More on the Season of Giving

It is nearly time for folks to panic.  Little Johnny only wants a pair of skates, so he isn't too difficult to buy for.  Susy wants a sled, but your budget allows for a Radio Flyer, not a Polaris.  Nellie wants a new story book, but you don't know which ones she hasn't read already.  What can you do?

Easy!  Pop on in to the library to find great ideas for everyone on your list.

The easiest thing to do for Nellie is to get her the gift that keeps on giving--a library card.  She can't get it herself, because she is too young, but you can bring her in, sign her up for a card, and watch her eyes light up as she enters the Children's room and sees all of the wonderful books.  There is sure to be at least one she hasn't read yet.

Taking care of Susy's sled is a little tougher.  If you can't convince her to accept a runner sled, you might convince her to get a job so that she can buy her own snowmobile.  Even better, if you have an old clunker in the shed that just needs a little work to run like new again, make sure she, too has a library card, and introduce her to our snowmobile repair books and the Small Engine Repair database.  She'll learn how to get that machine going in no time!

Have other people on your list that you need to find gifts for?  Look at our many craft books for ideas on beautiful gifts you can make yourself.  We have a variety books for crafts of all kinds.  Are you a knitter?  Take a look at Norwegian mittens and gloves:  Over 25 classic designs for warm fingers and stylish hands, by Annemor Sundbø.  Prefer crochet?  Try Crochet hatimals:  Creatures with features for all ages, by Rebecca Goldsmith.  Perhaps you'd like to try needle felting this year.  Jackie Huang's Woolbuddies:  20 irresistibly simple needle felting projects is the book to read. 

For those who are more interested in projects with more physical substance, we have books on wood and metal working, as well.  Stocking stuffer ideas can be found in Steve Tomashek's book, Tiny whittling:  More than 20 projects to make.  Larger projects can be found in Simply wood:  40 stylish and easy-to-make projects for the modern woodworker, by Roshaan Ganief. 

Metal workers can find ideas from jewelry-sized to yard ornament. Ready, set, weld!:  Beginner-friendly projects for the home & garden, by Kimberli Matin, has several project ideas, some of which are bound to please.  John Sartin's The complete photo guide to making metal jewelry has the information you need to make beautiful baubles for every family member.

Find these and many more books filled with gift ideas @ your library!

--Susan Hoppe, Reference Services Librarian

Summer Reading

Summerland Cover

The Summer Reading Program here at the Virginia Public Library is well under way with children eagerly visiting the library to borrow more books, participate in Craft-TASTIC Tuesdays, and enjoy interesting programs.  Children aren't the only ones reading, though, and we have some suggestions and tips for finding library items for kids of all ages.

There are many summer-related books in the library.  One way to find them is to look for the word summer using a Subject Keyword search in the library's online catalog.   A few of the  titles from such a search include Beach House Memories, by Mary Alice Monroe;  The Accidental, by Ali Smith; and Summerland, by Elin Hilderbrand

Blueberry Summers Cover

If you prefer non-fiction, you can limit the search by choosing Adult non-fiction in the "Limit by" box.  Some titles from that search include  Blueberry Summers:  Growing Up at the Lake, by Curtiss Anderson; Mary Engelbreit's Summer Craft Book, by Mary Engelbreit; and Resorts of Minnesota:  Exploring the Heritage and History of Minnesota's Family Resorts, by Neil E. Johnson and Adam Swenson.

Country Living Cover

For those who like magazines more than books, many of them have seasonal issues.  Some to keep in mind are Lake Superior Magazine, Country Living, and Backwoods Home.  To find these and other magazine titles, you can do a Title Search on the basic search page of our online catalog. 

There are many other ways for you to find summer entertainment at your library.  Let us know how we can help you fill the long summer days ahead!

Susan Hoppe, Reference Services Librarian