MPL Director's Blog

2011 Summer Reading Program

2011-06-09T10:12:00.001-07:00

Are you ready to read? Starting on July 8th, it’s time again for the Meyersdale Public Library summer reading program. The program runs through August 12th and is completely free. All ages are welcome to participate! Here’s the scoop:

Adult program
Each book you read entitles you to a raffle ticket for the weekly drawing. The more books you read, the more entries you get! A total of five prizes can be won. No registration is necessary- just stop by the circulation desk to pick up your entry forms.

Teen program
For every 100 pages read you get a raffle ticket for the weekly drawing. The more pages you read the more entries you get! Read 800 pages or more by the end of the program and you will win entry to the Murder Mystery game on Friday, August 12th at 7pm (includes snacks and prizes). Please register at the circulation desk and pick up your reading log.

Children program
Join us every Friday morning from 10am-noon for crafts, activities, and prizes. A lunch and piñata party will take place on the last Friday of the program. Please register at the circulation desk before June 30th.

National Library Week

2011-04-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

April 11-16th marks the 2011 National Library Week. To celebrate we are having games, programs, and lots of prizes! Here are some of the week's happenings:

Week long events:

Bring in all your overdue books and your fines will be waived!!

A jelly bean guessing game. You have all week to try to guess how many jelly beans are in the jar before you submit your guess. The winner gets to keep the jelly beans and the jar.

A bookmark design contest. Pick up the entry form at the circulation desk to design your own bookmark. Turn in by 5pm on Saturday the 16th so the staff can vote on their favorite. Prizes for the age groups are:

Ages 3-5- Crayola Ultimate Art Supplies

Ages 6-9- Doodle Backpack

Ages 10-13- Aggravation board game

Ages 14-18- $10 Wal-Mart gift card and a free pick from the library book sale

Ages 19 and up- $10 Wal-Mart gift card and a free pick from the library book sale

Daily Activities

Monday, April 11th:

Start of the Jelly Bean Guessing game

Start of the Design a Bookmark contest

A display of the staff’s favorite books for patrons to view and check out

Tuesday, April 12th:

A Library Mystery. Pick up the clues and instructions at the circulation desk and turn the answer the same day to be entered into a raffle to win a gift certificate for Albright's. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, April 13th.

Wednesday, April 13th:

6-7:30 PM: The Somerset County Early Learning Advisory Group will be hosting a children’s program to promote the Week of the Young Child as part of the Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child initiative. Stop by to hear a story and participate in some FREE activities and games and to win some prizes.

Thurday, April 14th:

A Library Scavenger Hunt. Pick up the instructions at the circulation desk and turn it in the same day to be entered into a raffle to win a gift certificate for Albrights. The winner will be announced on Friday, April 15th.

Friday, April 15th:

10 AM: Easter Preschool Story Hour

Saturday, April 16th:

2-4 PM: Wii Sports event: Library Director vs. Meyersdale. Two Cadbury Assortment Eggs will be raffled off to those who participate.

And of course a big thank you goes out to Albright’s for their generous gift certificate donations.

Hope to see you there!

First Day

2011-03-14T13:21:00.001-07:00

Hi,

My name is Amy Hanley, and today is my first day as the new director of the Meyersdale Public Library. I just wanted to briefly say hello. I am looking forward to working here and getting to know everyone in the community. Please stop by for a visit! I look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,

Amy

Death by Chocolate!!!

2011-02-03T06:18:00.000-08:00

Help Support the library by

bidding on delectable chocolate delights at the Auction at Amity Church on Feb. 11 at 7 p.m.

or by buying

goodies at the bake sale being held at the library Feb. 11 & 12.

Show your neighbors your hidden passion for chocolate by entering a creation of your own to be judged and sold for auction!

Goodbye and Thanks!

2011-02-03T06:11:00.000-08:00

This Saturday I will be moving to Louisville, KY to start work as a medical librarian for the University Hospital at the University of Louisville. It is with mixed feelings that I leave my position as director at the Meyersdale Public Library. I am looking forward to working in the medical discipline but I have loved my time here in Meyersdale.

I could not have asked for a better staff, board, or community to work with. It has been a pleasure! Thank you to all who have supported the library in any way. Please continue to do so in the future. A new director will be taking over the first part of March. Amy Hanley is a talented, engaging, and experienced librarian. She and her young family will bring new energy to the community. Please welcome with open arms. Make her feel as valued as you made me feel.

All my best to everyone. Please know that the library staff and board are capable and willing to help you with your information needs during

Friends of the Library February Selection

2011-01-27T11:43:00.000-08:00

The Friends of the Library will be discussing the book South of Broad by Pat Conroy on February 18th at the Meyersdale Public Library.

Publisher's Weekly has the following to say about Conroy's latest novel:

"Charleston, S.C., gossip columnist Leopold Bloom King narrates a paean to his hometown and friends in Conroy's first novel in 14 years. In the late '60s and after his brother commits suicide, then 18-year-old Leo befriends a cross-section of the city's inhabitants: scions of Charleston aristocracy; Appalachian orphans; a black football coach's son; and an astonishingly beautiful pair of twins, Sheba and Trevor Poe, who are evading their psychotic father. The story alternates between 1969, the glorious year Leo's coterie stormed Charleston's social, sexual and racial barricades, and 1989, when Sheba, now a movie star, enlists them to find her missing gay brother in AIDS-ravaged San Francisco. Too often the not-so-witty repartee and the narrator's awed voice (he is very fond of superlatives) overwhelm the stories surrounding the group's love affairs and their struggles to protect one another from dangerous pasts. Some characters are tragically lost to the riptides of love and obsession, while others emerge from the frothy waters of sentimentality and nostalgia as exhausted as most readers are likely to be. Fans of Conroy's florid prose and earnest melodramas are in for a treat."

Library Closed Today-Jan. 12 2011

2011-01-12T04:28:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2010-12-29T07:54:00.000-08:00

The staff and board of the Meyersdale Public Library wish you a very Happy New Year!
The New Year Holiday hours are as follows:

Closing at 3 p.m. Friday Dec. 31st
Closed Saturday Jan. 1st

Will reopen Monday Jan. 3rd, 2011!!

What the Heck is Boolean Searching?

2010-12-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a useful, creative video that will help you understand how using the Boolean method of searching databases will aid in delivering the best possible results.

Who Said Librarians Don't Know How to Have Fun!!

2010-12-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

Snow Closing

2010-12-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

Due to the inclement weather, the library will be closing today (Dec. 6th) at 4 p.m.

The general snow policy of the library is that when area schools are closed, the library will close. We will try to the best of our ability to make this information known through this blog, twitter, Facebook and the WJAC television station. If you have any question about whether the library will be open or not on a snowy day, please call ahead at 634-0512,

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2010-12-02T09:31:00.000-08:00

While the cold weather may be keeping us indoors we can make warm holiday memories by spending time with our families and friends. The following link offers great holiday craft and activity ideas from Family Fun Magazine:

http://familyfun.go.com/

If you feel like snuggling up with a good book but don't want to leave the comfort of your home, download ebooks and audiobooks from NetLibrary and/or Overdrive services located through our webpage at www.meyersdalelibrary.com. If holding an old-fashioned book is what you desire, the following titles in our collection might be of interest to you!

Fiction

I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flag
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (Director's Favorite)
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
Safe Haven by Nicolas Sparks
An Amish Christmas by Cynthia Keller
In the Company of Others by Jan Karon
Critical by Robin Cook
Holiday Yarn by Sally Goldenbaum
Don't Blink by James Patterson
A Plain and Simple Christmas by Amy Clipston
Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans

Non-Fiction

Obama's Wars by Bob Woodward
The Great Explorers edited by Robin Hanbury-Tenison
Give Me Tomorrow: The Epic Story of A Legendary Marine Unit in Korea by Patrick K. O"Donnell
Please Stop Laughing at Me by Jodee Blanco
My Nest Isn't Empty: It Just Has More Closet Space by Lisa Scottoline
The Kennedy Detail: JFK's Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence by Gerald Blaine, Lisa McCubbin, Foreward by Clint Hill
Decision Points by George W. Bush
Spoken From the Heart by Laura Bush
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

Children's Books

My Mommy Hung the Moon by Jamie Lee Curtis
It's Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel by Jamie Lee Curtis
Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman
Art and Max by David Wiesner
Hide! by Jeff Foxworthy
Big Nate Strikes Again by Lincoln Peirce
Ten on a Sled by Kim Norman
Ivy and Bean: Doomed to Dance by Annie Barrows
Llama, Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney

The library has numerous cookbooks to help you make the perfect meal or create the sweetest treats. Please let us know how we can help make this holiday season one of the best yet!

"Wine at the Mansion" a Success!!

2010-11-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

The Meyersdale Public Library's first annual wine-tasting and silent auction fundraiser was a huge success! Many thanks go out to Jan and Mike for making the Deal Mansion Bed& Breakfast available for the afternoon. The beautiful building added just the right ambiance to the event. Jan and Mike also provided a delicious array of gourmet cheeses as well as the door prize of a one-night stay at the mansion.

Professional sommelier, Kristine Keller, added her expertise by explaining the unique qualities of a variety of wines; two of which were local products donated by Wayne Miller and Ron Irwin. A bottle of each wine presented for tasting was sold through silent bidding.

Of course, the Friends of the Library Group must take the majority of the credit for putting together a fundraiser that was enjoyable to so many. It is the hard work of this dedicated group that helps keep the Meyersdale Library functioning. I am, as always, grateful to have such creative and dedicated people to work with.

The decorated Christmas Trees donated by local businesses were a hit! Seven lucky bidders took home trees provided by: Thomas Drug Store, Clapper's Building Materials, Citizen's National Bank, 219 Java Cafe, Forever Flowers, Country Bouquet, and the Friends of the Library Group.

Thank you to all who participated and contributed financially to "Wine at the Mansion." The money raised will be used to keep operations going in 2011. This is vitally important in that state-funding for libraries has been decreasing consistently over the past few years. Ironically, library usage has increased as individuals and families utilize library services to offset increasing costs in their homes.

Community support, in all its forms, keeps the Meyersdale Public Library viable and an organization of high repute. That being said, the future is financially shaky and it should never be forgotten that one of the characteristics of a successful community is the presence of a public library.

funny library commercial - See what adventures you can discover in your library!

2010-10-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Christmas Tree Silent Auction to Benefit Library

2010-10-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Christmas trees decorated by local businesses are on display in the former Murphy building until November 4th. Community members may place silent bids for one, or all of the trees at the Meyersdale Public Library. This is a wonderful opportunity to support your library while at the same time taking home an already beautifully decorated tree to adorn your home this holiday season. The bidding will continue at the Wine at the Mansion fund-raising event to be held November 6th at 4 p.m. The highest bid winners will be announced that evening. It is not necessary to attend the wine-tasting event to bid on a tree. Time is going by quickly so take a few moments to swing downtown and choose your favorite tree!! The trees were donated by the following businesses: Thomas Drug Store, Citizen's National Bank, Forever Flowers, Meyersdale Country Bouquet, 219 Java Cafe, Clapper's Building Materials, and the Friends of the Library Group.

Friends of the Library Book Club

2010-10-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

The Friends of the Library Book Club will meet November 17^th at 7 p.m. at the Meyersdale Public Library to discuss the book Little Bee by Chris Cleave.

Mari Malcolm of Amazon.com Review states, “The publishers of Chris Cleave's novel "don't want to spoil" the story by revealing too much about it, and there's good reason not to tell too much about the plot's pivot point. All you should know going in to Little Bee is that what happens on the beach is brutal, and that it braids the fates of a 16-year-old Nigerian orphan (who calls herself Little Bee) and a well-off British couple--journalists trying to repair their strained marriage with a free holiday--who should have stayed behind their resort's walls. The tide of that event carries Little Bee back to their world, which she claims she couldn't explain to the girls from her village because they'd have no context for its abundance and calm. But she shows us the infinite rifts in a globalized world, where any distance can be crossed in a day--with the right papers--and "no one likes each other, but everyone likes U2." Where you have to give up the safety you'd assumed as your birthright if you decide to save the girl gazing at you through razor wire, left to the wolves of a failing state.”

Copies of Little Bee are available at the library. Join what is sure to be an interesting discussion about the moral and ethical questions Cleave poses in this well-received novel.

Wine at the Mansion

2010-10-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

November 6th
4 to 6 p.m.

The Friends of the Library invite you to attend

Wine at the Mansion!

Levi Deal Mansion

Wine-tasting

Wine & Christmas Tree Silent Auction

Purchase tickets at the Library

$25 per ticket

Proceeds benefit the

Meyersdale Public Library

Autumn at the Library!

2010-10-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
~George Eliot

The leaves have changed and there is a crispness in the air. Friday night high-school football games bring back memories and cement community spirit. Days become shorter and the prospect of winter lingers in the background. We hope you will take time to enjoy this beautiful time of year with your family.
FamilyEducation.com has compiled a web-page of fall activities for fun and learning. http://fun.familyeducation.com/autumn/activity/34552.html

We would like to thank all those who participated in the library sponsored Commonwealth Speaker Program "Celebrate Pennsylvania! A history in story and song." with Paula Purnell. It was a wonderful evening that actively involved the children in learning about the history of music in our area.

A reminder that the preschool Story Hour is being held on Friday mornings at 10 a.m. Ms. Cindy is teaching about colors. The library had a special visitor for the color red. Fireman Joe helped teach the children about fire safety. We would love for you to bring your children and/or grandchildren to this fun, educational weekly event.

The Friend's of the Library Book Club will be meeting Friday the 15th to discuss The Life of Pi. Please join us!

Celebrate Pennsylvania! A History in Story and Song

2010-09-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

The Meyersdale Public Library is pleased to host Celebrate Pennsylvania! A History in Story and Song

Award-winning performer Paula Purnell presents songs written by and about the people

of Pennsylvania, in this family-friendly and interactive presentation featuring authentic instruments,

costumes and props. From the indigenous people of the Eastern Woodlands, to early English settlers, on to the workers of the Industrial Age, Purnell invites audiences to explore how and why Pennsylvanians have

been making music for thousands of years. Volunteers don costumes to become George Washington,

Queen Aliquippa and other important people from Pennsylvania's past.

Artifacts provide opportunities to explore and discuss the daily life, toils and triumphs of bygone eras.

October 5 @ 7 p.m.

Amity United Church of Christ

315 Center St, Meyersdale, PA

For more information call 634-0512

Story-hour Begins

2010-09-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

Our preschool story hour will begin on September 17th at 10 am. Story-hour session will continue every Friday until May. You are invited to bring your little ones to participate in stories, activities, and crafts that focus on learning our colors and shapes. Miss Cindy is excited to start a new year!

Labor Day Holiday & Survey Results

2010-09-01T13:07:00.001-07:00

The Meyersdale Public Library will be closed September 6th in observance of the Labor Day Holiday. Please visit the library this week and select a good book, magazine, or movie to relax with during the 3-day weekend.

I appreciate the effort many of you made to respond to the Library-Use Survey we made available during the summer. I was very pleased to learn the overall consensus was that our library is doing a good job in meeting the expectations of the community. Many of you expressed your gratitude for the our collection, atmosphere, and helpful staff.

Your criticisms were acknowledged and valued. While there is little we can do about the frustrating parking situation, we did renovate the public bathroom and included suggested materials into our collection. The Meyersdale Public Library is here to serve you. Your suggestions and contributions are an important part of helping us be the best we can be. Other areas of improvement are be evaluated at this time. We will be announcing new technological upgrades soon!

Local and Family History Department

2010-08-27T09:15:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wondered why your nose is a little crooked? Are you curious about why you love to quilt? Has anyone else in your family been challenged with a physical problem you are struggling with? Have you wondered how your family came to live in America? What is the history of Southern Somerset County? Having an understanding of your family and local history gives you insight into who you are. One of the best ways to know who you are is to know who you came from. Genealogical Research has become one of the fastest growing hobbies in

America

. As much as 60% of the population is interested in their family history.

The Meyersdale Public Library's Local and Family History department has become a highly reputable source among the genealogy community for its collection and service; much of which is due to the professional efforts of Cynthia Mason. We invite you to come in and let us help you discover your family. The Local and Family history department is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you desire assistance from Cynthia then please visit between the hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. If you are traveling from out of town we suggest you call or email ahead to make sure Cynthia will be available to help you. Even she gets a day off now and then!!

New to our collection:

The New Republic and Daily American obituaries for 2005 – 2009 are now online at http://www.usgwarchives.org/pa/somerset/. Transcribed obituaries from the Meyersdale Commercial for 1913 – 1918 and a few from 1929 will be posted soon.

2010-08-06T08:54:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that school will be starting before too long! Families are making plans to get that last vacation runaway in before school schedules once again put life back into a more structured routine. Back-to-School sales promote the need for new pencils, notebooks, and shoes. While notebooks are important, we at the library feel that a positive school experience begins in the home. Helping our children prepare physically and emotionally for the demands and expectations of school will help start the new year off on the right foot.

With that in mind, the Meyersdale Public Library has partnered with KidsHealth in distributing a helpful pamphlet for parents that addresses issues such as first-day jitters, nutrition, digital concerns, infectious diseases, and how to volunteer at your child's school. Please stop by the library to get your free copy of "Fresh New School Year." As always, the library is her to support your family in its education endeavors. Please let us know how we can help you get the information you and your children need to ensure a happy, rewarding school experienc

Game Night @ the Library!

2010-07-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

Game Night @ the Library!

Starting August 5^th the Meyersdale Public Library will be hosting Teen Game Night @ the Library! We invite young people ages 12 to 18 to visit the library and participate in a night of fun, competition, and eating! Teen Game night is an opportunity to challenge your friends, show off your gaming skills, and just hang out. We will have snacks, Wii video games, board games, and computer games. You are welcome to bring your own games too! Games brought from home will be voted on by the group to see if they work for group play. Once checked into the library, youth under the age of 16 may not leave the building until an adult picks them up. All participants must be picked up no later than 8:30 pm. For any questions, please call the library at 634-0512.

Play video games on the big screen...
Challenge your friends to a game of checkers...
Bring your favorite games from home!

This trial program will run the entire month of August on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. If there proves to be an interest we hope to establish Teen Game Night @ the Library as a permanent part of the library schedule. Hope to see you there!

I would also like to thank all those who have sent donations towards our annual fund drive. As you may have heard, the 2010 state budget once again decreased funding for public libraries. We understand that everyone is making sacrifices during this difficult economic time but we are saddened that the awareness of the positive impact libraries have on a community is not fully understood by political decision makers. That is why every penny donated from our community is a valued vote of confidence in the work we do at the Meyersdale Public Library. Please let us know how we can be of service to you and your family.

Holiday Closing and Fund Drive

2010-06-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

The Library will be closed July 5th in observance of the 4th of July holiday! We will be open for business as usual on Tuesday July 6th. Have a happy holiday!

The 2010 Meyersdale Public Library Fund Drive has begun! The board and staff of the Meyersdale Public Library would like to thank all of our community members who have been so supportive of the Library in the past. Through your generosity, we have been able to successfully meet our stated mission to enhance the library through the resources of people, programming and financial assistance for library services. That being said, Pennsylvania libraries are at risk.

Demand for library services has risen dramatically during this recession. Libraries across Pennsylvania are busier than ever - serving people looking for work, families on tight budgets, and retirees grappling with shrinking savings. Recent state budget cuts have reduced library services for the very people who need libraries the most. To accommodate funding restraints, the Meyersdale Public Library chose to reduce staff hours instead of cutting hours of operation in an effort to keep the library and its services available to the community. The future is uncertain. Over 60% of the money necessary to keep the library functional and compliant with state standards comes from community support. Please help us continue to help you by donating generously to the 2010 Fund Drive. Your contributions are tax deductible and the option is available to contribute using the PayPal link on our website www.meyersdalelibrary.com.

Don’t forget to get involved in the following summer reading programs:

“Make a SPLASH! READ” – for children of all ages. The program starts July 9th and will run until August 13, 2010. Youth may join anytime during this time frame.
Meyersdale Area Chess Club - Mondays at 4 p.m.
2010 Relax and Read Adult Summer Reading Program - July 2^nd and end August 13^th. For each book you read you may submit an entry form. Every Friday staring July 9^th a entry will be drawn and that person will receive a beautiful reward. The more you read…..the more chance you have to win. Prizes are on display at the library. Please ask the staff for more information.

The Meyersdale Public Library offers numerous services that could be beneficial to you and your family. These services include: innovative children’s activities, outstanding local & family history services, an excellent general fiction & non-fiction collection, a variety of magazines and newspapers, assistance in research & problem solving, a diverse reference collection, right of entry to the state-wide Pennsylvania Power Library Access database program, high-speed internet & computer access, Accelerated Reading support, the Friends of the Library programming and book club, special needs computer software and equipment, and access to GED, CareerLink, Family Literacy, and County support representatives. The library is so much more than a place that has books!

Spring is on its way!

2010-06-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

June is finally here! After a difficult winter it is good to see flowers growing and fields being plowed. School will soon be out and families may need ideas on how to keep children busy and learning during their holiday. The Meyersdale Library can help you! Here are some suggestions for activities that will keep the brain cells stimulated:

Join this year's Summer Reading Program "Make a Splash at your Library!" Activities will be held Fridays from 10 a.m until 11:30 a.m - July 9th through August 13th. Registration forms are available at the library
Help your children create basic scrapbooks about their summer activities. This will be a fun way to capture memories as they see them. It will also help you at the end of summer when they complain that they haven't done anything. They will have all of their fun activities right in front of them. Don't worry or fuss about creating perfect albums. (From Ezine Articles)
Utilize the Family Fun Summer Reading List located at http://familyfun.go.com/playtime/a-summer-reading-list-702205/ . You can select books appropriate for your child's specific reading level. The library will be happy to make these books available to your family either from our own collection or through the Inter-Library Loan program.
The Kids Turn Central website, http://www.kidsturncentral.com/summer/summer.html, has a lot of fun craft, snack, and activity ideas.
Family Things To Do in Pennsylvania - http://attractions.uptake.com/pennsylvania/family.html. You don't have to go far to discover history, entertainment, and quality time together as a family. Our state is full or fun learning opportunities that can be enjoyed for free or a minimal cost.

Please let us know how we can help your family make this summer and enjoyable and safe one!

Death By Chocolate Deemed a Success!

2010-04-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to all the wonderful cooks who contributed to this year's DEATH BY CHOCOLATE fundraiser. We had some amazingly delicious entries that were beautiful as well. Even though the event was postponed from its usual Valentines holiday date, the support from the community was wonderful. I have included a link to the Daily American newspaper article. Please take time to read all about the success of the event and those that made it happen. A special thanks to our "Friends of the Library" group. Every year these dedicated people raise money to help purchase needed equipment, support collection development, or contribute to the general operating fund of the library. In a time where we see funding diminishing at an astonishing rate, the support of our friends and community means everything! Please look forward to participating in next year's DEATH BY CHOCOLATE!.

Chocolate is in the Air!

2010-04-09T11:44:00.001-07:00

The aroma of chocolate fills the library as a result of the many culinary creations donated by library supporters for the DEATH BY CHOCOLATE bake sale.

Bake Sale
Meyersdale Library
210 Center Street
April 9th: 10am-7pm
April 10th: 10am-5pm

This is a great chance for you to treat your family without having to turn on your oven! If chocolate is what you live for, join us at the Amity Church on April 9th at 7 p.m. for the annual DEATH BY CHOCOLATE competition and auction. Each year gifted bakers submit cookies, cakes, candy, and other delectable treats for judging. The Best of Show winner receives a lovely cookbook filled with delicious chocolate recipes.
Please come join the fun!
Henry's Cake and Candy Supplies will be providing their yummy chocolate fountain for your pleasure.
Refreshments are provided.
All auction and bake sale proceeds go towards supporting the public library.

Judging and Auction
Amity Church
315 Center Street, Meyersdale
April 9th at 7 p.m.

Many thanks go out to our Friends of the Library group for all they do to make DEATH BY CHOCOLATE such a successful fund raising event. If you are interested in joining the Friends of the Library & Book Club, please call 634-0512 for more information

2010-03-03T11:38:00.001-08:00

Winter Woes

2010-02-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

I think it is safe to say that the majority of us are ready for spring! Keeping our spirits up in the face of the continuous onslaught of winter storms is proving challenging. Children are home from school, roads are difficult to navigate, and it is easy to feel isolated when you can't get around. Please be aware of your neighbors, especially the elderly.

We too have had difficult decisions to make about whether or not the library will be open. The general policy of the library is that if all the schools are closed in Somerset County the library will also close. However, because the roads are often passable in town we try our best to be open. Any change to the library schedule will be posted on WJAC. The safety of the library staff is our highest priority. I apologize to anyone who has made the effort to come to the library only to find it closed. It is difficult to predict what the weather will do and sometimes I have made the decision to close early in the morning only to find out the predicted conditions do not develop. Gotta love nature!!

Apologies to anyone who baked and prepared for Death by Chocolate and found out it was postponed. Because of the weather and a lack parking options due to piles of snow, the Friends of the Library felt it necessary to postpone the event. The effort was made to get the word of the postponement out to the community but we understand that not everyone received the message. We are so sorry for this inconvenience. The Friends plan to reschedule Death By Chocolate in April after the Maple Festival. We hope all chocolate lovers will be willing to participate at that time. The funds raised by Death By Chocolate go a long way in supporting library programs at a time when funding has become tenuous. We so appreciate the support the Meyersdale Public Library receives from this community.

New Year!

2009-12-31T09:10:00.000-08:00

Well, the Meyersdale Public Library made it through 2009 intact! We are so very grateful for the financial support of our library friends. Our 2009 fund drive was the best to date. After an extended debate the state ended up cutting public library subsidies by 21%. Any budget cut is painful, however we are grateful the vote for the originally proposed 50% cut was averted . The many letters of support to government officials from library patrons across the state had a huge impact on this decision. We understand the entire country is economically stressed and that sacrifices are being made across the board. We are grateful that our little library will be able to continue services to the public with only a few internal budget adjustments. This is possible in part because of the financial support of the Somerset County Federated Library System. While hours of operation will remain the same, there will be slight cutbacks in collection and staff expenses. Our hope is to continue to provide our community the quality service our library has become known for. How long we can do this is dependant on continued local financial support as well as backing of government officials. Let us all hope for better circumstances in 2010!

Please come in and look through the many books we have for sale!

Autumn Activities

2009-10-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

The crisp feel of Autumn is in the air. The change in season turns our minds towards thoughts of Friday night high-school football games and the upcoming holidays. As the days become cooler and the nights become shorter we spend more time in our homes, hopefully with our friends and loved-ones. I have provided links to online information that offer ideas for fun family activities, crafts, reading lists, and recipes for home-cooked comfort food. I hope you will enjoy these resources and use them to create many wonderful fall memories with your family.

Meyersdale Library awareded a Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Award

2009-09-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce that the Meyersdale Public Library has been chosen to receive a Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Award for its Somerset County Cemetery Location Resource Project.

A need existed to provide genealogy patrons with information on the location of cemeteries for which they are searching. No comprehensive source for such information was readily available, especially for older and smaller cemeteries. Creation of a comprehensive and accessible cemetery location resource signals to genealogy researchers that Somerset County is a savvy, helpful and welcoming destination for genealogy researchers. With this purpose in mind, the Meyersdale Public Library initiated the Somerset County Cemetery Location Resource Project. This $30,000, three-year project was financially supported by the Somerset County Tourism Tax Grant and the Somerset County Federated Library System.

The project hired two independent contractors to accomplish the following:

research available resources pertaining to cemeteries within the county and create a comprehensive list of these cemeteries
locate all cemeteries which still have identifiable features, to obtain GPS coordinates, photos, and directions from the nearest road
produce a CD with the GPS coordinates, site photo, and written directions for each located cemetery
create a county-wide map resource of all cemetery locations using the 1-50,000 USGS maps for the northern and southern parts of the county

Carolyn McKinney did an outstanding job of locating and documenting over 600 cemeteries in the county. She waded through brambles up to her neck and mud up to her knees. She was persistent and very successful in contacting local informants to assist with her searches. She located cemeteries and burial grounds that had been forgotten or overlooked in previous cemetery inventories. The majority of documented cemeteries are the smaller ones, often in obscure locations, from the first century of the county’s history. The sheer number of cemeteries in the county is a testament to the long history of the region’s population.

Barry Christy was equally dedicated and tenacious in working with the data to create a user-friendly, compact and complete resource for the use of genealogy researchers. He transferred the field data gathered by Carolyn to Word documents, and then did a conversion to .PDF format. A CD has been created with cemetery names, locations, photos, driving and walking directions, latitude and longitude coordinates, alternate names if available, and additional comments where provided. The CD has both a comprehensive alphabetical index with links to each cemetery, and an index alphabetized by township. All location information has been verified with Google Earth so that researchers anywhere with access to that program can find any cemetery.

The targeted audience is genealogy researchers with ties to Somerset County. Copies of the CD have been distributed to over 30 appropriate agencies and organizations that have contact with and provide information to genealogy researchers, including the Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds offices, the Chamber of Commerce, and the four libraries and twelve historical societies in the county. A CD has also been sent to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints genealogy collection in Salt Lake City and to the Allen County Public Library genealogy holdings in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Information about the availability of this resource has been provided for appropriate Internet venues such as the home pages of the above-mentioned entities and the Somerset County GenWeb, Pennsylvania GenWeb and USGenWeb host sites. The site administrators for the http://www.usgwarchives.org/pa/somerset/ site have received copies of the CD and will post the content on that website.

Locating and recording data about cemeteries in Somerset County was a project that grew out of the Meyersdale Public Library’s commitment to being an advocate for the importance of preserving community histories and making that information available to the public. We believe that respecting the past can have a powerful, positive impact on the future.

Pennsylvania’s Historic Preservation Awards

Pennsylvania’s Historic Preservation Awards continue a tradition held since 1979 whereby excellence in preservation is recognized and honored. The annual awards recognize significant contributions in the field of historic preservation made by both individuals and organizations. Recognition encompasses the categories of preservation initiatives, construction and archaeology projects.

Communication Award

Somerset County Cemetery Location Resource Project
Meyersdale Public Library, Somerset County

Cleaning House

2009-08-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

When you visit the library you will no doubt notice a large amount of non-fiction books for sale. In an effort to make our non-fiction collection more efficient and hopefully increase its usage, we are combining the juvenile non-fiction collection with the adult non-fiction collection. As part of the process I am looking at each book to determine its value to the library and the community. Because we are limited on space it is important that we maintain a collection that is relevant and timely. While there are always exceptions, the following guidelines are used in determining whether or not a book should be withdrawn:

Has the book been checked out in the past 10 years?
Is the content of the book accurate and up-to-date?
Is the book in good general condition?

At this time we invite the public to visit the library and browse through the many books that have recently been withdrawn from our collection. Maybe there is one you would like to add to your own personal library. Hardback books are 25 cents a piece and paperback are 10 cents apiece. You can hardly find a better bargain! The money will be used to support the operations of the library.

New Services

2009-08-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

The Meyersdale Public Library is excited to offer our patronage the option to download eAudiobooks onto their personal MP3 players, I-pods, or PCs. It is necessary for one of our librarians to assist individuals in establishing an account. Once an account has been created, it can be accessed from any computer. As is often the case with anything new, we are still trying to work out the bugs in the system. Please be patient as we strive to get the individual library collection accounts established. The NetLibrary eAudiobook service is being provided by the Somerset County Federated Library system. Making sure that each library within that system, ours included, has its own page has proven to be a challenge. I am keeping a close eye on the situation and will keep you updated on any progress made towards making this service efficient for our clientele.

Please take a moment to browse the new Help For Your Family Link on our web page. We understand that the current economic climate has been difficult for many of us. In an effort to help you and your family find the help you might be needing, we have listed county agencies and services designed to offer assistance to area families. For example, within the Community Action Partnership for Somerset County site you can find the following programs: Housing assistance, Utility assistance, Employment assistance, Welfare to Work, Transportation, Head Start, Life skills, Food Pantries, Workshops, and the Salisbury Family Center. If you have any questions about the sites listed in our new link, please contact us by email or phone.

Join the Discussion

2009-08-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

In an effort to be better connected with our community, I have created a director's blog so that information and issues concerning the library can be efficiently, and hopefully effectively, communicated to our patrons. Our patrons are the heart and soul of the Meyersdale Public Library. What you think matters to us. Please feel free to respectfully contribute to the discussion. Knowing your needs will help us better serve you.

The most pressing issue facing Pennsylvania public libraries today is the current threat of major funding cuts. State funding enables our library to stay open. Without this financial support the Meyersdale Public Library will not be able to continue to offer the quality programming and services for which it has become so well-known. Being able to help our patrons further their education, obtain job and resume counseling, and appreciate the importance of literacy in their homes and families have been top priorities to the library staff and board. Please let your supportive voices for our library by contacting local legislators and sharing the following messages:

• Thank your Senator, Representative and the Governor for his past support of public libraries.
• Because libraries are a lifeline for the unemployed and their families, urge him to support
library funding as one of the priorities for level funding in the negotiations for a new state
budget.
• Tell him that public libraries all across Pennsylvania are busier than ever during this recession serving those looking for work, many without Internet access at home, and hundreds more of their constituents and families who need the library open more hours not fewer. (If you can, offer some specifics about just how much the library means to you in these tough times.)
• Remind him that the drastic, steep cuts (55%) included in the Senate amendments to the budget bill will force library closings and service cutbacks at a time when their constituents need libraries to be fully open and equipped to serve.
• Inform him that Pennsylvania stands to lose between $1.9 million and $4.3 million in federal money if any of the budget plans currently under consideration pass with deep cuts in library funding.

Listed below is the contact information for our government representatives:

Governor Rendell

Governor Edward G. Rendell's Office
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120

Website to email comment

http://www.governor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/contact/2998

Senator Kasunic
Capitol Address
458 Capitol Building
Senate Box 203032
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3032
Fax: 717-787-0195

Rep. Carl Metzgar

E-mail: Cmetzgar@pahousegop.com
Capitol Office
149-A East Wing
PO Box 202069
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2069
Fax: (717) 787-2005

I would like to thank all our wonderful patrons and supporters who have offered their time, finances, and encouragement to our library. Every effort makes a difference!