Between the Stacks: 4/17/2024

Next Thursday, April 25th, the Holocaust book discussion group will meet. It seems impossible that a year ago today, I traveled to Los Angeles with a dedicated team of teens and adults to visit the Holocaust Museum in LA. We were privileged to attend the birthday party of a 99-year-old survivor named Renee Firestone, who survived Auschwitz. She was gracious in answering questions, sharing her experiences, and showing the tattoo that marked her for the rest of her life. This year, she turns 100, a milestone for anyone. I was saddened to hear that in October of 2023, her home was vandalized with antisemitic messages. I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes by Winston Churchill when he said, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

On a lighter note, I am off to the Montana Library Association Conference this week. I am thrilled it is in Butte so my staff may take turns attending the various sessions. Please be patient with those here; they will not have as much help as usual. Our volunteers are stepping up to help cover the open hours, along with staff, so everything should run smoothly. There will be no programming on Friday, April 19th, but the rest of the week will function normally.

We are preparing for Summer Reading this week. The programs are almost all booked, the logo has been designed, prizes are being ordered, and the staff is excited about our theme, “One World, Millions of Stories.” We will look at international crafts, folktales, adventures, and speakers. Summer Feeding will also start on our first day of Summer Reading, June 10th. We are starting later as the school will not be out until June. More information and calendars will be provided later this month, so watch for the latest news.

History Book Club will meet at 5 PM on April 29th, the same day the county Library Board meets in Whitehall. Our regular meeting was during the week of MLA, and I couldn’t even be in two places at once! The public is always invited to attend our Board meetings, both the county's and the Friends.

Thank you to everyone who donated plastic bags to us. We use them for many things, including protecting our materials during inclement weather. It is amazing how many we go through in a day, even when the weather is nice. Our children often come to check out books on their bicycles and then need bags to get them home. Thank you again!