Whew! Has it been over a month already? Thank you all for making me feel so welcome and for being patient with me as I learn your names. Please come in and introduce yourselves-or remind me that you already have!

Recently, I read an article on the pleasures of re-reading. Yes, I agree, many wonderful new books are out there, waiting to be discovered. But perhaps revisiting an old favorite will let you savor the experience of taking your time, as we did more often before electronic enhancements sped up our lives.

Did you read Ethan Frome when you were in school? Perhaps you might appreciate it more now for its spare prose and its tragic story. What about Great Expectations? Did you watch it on PBS recently? You might find it a satisfying book to read again with the insights provided by life experience.

Of course, we also have many new selections: not just books, but also videos, music, and books on CD. We welcome your suggestions for materials we should add to the collection. Winter is a perfect time to curl up with a good book. All of us are here to help you do so.

Interested in what's new? Here are some new titles on our shelf:  the last book by author Maeve Binchy, A Week in Winter; the autobiography of Sonia Sotomayor, called My Beloved World; a book about Tony Francona; another about dissections and a real Doctor Frankenstein; a new mystery by Leslie Meier and a new Alex Cross book by James Patterson, and one I look forward to reading:  Another Insane Devotion: On the love of cats and persons by Peter Trachtenberg.  

Leslie Altman, Librarian

Is spring ever coming, do you think? I sure am looking forward to sitting on the beach with a good book. Sitting all bundled up, reading by artificial light, however cozy, just doesn't have the same panache.

Speaking of cozy, our Friday morning Lapsit Storytimes have been that and more. From the warmth of the library, we have laughed at snow and cold as we read winter stories, sang songs, and made crafts. Our indoor slide provided the fun of sledding without the frostbite, too! If you are 3 or under (or want to come with a younger sibling who is) stop by some Friday morning at 10:30 and join us?  

Of course, if you are available on the first Friday of the month, continue on to the Congregational Church (the big one on the hill) and join us for music and movement instead. Through a grant from the Mid-Cape Cultural council, World Musician, Denya LeVine brings her special program Generations! to fun loving Seniors and pre-schoolers. There will be singing, dancing, music, parades and more. Bring the whole family!

By the time this newsletter arrives, we should already have had our Tail Wagging Tutors program where kids come in and read to the patient and loving animals from Therapy Dogs International. If you missed it this time, try again during April vacation.

Don't forget to check our website regularly for upcoming events. There's always something going on here at the library. Until then, think warm thoughts!

For the past few years the Yarmouth Port Library Book Club has been meeting on the third Wednesday of the month at 3:00 PM in the Reading Room with great success. Books are chosen by the group and a discussion takes place for about one hour with refreshments. This is a lively group with many varied opinions and reading interests.   

In March we will be reading HEADING OUT TO WONDERFUL By Robert Goolrick. Summary: "In 1948, a mysterious and charismatic man arrives in a small Virginia town carrying two suitcases; one contains his worldly possessions, the other is full of money. He soon inserts himself into the town's daily life, taking a job in the local butcher shop and befriending the owner and his wife and their son. But the passion that develops between the man and the wife of the town's wealthiest citizen sets in motion a series of events that not only upset the quiet town but threaten to destroy both him and the woman."    

To date in 2012 we have read: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks and Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly. Please consider joining the group, and when you do, we would ask you to sign up in advance with the librarians.

Thank You! 
 

Many thanks to our patrons, donors, and volunteers for another successful Winter Book Sale. Despite the Sunday closure due to the storm, we made over $600 for the library.  

Special thanks to Sue Bonnell for organizing everything- the books, the volunteers, and the publicity.

The Yarmouth Port Library has received a grant from the Mid-Cape Cultural Council, acting for the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The grant awarded the library a seven foot by five foot screen to be used for library programs, and a digital projector that will project pictures, CDs, and anything that might be needed from a computer. This incredible grant will allow us to have the equipment necessary to present programs whenever we wish, rather than be dependent upon others loaning us the equipment.

You will see the words "This program is supported in part by a grant from the Mid-Cape Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency," when we are utilizing equipment obtained through this grant. There are already plans to use it more than five times before June 1st. Thank you Mid-Cape Cultural Council for helping to improve our capabilities!

The 2013 membership campaign was only about $2,500 short of its goal of $40,000 as of February 15th, according to Les Peat, Yarmouth Port Library Treasurer. He said that the response has been very strong, with about 300 individual and family memberships already recorded. Business members have been slow to renew, but several new businesses have joined and Peat expects renewals to pick up soon. Of the individual and family memberships, 50 or so are new members, which is very encouraging for the long term. "Half way through our fourth year of independent operations, our financial position is sound," said Peat. "It shows that this village really cares about its library, and we are extremely grateful for the support we have received."

If you have not yet joined or renewed your membership, it's never too late to get on board - just print and use this Membership Form. It could be your gift that puts us over the top!

Subsequent contributions to the Membership Campaign will be recognized in the Summer issue of the Yardarm in June.

The Yarmouth Port Library has a number of area business sponsors. With each issue of The Yardarm, to show our appreciation for their support, we will be offering a profile of one or two of them. Please patronize them and when you do, thank them for their support of the YPL.

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