FEBRUARY — WHAT’S NEW
What’s New in February? It’s February and the Library will be closed on the 16th for Presidents Day. Here’s what’s going on this month:

• Ballots are now available for Bangor Savings Bank Community Matters More. The nonprofit
  in our region with the most votes will be awarded $5,000 so don’t forget to vote for us.
  Paper ballots are the Library and the Bank, or you can vote online at Bangor Savings Bank.
  Be sure to spread the word.
• AARP is here on Tuesdays 11:00 am – 3:00 pm and Thursdays 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
  providing free tax preparation assistance; electronic filing is available.
• The monthly Board of Trustees meeting will be on Tuesday, February 17th at 1:30 pm
  upstairs. The public is always welcome to attend.
• The Book Discussion Group also meets on February 17th at 9:00 am, to discuss “Levi’s
  Will” by W. Dale Cramer, and on March 17th to talk about “The Long Walk” by Slavomir
  Rawicz. See Lori to order your copy.
• The theme of this month’s Literary Club display is All Things Red & Valentine’s Day.
  Many of us will remember giving these kinds of cards to every person in our classroom,
  many many years ago!

The Friends of the Library is starting its Fundraising Pledge Drive. If you don’t receive a letter, please look for Pledge forms at the front desk. You can also always donate online using PayPal going to the Library’s website and click on “Donate”. (Please note that we have a new website address which will be up and running very soon. Let us know what you think and if you have any suggestions)

The Friends is also hosting a panel discussion on “Preserving Our Millinocket Memorial Library:  The Keys to Successful Fund Raising”. It will take place on Thursday, February 19th at 4:30 pm in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building. The panelists are:  George Smith, a well known tv show host and columnist, and a Trustee of the Dr. Shaw Memorial Library in Mt. Vernon with many years of successful fundraising experience; Hildie Lipson, a former Executive Director Of Maine Share and the former Chair of highly successful capital campaign at the Cary Memorial Library in Wayne with 30 years of fund raising experience; John Clark, the Director of the Hartland Public Library with successful experience in Estate and Planned Giving; and Valerie Osborne, who directed the fundraising campaigns as Director of the Old Town Public Library and who will focus on the big picture, with emphasis on the importance of libraries during difficult economic times. It should be inspiring and instructive, so please come!

We are very very appreciative of everyone’s generosity and support of the Library. We recently received a $4,000 donation from the Patricia Gonya Skinner family; thank you so much! With everyone’s help, we hope to be thriving when it comes time to celebrate the Library’s 100th birthday in 2019. Together we can make sure that happens!

On a different note, we’re eagerly looking for a committed Volunteer to offer basic computer skills instruction to the community, 1 – 2 morning hours each week. If you can teach people to Google and use email and social media sites like Facebook, please call or stop by. Thanks!

We’re now selling Videos on our book cart by the front door. They’re gently used and cost $1.00 each.

Lastly, our February book order has arrived. We have new fiction by V.C. Andrews, Lisa Gardner, James Grippando, Kristin Hannah, Paula Hawkins, Joyce Carol Oates, James Patterson, and Tracie Paterson; mysteries by M.C. Beaton, Tess Gerritsen, Marcia Muller, and Matthew Reilly; a western by William Johnstone; and nofiction titles, “Boys in the Boat” by Daniel Brown and “Death Dealer” by Kate Clark Flora.

As always, let us know if there are any books you want us to order for you (purchase or loan) and if you have any questions or comments. Until next time, stay warm and see you at the Library!