Library Card Sign Up

The Rice Lake Public Library wants to make sure that everyone in Rice Lake have the smartest card of all – a library card.

Public library programming and library materials make a difference in the lives of everyone. There are books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, digital databases, and computer access that allow people to relax, learn, and connect with other people.

A recent report found that the importance of libraries in American life continued to grow in 2010—and accelerated dramatically as the national economy sank and people looked for sources of cost-effective help in a time of crisis. In fact, 68 percent of American adults have a library card. Now more than ever, Americans turn to – and depend on – their libraries and librarians financial information, computer and Internet access, and, of course, books, movies and more.

Getting a library card is easy. There is a brief form to fill out, and we ask that you bring some form of ID with you. If your ID does not have your current address on it, please bring along a piece of mail like a bill as a proof of address. The library staff will put your information into the computer, and you can begin using your new card right away!

For more information on how to sign up for a library card, visit the Rice Lake Public Library at 2 E. Marshall St, call 715-234-4861 or visit the library online at www.rlpl.org.

Here are just some things you might enjoy from the library:

Movies:	Music:	Magazines:
Books (Fiction):	Books (Nonfiction):	Books (Childrens’):

Rural Poverty

Poverty can be found in not just the nameless man sleeping on a park bench, but also in women, family and children – each with stories of their own. They must make hard decisions about whether to pay their utilities bill, buy groceries, or keep their vehicle running. Many people who struggle with poverty actually work multiple jobs to try to make ends meet. 

Geography can play a unique role in how poverty affects people. The US Deparment of Health and Human Services estimate that 15% of Americans living in rural areas struggle with poverty. Rural poverty affects people differently than when it occurs in urban areas. For example, if someone is unable to pay for gas and lives miles from their job or services,  this can exacerbate an already difficult situation. They may be physically unable to walk or bike to their job, and there is no public bus to help them out. Also, geographic isolation can camouflage some of the problems that often accompany poverty such as drinking, or physical abuse.

Here are some books that discuss some reasons behind the existence of poverty in America:

Self-esteem and social condemnation is wrapped up in the complicated issue of poverty. Most people dislike its existence and abhor its effect upon our neighbors, relatives and friends. Poverty can seem overwhelming to its victims and those who combat it. Nonetheless, action by action, person by person, and community by community we can reduce its effects upon our nation.

What can we do to combat poverty? Here are ten ideas provided by the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force and the UW-Extension.

1. Learn more about poverty.
2. Suggest a book group read about poverty and discuss solutions.
3. Submit an Op-Ed to the local newspaper.
4. Lobby for a cap on interest rates charged for “payday loans.”
5. Support local farmers and improve the nutrition of residents in your community by linking local farms and schools and making local food accessible to those on Food Stamps.
6. Join Big Brothers or Big Sisters.
7. Patronize businesses that help the community. Does your physician or dentist do pro-bobo work for those less fortunate? Let them know you support their generosity.
8. Respond with kindness. Many people in crisis have lost their self-esteem and self-confidence. Living in poverty can be stressful and chaotic. Responding to people rather than ignoring or dismissing them can make quite a difference.
9. Contact your government representative and ask your friends and relatives to do the same. Whether a personal visit, telephone call, or letter, public officials will take note, especially if they recieve multiple contacts on the same issue.
10. Respect people in poverty as individuals. It is easy to have an attitude about people in poverty and to believe that your efforts and help won’t do any good. Think of the untapped potential that exist when individuals are offered opportunities like attending college, holding down a productive job, and knowing that a system of support exists for them. 

PageTurners Discuss “My Abandonment”

Caroline and her father live an alternative life style clandestinely  in a nature preserve outside of Portland, OR, in My Abandonment by Peter Rock. They live in an elaborate cave shelter, wash in a nearby creek, store perishables at the water’s edge, use a makeshift septic system, tend a garden, and even keep a library of sorts. Once a week they go to the city to buy groceries and otherwise merge with the civilized world. However, is it really an alternative lifestyle or is it a symptom of advancing paranoia and mental illness of the father?

This duo survives in the wild for four years until a simple mistake allows a jogger to discover their camp. Their lives are uprooted then as generous caregivers force them into a more civilized lifestyle. Based on a true story, this book will cause you to think about contemporary society, mental illness, and what you might do to survive.

The PageTurners Book Club discussed this book on Thursday, September 9. Nine people attended. Most people felt that the book left too many unanswered and unanswerable questions. One of the reasons for this opinion is the unreliable narrator. Despite the ambiguity, the consensus was that it was worth reading. The group gave it a 4.33 / 5 rating; the highest was a 5 / 5 and the lowest was a 4 / 5. The full rating guide can be found by clicking on the 4.5 Book icon below.

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“My Abandonment” by Peter Rock is available at the Rice Lake Public Library. It is available in regular print through the MORE System. Please visit the card catalog website, http://www.more.lib.wi.us, or call us at 234-4861 to reserve a copy today.

The PageTurners Book Club is sponsored by the Friends of the Rice Lake Public Library. It meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6 pm at the Rice Lake Public Library. Discussion lasts an hour; everyone is welcome.

New Books in September

Are you wondering what to read next? The following five books are published this month. The stories are diverse, but all have a common theme of second chances.

These books were discussed on WJMC 1240 AM with Sally B. on Wednesday, September 8 at 8:30 am.

Healer
By Carol Cassella
Addison and Claire Boehning seem to lead a charmed life. Addison is a brilliant biochemist who made his fortune by inventing a simple blood test that diagnosed ovarian cancer. Claire left her medical studies to be a mother. They live in an upscale Seattle neighborhood until the bottom drops out of their American dream. Addison’s research facility is discredited by unfavorable test results on a new drug and their backers pull out their money. The Boehnings are forced to sell their posh home and retreat to a fixer upper house in eastern Washington. Claire must resume her medical career while Addison searches for new investors. With little experience and no accreditation, Claire considers herself lucky to land a job at a free clinic for immigrants. Her experiences tending to these hardworking people cause her to question what she really wants from life and what it is worth to get it.

Mini-Shopaholic
By Sophie Kinsella
The latest book in Kinsella’s Shopaholic series features Becky Brandon as she continues her name-brand obsessed lifestyle. When she’s told that her family needs to economize due to economy woes, she responds by planning a surprise birthday party for her husband to cheer everybody up. However, economizing is just one of her concerns as she juggles her demanding toddler, the party rapidly going over budget and her faltering personal-shopping business.

Ape House
By Sara Gruen
The newest book by the acclaimed author of Water for Elephants. Journalist John Thigpen interviews lead linguistics researcher Isabel at the Great Ape Language Lab just prior to an explosion that rips apart the lab. The apes are kidnapped and sold to a movie producer who creates a reality tv show about these mysterious creatures. John and Isabel work together searching for the apes and hoping to free them from this exploitation.

The Widower’s Tale
By Julia Glass
Percy Darling, 70, the narrator of Glass’s fourth novel, takes comfort in certitudes: he will never leave his historic suburban Boston house, he is done with love (still guilty about his wife’s death 30 years ago), and his beloved grandson Robert, a Harvard senior, will do credit to the family name. This beautifully paced story in which certainties give way to surprising reversals of fortune. Glass handles the coalescing plot elements with astute insights into the complexity of family relationships, the gulf between social classes, and our modern culture of excess to create a dramatic, thought-provoking, and immensely satisfying novel.

Room
By Emma Donoghue
To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it’s where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.
Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it’s not enough…not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son’s bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Labor Day How To

Labor Day is Monday, September 6. The Rice Lake Public Library will be closed on this day to allow staff to celebrate the holiday and spend time with their families. Normal hours resume on September 7. In addition, the library will begin its Winter hours the weekend following Labor Day; the library will be open seven days a week, including Sundays!

Labor Day is a federal holiday that was first enacted in 1882 by President Grover Cleveland. It celebrates the strength and hard work of Americans. Many people consider Labor Day to signal the end of summer and the start of the American school year. Labor Day also marks the start of the NFL and college football seasons. Traditionally, it usually includes parades, festivals and civic speeches. Many people picnic, barbeque, set off fireworks, play in the water, and gather together to enjoy the holiday. 

Here are some books about BBQ:

Here are some books about relaxing:

Here are some books that have “Labor Day” in their title:

Have fun! Be safe! Enjoy Labor Day 2010!