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

Imagine More @ Your Library

Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence in Services to a growing community

Public libraries have evolved dramatically over the years. As we celebrate our 25th year of service we encourage you to ASK @ Your Library for what you need to enhance our value to you. Homer Library continues to strive to be user-centered and stay essential and meaningful to you. This means encouraging your participation and dialogue, reaching out to new users in new ways, and creating community. Your communication will ensure that we are on track with our goal to be a vital and convenient community center. As our management team and trustees undertakes long range planning we continue to ask: What do you want to see here? How can we make the library a destination point for you? How can we assist you better in the area of remote access? What programs, collections, services, etc. would you and your family benefit from? Help keep the user at the heart of library services - community conversation is essential for this to happen.

ASK @ Your Library
More than ever the library continues to be a gathering place and a safe haven where information can be accessed by every person in our community. Our commitment continues to provide the opportunities that enrich the quality of your life with educational programs, inspirational materials, entertainment, information and essential services. We urge you in 2008 to take advantage of everything we have to offer @ the Homer Township Public Library!

We'll see you at the Library!