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November 2024
Letters from the Librarian
“It’s in those quiet little towns, at the edge of the world, that you will find the
salt of the earth people who make you feel right at home.”
? - Aaron Lauritsen, 100 Days Drive: The Great North American Road Trip
I love this quote about “quiet little
towns” because it rings true for me as
a librarian and as a human. Do you feel
“right at home?” I hope you do. Especially
in this season. Together, as a community,
we near the darkest days of the year.
We’ve weathered the change from late
summer into autumn and now we’re truly
in the blustery throes of fall-turning-winter
weather. If we’re lucky, we’re cozy in our
pre-winter routines. It’s not quite time to
plan next spring’s garden, but it’s definitely
never the wrong time to tackle our to-
be-read stacks. Baking or cooking (from
a new cookbook or a family favorite?),
playing card games and working puzzles,
cracking open a new book, or listening to
an old favorite while doing chores. This is
the beauty of fall.
Together, as a community, we have a
new set of local, state, and national leaders.
We’ve navigated a contentious election
season and maintained our relationships
and our sense of neighborliness. In North
Douglas county, we watch out for one
another. I often observe that political or
ideological differences matter little when
it comes to our neighbors in Drain, Elkton,
Yoncalla, Curtin, Cottage Grove. We
have more in common than we harbor
differences. Is this true from your corner
of the woods? In the library, we’ve hung
signs from September on that remind us to
leave our political discussions at the door.
Sometimes it’s hard to discern whether a
topic is political, isn’t it? What I’ve found
is that everyone wins when we focus on the
subjects that are inarguably important to all
of us: Children. Nature. Families. Freedom
and faith. Do we have to agree on every
level in order to respect one another? We
do not. This is the beauty of community.
New in the library this month: “Patron”
and “Staff Picks” are displayed (and they
check out quickly!); the seed library has
new winter crop seeds ready to plant;
preschool storytime on Tuesdays at 11:
00; a huge crop of new puzzles is available
for borrowing; more than 40 new books
for all ages were added to the collection;
BINGO on November 27 to kick off your
Thanksgiving weekend.
Continuing in the library this month:
Yarn Club on Wednesdays at 4:00; family
movie matinees on Wednesdays at 5:
00; LEGO Club on the first and third
Thursdays at 4:00; YonDr Book Club on
Thursday November 14.
We’d love to help you access physical
and digital resources during open hours -
stop in Tuesdays 10:00-6:00, Wednesdays
12:00-7:00; Thursdays 11:00-6; Fridays
and Saturdays 11:00-4:00 to browse and
borrow, to use the internet or computers
and printers, or for help accessing
audiobooks and ebooks on your device
or ours. You can find us at ndld.org 24-7
or email info@ndld.org for help during
closed hours. Call 541-836-2648 to renew
materials or to ask questions. We love
being in community with you.
“We can complain because rose bushes
have thorns or rejoice because thorns have
roses.”
--Alphonse Karr, A Tour Round My
Garden
Miriam Sisson, Director
Mildred Whipple Library, North Douglas
Library District
ndld.org
541-836-2648
Lower Umpqua Library Announcements
seventh neighborhood library module
placed on your land or in your
community, please contact the library.
Staff and volunteers keep
the modules full by periodically
restocking books and DVDs. LULD
will provide updates on this
item is available for checkout to
library card holders for a period of up
to three weeks and may be renewed
for an addional three weeks unless
requested by another patrons.
There are approximately
180 magazine and newspaper
Placement of a sixth neighborhood
library module is planned for
Gardiner, but it is not yet setup.
If you are interested in having a
Elk Creek Glass
Continued from Front Page
and converted the Garage into the
Fusing Shop. Here he keeps his stores
of beautiful, some rare, glass sheets
and assorted supplies for piecing
together some absolutely stunning
sculptures in glass for all manners of
use and displays. Color and sparkle,
twisting and firey explosions of
light reflect the unlimited artistic
and technical aspects that result in
amazing products that you want to
showcase and ponder.
Finally, just about a year ago, the
stars aligned and they were ready to
start bringing in the students. Classes
in Glass Blowing and glass Fusion with
Avi teaching and guiding his students
along was underway. In addition to the
excellent reviews of the classes, they
made the shop available for rentals
for student projects, with Avi guiding
them along the way, still teaching and
providing critical lessons and tips
for maximum results and benefits.
Over the year, Avi Zohar, lead
instructor and owner, said several
students mentioned that they had glass
blowing experiences at other shops
in Oregon, but Elk Creek Glass is
different. Elk Creek Glass is really
emphasizing students learning and
doing the steps. The focus is more
on the process than final object. Other
shops were having students pick the
colors and shape, but having studio
staff do most of the work. Instead,
Avi, has students gather the glass
right out of the furnace, learn to
manage and shape the glass on the
pipe, add the colors, and even break
the piece off the pipe when its done.
Lower Umpqua Library District
(LULD) now has five neighborhood
library modules, out of a planned
total of six. Please feel free to visit
them and borrow a book or a DVD!
The neighborhood library modules
are roofed bookcases, which are
mostly placed throughout the library
district’s rural hinterland, which
provide books and DVDs to residents
on an honor system basis. Each module
is designed to hold approximately 150
tles and is equipped with a light that
will allow for use aer dark. LULD has
neighborhood library modules:
1.) Near the fire staon in
Winchester Bay (Broadway Avenue
and 6 th Street)
2.) Near the fire staon in Scosburg
(Highway 38 and Wells Creek Road)
3.) Near the intersecon of Loon
Lake Road and Elk Ridge Forest Road
in Ash Valley
4.) In front of Smith River Store
5.) In front of the Highland Pool in
uptown Reedsport
North Douglas Herald
project as addional neighborhood
library
modules
are
erected.
The library connues to offer
tradional library material such as
books, DVDs, CDs, and magazines
for borrowing, as well as less
convenonal items such as WiFi
hotspots and extenders, compasses,
pedometers, trekking poles (hiking
scks), bicycle locks, computer
accessories, and umbrellas. Each
subscripons, which cover a wide
variety of topics and interests. Please
call, visit, or email the library for more
informaon.
Alex Kuestner, Library Director/
District Manager
Lower Umpqua Library District
395 Winchester Ave
Reedsport, Oregon 97467
(541) 271-3500 www.luld.org
The pieces are unique and capture
someone’s creativity and their daring
to try something new and special.
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