Library notes [March 01, 2010]  After School Homework Helpers -- Tutors are available for after-school help in the Lincoln Public Library Annex. This service is offered Monday through Thursday from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. Tutors are students from Lincoln Christian University who provide this free service to ages 8 and up. Children attend on an as-needed basis. Book Believers Book Group Join other professionals working with young readers to share ideas about new books, themes, story extensions and resources. Learn ways the library can assist you. Hear about how you can access the online programs available through the library. Come and meet on Friday, March 12, at 1 p.m. in the Community Room of the Annex. This is for anyone working with young readers and literature: teachers, preschool teachers, day care providers and home-school instructors. Please call 732-5732 to register. Can't come to this meeting, but want to be on the mailing list? Give us a call.

The Lincoln Public Library is located at 725 Pekin St., with adult nonfiction and reference materials in the historic Carnegie Building. In the Annex Building directly behind are adult fiction and the Youth Services Department. All library events are free and open to the public. On the Web, visit www.lincolnpubliclibrary.org. Hours are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Phone [phone] for adult services and 217-732-5732 for youth services.

American Girl Tea

On Tuesday, March 30, the library will host an American Girl Tea party from 3:30 to 5 p.m. There will be refreshments, of course, and an opportunity for girls to talk about their own American Girl doll. Plan on a sweet, old-fashioned "tea time" for moms, dads or grandparents to share with their young daughters. Bring your American Girl doll or any favorite doll, and wear your American Girl outfit if you would like. Size is limited to 50 diners; no more than two children per adult, please. Call the library at 732-5732 to reserve your table or for more information. Registration deadline is March 25.

Costumes needed

Do you have any American Girl clothing? We're thinking about a fashion show at the above event. Something your daughter has now or has outgrown? We would love to borrow the items for our tea. Please contact us at 732-5732.

Miss Lou's blog

Louella Moreland, youth services librarian, has a blog that can be found through the library Web site, www.lincolnpubliclibrary.org. She discusses new books, introduces library programs and takes polls. Tell her your ideas and suggestions.

Upcoming events

The Youth Services Department will again have butterfly larvae arriving in April. Watch them form a chrysalis, then hatch into colorful butterflies!

NoveList

The library Web site has links to NoveList, an online database of fiction titles for adults, and NoveList K-8, specifically for elementary and middle school children. Logging in with your Lincoln Public Library District card number will let you search for books by author, title, series or description of a plot. Click on "Author Read-alikes" to help you find authors who write in a similar genre that you enjoy reading. Also investigate "Award Winners," "Book Discussion Guides" or "Feature Articles" for a wealth of information. You can even establish a file to keep lists of titles for future reading, as you are sure to find more titles than you can read at one time.

[Text from file received from Marlene Perry, Lincoln Public Library]