May flowers @ your library
The library is looking a little more cheerful now that our spring bulbs are blooming. Many thanks to Hedda for maintaining our gardens and keeping things looking nice out there!

Did you know that our library gardens also serve double duty as teaching gardens? The Friends of the Library have focused on native plants and plants good for pollinators and wildlife, and with the help of our Iron County Land & Water Conservation department we hope to soon add a rain garden to our landscape as well. Stop by sometime and see what's growing!

We're still doing curbside delivery of library items, so be sure to take advantage of that if you can. We are purchasing new books and movies, so don't hesitate to ask about the latest bestsellers. We're here Monday-Friday 10am to 4pm, or other times by appointment.

I've also scheduled a few more online events this month, including weekly informal tech classes on Google Drive, Windows 10, Craigslist, and web searching. Attend in real time to ask questions if you can, but we'll be recording and sharing these classes later if you can't join us on Thursday afternoons. Read on for details.

Take care and stay safe at home!

Teresa Schmidt
Library director
715-476-2366
Community News

It's not too late to request a ballot for the May 12 election in Wisconsin's Congressional District 7 . You can request an absentee ballot no later than May 7 at 5:00 p.m. More information about the May 12 election is on MyVote Wisconsin or from our town clerk at www.townofmercer.com .

Don't forget to respond to the census -- Mercer's response rate is still just 16%, and accurate census numbers are critical in helping Iron County get the resources it needs. Visit the Census 2020 website for information on how to respond.

Louise Minisan reports that the Mercer Food Pantry will be receiving a large donation of milk and cheese sticks from the Hunger Task Force, Inc., and will be distributing those donations this Wednesday, May 6 at 10am . Drive up to the pantry, located in the Haines Civic Building on Railroad Street, and they will place items in your car. The Mercer Food Pantry is normally open on Fridays 11-1. Call 715-476-7655 for more info or if you need food at other times.
Recognizing the
Mercer School Class of 2020

High school seniors are missing out on a lot this year. With schools closed, proms cancelled, and graduation ceremonies moved online or delayed, this is not the senior year they expected. The Mercer Library and the Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce are working together to try to recognize our seniors and give them a few more happy memories of their final month of high school. Watch our Mercer Library Facebook page and the Chamber's Facebook page for daily recognition of our seniors.

Pictured here is our Mercer Public Library Board of Trustees student representative, Haley Allen-Rodriquez. Congratulations and best of luck in all your future endeavors, Haley!

The Town of Mercer and Mercer School are also working on getting banners to display downtown congratulating our 2020 graduating class. The total cost for the banners will be around $700, and Mercer School would appreciate any donations to help cover that cost. If you'd like to contribute, send your donations to Mercer School, 2690 Margaret Street, Mercer, WI 54547.
Grown-up Story Hour: social distance edition

Since we can't get together for our monthly "Grown-Up Story Hour" in person, we're going to try another digital version! Last week's event was lots of fun, with about 15 people joining us online to hear from 5 different readers. Join us again on Thursday, May 28 at 6:00 p.m . for stories, poems, and essays in these strange times. Visit our website for a link to the online meeting via GoToMeeting .

If you'd like to read something, drop me an email at director@mercerpubliclibrary.org and let me know -- everyone is welcome to give it a try!
More online events: Book clubs & Tech classes

It's book club day! Join us at 1pm and 6pm today for online meetings. This month our book clubs are reading Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, and Death Stalks Door County by Patricia Skalka. As we did last month, we've scheduled online meetings for both of our book clubs at their usual times using "GoToMeeting." All are welcome to join us!

I've also scheduled weekly informal tech classes on Thursday afternoons beginning this week. These will be live "GoToMeeting" events where you can ask questions and chat. We'll be recording these presentations so you can watch them later if you like, too.
  • Thursday 5/7 at 1pm - Intro to Google Drive
  • Thursday 5/14 at 1pm - Web Searching 101
  • Thursday 5/21 at 1pm - Windows 10 Tips & Tricks
  • Thursday 5/28 at 1pm - Craigslist 101

To join any of our live online events, check out the events page on our website and click on the event in the calendar to find the links to the meetings.

You can also check out our new online group at Goodreads for a place to chat about our current book club titles or anything else you're reading.
Curbside pickup service

The Mercer Library is now offering curbside pickup service. This service will be available Monday-Friday 10am to 4pm or by appointment.

How does it work?
  1. Let us know what you need by calling 715-476-2366, emailing director@mercerpubliclibrary.org or requesting items in our online catalog. We'll schedule a pickup time for you.
  2. Drive up to the library and give us a call to let us know you're here. Stay in your car!
  3. We'll bring your materials out to our curbside service table. Wait until we've moved away to get out of your car and grab your things.

What about returning my books and movies?
  • All items have been renewed until at least June. If you do want to return some library items, please place them in our book drop. We CANNOT accept returns on the pickup table because we are instituting a 72-hour quarantine of all returned items to help ensure the safety of our staff and library patrons.

What can you get?
  • Anything that's physically in our library including books for all ages, DVDs, books on CD, board games, and puzzles.
  • Seeds from our seed library. Check out our website for a list of the seeds we have available.

What's NOT available?
  • Our delivery service is shut down, so we cannot request items from other libraries.

What's the catch?
Online library resources

  • Wisconsin's Digital Library has ebooks and audiobooks for download. (Get the "Libby" app to use them on your smartphone or tablet, too. iOS | Android)
  • Gale Courses offers hundreds of free, 6-week classes on a huge variety of topics.
  • Badgerlink offers content databases for consumers, genealogists, student researchers, teachers, and everyone else.
  • Ancestry Library Edition is available for genealogy research at home through the end of May. You'll need to know where to find it and what password to use, so see our website for that information.

You may need your library card number to access these resources. If you don't know your number, email director@mercerpubliclibrary.org and we'll look it up for you.

If you don't already have a library card, you can now register for a card online and get immediate access to our digital services. Video instructions are on this Digital Resources page on our website , or you can go directly to the self-registration form .
Visit the Mercer Library website

The Mercer Public Library website gives you access to library services from home, plus links to other online information and entertainment that could be useful.

  • The COVID-19 Resources page includes links to reliable sources about the COVID-19 virus, financial resources, and more.
  • The "Safer at Home" page has fun and educational online activities for all ages, from young children to adults. Hopefully some of these resources will help you stay entertained, educated, and connected while you are at home this month.
  • The Digital Library Resources page contains links to all of our online services available anywhere, as well as brief video instructions for some services.
Mercer Public Library | 715-476-2366 | director@mercerpubliclibrary.org | mercerpubliclibrary.org
Winter hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9am - 5pm; Tuesday, Thursday 9am-6pm; Saturday 9am-noon