Originally published in April, 2021 for context
Library Stars
Library Stars were submitted to the Seymour Advertiser whilst we were offering curbside only service (to deal with COVID). Now, the library stars are submitted irregularly. Enjoy nonetheless!
We have a new Little Free Library in front of our library because of the efforts of the Arrow of Light Cub Scouts den. Thank you for being library stars!
It is registered with LITTLE FREE LIBRARY...Take a book...Share a book. The charter number is: 161650
It is so great when your patrons are invested in the library’s missions!
Our patron, Jayne Zuleger, understands the importance of putting good books into the hands of young children and families to strengthen literacy. She recently donated these two delightful books to the library after meeting the author and having one of them signed for our library! KINCI CHASED CHICKENS teaches word for spatial relationships in a very fun way. And I DON’T LIKE WEARING SHOES teaches color words. Both books are by Kimberly Oyedele & Ros Webb. Thank you to Jayne for adding these to our dynamic collection!
Weekly visits to the library, with huge piles of books to check out and read together, are a HUGE investment in Corbin's successful future!
The other day, patron Patti Lardinois had some exciting news to share with me. I had recommended an author to her, Tim Dorsey, and she was enjoying his writing (and wacky sense of humor) so much that she decided to email him. Patti said this was the first time she ever did anything like that. The best part of the story was that he emailed her back! He thanked her for her compliments about his writing and he spoke about times that he had visited WI and how much he enjoyed it. How cool is that?! The lesson is that authors are people, too. Some will respond, some won’t. I am so glad for Patti and her happy experience.
Here is a little bit of information about Tim Dorsey: Tim Dorsey is an American novelist. He is known for a series starring Serge A. Storms, a mentally disturbed vigilante antihero who rampages across Florida enforcing his own moral code against a variety of low-life criminals. Tim Dorsey has written 25 novels, so far. ***As a librarian, if I see a patron who likes the writing of Carl Hiaasen, then I recommend Tim Dorsey to them as a read-alike.
Jason Finn is currently serving as the President of the Muehl Public Library Board of Trustees. This spring he graduated from UW-Green Bay with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.883. Congratulations, Jason! We are proud of your accomplishments and, of course, all the reading that you had to do for your coursework.
It is challenging to raise children and work fulltime while pursuing a degree but Jason did just that! He also volunteers in other ways in our community and is always working hard. We appreciate the positive energy that he brings to his endeavors and his respect for education. You are a great leader and we are happy to highlight you!
Public libraries are known for having genealogical materials available to the public. Organizing local information is a natural function of a library. Some large libraries even have the luxury of having a staff member who serves as their genealogist. We are a small operation that does not have those abilities or resources.
Luckily for us, Ellen Duffy is a patron and a dedicated volunteer. When we receive a genealogical reference question (primarily via email) we pass it on to Ellen who (with her expertise and training) responds to the requester. We are so grateful for Ellen’s knowledge and generous heart. That is why we are declaring her a library star!
Another book to rejoice about! What will you be?: a journey through the animal alphabet is a collaboration between Elissa and Will Schloesser. The adjectives and animal names are educational. Kids reading this book will also get familiar with what a question mark is. The book is very pretty and eye-catching. It will be available in Infosoup soon.
Words and publication design are by Elissa and the hand sketched art is by her son Will. Will was a kindergartner as of the publication date of 2020. How fun it is to celebrate that kids can make books, too! Jill Mahlik, teacher and librarian, is proud mother to Elissa and grandmother to Will.
This week we name KAITLYNN VANDEWALLE as our library star! Kaitlynn is a great patron and mother who was using our library prior to the health crisis. She has three young children and started using curbside service as soon as it was available.
Kaitlynn composes the nicest emails to us. She explains the ages of her children and their interests. We gather the materials and have them checked out to her for pickup at an arranged time. Kaitlynn has also picked up all the take-it make-it kits for her family to enjoy.
We appreciate the positive feedback from Kaitlynnn about how the library has been important to her and her growing family during this trying time. Thanks for being an awesome patron, Kaitlynn!
This week we name STEVE ASHMAN as our library star! He has been a library star for several years. Steve likes reading a wide variety of books and checks out the occasional DVD.
During the COVID crisis, Steve figured out how to use curbside service as soon as it was up and running. We were so happy to see him as he has always been one of our regular patrons.
Thanks to Steve for being an educator in Seymour and for your excitement about community events such as the county fair. Our patrons are lifelong learners and that is so cool!
This week we name MARGE COONEN as our library star! She has been a library star for several years. She enjoys exploring both fiction and non-fiction. Marge is a lifelong learner. The library is the perfect avenue for her to keep learning!
During the COVID crisis, Marge has gotten handy using curbside service. Marge is great with the Internet. She has been participating in online learning and has gotten check out ideas from doing that. So cool!
Thanks to Marge for always having a kind, supportive or encouraging word for the library workers. We appreciate you in our library community!
This week we name RICHARD (PETE) MULLEN as our library star! He has been a library star for several years. He enjoys old movies, fictional books, and non-fiction books.He likes to try out the variety of items that we have available.
Pete is comfortable using email. He has emailed us for several years with ideas and queries about titles. Late last year, Pete contacted the library to find out how things were working for everyone's safety during the COVID crisis. Then he set up an order to pick up. He has done this a few times as his schedule permits.
We enjoy Pete's positive demeanor and support of the library. Thank you, Pete!
This week we name JANA BONE as our library star! She has been a library star for several years. She utilizes our library's holdings and also puts holds on in Infosoup to have items brought to our library.
When we implemented curbside service due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jana quickly learned the new system. She gives us a call before she stops by to pick up her "order". She is always polite and upbeat. Thanks, Jana, for being a terrific patron to serve!
This week’s LIBRARY STAR is LEO NACKERS. Leo enjoys reading. When the library was completely closed from March 18 to April 27, 2020 Leo took advantage of the book cart in front of the library to find reading materials. We still put out the book cart each weekend so that people can browse for “fun finds”. Thanks to our staff member Kaarina who came up with this brilliant idea for keeping people reading!
Leo was a library star long before COVID. He would stop in frequently to browse and check out reading materials. Leo learned the curbside service method pretty quickly. His preference is to call in with a few ideas of authors and genres and then we select a bundle for him. Thanks, Leo!
This week's LIBRARY STAR is MARILYN GONNERING. Margaret is an avid reader and she has become adept at searching in Infosoup. This is terrific because as everyone knows the new catalog (since August) has been challenging.
Margaret will let us know when she is coming through town so that we can have her order checked out to her and ready for pickup when she rings the doorbell. We enjoy how she likes using the library.
Hopefully, we are in the pandemic "home stretch." We have been glad to have the ability to serve curbside and keep patrons and staff safe from COVID. We are just as tired out from this process as everyone else is. Watching cases decrease has been such a hopeful sign. And watching vaccinations increase is also a hopeful sign. We are eager to get back to serving you "in house". Thanks!
This week's LIBRARY STAR is JAMES BILES. James and his family have been library stars since they moved to the area. They like to read books, watch movies, and check out video games.
We do not have video games at our location because our current budget and current space are not conducive to them. But they are available in Infosoup to any of our patrons and can be transported to our location for pick up. That is the beauty of Infosoup! Each location does not have to try and own the same items.
James and his family figured out curbside delivery this past summer. James calls ahead on his way to the library for his pickup. We appreciate the patronage and positive interactions that we have with James and his family. They have been great about giving us suggestions for purchase, especially for our young adult area. Those ideas are then available to everyone.
This week's LIBRARY STAR is JUDY CALMES. One of the great things about Judy is that she recognizes that public libraries are receptacles of both fiction and non-fiction materials. Judy places holds on non-fiction books to explore her hobbies and DIY projects. Judy places holds on fiction books to enjoy good stories.
Another great thing about Judy is her sense of humor and warm personality. She is always kind about working with us to get her order ready and setting up a time for pickup. We appreciate how easy she makes it for us to work with her! Thanks, Judy!
This week's LIBRARY STAR is ROBERT RYDZEWSKI. Robert enjoys listening to books on CD when he is traveling/driving.
Rob knows how to search for his favorite authors and genres in Infosoup. He has been a library star for many years. When things switched over to curbside delivery and Infosoup was back up and running after lockdown, Rob started placing his own reserves again and setting times to pick them up.
Have you ever tried listening to a book rather than reading one? It is a great entertainment experience because you are enjoying the story being read aloud to you. I would highly recommend this format to anyone. The only thing is to not get too involved in the story and miss your highway exit! (Been there!)
The other thing with audio is you can rewind and replay parts that you would like to listen to again. This happens frequently if you have a lot on your mind. (Also, been there!) Thanks, Rob, for your patronage and being an audio reader!
This week's LIBRARY STAR is BERNADETTE HARDY-BOMBER. Bernadette enjoys the historical fiction genre. It has been fun suggesting ideas to her for what to read next.
We dip into Infosoup and place holds for Bernadette when we don't have ideas from our own shelves. Infosoup joins up with 47 other libraries and we all resource share. This way, each library can build a strong collection on their shelves which can be shared across counties, also. It is a great system because over 1.5 million materials are available to all card holders.
Bernadette became a fast hand at using the curbside service this summer. It is a couple of extra steps, and you cannot actively browse. However, we are doing all we can to keep everyone safe.
Please contact the library if you, too, are looking for suggestions of what to read next. Perhaps you need help with posting the holds. Or whatever your library need may be, we are here to help! Just contact us. 833.2725 and muehlpublic@gmail.com Thanks!
This week's LIBRARY STAR is MICHAEL PLUISTER. Michael is an active library user and supporter. He understands that we have materials for checkout in multiple formats. We belong to Infosoup which joins us up with 47 other libraries and we all resource share. This way, each library can build a strong collection on their shelves which can be shared across counties, also. It is a great system because over 1.5 million materials are available to all card holders. Michael knows how to place holds in Infosoup and have them brought here for pickup.
During "ordinary" time, Michael has attended movie nights. He knows about other services that we offer such as tutoring space. Michael has utilized our curbside pickup service. Thanks for engaging with your library.
We are keeping patrons and staff safe. The implementation of curbside service is the way that we have accomplished this. This week we name LOIS DALKE as our library star.
When the pandemic started, Lois took up reading as a hobby again! Hurray! We are so happy about patrons who have returned to the library because they have more free time to read. (Although a global health crisis is not the ideal way for this to happen, sigh.)
Lois began using the curbside service as soon as it was available. She phones the library with authors that she is interested in and then we collect the books and check them out to her. She has some favorite series and then we are able to recommend read-alikes as well as newly published material that she might like to try! Thank you, Lois!
We are keeping patrons and staff safe. The implementation of curbside service is the way that we have accomplished this. This week we name DAVID LANCOUR as our library star.
David was a library star before the pandemic started. He is a cheerful young man who is interested in library offerings and current events.
David began using the curbside service as soon as it was available. He likes a combination of reading books and watching the companion movies.
Thanks, David.
We are keeping patrons and staff safe. The implementation of curbside service is the way that we have accomplished this. This week we thought it would be fun to name some "power families" who have been using the library in 2020. We name the KOURY, LAMBIE, SMET and STRUTHERS families as our LIBRARY STARS.
Within these families, all of the members are library users. It is terrific! It is no surprise that the students in these families do well in school and that, overall, these families are succeeding at maintaining a positive quality of life. Yes, being a library patron can do that for you!
It is our pleasure to serve individuals, families, power couples, educators, and entrepreneurs. If you do not have a library card we hope that will be a resolution for you in 2021. Happy New Year! We just cannot wait to open our doors and have you in the library space again.
We are keeping patrons and staff safe. The implementation of curbside service is the way we have accomplished this. This week we thought it would be fun to name some "power couples" who have been using the library in 2020. We name the BUCH couple, MUENCH couple, PIERRE couple and the WURL couple as our LIBRARY STARS.
All of these folks have healthy reading habits, hurray! Reading helps us to grow and learn and reading is a great practice for shooing away the blues!
Despite all of the challenges, these couples have learned the new Infosoup and learned the new pickup method. Thanks for sticking with it and us!
We are keeping patrons and staff safe. The implementation of curbside service is the way that we have accomplished this. The week we name JANELL BURR as our LIBRARY STAR.
Janell was a library star well before COVID! She enjoys attending programming at the library including author visits. She likes to participate in the summer reading program. She is an anime fan and she has a great rapport with our librarian Colette!
Janell began using the curbside service in the summer. She is always friendly and upbeat during her interactions with us which is appreciated!
We are keeping patrons and staff safe. The implementation of curbside service is the way that we have accomplished this. This week we name SCOTT SCHROEDER as our LIBRARY STAR.
Scott was a library star well before COVID! He enjoys playing GO and Dungeons & Dragons at the library. He is an Anime fan and he has great discussions with our librarian Colette!
Scott began using the curbside service in the summer. He knows how to look up materials in Infosoup and has learned how to access them once they have arrived at the library. Thanks, Scott!
We are keeping patrons and staff safe. The implementation of curbside service is the way that we have accomplished this. This week we name MARY ANN KOSTRZAK as our LIBRARY STAR.
Mary Ann was a library star well before COVID! She knows how to keep track of what she is reading, electronically, In Infosoup. She knows how to read books in series and keep track of upcoming titles, especially ones that have not even been published yet!
Mary Ann loves to read and loves to utilize the library. We are grateful to have her as a patron. Thanks, Mary Ann!
We are keeping patrons and staff safe. The implementation of curbside service is the way that we have accomplished this. This week we name DOUGLAS ALLEN as our LIBRARY STAR.
Douglas is one of those people who was a library star long before the pandemic started. He knew how to utilize Infosoup before the changeover this summer. He continues to use Infosoup as we all roll with the changes!
Douglas figured out how to communicate with us for day and time for pickup of his library materials order. We appreciate his patronage!
We took a week's hiatus from our library star. This week we name MELODY JOHNSON as our LIBRARY STAR.
Melody is talented at using the Infosoup catalog and finding exactly what she is looking for! She places holds from both our holdings and from other libraries in Infosoup. Then when they have all arrived, she watches her library card and makes an appointment with us to pick up here order curbside.
Melody loves books and understands that reading early with young ones is a key to lifelong learning! She is always cheerful when interacting with us. Thanks to Melody for harnessing the power of the library!
The library is facing similar challenges to most everyone. We are staying safe during a pandemic and we are becoming fluent in the new computer systems. This week we highlight GLEN MOELLER as our LIBRARY STAR.
Glen has used curbside service to get library books. In summer, he returned a book that ended up not being checked out properly due to the change in systems. He was billed for the item and paid for it. The staff has been checking in everything in our building because of erroneous incidents such as this. As soon as we found out that the missing book was actually here, we tried to reimburse Glen. How embarrassing! He was so kind as to let us keep the money for the library.
For being easy going and generous and communicating with us so well, we acknowledge Glen as a library star. Thank you, Glen!
During the pandemic, curbside service has been the new way to get library materials. Additionally, we have the challenges of new computer systems that were put in place on August 17!
This week we highlight patron JUDY WALLACE as our LIBRARY STAR.
Judy was already a library star in "ordinary time". She enjoys reading and browsing. It has been disappointing to Judy that she cannot come into the building during the pandemic. We feel the same way! We do not have the ability to do six foot distancing on our premises, for the safety of everyone.
Judy has learned the curbside method of service AND she is getting adept at using Infosoup Discovery...the new Infosoup. Thanks to Judy for hanging in there with the library!
During the pandemic, curbside service has been the new way to get library materials. Additionally, we have the challenges of new computer systems that were put in place on August 17!
This week we highlight patron DARWIN HILL as our library star. Darwin places holds and then lets us know when it will be convenient for his spouse to pick them up. We appreciated when he let us know that he would be out of town so that we could hold his books in house. That way precious resources were not wasted to send items back to owning libraries only to ask for them to return to our site again!
Darwin enjoys non-fiction. Thanks for utilizing the library!
With the pandemic, curbside service has been the new way to get library materials. And then we also got a new computer system on August 17!
This week we highlight patron BARBARA KING as our library star. Barbara is an avid reader and weekly user of the library. She has been an active member of the adult book group at the library.
She keeps track of her reading habits on the social media site, Goodreads. She has learned the new catalog right away and drops by for “pickups” often. She always manages to make us chuckle, too! Thanks, Barbara!
With the pandemic, curbside service has been the new way to get library materials.
This week we highlight patron MARK CUJAK as our library star. Mark reached out to us using our curbside service g.mail email account (muehlpublic@gmail.com).
When he first contacted us in late spring we were only able to pull items from our own shelves. He used Infosoup to choose precisely what he wanted. As the months went on and Infosoup started running again between libraries, Mark has used the system to place holds. Thanks for your polite communications with us and thanks for using the library!
With the pandemic, curbside service has been the new way to get library materials.
This week we highlight patron TARA EICK ROHLOFF as our library star. Tara "grew up" in this library. She is a whiz at looking up materials in Infosoup.
She is a good communicator who lists what she is requesting by title AND author. And she is positive about how she loves reading.
Great job, Tara!
With the pandemic, curbside service has been the way to get new materials. This week we highlight patron ROBERT SCHLIMM as our library star.
Robert is a reader of both fiction and non-fiction. He is very helpful in letting us know exactly what he is seeking. He is especially good at giving us complete and accurate author names.
Thank you, Robert, for your encouragement, also. It means a lot! We are happy to serve you.
With the pandemic, curbside service has been the new way to get library materials.
This week we highlight patron PAM LEISGANG as our library star. Pam is an avid reader and adapted quickly to the new way of getting books. She was in our top ten of patron usage this summer!
Pam also is a library board trustee. She brings great ideas to the table...she works for our library's success. We are grateful that she is on our library team!
With the pandemic, curbside service has been the new way to get library materials.
This week we highlight patron ALAN SWANSON. He picked up a handout with the directions and began using the curbside service this summer. He also, generously, dropped off a crop of parsley for our pet guinea pigs. Thanks to everyone who is learning with us. We are coping and to the best of our ability keeping everyone safe. Hurray!
The beginning of our new computer system(s) since mid-August has been ROCKY. However, we will focus on the positive because we have amazing library patrons.
This week we highlight patron CAROL SEIDL. She just started using Infosoup regularly this summer. She made the transition to the new system without a problem. Figuring out the new PIN was a piece of cake for this patron! Hurray! Thanks for placing holds electronically and picking them up at the library. Thanks to everyone who is learning with us.