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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2012)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, October 3, 2012 Between the Bookends by Nancy Burch, Librarian Vernonia Public Library Positive changes too numerous to mention have taken place in the library over the past twenty-four years. Most of these have been made possible by mov- ing from a space of ap- proximately 600 sq. feet to one of nearly 3500 sq. feet. This has allowed the collection’s number of titles to increase from around 5,000 to nearly 25,000; the number of service hours a week to increase from 20 to 39; the number of people at- tending library programs to increase from about 120 to about 1,500; and the number of items cir- culated yearly to increase from about 10,000 to nearly 25,000. For those who do not remember Vernonia’s li- brary in 1988, it, along with city hall and the po- lice department shared the space that is now The Blue House. Before it was remodeled the back portion had been condemned, and the rest- room nearly always had water standing on the cement floor (I don’t know if it was someone’s idea of a joke, but for a long time there was a pair of rubber boots outside the door of the rest- room). There was no ventilation, as the front door opened directly onto Bridge Street, making the noise and blowing dirt more of a problem than a solution. When the city hall turned on the air-conditioner, fuses were blown. Periodically, the furnace would spew black gunk into the building. There was absolutely no room to add to the collection. Because municipal court and council meetings were held in the library, materi- als had to put away each evening. Just providing library service was a challenge, but there were many loyal patrons as well as cooperation and support from the rest of the city staff and volun- teers that shared the space. The month of October presents a prime ex- ample of events that could never have taken place in the old building. The after school pro- grams, consisting of stories and crafts for young- sters from kindergarten to sixth grades, will take place on each Tuesday afternoon from 3:30 to 4:30; Friends of the Library will meet Tuesday, October 2 at 6:30; a conversation project (From Print to Pixels) sponsored by Oregon Humani- ties will be held on Saturday, October 20 at 4:00; Movie night will be Thursday, October 25 at 6:30; and book discussion (Where Lilacs Still Bloom by Jane Kirkpatrick) will take place Mon- day, October 29 at 5:30. Space for displays of any type were also im- possible in the old building and an exciting, rele- vant display featuring books that have been banned or challenged greets patrons head-on as they enter the library during Banned Books Week—the week of September 30 to October 6, 2012. Be sure to check out this display and take part in the discussion on the subject to be held Thursday, October 4 at 6:30 p.m. A designated area for Young Adult readers has been created this past year, with of all of the ORCA (Oregon Reader’s Choice Award) nomi- nees for 2013 having recently been added. During a recent conference on programming for young readers, Jennifer was introduced to and purchased some fabulous books for young- sters, including Butterfly, Butterfly, The Black Book of Colors, and Little Rooster’s Diamond Button. The space for these and the recently purchased adult novels, A Wanted Man by Lee Child, Low Pressure by Sandra Brown, Zoo by James Patterson, The Three Day Affair by Michael Kardos, Delusion in Death by J. D. Robb, and The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber would have been very hard to find in the old library. Enjoy your library—its materials and pro- grams. To help with the rising num- bers of whooping cough cases this year, Columbia County Public Health has received vaccine targeted at adults with no medical insurance between the ages of 19 and 64. “This is a one-time adult booster,” said Mary Altenhein, immunization coordinator for the Public Health Foundation of Columbia County. She said adults who expect to have close contact with a baby younger than a year should be immunized to protect the child. Pertussis is more severe in children than adults. The Public Health Founda- tion offers immunizations on a sliding fee scale. Call 503-397- 4651 ext 2023 to make an ap- pointment. Hours are 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Nine cases of whooping cough have been reported in Columbia County this year. Oregon has 679 cases, over twice as many as reported last year. Washington State has 4,007 cases, nearly 10 times the number reported this time last year. “Prevention is the best de- fense against this disease,” said Karen Ladd, Columbia County Public Health Adminis- trator. “Not being current on vaccinations clearly puts peo- ple at risk of contracting pertus- sis.” “Children should see their doctors if they have a cough longer than two weeks,” said Altenhein. Whooping cough starts with a runny nose, sneezing, cough and fever. The cough worsens, frequently comes in fits, and can last six weeks or longer. In youngsters, a whooping sound can follow coughing fits as they try to catch their breath; sometimes infants grow blue in the face from lack of air. The tiniest children have such small airways that when racked with whooping cough, sometimes for weeks on end, they struggle to breathe and may have trouble eating or drinking. Children should get a series of four vaccinations at 2, 4, 6 and 15 to 18 months, and again at age 4 to kindergarten, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion. Everyone else – infants’ parents, siblings age 10 and older, grandparents, caregivers and even adults who aren’t around small children should be vaccinated. Vernonia Public Library: 701 Weed Avenue Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Tues., Thu. 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Preschool Story Time: Mondays, 10:30 a.m. Phone: 503-429-1818 Columbia County Mental Health Domestic Abuse 800-294-5211 503-397-6161 ----------------- Suicide Hotline or State Farm ® Providing Insurance and Financial Services Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710 Action Ads INEXPENSIVE – EFFECTIVE 503-429-9410 Bunny Girt, Agent 1229 N. Adair PO Box 543 Cornelius, OR 97113-0543 Bus 503-357-3131 Fax 503-357-9667 bunny.girt.b71g@statefarm.com Mariolino’s Public Health has whooping cough vaccine for the uninsured 1-800- 784-2433 C OMING S OON ! or Friday & Saturday Dinner Specials! 721 Madison Ave.,Vernonia • 503-429-5018 503-901-1705 1-800-273- TALK(8255) Hotline 866-397-6161 ----------------- Military Helpline 888-HLP-4-VET (888-457-4838)
