LIBRARY SERVICE UPDATE
As COVID-19 cases trend downwards and vaccinations trend upwards in our area, we continue to evolve library service to meet needs while providing a safe space. This month we will:

  • Add more upholstered seating.
  • Stop quarantining returned library material now that the CDC has issued guidance that surface contamination is a very low risk.
  • Stop offering weekly at-risk service hours.
  • Provide five tables that can accommodate two users with the understanding that CDC and North Shore Health Department guidance still advise people not to meet in public with those outside their household.
  • Offer patrons as much computer time as they need (pending capacity). The computer time software remains at one hour sessions, but librarians can and will extend time when requested.
Library Hours as of Monday, May 3rd:

Monday-Thursday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Saturday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
WE'LL MISS YOU, KATE!
Library clerk Kate departs Shorewood Public Library this month after 10 years of service. She has been a steadfast and friendly member of our library team, our resident expert on technical issues (thanks to her several years of work in the Milwaukee County Federated Library System office), a frequent reviewer for this newsletter, and a balloon twister at many Summer Celebrations. A few parting words from Kate:

"Sorry as I am to leave my position at the library, this means that when I see you there in the future we can chat about books for as long as we like without me worrying about getting back to work. Since I'm not going far, I'll be around frequently. And now we can talk about recycling, too!"

Kate will be staying in the Village of Shorewood, moving to the Department of Public Works as their Administrative Assistant. We're fortunate to have had Kate on our team for so long!

Stop by on Thursday, May 6th or Friday, May 7th to wish Kate luck in her new career!
TWO VIRTUAL AUTHOR VISITS THIS MONTH
In May, we welcome two published authors with Shorewood connections.

On Monday, May 10th at 6:30 PM debut novelist, Zhanna Slor, joins us virtually via Zoom to read from and discuss her well-reviewed literary mystery set in Milwaukee. At the End of the World, Turn Left tells the story of two immigrant sisters searching for the meaning of home. Slor was born in the former Soviet Union, and immigrated to the United States as a child. She spent her formative young years in Shorewood, and recently relocated back to Milwaukee. No registration is needed for this virtual program; simply click the Zoom link HERE at the time of the event.

On Monday, May 17th at 7:00 PM, Shorewood author Nicholas Hayes joins us virtually to share his new book, Frank Lloyd Wright's Forgotten House: How an Omission Transformed the Architect's Legacy. Hayes, in conversation with Catherine Boldt, Educational Outreach Docent at Taliesin, will illuminate his experience owning the titular forgotten Frank Lloyd Wright house. If you plan on attending this event, please register HERE.

This author visit is co-sponsored by the Shorewood Historical Society.

Boswell Book Company will co-host these visits and offer both books for purchase online and in store; a portion of sales supports the Shorewood Public Library.
SHOREWOOD'S HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE
Shorewood Architecture Reflects Village History: How Can We Leverage Our Historic Resources to Benefit the Whole Community? is a three-part series that covers the Village of Shorewood's history, architecture, and tools for conservation.

The second session, Shorewood Architecture and the Review of the 2011 Historic Survey, will be held Tuesday, May 4th at 6:00 PM. The third session, on Tuesday, May 11th at 6:00 PM, covers Options for Preservation. These programs will be held virtually via Zoom, and registration is required. To register, click the individual program names above.

FROM THE DIRECTOR
Has a library staff member ever asked you to verify your birth date or street address when ordering a book over the phone? Have you ever asked one of the librarians about your public computer session, wanting to make sure all your personal data is deleted?

Libraries are committed to providing access to information representing a variety of perspectives. As library users consider the breadth of ideas and information available, it’s critical that they do so free of any monitoring or tracking. If users feel they are being monitored, it may change what information they explore or materials they check out.

The Shorewood Public Library Board of Trustees updated the Privacy of Library Records policy in April as part of our commitment to ensuring that the personal identity of library users and their use of library resources are protected. The policy is guided by the American Library Association Bill of Rights and relevant Wisconsin State laws. We have software, hardware, and procedures in place to make sure your use of the library is confidential.

Libraries and library staff have a unique role to play in protecting privacy in the library as well as encouraging the public to consider how essential their privacy is in other spheres of our society.

Rachel Collins
PROGRAM PREVIEW
FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES
A new and innovative Art Cart kit is available every Wednesday! Other take-home program kits this month are Family Fun Night to Go on Tuesday, May 11th and Tinker Lab to Go (for kids in 3rd grade and up) on Monday, May 24th. All take-home activities are available inside the library at our Take & Make table near the children's area and via curbside pickup.

Online Story Times take place Thursday, May 6th & 20th and Rhyme Time Tuesdays are May 11th & 25th on Facebook. You don't need a Facebook account to watch a virtual story time, just navigate to our page to read, play, and laugh along with Ms. Heide!
FOR ADULTS
This month's PM Book Club pick explores Indigenous and Latinx culture in the American West. Read Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine and join the conversation on Wednesday, May 5th at 7:00 PM via Zoom.

May's AM Book Club read, The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall, takes readers through 20 years and two countries in the lives of two couples. Join the conversation on Thursday, May 20th at 11:00 AM via Zoom


On Friday, May 21st, adults can pick up a Grown up Take & Make kit. All take-home activities are available inside the library at our Take & Make table near the children's area and via curbside pickup.
WHAT WE'RE READING

Known mostly now for her portrayals of Judith Slaying Holofernes, Artemisia Gentileschi became one of the Italian Renaissance's leading historical painters, a role that female artists rarely reached. Author and artist Gina Siciliano explores Gentileschi's life in this extensive and highly-detailed graphic novel. There's a lot of information and beauty to consume in this oversized graphic novel, so make sure set aside some time to fully enjoy it.

Recommended by HAYLEY
Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You) by Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy - the self-described "first family of podcasting" - is a how to guide with everything you need to know to start a podcast of your very own. It is also a funny, close examination of this modern form of media. Podcasts are so prolific in our culture today. Don’t you want to know how they work? 

Recommended by KATE
In Peters' debut novel, three women - Katrina who is cisgender, Reese who is transgender, and Ames who used to be Amy who used to be James (the titular "detransition") - question their ability and desire to form a family together. Riotously funny and also bittersweet, Detransition, Baby, is an enjoyable rumination on gender, sexuality, friendship, and what it means to be a parent - and person - in a complex world. Peters, who is herself transgender, has written a novel for the ages here, and I highly recommend it.

Recommended by EMILY
INFORMATION YOU CAN TRUST
With so many sources for information, it can be hard to sort out fact from fiction and to determine who to trust.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services webpage has up-to-date information about the COVID-19 Pandemic including data about the vaccination rollout, who is eligible, and where to get a vaccine.

SHOREWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY
3920 North Murray Avenue 
Shorewood, WI 53211
414 847-2670