See you @ the Book Fair!

Join us on Saturday, December 6th at the Orland Park BARNES and NOBLE book store for our library fundraiser! Mention Homer Library when you check out at ANY Barnes and Noble store (not just the Orland location) and the library will receive a percentage of the sale. These funds will allow more new book and audio purchases for you!

FREE GIFT WRAP & PROGRAMS
Back by popular demand Homer Librarians will be on hand to gift wrap your store purchases. The library has also arranged a variety of interesting programming. We welcome the Stage Door Dance Academy, artist illustrator Jeff Ebbeler, and have many exciting activities for the kids. Take a chance on a free raffle basket, too!

We expect a fun day for everyone. Visit us at Barnes and Noble on Saturday, plan on purchasing some great holiday reading gifts, and help support the Homer Township Public Library at the same time. I hope to see you there!

Strengthen Your Library Image with Community Involvement

Connections matter. When I first came on as Director of the Homer Township Public Library I immediately noticed an opportunity. The library had connections with the local schools but did not have strong connections with other community agencies. In my experience if library leaders are not "at the table" many community leaders do not take notice of the library, except peripherally. Without putting ourselves out there and telling our story the library is often not seen as a significant community "player." The vibrancy of our services and value to the community is often not front and center unless we make it known.

Get Involved!
So I joined the Homer Township Chamber of Commerce and made many new connections, partnerships and friends. I was elected to the Chamber of Commerce board (and served for seven years). I wrote an LSTA grant which created a Chamber/Library partnership. Librarians gave presentations at several Chamber Business Luncheons to demonstrate what support we provide to the business members and community at large. I was elected President of the Homer Chamber of Commerce in 2005. A crowning moment was when Homer Library received the Chamber's Business of the Year Award in 2006.

Connections matter. Currently I sit on two other community boards including the Lions Club and the Homer Glen Community and Nature Center Foundation. I served on the Parent/Teacher Organization as Vice President for several years. Grant writing for the Village of Homer Glen led to my service on the Village's Green Community Committee. The Library is now included in quarterly Intergovernmental Planning Commission meetings for both Homer Glen and Lockport. Homer Library is better known - and understood - because of these connections. Our library message and importance to the Homer Community has been strengthened and enriched.

I was honored this month at the Homer Township Chamber of Commerce's 20th Anniversary Event for my leadership and community involvement in service as a trustee. It was a proud moment witnessed by 120 business members and local officials.

Strengthen Your Image
Make the connections to strengthen your library's visibility. Be a voice. Extol your increasing use (more than 600 visitors daily!) or point out your newest services (Polish Story time!). It is up to us as librarians to ensure that our residents, including community leaders, understand what a library is today.

Homer Library - with 30+ employees and a 1.6 million dollar budget - operates like a business and I often point that out. That includes using "best practices" for employing different types of public relations (print, blogs, e-news, and face-to-face communications) to spotlight the library. Many people still have that image of the "little local library" but in truth we are a dynamic and vital community center of activity. Highlight the library at every opportunity and tell your story. Showcase your services with photos to demonstrate this, too.

We need our communities to realize today how essential libraries are in supporting residents at every stage in their lives. We need to encourage both residents and community leaders to become library advocates and - even more so - library champions. Break those library stereotypes we still experience; challenge yourself to get involved with other agencies to be both seen and heard. It will make a true difference.

Food for Fines in November @ Homer Library

Overdues? Fines on your account? All will be forgiven in the month of November with the Library's Food for Fines Month. Bring in a non-perishable food item to be donated to local food bank Lockport FISH Pantry during the month of November.

Your book fines or overdues will be erased and the community food bank will benefit. This is a great opportunity to return long overdue items, a wonderful way to get books back on the shelves for other readers to use, and a true "neighbor helping neighbor" food bank initiative. Everyone wins!

Statistics-
In 2007 we donated 900 food items and saved our customers approximately $900 in fines
2008 - to date statistics show that library customers have brought in several hundred items and we anticipate more. We hope to match last year's efforts!

Young Adult Committee
Staff Member Julie H. is coordinating this year's drive with the library's Young Adult Club (YAC) members. They will be organizing the delivery of food items to the Lockport FISH Pantry, which is a Northern Illinois Food Bank Partner Agency. Pictures are posted on the library photo site here.

Periodically we offer incentives to our customers to encourage the return of library items and assist the community. This Food For Fines program is one way you can help out those less fortunate and save some money at the same time. Community work and involvement say much about us. Take a moment to give thanks for the blessings in your life and then please bring a donation to the library to help us assist others. We thank you!

New: Polish Story Time!

Once upon a time...I was a Youth Services (YS) Director. Back then a large part of my day involved programming, including Story Hour and a variety of creative activities.

I no longer work in YS but the core elements that entice and excite our youngest library users remain. The Homer Library Youth Services Staff have supersized traditional programs - adding jazzy titles and bringing in new activities and focus on board. "Story hour" is called a variety of things now and has really been expanded along with other youth programs in a most creative manner. For example, we offer:

• Wiggles 'n Giggles



• Story Time



• Stories in the Park



• Pajama Time



• Polish Story Time - brand new this Fall! We are pleased to offer this newest program with stories, a craft, and fingerplays in the Polish Language. Story time elements can help children develop their listening skills and prepare them for more structured learning activities. They are a wonderful and fun way to encourage reading and participation by our earliest learners and to instill that the library is a great destination!
  
  Visit our website to see the Fall newsletter, which details many of our great programs and services.

Power to the Librarians!

The Illinois Library Association (ILA) annual conference is always an excellent opportunity for both learning and networking with fellow colleagues. Sessions deal with a variety of issues libraries are facing. I find great value in attending and bring back new ideas (and energy!) to continue to serve my community well. See conference pictures here.

Pictured left: Anne Craig, Director of Illinois State Library and Sheree Kozel-La Ha, Homer Library Director (with grant award).

Grant Award
It was an honor to be recognized for our newest LSTA grant award Destination Station: A Learning R/evolution @ Homer Library. This award will fund new computers, software, and training for the community we serve. Grant awards offer an excellent opportunity (& needed funding!) to expand the ways we reach our community of users and to do some really neat things at the library. Homer Library will become a destination for the use of technology and tools that support the needs of the community - at every age and stage in a person's life. This includes the library helping customers process information and transitioning into a "learning center" or destination, not just an information center. We are convinced the Destination Station: a Learning R/evolution @ Homer Library project will enrich the community and that you will find more value than ever at Homer Library!

Fashion First!
Creativity was certainly on display at the Illinois Library Association Conference "Style from the Stacks" event. And what a fun event, where library "designers" used index cards, multimedia items, book bags, posters, and more to showcase fashion for trendy librarians! Fashion event pictures are posted here. I love being a librarian and salute my fellow library colleagues for such a creative effort.

Pictured right: a dress designed using paperback romance novel covers and book pages...tres elegant!

Relationships

Positive Connections Matter
We welcome home Sgt. Brent Annen from his second tour in Iraq. He is the husband of our Adult Services Director, Alexandra Tyle-Annen. And we bid farewell to long-time employee Mary Woolley who retired from her position in Outreach Services.

We nurture relationships - with our family, friends, colleagues, and with our customers. They are important. When welcoming new employees or recognizing the dedication of ones that leave I find myself continually noting the *family* we have created among our staff and acknowledging how it comes back to the relationships we initiate and foster, at every stage in our lives. Whether bidding farewell to a retiree or teen employee now leaving for college or welcoming new staff, customers, or friends coming home - making positive connections matter.

Known for our personal and friendly service, Homer Library has mostly long-time staff. I think this says something very good about our library. With proactive management and supportive trustees we have created a wonderful *team* who enjoy their jobs, look forward to assisting customers, and has great synergy with fellow colleagues and community members. There is a saying, "walk in our door and you are a friend" and that is true at Homer Library.

Changes
Change has led to wonderful growth at Homer Library. You will see expanded services and additions this coming year as we use grant awards, sponsorships, and Friends funding to develop a new *teen scene* nook, wii area, add or update computers, and begin our newest collection of DVD movies. We're listening to our users - that's you - and building more relationships, so you will find even more value @ your library this year.

Your Support is Needed
Please note that our space issues have not changed - we need a new building and the funding to support it soon. We are tax-capped and have lost more than one million dollars in funding over the past ten years. The library is tight in space for people and books, there are parking limitations, etc. So yes, at a future point in time we must address a referendum question. That is a certainty. And with your support we will continue to provide the best for you and the fast-growing Homer community.

p.s. Your donation of any DVD to help build the new movie collection will be greatly appreciated!

Homer Glen Olympian Brad Guzan

U.S. Soccer Team member from our 'burb!
Olympian Brad Guzan, goalie for the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team, is from Homer Glen. Our local newspaper, the Homer Horizon, featured Brad in an article here. We congratulate Brad & the U.S Soccer Team on winning their first game against Japan 1-0. What an exciting moment that must have been!

Olympian Behind the Scenes Insight
Brad is blogging throughout the Summer Games in China from a behind the scenes perspective. Check it out here. It is quite interesting to read and offers nuances that you would typically not receive from regular news stories. That is the wonderful thing about personal blogging and I am excited to share this Olympian's blog information.

Go Brad! Go U.S. Athletes....we are proud of all of you!

Book Sale Days!

Our first annual book sale is this week!

When:
Friday, August 15 - 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 16 - 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Where:
Homer Township Public Library, 14320 West 151st Street, Homer Glen

Library teens and staff are dedicating countless hours to sorting and organizing materials donated to the library. We have a wonderful selection of fiction and non-fiction reading for all ages. Visit the library and snap up a wide variety of great books during our sale days!
Pictured right: teen volunteer sorting donations.

Hope to see you there!

Are U a Friend of the Library?

Join the Friends of the Library
A strong library is essential to the health and growth of the community. We need you!

The Friends of the Homer Township Library (FOHTL) group offers you an opportunity to join an association of people interested in books and libraries. You can make a positive difference and enjoy meeting people with similar interests.

Through the Friends group you can volunteer, sponsor events, raise funds for equipment and programs that are beyond the library's budget, increase community awareness of the library, solicit funding for programs and events, and generally help foster a love of reading and library use to everyone. It shows you care about the library. And we need that caring.

A non-profit, volunteer organization, FOHTL is supported primarily by dues ($5 individual / $7 family) and contributions from from sponsors or events, such as book sales, etc. Our Friends group is seeking new members. Your contribution is key and you can have a wonderful impact in your hometown!

Benefits for You - JOIN US!
~Enjoy meeting and networking with fellow library advocates.
~Help the library continue to provide the best for Homer residents.
~Help fund programs, equipment, and events that support life-long learners.
~Gain satisfaction that your work benefits all ages in our essential community center.

Rewards for Being a Friend:
--"Library Friend" sticker on your library card
--Monthly raffles provided by the Friends Group
--$5 in "Library Bucks" which can be used for book sales and classes
--Free back issues of magazines

Join the Friends of the Homer Township Public Library District today. Simply pick up an application at the circulation desk or on the web here. Call us if you have questions at 708-301-7908. We'd love to have you as a Friend!

Thank You Community & Sponsors

25th Anniversary...
A Successful Event!

State Representative Renee Kosel, Mayor Daley, Library Trustees, Local Dignitaries, the LTHS ROTC Color Guard, and our many wonderful library supporters and customers attended Homer Library's 25th Anniversary Festival of Culture Event held June 7th. View the many pictures being posted on the library's flickr photo site here. With more than 1,500 attendees the day-long event was busy and fun. Strolling mariachi bands, a variety of diverse entertainment, children's ethnic crafts, and a sampling of food from around the world at eight food stations was enjoyed by all.

All attendees received our most cool "going green" recyclable, washable, and reusable book bag. Our time capsule items are on view for you to see in our display case. And check out 25 Things You Didn't Know About Homer Library and our Library Staff's Top 25 Book Recommendations.

Many local businesses and organizations donated raffle prizes and funds that assisted us in presenting a most successful day. We thank our many supporters and sponsors who are listed on the Homer Library's web site here. We also thank the Will County Sheriff for their assistance in keeping our parking situation under control and above all safe for all visitors.

Exceptional Service for You @ Homer Township Public Library!
My appreciation extends to my WONDERFUL STAFF and the COMMITTEE members who all worked so hard over these past several months to coordinate this event, down to the last exceptional detail! I am blessed to have such a dedicated and visionary team, and that includes our library trustees who are such a support to all of us. What a wonderful day. I know the memory of this team effort will last forever. I raise a toast to the next 25 years of excellence in library service to our Homer Community.

The Festival of Culture event was partially funded through an LSTA grant titled: Character Counts: Bringing Ethics, Culture and Diversity Together. Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library (ISL), a Division of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), under the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

pictured right: Sheree Kozel-La Ha, Library Director with Sara McCambridge, Assistant Director
pictured left: Ed, O'Brien, Board President with LTHS ROTC Honor Guard

We've Reached a Milestone - 25 Years!

Homer Library celebrates a key milestone - 25 years of excellence in service this year. We are so proud and pleased to make a difference and to serve you, our customers, well. You are the heart of all that we do!

We are running the most excellent LSTA grant called Character Counts: Bringing Ethics, Diversity and Culture Together. Funded in the amount of $100,000 this award has allowed us to creatively partner with nine schools, two senior villages, and many local businesses. New materials, quality programs, and innovative partnerships all embrace diversity and foster more positive relationships within our community. We have built on many alliances with this grant project to continue to offer the best to you. We will be celebrating the community's diversity at our upcoming 25th Anniversary Event.

FESTIVAL of CULTURES
Join us on June 7th, as we celebrate with a wonderful 25th Anniversary Festival of Culture day. A commemorative program begins the day's festivities at 10 am. We will have a variety of food to sample, diverse entertainment, and outstanding performers to celebrate the diversity within our community. All guests will receive our special "passport to adventure" that entitles you to receive our new "go green" re-usable and recyclable library book bag.

Enjoy an outstanding day with your entire family.
Come and have a blast!

Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library (ISL), a Division of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), under the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

Celebrating a wonderful library!

As we celebrate our 25th Anniversary, we honor what has been accomplished and look forward to leading our library in continued excellence in services for our ever growing community. I have been with the library as Director for eight years now, and we have seen continued expansion of services and many, many key changes. Celebrate a wonderful library and excellent staff. A key goal of ours continues:

More for you than ever @ Homer Library!

Celebrate Earth Hour & Make a Difference

Get involved! We are joining the Village of Homer Glen in support of LIGHTS OUT AMERICA - "EARTH HOUR"

This initiative urges that we turn off non-essential lighting on March 29, from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. and join the nationwide energy conservation event. Signs and information has been posted and the library outdoor and select interior signage will be dark. Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.

Directly from the Earth Hour site:
"On March 31 2007, for one hour, Sydney made a powerful statement about the greatest contributor to global warming - coal-fired electricity - by turning off its lights. Over 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 2,100 businesses switched off, leading to a 10.2% energy reduction across the city. What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the attention of the world.

In 2008, 24 global cities will participate in Earth Hour at 8:00 p.m. on March 29. Earth Hour is the highlight of a major campaign to encourage businesses, communities and individuals to take the simple steps needed to cut their emissions on an ongoing basis. It is about simple changes that will collectively make a difference - from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby."

It's so Simple!
15,773 business/individuals have signed up. At work, at home, we can all do our part.

Joining the Earth Hour initiative and turning the lights off for Earth Hour is a great first step. Take a second step and to really see a difference, make Earth Hour part of your everyday life. Recommend to your family and friends some simple changes to turn off appliances while not in use, switch light globes to energy efficient bulbs, and help the goal of reducing our annual emissions by 5%. Turn out lights when you're not in a room and investigate switching to "green power" cleaner sources of electricity.

Do it for our children. We/You/I can make a difference! Our library will be offering reusable, washable and recyclable book bags, and have put into use paper recycling bins. Homer Library can help you get further information about "going green" and living a different way to reduce global warming. Won't you join us?

What is Your Library Worth to You?

We save you money. That is a fact. To demonstrate this we provide an interactive chart (posted on the library web site) that shows how much you would pay out-of-pocket for library services. It is simple to use; just plug in your monthly usage of books, magazines, recorded books, computer use, etc. in the left hand column (even the Brookfield Zoo pass is listed!) and the estimated retail value of each item will be calculated on the right. The total value of your library use will be calculated and shown at the bottom of the chart. The values are estimates and averages which reflect 2008 costs. For example, we used the midpoint between hardcover and paperback books from a typical bookstore to determine the value listed.

We Save You Money!
I mentioned it above and will say it again: use your library, save your dollars, and benefit from all that is available to you. The library serves as a convenient community center and we save you a ton of money!

Read a magazine or newspaper at the library and save some money by ending your subscriptions. Check out books instead of buying them. If we don't immediately have what you ask for, we are happy to order books, including audio, CD's, and DVD's. Make 2008 the year you benefit from your public library. Make Homer Library Your GO TO Place in 2008.

You are why we exist and we are here for you!

Quick Fact
Did you know that Homer Library has never had a tax rate increase in its 25-year history? We represent approximately 1% of your tax bill. The tax cap continues to erode our current rate and Homer Library has lost more than $1.2 million dollars over the past ten years due to this loss. We pursue grants and sponsorships to help supplement the budget and to continue to provide the best in services to our community.

Celebrating "Miss Kitty" and 25 Years of Excellence

I enjoy the people I work with. Their enthusiasm keeps me energized and intrigued by the many wonderful ideas they bring forward from listening at meetings, visiting other libraries, networking with colleagues, and brainstorming with fellow staff. These evolve into new programs and collections that continually benefit the Homer community. We have an exceptional staff that simply, "gets it!" Known far and wide for our personalized and courteous service, Homer Library is a wonderful place to work and visit.

Recognizing a Special Staff Member
We have staff who have served our community for many, many years. This year we honor Ms. Kathryn Mitchell, or Miss Kitty (pictured left with the library director), as she is known to our customers and their children. Kitty is our Youth Services Director and has been with the Homer Library for 25 years. Her skill and reputation is amazing. Children who participated in programs are now grown and bring in their children to enjoy the library and specifically to see "Miss Kitty." Her expertise is well-known and she serves on several state and local committees. She has created and implemented programs that promote a love of literature and instill positive feelings about libraries. Quite simply, Kitty has made an outstanding contribution in library services to young people.

And the stories she can tell! This growing library, which sees 600+ visitors each day and is open seven days a week, started in a school classroom with very limited hours. Two staff members ran the whole show and Miss Kitty was one of them. She wore many hats, did it all, and was an integral part of the many changes over the years. Kitty "grew" our Youth Services Department into the extraordinary, active, fun, educational, and interactive center that is so popular today! It's exciting to realize that a one-room starter library with a mere 200 books has evolved into the vibrant community center with a collection of 137,000 items and programs of all kinds.

Youth Services Rocks!
Kitty's department initiated an active collaboration and partnerships with local schools and organizations to support reading clubs, homework assistance, and expanded programs to youth and teens. Under Kitty's excellent direction the library's youth staff are committed to promoting a lifelong love of reading and books. In 2007 they conducted 224 preschool story hours, hosted 37 kindergarten and first grade field trips for 925 children and book talked to more than 900 children. I am in awe of her upbeat and energetic "can do" attitude. It is an honor to work with her and I hope to do so for many years to come!

Thank you, Miss Kitty!
Your special personality and dedication to our library and Homer children shows in everything you touch and bring forward. We honor you, celebrate your many achievements, and simply appreciate you more than we can say. I urge everyone to visit the library today to congratulate Miss Kitty on her 25th year of service at the Homer Township Public Library!

p.s. Please don't even think about retiring!

Happy New Year,
Sheree Kozel-La Ha