Library Accepting Yarn for Wearable Gifts

The Racine Public Library is collaborating with several community organizations on holiday giving projects this fall.

The City of Racine Police/Fire Dispatchers and library employees are conducting a yarn drive to assist in the creation of knitted/crocheted wearable gifts for those in need in our community. Donations of all types of yarn as well as knitted/crocheted hats, scarves, mittens, etc. are being accepted at the Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., until Dec. 5. Finished projects will be given to residents of HALO and the Women's Resource Center.

The library is also collecting gift wrap supplies to be used during the 7th Annual Kids Holiday Book Giveaway hosted by the State Street Civic Association and Cops 'N Kids Reading Center being held on Saturday, December 5 from 9am - 1pm. During this yearly holiday event, all children are invited to visit Merchants Moving and Storage at 1215 State St. to select free books from thousands of donations and gift wrap them, if desired. Visitors to the event are able enjoy holiday music, a visit with Santa and other community celebrities, ornament making, and much more. Parents and caregivers are invited to register their children on site with the SafeAssured ID program sponsored by the Racine Police Athletic Association and the Volunteer Center of Racine. The event is totally free and open to all children. Adults must be accompanied by a child.

For more information about the donation opportunities, please contact Becky Spika at 262.619.2571.

Library Receives A Unique Life Story

The Racine Public Library is honored to be the recent recipient of a much valued memoir entitled, "My Mother's Story," by Mary Charbogian, a long-time resident of Racine. Mr. and Mrs. Charbogian and their family visited the library to present the book in person. Director Jessica MacPhail was on hand to extend her gratitude on behalf of the library for receiving such a cherished gift.

This moving story highlights the personal recollections and harrowing details of Mrs. Carbogian's mother during the Armenian massacre and her subsequent immigration to the United States. The elder Mrs. Charbogian was the only member of her family to survive the massacre. Copies of the book will be kept in the Racine Archives, as well as in a circulating collection for interested readers to check out.

The Racine Public Library recognizes the importance of personal family stories to our nation's history and encourages the donation of other family histories by our community. Please contact the library at 262-636-9170 if you have a personal family memoir or written narrative you would be willing to donate.

The Racine Public Library thanks the Charbogian family for their generous donation.

Library Receives Film Donation

The Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., has received a donation from the Racine County Economic Development Corporation of a DVD of the sellout February 12, 2009 program, "Jobs Not Jail: Successful Strategies for at-Risk Youth" presented by SC Johnson in partnership with the Racine County Economic Development Corporation at the Golden Rondelle.

The guest speaker was the Rev. Gregory J. Boyle, founder and chief executive officer of Homeboy Industries. In 1992, as a response to the civil unrest in Los Angeles, Boyle launched a business, Homeboy Bakery, with a mission to create an environment that provided training, work experience, and above all, the opportunity for rival gang members to work side by side. The success of Homeboy Bakery created the groundwork for additional businesses, thus prompting Jobs for a Future to become an independent nonprofit organization. Homeboy Industries was founded in 2001 and today, the nonprofit economic development enterprises include Homeboy Bakery, Homeboy Silkscreen, Homeboy Maintenance, Homeboy/Homegirl Merchandise, and Homegirl Cafe. Homeboy Industries, now located in downtown Los Angeles, is recognized as the largest gang intervention program in the country and has become a national model. For more information, visit the Web at http://www.homeboy-industries.org.

The DVD is available for checkout. It is shelved under 977.596 DSUS.

Friends of the Library Seek Donations

The Friends of the Library are now accepting donations of gently used non-fiction and children's books for their Spring Book Sale being held in April.

Donations of books, cd's, and dvd's of the requested type may be dropped off at the Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., during the library's business hours: Mon-Thurs 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Fri & Sat. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.; and Sunday 1-4 p.m.

The annual Friend's Spring Book Sale, held at the Racine Public Library, will feature a members-only preview event on Friday, April 17 from 2-4 p.m. The general public is invited to attend the open book sale on Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday from 1-4 p.m.

The Friends of the Library are advocates for the Racine Public Library, speaking at public budget hearings, urging adequate funding, and promoting library value to the community. Several fund-raising events are held throughout the year, including an book sales and the annual Breakfast with the Authors in November. All proceeds go to fund library programs and collection materials. The Friends have provided funds for successful programs such as Preschool Storytime, Battle of the Books, and the annual Summer Reading Challenge; and for such items as computer equipment, TTY printers for the hearing impaired, and large print books.

For more information on how to become a member of the Friends of the Library, contact the library at 262.636.9170.

Preservation Racine Gifts Racine Public Library

The Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., has received a generous donation from Preservation Racine, Inc., to purchase books for the library. Preservation Racine, Inc., is a nonprofit organization established in 1973 to identify and actively encourage the preservation of buildings, sites, and districts in the Racine, Wisconsin area which have historical, architectural, and cultural value. Part of the mission of Preservation Racine, Inc., includes donations for books or their preservation to the Racine Public Library.

These new titles will be displayed in the adult department, and at may be viewed at the upcoming Home Expo in the Racine Public Library's exhibit booth. You may also reserve them by visiting the library's online catalog at www.racinelibrary.info or by calling the reference desk at (262) 636-9217.

The Racine Public Library is pleased to add the following titles to their collection:

• A Richer Heritage: Historic Preservation In the Twenty-first Century, by Robert E Stipe
• Where we lived - Discovering the Places We Once Called Home: the American Home From 1775 to 1840, by Jack Larkin
• Historic Building Facades: the Manual For Maintenance and Rehabilitation, by William Foulks
• Walls & Molding: How to Care For Old and Historic Wood and Plaster, by Natalie Shivers
• Building a Legacy: 100 Years of Heritage Architecture and Urban Design, by Tim Tingley and Lawrence Herzog
• Building a Legacy: The Restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright's Oak Park Home and Studio, by Zarine Weil
• Keeping Time: The History and Theory of Preservation in America, by William J. Murtagh
  
• Off the Grid: Modern Homes and Alternative Energy, by Lori Ryker
• The Preservation of Historic Architecture: The U.S. Government's Official Guidelines For Preserving Historic Homes, by the Department of the Interior
• The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-grid and Sustainable Living, by William H. Kemp
  
• Restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright's Heurtley House, starring Frank Lloyd Wright
  
• Saving America's Treasures, by Dwight Young
  
• Sun, Wind & Light: Architectural Design Strategies, by G. Z. Brown and others
  
• Green Roofs in Sustainable Landscape Design, by Steven L. Cantor
• Ten Shades of Green: Architecture and the Natural World, by Peter Buchanan
• Doors of the World, by Jean-Philippe Lenclos and others
• Windows of the World, by Jean-Philippe Lenclos and others
• Saving Places That Matter: A Citizen's Guide to the National Historic
• Preservation Act, by Thomas F. King
• Forests Forever: Their Ecology, Restoration, and Preservation, by John Berger and Charles E. Little
  
• Buying Time For Heritage: How to Save An Endangered Historic Property, by J. Myrick Howard
• Regenerating Older Suburbs, by Richard B. Peiser and Adrienne Schmitz Vanishing America: In Pursuit of Our Elusive Landscapes, by James Conaway
• The Working Landscape: Founding, Preservation, and the Politics ofPlace, by Peter F. Cannavo
• The Politics of Historic Districts: A Primer for Grassroots Preservation, by William E. Schmickle
• Rescuing the Past: The Cultural Heritage Crusade, by Jonathan Tokeley
• Heirloom Seeds and Their Keepers: Marginality and Memory in the Conservation of Biological Diversity, by Virginia D. Nazarea
• The Wisdom of Permanence: Essays on Sustainability from the E. F. Schumacher Society
• Green Manufacturing: Case Studies in Lean and Sustainability, by the Association of Manufacturing Excellence
• Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability, by Greg Horn
• Water Stewardship: A 30 Day Program on How to Protect and Conserve Our
• Water Resources One Drop at a Time, by David Gershon
• 100 Ways to Save the World, by Johan Tell
  

Donations such as these allow the Racine Public Library to provide a deeper and broader collection of materials for the community.