Fewer fines, more stuff from your library! 
It's Library Lovers month! 
We have a lot of great stuff here at the library: books, movies, books on CD, board games, puzzles, kits for kids, a telescope, cake pans, and more. But none of these things do anyone any good just sitting on our shelves. We want you to make good use of our collections! 

That's why we're always trying to think of ways to make the library more accessible to everyone. One of the things we kept hearing from patrons was "oh, I can't check anything else out -- I'll get a late fee." Well, worry no more: the Mercer Library has eliminated late fees on all books, audiobooks, and games. We've also reduced fees on movies to 50 cents per day, and  you can now check out up to 7 movies and 25 total items on your library card. 

February is " Library Lovers Month," and sometimes we get asked how our library fans can show their love. The best thing you can do for us is to come in and USE your library. Borrow a book, use our high-speed wifi, take a seat in the Reading Room to warm yourself by the fire and read a magazine. The best way to make sure your library is here for the future is to make use of it now, and we hope our new policies will make it easier for you to do that. 

As always, send your feedback my way. I love to hear your ideas for new programs, books and movies to buy, or suggestions for how we can serve the community better. 

Stay warm! 

Teresa Schmidt
Library director
Heart Healthy Brunch this Saturday

Mercer Health and Wellness will host the seventh annual Heart Healthy Brunch this Saturday, February 10 at 11:00am. This year the Friends of the Mercer Library are happy to co-sponsor the event's speaker, Rachel Funk-Johnson. 

"The Happy, Healthy Mind & Heart:" Gain a deeper understanding to how your daily thoughts affect your body in this positive and uplifting hour with Rachel Funk-Johnson. Learn specific techniques to help you de-stress and encourage a positive mindset. 

The Heart Healthy Brunch includes lunch and door prizes, and is FREE and open to Health and Wellness Participants, Friends of the Mercer Library, and ALL area community members. Attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Mercer Food Pantry. Register by Monday, February 5 by phone at 715-476-2366 or by emailing jkybst@gmail.com.
The History of Flight

The Mercer Public Library and the Lakeland Radio Controlled Flying Club invite you to a multimedia presentation on the history of flight on Friday, February 23rd at 1:00pm. We'll explore man's desire to fly from early mythology to today's flying drones and in the process learn why things fly. If you like, you will even be able to try your own hand at flying using an R/C simulator. This promises to be a fun event for "pilots" of all ages. 

John Kunkel is the current president of the Lakeland Radio Controlled Flying Club. Following his retirement from his "day job" he taught computer operating systems and applications as an adjunct instructor for Nicolet College and the science of flight at area grade schools. He is currently teaching computer programming and robotics at Trinity Lutheran School in Minocqua.
700 Series: Folk art collection of Frank Kopecky

Local antiques dealer Frank Kopecky has shared a beautiful collection of folk art with the library this month, including a large number of pieces of wood carving, painting, and pyrography. His collection includes local Mercer artists as well as artists more widely known. Stop by to take a look at the wide variety of art and furniture he has on display through the end of the month. 

Why the "700 Series?" The Dewey Decimal System assigns books about the arts numbers between 700 and 799. The library's 700 Series brings art off the pages by displaying the works of local artists and/or local subject matter. Do you have a collection you'd like to share with our library visitors or know an artist you'd like to see display here? Let us know
Aldo Leopold Week in Wisconsin

The Mercer Library will join the celebration of "Aldo Leopold Week" in Wisconsin with three special events planned for early March.  Mark your calendars for:
  • A screening of "Green Fire," a documentary celebrating the life and work of Aldo Leopold, on Friday, March 2 at 1:00pm; 
  • A presentation by Terry Daulton from Wisconsin's Green Fire, a new conservation movement in Wisconsin, on Tuesday, March 6 at 6:30pm; and 
  • A presentation on conservation efforts in Wisconsin by Matt Dallman from The Nature Conservancy on Friday, March 9 at 1:00pm.

Stay tuned for more information, or visit aldoleopold.org for more information about events across the state. 

More February Events

Our Book Club meets on February 6 at 1:00pm to discuss The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb. All are welcome, and you can stop by the library to borrow a copy of the book. Next month our group will be discussing The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan. 

Join us for our monthly Movie Night on February 14 at 6:30pm, when we'll be showing the first feature-length film to be animated in oil painting. "Loving Vincent" tells the story of the life and unusual death of painter Vincent VanGogh. The movie is rated PG-13 and is 94 minutes long. 

Tech Tuesday
is your chance to get one-on-one technology help with library director Teresa Schmidt. Drop in with your gadgets and your questions on Tuesdays, February 6, 13, and 27 at 2-4pm. This service is available first-come, first-served, but if you can't make it on Tuesdays give us a call to set up an appointment for another time.

Coffee & Coloring is held on the 2nd and last Fridays of the month. This is a relaxing program for adults: bring your own paper craft project or we'll provide colored pencils and coloring sheets for you. 

The Friends of the Library will meet on February 13 at 10:00am to plan for their upcoming events, including a National Library Week book sale in April, bake sales at upcoming elections, and their annual membership drive. New members and volunteers are always welcome! 

Local Interest Groups: The Mercer Library also hosts several informal clubs and interest groups run by local residents. Our knitters usually meet on the first and third Thursdays of the month at 1-3pm. An ecumenical Bible study group meets on Tuesday mornings at 8:30. During warmer months we also host the Southern Snowbelt Beekeepers. Would you like to start an interest group of your own? We'd be happy to provide meeting space and support. Our meeting room is free for use by local organizations and individuals, and available for a small fee to those who want to charge admission for classes or workshops. Give us a call for more information! 

Visit our website for a full schedule of events,
or follow us on Facebook for all the latest news. 
New Lending Policies

All residents, property owners and visitors to the Mercer Library are eligible for a free library card, and you can use that card to check out up to 25 items including no more than 7 movies at a time.  There are NO late fees on our library items except for movies, which will be charged 50 cents per day when not returned on time. That doesn't mean that you can keep our items forever, though: we encourage you to renew items that you'd like to keep longer, and items that are more than 4 weeks overdue will be considered lost and you will receive a bill for their replacement cost. 

Wisconsin residents are also eligible for access to Wisconsin's Digital Library, a collection of downloadable books and ebooks provided through Overdrive. You can check out up to 10 items at a time and have up to 10 items on hold in our digital collections. Get the "Libby" app for your iOS or Android device to make using the digital collection even easier. 
More library services
  • We offer copying and fax services for a nominal fee. Librarian Teresa Schmidt is a notary, and notary services are available by chance or by appointment at no charge. 
  • Use our Merlin library catalog to reserve and request items from our Merlin libraries. 
  • Check out Wisconsin's Digital Library and the "Libby" app for your smartphone or tablet to download books and audio books.
  • Log in to Badgerlink.net with your library card for access to auto repair manuals, consumer reports, digitized newspapers, databases, genealogy resources, and more. 
  • Don't hesitate to ask for help with finding the materials you need - we're glad to show off all the many resources available through your library!
Support the library when you shop online

Shopping online? Start at Amazon Smile and tell them you want to support the Friends of the Mercer Public Library. A percentage of every purchase will be donated to our Friends, at no extra cost to you! 
Mercer Public Library | 715-476-2366 | mercer.wislib.org
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