Building Winter Villages at Mentor Library

Payton designs her winter village at Mentor Library.

What do you do after you've already built gingerbread men and made them a house? Build a whole village.

On Monday, kids turned old paper towel rolls, greetings cards and cardboard boxes into a winter village. The boxes became stores and the rolls became silos with markers, colored pencils and the children's imagination.

Elizabeth and Philip show off the villages they designed.

We're closing at 5 p.m. on Dec. 31 and will be closed Jan. 1; but the party continues in 2015 with our Year in Review program on Jan. 2 and the New Year’s party for our Teen Book Club on Jan. 3 at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch.

You can check out more of our programs and register for them on our event calendar. If you have any questions, you can always call Mentor Library at 440-255-8811.

Luke colors in the store fronts of his winter village.

For more photos from our winter village craft, visit our Facebook page.

Get a free introduction to yoga at Mentor Library

Get a free introduction to yoga on Monday, Jan. 5, at Mentor Library's Main Branch.

What's your New Year's resolution?

To lose weight? Be healthier? Reduce your stress? Try something new?

We can get you started with all of that in a single step.

Have you ever tried yoga? At 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 5, Mentor Library is hosting a free introduction to yoga at its Main Branch. You can register for it here.

The professionals from Awaken Yoga in Mentor will talk about the history of yoga, its current popularity, its health benefits, and also teach some simple poses even the newest of beginners can do. This class is for all skill levels, including those interested in "chair yoga."

One note: You'll want to wear comfortable clothing, because we will be moving around during the exercises.

Yoga has been linked to everything from reduced stress and boosted immunity to weight loss and stronger muscles.

Come join us on Jan. 5 to see what yoga can do for you.

Also, Awaken Yoga is one of our Core Card partners. So if you enjoy your introduction to yoga, it's easier to stick with it. If you pay for a 5-class package with Awaken Yoga, you get the sixth class for free—just because you have a Mentor Library card.

So jump-start your New Year's Resolution, and join us at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 5 for your introduction to yoga.

Learn How to Use Your New eReader at Mentor Library

Learn how to use your eReader to check out free books, movies and more at Mentor Library.

Did you get an eReader for Christmas or Hanukkah but have no idea to use it?

Is your tablet pretty much a pricey paperweight?

That's OK. We can help you turn your digital doodad into a repository for the books, magazines and even movies you love.

The Mentor Public Library is holding a series of free tutorials in January where we'll show you how to get the most out of your Kindles, Nooks, tablets, smartphones, Kobos or any other kind of eReader device.

And—I can't stress this enough—these classes are free and open to everyone.

All the classes are from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Garfield Room of our library's Main Branch. You can register for them on the library's website or by calling (440) 255-8811 ext. 215.

The first session is Tuesday, Jan. 20. It's specifically for people with Nooks, Kobos and other types of eReaders but not Kindles, Kindle Fires, smartphones or tablets. If you want to learn how to download books to your Nook, this session is for you.

The second session is Thursday, Jan. 22. It's for people who want to learn how to check out library eBooks, audiobooks and other materials onto their tablets (including iPads) and smartphones.

The final session is Saturday, Jan. 24; and it's specifically for those with Kindles and Kindle Fires. Learn how to check out eBooks and more on your new eReader.

Mentor Public Library offers a lot of digital services that are always available, even when our buildings are closed; and you can use them from the comfort of your own home.

Once you know how to do it, you’ll be able to check out library eBooks, stream audiobooks and even watch movies (depending on what kind of device you use) on your eReader, smartphone or tablet from home.

No excuses: You’re never too old or old-fashioned (or too young, for that matter,) to learn something new.

If you’re pretty tech savvy and think you can figure out how to use your eReader without too much help, we’ve posted a bunch of how-to’s for each device on our website.

But if you want a little more help, feel free to register for one of our classes. Or you can bring your device to the library and one of our reference librarians will show you how to get the most out of it.

Besides, your eReader is more valuable as an eReader than it is as a paperweight.

A Last-Minute Christmas Survival Guide

The Mentor Public Library will be closed Wednesday and Thursday for Christmas Eve and Christmas, respectively.

We hope you have all the holidays books, movies and music you need; but, if you're left in a lurch these next two days, we can still help. After all, our digital services are always available—even when our branches are closed.

We've also compiled some seasonally appropriate lists to help you navigate our digital collections.

If you're looking for Christmas music, you can download it from Freegal or stream it on Hoopla.

If you're looking for holidays specials that you can stream to any device, check out our Hoopla and IndieFlix playlists.

Finally, if you're looking for something to read, here are 12 of our favorite seasonal short stories and novels, some of which are available as eBooks via OverDrive or as audiobooks on Hoopla.

And, as always, all of our digital services are free with a Mentor Public Library card.

Thank you for your continued support and we hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas!

Holiday House Party at Mentor Library

Laci carefully places each M&M on her graham-cracker home.

What's the best way to follow up making gingerbread men? How about giving them graham-cracker homes?

We had a special story time on Monday at our Main Branch. Kids listened as Ms. Mary read them The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup.

Then the children constructed homes using graham crackers for walls and roofs and frosting as spackling paste. Finally, they decorated them with M&Ms, gumdrops, marshmallows, gummy bears and candy canes.

Alex dots the roof with gumdrops.

We still have more holiday programs coming at all three of our branches. You can come to our special Christmas Rhyme Time on Dec. 23 at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch.

On Monday, Dec. 29, we’ll be using recycled greeting cards to make holiday villages at our Main Branch.

The party continues in 2015 with our Year in Review program on Jan. 2 and the New Year’s party for our Teen Book Club on Jan. 3 at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch.

You can check out more of our programs and register for them on our event calendar. If you have any questions, you can always call Mentor Library at 440-255-8811.

Jaydon simultaneously smiles, shows off his graham-cracker house and blocks his younger sister out of the frame.

For more photos from our holiday house party, visit our Facebook page.

Bright, shiny and new children's area

It's a whole new look for our children's area.

When is the last time you've visited our children's area on the second floor of our Main Branch?

If it's been more than a month or two, you may not recognize it.

Thanks to volunteers from Selman & Co. and St. Gabriel Parish, it has a fresh coat of paint. And we just finished installing new carpet (which also involved moving a lot of books.)

You may have noticed this guy, as well...

He looked hungrier when he got here.

We want to thank all of you for being so accommodating these last few weeks. We know it's been difficult to navigate our children's area with certain spots cordoned. But now all of our shelves are open for browsing once again!

And the makeover isn't finished yet. You'll be noticing some more changes in 2015—all with the goal of making Mentor Library a fun place to share with your children and grandchildren.

We hope you like the new look, and you're going to love what we have in store!

Streaming Christmas Music with Hoopla

Do you need some Christmas music to set the mood for your all-day gift-wrapping marathon?

We have you covered.

With Hoopla and your Mentor Library card, you can stream up to 10 different albums for free each month. And they have an enormous catalog of Christmas music from which you can choose.

Here are some of your favorites, but feel free to browse around the Hoopla site and see what they have.

(By the way, if you don’t know how to use Hoopla, you can check out this video tutorial that one of our librarians made.)

1. White Christmas (40 Unforgettable Classics)

There are hundreds of Christmas compilations with different legends singing different standards. This is one of the best. You want Bing Crosby and Billie Holiday? You want Peggy Lee and Elvis? You want "White Christmas" and "Ave Maria?" This album has you covered—40 classics from the artists you want to hear sing them.

2. The Ultimate Motown Christmas

The Jackson 5 singing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," Stevie Wonder singing "Ave Maria," The Supremes singing "Joy to the World," Four Tops, Johnny Gill, Marvin Gaye, even the Funk Brothers playing "Winter Wonderland"—after all, it's not Christmas without some soul. Speaking of which, Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle also have Christmas albums you can stream via Hoopla.

3. Bing Crosby Sings Christmas Songs

For a generation, Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is the Christmas song, but Bing has more classics than that in his catalog. Hear him sing everything from "Adeste Fideles" to "The Christmas Song." And if you're in the mood for a Rat Pack Christmas, check out holiday albums from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the whole gang.

4. Muppet Christmas Carol: Special Edition

I'm not saying the Muppets own Christmas, but you could make a pretty awesome holiday playlist just using Muppets soundtracks.

5. A Charlie Brown Christmas

The only downside to listening to Vince Guaraldi's classic soundtrack is you won't be able to get "Linus and Lucy" out of your head for a couple of days. You're probably humming it already. If you're looking for other kid-friendly Christmas albums, try Veggie Tales' A Very Veggie Christmas.

6. Christmastime in Larryland

Meanwhile, this one's definitely not for the kids. But sometimes you just want to hear Larry the Cable Guy fart "Jingle Bells." If you need more blue-collar Christmas, Bill Engvall has you covered.

7. Christmas with the Ray Brown Trio

Ray Brown's been playing bass longer than most people have been doing anything, and this album's perfect for jazz fans who will snap if they hear "Run, Run Rudolph" one more time. For more Christmas jazz, check out Ray Brown's old bandmate Oscar Peterson.

8. This Is Christmas (Elvis Presley Performing Timeless Christmas Classics)

If Bing owns "White Christmas," then nobody sang "Blue Christmas" like the King. He also has a beautiful version of "Peace in the Valley."

9. Bach: Advent & Christmas Cantatas

For lovers of classical music or for those who need background music during Christmas dinner. More classical Christmas: The Royal Philharmonic take on seasonal standards.

10. Christmas Grass Too

A sweet compilation of bluegrass Christmas songs that includes Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels, the Larkins and more. For more Christmas country, try Alan Jackson's Let It Be Christmas.

11. Phineas and Ferb Holiday Favorites

"I Really Don't Hate Christmas" is probably my favorite Christmas song. Thank you, Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

12. An All-4-One Christmas

You'll know almost exactly how old I am if I admit that I used to have this on cassette.

Hoopla also streams video. Check out 12 Christmas specials you can watch on Hoopla right now for free if you have a Mentor Library card.

Holidays at the Branches

Kids show off the holiday gifts they made during our annual Christmas program at our Headlands Branch.

A lot of our posts lately have been about holiday programs at our Main Branch on Mentor Avenue, but we've been getting into the spirit at our Headlands and Mentor-on-the-Lake Branches too.

On Thursday, we had our annual Christmas program at our Headlands Branch.

We sang songs and read stories—including a personal favorite, "Oh, What a Christmas" by Michael Garland—while the kids made Santa stars, candy cane holders and other ornaments.

Ms. Terris helps one of the kids decorate his Christmas tree.

Meanwhile, we had a Countdown to Christmas at our Lake Branch on Saturday.

Kids made Christmas countdown calendars, sang carols and played a holiday version of Bingo.

Children work on their Christmas calendars (that count to 25.)

We still have more holiday programs coming at all three of our branches. You can come to our special Christmas Rhyme Time on Dec. 23 at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch.

On Monday, Dec. 29, we'll be using recycled greeting cards to make holiday villages at our Main Branch.

The party continues in 2015 with our Year in Review program on Jan. 2 and the New Year's party for our Teen Book Club on Jan. 3 at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch.

You can check out more of our programs and register for them on our event calendar. If you have any questions, you can always call Mentor Library at 440-255-8811.

It's a Santa star!

Meet our newest board member

MPL's newest board member, Terri Mervo, introduces herself during the Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday.

We have our newest trustee.

The Mentor Board of Education has chosen Terri Mervo to serve on our Board of Trustees. She will fill the position that opened when Terry Kilbourne announced his retirement after 16 years on the board.

Terri came to our Board meeting Wednesday to introduce herself, but the introduction was hardly necessary. She's been coming to Mentor Public Library for decades—first with her daughter, now with her grandchildren.

Her term begins Jan. 1, 2015 and will run through Dec. 31, 2021.

Terri and her husband have lived in Mentor for 40 years. She had worked at Mentor Public Schools for much of that time and is now retired.

“I have always been an advocate of our public library and am extremely excited to have the opportunity to serve our community on its behalf,” Terri said. “I truly believe in the importance of providing this invaluable resource for people of all ages to enjoy and find enrichment.”

At the same meeting in which we said hello to Terri Mervo, we said good-bye to Terry Kilbourne. (Well, not goodbye. I suspect Terry will still be a frequent visitor. After all, everybody needs a good book sometimes.) While we'll miss Terry and can never thank him enough, we're grateful for all he's done.

And we're also excited to welcome Terri aboard!

Drawing with Olaf and Studio MPL

This is Olaf. He likes warm hugs.

You want to know how to get kids excited about something? Find a way to incorporate Frozen.

Our young artists from Studio MPL practiced their drawing by using their favorite snowman, Olaf, as a model.

Studio MPL is our art club for kids in first through fifth grade. Each month they try something different: making sun catchers, painting sunsets, weaving and even trying out some of Jackson Pollock's techniques.

This month, they practiced drawing. By breaking it down into steps, they transformed familiar geometric shapes into Olaf.

Maria learns how to combine simple shapes to make more complicated characters.

This was our last Studio MPL meeting of the year, but it will be back again in January.

Next month’s session will be Jan. 19 at our Main Branch. (Yes, we're open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.) You can register for it here.

Studio MPL meets on the third Monday of each month. If your kid likes art—any kind of art—they can join the fun!

For more photos from our Studio MPL session, check out our Facebook page. For more information on programs and events for children, teens and adults at Mentor Public Library, visit www.mentorpl.org.

Giselle offers some drawing tips to Taryn during Studio MPL. One of the great things about our art club is that the kids can help one another.

Three Times the Lego Fun

Sophie and John pick their Lego blocks from the pile.

You've heard of our Kids @ Work program?

On the first Saturday of each month, families come to our Main Branch to play and build with our Lego blocks.

Yes, it's that simple. Usually, there's some sort of theme. For example, last Saturday we were building stuff that had to do with the holidays.

For example, Sid built this awesome sled.

But there's also no need to follow the theme. You can build whatever your imagination conjures.

You don't have to register beforehand either. Just come and play. (However, we do ask that kids younger than 8 have an adult with them; and, as with any library program, we ask that you be kind to the other patrons.)

The program may be simple, but it's also pretty popular. Our Garfield Room gets pretty crowded on that first Saturday with young builders.

In fact, it's been so popular that we decided to triple the amount of Lego fun you can have at the library.

Tyler decides where to put his Ninjago warrior.

Now each one of the Mentor Library branches will host a Lego party every month—at our Main Branch on the first Saturday of the month, at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch on the second Saturday, and at our Headlands Branch on the third Saturday.

The rules are the same at each branch. You bring your imagination, we'll bring the Lego blocks, and let's see what we can build!

Nicole and Rebecca search our Lego for just the right block.

12 Days of Christmas on IndieFlix

Remember IndieFlix?

It's the website that allows you to stream thousands of independent films from festivals all around the world. And it's free with your Mentor Public Library card.

The IndieFlix catalog has independently made full-length features and shorts, as well as classic movies and even television episodes.

And it also has a lot of awesome Christmas stories you can watch, if you're feeling festive.

So without further prelude, a dozen seasonal selections from IndieFlix for your 12 Days of Christmas:

1. Don't Tell Santa You're Jewish
A young Jewish girl is worried that Santa will find out that she doesn't celebrate Christmas during her hockey league's holiday party. This animated short is all kinds of adorable. It doesn't matter if you spin the dreidel or hang the mistletoe, you'll get a kick out of this one.

2. The Santa Lie
This short from the United Kingdom is about a 6-year-old girl who discovers the truth about Santa. Needless to say, her parents are left sputtering for an explanation.

3. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
This 1964 film is unforgettable. Whether it's memorable in the good or bad sense is a matter of taste. Simply put, you can file this one under "so bad it's good." It features a bunch of Martians who kidnap Santa Claus so they have someone to give their children presents. If you snickered when you read, "Martians who kidnap Santa," then this one might be worth a look. (It is free, after all.)

4. A Jersey Christmas
A group of clerks at Xmas-O-Rama, a tumbledown Christmas shop in Jersey, are trapped working there until midnight on Christmas Eve. While the boss is at a card game in a last-ditch attempt to pay his bookies, the employees (most of whom are not Christian) struggle with their "outsider" relationship to Christmas. Fair warning: Despite having "Christmas" in its title, this is not a family film. There's way too much profanity in this one to consider it kid-friendly.

5. The Jack Benny Show, The Christmas Shopping Show
In addition to independent films and shorts, IndieFlix features a bunch of classic television shows, including their Christmas specials. In this episode of "The Jack Benny Show," Jack tries to finish all of his Christmas shopping in one fell swoop. (You'll feel immense sympathy for the poor wallet salesman.)

6. The Silver Bow
This one just might make you tear up a little. A son gets his dad, a bedraggled street performer, the perfect Christmas present.

7. The Great Rupert (A Christmas Wish)
This movie might be worth watching just to hear Jimmy Durante sing "Jingle Bells." But the real scene-stealer in this family-friendly film is an animated squirrel who saves Christmas. That's right, Jimmy Durante and a stop-motion animated squirrel. If you don't want to see that, then you don't understand Christmas.

8. Jingle Blues, Jingle Bells
The father in an atypical black British family tries to get his family through the holiday and an impending financial crisis after he loses his job. Can he keep his sanity while still giving his kids the Christmas they want?

9. The Carrot Cake Conversations
This film is more Christmas-adjacent than full-on festive (like "Die Hard" or "Batman Returns.") It is a story of four strangers--three locals and a failed American actress--who find themselves stranded in Singapore two days before Christmas, and find companionship among themselves over a plate of carrot cake.

10. Wood of Value
This Norwegian documentary follows the path of a Christmas tree from the forests of Norway, across the North Sea to the city of London. It also tells the story of the people who assist the tree on its journey.

11. Christmas Comes on a Bicycle
This short film from South Korea is both somber and sweet. A young boy tries to get the object of his affection to notice him on Christmas, but she is too distracted by her job at a family bicycle shop to even notice that it's Christmas.

12. The Beverly Hillbillies, Home for Christmas
The Clampetts fly back to their original home for the holidays, but can a fish that's used to being out of water return to the sea?

Some of our Favorite Things

I asked my coworkers at Mentor Public Library what their favorite Christmas story, movie or song is. For your convenience, I've linked their answers to where you can find them in our collection.

Dee from Circulation: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the Boris Karloff version)
Kim from Children's: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the Jim Carrey version) and Baby, It's Cold Outside
Sue from Administration: Jolly Snow by Jane Hissey
Ed from IT: A Christmas Story
Leslie from Circulation: White Christmas (the movie)
Sally from Shelving: White Christmas (the song)
Morgan from Shelving: Carol of the Bells
Barb from Tech Services: Christmas Carol (both the book and the film starring Alistair Sim)
Mary from Tech Services: The Bishop's Wife
Rita from Circulation: It's a Wonderful Life
Torey from Circulation: This Christmas by Donny Hathaway
Kristin from Reference: The Muppet Christmas Carol
Meredith from Reference: All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey
Mary from our Children's Department: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and O Holy Night by Josh Groban
Judy from Circulation: The Santa Clause and Underneath the Christmas Tree by Kelly Clarkson
Lisa from Children's: A Charlie Brown Christmas (both the movie and soundtrack)
Kelly from Finance: Miracle on 34th Street
Tiffany from Tech Services: Elf
Mary Beth from Tech Services: Lilies of the Field
Julie from Tech Services: The Christmas Donkey by T. William Taylor
Lynn from Administration: The Hallelujah Chorus
Caleb from Circulation: 2000 Miles by The Pretenders
Amanda from Reference: A Garfield Christmas and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Cailey from Reference: The Year Without Santa Claus
Pam from the Mentor Headlands Branch: Sound of Music
Mary from Reference: Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer by Elmo 'n Patsy
Jason from Community Outreach: I Hate Christmas by Oscar, the Grouch

You can find all of our favorites at Mentor Public Library. What's your favorite Christmas song, movie or book?

Catching Gingerbread Men at Mentor Library

Emily traces the outline of her cookie man with frosting during a holiday story time on Saturday at Mentor Public Library.

Children didn’t have to run too fast to catch their own gingerbread men during a holiday story time on Saturday at our Main Branch.

Kids decorated their cookie men with frosting and candy. They also listened to “Gingerbread Boy” by Paul Galdone and sang along to author Erin Dealey’s “Deck the Walls.” (“Deck the walls with mashed potatoes/Fa la la la la la la la la…”)

Mentor Public Library has several other holiday programs for both kids and adults scheduled this December, including a Holiday Cookie Exchange on Dec. 10, Deck the Halls Family Story Times on Dec. 11 and 17, a Countdown to Christmas on Dec. 13, and a Holiday House Party on Dec. 22.

For information on these programs and more, check out our event calendar.

And for more photos from our holiday story time, visit our Facebook page.

Jules sneaks a bit of frosting while decorating her gingerbread man.

Season's Readings: 12 Christmas Stories

With respect to the 12 days of Christmas, here are a dozen seasonal stories to see you through until the New Year.

1. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

If you like Sedaris and his droll sense of humor, you probably already consider this collection of short stories a classic. If you don't like Sedaris, I don't know if there's anything in here that will change your mind. But if you haven't read any Sedaris, then SantaLand Diaries--the story of a 33-year-old man working as an elf at SantaLand--is a great point of entry.

2. A Different Kind of Christmas by Alex Haley

Haley's best known as the author of Roots and the ghostwriter of Malcolm X's autobiography. That sort of resume doesn't immediately make one think of Christmas. However, A Different Kind of Christmas is true to both the season and Haley. It tells the story of a young man who's trying to help one of his father's slaves escape on Christmas Eve.

3. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

You know this one: stingy lender, hobbled child, three ghosts, humbug. Even if you've seen a half-dozen movie versions of this story, you should still read the book. It has some of Dickens' finest writing. (And, if you're looking for a movie version, my personal favorite is the Muppets.)

4. A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

Let's be honest. It's easy to make Christmas stories (especially those involving children) saccharine. But this story about a 7-year-old boy and an elderly woman, who is also his best friend, hits the sweet spot. It's a beautiful rumination on odd friendships and growing up.

5. Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber

Even if you don't know Macomber by name, you probably still know her stories. She's responsible for the stories behind several Hallmark films. If you enjoy Hallmark films, you'll love Macomber's books. If you don't, there's always Holidays on Ice.

6. Matchless by Gregory Maguire

Maguire--the writer behind Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Step-Sister--gives his version of the Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl. Fair warning: You'll probably cry when you read this (but you already know that if you're familiar with the original.)

7. You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs

Burroughs was on his sixth memoir by the time he wrote You Better Not Cry. That's even more than Winston Churchill. You would think Burroughs would be out of material by now, but his Christmas-tinged recollections range from sweet to sad and never miss their mark.

8. Winter Dream by Richard Paul Evans

You were expecting The Christmas Box, right? That's his stadium hit, his Layla or Stairway to Heaven. But Evans has written a lot of seasonally appropriate tomes. This one incorporates the Old Testament story of Joseph and his prophetic dreams and gives it a modern retelling.

9. Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Don't let the dead-eyed motion-capture movie deter you. This story is a classic.

10. Decked With Holly by Marni Bates

This YA book about a girl pretending to be fauxmantically involved with a mega-popular rock star is over the top in all the right ways. Teens who liked Bates' Awkward will get a kick out of Holly too.

11. Santa & Pete by Christopher Moore & Pamela Johnson

Did you know that Santa used to have an African accomplice named Pete? You know about the elves and Rudolph; but, somehow, Santa's most important helper has disappeared in the annals of time. (If you liked Moore's story about Jesus' forgotten friend Biff, then you'll get a kick out of this too.)

12. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Most people think the instance where the Grinch's heart grows three sizes is a nice moment. But cardiomegaly can lead to congestive heart failure. It may have even contributed to Secretariat's death.

That aside, this book is pretty much perfect. I read it every Christmas... and Easter... and most Octobers... and sometimes in June.

Thank You for Canning Your Fines

You donated hundreds of pounds of food to help your neighbors in need. Thank you!

You made a difference.

Whether you donated a single box of pasta or emptied your entire pantry, you made a difference by donating to this year's Can Your Fines food drive.

The food you gave may already be on the table of a local family who needs it. We delivered your donations to food pantries at St. Bede, St. Gabriel and St. John Vianney on Tuesday.

A volunteer at St. Gabriel's food pantry helps unload food you donated.

While we don't know exactly how many pounds of food you gave, permit us to use a more anecdotal measurement. We filled two dozen boxes—which, in turn, filled the entire Mentor Library van—with your donations.

That's a lot of food. And that food will help a lot of families.

So thank you. I know we thanked you before, but it bears repeating.

Thank you for giving. Thank you for caring. And thank you for making a difference.

The weather during the deliveries may look drizzly, but everything's relative. Last year, it snowed.

12 Christmas Specials You Can Watch for Free on Hoopla

In the mood to watch something seasonal but don't feel like leaving home today?

That's not a problem. With Hoopla, you can stream more than 300,000 audiobooks, movies and albums to your phone, tablet or computer anywhere at anytime. And it's free with your Mentor Public Library card.

Here are 12 different Christmas movies and TV episodes that you can start streaming now.

1. Madeline's Christmas

All lists that can include Madeline's Christmas should, including lists about holiday specials, beloved children's literature characters, and pandemics.

There's not a whole lot of plot to Madeline's Christmas (but since when has Madeline been about things happening.) Basically, Madeline must take care of her classmates who have fallen ill around holiday time.

That's right. Any cartoon character can save Christmas! Madeline saves the holiday and cures the common cold. Is there anything this adorable moppet can't do?

2. The Office (UK)—BBC Special

No, not the one with the Yankee swap. This is the original British The Office—the one that inspired the American variant and made Ricky Gervais your favorite comedian's favorite comedian.

This isn't just a Christmas special. It's also the finale. Can David Brent (Gervais as the pre-Michael Scott entertainer/boss) find a date in time for the office Christmas party? And will Dawn and Tim—the British versions of Pam and Jim, but you probably figured that out—make it work?

3. The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas

Ready to have yourself a Munster little Christmas?

Eddie is missing Transylvania so the rest of his family rallies around him in this holiday Munsterpiece.

4. Archie's Weird Mysteries, The Christmas Phantom

Speaking of holiday monsters...

We'll forgive you if you've never heard of Archie's Weird Mysteries. Simply put, some television executive thought it would be a good idea to turn the Riverdale gang into the Scooby-Doo Crew.

Consequently, in this series, Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead solve mysteries with a supernatural twist. It's every bit as awful/awesome as it sounds.

If you want a seasonal sampling, check out The Christmas Phantom. It's the best Christmas special about a specter lurking in a department store that we've ever seen.

5. The Night Before Christmas

Or if you're looking for something more traditional, you can watch as Anthony Edwards narrates this Christmas classic.

6. Strawberry Shortcake, Berry Merry Christmas

Just when you thought this shortcake couldn't get any sweeter, she made a Christmas special.

Get ready for some adorable. Strawberry Shortcake and her friends make Madeline look like Edgar Allan Poe.

7. Christmas with the Addams Family

Uncle Fester gets stuck in the chimney while dressed as Santa. That's all you needed to know, right?

8. The Story of Christmas

Christmas isn't just about mystery-solving teenagers and princess-saving plumbers. (Oh, we'll get to the Mario Christmas special later.) It's not just about Santa Claus or talking snowmen either.

The Story of Christmas recounts the tale of Jesus's birth simply and sweetly. Watch it with your kids if they start to forget the reason for the season.

9. Bah Humduck! A Looney Christmas

There are hundreds of iterations on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but this is the only one with Plucky Duck.

Ergo, it must also be the best. (Though we also acknowledge the awesomeness of A Muppet Christmas Carol.)

10. Christmas Kiss

Consider this the obligatory romantic comedy option.

On second thought, maybe you'd be better off borrowing one of our copies of Love Actually.

11. Franklin's Magic Christmas

Franklin's having a difficult Christmas. His grandpa's sick, Faraway Farm is snowed in, and his sister Harriet is driving him crazy.

I wonder if the holiday will teach him any special lessons about appreciating his younger sibling.

12. Super Mario World, The Night Before Cave Christmas

As is probably obvious by now, we have an enormous soft spot for Christmas specials that border on the ridiculous.

And what can be more ridiculous than Christmas with Mario and Luigi, especially when Mario is trying to stop King Koopa from stealing a bunch of cavemen's Christmas gifts?

Nothing. There is a not a single thing that can be more ridiculous than that.

If you want to watch any of these videos but don't know how to use Hoopla, you can check out this video tutorial that one of our librarians made.

And check out Mentor Public Library for more awesome holiday books, movies and music.

Have Yourself a very Freegal Christmas

Thanksgiving is over. Nobody can give you a dirty look for playing Christmas music now.

So if you're looking for something different to play this Christmas or just need a new copy of an old favorite, you should check out Freegal.

Freegal is one of the library's digital services, which lets you download DRM-free mp3s of your favorite songs. Moreover, once you download a song, you can keep the mp3 forever. Put it on your phone, your computer, your iPod--wherever you want. It's yours.

If you have a Mentor Public Library card, you can download five songs for free every week from Freegal. Note: It's difficult picking just five because there are so many options.

So here are just a smattering of your seasonal choices.

Welcome to 34 consecutive days of Christmas music

1. Kelly Clarkson, Wrapped in Red
Clarkson's Christmas album is already ubiquitous. You can start downloading songs from it now for free. (If you have the patience to spread it out over a couple of weeks, then you can get the entire album. And, yes, I still call them albums.)

Personal favorite: I'm always game for a new cover of Run, Run Rudolph. I'm less enthusiastic about Baby, It's Cold Outside, which is pretty much the holiday version of Blurred Lines.

2. Harry Belafonte, Christmas
Belafonte could sing about muddy slush and it would still sound great with his voice, so it's a delight to hear him sing these carols.

3. Dolly Parton, Home for Christmas
As a general rule, I love Dolly. This is doubly true during the holidays.

4. Ukulele Christmas
This album's for all the people who loved Israel Kamakawiwo`ole's version of Over the Rainbow. And, no, these standards aren't performed by IZ, but they have that same combination of earnestness and sweetness.

Personal favorite: Auld Lang Syne, but you might also like the Over the Rainbow/We Wish You a Merry Christmas medley.

5. Kirk Franklin, Christmas
If you need some gospel music this time of year, Kirk Franklin and the Family have you covered. Standards like Go Tell It on the Mountain and O Come All Ye Faithful sound sweeter than ever.

6. Harry Connick Jr., When my Heart Finds Christmas
Connick has a lot of Christmas albums in his discography. This one's my favorite but they are all available on Freegal.

Personal favorite: I Pray on Christmas.

7. Parranda All-Stars: Navidad
There's a lot more to Latin Christmas music than Feliz Navidad. This album is a good place to start.

8. NSYNC, Home for Christmas
Any NSYNC fans out there? There must be some. These guys only sold 50 bajillion records.

If you bought the CD or even *gasp* the cassette when you were in middle school, here's a chance to update your medium for free.

9. Glee Cast, Blue Christmas
If you don't like Glee...

10. Elvis, The Classic Christmas Album
Freegal has the Elvis version of Blue Christmas too.

What are some of your favorite Christmas albums?

If you're having trouble with Freegal, MPL Librarian Mary Pelton made video explaining how to navigate its web site.

It’s a Peanuts Thanksgiving at Mentor Library, Charlie Brown

We hosted a special screening of "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" on Wednesday, Nov. 26, and also served the kids a feast of popcorn, toast and ice cream.

Where’s the turkey, Chuck?

We may not have had any poultry at our Charlie Brown Thanksgiving party, but we had enough popcorn and ice cream to make Chef Charlie Brown proud.

We screened the classic A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on Wednesday at our Main Branch and even served the same lunch as Charlie Brown did for his friends—popcorn, pretzels, toast and ice cream sundaes.

Rachel tosses the football during the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving party.

Afterward, the kids tested their football skills (as not to get tricked my Lucy) and transformed plastic utensils into Peanuts pilgrims.

The menu at our Thanksgiving party

For more photos from Mentor Library programs and events, check out our Facebook page.

A lot to be thankful for this year

This is Maddalyn. She's one of the reasons we're thankful this year.

We have a lot of reasons to be grateful at Mentor Public Library and a lot of people to thank.

Let's start with our volunteers.

So much of what we do depends on our volunteers. We couldn't deliver books to our homebound patrons without the volunteer drivers. There would be no Paws to Read without the therapy dogs and their owners. Many of our programs depend on the money that the Friends of the Mentor Public Library raise during their book sales at The Read House. (If we have to single out one person from this helpful group, Dennis Hauer has raised more than $25,000 for the library from online book sales!)

The teens who help run our children's programs in the summer, the St. Gabriel parishioners and employees from Selman who painted our second floor, and the Boy Scouts who built a pergola outside of our Headlands Branch—we wouldn't be the same without you!

Andrew Brachna, one of our homebound drivers, brings books and movies to patrons who couldn't get them otherwise.

We also need to thank our Board of Trustees. They offer their time and expertise to make Mentor Library the best library possible.

And our partners! We work with a lot of organizations, businesses and nonprofits in our community. Some of them support our Summer Reading Programs. Others have teamed with us on our Core Card, book clubs or on programs. And then there are groups like the Mentor Community Arts Commission who support us with grants.

Thank you all! It's a pleasure to work with you.

Diva, one of our therapy dogs from Paws to Read, interrupts Leah's reading for a canine kiss.

Finally, we want to thank our patrons—every single person who crosses our threshold, whether it's to use our computers, read our books or check out a movie. Maybe you just need a clean well-lit place to study. We're thankful that we can help.

A library is ultimately a reflection of its community; and, if we're a good library, it's because of your support and patronage.

Thank you and we hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you for making us part of your lives.

Try one of the online book clubs at Mentor Library

Pick from more than a dozen online book clubs—from romances to science fiction, new releases to classics.

Mentor Library has book clubs for art lovers, mystery enthusiasts, teens, seniors, American Girl fans and more.

And they're all great (largely because the people who come to them are wonderful.) Besides, a book club's a fun way to discover new books and chat about them with like-minded folks.

But what if your schedule is too erratic for a traditional book club? Is there still a way for you to participate?

Of course!

There are 14 online book clubs you can sign up for through Mentor Public Library. They include clubs for classics, new releases, romances, science fiction, audiobooks and more. (Here's the full list.)

All you have to do is give your email address. Then, chapters from the clubs' books will be emailed directly to you.

It's a great way to sample books without having to commit to them. You get a couple of chapters emailed to you. If you have time, read them. If you love it, check the book out from your local library. If you don't have time or don't love it, skip the book and try again next time.

And if you really love the book and want to talk about it, each book club has a moderated forum where you can talk about it with other readers.

Check out your options and join a book club that works around your schedule.

Willy Wonka visits Mentor Library for his birthday party

It's the 50th anniversary of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so we threw a birthday party for that clandestine chocolatier Willy Wonky on Saturday at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch.

Kids made their own candy concoctions, tested their Wonkavision and got a taste of our chocolate river. Then Mr. Wonka himself appeared!

He even bore gifts. One lucky child found a golden ticket in their Wonka Bar that provided him with four tickets to the Fine Art Association's performance of Willy Wonka, which runs from Nov. 28 to Dec. 21.

We want to thank the Fine Arts Association and Willy Wonka for dropping by!

Even if you missed the party, you should check out the video. In it, Mr. Wonka explains how the Federal Aviation Administration (the other FAA) governs Fizzy Lifting Drink and what became of the ill-fated and iller named Hornswozzie candy.

Art for Adults at Mentor Library

Aileene admires her handiwork during a jewelry-making session Monday at Mentor Library's Main Branch.

If you're older than 13, you may wonder why it's the kids who always seem to be getting crafty.

It's the children who get to make cornucopias or build lava lamps or splatter paint everywhere.

But there are plenty of chances for teens and adults to flex their artistic side at Mentor Library too.

Just in the last year, we've hosted free watercolor painting and inking classes.

Rita carefully threads her beads onto her necklace.

On Monday, Terry O'Leary showed how to make beautiful custom earrings-and-bracelet sets. Some people made their jewelry as Christmas gifts. Others loved what they made too much to part with it.

(We need to pause here to thanks the Mentor Community Arts Commission. They sponsored the jewelry-making, watercolor and inking programs. We couldn't do this without them!)

If you missed Monday's program, there's another opportunity to get in touch with your artistic side this year.

On Monday, Dec. 8, at our Main Branch, Jenn Cline from the Ohio Paper Folders will teach a hands-on introduction to origami. See what you can do with just a few pieces of paper. Registration for the workshop begins Nov. 24.

Clare and John search for just the right beads to complete their bracelets.

For more photos from our jewelry-making workshop and other programs, visit Mentor Library's Facebook page.