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Do you believe in the power of libraries and want them to continue to make a difference? Join our board of trustees! In August 2024 we will have two openings on our nine-person board of trustees. We will also have another opening in November. These individuals serve three-year terms (with the option for a second term) and are tasked with strategically placing the library in the community. They do not micromanage the day-to-day happenings but look for ways to cement the library in its community.
Here are some examples of what the trustees have accomplished:
Began the lifelong learning program. This idea was started just before I began working here and it identified an interest in our community: lifelong learning. This has brought us courses geared towards adults on foreign languages, guitar, calligraphy, learning how to use computers and technology devices, history topics and more.
Began the mobile hotspot program. Sparked by former trustee Ann Beaver, the library began lending out devices that let you take the internet with you. This has hands-down become one of our most popular and sought-after services.
The trustees have a finance committee that consists of trustees and community members that work with a financial advisor. This group has wisely invested over ten years and have been able to bring in income that the library has spent on books and other necessary expenditures.
If you wish to serve on our board, stop in or call and ask for me. You can also visit our website to read meeting minutes and learn more about being a board member.
Book of the week!
If you are going to read one book, give this one a try...
Castleton by Alyssa Roat
(New young adult fiction: fantasy) ~ 374 pages
In a nutshell: Loyalties, friendships, and family ties are put to the test in Alyssa Roat's fantasy novel Castleton.
All hope seems to be lost when Brinnie and Marcus at long last reach Dirklon, one of the few estates standing after disaster struck in the fight against Mordred, who wants to take over the world. Brinnie is near death, suffering from magic overload that burns her up from inside.
A teenager from Arizona, Brinnie is a wizard and the heir of King Arthur who can wield Excalibur. Driven by her prophesied role in Mordred's destruction, Brinnie leaves Dirklon with Marcus before she has healed. Together, they set out to find the magic sword and put an end to Mordred and his evil government. But the road is long and the obstacles many, and there's a question as to whether Brinnie has the strength and cunning needed to save the world.
Castleton's narrative is brisk: twist follows upon twist, rapid turns throw the narrative for a loop, alliances are entered into and broken, and people believed dead are revealed to be alive. Magic overload is compared to radiation sickness, and a magic portal is found inside a museum in St Louis, among the other fun nods to the ordinary world. But the plot is overworked, leading to rushed scenes: the search for Excalibur is turned into a side quest for Marcus and his childhood friend Ignatius, but is shared in retrospect; Brinnie stands trial in a rushed digression; and the prerequisites for Mordred's demise seem to change. Still, all is resolved by the end.
Bottom line: In the brisk fantasy novel Castleton, loyalty, friendship, and second chances may be able to defeat forces of evil in the world.
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Vince Giordano has been the librarian and director of the Juniata County Library since 2015.