May at the Withee Public Library

Be sure to stop by the Withee Public Library in May to see an exciting new display by area resident Vita Gosse. The display presents information about Africa, to complement this years reading theme One World, Many Stories.

Vita Gosse has done past displays at the library on the rain forest and on coral reefs. She gathers the items for these displays to match the themes for the vacation bible school program she has directed for many years at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Longwood. Several years ago, Gosse decided to start using her store of information and objects to create educational displays for the public.

The Withee Public Library will celebrate Childrens Book Week (May 1-8) by visiting the Owen Withee Elementary School on Tuesday May 3 to distribute free books to the Pre-K through 2nd grade classes. The giveaway books and accompanying materials were purchased with a Target Early Reading Grant. Target believes that reading is essential to a childs learning process so they award grants to schools, libraries and nonprofit organizations to support programs like this book giveaway.

During Childrens Book Week the library will display new childrens books received from a grant through the Libri Foundation. The Libri Foundation is a nationwide nonprofit organization that donates new, quality childrens books to small, rural public libraries in the United States through its Books for Children program. The Foundation, by matching funds raised locally enables a library to obtain high quality childrens books it could not otherwise acquire due to budgetary constraints. The amount offered by the Libri Foundation was matched by the friends and family of former Withee resident Elsie Pralguske, in her memory.

Storytime will be held on May 14 at 10:30. Childrens librarian Janice Arndt will present stories and crafts about animals all over the world. A snack is served after storytime.

The Owen-Withee Book Club hosts Wisconsin author Chad Lewis on Tuesday, May 17 at 7:00 p.m. Lewis will give a presentation on some of the odder events in Wisconsin history, based on his book Hidden Headlines of Wisconsin: Strange, Unusual & Bizarre Newspaper Stories 1860-1900. This presentation showcases over 100 bizarre newspaper stories from Wisconsin that have not been seen in over 100 years. These unbelievable stories were not lost, they were simply hidden. Hidden Headlines of Wisconsin provides a time portal back to the early days of the state.

It is not necessary to be a member of the book club to attend Chad Lewis’s presentation. The public is welcome.