John Updike, 1932-2009

John Updike died today after a battle with lung cancer. He was 76. He has been called America’s greatest poetic novelist.  Among many other honors, he won the Pulitzer Prize for his novels Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest.

It seems like I’ve been meaning to read Updike for a long time.  I wonder where I should start … here’s a list of his novels (and short stories) you can get at the library, and also his poetry.

Free backpacks with supplies for Homeless

Thursday, January 29

If you are homeless, the Allen County Housing and Homeless Task Force wants to give you a free backpack with supplies such as blankets, duct tape, garbage bags, hats, gloves, and more.

The task force is trying to get an accurate count of the number of homeless in Allen County…and for your anonymous participation, you will receive a free backpack.

Come and get yours Thursday, January 29th at one of these locations:

Wayne Township Trustee Office (320 East Superior Street)- 7 am to noon

Rescue Mission (301 W. Superior Street) – 6 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 7 pm

Ave Maria House (432 Madison St.) – 11 am to 4 pm

Wellspring (1316 Broadway) – 11 am to 2 pm

For more information or questions call: 424-4908 ext. 243 or 456-4172 ext. 241.

City of Fort Wayne offers RSS feeds of news releases

If you follow blogs, you may want to subscribe to the City of Fort Wayne’s RSS feeds.

http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/ – on bottom right of web site view the links to the RSS feeds (all are the same feed, just using different technologies, 2.0 presumably being the latest and greatest).

It’s there I learned about a Computer Connects and Net Literacy program with the schools which offers refurbished computers free to students’ families.
http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2045&Itemid=634

Seems a good way to stay connected since I don’t get the paper everyday and many of these stories may even be “under the radar”.

Nancy

February adult programs at the Main Library

February 3, 10, 17 & 24 4-7 pm Tax Help sessions with AARP volunteers.  Free.  First-come, first-serve.  *Tax help sessions continue on Tuesdays through April 14.

February 11, 2:30-3:30 pm Not Just Ancestry: Using the Internet for Genealogy.  Provided by Genealogy Center.  To register, please phone 421-1225.

February 17, 11:30-1:00 pm Proposal Seeking Basics.  Provided by the Paul Clarke Nonprofit Resource Center.  Registration is required.  To register, please phone 421-1238.

February 20, 6 pm. Richard Paul Evans will discuss/sign The 5 Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me for Women.  Sponsored by the Allen County Library and Mitchell Books.  Admission is free.

February 28, 1-4 pm. Virtual Adoption Fair. Provided by the Indiana Department of Child Services and the Indiana Foster Care & Adoption Association in partnership with STAR 88.3 and the Allen County Library. Local radio personality Melissa Montana will open the presentation. Interviews and photos of children waiting to be adopted will be featured. Representatives from IFCAA will be available to answer questions. A magician and balloon artist are scheduled to entertain; refreshments will be provided. The event is free to the public.

This post contains both library & community sponsored events. Post will be updated as information is received.

Becky, Interdepartmental Librarian

February events in the Main Library’s theater

February 1, 2-3 pm Classical guitarist Daniel Quinn and vocalist Dorothy Kittaka perform together in concert.  Free admission.  Provided by Art, Music & Media.

February 3, 6:30 pm 1984:  Big Brother is watching!  Free tickets available in Art, Music & Media—tickets are required.  Provided by Art, Music & Media.

February 7, 10-noon Classical Companion  Speakers and musicians share the experience of classical music.  Provided by Fort Wayne Philharmonic.  http://www.fortwaynephilharmonic.com/education.asp?s=104

February 13, 14, 15 I have before me a remarkable document given to me by a young lady from Rwanda.  Friday & Saturday performances 8 pm; Sunday matinee 2:30 pm.   Ticket information available via http://www.godsdrama.org/ .  Provided by All for One Productions.

February 22, 2-3 pm Three Rivers Brass Ensemble.  The Three Rivers Brass Ensemble has become one of northeast Indiana’s premier brass ensembles.  Members Kevin Drew, Ed King, Dave Sapp, and Everett Hardy will play classical music as well as some Dixieland jazz.   Free admission.  Provided by Art, Music & Media.  www.threeriversbrass.nmjo.com

February 24, 6:30 pm.  Movie night. Free tickets available in Art, Music & Media—tickets are required.  Provided by Art, Music & Media.

This post contains both library and community sponsored events.  Post will be updated as event information is received.

Becky, Interdepartmental Librarian

Libraries are open on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

All Allen County Public Library locations will be open Monday, January 19 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

400 MP3 audiobook titles for iPods

We’ve recently added 400 MP3 audiobook titles to our Downloadable Audiobook collection. You’ll need the latest Overdrive software, but you can now download up to 10 of these 400 titles at a time. You can also place up to 5 on hold if they are currently checked out to others. Explore the collection and let us know what you think. We would have loved to have even more and more recent titles. But so far, not many authors and publishers are on board with the idea yet. But we’ll continue to add great titles as they become available in this format.