Hello, library friends --
I'm writing you this note on an absolutely beautiful spring day here in Mercer. The sun is shining, the air is warm, the ice is nearly gone from our lakes, and we're enjoying some rare April nice weather.
Thanks to the work of our dedicated volunteers, the Mercer Seed Library is stocked and ready for the 2021 growing season. It contains popular vegetable and herb seeds selected for our northwoods climate. Stop by and take what you and your family can use in your home garden.
We have some useful programs coming up this month, including two with the Wisconsin Bureau of Consumer Protection and more gardening talk with Darrin Kimbler from Extension Iron County. Read on for details.
Hope to see you soon at the library!
Teresa Schmidt
Library director
715-476-2366
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Consumer protection programs with DATCP
Jeff Kersten, agency liaison for the Bureau of Consumer Protection within the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, will present two programs full of information for Wisconsin consumers:
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Identity Theft: Protect and Prevent - Thursday, April 8 at 2:00 p.m. - Identity theft continues to be the fastest growing crime in the United States. The more you learn about it, the less vulnerable you are. Learn about the different types of identity theft, how to recognize it and how to prevent it.
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Home Improvement Contracts under Wisconsin Law - Thursday, April 22 at 2:00 p.m. Wisconsin residents sign home improvement contracts everyday to make improvements to their homes and property. Before you sign a contract, you should understand the consumer protection laws that are in place to protect you. Learn about hiring a contractor, contractor requirements, and required contract provisions.
To attend these events, visit our online events calendar and click on the event. The event description will contain the link to the online meeting. Questions? Call us at the library at 715-476-2366.
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Growing Fruit Trees - April 28 at 10am
Join UW-Extension Horticulture specialist Darrin Kimbler to learn more about growing fruit trees in northern Wisconsin. This free Zoom presentation will be held on Wednesday, April 28th at 10:00 a.m. Bring your questions about growing fruit or about any gardening topic.
Pre-registration is REQUIRED for this event. Click here to register, and you will receive the meeting login information by email. Questions? Call us at the library at 715-476-2366.
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Friends of the Library news
The Friends of the Mercer Public Library are as busy as ever! The Friends are a 501c3 organization that was founded to support library services, equipment, and facility needs that fall outside our operating budget from the Town of Mercer. Some of this year's Friends of the Library activities include funding our summer programming, purchasing new outdoor movie equipment for the library, and supporting our craft kits. They will also be funding a project to improve the library's landscaping and add outdoor seating areas this spring.
To become a member of the Friends of the Library, simply make a donation of any amount. Membership forms are available at the library. Existing members will see their membership renewal reminder in the mail next month. To become an active volunteer with the Friends, simply attend one of their meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at 11:00 a.m. New members and volunteers are always welcome!
The next Friends of the Library meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 13th at 11:00 a.m. This will be a hybrid meeting: attend online using GoToMeeting or attend in person in the Mercer Community Center. Those attending in person will be required to wear masks and social distance.
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Book Clubs
Our book clubs are meeting virtually. Copies of the books are available to borrow at the library, so stop by to pick one up. New members are always welcome.
Visit our online events calendar for more information and to get the links for the online meetings. (Just click on the program listing in the calendar.)
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Tech Tuesday
Librarian Teresa Schmidt holds "Tech Tuesdays" by appointment to provide one-on-one help with your technology questions at the library. Appointments are available on most Tuesdays, and on other days as necessary. Call us at 715-476-2366 for more info or to make an appointment.
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Library mask policy
As you've probably heard, the statewide mask mandate in Wisconsin was overturned by the Wisconsin Supreme Court last week. The Iron County Health Department has issued an advisory "which stipulates everyone age five and older should wear a face covering or mask when in any enclosed building where other people, except for members of person’s own household or living unit, could be present, and when social distancing of six feet cannot be maintained or guaranteed." The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the CDC continue to recommend wearing masks as a simple way that we can protect ourselves and others.
Our library will continue to follow the recommendations of federal, state, and local health officials when making decisions about library services. Per the policy of the Mercer Public Library Board of Trustees, the library will continue to require that all visitors ages 5 and older wear masks inside the building.
If you are keeping yourself isolated to avoid the pandemic or can't wear a mask for any reason, we are happy to accommodate you with curbside library services. We can provide library materials; copying, faxing and scanning services; notary services (when available); and other library services. Just call us at 715-476-2366 to let us know what you need, and we'll be happy to help.
You can also take advantage of our online services with your library card number. Visit our website at www.mercerpubliclibrary.org for links to our digital collection of e-books and audiobooks, Gale Courses, Ancestry Library Edition, and Badgerlink resources.
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Winter hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 9am-5pm; Tues, Thurs 9am - 6pm; Sat 9am-12pm
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