Delaware Township Library

Sunday, May 13th we were privileged to present two scholarships to graduating seniors.  Miss Kayla Reyle was presented the 14th Lois E. Wilson scholarship and Mr. Will Jones received the 8th annual Miss Viola Reichart scholarship.

Mrs. Lois E. Wilson was the Delaware Township Librarian for sixteen years retiring in Oct. of 1981.  She and her husband had one daughter born to the marriage and Miss Wilson still lives here in town after retiring from TWA.  Mrs. Wilson had a sister who taught in our school district at one time as well, Mrs. Walter Cole.  Lois enjoyed the young people that came into the library and we hope that she would have felt honored to know that we were helping the young people of the community to further their education even in a small way.

Miss Viola Reichart was a beloved teacher here in our district.  She served on our library board for many years and when she passed away we approached her family about a scholarship in her name and they were more then happy to help us with that project.  We couldn’t think of a better way to honor her then to have a scholarship in her name.

If any of you would like to donate money to our scholarship fund so we can continue this for as long as possible we would appreciate the donation.

Because of our nice winter the kids here in town will be getting out a bit early.  That’s nice is some ways as they usually don’t have an entire three months away from school.  This year they will be close.

I remember the summers of my youth.  I loved school but I loved my summer as well.  We didn’t have all the organized things that kids do now.  Ours was a lazier time of the year.  We rode bikes, played games with neighborhood kids, went to the parka and went swimming. Only boys had the opportunity to play summer ball. No such luck about having things like that for girls. That was way it was before Title Nine came along.  I loved to play ball and because we had lots of boys in the neighborhood I had plenty of chances to do that.

I had a neighbor friend that I did lots of great stuff with too. We sat on her porch and played jacks or read comics or we went bike riding together or played games over next door to her there on Lincoln street.

I have discovered that children don’t know those old games anymore and think how sad it is that they don’t play games like that with each other.  We try to play some of them here during the summer reading program and introduce kids to the games that were fun for all of us before television came about or video games etc.

We also had Saturday matinees at the Coed Theater.  They were usually double features with a news reel and a cartoon.  Popcorn was ten cents and pop maybe about the same. You dropped your money in this machine and a cup dropped down into place and you selected the pop you wanted.  We got to go most of the Saturdays if we got our chores done.  It was a great time of life.

Yesterday I attended a workshop for our summer reading program.  It was very good and I am glad that I took the time away to attend it.  The problem with being away is that when you get back the next day you discover all the things you didn’t take care of on the day before you were gone.  I have crates that need to be put together for five teachers, the display box in the hallway needs to be changed and new childrens books arrived to be cataloged.

I haven’t been real thrilled about this year’s theme for the Summer Reading Program but after hearing the lady who presented it, I feel more excited about it then I did.  Of course we don’t have to go along with everything if we don’t want to but usually we do.  This year’s summer reading program will begin June 4th and continue through July 14.  Watch later for more details.  Otherwise have a happy St. Patrick’s Day this month and welcome in Spring soon after that.

February is a busy and short month even with the extra day this year.  The teachers have picked up their new crates of books including stories about Groundhogs, Valentine’s Day, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.

For a short month there is lots to do and observe.  It is Library Lovers’ Month plus American Heart Month and Bake for Family Fun Month.  Bubble Gum Day is Feb. 3rd and for every child who donates 50 cents they get to chew bubble gum in school.  That’s in some special places but it sounds like fun to me and a good way to raise some extra money for some special need.  That’s also Wear Red day and I’m always for wearing red every day.  My favorite author has his 200th birthday on the 7th of February.  Everyone ought to read a Charles Dickens novel just for that reason alone.  Read Me Week is Feb. 20-24th.  I hope all of you will take the opportunity to read to your someone special.

We are busy trying to learn about Kindles and Nooks here at the library.  When I have information about downloading books from the state library or our own NEKLS office, I’ll put the information here on our homepage.

The Delaware Township Library has begun a new year as have all of you as well.  We truly hope that it will be a wonderful year for us here and for all of you as well.  We will be setting new goals for ourselves this month and I’ll try to keep you informed about what they are.  Goals in life are good.  How else can anyone or anything improve!

Libraries are not what they were when I was a child.  I used to go to the Mulvane Public Library in Topeka and it was in an old house that had been donated.  I loved it there.  There were about two rooms of books that I was familiar with anyway.  One room was devoted to small children and the other room that I knew was for Junior Fiction readers.  It was very hushed there and the librarian sat at a desk by the front door.  She stamped our books with a stamp on the top of her pencil.  It fastened on there of course so when the pencil needed replacing she just moved it to a new pencil.

Now libraries especially here in our small towns have become a place to socialize.  We have many patrons who live by themselves that love to come here and visit with all of us here.  That’s a good thing I think.  Recently I have had several patrons tell me this place will never be the same when I’m gone.  I’m not exactly sure how to take that but they do have a good time here sometimes.  Yesterday a patron came in and told me that she had acquired a bunch of real hankies.  She wanted to know if I liked real hankies and I do.  She went home and came back with them telling me that I could have them.  We were looking at them and admiring them when one patron wanted to know if he could have one for his daughter and we said sure.  Another patron wanted a couple for herself and so she left here with them as well. You just never know what will happen here at the Delaware Township Library.

We look forward to serving you this year.  Please feel free to share any needs that you have with us and we’ll see how we can help.