Friends to meet at Stillwater Library

The March 8 (tonight) meeting of the Friends of the Library will be held at the Stillwater Library. Anyone wishing to carpool should meet at the Lakefront Park beach parking lot at 5:30 p.m. There will be a guided tour of the library at 6 p.m. and the meeting will follow at 7 p.m.

Geek Out @ your library

This year’s Teen Tech Week is going on now and its theme is, “Geek Out @ your library,” encouraging libraries to throw open their physical and virtual doors to teens and showcase the outstanding technology they offer. Our library is highlighting our Teen Tech Tutors who offer free assistance to teens and other patrons who need help using computers, e-readers and other electronic devices.

The Pew Internet & American Life project found that 93 percent of teens go online, with many using social networking sites, finding news and information, sharing content they create, and looking for information on health. Teens’ use of technology has increased dramatically in recent years, yet more teens are doing this from home instead of the library.

Teens need to know that the library is a trusted resource for accessing information and that librarians are the experts who can help them develop the skills they need to use electronic resources effectively and efficiently.

Teen Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association and is aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries such as digital literacy-focused programs and resources including e-books, movies, music, audiobooks, databases and more.

Finnish immigrants program

On Tuesday, March 13, at 6:30 p.m. the Friends of the Library are hosting a program on “Miriam, Daughter of Finnish Immigrants,” by one of the book’s local authors, Diane Dettman. She will discuss some of the challenges Miriam’s family faced as they settled in Minnesota during the early 1900s.

The program is free, but seating is limited so pre-registration is requested. Call the library at (715) 386-3101 or stop by the circulation desk to sign up.

Special storybook character visit

There will be a special guest appearance of a storybook character who will visit the Thursday Wiggles and Giggles story time at 10:15 a.m. and 1 p.m. on March 15. This friendly life-size character will be happy to pose with children for photographs taken by their attending care-givers.

Hunger Games” pre-movie release teen event

The Teen Advisory Board, (TAB) is hosting a “Hunger Games” pre-movie release event for teens on Thursday, March 22, from 6:30 to 9:15 p.m. This program is to celebrate the premier screening of the film at midnight on the 23rd. (Teens who plan to see the film are responsible for purchasing their own tickets and their transportation to and from the theater.)

Activities at the event include a “Hunger Games” themed costume contest and tribute training culminating in a library version of the games where tributes use their cunning and skills to survive. There will be “Hunger Games” themed refreshments and prizes.

Space is limited so registration will be on a first-come first-served basis. Interested teens, aged 13-17, need to register and pick up permission slips at the information desk upstairs near the Children’s area. The registration deadline is Tuesday, March 20.

2010 tax forms

To assist our patrons, Reference Librarian Matthew Winkler has put together a brochure on where to find tax forms. It gives clear instructions on four ways to get the correct forms: from the library, from the Internet, by phone, and in person. The brochures will be available on the tax form display stand in the downstairs lobby and at the circulation desk.

These brochures should be helpful, especially now that the Wisconsin Department of Revenue will no longer proactively mail tax forms and instructions to those who filed on paper from the previous year. The department will continue to send tax forms to people who request them and Homestead credit tax forms will be mailed to individuals age 60 and older who filed on paper last year.

Patrons may file their tax forms electronically at the library but they should be aware that the library staff cannot help with tax information nor can they recommend tax filing software or websites. Also, the library is not responsible for any information that is lost during the process.

Anyone needing extra time to file taxes on the public computer should ask for an extension at least 10 minutes before the computer session is set to expire.

On-going monthly programs and meetings

--Friends of the Library Meeting, Thursday, March 8, 5:30 (tonight) carpool from beach parking, tour of Stillwater Library 6, meeting 7 p.m.

--Library Board Meeting, Monday, March 12, 6:30 p.m.

--Page Turners Book Club, Tuesday, March 20, 6:30 p.m. “The Night Circus,” by Erin Morgenstern.

--Bookmarks Book Club, (formerly known as the Library Book Club) Wednesday, March 21, 10:30 a.m., “Destiny of a Republic,” by Candice Millard.

--Mystery Book Club, Wednesday, March 21, 1 & 6:30 p.m., “Live to Tell,” by Lisa Gardner.

--Preteen Book Club Meeting: Thursday, March 22, 5-6 p.m., “Belle: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast,” by Cameron Dokey.

--Teen Book Club Meeting: Changed to the last Thursday, March 29, 4-5 p.m. “The Power of Six,” by Pittacus Lore.

Preschool story Times,

Rhyme Time Baby Story Time is for ages newborn to talking. Babies and their caregivers are invited to join us for 20 minutes of stories, puppets, poems, finger plays, and action activities. Programs are held every Wednesday at 10:15 a.m.

Walkey-Talkey Story Time is for children talking to age 3. Children and their caregivers are invited to join us for 25 minutes of stories, songs, poems, puppets, and activities. Programs are held every Monday and Wednesday at 11:15 a.m.

Wiggles and Giggles Story Time is for children ages 3-5. Books, puppets, songs, poems, flannel board stories, crafts, and action activities help to ready your child for a future of reading. Programs are held on Tuesday nights from 7-7:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 10:15-10:45 a.m. (special 10:30 program on March 15, see above) and 1-1:30 p.m.

More detailed information about programs, events and meetings can be found on the library website: http://www.hudsonpub

Tags: lifestyle, books, events