NEWSLETTER FALL 2011

Online Reading Program for Teachers and Families
Thanks to support from the California State Library, the Yolo County Library has subscribed to a fun, new reading program that teachers, parents and children can access from home. Scholastic BookFlix pairs classic children’s’ books with related nonfiction books to build a love of reading and learning. BookFlix is specifically created to support beginning and reluctant readers,” said Yolo County Librarian Patty Wong. “It’s the perfect resource for independent reading practice at the library and at home.” Families and teachers can access Scholastic BookFlix via the Yolo County Library website: www.yolocountylibrary.org.

Yolo County Library Mobile Website
Yolo County Library has gone….mobile! You’re on the go more than ever and we want you to take us with you! As more and more are going to the Internet from their mobile devices, the Yolo County Library has optimized its online catalog and calendar for the small screens of smart phones and tablets with a mobile data application. Yolo County Library patrons can now use their smart phone or tablet to search the library’s online catalog for the hottest book or the coolest DVD and check their library account to see if the book, music or movie they requested is ready for pick up. Patrons can also view the Yolo County Library’s reading suggestions, read favorite newspaper without cutting down a tree and learns about special events at their local branch.

Visit the Yolo County Library’s mobile catalog and calendar by following the link at: www.yolocountylibrary.org.

WIC program to come to Yolo County Esparto Regional Library
Yolo County Library is working with the Yolo County Health Department to provide Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition services to Esparto area residents. Starting mid-October, WIC services will be available in the meeting room of the Esparto Regional Library. Please call the Esparto Regional Library at (530) 757-3426 for more information.

The Esparto Regional Library branch of the Yolo County Library list of continuing programs:
Bilingual pre-school Story Time: every Thursday morning at 10:00 am in the Wintun Room, featuring stories, finger-plays, songs and crafts. The English Conversation Class meets on Tuesdays, 1 – 2 pm, in the Wintun Room. All English learners welcome. Practice you English in a group setting.

The Teen Book Club meets once a month. Call for details.

The Senior Computer Class meets once a month. Call for details.

Please check the Yolo County Library web site: http://www.yolocountylibrary.org for special programs offered at all the Yolo County Libraries.

Got a PIN number? Create a PIN number with your library card which will allow patrons to search the library catalog and place a request on any circulating item in our collection.

Set up a preferred search to receive Email Alerts on your favorite authors or subjects on our website.

Sign up for our e-newsletters and get book suggestions by email. We’ll deliver recommended reading lists right to your inbox including new gems, bestsellers, and related titles. Information on how to do this is on our website.

Yolo County Library has a collection of downloadable audiobooks, videos, music and eBooks at http://yolocounty.lib.overdrive.com. Download materials to enjoy on your personal computer or portable device.

Yolo County Library offers a number of electronic databases featuring newspapers, electronic reference libraries, auto repair and test tutorials.

Come and visit your local Esparto Regional Library soon!

“Those autumn leaves, drift by our windows,
those autumn leaves of red and gold”.

Yes it is that beautiful time of year again! The weather turns mild and we are putting our gardens to bed. We are cleaning up, mulching against the cold to come, and raking leaves.
The ferl gardeners are putting out a call again this year for volunteers to help rake leaves! All of those beautiful trees that surround the library with shade all summer are shedding their leaves from now through the end of the year.

Mother nature does that so we can benefit from the winter sunshine. And every week we have thousands of leaves to rake and haul away. If you have an hour or two to spare each week, we meet every Thursday morning at 8:00am to rake leaves, and we would appreciate your assistance.

FERL GIFT BASKETS
FERL volunteers continue to make gift baskets available for your simple gifting needs. Tasteful baskets and containers are assembled with a book and related items and wrapped in cellophane to make a nice presentation. These baskets are perfect for a thank you or welcome home gift, Congratulations or office party gift. The baskets vary in size and are priced from $15 - $35. When paired with a FERL note card, you can eliminate a special trip out of town and support your neighborhood library.

Seventeenth Annual Harvest Dinner

November 13, 2011
1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.
Alice Marsh Hall
Esparto High School

Seventeen years ago, the Friends of the Esparto Regional Library (FERL) were thinking of ways to raise money to support their library. FERL member, Helen Voss, suggested a fundraising idea used successfully by her mother’s church in Texas: A traditional turkey dinner with everything homemade. Families could order their dinners ahead of time and pick them up at the church or join other families for turkey dinner in the social hall. So began the warm tradition of enjoying a community home-cooked turkey dinner prepared and served by the Friends of the Esparto Regional Library from 1995 until the present.

Ethel Emrick recalls that in the early days, members maintained a thrift store in the VFW Hall, sold root beer floats on the corner near the Esparto Fire Department, and during the Capay Almond Festival, arrived early and sold coffee and donuts out of a little red wagon to vendors while they set up their booths.

The Friends raffled a donated quilt and doll house, held Appraisal Days for antiques, and a Wine and Cheese Tasting held in the library along with a popular Children’s Art Show. Best of all, they began a Capital Campaign in 1990 to construct a building to house the library outside of the high school. The Esparto Regional Library opened its doors in December, 1999.

The Friends of the Esparto Regional Library continue to sponsor three favorite community events: The Harvest Dinner in November, the Children’s Shopping Day in December, and the Almond Festival Book Sale in March.

Crafters Wanted for Harvest Dinner, November 13!

The Friends of the Esparto Library will be holding their annual Harvest Dinner on November 13, from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M., at Alice Marsh Hall, Esparto High School. The fee for crafters' tables is $10, one table and two chairs can be provided. The expected attendance for this traditional turkey dinner, craft show, and raffle is 200 people.

BOOK NOOK

Your donations of clean, gently used or new books, magazines, movies and music, are on display at the Book Nook for purchase. The proceeds from those generous donations and sales are used to help fund children’s summer programming at the Esparto library and to purchase more new books and movies for our library.
The Book Nook also has for sale: READ T-shirts, note cards and gift baskets. Stop by and check us out.
Long winter evenings are coming, lots of time to curl up with a good book or to relax with a movie.

CHILDREN'S SHOPPING DAY

One of the magic events of the holiday season is the Friends of the Esparto Library Children's Shopping Day. This event is sponsored by the Esparto PTA with assistance from the Esparto Lyon's Club and is designed for children 12 and under to be able to shop for gently used items to give as holiday gifts. These items are priced from a mere 25 cents to $1.00. All proceeds benefit our local Friends of the Esparto Library. The Shopping Day is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 11, from 10 am - 1 p.m. at the Esparto Elementary School Cafeteria. Children need to bring a sheet of sticky gift labels, labeled with the names of the individuals they are shopping for. No adults are allowed to accompany the young shoppers inside. However, this year the Capay Valley Farmers Market Foundation is working on having a small market outside for the parents while the children are shopping.

In order to make this shopping day a success, your generous donations are needed. Esparto Elementary School will be open on Saturday, Dec. 10th from 1-3 pm to accept donations of scotch tape, wrapping paper, gift labels, gift boxes, gift bags, and gently used items for shoppers to purchase. Won't you take a moment to sort through your unused treasures to find items that children would like to select as gifts for others? Small tools (men are always hard to shop for!), jewelry, games, stuffed animals, and nice kitchenware have been popular items in previous years. Donations will also be accepted by the Friends.

We will some volunteers on Dec. 10th to sort donations and also on Dec. 11 from 9:30-1:30, to wrap presents and help guide little tikes through the shopping maze. Donations of Snacks for the volunteers on Dec. 11 are also appreciated. Please contact the Friends if are available to help. Community Service hours certificates will be distributed to volunteers.

Thank you for your help! See you at Children's Shopping Day!

ARE YOU CARDED?

Have you ever been going to write a get well note or a sympathy card and found that you didn’t have any? How about that last minute birthday or congratulatory card? Well FERL has the perfect solution! A ready supply of all occasion cards are available for you to choose from at the library. The cards have a variety of scenes from the Esparto Library garden and are the perfect complement for any gift, and because they are blank on the inside for your personal message, appropriate for any occasion. They are of good quality paper stock and the proper size for the U.S. mail. The cards are available through the Book Nook and may be purchased individually for $1.25 from the librarian.

NUGGET MARKET SCRIP CARDS

FERL has re-activated their account with Nugget Market and Food 4 Less for Scrip Cards. The new Scrip Card system is faster and easier to use. These are the benefits: The Scrip Card may be used for all purchases at all Nugget Markets and Food 4 Less in Woodland and local area. Scrip Cards are available at the Library, register the card on-line designating FERL as the beneficiary to activate. Multiple cards may be registered under one family name, so cumulative monthly purchases will earn a greater percentage. Family monthly purchases up to $300 = 1% donation; $301 - $500 = 2% donation; $501 - $600 = 3% donation; over $600 = 4% donation. This is a great way for your family to donate to FERL to benefit the Esparto library, by just doing your regular grocery shopping. The monthly donation we receive from Nugget/Food 4 Less, is used to fund open hours for the library, books and programming. And remember the new cards need NO PRELOADING! Stop by the library and pick one up and give it a try. OR when you renew your FERL membership, indicate on your form your desire for a Scrip card, and we will send one to you with your membership!

2012 HOLIDAY MEMORIAL TREE

Do you have that special relative who is very difficult to gift for? Is there an anniversary of a loving couple you would like to acknowledge in a very caring way? Is there a co-worker who has gone the extra mile or a teacher who gave you the inspiration at just the right time? Perhaps you would like to honor or remember these special folks with a public remembrance on the Esparto Library Memorial Tree.

The Friends will once again grace the Esparto Library with a holiday memorial tree. On Saturday, December 3, FERL will decorate the tree with Memorial ornaments and lights in honor or in memory of our loved ones. An ornament with the honoree’s name is $25.00 and a light for an honoree is $10.00. The decorated tree will be in the lobby of the library for the month of December and when dissembled, the ornaments will be available to the donating party.

PARTNERS IN HOURS

FERL pays for 600 open library hours each year. You can help by donating and becoming a ‘Partner in Hours’ for as little $25. Categories are listed below. Choose the level that fits your budget.

$ 25.00 - $ 124.99 Copper
$125.00 - $ 249.99 Bronze
$250.00 - $ 624.99 Silver
$650.00 - $2499.99 Gold
$2500.00 or more Platinum