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Library Arrearage Tax

Dear Neighbors,

You may have recently received a certified letter from the Cook County Clerk's Office notifying you that additional taxes need to be collected for the Thomas Ford Memorial Library in 2009. Everyone who pays property taxes in Western Springs received the same letter. The letter was sent because the Assessor's Office failed to assess all the taxes that were due to the Library in 2007. Because of the County's error, the Library's revenue was short by nearly $30,000.00. When the Library's Board of Trustees learned of the mistake, they promptly requested that the County remedy their error. The Library did not have any control over how the County chose to notify Western Springs residents of the problem in terms of either the wording or the type of mailing used. We regret if the means the County chose has caused our neighbors undue concern, frustration, or worry.

In any event, in 2009, Western Springs residents will receive two extra tax bills to collect the shortfall in two installments (Spring and Fall). Please be sure that you pay these installments separately from your principal tax bill so that you are properly credited for the payments. Again, we apologize for any confusion that the County's letter has caused our neighbors. We look forward to continuing to provide a high level of library service to our patrons.

The Thomas Ford Memorial Library Board of Trustees

Cooking With The Friends!

Thursday, November 20th, 6:30 p.m.

Fuller's Second Floor (Hinsdale)

Join the Western Springs Library Friends for a cooking class at Fuller's Second Floor in Hinsdale. The class will be on Fall side dishes. The fee for Friends members is $45; for non-Friends members $55. Payment is due at time of signup; please register at the Checkout Desk. If you are wondering about your membership, contact Friends president Linda McGuire.

Friends of the Library Booksale

The Fall Friends Booksale is quickly approaching. As usual, there will be three days of fundraising for the Library, beginning on Friday, October 17, with a members' only sale from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Library's lower level meeting room. If you are not a member, you may become a member at the door. The Saturday, October 18, sale is open to the general public, starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 2 p.m. A variety of books for readers of all ages will be for sale. On Sunday, October 19, the Friends offer a books by the bag sale from noon until 2 p.m. All proceeds help the library.

Library Carpeting

The Library's main floor will be re-carpeted in October at a yet-to-be-scheduled time. Since this is a major undertaking, the Library will be closed for at least a portion of several days. As soon as we know the exact dates we will post them in the Library and on our website. We regret that some of our patrons will be inconvenienced by this but safety is an issue as is completing the work in a timely manner.

As we re-carpet there will be changes made to the main floor's layout. In response to the data gathered for the Library's Strategic Plan we will be doing some interior reconfiguration. The teen area is moving, a new sitting area is being created, and the media collection (DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, etc.) is being consolidated for ease of use. These changes will help us to better meet the needs of our Library patrons, use existing space more efficiently, and provide more display areas for new materials.

Playaway AudioBooks

The next generation of audiobooks has arrived at Thomas Ford! We are excited to offer Playaways, which are small devices similar to an MP3 player and very user-friendly. With Playaway, there is no downloading, tapes, or CDs to handle, just a story pre-loaded and ready to go! We have a variety of titles available in both the Adult and Children's audio-visual areas of the Library. Headphones do not come with the Playaway but can be purchased at the Checkout Desk while supplies last, for $3.00 (nonrefundable).

Special Encyclopedias on Our Website

If you enjoy online encyclopedias or need good homework help, we have news for you! Thomas Ford wants to make using its web site like a visit to the library. We have taken a big step forward with the addition of hundreds of online encyclopedias and reference books from Gale Virtual Reference. Gale Virtual Reference includes over 300 titles, many of which are several volumes long in their print editions. Click on the link in this paragraph to enter using your Thomas Ford library card number. You may search the whole collection at once or titles such as the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine or the Encyclopedia of World Biography individually. Just log in and enjoy a world full of information. For more information, call or ask at the Reference Desk about Gale Virtual Reference.

Don't Forget!

Anyone looking for a great mystery or sci-fi/fantasy novel should be sure to visit the Reading Room, where these exciting titles can be found! If you need help selecting one, just drop by the Reference Desk.

Sneak Preview: Books for November 2008

Watch for these books by popular authors:

• Arctic Drift by Dirk Cussler
• Cross Country by James Patterson
• Dashing Through the Snow by Mary Higgins Clark
• Just Past Sunset by Stephen King
• Man Who Invented Christmas : How Charles Dickens's a Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits by Les Standiford
• Mercy by Toni Morrison
• Now the Drum of War: Walt Whitman and His Brothers in the Civil War by Robert Roper
• Private Patient by P. D. James
• Promised Land : Thirteen Books That Changed America
• Sea Is So Wide and My Boat Is So Small : Charting a Course for the Next Generation by Marion Wright Edelman
• Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean R. Koontz