have added a new database link to our library web page called LearningExpress. This database is available to all our registered patrons and can be accessed from our web page or on the library’s computers in house. LearningExpress offers practice tests, exercises, skill-building courses and all the information you need to improve your skills in math, reading, writing and other learning areas. There are practice tests for GED exams, college admission testing, and job skills tests. It takes you from elementary school levels through college as well as job searching and help pages. If your child needs supplemental help with math, look at the courses and practice tests available for them at all age levels. To access this resource, simply click on the logo on our main web page and it will ask you to register. Your user name should be your four-digit library card number. It will ask you for a six digit number, but I’ve been assured our four will work. If it doesn’t, please let us know. Next, you are prompted to enter a password of at least six characters. Be sure you write it down so you will be able to remember it the next time you use the database. Take a look at this valuable resource and spread the word to others who could benefit from its use.

            Old North Wind and Old Man Winter have certainly been tossing us around this winter.  How bad is it when you find you’re counting the number of days you’ve seen the sun shining?
            Because of the snow and cold last week, the Friends of the Library meeting scheduled for January 11 was cancelled.  They will meet again on February 8 at 1:00 here in the library.  Anyone interested in meeting this group of dedicated Friends is invited to attend.  We meet in the meeting rooms on the second floor.
            You may have seen the publicity in the local papers about the grant we received from Rep. Tim Mahoney.  His generosity enabled us to purchase much needed administrative computers for bookkeeping, cataloging and my office work as well as assisting us with our utility bills this winter.  Unlike many Pennsylvania libraries that have had to reduce their hours of operation, Uniontown Public Library has maintained our usual schedule.  We are open Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
            I want to talk a bit about overdue books and how the whole thing works.  If you have our books, videos, DVDs, audio books, or magazines out and they come up two weeks or more overdue, a letter will be sent to you at your home address.  In that note, it will list the books you have and also the fine amount UP TO THAT DATE the letter was written.  That means that by the time you bring the books back, more fines will have accrued. 
            Overdue fines are $.15 a day for all materials, so if you have ten books out overdue, you’ll see a fine totaling $1.50 for each day those materials are overdue.  You can call us on the phone (724.437.1165) to renew your books two times.  The only books we cannot renew are rentals or books that are on reserve.
            If you try to return a book or books during hours we are closed or on a day we are not open, please place the books in the Book Return you’ll find on the outside wall on the Jefferson Street side of the building.
            As 2010 begins, I want to say a huge thank you to our Board of Directors who manage to keep us operating so successfully.  They meet once a month on the second Tuesday of the month at 4:30 here in the library.  2010 meeting dates are February 9, March 9, April 13, May 11, June 8, July 13, August 10, September 14, October 19 (the third Tuesday), November 9, and December 14.
            Come see us in the library, say thank you to Rep. Tim Mahoney for his support of the library, and return your overdue books, please.
“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.”  ~P.J. O'Rourke

We're solidly planted in the first week of 2010, and we know for certain it's winter. Some of our friends have taken off for warmer climates, but we true Pennsylvanians are in for the long haul.

What do you do to help pass the cold, winter months? Many, many folks catch up on the reading they didn't do when weather was nice and they were outside. Others save up the inside jobs for when it's cold. All summer long, my husband says, "That will be a good winter project for me.". ...don't ask. Or maybe it's a good time to begin a new hobby or learn a new skill.

If you need a book to assist you with your winter projects or hobbies, I know where you can find just about everything you need! You guessed correctly -here at the library. Our extensive collection of craft books, tons of books on home repair and projects, and more fiction and non-fiction books will keep you occupied until spring arrives. I just checked out one my mother-in-law recommended -it hasn't been out of this library in eleven years! But we have it!

Our January calendar is set on our web page. Go to www.uniontownlib.org and click on UPL Calendar to see what events are listed there and the times for each. We will be closed on Monday, January 18 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, so some events have been moved to a different Monday as a result.

Also, while you're on our web page, pause to look at all the Santa and kids photos on the home page slide show. Some are smiling, others are not so sure, but all are charming.

As a reminder to those who do not have a library card and would like to get one with us, there are some variables. If you reside within the city of Uniontown limits, you may have a library card free. If you live outside the area but within Pennsylvania and have a library card from your home library with an Access PA sticker on it, we can issue you a free card to use our library.

If you do not have a library card and live outside our area, we can issue you a card for a fee of $20 for six months or $35 for a full year and the card can be used by those in your family who reside with you. Your card includes all borrowing privileges for the Uniontown Public Library as well as use of the Internet computers.

An Internet use only card can be purchased by those living outside the city for a small fee. To get a card, bring along a photo ID with your current address on it. If your photo ID does not have your current address on it, bring in a piece of mail you've received at your current address that includes your name and the new address on it. We will ask you to fill out a registration card, then issue you a number. Your actual card will be ready a week to ten days later and can be picked up here at the library.

New Year Blessing to all. Come see us in the library, find a new hobby, and if you don't have one, get a library card.
"There's nothing to match curling up with a good book when there's a repair job to be done around the house." -~ Joe Ryan
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