It's the longest day of the year, and summer's coming in with a bang here in the northwoods. I hope you're staying cool, calm, and collected in this heat!
The Mercer area has been experiencing a lot of phone and internet outages this year. If you are in need of a connection, please remember that the library's internet service does not run through the same routes as most of the private services in town, so we often still have internet access even if homes and other businesses do not. Our space is open to you and your guests six days a week, and our Wi-Fi network reaches the parking lot and is available 24/7.
Our summer kids programs kick off this Thursday with "Living the Pollinator Life," a presentation from the Discovery Center. Check out the summer schedule -- I hope you'll join us for some summer fun!
Stay cool,
Teresa Schmidt
Library director
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Summer Kids Programs
It's an Ocean of Possibilities at your library this summer!
Kids of all ages are invited to join us for weekly programming from now through August. We have a great variety of things planned including visits from the Discovery Center naturalists, juggling, tie-dye, storytelling, and even DINOSAURS!
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Thursday, June 23 at 11:00 AM – “Livin’ the Pollinator Life” with the Discovery Center
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Wednesday, June 29 at 11:00 AM – “Read Books and Juggle Everything Else” with Truly Remarkable Loon
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Thursday, July 7 at 11:00 AM – “Oceans of Possibilities” story hour with the Mercer Library
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Thursday, July 14 at 11:00 AM – “Oceans of Tie-Dye” – Our annual FREE tie-dye party!
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Thursday, July 21 at 11:00 AM – “Exploring Oceans!” with the Discovery Center
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Thursday, July 28 at 11:00 AM – “Oceans of Possibilities” story hour with the Mercer Library
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Thursday, August 11 at 11:00 AM – “This is the Sea” with storyteller Tracy Chipman
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Tuesday, August 16 at 11:00 AM – “Dinosaur Dimensions” with Curt Strutz
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Home Composting with Darrin Kimbler
Join Extension Iron County Horticulture Specialist Darrin Kimbler for a presentation on home composting TOMORROW, Wednesday, June 22 at 11:00 AM.
Home composting is a great way to reduce waste and add organic matter to your garden landscape. Darrin will discuss the basics of home composting and how to use it on your garden landscapes. We will leave plenty of time for your questions.
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Author James Mills discusses "The Adventure Gap" in Book Festival Event
Author James Edward Mills will speak at the Boulder Junction Community Center on Thursday, June 30 at 6:00 p.m. His talk is the headline event of the 2022 Northwoods Book Festival, a series of events sponsored by the Mercer Public Library and six other libraries this summer. Residents and visitors from around the northwoods are invited to attend!
The nation’s wild places—from national and state parks to national forests, preserves, and wilderness areas—belong to all Americans. But not all of us use these resources equally. Minority populations are much less likely to seek recreation, adventure, and solace in our wilderness spaces. It’s a difference that African American author James Mills addresses in his book, The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors. The book is part adventure story, part history, and part argument for the importance of inspiring future generations to value nature.
The 2022 Northwoods Book Festival program series is made possible by a grant from the American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries. American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
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"Letters from Clara" author to visit Mercer Library on July 7
Newman will introduce us to Clara Pagel, an inspiring woman who, at the age of 40, set off alone to see the world in 1936. Nearly sixty years later, Janet found letters Clara sent to her friends at the YWCA of Wausau, letters describing Clara’s adventures in Shanghai, Manila, Italy, Egypt, and on a ship off the coast of Africa. Janet will read from some of Clara’s letters and will describe her own adventure to piece together Clara’s story. Learn more
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Now seeking used book donations
The Friends of the Library had a very successful used book sale just before Memorial Day. It was so successful, in fact, that we are in need of more donations so we'll have something to sell at our Loon Week used book sale!
Please bring in your donations during normal library hours. We love hardcovers, paperbacks, children’s books, DVDs, CDs, and board games and puzzles if they are in good condition with all their pieces. We cannot accept textbooks, encyclopedias, magazines, and condensed books. We also cannot accept any items that are moldy or have insect damage due to the risk of spreading those problems to other books at the library or in our book sale. Thank you!
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Library Covid policies
Masks are recommended but are not required in the library. Please do not visit if you are exhibiting any symptoms of concern or if you have been instructed by your doctor or public health officials to isolate or quarantine.
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Summer hours: Mon-Thu 9am-7pm; Fri 9am-5pm; Sat 9am-12pm
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