From the director’s desk

Whitehall Township Public Library’s

September–

October 2015

Volume 3, #5 In this issue:

2 TAB: for teens &

tweens

2 Genealogy over-

view

2 Tell me a story!

2 Ghost tales of

the Lehigh Valley

3 Third Monday

Open Mic & Jam

3 Library closings

3 Plan ahead!

3 How to sell on

eBay

3 Peaceable King-

dom

4 Meet the staff!

4 Notes

4 Whitehall Fall

Festival

Irreglar

A bimonthly

publication of the Whitehall

Township Public Library,

3700 Mechanicsville Road,

Whitehall, PA 18052

Phone: 610/432-4339

Web:

http://www.whitehallpl.org

We had a wonderful and hectic summer reading program this year, with 238 children and 36 adults actively participat-ing. Total books read? 5,925! Good job, all! Now, we’re gearing up to handle the questions and requests that quickly fol-low the return of students and teachers to school. We’re also moving on to fall programs and activi-ties for everyone! Some folks are doing their fall cleaning and will want to toss things. I may be able to help them with my “How to Sell on eBay” session at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 12. We will go through the basics of taking photos, writing descriptions, and listing items on eBay. The Whitehall Township Public Library is open 65 hours a week, but there will be times when you need information but our building is closed. You aren’t out of luck! If you have a current WTPL library card, a computer, and Internet access, you can log into one of the 24 online databases we have available when we are closed. We are offering programs that will show you how easy it is to access these databases, and what is accessible to you.

programs are free and open to the public, and we invite you to attend any of them and have a great time! At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, SAGE will perform here. This musical duo plays music that ranges from classic to contem-porary rock, blues, and pop. On Thursday, Sep-tember 24, at 7 p.m., ffourtissimo, a local barbershop quartet, will be here to present “This Is the 60s.” Mark your calendars now for our annual book sale, to be held Thurs-day–Saturday, Novem-ber 19–21. Good books, great prices — how can you go wrong?

— Patty Vahey

Quick! “Neither snow,

nor rain, nor gloom of

night” begins the motto

of what institution? If you

answered “the U.S.

Postal Service, you’re

wrong (but you have a lot

of company!). The quota-

tion is from the Greek

historian Herdotus, and

while it is inscribed on

the General Post Office

in NYC, it isn’t the USPS

motto. Fact is, the USPS

doesn’t have a motto.

POWER Library, one of these databases, is an online portal to all that Pennsylvania libraries offer to Pennsylvania resi-dents. Here you can find reliable information on health care, consumer purchases, personal finances, etc. Please join us on one of the two days (Tuesday, September 15, at 11 a.m., and Wednes-day, September 16, at 6 p.m.) when we will be demonstrating how to use POWER Library. On Saturday, October 10, at 10 a.m., we will be reviewing our genealogy resources. We have Heri-tage Quest and Ances-try and will be showing patrons how to do basic searches and find family information online. Are you a history buff? A genealogist? Someone who likes digging around in old photos? Join us as we explore the American past. On Thursday, Octo-ber 15, at 6:30 p.m., we will have Patrick Con-nelly, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), here to talk about how to find info at NARA. Join us for this entertaining pro-gram on searching “The Nation’s Attic”! We are also continuing our music programs in celebration of the 50th

anniversary of this library’s founding. These

Board of

Trustees

Fiscal Year

2015–2016 Joe Ebner

Michael T. Ger-

ould, President

Helga Grunmann,

Secretary

Lisa Harms

Kyle Kern

Judith Ott

Colleen Webster

Director:

Patty Vahey

Anne L. Morris,

writer/editor, &

library staffers

Chris Andrews,

Andrea Hargrove,

Jim Gilbert,

Lorraine Santaliz

& Patty Vahey

Bits & pieces

Page 2 Volume 3, #5

Tell me a story!

Irregu-

Are you curious about your family? Do you know who your grandparents’ grandparents were? Would you like know where your ancestors lived? We’re offering two free classes that will help you start (or continue) searching for the answers to your genealogy questions. In these two pres-entations — one on Saturday, October 10, 10 a.m.–noon, and the other on Thursday, October 29, 6–8 p.m. — you’ll be introduced to several re-sources available for family research. We will discuss some of the databases that are located on the library’s home page (http://www.whitehallpl. org), including Ancestry Online and Heritage Quest. We will also introduce you to some other websites you may find helpful.

Genealogy overview

TAB: for teens + tweens

“TAB” is an acronym for “Teen Advisory Board,” the impres-sive group of students who plan and prepare many of the events offered at the library for

children, tweens, and teens. Monthly meetings (with

snacks!)are held on Saturdays from 1:30–3 p.m. This is when TAB members present ideas, make suggestions, plan, and organize programs and events throughout the year. (Please note that preparations for pro-grams and participation in events may take place on days other than Saturdays and at times other than 1:30–3 p.m.) Summer participation is en-

Students wanting to become TAB members should be in grades 7–12 and have up-to-date WTPL library cards with no fines outstanding. A current email address and text mes-saging capabilities are useful for keeping informed. See our website — http:// www. whitehallpl.org/kids-and-teens.html — for more information. An application for prospective members can be found on our website and can also be requested at our front desk. You may also contact Lorraine Santaliz, youth ser-vices librarian, at 610/432-4339 x209 or via email at santalizl@whitehallpl.org. The next TAB meetings will be on September 5 and October 3.

Story times are favorites with both children and their grownups. WTPL’s story times resume in September and are open to all. Advance registration is required for preschool and toddler story times. No registration is needed for family story times — just drop in! Registration begins on Tuesday, September 8. Toddler story times for ages 18–36 months: 6 Thursdays, October 1–November 5, 10:30 a.m. (Note: Adults must stay with their child[ren] during toddler story times.) Preschool story times for ages 37 months–6 years: 8 Tuesdays, September 22–November 10, 10:30 a.m. 8 Wednesdays, September 23–November 11, 1 p.m. Family story times for all ages: 8 Wednesdays, September 23–November 11, 7 p.m. You may register at the library in person, online (www.whitehallpl.org) or by calling 610/432-4339

The WTPL library board and staff extend their sincere gratitude to Joshua, Dean Roth and their family. With extra help from local Boy Scouts, they completed a picnic area at the library to fulfill

Josh’s service requirement for Eagle Scout rank.

Thank you! Ghost tales of the Lehigh Valley Charles J. Adams III, local author and keeper of ghostly and paranormal lore, will appear at the library at 7:13 p.m. on Thursday, October 22,

to tell tales of the supernatural. Prepare to suspend all disbelief! Following his talk, he will be available for book sales and signing.

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month! Your library card can unlock a wealth of programs and resources not other-wise available to you. Come on in or call us at 610/432-4339 and find out how easy it is to get a library card of your own!

Volume 3, #5 Page 3

Third Monday Open Mic & Jam Perform a little improv? Dance? Compose and/or recite poetry? Sing? Then, please — share your talent with the rest of us! On Monday, September 21,

and Monday, October 19, Earl Andrews will again host our Open Mic Night, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. Signup begins at 6:15 p.m., with slots available on a first-

come, first-served basis. There are just two rules for would-be performers: (1) Your act must be family-friendly, and (2) it must be limited to three songs or 15 minutes. And if you don’t sing (other than in the shower)? Well, every performer needs an audi-ence. Come and be a part of ours!

Psst! Here’s a secret that’s too good to keep to ourselves! Co-hosting with Earl on Sep-tember 21 will be Stephen Christopher, host of “Rocking the Valley,” an Internet radio show featuring local musicians. (You can find the show’s blog at www.rockingthevalley.com.) It’s our understanding that the show will be podcast live!

How to sell on eBay

September 12

10 a.m.–noon

In a repeat of this popular program, Library Director Patty Vahey will present the basics of eBay use. Learn how to list your items, ship them, and get paid.

Library closings Plan ahead! The Whitehall Township Public Library is scheduled for two closings in September and October: Monday, September 7 — Labor Day Friday, October 16 — staff training day Just because we will be closed, however, doesn’t mean you won’t have access to library resources. If you visit our home page (http://www. white-hallpl.org), you’ll find a row of Internet “buttons” on the right side. These represent data-bases that can be accessed from almost anywhere, if you have Internet access and the number on your up-to-date WTPL library card.

will take you to TumbleBooks-Library, a site that offers story-books, videos, puzzles, games, and so much more. These resources are meant for kids from birth– 5th grade. The TumbleBookCloud button

will allow you to have a one-on-one online conversation with a librarian. This service is avail-able 24/7. Have a reference question? “Ask Here PA!”

Clicking here

will give you access to the past five days’ of The Morning Call, plus articles from 28 other me-dia sources. (Of course, clicking on The Morning Call button will also take you to The Morning Call.) Do you have kids who want (or need) to read a book while we’re closed? Clicking on this

provides resources for kids in grades 3–6. Clicking on

For example, clicking on this

will bring you to a collection of digital magazines, including “100 Decorating Ideas,” “Back- packer,” “Car and Driver,” “Diabetic Living,” “ESPN,” “Forbes,” ”Guitar Player’,” “Hot Rod” — and the list goes on. The magazines are free to bor-row, and there is no need to return them. There are more Internet resources to explore on our home page. Discover the many ways we can help you when the building is open — and even when it’s not!

Irregu-

will help if you need something suitable for a teen or middle school student, while Tumble-BookCloudJunior

The library continues to help the Whitehall Lions Club collect sup-plies for this local animal shelter. What’s needed? New toys, clean towels, food, and more. Please contact the library for specifics.

Peaceable Kingdom

“The Ark was built by amateurs

and the Titanic by experts. Don’t

wait for experts.” — Murray Cohen

Whitehall Fall Festival

Meet the staff!

Irregu-Volume 3, #5 Page 4

Some of our staff work mostly in the library’s back rooms and some mostly in the library proper, but even our most frequent patrons probably don’t know much about any of us and what we do! Let’s intro-duce you to two of us now: Cheryl Jones replied to a Morning Call ad for a part–time library desk clerk and has now been at WTPL for more than 18 years. (This job was in addition to her “real” job as a full-time nurse, from which she recently retired.) Cheryl recalls the time when a boy needed books on snowy owls and remembers as well the look of joy on his face when she helped him find them. That was the transcendent moment when she knew she had the right job. Cheryl was born in Bethlehem, attended the University of Mary-land, and lived in New Hampshire before moving back to the Lehigh Valley. Her passion is riding

her horse, Doc, as well as painting, drawing, and reading. Jim Gilbert also saw a newspaper ad, this one for a systems librarian position at WTPL, and since he was working on his master of library science degree at the time, he knew the job would be a perfect fit. That was 10 years ago. Jim is a Lehigh County native and a product of the

Parkland School District. Not only is he a whiz with computers, but he also has a pilot’s license and is an amateur genealogical researcher, a prize-winning photographer, and very knowledgeable about NASA. He likes to read spy thrillers, especially those by Tom Clancy. Always busy, Jim also works part time as a librarian at Cedar Crest College and volunteers at the Woodlawn Fire Company.

Looking ahead T The Knitting Guild will meet at the library on

Thursday, September 3, and Thursday, October 1, at 6 p.m. The library will be closed on September 7 and on Friday, Octo-ber 16. The board of trustees will

meet at the library at 7 p.m. on Thurs-day, September 10, and on Thursday, October 8. As always, the public is invited to attend. Friends of the Library will meet at 10 a.m. on

Friday, September 11, and on Friday, October 9. Come to a meeting and

consider becoming a Friend! (Please note the time change.) … Movie Night will be held at

6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, on Tuesday, October 20. The movie for Septem-ber is “Strange Magic”; for October, “Scooby Doo

and Kiss”: Rock and Roll Mystery.” Both movies are PG.

Some of our children’s programs require prior registration; some are limited by age; and all of them require participating young children to be accompanied by a parent or other responsible person. We suggest that you phone us at 610/432-4339, speak with a staff member, or visit our website (http://www.whitehallpl.org), if you wish to learn what, if any, limits exist for whatever program interests you. This newsletter may not reflect all of our pro-grams for September and October. Consult our calendars, check our website, look for us in a local paper, or call the library to learn what else might be happening.

Notes

There’s a new festival coming to the Whitehall area, and it promises to put a new slant on such events. Produced by The Whitehall Chamber of Commerce and The Epicenter Consulting, LLC, the festival “will give area businesses, organizations, and the general community an op-portunity to network and socialize,” according to the festival’s P.R. “The event will be free to the public but there will be refreshments and other items that may be pur-chased. It will, also, include booths and presentations as well as performances by local groups and bands.” Part of the proceeds will benefit the Whitehall Area Chamber Foundation. The festival will be held on October 10, noon–5 p.m., at Whitehall High School. The organizers would welcome donations and volunteers. Want to contribute something or participate? Contact Alfonso Todd of The Epicenter Consulting, LLC, at 484/619-6541.