Get (your documents) shredded at Mentor Public Library

Have sensitive documents like tax forms or medical records that you want to get rid of?

Bring them to the library.

Mentor Public Library is partnering with Xpress Shredding for its fourth annual Shred Day in which you can have your documents shredded for free.

Shred Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 19, in the library’s auxiliary parking lot on the corner of Mentor Avenue and Sharonlee Drive.

The service is free and open to everyone. You can drop off as many five document-storage boxes or bags of paper.

And you don't have to worry about your sensitive documents being stolen instead of shredded. Everything will be loaded into locked bins on a secure truck, which will be attended at all times by Xpress Shredding staff. Then the truck will be taken to the company’s secure shredding facility.

The documents will then be shredded and the shredded paper recycled.

Shred Day will be held rain or shine (or, the way this spring is going, snow.) Xpress staff will even help patrons remove their boxes or bags from their cars for them.

Additionally, any library patron who participates in Shred Day will also receive a coupon from Xpress for an additional box of paper to be shredded when it’s dropped off at Xpress’s facility on Tyler Boulevard.

Learn how to get the best bang for your buck at Money Smart Week

Kids can make their own piggy banks during Money Smart Week, because it's never too soon to acquire fiscal sense.

When it comes to money smarts, if you don’t have sense, you’ll be left without any cents.

That’s why Mentor Public Library is hosting a series of programs designed to help people make smart financial decisions. It’s called Money Smart Week and it runs from April 5 through 12.

It also gives everyone, from kids to seniors, a chance to learn about different financial topics in a nonthreatening, impartial environment.

It can be intimidating or even embarrassing to talk frankly about money. Some people may not feel comfortable walking into a bank and asking a lot of financial questions. Hosting these programs at the library lets you listen to and ask question of an expert on neutral ground.

The programs include:

• The 25 Biggest Money Mistakes, in which experts from the Society for Financial Awareness will explore the 25 biggest money mistakes that people make and how to avoid them. The talk will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8.
• Make Cents: Understanding the Long-Term Financial Commitments brings experts from three different banks to the library's Main Branch. They will demystify common banking topics for the layperson. This Q & A panel session is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on April 10.
• Solving the Retirement Income Puzzle, where people can learn how to manage their retirement income and avoid running out of money. This talk will be from 2 to 3 p.m. on Friday, April 11.
• Show Me the Money, a special program for kids from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 5. Children will learn about currency and make their own piggy bank.
• Duct Tape Wallet, in which teens can get creative while making their own wallets out of duct tape. The program is from 2 to 4 p.m. on April 12. 

We wanted to make sure we had Money Smart programs for kids and teens too, because it's never too soon to talk about fiscal responsibility.

Like we said before, money talk can be intimidating. But the more familiar kids are with concepts like budgeting and long-term financial commitments, the more confident and sensible they'll be with money when they grow up.

For more information on Money Smart Week at Mentor Public Library, visit www.mentorpl.org or call (440) 255-8811 ext. 215.

Are you ready for your ACT?

It's one of the cruel truths of young adulthood that you spend four years volunteering, participating in student groups and working hard in class, and then a single standardized test taken on a Saturday morning can completely undermine you.

Standardized test are, in a word, stressful.

But there's no better remedy for that stress than being well prepared.

The Mentor Public Library had its first of two ACT prep sessions last Saturday. That session focused on general test preparation and the reading courses. The next session is from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 29. Its focus will be the science and math sections of the ACT. You can register for it here.

We're also hosting a pair of ACT prep sessions on May 24 and 31.

These sessions provide practical experience in terms of the types of questions you'll see on the ACT, and they also offer strategies for test prep (that, by the way, work on tests besides the ACT.)

All sessions will be led by Dr. John Foster, one of our reference librarians at Mentor Public Library. Foster has a doctorate in history from the University of Washington and has taught at both the high school and college level.

And, yes, all of our sessions are free and open to anyone preparing for the ACT.

If you have any questions on our ACT prep sessions, you can call the library at (440) 255-8811 ext. 215.

Welcome to Superhero School

Brian practices rescuing civilians (in this case, a stuffed raccoon) from a tall building,

Superheroes aren't born. They don't climb from the crib and start fighting for truth, justice and the American way.

No, superheroes are made. And where are they made?

Superhero school.

Rileigh practices leaping over a building in a single bound.

Mentor Public Library held a session of Superhero School last Wednesday. Tiny future Flashes, Wonder Women and Captain Americas leaped tall building (blocks,) rescued civilians and trained on our obstacle course.

They also made their own Wonder bracelets in case they have to deflect any oncoming projectiles. (Note: Wonder bracelets may not be able to deflect anything denser than a balled-up piece of paper.)

But they do look awesome.

For more photos from our Superhero School, visit our Facebook page.

For more information on programs and events for kids and adults, visit the event calendar on our website.

This photo is probably better (and at least more adorable) than any inevitable Justice League film.

Bright paints and black lights

Andrew sees what the black paint does his artwork.

Andrew had spent about 20 minutes on his masterpiece. It included streaks of orange, blue dots and a kelly green shamrock. (It was, after all, St. Patrick's Day.)

Then he put his artwork beneath the black light and he barely recognized it.

The orange glowed like the sun's surface, the blue shimmered like Caribbean water and the shamrock was nearly translucent.

That's what happens when you put fluorescent paint beneath a black light, Ms. Lisa explained.

Gavyn paints her black canvas in bright colors.

Studio MPL is our art club for kids in first through fifth grade. They meet on the third Monday of each month.

This week, they learned about fluorescent paints—who created them, how to use them and how different types of light affect them.

Bela smiles as she paints.

In past months, the kids have learned everything from weaving to inking. They've made paper cutouts in the style of Matisse and even channeled Jackson Pollock.

The only way to know what they're going to do next is to get in on the fun.

The next Studio MPL meeting is 4 p.m. Monday, April 21, at the Mentor Public Library's Main Branch.

For more photos from Studio MPL's most recent session, go to our Facebook page.

STERIS to discuss career opportunities at Mentor Library

STERIS Corporation was already one of the largest employers in Mentor, even before it added its new, state-of-the-art manufacturing center to its facility at 6100 Heisley Road in Mentor.

STERIS is looking to hire qualified TIG welders and CNC operators to work at this manufacturing center.

Those who are interested in working in these fields can come to the Career Coffee Talk on Friday, March 21, at Mentor Public Library’s Main Branch. Karen Ralston, senior human resources manager for STERIS, and Rossmald Heredia, Director of Operations will provide information about career opportunities at the manufacturing center.

The talk begins at 10 a.m. It is free and open to the public. People can register for it beforehand by visiting Mentor Public Library's website or by calling 440-255-8811 ext. 213.

STERIS is a leader in the design, manufacture and sale of infection prevention and surgical products and services, focused primarily on critical healthcare, pharmaceutical and research markets. Those who are interested in working for STERIS but cannot attend Friday’s talk are encouraged to visit http://www.steris.com/about/careers/ for information on current opportunities.

Career Coffee Talks is a series of monthly informal talks designed to help people get the tools they need to help them find the career they want. The series is spearheaded by Ohio Means Jobs Lake County and hosted by Mentor Public Library.

Erin go bookish: 11 literary Irish toasts for your St. Patrick's Day

In addition to being a better writer than most of humanity, Oscar Wilde was also better dressed.

Tired of shouting Erin go bragh or "may the road rise to meet you" already?

It's splendid to celebrate Ireland, but the Irish have given us far too many quotable toasts and toastable quotes for us to settle on the same chestnuts over and over.

So shout these as you raise a draught or a pint or a shot (or a glass of water. There's nothing wrong with being the sober one, even on St. Patrick's Day.)

1. I wish you and yours every joy in life, old chap, and tons of money, and may you never die till I shoot you.

-James Joyce

2. True friends stab you in the front.
-Oscar Wilde

3. All the world's a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed.
-Sean O'Casey

4. I showed my appreciation of my native land in the usual way—by getting out of it as soon as I possibly could.

-George Bernard Shaw

5. If it was raining soup, the Irish would be out with forks.

-Brendan Behan

6. Ireland, sir, for good or evil, is like no other place under heaven, and no man can touch its sod or breathe its air without becoming better or worse.

-George Bernard Shaw

7. When I die I want to decompose in a barrel of porter and have it served in all the pubs in Dublin.

-J. P. Donleavy

8. The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, the young know everything.

-Oscar Wilde

9. That's the Irish people all over—they treat a joke as a serious thing, and a serious thing as a joke.

-Sean O'Casey

10. Better belly burst than good liquor be lost.

-Jonathan Swift

11. Cast your mind on other days
That we in coming days may be
Still the indomitable Irishry
-William Butler Yeats

What Do Your Dreams Mean?

Lakeland Associate Professor Anthony Palermo explains the what buildings usually stand for in our dreams.

Anthony Palermo and Jim Dailey, associate professors at Lakeland Community College, visited Mentor Public Library's Main Branch to talk about dreams Monday night.

They answered questions almost everyone has: What our dreams? Why do we have them and what do they mean?

While I can't recapitulate all the insight Palermo and Dailey provided, I do want to offer some of the highlights.

For example, Palermo explained what common symbols in dreams mean.

Flying in a dream represents freedom and creativity.

A house or building represents the person who's dreaming; the rooms, different aspects of the person; and the basement, his or her subconscious.

Both falling and being chased are classic personifications of anxieties. (When you wake abruptly from a falling dream, that's called a hypnic jerk.)

The shadow represents our double which does, in dreams, the things we would never do while awake.

It's not uncommon to dream of yourself as the other sex. An anima is the female aspect of the male self, and the animus if the male aspect of the female self.

Recurring dreams represent unresolved problems, and premonitory dreams are things "the unconscious can see" that the conscious won't acknowledge, Palermo said.

Speaking of which, several famous scientists, authors and politicians had dreams that helped guide their work. Friedrich Kekule had difficulty constructing a benzene molecule until he dreamed of it as an ouroboros ring. That structure turned out to be accurate.

The same thing happened to Niels Bohr who dreamed of electrons rotating around the nucleus. He won a Nobel Prize for following (and verifying) his dream.

Albert Einstein dreamed of seeing the extended spectrum of colors while traveling at the speed of light. He later said, "My entire scientific career has been a meditation on that dream."

The list continues: Harriet Tubman trusted her dreams to select routes along the Underground Railroad; Abraham Lincoln predicted his death in a dream two days before he was assassinated; and Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Mary Shelley dreamed of Kubla Khan and Frankenstein, respectively, before they wrote them.

Finally, Palermo said that there are three levels to dreaming.

Level one are dreams that depict the day's events. Level-two dreams contain personal symbolism. And dreams of the third level contain what Carl Jung referred to as archetypes.

Jung, a student of Sigmund Freud, believed that there are certain characters and motifs that appeared in every culture's imaginations: the hero, mother, child, trickster, flood, dragon and so on.

Furthermore, Jung believed that archetypical dreams tapped into something he called the collective unconscious.

If Jung's correct, not only do all people share the act of dreaming, but our dreams connect us all at a basic level.

In other words, dreams show us that we all may have more in common than we thought.

Thanks to Palermo, Dailey and everyone who came to their talk Monday. For more information on programs and events at Mentor Public Library, visit our web site or call 440-255-8811.

Hold the Salt: 10 Tips for Getting Heart Healthy

The Lake County General Health District visited the Mentor Library last week to offer some tips on how to make your diet heart healthier.

Their biggest suggestion: Cut down on the salt.

Salt plays a role in high blood pressure. People only need one teaspoon of salt a day, but most of us eat a lot more than that.

Consequently, LCGHD offered 10 tips (via the USDA) for cutting back our salt intake.

1. Think fresh

Fresh foods are generally lower in sodium. So try to cut back on the processed foods, especially cure meats, cheesy foods (like pizza) and read-to-eat meals.

2. Enjoy home-prepared foods

The same logic applies here as in Tip 1. If you're cooking at home with fresh ingredients, you're eating less salt.

3. Fill up on veggies and fruits

Fruits and vegetables, both frozen and fresh, are naturally low in sodium.

4. Choose the low-sodium version of a food

Craving meat but afraid of the salt content of most deli or luncheon meats? Eat fresh chicken, beef or seafood, instead. Choose unsalted nuts and seeds over their salted varieties.

5. Adjust your taste buds

Unsalted or low-sodium foods may taste unusual to you at first, but you'll get used to them as your taste buds adjusts to your new diet.

6. Skip the salt

This may seem so obvious as to not even merit mention; but, just to be safe, I'll say it. Don't season your food with a lot of salt. Use healthier options like garlic, herbs, red and black pepper, vinegar or lemon juice to season your supper.

7. Read the label

When in doubt, check the Nutrition Facts label. Always know what you're eating.

8. Ask for low-sodium foods when you eat out

Restaurants may prepare lower-sodium versions of their foods, sauces and salad dressings at your request. But you'll never know unless you ask.

9. Pay attention to condiments

Soy sauce, ketchup, pickles, olives, salad dressings and seasoning packets are high in sodium. Use the low-sodium version of soy sauce and try cucumbers instead of pickles.

10. Eat more potassium

Potassium lowers blood pressure, so eat a lot of potassium-rich foods like potatoes, beet greens, tomato juice, beans and bananas.

The LCGHD will return to the Mentor Public Library on May 7 to talk about diet trends and picking a diet that's right for you. You can register for the free talk here.

Click here for more tips on how to eat and live healthy from the Lake County General Health District.

Celebrating Women who Rock at Mentor Library

From Janis Joplin to Joan Jett, Aretha Franklin to Alicia Keys—Mentor Public Library wants to reward its patrons for knowing women who rock.

We are celebrating Women’s History Month with a trivia game and someone who knows their women rockers can win a $25 iTunes gift card.

Patrons can play anytime in March. If you check out two items at our Main Branch—any two items, including books, CDs and DVDs—and take the receipt to the library’s reference desk, you'll be able to play.

The library has a poster featuring 30 different singers, musicians and groups displayed in its first floor. If you can identify all 30 artists, then you will be entered into a raffle to win the iTunes gift card

Of course, you can also celebrate women’s history any time by checking out the uncountable classic books, music and films created by women.

Lakeland professors talk about importance, symbolism of dreams

Tony Palermo has been fascinated with dreams since he was a child.

“I remember being amazed at how real some of my dreams were and how my emotions were affected by them,” Palermo said.

During graduate school, Palermo researched symbolism which led him to the study of dreams.

Palermo is now an associate professor of humanities at Lakeland Community College, and he’ll be sharing his knowledge of dreams and dream interpretations at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 10, at Mentor Public Library’s Main Branch.

The talk will be part of the library’s Monday University series.

“It’s been my experience that the majority of people love to talk about their dreams,” Palermo said. “More than anything else, they are ‘personal mysteries,’ which individuals love to solve. Once given the proper tools, most people can do their own interpretations; and it is phenomenal how much you can learn about yourself through interpretations.”

Palermo will be joined at the library by Jim Dailey, another associate professor at Lakeland. He specializes in the science of sleep, which has a big impact on the study of dreams.

Those who come to the Monday University program will learn the significance of dreaming, the importance of dreams in several religious traditions, and some methods and techniques with which people can interpret and understand their own dreams.

The talk at Mentor Public Library is free and open to the public. However, people are asked to register for it beforehand.

They can also sign up to hear Palermo and Dailey by calling (440) 255-8811 ext. 215.

A Seuss-Tastic Birthday Celebration at Mentor Library

The Mentor Public Library held a birthday party for Dr. Seuss at all three of its branches Monday.

And I could tell you all about the fun we had, or I could just show the photos.

Photos, you say?

Things 1 and 2, also known as Avery and Madison, go fishing for Red and Blue Fish.

Michele helps Sarah make a speck where her Whos can live.

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of Horton Hears a Who, the kids all shared good deeds they had done.

Jordan makes a Horton mask, compete with a noisemaker for a trunk.

Sara (mom) and Olivia (daughter) listen to a special Seuss-themed story time at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch.

For more photos from our Seuss-pendous birthday party, visit Mentor Library's Facebook page.