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     We celebrated our two-year anniversary on June 8th, and we’ve grown, but we know our future is bright and ever-evolving. What follows is a re-introduction, which includes our regular summer hours and who we are, board members, charter members, and volunteers alike. We love our community and our team!

Summer Hours:

Sunday: Closed

Monday: 5:30-7pm

Tuesday: 9am-11am

Wednesday: Closed

Thursday: 3:30pm-7pm

Friday: 11am-1pm

Saturday: 1-4pm

Hours may change because we are run by volunteers. Please check our Facebook page for any last-minute schedule changes or events.

Board Members:

President- Tonia Harris, Edgewood

Vice President- Lena Myers, Edgewood

Treasurer- Carla Sowers, Edgewood

Secretary- Karla L, Edgewood

Honorary Board Member: Shelley Souza, New York City, NY

Charter Members:

Tonia Harris

Lena Myers

Colby Higgs, Watson

Dawn Dunston, Effingham

Carmen Walker, Watson

Volunteers:

Karla L., Carol Ruffner, Richard Verdeyen, Tonia Harris, Dee Yingst

Yes, we do need more volunteers! Even if you don’t work a shift at the library, we would still love assistance with reading programs, mentoring, tutoring, computer literacy and adult literacy courses.

Donations: As of now, we are looking for either classic titles, or books that have been released in the last five years and no older. We always need Young Adult and Children titles. We are also in need of bookshelves, bookends, and a DVD/VCR combo.

Membership: Only $5.00 to sign your entire household up for membership. We have upwards of 5,000 books and multimedia to offer our patrons.

Free Wi-Fi and access to two public computers to anyone- you don’t have to be a member to use these or participate in any of our activities or fundraising events.

Thank you for your continued patronage and support!

I’m with Bowie- reading brings me joy. The first book I remember really loving was Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. As the oldest of five girls, an avid reader, and with literary dreams of my own, I claimed irrepressible Jo March as my soul sister. Yes, reading helped form my sense of identity and place in the world. It’s one of the reasons I helped bring our grassroots library into existence- everyone deserves those moments in their lives. Moments that reveal connection, a sense of pattern, and yes, a little magic.

Beyond this, reading does so much more for our lives, our brains, and our relationships with others.

1. Reading reduces stress levels. Reading, like meditation, requires you to remain in the present moment. A good novel or nonfiction book focuses your brain and consciousness elsewhere. A study at the University of Sussex showed that it only takes six minutes of reading to slow heart rate and ease tension in the muscles.

2. Reading improves memory, and can even help slow down the progress of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published a paper suggests readers, or those who put together puzzles or play games are up to 2.5% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. While reading, you have to remember lists of characters, events, etc. Each new memory creates a new pathway in the brain which assists short-term memory recall and stabilizes moods.

3. Reading improves focus and raises productivity levels. Contemporary studies are finding that we multi-task at risk to our ability to focus, complete work, and think creatively. Lifehack suggests reading for 15-20 minutes every day before you go into work to raise concentration levels. Scientists are now finding that spikes in neural networks while reading continue for as long as five days after a session with a book.

4. Reading traditional books before bed can help you sleep. In addition to stress relieving benefits, reading and other calm rituals at bedtime signal to the  brain it’s time to sleep. But be aware- e-readers and computer screens have been shown to interfere with a good night’s sleep.

5. Reading improves your imagination, and imagination is important.

Reading can open your mind to what is possible not only in the realm of story, but in your personal life and endeavors as well.

Here are some suggested titles to choose from our selection:

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

The Last Will of Moira Leahy by Therese Walsh

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathon Safran Foer

It’s not too late to sign up your child to be a Super Reader. Our Superhero Summer Reading Program ends August 1st. We have a few cool totes left for the little hero in your life.

Membership is not required for this program or any other activities.

Calling all Superheroes!

Even Spiderman needs a little R&R. On Monday, July 20th, we’re hosting Movie Night for all our summer reading program participants. The movies will air from 5-7:30pm. We are offering entertainment of heroic proportions for kids of all ages. Popcorn and soda will be provided, plus everyone has another chance to put their name in for the Grand Prize Drawing for a new bicycle!

But there’s more…

Our young readers are our champions and we want to celebrate them. We cordially invite all participants and their families to our end of the summer reading program Superhero themed party on Saturday, August 15th from 2pm-4pm. We will also announce the Grand Prize Winner then!

If you have any questions, please leave a comment here, email us at wmecommunityworks@gmail.com or call Tonia Harris at 618-238-9213

This upcoming Friday, July 17th, we are hosting our first Volunteer Training Workshop from 6pm-8pm. Refreshments will be served during this time. Those interested in volunteering can meet us in the Library Room at the old Edgewood School. Our address is 710 Indiana Street, Edgewood, IL.

We are a grassroots library which counts solely on donations and volunteers at this time and we have a vision of the future in which we can really enable our communities to achieve great things. We need trained volunteers to help cover library hours, run our software, categorize books, cover books, tutor children this fall, and so much more.

Your skills are needed.

The following is a list of services we would like to provide our community with this fall and in the future, in addition to keeping regular library hours:

*Tutoring for children after school

* GED completion programs

* Computer Literacy

* Mentoring

* Bring in local groups, leaders, authors, and more to offer workshops, etc.

We are open to your ideas and suggestions as well. We are a action-based and community oriented library.

For any questions, please leave a comment here, email us at wmecommunityworks@gmail.com or call Tonia Harris at 618-238-9213

We will have new hours for July 2015, which we hope will be more convenient for our patrons and future patrons.

July Hours:

Mondays: 3-7pm

Tuesdays: 10am-1pm

Wednesdays: 10am-1pm

Thursdays: 10am-1pm & 3pm-7pm

Fridays: Closed

Saturdays: 1pm-4pm

Sundays: Closed

Closed July 4th for the holiday.

Closed July 13 for our Culver’s fundraising event.

Upcoming Events:

* The Book Sale will continue all through July. Grab a bag or box of books and leave a free will donation!

* The Super Hero Summer Reading Program continues. No membership necessary and children can continue to sign up anytime during library hours.

* July 13- Come join us at Culvers from 5-8pm.  WME Library volunteers will be bussing tables and a portion of the proceeds go to the WME Community Library. Free will donations accepted during this time.

* July 20- Movie night from 5-7:30pm. For children 12 and under, we will be presenting Big Hero 6. For children 13-18, we will be presenting the latest Avengers movie release. Refreshments will provided.

* WME Charter Member Tonia Harris will be raising funds for the library at the local Lakelights Art and Music Festival. Stop by her booth for your own custom poem. All proceeds will go to the WME Community Library.

* Every other Tuesday at 10am, we offer story time for children of all ages.

* Friday, July 17- We are hosting our first Volunteer Workshop from 6pm-8pm. Refreshments will be served.

* August 1st is the last day for Summer Reading Program participants to turn in logs. TBA on our Summer Reading Program celebration party and all participants will be in the drawing for a grand prize (hint: one lucky participant will win a new bike!)

We appreciate your feedback and welcome any questions. You can comment here, email us at wmecommunityworks@gmail.com, or call Tonia Harris at 618-238-9213.

Thank you!