6 Spring 2021 Applegater
— Ruch Library —
— Applegate Library —
Still here to serve, safely
A virtual plethora of events offered
BY THALIA TRUESDELL
At Jackson County Libraries we are
happy to be here to serve you. When you
come into the lobby at Ruch Library, we
can check out your holds or even browse
for materials for you. If you would like to
call in advance and request certain titles
or genres, we can have them ready for you
when you arrive.
Like you, we are eagerly awaiting
the time when we can let you come in
and browse, but this is being written in
January, and there is no telling now when
it will be safe to do that. You will be the
first to know! Many people are utilizing
our card catalog and ordering items online,
through jcls.org. The number of DVDs
you can have at once has been raised to 25,
and most items are checked out for three
weeks. In the lobby we do have an array of
new books for all ages, and all our newest
magazines for you to check out.
We do have Wi-Fi at the library and
in the parking lot. Need technical help
with a phone, e-reader, or other device?
Our very helpful JCLS Digital Services
staff is here to help. They are not coming
to the libraries now but are available for
telephone consultations by appointment.
You can reach them at digitalservices@jcls.
org, or by phone at 541-734-3990. We do
have computers in the library for you to use
or you can bring your computer into the
library for one 50-minute session per day,
Beethoven’s birthday was over a month
ago, and we were hoping to celebrate it in
a big way with a rescheduled Beethoven
“Concert” on March 13, but we will still be
unable to have people in the library at that
BY CHRISTINE GRUBB
time. Check the reader board by
Ramsay Realty for current updates
on our reopening.
On April 13, at 2 pm, Diana Coogle
will do a reading, on Zoom, from her new
book, From Friend to Wife to Widow ~ Six
Brief Years. This beautiful book of poems
is about her relationship with her late
husband, Mike Kohn, especially about his
days on hospice and the aftermath of her
grief. Email medref@jcls.org to register for
this Zoom program.
April 22 is Earth Day, a national day
for everyone to focus on the environment
and caring for our planet. We will be giving
out “kits” containing a variety of fun and
educational activities for the whole family
to do at home. Kits will be available after
April 13, while supplies last.
We are hoping it will be safe to have
outdoor, in-person programs this summer. 
If you have any ideas for programs that
might interest the Ruch Community, we
would love to hear them! And don’t forget
that Summer Reading for all ages is just
around the corner. This year’s theme is
“Readers are Leaders.”
We hope you are enjoying a good book
while staying safe. We look forward to a
time when we can once again be a “full-
service” library, reconnect with the school
children, and have in-person community
programs. We miss you so!
Thalia Truesdell
Branch Manager, Ruch Library
541-899-7438 / ttruesdell@jcls.org
The Ruch Branch Library is at 7919
Highway 238.
— Williams Library —
Services during COVID
While access to library buildings is
restricted due to health concerns, all four
library branches in Grants Pass, Illinois
Valley, Williams, and Wolf Creek continue
to offer the following services:
• Curbside pickup available on Fridays
and Saturdays from noon - 4 pm. Use
your library card number to place
requests through your account online
or by phone. Library staff will notify
you when your items are ready for
curbside pickup.
• Black and white document printing.
Email documents to info@
josephinelibrary.org, and library staff
will notify you when your printouts are
ready for pickup.
• Phone support, available Tuesdays
through Saturdays from 11 am - 4 pm.
• Instant online library cards, available
on our website at josephinelibrary.org.
Instantly access thousands of e-books,
audiobooks, interactive and educational
databases, and other entertainment
for all ages.
• Internet and password-free Wi-Fi,
available outside each library branch
24/7. In addition, laptops and Wi-Fi
hotspots are available to borrow from
the Library of Things collection.
• Book drops, open all day on Thursdays
and Fridays.
JosephineLINK
JosephineLINK is an online community
resource directory where community
members can access current information
for hundreds of community service
organizations. You can browse by category
or search by keyword. Categories include
rent assistance, volunteer opportunities,
food assistance, family services, recovery
support, veterans’ services, and much
more. JosephineLINK can be found on
the library website at josephinelink.org.
Sewing classes for all skill levels
Use your library card to access on-
demand sewing classes for all skill levels
in Creativebug. Classes include tote bags,
buttonholes, pockets, purses, pillows,
clothing, and so much more! Need a
sewing machine? Check one out from
the  Library of Things collection at your
preferred library branch.
Monthly Craft Kits
Stop by the library during curbside
hours on Fridays and Saturdays from noon
– 4 pm to pick up a craft kit to take home.
Different kits are available each month for
both adults and children.
Winter Reading Challenge
This year make your family reading goal
a super easy one—read more books! Get
motivated by joining the library’s Winter
Reading Challenge.  Track reading time
each day to unlock badges, earn a free book
giveaway, and enter raffles.
The challenge can be completed
at your own pace through March 31.
Individuals and families should get started
by registering their account online.  For
mobile devices, the Beanstack Tracker app
is also available for free. Join the challenge
from the “KIDS/FAMILY” page on the
library website at josephinelibrary.org.
Recommended reading
from your librarians
Having trouble deciding what to
read next? Whether you are looking
for an audiobook for that road trip, a
date-night DVD, or books for a family
read-aloud, Shelf Shopper can meet all
of your family’s reading, listening, and
viewing needs. Simply submit the Shelf
Shopper form; a local librarian will pick a
selection of materials and notify you when
T h e Ap p l e g a t e Br a n c h
Library is bucking the difficulties
of the coronavirus restrictions with
valiant fortitude. We had to cancel our
outdoor book sale in November because of
inclement weather, but we are open during
our normal hours (Tuesday and Friday,
2-6 pm; Wednesday and Saturday, 10 am
-2 pm) for patrons to use computers, as
space allows, and for enhanced front-door
services. In addition, we have a number of
programs and activities planned for the
next few months.
Online Zoom presentations
For help registering for these programs,
contact information@jcls.org.
• March 5, 11 am-12:15 pm—“Life,
Loss, and Legacy,” a presentation
by Lily Myers Kaplan based on her
award-winning book, Loss to Legacy.
As COVID-19 spreads loss of all kinds
in our lives, we can find comfort and
inspiration in Lily’s concept of a “living
legacy”—an ever-evolving way of living
with life’s twists, turns, loves, and
losses. Have pencil and paper ready for
this experiential presentation. 
• March 12, noon-1 pm—EOLCOR
(End of Life Choices of Oregon). Local
retired RN and hospice volunteer Jan
Rowe discusses end-of-life choices as
outlined by EOLCOR, an organization
of doctors and regional volunteers
trained to provide skilled professional
guidance with the Death with Dignity
Act and other end-of-life options. 
• April 16, noon-1 pm—Applegate
author Diana Coogle will read poems
from her new book, From Friend to Wife
to Widow ~ Six Brief Years. These poems
cover the time of Diana’s relationship
with her late husband, Mike Kohn,
from falling in love with him to their
wedding to his bouts with cancer, his
three weeks on hospice, and the various
ways she dealt with her grief after his
death. Listener response is welcome.
Discussion will follow the reading. 
Outdoor workshops
May 4—Ready to Roll: A Hands-On
Bicycle Repair Workshop. Celebrate Bike
to Work Month with a workshop by a
local bike mechanic who will teach you the
basics of bike repair so you can be ready
to roll to work, to the coffee shop, or on
one of the many bike trails throughout the
Rogue Valley. This program will take place
outside with social distancing.
Take & Make Craft Kits
• March 26, 2 pm—Spring Take & Make
Craft Kit. Pick up supplies to make a
spring craft while supplies last.
• May 1, 2 pm—Mother’s Day Take
& Make Craft Kit. Pick up supplies
to make a Mother’s Day craft while
supplies last.
Here’s a reminder of other things
Jackson County Library Services, including
the Applegate branch, has to offer:
• Borrow books, movies, music CDs, and
other library materials
• Borrow items from the Library
of Things 
• Download e-books, audiobooks,
music, and videos
• Place holds on items online
• Use online databases and resources
• Access public computers in the library
• Borrow items through Interlibrary Loan
• Use free Wi-Fi at all library locations
Christine Grubb
Applegate Branch Library Manager
451-846-7346
cgrubb@jcls.org
The Applegate Branch Library is at 18485
North Applegate Road.
News from Friends of
the Applegate Library (FOAL)
Our “New Year’s resolution” is to revitalize FOAL membership. Join us!
All you have to do is tell us you want to be a member and give us your
email address. Then you’re in. Membership is free and carries no obligations.
The difference between being a member and just being a library user
is one of cumulative energy, but, in addition, as an official Friend of the
Applegate Library:
• you could become a programs chair.
• you could help with book sales (the main source of income for FOAL).
• you could oversee our Facebook page.
• you could get us set up for and oversee Amazon sales.
• you’ll become a part of a network of Applegaters supporting the library and
a contributor to an ideas bank of things the library can do for our community.
• you will be invited to quarterly board meetings, if you want to attend.
• you could, if you like, become a board member.
What we want most from FOAL members is ideas and energy.
Join FOAL! Contact me with an enthusiastic “count me in,” and we’ll add
your name to the list.
On behalf of the board and the library itself, thank you!
Diana Coogle
Chair, Friends of the Applegate Library
dicoog@gmail.com
they are ready to be picked up during
curbside service. Find the Shelf Shopper
form under the CATALOG menu at
josephinelibrary.org.
Discover local history
Access historic periodicals, browse
books on Oregon’s history, and learn
about upcoming lectures and special
events through the local history subject
guide. To start exploring these local
history resources, choose the local history
subject guide from the “Education/
Research” tab on the library website at
josephinelibrary.org.
Need more information?
• Drop by the Williams branch of
the Josephine Community Library
District, which is located at 20695
Williams Highway, Williams.
• Email branch manager Amber Guient
at aguient@josephinelibrary.org or call
541-846-7020.
• Email info@josephinelibrary.org.
• Visit the website at josephinelibrary.org.