Gail Borden Public Library notes
The Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin, offers a variety of programs in November. For details, call (847) 742-2411 or visit www.gailborden.info.
Middle School Book Club: Do you love to read? Would you like to meet other like-minded middle school teens in seventh and eighth grade?
They will be discussing three books at the December meeting -- "Define Normal" by JulieAnne Peters, "Code Talker" by Joseph Bruchac and "The Bully," part of the Bluford series, by Paul Langan.
Read one or all three for the meeting from 4 to 5 p.m. today. They will have a fun discussion and make an art project that ties in with one of the books. Ask your reading teacher about extra credit for attending this event. Home-schooled students are welcome. Registration has begun.
Contemporary Fiction Book Group: This group focuses on fiction published within the last 20 years. The next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 19 in the second floor conference room.
They will discuss "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk, in which a poet visits Kars, a small Turkish town where Western ideas and radical Islam collide.
Schedules of upcoming discussions are available in Adult Services. For information, call Tish at (847) 429-4683.
"A Tapestry of Freedom" Project: A grant recently awarded to Gail Borden Public Library will bring a myriad of programs focusing on freedom to Elgin including a traveling exhibit, "Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln's Journey to Emancipation," on display at the library April 20 to May 30, 2008.
Other exciting elements of "A Tapestry of Freedom" will include a replica miniature log cabin, author appearances, displays, hands-on activities and digital storytelling.
The library received a $63,830 LINCC: Libraries Innovate, Create and Collaborate Library Service and Technology Act Grant at the Illinois State Library on Oct. 17 to develop "A Tapestry of Freedom."
The project will spotlight the faces, feelings and histories of freedom as well as heighten understanding of the local area's historic role.
Bilingual materials developed for all age levels will appeal to Elgin's diverse community. In cooperation with educators, the library will create a Web page with downloadable teacher materials, student links and resources.
Primary project objectives are to promote harmony, respect and unity among diverse ethnic, socioeconomic and generations through storytelling, educational programs and working together as volunteers.
"A Tapestry of Freedom" is a four-month-long endeavor encompassing Black History Festival (February), Women's History (March), Cultural Diversity (April), Preservation Month (May), culminating with the National Endowment for the Humanities/American Library Association traveling exhibit "Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln's Journey to Emancipation," which the library is scheduled to host from April 20 to May 30.
"This project is specially designed for community participation," said Miriam Lytle, project grant writer and coordinator. Partners include the Elgin Human Relations Commission, Elgin Academy, the Elgin Area Historical Museum and Society, Elgin Community College Continuing Education, the Library of Congress Veterans History Project and local interest groups such as LINKS, a black women's organization devoted to education and justice; League of United Latin American Citizens; the Veterans Memorial Committee; and St. James Parish.
If you have historic artifacts for display or are interested in getting involved, contact Miriam Lytle at (847) 608-5027 or mlytle@gailborden.info.
If you are a combat veteran of World War II or the Korean War, call Sara Sabo at (847) 429-5984.
New collection of illustrated fiction: If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, primary grade kids are now in luck.
The library's Illustrated Fiction collection in the Youth Center features short books with lots of illustrations. These books are aimed at kids who have outgrown the Early Learning Center and found their way to this new collection because of the length of the text and the interest level of the topic.
Don't worry, though, they are short enough to read in one sitting, so be sure to browse here when looking for shared bedtime reading. All genres and a range of illustration styles are included in this eclectic bunch. Many are based in actual historical time periods or drawn from true events, so if you'd like to enrich your child's exposure to an era or event from the past, please ask for help in locating just the right book.
Volunteens: Volunteens are student volunteers in seventh to 10th grade in the Gail Borden Public Library Youth Center.
They work one hour per week and do a variety of tasks such as using the laminator and die-cut machines. Sessions fill up quickly, so plan ahead if you need to complete a required number of hours.
The next session begins the week of Jan. 14. Students have three time slots to choose from: 4 to 5 p.m. Mondays, 7 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, and 2 to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Register online at www.gailborden.info/teen/volunteen_app.htm or in the Youth Center. For information, call Judy Hayner at (847) 608-5010.