Westerlo Library Notes for Friday, February 20, 2015

The Westerlo Public Library’s board of library trustees will meet on Monday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m., at the library. This meeting is rescheduled from Feb. 9, cancelled due to inclement weather.  This meeting is open to the public

Read to Angus the Dog

Angus will be back this Friday, Feb. 20, from 6 to 7 p.m.  Contact the library to register your child for a 15-minute reading session, or just drop in to “Check it out!”  (Librarians love saying, “check it out.”) 

If your child is self-conscious about reading aloud or reluctant to read at all, he or she may feel more comfortable reading to a dog.  Because dogs aren’t judgmental, the child relaxes, pats the attentive dog, and focuses on the reading.  Another benefit is the joy children get from being around a dog.  Angus is a registered therapy dog.  Our thanks to Laura Tenney for volunteering her time and sharing Angus with us.

Display case

For the month of February the library has been displaying Ottilie Millson’s cast-iron doorstops.  Perhaps the only thing more welcoming than an open door is a brightly colored cast-iron doorstop holding it ajar. These seemingly indestructible household objects are as visually appealing as they are practical, adding a bit of charm and whimsy to any home. Her collection ranges from pastoral elegance to slapstick comic.

Doorstops made of cast brass first appeared in England in the late 1700s. The earliest doorstops had wooden handles so they could be easily moved.  Handles disappeared in the 19th Century, and by then, cast iron had replaced brass.  Most doorstops you’ll find today were likely made in America sometime between the turn of the last century and 1940. They hit their peak of popularity during the 1920s and ’30s.

After school

at the library

Join Miss Lee on Monday afternoons from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for homework help, games, crafts, puzzles, music, and a lot more. Programs will also include magic, storytelling, hands-on demonstrations, and visits from special guests. 

Technology Walk-In Wednesday

Do you have a new Kindle or Nook, but don’t know how to download books? Need to brush up on your computer skills or obtain basic skills? See Amy on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., for free, personalized, one-on-one instruction. 

Library info

All library programming is free, unless otherwise noted, and open to the public. For more information, contact the library during business hours at 797-3415, visit westerlolibrary.org or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/westerlolibrary.