Upcoming Books for Summer Reads

Pipestone County Star  - 05-09-13

As I write this, the sun it out, though we are being threatened with rain and possibly (gasp) snow on Thursday.  With all that beautiful light outside, that we’ve been waiting so long for, I have a hard time giving the weather man any credence today.  In my mind, it’s time for a ice-cold drink, flip-flops, and the lawnchair, not to mention a great book!  Here are some books coming in the next few months that I KNOW some of you can’t possibly live without!

Sweet Salt Air (June 18), Barbara Delinsky

Master storyteller Delinksy invites you to Quinnepeague, Maine, and into the company of two friends, back together after many years apart.  Nicole, in the midst of writing a book about island food, invites her friend Charlotte to stay with her, as they used to do years before when they were both less busy.  Charlotte has always been better with people and might be able to help with the locals.  What the two don’t realize is that secrets are about to come to light that will change their lives forever.  Will it cost Nicole her marriage?  Will Nicole be able to remain friends with Charlotte?  Will Charlotte finally find love with a reclusive island resident?  You’ll have to read to find out!

Second Honeymoon (June 24), James Patterson

A pair of honeymooners decides to spend some time in the sauna in their luxury suite and never come back out.  Another pair of newlyweds are killed just before boarding their honeymoon flight for Rome.  Is someone targeting just married couples?  Agent O’Hara finds himself deep into the case, while Special Agent Brubaker finds herself solving another case with a serial killer whose victims have something terrifying in common.  Can the two of them work together to solve both cases before anyone else gets the wedding jitters?  Wish them luck!

Bombshell (July 9), Catherine Coulter

Special Agent Hammersmith (seen last in Backfire) is back in this next thriller.  Savich has recruited him for his team in D.C. and while Hammersmith is on his way, he decides to visit his sister at college.   Just before he arrives, he is informed that she was found naked, unconscious, and covered in someone else’s blood after a wild party.  So whose blood is it?  Meanwhile, in DC, Savich and his team find themselves beset with a mysterious case – the grandson of the former Chair of the Federal Reserve is found frozen at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, every bone in his body broken.  Will Hammersmith be able to help with that case?  And better yet, will he be able to figure out what happened to his sister?

The Highway (July 30), C.J. Box

We all know we should stay away from remote roads, but that doesn’t stop two sisters from setting out into Montana to visit a friend.  Both girls and their car simply vanish from the highway, leaving not a trace behind.  Cody Hoyt, a former police investigator who has fallen off the wagon, is convinced by his former partner, Cassie Dewell, to check into it.  As they drive toward the girls’ last known location, Cassie discovers these aren’t the first girls to go missing on that stretch of highway.  They are about to enter the hunting ground of an exceptional killer and he might not be working alone…

Tamarack County (August 20), William Kent Krueger

Cork O’Connor is back in a tale that may be the most suspenseful yet!  As a blizzard rises before Christmas, the wife of a local judge in Tamarack County disappears, her car found at the side of the road.  Cork begins to notice small things about the disappearance that bother him, small things that seem to connect with other strange things happening all over the county.  And it all seems to connect back to a murder that happened twenty years prior – was an innocent man convicted? With the dark days of the year coming and everything obscured by blowing snow, Cork needs to find an answer fast!

Bones of the Lost (August 27), Kathy Reichs

Temperence Brennan finds herself in the middle of it all once again.  A girl’s body has been discovered along a deserted road in Charlotte with a dead businessman’s card in her pocket – was she turning tricks?  Her body definitely shows signs of foul play.  The Chief Medical Examiner has also asked Dr. Brennan to examine the remains of a Peruvian dog mummy, smuggled into the country by, presumably, a Desert Storm Veteran.  Somehow, these two are connected.  And to top it all off, Tempe’s daughter impulsively enlists in the army and her (ex) husband is pushing her to finalize her divorce.  Will this ever end?

If there is a book here that you cannot live without, please give us a call and let us know.  We would be happy to make note that you are waiting!

Have a great few weeks – it’s finally sunny!!

Your Library Account: If you have an email, register it with your library card by calling the library at 507-825-6714 or by logging in to your account online and requesting a change!  By putting an email on your card, you will automatically get reminders when your books are overdue and you will also get an email the moment a book on hold is checked in for you at the desk!  We do not use your emails for any other purpose and our system is private.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Thursday, May 16^th we are having another technology night at the library!  Bring any device you need help with and we’ll see what we can do.  6:30 is our start time and we’ll go as long as we need to help everyone!  Call to reserve a spot as space is limited and if there are no reservations, the teacher isn’t going to be available.

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Give us a call to find out the date of the next meeting!

Book Club Reminder: The book club meets the last Thursday of the month.  Their next meeting will be May 23rd at 7:00 in the Meinders Library conference room.  The book is Pipestone: My Life in an Indian Board School by Adam Fortunate Eagle.  Please don’t hesitate to call the library for a copy of the next book.

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM – 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.

How Do I Get My Hands on That New Book?

Pipestone County Star  - 04-25-13

Recently, a few people have expressed a little sadness that we no longer have an extensive browsing collection of new books.  What I mean by that is there aren’t a lot of our brand new books on the shelves at any given time.  They get checked out very quickly and if we don’t know any of our patrons are waiting for them, chances are they may even have left to go to a different library in Plum Creek.    We get anywhere from 20-25 new releases, both fiction and non-fiction.  We also get six new large print every month: two westerns, two Christian fiction, and two popular fiction.  I try and order 4 or 5 new release DVDs each month and one or two popular music CDs as well.

Because we are a regional system, we share our books with patrons from 22 other libraries, which means that sometimes the holds lists for new books can get very long.  We try to make things easier by making a list of all the books (and movies and CDs) we’re ordering every month and have that list available at the desk, so all Pipestone patrons can see what’s coming over the next few weeks.  Typically, we place our orders at the end of each month and the list goes out right after the order has been placed.  Once you take a look at that list, if there’s a book you KNOW you’ll want to read, let us know so we can make sure your name gets on the holds list as quickly as possible.  Sometimes names can be placed on holds lists before the book is even at the library. 

There are some great books coming out this spring and summer from some favorite authors, including John Sandford, James Patterson, Stephen King, Wanda Brunstetter, Iris Johansen, and Tami Hoag.  And that’s just a few of them!  If you have a sneaking suspicion that one of your favorite authors is coming out with a new book (Amazon.com is a great place to check upcoming releases), give us a call!  Chances are, we’re ordering it, and we’d be more than happy to put you on the list for the book as soon as we enter it into the catalogue.  If you’re the first person that lets us know you’re waiting for a book, you’ll be the first person to read it and there’s NOTHING like a brand new book!

We also take suggestions for new books – you can either give us a call, stop by, or send us an email at meinders.library@pas.k12.mn.us.  The same goes for movies – if there’s a new release you think the library should have, give us a call or email us!

We want to make sure our patrons get first crack at our items, but we don’t know you’re waiting if you don’t tell us.  So let us know!  Let us make sure that you get the book you’ve been dying to read, or the movie you’re dying to see, as quickly as possible.

Your Library Account: If you have an email, register it with your library card by calling the library at 507-825-6714 or by logging in to your account online and requesting a change!  By putting an email on your card, you will automatically get reminders when your books are overdue and you will also get an email the moment a book on hold is checked in for you at the desk!  We do not use your emails for any other purpose and our system is private.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Thursday, May 16^th we are having another technology night at the library!  Bring any device you need help with and we’ll see what we can do.  6:30 is our start time and we’ll go as long as we need to help everyone!  Call to reserve a spot as space is limited and if there are no reservations, the teacher isn’t going to be available.

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Give us a call to find out the date of the next meeting!

Book Club Reminder: The book club meets the last Thursday of the month.  Their next meeting will be April 25th at 7:00 in the Meinders Library conference room.  The book is Calico Joe by John Grisham.  Please don’t hesitate to call the library for a copy of the next book.

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM – 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.

Silly Holidays

April 2^nd was National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, but you all knew that, didn’t you?  It amazes me that most days have a holiday attached to them, even if it’s not popularly celebrated.  In April, on any given day, there are at least three celebrations you could participate in if you were so inclined.  Instead of giving you a long list (which you could find at http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/april.htm) , I think I’ll just list some of my favorites.

April 12^th, Big Wind Day:  No, this isn’t something just celebrated in Pipestone.  As far as the holiday recorders can tell, this day celebrates the highest wind speed ever recorded: 231 miles per hour at the Mount Washington Observatory on April 12, 1934.

April 14^th, Moment of Laughter Day:  The idea behind this day is to get people to laugh more often, so to celebrate it, do something that will make someone else laugh.  Smiles don’t count, it has to be an all-out laugh.

April 16^th, National Librarian Day: This is a day to celebrate your librarian!  Am I biased? Maybe.  Today is also National Eggs Benedict Day, so take your pick.

April 17^th, National Cheeseball Day:  All right, I admit it.  It’s impossible to eat just one cheeseball – cheeseballs are awesome.  It doesn’t specify what kind of cheeseball, so if those electric orange ones don’t do it for you, maybe make a nice spicy one from the Pampered Chef mix in the cupboard.  It’s also my birthday…

April 20^th, Volunteer Recognition Day:  Most Volunteers don’t ask for recognition, but they certainly deserve it.  Without volunteers, many non-profit organizations (the Library included) would have a hard time functioning.  Hats off and lots of cheers to Volunteers!!

April 22^nd, Girl Scout Leader Day: On April 22, 1982, a flag was flown over the White House to recognize the thousands of volunteer Girl Scout Leaders that make the organization as incredible as it is.  Thank your Girl Scout leader today!

April 23^rd, National Zucchini Bread Day:  The organizers of the website thinks this happens in April because gardeners and families are not sick of all the zucchini they’ve harvested yet and are having fond thoughts of the vegetable.  I tend to agree…

April 27^th, Tell A Story Day: Celebrating stories of all kinds, it’s a great night to make sure you get in a good story before bedtime!

April 28^th, Kiss Your Mate Day:  Does this really need explanation?

April 30^th, National Honesty Day: This day was first celebrated in the early 1990s after M. Hirsch Goldberg, a former press secretary in Maryland, finished writing The Book of Lies and thought the end of April would be a good time for honesty.  Since the month starts with a day of fools and jokes, it’s a good thing to end on a “higher, moral note.”

Enjoy your April – it’s fun to know some obscure holidays because every once in a while, you need a reason to celebrate just to make the day brighter.  This list can certainly help you with that!!

Winter Reading Program: The Winter Reading Program ended on March 31^st and so far, we’ve had 804 books read by our participating patrons!!  You guys ROCK!  If you have not yet turned in your card and log, please do so soon.  Keep reading!

Your Library Account: If you have an email, register it with your library card by calling the library at 507-825-6714 or by logging in to your account online and requesting a change!  By putting an email on your card, you will automatically get reminders when your books are overdue and you will also get an email the moment a book on hold is checked in for you at the desk!  We do not use your emails for any other purpose and our system is private.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Thursday, April 18^th we are having another technology night at the library!  Bring any device you need help with and we’ll see what we can do.  6:30 is our start time and we’ll go as long as we need to help everyone!  Call to reserve a spot as space is limited and if there are no reservations, the teacher isn’t going to be available.

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Give us a call to find out the date of the next meeting!

Book Club Reminder: The book club meets the last Thursday of the month.  Their next meeting will be April 25th at 7:00 in the Meinders Library conference room.  Please don’t hesitate to call the library for a copy of the next book.

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM – 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.

April Fools!

April Fools Day is not a national holiday (thankfully) but it is certainly celebrated.  Frequently, radio shows, newspapers, and magazines put in “joke” articles on that date involving topics and situations that can’t possibly be true.  Of course, ultimately, there are people who take it seriously, but hopefully those people are few and far between.  Most people can recognize an April Fools joke and take it for what it is, a cause to laugh.  The more you laugh, the longer you live.  Since I find everything funny, I fully expect to live to be 200 (that’s a joke!).  This year, April Fools is also Easter Monday, so that might impede some jokesters, but keep your eyes peeled just in case.

No one is quite sure when it became popular to play jokes on one another on April 1^st, known as April Fools Day in the United States.  We’re also not the only country to use this day as a day for hoaxes and pranks, either.  Italy, France, and Belgium follow the tradition of sticking paper fish on unsuspecting people’s back and shouting “April Fish!” (Aprilvis! In Dutch, in case you need to know).  A Flemish tradition allows children to lock out their parents and teachers, only letting them in if they promise to give treats.   Don’t share that with your children!

Iran, Poland, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, and Spain also celebrate joke days.  In Poland, serious activities are so frowned upon that a 1683 treaty signed by Leopold I on April 1^st had to be backdated to March 31^st because it was  too serious to take place on a day of silliness.  In Iran, the joke day falls on the 13^th day of the Persian New Year, which happens to coincide with April 1^st or 2^nd.  The day is called Sizdah Bedar and is the oldest pranking tradition in the world.  In fact, it is entirely possible that their tradition spread throughout the world, beginning the entire holiday.

There have been references to April Fools Day in literature going as far back as the 1390s.  In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Chauntecleer the vain rooster is tricked by a fox in the Nun’s Tale, which begins “Syn March bigan thritty dayes and two,” which could very well mean April 1^st, or thirty two days after the beginning of March.  The year 1508 marks the first reference of April Fish, and 1698, several people were tricked into going to the Tower of London to see someone wash the lions. 

Please remember that if you decide to play a joke, it should be in good fun and not intended to hurt feelings or harm anyone – yes, that’s a disclaimer.  Do NOT try this at home…

For those of you who are Harry Potter fans, April 1^st is George and Fred Weasley’s birthday.  So were Ali McGraw (1939), Debbie Reynolds (1932), Annette O’Toole (1952), and Jon Gosselin (1977). 

You never know when your local librarians may go crazy…there might be a joke just for you!

Your Library Account: If you have an email, register it with your library card by calling the library at 507-825-6714 or by logging in to your account online and requesting a change!  By putting an email on your card, you will automatically get reminders when your books are overdue and you will also get an email the moment a book on hold is checked in for you at the desk!  We do not use your emails for any other purpose and our system is private.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Tonight, March 28^th, we are having another technology night at the library!  Bring any device you need help with and we’ll see what we can do.  6:30 is our start time and we’ll go as long as we need to help everyone!

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Give us a call to find out the date of the next meeting!

Book Club Reminder: The book club meets the last Thursday of the month.  Their next meeting will be March 28^th at 7:00 in the Meinders Library conference room.  Please don’t hesitate to call the library for a copy of the next book, Quiet by Susan Cain.

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM – 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.

Spring is Coming!

Pipestone County Star  - 03-14-13

I can’t wait.  I’m already planning my garden and I won’t be planting for a couple of months yet, but that doesn’t seem to matter.  As I’ve said before, I get to this time of year and I can’t wait for it to get warm enough I can go outside barefoot.  So, since the groundhog says spring is coming, here are some books coming out in the next few months that people are probably waiting for!

APRIL

Whiskey Beach, Nora Roberts (April 16)

Bluff House sits high over the town of Whiskey Beach, guarding secrets.  To a Boston lawyer named Eli Landon, it’s home where he plans to center himself following a year of scrutiny as a suspect in a murder investigation.  At Bluff House, he finds Abra Walsh, a woman of many talents, who helps him gain control of his life again.  As they become entangled with each other, they find themselves also entangled in a net of secrets that could end in destruction.

The Hit, David Baldacci (April 23)

Will Robie is a professional killer and he is very, very good.  Called on by the US Government when they need a hitman, no one can match his talents – except for Jessica Reel.  And when Reel goes rogue and begins killing other agents, Robie is told to end the problem.  But is Reel the problem?  Or is she simply showing him the way to the REAL problem, one that could send shockwaves throughout the civilized world.

12^th of Never, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (April 29)

The next installment of the Women’s Murder Club brings a triple threat!  Lindsay has her baby in the midst of two crimes she can’t even imagine, a professor who swears he’s dreaming about a real murder and an NFL player who is prime suspect in a grisly killing.  When a murder is called in that matches the professor’s description, Lindsay is forced to think about his story.  But these two crimes will seem like nothing compared to what’s about to happen next…

MAY

The Pieces of Summer, Wanda Brunstetter (May 1)

This is part of Discovery – A Lancaster County Saga.  In this book, we will join up with Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus, a young Amish couple who are about to be faced with the greatest challenge of their lives.  These stories are heart-warming, inspirational, and fulfilling reads.

The Ophelia Cut, John Lescroart (May 7)

Dismas Hardy returns in this novel to defend his brother-in-law on murder charges for presumably killing the man who raped his daughter, Brittany.  Moses MacGuire, Hardy’s friend and brother-in-law, is the prime suspect with more evidence piling up every day.  And to top it off, he’s gone off the wagon, promising to make things even more interesting for his defender.  Hardy needs to figure out what is more important to him as he struggles to defend family and prevent secrets from coming out that could destroy his career.

The Inferno, Dan Brown (May 14)

If you enjoyed The Lost Symbol and Angels and Demons, then this is for you!  Robert Langdon returns to tackle a new puzzle, Dante’s Inferno, filled with riddle upon riddle that will lead him through secret passageways into futuristic sciences and insane puzzles.  Through it all, he must decide who to trust before the world as we know it changes for the worse.  I LOVED his other books and I am eager to see where this one takes us!

Happy Spring.  I know, it’s early, but humor me.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Saturday, March 16^th, we will have a special reader at the library at 2:00 to read books about St. Patrick’s Day!  Come and enjoy the fun!

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Give us a call to find out the date of the next meeting!

Book Club Reminder: The book club meets the last Thursday of the month.  Their next meeting will be March 28^th at 7:00 in the Meinders Library conference room.  Please don’t hesitate to call the library for a copy of the next book, Quiet by Susan Cain.

Winter Weather:  If the school closes early, Meinders Library will close a half hour later to allow time for all students to be picked up.  If the school is closed, usually the library is closed as well, though this is not always the case.  Call us if you are wondering.  If a travel advisory is issued by the Department of Transportation, the library will be closed.  All closing announcements are made over KLOH 1050.

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM – 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.

How to Love Your Library!

Libraries are private, non-profit organizations that depend on the support of individuals, corporations, and foundations to help ensure that libraries remain free to the millions of people who visit in person or via the web each year.  While government funding supports the basic operations of many of our nation’s libraries, there are still many more libraries that depend on contributions from private sources.

 Contribute at your library                                      

Consider a tax deductible gift to your library.  Many libraries have memorial programs, endowments, and other opportunities to support quality library services.  Some other ways you can contribute to your library are:

o   Donate your time, money and expertise to your library.

o   Nominate your library as your community, school, or corporate organization’s project for the year.

o   Buy your library a subscription to a popular magazine

o   Honor a friend or relative’s birthday with a book for the library.

o   Donate a book, or a whole shelf of books.

o   Remember your library in your estate planning.

o   Write a check to your library’s Foundation/Friends Group.

o   Give to the library through your company’s matching program for charitable giving.

 Be A Friend at your library

Join the Friends of the Library, a support group of volunteers who provide fundraising and other assistance for many libraries.  As a member, you will be kept informed of library funding issues.  If there is no Friends group, start one.  School, academic, and special libraries can all benefit from such groups.

o   Donate your used books for the Friends book sale.

o   Give the gift of membership to a friend or relative.

o   Use your skills to help with programs and fundraising events.

o   Find new resources for the Friends.

o   Develop and publish a Friends “Wish List” for potential donors.

o   Volunteer to work at the Friends Library booksale.

 Volunteer at your library

Volunteer your time.  Opportunities might include delivering reading materials to shut-ins, helping kids with homework after school, or being a “grandparent” reader to preschool children.  Other ways to volunteer include:

o   Offer a committed helping hand to your library’s staff.

o   Shelve books or nurture plants.

o   Clean up after emergencies.

o   Present an adult program.

o   Read stories to children or help with class visits.

o   Mend materials.

o   Help out Friends of the Library.

 Promote at your library

Research has shown that everyone loves libraries, but no one thinks about them very much.  That’s where you come in.  You don’t have to be a public relations expert to promote your library.  You just have to talk about your library.  Here are some ways to do it:

o   Attend local government meetings to urge city and county legislators to invest in libraries as a vital community resource, on that will save substantial tax dollars in helping people of all ages to be more literate and productive.

o   Support library referenda in elections.

o   Write to your state and federal legislators and demand that library service be viewed (and funded) as essential public services.

o   Urge school and college administrators for make library funding a high priority.

o   Write a letter to the editor of your newspapers or call in to a radio talk show to express your concern.  Share your concern with friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers.  Many people are not aware of the funding problems libraries are experiencing nationally – on in their own communities.  Encourage others to get involved.

o   If you are a writer or have contacts with the media, suggest a story about the many ways libraries serve their communities and the need for support.

o   Speak up for libraries at campus or community groups that your belong to, the PTA, Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, League of Women Voters, faculty groups, etc.  Invite your librarian to talk about services and needs.

o   Participate in Library Legislative Day activities.

Saint Valentine

Pipestone County Star 02-14-13

Valentine’s Day is the bane of men everywhere.  We all know that on February 14^th, we are supposed to shower our loved one with gifts, either flowers, chocolates, jewelry, or other appropriate things to show how much they mean to us.  But why?  And why February 14^th?

There are three possible Valentines that the Saint’s day is honoring.  One is Valentine of Rome, who was martyred around AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14^th.  His relics are in the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome and the Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.  The second possible Valentine is Valentine of Terni, who was a bishop said to be martyred under Emperor Aurelian around AD 197.  His remains are also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location from the other Valentine.  His relics were placed in the Basilica di San Valentino in Terni.  The third Valentine that was possibly honored by the Saint’s day is a Valentine who was martyred in Africa with several companions, but nothing else is known about him.  None of these three Valentines was associated with romance, but there are popular legends.

The best legend of all, and the possible reason for the day itself, was that Emperor Claudius II had made a decree that no young men could get married.  Supposedly, this was to swell his armies, since married men made terrible soldiers (keep in mind, this is the story, not the reality).  Saint Valentine, going against the wishes of the Emperor, performed marriages in secret, thus landing himself in jail when he was caught.  The night before he was to be executed, Valentine wrote a note to the girl who held his heart, signing it “From your Valentine.”  A good story, isn’t it?

Whatever the actual story or cause, Valentine’s Day has been around for centuries.  A High Court of Love was established in Paris in AD 1400, on Valentine’s Day, which dealt with love contracts, betrayals, and violence against women.  Valentine’s Day is referred to in Hamlet, written about by John Donne, and the earliest surviving valentine was written by a Duke imprisoned in the Tower of London following the Battle of Agincourt in AD 1415.  The traditional poem “Roses are red” can be traced back to Edmund Spencer’s “The Faerie Queene” (AD 1590) though the classic verse itself was not written until 1784, where it is found in a collection of English nursery rhymes.

The rose is red, the violet's blue
The honey's sweet, and so are you
Thou are my love and I am thine
I drew thee to my Valentine
The lot was cast and then I drew
And Fortune said it shou'd be you.

And here’s a numbers breakdown for you, for the more modern Valentine’s Day.   220,000 proposals occurred on Valentine’s Day in 2012 – 10% of the annual total.  65% of all gifts on Valentine’s Day come in the form of a greeting card.  72 million cards were purchased by parents last year, presumably to give to their children.  8 billion conversation hearts are manufactured each year and 15% of women will send flowers to themselves for the holiday.  And last, but not least, Americans spent $367 million dollars on their pets for Valentine’s Day.  I wonder if Fido appreciated that?

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Don’t eat too much chocolate.

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Give us a call to find out the date of the next meeting!

Book Club Reminder: The book club meets the last Thursday of the month, though they do not meet in December.  Their next meeting will be February 28^th at 7:00 in the Meinders Library conference room.  Please don’t hesitate to call the library for a copy of the next book, Defending Jacob by William Landay.

Winter Weather:  If the school closes early, Meinders Library will close a half hour later to allow time for all students to be picked up.  If the school is closed, usually the library is closed as well, though this is not always the case.  Call us if you are wondering.  If a travel advisory is issued by the Department of Transportation, the library will be closed.  All closing announcements are made over KLOH 1050.

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM – 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.