Library Newsletter January 2021

Letter from the Director

On a recent Hidden Brain podcast, experts demonstrated that the #1 thing we need to survive 2021 is compassion.  Not really technology or science (although important), not really political peace (although that would be nice too)…but empathy and compassion.  And research shows that one of the tried and true ways to increase empathy is reading. No fear, McCall Public Library is here to help! Try our Winter Reading Series to expand your understanding of your community, your world, and even yourself. Read outside your comfort zone and win prizes from local shops and restaurants—scroll down for more info. Humans have always survived by sharing resources. 2021 is no different. So take a break from doomscrolling and start some libraryscrolling. Hope to see you soon @ your library, curbside or inside!  -Meg

Patron of the Month
Brandi Thomas

Brandi is a long time and valued McCall Public Library patron. She began her real love for reading as an adult and has become a regular here over the past 10 years. Brandi's favorite books include many nonfiction and autobiographical books, and her UPS career has enabled her to take in many audiobooks about people and places throughout history. Brandi also enjoys building her book list using our online catalog! By using the "bookmarking" tab in her online library account, she is able to quickly reference what she has read, see where she is in a series, or note her favorites. Way to go Brandi! Feel free to ask a librarian how to access this wonderful "bookmarking" feature for yourself!

January - February

Staying at home is a great way to catch up on all those books you wanted to read. So to help you in this, we put together a fun reading list to get you read something outside your comfort zone, and win fun prizes while doing so! Log every book you read in the next 2 months and be automatically entered into weekly raffles. Prizes include gift cards from local McCall restaurants and shops.  This program is for readers of all ages, so download the READsquared app, register and start logging your books today!   http://mccall.readsquared.com/

Bookpages are digital!  
Check back monthly on our Library Resources page for monthly issue updates

Virtual Coding Club next month for 4th-8th graders! Learn basic coding principals using Swift Playgrounds as well as other Apple apps and curriculum. Club will meet Fridays 1:00 - 2:00.  When registering, choose Group A or Group B, depending on your student's schedule. Apple iPads are needed to participate; we have some available to checkout with a library card.  Register today at: https://www.mccall.id.us/departments/Library/CodingClub


Email library@mccall.id.us for a Zoom invite

Check out the new kits in our Library Collection! 

    

Best Books of 2020
Votes from last year are all in and accounted for!
(votes accumulated from goodreads.com)


Best Fiction
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Our winner—by five votes—is The Midnight Library, author Matt Haig’s wildly inventive blend of literary and speculative fiction. The quick gist: Imagine a library in which each book represents a different path your life could have taken. 


Best Non-Fiction
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram Kendi
This year’s winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Nonfiction, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You is an adaptation for middle grade readers of Ibram X. Kendi’s 2016 National Book Award–winning Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. An exhaustively researched and passionately argued statement on the history of racism, it’s good nutrition for young minds.


Best Mystery/Thriller
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Lucy Foley ran away with this year’s Mystery & Thriller award by inviting us to the best wedding ever! And by “best” we mean “most terrifying.” Jules and Will have chosen to hold their wedding on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Then the storm hits. Then the body is found. It’s like the old Irish adage: It’s not a party until somebody ends up dead.

Libby Help Desk

Sharing titles: Users can now share titles on social media or directly with friends, using the Share button found on a title’s Reading Journey and details screen. A shared title page shows the book’s summary, basic details, and nearby libraries that offer the title through Libby. This new option encourages users to socialize their favorite reads with family, friends, and followers while spreading awareness of your library’s digital collection.

Sharing titles and export reading data features.

Health and Safety @ your Library
Yes, we are open—and here’s how we do it now:  ensure physical distancing by limiting the number of staff and customers in the building; quarantine books according to the latest clinical guidelines; disinfect each and every item before putting it back into circulation; sanitize frequently touched surfaces and computer stations after every use; open windows and doors when possible; practice hand hygiene; and encourage curbside and concierge services.

Vaccine Facts and Stats:  Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is now posting the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered and reported to the state.

Data will be updated by 10 a.m. daily at coronavirus.idaho.gov 

Understanding herd immunity and the COVID-19 vaccine – Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology

Medlineplus consumer-level information on COVID-19 vaccines (as it becomes available)

CDC VIS sheet about the COVID-19 vaccine (as it becomes available)

Your library wants everyone to feel equipped to answer tough questions these days, but it can be hard to tell which information is reliable. Here are some quality Health Literacy resources we recommend:

Harvard Health Letter- General consumer article on vaccine mis- and disinformation

World Health Organization – myths and misconceptions about vaccines

American Library Association’s guide to evaluating information

COVID-19 Activity Guides from Alaska Afterschool Network (ages 5-18)

A Message from the Library Foundation

You didn't just give it a little peck...you gave it a smacker, a canoodle, a snog, a proper smoocheroo!

You gave $30,000 to support the McCall Public Library!

Thank you for making the Kiss 2020 Goodbye Campaign a smashing success. Our Goal was $20,000 by January 15th and you leapt right past that goal and gave an outstanding $30,000 in support of our library, it's services, and it's expansion.
Below is a list of recent donors to the McCall Library Foundation and driectly to the library itself. Thank you!

Amy Rush 

Andrea Lingle 

Andrea Sayer 

Angela Brown 

Anita Cussler 

Anne Rush 

Annie Nies

Audrey Hopkins 

Audrey Swanson

Brent Snider 

Celia Marshall

Charlie and Bev Nightengale

Cody and Heidi Boyce 

David Gallipoli 

Dawn Matus

Dennis Edwards 

Dr. Eddie Droge 

Elwyn Johnson

Emily Hart

Eric Haff 

Fallon Fereday 

Heather Susemihl

Helen Lojek

Irwin Mulnick

Janet Worsencroft Stein  

Jeff Mousseau

Jennifer Gray 

Jim and Marylou Rush 

Jim Pace 

John and Ann Link 

John Watkins

Karen Olde

Kathy and Mike Hipsher

Ken & Becky Deibert

Larry and Anne Parberry 

Larry and Wendy Swan 

Les and Susan Bechdel 

Leslie Freeman 

Lida Clouser

Linda Collier Wetherall

Linda Corder

Marcia Witte

Marilyn Olson 

Marjorie & Stephen Chase

Mark Jensen

Maura Goldstein 

Maureen Ferguson 

Mike and Judy Holman 

Mr. Ward Parkinson

Nellie and Clair Bowman 

Paula Marchiel 

Pavla Clouser 

Penelope Geisler

Philip Warren

Rachel Arndt 

Rae and Dave McKeating

Rob and Melody Dodge

Robert and Diana Ekedahl

Russ & Kathy Zenner

Sandra Brug 

Shannon Rush-Call

Stephen and Claire Ryberg 

Stephanie Day 

Susan Reddick

Ted McManus 

Terry Shannon

Tim Swanson

Wayne and Peggy Thiessen