the maxinkuckee reedone written by authors john green, maureen johnson, and lauren myracle. the...
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The Maxinkuckee Reed
Quarterly Newsletter of the Culver-Union Township Public Library
“The mission of the Culver-Union Twp. Public Library is to serve the diverse needs of
our communities through the sharing of library resources and services in a
welcoming atmosphere."
Winter 2016 Volume 6, Issue 4
Editor: Dana Thomas
A reader has
recently inquired
why we named
our quarterly
Newsletter The
Maxinkuckee
Reed. To answer
this question, this
small town library
located near the
most beautiful Lake in all of Indiana
shines the spotlight on this [slightly
updated] copy from the first issue of The
Maxinkuckee Reed. Think Lake, Library,
books; it’s summer 2010 and the
spotlight reveals a bit about the why
behind the name of our then-brand-new
Newsletter:
Read the Reed
Welcome to the inaugural issue of
Culver-Union Township Public Library’s
quarterly Newsletter, The Maxinkuckee
Reed. As we begin this new venture I
would like to say a few words about our
Newsletter’s name. As you may know, a
reed is a type of grass which grows in
wetland areas, and was once found in
abundance around our beautiful Lake
Maxinkuckee. There are many kinds of
reeds: a certain type has been used since
ancient times to make reed pens which
are used for writing on papyrus. Papyrus
itself was made from a variety of reed
found particularly in ancient Egypt, and
our English word “paper” comes from the
word “papyrus.” Spanning a period of
more than 3,500 years, almost every
“book” in the libraries of ancient Egypt,
Greece and Rome was a papyrus scroll.
Today at YOUR Library we simply move
from “reed” to “read” and present you
with this Newsletter.
Our Newsletter’s name brings
together our Lake, our Library and our
access to books, and The Reed continues
its mission to inform and celebrate; this
winter 2016 issue is no exception. In its
pages you will find Patron Reviews by
Dianne Johnson, who looks at Skipping
Christmas, authored by John Grisham,
and Angie Nelligan, who examines The
Boys in the Boat written by Daniel James
Brown; Librarian Laura Jones reviews Jodi
Picoult’s Small Great Things.
Regular columns are also here for
you, including “Tech News” by Andrew
Baker, “Children’s Room Update” by Jill
Gavlick and “CUTPL Friends’ Update” by
Friends’ President Rebecca Nifong.
Our long-running “Meet the Staff”
column continues (that inaugural issue
included an interview with Clerk Shirley
Gut, who after 21 years of service
continues to bring her unique skills to the
Library). Our featured employee in this
issue is Youth Services Clerk Erin Bendy;
be sure and meet Erin in these pages.
Editor Dana Thomas announces
upcoming Library events which include
our winter reading program with its
theme “Book Your Winter Reading
Getaway at CUTPL” and Dana joins with
Polly Thompson Wolf to tell us about
2017 Book Club News.
As we said in our first edition, The
Reed is available in print at the Library
and online at our website. Dana also
promotes it and makes it accessible
through our social media outlets. As we
begin our seventh year of publication we
are confident that you enjoy learning
more about your Library! Books are no
longer made of papyrus; we offer paper,
audio and electronic books; our mission is
to encourage literacy. So with your tablet
or with a paper copy in hand, curl up in
front of the fireplace and enjoy reading
this latest issue of The Reed!
107 North Main Street - Culver, IN 46511 - Phone: 574-842-2941 - Fax: 574-842-3441
Email: [email protected] Website: www.culver.lib.in.us Hours: Monday-Thursday 9-8, Friday 9-6, Saturday 9-4, Closed Sunday
The Director’s Spotlight by Colleen McCarty
Review of 2016
Many upgrades have taken place for
IT operations over the course of 2016.
We now have a much faster 100 Mbps
fiber optic Internet connection, all new
network switches, and all new wireless
access points.
The new Internet connection is 10
times faster than a year ago, and the new
network switches are much faster and
more power efficient than the equipment
they have replaced. More wireless access
points will result in better speeds and
coverage throughout the entire building.
All of these changes combined result
in a great increase in network
performance and Internet access speeds
for staff and patron usage.
In the next several sections are some
details of some of our technology
objectives for the year 2017.
Computer Lab Upgrades
The computer lab will be upgraded in
2017 to offer much faster service to our
patrons. Estimates indicate that the
number of computers available will be
between 8 and 10. Computer operating
speeds will increase, as well as overall
energy efficiency of computer lab
operations.
Staff Computer Upgrades
Staff computers also will be
upgraded in 2017, resulting in increased
staff productivity, plus improved service
to patrons. The number of staff
computers is expected to remain close to
the current number of systems installed.
Free Computer Classes
Free computer classes are not
scheduled for December and will resume
in January.
Some new classes may be created in
2017, depending on attendance and time
available to generate new content.
Upcoming Thursday Tech Times
The new Thursday Tech Time
schedule for 2017 will be published in
December. Several new topics will be
made available as part of the 2017
schedule.
Tech News by Andrew Baker
Page 2 Volume 6, Issue 4
Patron Review by Dianne Johnson
Skipping Christmas
by John Grisham
Skipping Christmas is not a book I
would expect from master writer John
Grisham. I chose it based on its cover -
another check off on my summertime
reading bingo.
Luther and Nore Krank decide to
“not do Christmas” the year their
daughter leaves for the Peace Corps in
Peru. Instead of spending over $6000 on
gifts, parties, trees, decorations, etc.,
they decide to spend the money instead
on a Caribbean cruise.
The story chronicles the difficulties of
saying “No” to all the Christmas hype and
merchandising, from calendars to fund
raisers to fruitcakes, to excessive outdoor
(and indoor) decorations, to Frosty the
Snowman, rooftop decorations on the
entire subdivision… you get the idea. In
the short 177 pages, there are some
funny ways Mr. and Mrs. Krank fend off
the Christmas commercial activities.
About half way through the book, I
realized there had been a movie made
from this book, “Christmas with the
Kranks” was the title, and it was better
than the book.
When the Krank’s daughter calls to
tell her folks about her surprise visit
home - with a new Peruvian fiancé - the
fun really begins. In 6 hours they go from
“No Christmas” back to a big fancy
shindig complete with gifts and feats.
The book is short, easy to read, and
funny in many places. The Christmas
cover is pretty, too.
Tell us what you think! Book
reviews are always welcome.
It is my pleasure this winter to
introduce you to Erin Bendy. Erin began
volunteering at CUTPL in June of 2016
and by the next month she was hired as a
clerk in Youth Services.
Culver has always been home to
Erin, as such, it comes as no surprise that
spending summers on our beautiful Lake
Maxinkuckee is her favorite thing about
the area. Erin plans to attend college in
the fall and major in creative writing.
In her free time, Erin enjoys reading,
writing, playing piano, and spending time
with her family and friends. She has
enjoyed being a manager for the CCHS
volleyball team, and being involved in the
school musicals.
Erin is an active member of the
popular and growing Young Adult Book
Club at CCHS, sponsored by CUTPL’s
Friends of the Library, and she was
elected to serve as the President of the
club this school year.
An avid reader, Erin gravitates
towards the Young Adult genre, but will
“read anything she can get her hands
on.” She loves Disney movies, movie
musicals, and the accompanying
soundtracks.
While at CUTPL, Erin loves helping
patrons find what they’re looking for.
Without a doubt, she is a fantastic
addition to our CUTPL family. Next time
you’re in, please say hi to Erin, and don’t
hesitate to ask her for help. She’s a
wonderful resource in the children’s
room and would be happy to help you.
Meet the Staff Erin Bendy, Youth Services Clerk
Page 3 Volume 6, Issue 4
Patron Review by Angie Nelligan
Join a Library Book Club! A Novel Approach: First Wednesday of the month at 12:00 PM
Fresh Picked: Second Wednesday of the month at 1:00 PM
New Books Every Month! All are welcome to join.
The Boys in the
Boat
by Daniel James
Brown
OMG - This is one of the best books
I’ve read in a long time. It’s the amazing
story of the nine young men from the
University of Washington who won the
gold medal at the 1936 Olympics in
Berlin.
Can you imagine 9 men - 8 of whom
are pretty large in a 62 foot long vessel
that is only 24 inches wide and they are
in constant motion - moving as one under
the direction of the 9th man, the
coxswain? This story focuses on one
young man - Joe Rantz and all the
hardships he endured growing up - yet he
persisted - never giving up.
I never knew anything about the
sport of rowing - how they are in
constant motion and moving as one
person in the water. There’s a chapter
about George Pocock, the famous British
boat designer, which details how he built
their shell “The Husky Clipper.” I found
this very interesting. I also learned about
Al Ulbrickson, head coach of The
University of Washington rowing
program, who taught them to really
believe in themselves and one another
and that they were capable of greatness.
Editor’s note: If you enjoyed the
book, check out the
documentary The Boys of ‘36.
We are so excited to share with you
some of the entertaining programs we
have offered in the Children’s Room this
fall.
In August we welcomed local author
Kathy Smart. Kathy is the author of
Melvin – a children’s picture book about
a Sandpiper with a disability who
overcomes being bullied. We are so
thankful to Kathy for visiting and
spreading such a wonderful message
through her children’s book.
In the fall we collaborated with
Culver Community’s Fall Festival in
offering a Jenga Tournament to children
ages 6-18 years of age. Winners received
an iTunes gift card thanks to Culver
Coffee Company and Unlocked Creativity.
A life-size Jenga was used for the finalists
to compete for the grand prize – thanks
to The Lakehouse Grille.
Most recently we celebrated
Halloween at the library. Our regular
Tuesday morning storytime turned into a
Halloween Party! Children arrived
dressed in their favorite costume, while
Miss Jill, Miss Erin, and Miss Kristen read
spooky stories, and led them in games
and crafts. We also welcomed all three of
Wesley Preschool’s classes and Max’s
Daycare to the library for a Halloween
storytime after they finished their annual
trick or treating to local businesses.
The Youth Services Department’s
Young Adult Book Club meets every
Thursday morning at Culver Community
High School. There are currently 27
students participating. Coming up on our
reading list is Let It Snow, three stories in
one written by authors John Green,
Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle.
The Friends of the Library generously
purchase each book, which allows the
students to receive and keep a copy of
every title throughout the year.
Programs to look forward to this
winter:
Storytime and Caroling at Miller’s
Merry Manor in Culver – Saturday,
December 3, starting at 9am. All are
welcome to follow Miss Jill back to
the Library for our Holiday Open
House. Santa will be visiting the
Library from 10am-12pm.
Open craft night for the holidays,
Monday, December 12, from 5pm-
7pm.
Sign-up now at the Library - 15
children K-6th grade will win a FREE
spot in I am an Artist program. This
event will be on Saturday, January
28, from 10am-12pm at the Library.
Completely funded by The Friends of
the Library.
Continue to watch the Culver-Union
Township Public Library Youth Service
page on Facebook for updates on our
future programs. All programs are free
and open to the public.
Children’s Room Update by Jill Gavlick
Page 4 Volume 6, Issue 4
Connect with CUTPL on Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, Google Plus, Blogger and Tumblr.
Page 5 Volume 6, Issue 4
Patron Review by Laura Jones, http://librarianlaura.com/
Small Great Things
by Jodi Picoult
I love Jodi Picoult’s novels because
they usually tackle a time relevant and
profoundly sensitive issue, causing
readers to step back and take a look at
things from different points of view.
Small Great Things is written in the same
manner, but this time Picoult explores
the heavily debated and recently
newsworthy issues of prejudice, race, and
justice. This is one of my favorite Picoult
novels, ranking up near the top with
Change of Heart and The Storyteller.
On a routine shift in the labor and
delivery ward at Mercy-West Haven
Hospital where Ruth Washington has
been a nurse for 20 years, her life
changes dramatically based upon a family
member’s request. Ruth is assigned to
postpartum care of the mother and
routine infant care for the Bauer family,
who she quickly learns are white
supremacists. Ruth happens to be the
only black nurse on the ward, and the
Bauers request that she not be allowed
to care for their infant son solely because
of the color of her skin. Though hurt and
embarrassed by the hospital’s actions in
not allowing her to care for a patient
despite her stellar work record, Ruth tries
to move on and focus on caring for
patients, for which she is more
than capable. However, when Davis
Bauer goes into cardiac arrest after a
routine procedure, Ruth is the only one in
the room with him. She hesitates,
knowing that she has been forbidden to
touch the child, but ends up performing
CPR and trying to save Davis’s life.
Tragically, Davis Bauer dies. As expected,
Turk and Brittany Bauer are out for
justice and revenge, believing that Ruth
Washington is the sole reason their son
perished. Ruth finds herself on trial with
a white public defender who has not
yet defended anyone in a murder trial.
Ruth’s husband passed away 10 years
prior while on military duty, leaving her
the sole provider for their son Edison,
now a high school student working hard
to get into college and be successful. An
overly independent woman, she
must learn to trust and lean on Kennedy,
her lawyer, if she wants to be around for
her son’s future.
Kennedy McQuarrie begs her boss to
take on Ruth’s case, in part because she
wants the challenge of her first murder
trial, but also because there is something
about Ruth which Kennedy can’t shake.
She knows in her heart that Ruth, a nurse
who took the Florence Nightingale pledge
and cares deeply for her patients, would
not deliberately cause the death of an
infant. Though she has hundreds of
public defender cases open and precious
little time, Kennedy throws herself into
Ruth’s case with a new fervor, and in the
process learns a lot about Ruth, but even
more about herself. Kennedy claims that
she doesn’t see color, and believes blacks
and whites to be equal. She cautions
Ruth from bringing up race in the trial,
knowing that it will blow any chance of
an acquittal. Even though race is the sole
reason for the unfortunate tragedy and
the underlying reason Ruth is on trial,
Kennedy is scared to bring the issue to
light in front of the media and jury. As
she spends more time with Ruth,
Kennedy begins to notice so many things
Ruth faces that she would have never
noticed before. Readers will be proud of
the way Kennedy “grows up” during the
course of the story. I know I was.
All in all, this is a wonderful story
about human connection, no matter the
color of one’s skin. The ending had me
teared up, but smiling because the
outcome from such an ugly, unfortunate
situation turned into something truly
beautiful when the final chapter came to
a close. The story shows that one person
can cause a ripple which can lead to a
tidal wave. It only takes a small, great
thing to start a change that can affect a
great many people.
Picoult does a fabulous job of
showing the perspective of two very
different sides of racial equality and
prejudice. The story progresses back and
forth between Ruth, Kennedy, and Turk
Bauer. Picoult’s author notes at the end
of the story are not to be missed. She
explains why she wanted to write a story
about race, why she waited so long to do
so, and about the real life situation she
used as background for Small Great
Things. The research she completed for
the story is phenomenal and much
appreciated.
The title of the book references a
quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “If I
cannot do great things, I can do small
things in a great way.” The characters in
this story certainly did small things in a
great way, as did Jodi Picoult by writing
this story. Picoult notes that she will get
push-back for this story, both from white
people and people of color. She knew it
wouldn’t be easy or fun, but she wrote
the novel “because the things that make
us most uncomfortable are the things
that teach us what we all need to know.”
Well said, Jodi Picoult. I am very grateful
you wrote Small Great Things and I truly
believe it will change the perspectives of
many readers.
Temperatures have dropped, the
fireplace is on, and soon the tree will be
up and trimmed by the Friends. As I’m
working on this edition of The Reed, the
first snowfall of the year is whirling
around the library. While winter is always
an exciting time at CUTPL, we sure were
treated to some great weather and
programs this fall.
We were joined this October by the
Susana Circle Quilters from Culver’s
Wesley United Methodist Church. They
educated and entertained us with their
First Ladies Quilt, including the history of
the selected quilt blocks, as well as
interesting little known facts about the
First Ladies themselves. Our First Ladies
faced a job they did not choose, and met
the challenge with determination as they
crusaded to solve national problems in
their own unique ways. The First Ladies
quilt was on display at CUTPL through
Veterans Day. It was a beautiful way to
honor the history of this great nation!
CUTPL is blessed to have the support
of our vibrant and welcoming Friends of
the Library group. Our Friends host book
sales throughout the year, volunteer at
programs, and raise money that directly
supports the library’s programs and
needs. With all they do for us, it was our
privilege to thank and honor them this
fall with a luncheon during National
Friends of Libraries Week. Our dedicated
Friends are a vital part of our library
family and our great community. Thank
you Friends.
As a part of our Celebrated Voices
series, we were delighted to welcome
international bestselling author Susan
Lewis back home to CUTPL during her
time this fall as the writer-in-residence
for the Culver Academies Humanities
Department. While at CUTPL, Susan
chatted with patrons about her writing
process, her favorite authors, and the
novel No Place to Hide, which was set
here in Culver. Our wonderful Friends of
the Library catered the event and had
books available for Susan to sign.
No matter the weather, we’ll think
warm thoughts this winter with our Adult
Winter Reading Program, “Book Your
Winter Reading Getaway.” Adult Winter
Reading begins Tuesday, January 3rd, and
runs through Friday, February 24th.
Reading logs and book review forms will
be available beginning January 3rd, and
as always, you can earn points for books
read/listened to, book reviews written,
and adult programs attended. Thanks to
the generous support of local businesses
and our Friends of the Library, we will
award prizes to the top three
participants. It’s almost time to
“getaway” into winter reading at CUTPL.
Our annual Club Fair, a winter
reading favorite, returns January 21st,
2017, in the large meeting room
downstairs. Please plan to get out of the
cold and come join us in our cozy warm
library for a day of fun, fellowship, and
the opportunity to get involved in our
fabulous community.
As we begin a new year, I am so
excited to announce a new book club
beginning in January. “Fresh Picked” is a
team effort and is comprised of staff
favorites “picked” by: Chris Emerick,
Cathy Thomas, Polly Thompson Wolf, and
myself. Please read “2017 Book Club
News” for more information and the first
few picks for the new year.
Until next time, wishing you warm
thoughts this winter season.
Book Your Winter Reading Getaway at CUTPL by Dana Thomas
Page 6 Volume 6, Issue 4
Page 7 Volume 6, Issue 4
2017 Book Club News by Polly Thompson Wolf and Dana Thomas
Polly Thompson Wolf and Shirley Gut, moderators of book and movie discussion groups, Novel Approach and CUTPL’s new
book club Fresh Picked, announce titles for the first 6 months of 2017.
Novel Approach with Shirley Gut meets the first Wednesday of the month at noon to watch a movie and then discuss the
accompanying book. Attendees may bring snacks or a packed lunch to eat while watching the movie.
Fresh Picked holds its book discussion on the second Wednesday of each month. Titles are chosen from staff picks selected by:
Chris Emerick, Cathy Thomas, Dana Thomas, and Polly Thompson Wolf. This exciting new book club will be moderated by Polly and
the recommending staff member. The reading list for the first 6 months includes:
Book discussions and movies are shown in either the Carnegie room or the small meeting room. Movies or Internet searches
or programs to facilitate discussions are shown on large screen in each of meeting rooms.
Book Movie
January 2017 A Life of Dance and Dreams by Alvin Yudkoff Singin’ in the Rain with Gene Kelly & Debbie Reynolds
February 2017 Wish You Well by David Baldacci Wish You Well with Ellen Burstyn & Mackenzie Foy
March 2017 Yentl the Yeshiva Boy by Isaac Singer Yentl with Barbara Streisand & Mandy Patinkin
April 2017 A League of Their Own by Sarah Gilbert A League of Their Own with Tom Hanks & Genna Davis
May 2017 The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard Morais The Hundred Foot Journey with Hellen Miren & Om Puri
June 2017 Sarah’s Key by Tatiana DeRosnay Sarah’s Key with Kristen Thomas & Mélusine Mayance
Book Picked by
January 2017 The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion Polly & Dana
February 2017 The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald Chris
March 2017 Genre: Graphic Novel Polly & Dana
April 2017 Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie, a tale of love and fallout by
Lauren Redniss Polly
May 2017 The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman Cathy
June 2017 Accused by Lisa Scottoline Chris
CUTPL Friends’ Update by Rebecca Nifong
Join the FRIENDS of the Culver-Union Township Public Library
Individual $10 annually Name…………………………………………………………………………..Date…………………………………….
Family $20 annually Address……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Student $5 annually City…………………………………………………………………………...State…………………...Zip…………...
15-year membership $100 Telephone…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Lifetime membership $200 Email…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Additional donations are welcome I am enclosing $______ to cover the membership checked.
Make checks payable to: FRIENDS of the CUTPL
Mail to: FRIENDS of the CUTPL
107 N. Main St.
Culver, IN 46511
Page 8 Volume 6, Issue 4
As most of us approach the holiday
and winter season we become more
introspective and thankful. That is true
for us too and I want to take this time to
share some of the things we are thankful
for. First we are thankful for our library
and its staff. Our library provides so many
services to our community that most do
not even know. Just to let you know of a
few that are out of the ordinary for a
library. Our library offers seated exercises
three days a week, resources for
homeschool families, quiet study areas, a
variety of adult, teen, and children’s
programming, and meeting rooms
available for reservation. Our library is
meeting the needs of the community in
so many ways, so next time you are
there, remember to say thank you. One
more thing: they host the Friends every
October to show appreciation to us and
they outdo themselves with food and
service to us. One more reason to be a
Friend and to be thankful.
Next I, as President of the Friends of
the Library, am thankful for the Friends.
They faithfully pay their dues and serve
to assist the library in making all the extra
things happen for the community. Did
you know that the Friends provide the
books for the Teen Book Club free of
charge for each of the teens, snacks for
all of the Celebrated Voices Author
events, sponsor the I Am An Artist for
children, help to beautify our library
through flowers in front and back of the
library, decorate for Christmas, and host
book and bake sales the first Saturday
every month?
We too are thankful for you, it is
because of our hometown, beautiful
Culver that we do what we do.
Friends of the Culver-Union
Township Public Library
2017 Meetings
January 3rd
February 7th
March 7th
All meetings are at 1 PM in
the lower level of the library.
For more information, visit: http://www.culver.lib.in.us/friends.htm
2016-2017 Book Sales
9 AM—3:30 PM
Carnegie Room
December 3rd
January 7th
January 21st (Club Fair)
February 4th
March 4th