Cicada Summer5/29/2024 Our local 17-year cicadas have arrived! Interested observers can find these amazing animals on the library campus on or near some of the older trees.
Cicadas do not bite. They will be out and about during the month of June, calling in the trees. They are impressively loud for their size, but their volume is not overwhelming around the library, even for outdoor activities. Periodical cicadas — Magicicada — are unique to eastern North America. These individuals are the hatchlings from the 2007 emergence. They have spent the past 17 years underground, attached to tree roots. This summer they will all emerge from the ground, molt, and then take to the trees to sing and reproduce. Their offspring will hatch in August and quickly dig in to the dirt, not to be seen again until 2041. Learn more about periodical cicadas from the Lake County Forest Preserves website at https://www.lcfpd.org/education/cicadas or through materials and programs this summer from the library.
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Event with Kal Penn May 74/26/2024 Vernon Area Public Library joins more than 200 public libraries across Illinois to host an online event, “The Many Lives of Kal Penn,” on Zoom on Tuesday, May 7, at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to all; sign up at VAPLD.info/calendar or call 224-543-1485.
Kal Penn is an actor, writer, producer and former Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. His numerous television and film credits include “Designated Survivor,” “House,” Mira Nair’s “The Namesake,” the “Harold & Kumar” franchise, and a guest host of “The Daily Show.” Penn served as national co-chair for the Obama/Biden re-election campaign in 2012 and on the President’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities from 2013 to 2017. He taught courses at the University of Pennsylvania and UCLA. His first book, “You Can’t Be Serious,” was released in 2021. Originally from New Jersey, he received his undergraduate degree in sociology, theater, film, and television at UCLA and a graduate certificate in international security from Stanford University. Penn recently wrapped production on the Bloomberg Green documentary series, “Getting Warmer,” and the Viacom/Paramount+ comedy “Surina & Mel.” Joining Penn in conversation is Bridget Petrites, Library Assistant at Evanston Public Library, who will facilitate a game show–style experience highlighting the many accomplishments of Penn’s life. Audience members may submit questions in advance when they sign up for the event. This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. Illinois Libraries Present (ILP) debuted in 2022 as a way to bring virtual events with bestselling authors and diverse and esteemed speakers to communities across the state and counts more than 200 Illinois libraries as members. Joining forces for such events allow libraries to bring speakers to their communities that might not be possible due to budget constraints or production capabilities. In 2023, the initiative was recipient of the Illinois Library Association’s 2023 Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award for Interlibrary Cooperation, which is awarded annually in recognition of exceptional resource-sharing initiatives that benefit library users in Illinois. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). Season 3 of Illinois Libraries Present will conclude in June with a presentation from Dr. Temple Grandin, academic and activist for animal welfare and people with autism. Eclipse Glasses for Cardholders4/1/2024 [UPDATED APRIL 3: SOLD OUT]
The Vernon Area Public Library distributed 1200 pairs of eclipse glasses to their cardholders at the beginning of April. The Chicagoland area will experience a partial solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. Solar eclipse glasses are required in order to view the partial eclipse safely. Looking at the sun without a protective filter during a partial eclipse can cause permanent vision loss. The eclipse glasses came at no cost to library cardholders and their families. The library acquired 2,000 pairs of eclipse glasses through the SEAL (Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries) program. Approximately 800 pairs were distributed during the partial eclipse in October 2023. Families who kept their glasses from October 2023 can continue to use those. The balance of the donation -- 1200 pairs -- were handed out at the beginning of April 2024. During a solar eclipse, the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking Earth’s view of some or all of it. This is possible because, from Earth, the sun and the moon appear roughly the same size in the sky. The continental United States will experience a partial eclipse on Monday, April 8. Northeastern Illinois will experience the event beginning at approximately 12:51 p.m. and lasting until 3:22 p.m. The total eclipse will only be visible over a path approximately 115 miles wide. The total eclipse path enters the US in southwest Texas and will move northeast across the continent, leaving the U.S. at the Gulf of Maine. Vernon Area Public Library cardholders can check whether glasses are still available by looking on the event listing on the library calendar. More information about the April 8 eclipse can be found at science.nasa.gov/eclipses. More information about safe solar viewing can be found at eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/eyewear-viewers. Board Adopts Strategic Framework3/25/2024 At their regular meeting on March 18, 2024, The Vernon Area Public Library District Board of Trustees officially adopted a Strategic Framework that will guide the activities of the library over the next four years.
Key activities highlighted in the plan include working with an architect to maximize public use of the library building and grounds and looking into a shared library catalog to provide patrons with access to more materials. Other action items include expanding the “Library of Things” (equipment that patrons can check out) and maker-type offerings for content creation. “As this library district completes its 50th year of stellar service to this community, this Strategic Framework will give us a strong start on another half-century of operational excellence,” said Library Director Anne Rasmussen. “We feel good about this plan,” Rassmussen added. “It's an investment in our future. It’s doable, it’s lofty, and it’s solid. We are all very excited to get moving on it.” The VAPLD Strategic Framework 2024–2027 draws upon research and outreach conducted by the library, along with recent findings from other organizations in the library service area, such as the planning studies and branding surveys by the villages of Lincolnshire and Buffalo Grove. “This is excellent,” said Board President Marc Fenton. “All along the way you’ve kept us involved and asked for our input … I think it's great.” The public can view the full Strategic Framework document on the library website at VAPLD.info/StrategicPlan. An abbreviated one-page version is also available for pickup in the library. The Library App Is Back3/13/2024 We are pleased to announce the return of the Vernon Area Public Library app!
In November 2023, the developer of the library app terminated services without warning, a move that affected patrons of our library and many other public libraries across the US and Canada. Service is now restored. We have confirmed with the vendor that no further service interruptions are foreseen. “We know our patrons missed having an app,” said Library Director Anne Rasmussen. “We are very happy it is available again.” The library app provides convenient, one-stop access to browse or search the library catalog, manage holds, sign up for library events, reserve a study room, and get answers to your library questions via instant message. Additionally, the app serves as a portal to popular services for e-books, digital audiobooks, and streaming video, including Libby by OverDrive and Hoopla Digital. Another popular feature is the ability for users to store a digital copy of their library card, eliminating the need to carry a physical one. Apple and Android users can find the free download in their app store. If you need help or have a question about the app, please stop by the desk or call 224-543-1485. I still have the mobile app
I do not have the mobile app
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