Episode Transcript
[00:00:16] Speaker A: Greetings, readers. Welcome to the 1 May edition of Library News.
This month we discuss IDB's centennial celebration, the Elizabeth Porowski Volunteer Luncheon, Summer Reading, and more.
First, we want to thank everyone who attended the Iowa Department for the Blind Centennial Open House congratulated us and helped us share our story. Your presence helped make the celebration truly special. We are grateful for your support and look forward to the next 100 years.
[00:00:47] Speaker B: Each year the Library and the Iowa Department for the Blind honors their volunteers with the Elizabeth Porowski Volunteer Workshop at Luncheon. This year's workshop and luncheon was held Friday, April 25th and we invited our volunteers to join us for a luncheon celebrating IDB's 100th anniversary. As part of the Elizabeth Porowski Volunteer Program, we honor volunteers who have gone above and beyond throughout the year to assist and support the library. For more than 60 years, Elizabeth Perowski of Des Moines was a volunteer Braille transcriber.
She taught herself to Braille and was certified in Literacy, Nemeth, and Music Braille by the Library of Congress.
She also conducted Braille workshops throughout the country, teaching others how to braille. Elizabeth was still brailing within a few weeks of her death at the age of 97 in May 1996. In honor of Elizabeth, the text on the Elizabeth Borowski Memorial Volunteer Award states for extraordinary spirit and inexhaustible dedication and volunteer service to those who are blind. Each year, the Elizabeth Porowski Memorial Award and other recognitions are given to our volunteers in appreciation for all that they do for our library. This year, the Elizabeth Porowski Memorial Award was given to Margot Suko. Since joining in the fall of 2023, Margo has quickly become an irreplaceable part of our volunteer narrator team. Her energy, creativity, dependability, and commitment have made her a standout narrator, especially for children's picture books. Margo's talents allow her to bring stories to life not just in English, but in Spanish, French, and even one book in gibberish. Every book she creates unique voices for each character, keeping listeners engaged and entertained from start to finish. Congratulations, Margot.
[00:02:39] Speaker C: The Library would also like to thank the Friends of the Library for their constant support, advocacy, and commitment.
Throughout the year, the Friends raise funds through memberships and events, which are then given to the library. These funds are essential to the success of many library programs such as the Iowa Regional Braille Challenge, year round youth programming, the purchase of 3D printers, additions to the Library's collection, and so much more. This year at the Elizabeth Porowski Luncheon, the Friends presented the library with a check for $12,000.
[00:03:09] Speaker A: Now for the top ten fiction books downloaded from Bard Open Season DB 126997 by Jonathan Kellerman Los Angeles is a city of stars, a city of strivers and wannabes. Not everyone can shine bright, but they'll burn themselves up for a glimpse of the high life.
LAPD Homicide Lieutenant Milo Sturges knows it all too well. The best dreamers often make the worst monsters.
The body of an aspiring actress has been found and she'd been drugged. The main suspect is a stunt double with the ego of an action star. He's more brawn than brains, it seems, with a few boundaries when it comes to women. But he's offed before Milo and Alex can get to him. Worse yet, the rifle that killed him was used in a prior case and another case before that.
And then it's fired again and again, taking victims right under their noses.
They begin to think that someone is avenging the victims of men without boundaries. But is this a slick, efficient assassin with their own corrupt code of justice? Or a knight errant? One who doesn't want to be seen but still wants to be known?
The Texas Murders Everything is bigger in Texas, especially the murder cases.
DB 126468 by James Patterson and Andrew Burrell in this thrilling novel from my number one New York Times best selling author, the great Texas Rangers go on a no holds barred pursuit of the most dangerous killer ever to terrorize Texas. Texas Ranger Rory Yates protects his home state wearing a five pointed silver badge and carrying a Sig Sauer. When a native woman disappears on the summer solstice, clues point to a cold case.
Yates, a quick drawn champion, partners with expert archer Ava Cruz of the Tigua Tribal Police. The investigation leads to the edges of Texas most unforgiving landscape, where the officers take dead aim with every shot in their arsenals.
The Crash DB127213 by Freda McFadden Teghan is eight months pregnant and her world is crashing down around her.
The father of her baby wants nothing to do with her and has promised to make her life hell. She's lost her job at the convenience store and she has no idea what she's going to do to take care of Little One.
In a last ditch effort to find help and get away from the threats of her ex, Teagan heads out in a storm to drive to her brother's, but she never arrives. Teagan wakes up in a ditch having skidded off the road. Stranded and terrified, she's taken in by a couple living in a remote farmhouse.
But they may have ulterior motives, and Teghan soon realizes she's stuck in the middle of nowhere, at the mercy of strangers. The nightmare she's running from is nothing compared to where she's headed.
[00:06:10] Speaker B: Bonded and death DB 127087 by JD Robb his passport reads Giovanni Rossi. But decades ago, during the urban wars, he was part of a small secret organization called the 12.
Responding to an urgent summons from an old compatriot, he landed in New York and eased into the waiting car. He died within minutes. Lt. Eve Dallas finds Rossi's case frustrating. She's got an elderly victim who's just arrived from Rome, a widow who knows nothing about why he left, an as yet unidentifiable weapon and zero results on facial recognition.
But when she finds a connection to the urban wars of the 2000 and twenties, she thinks Somerset fiercely loyal, if somewhat grouchy. Major Damo and the man who rescued her husband from the Dublin streets may know something from his stint as a medic in Europe back then. When Somerset learns of the crime, his shock and grief are clear. Because as he eventually reveals, he himself was one of the 12. It's not part of the past he likes to revisit. But now he must. Not only to assist Eves.
Robert B. Parker's Buried Secrets DB12 7218 by Christopher Farnsworth Just another day in Paradise.
Chief of Police Jesse Stone is on his way home from a long shift when a call comes in for a welfare check on an elderly resident of the wealthy seaside town of Paradise, Massachusetts. Inside a house packed with junk and trash is a man's dead body. It's a sad, lonely end, but nothing criminal. Until Jesse finds the photos of the murder victims strewn around the corpse on top of a treasure trove of $2 million in cash. Jesse takes on the case and finds a trail leading to an aging mobster who who will do anything it takes to keep the past from coming to light. Before long, Jesse has a price on his head as hitmen converge on paradise to take back the cash and destroy any remaining evidence.
But the real danger might be coming from inside his own department.
Jesse Stone must unearth the truth buried under the wreckage of a dead man's life before he winds up in the ground himself.
Backwater Justice DB 126701 by Fern Michaels the Sisterhood A group of women from all walks of life, bound by friendship and years of adventure. Armed with vast resources, top notch expertise, and a loyal network of allies around the globe, the Sisterhood will not rest until every wrong is made right. The small Oregon town of Mountain Valley seems like the perfect place to to safely raise a family away from the dangers of the big city. Vanessa's parents think so, until the day their 14 year old daughter doesn't come home for dinner. They call her cell. Straight to voicemail. They call her friends. Nothing. An attendant at the local gas station mentions seeing the girl fitting Vanessa's description getting into a pickup that he thinks belongs to one of the Spanglers.
Everyone knows the Spanglers, the richest, most influential family for miles around.
Patriarch Milton Spangler offers a $50,000 reward, determined to quash any notion that his family might be involved. But as search parties fail to yield any clues, another young woman goes missing. Are these simply delusioned runaways?
Or does the Spangler family have something to hide?
[00:09:55] Speaker C: Legacy of a legal thriller DB 125584 by Robert Bailey Small town lawyer Bocephus Haines comes home late one night to find District Attorney General Helen Lewis waiting for him. Her ex husband has just been killed. She's about to be arrested for his murder and she wants Beau to represent her. There's a lot working against them. Just before his death, Helen's ex husband threatened to reveal a dark secret from her past.
Beau has been in a tailspin since his wife's death. What's more, his whole life has been defined by a crime committed against his family. And he continues to face prejudice. As the only African American litigator in Pulaski, Tennessee, Beau's back is against the wall and Helen resigns herself to a dismal fate. But a stunning discovery throws everything into chaos. There's a chance for justice, but to achieve it, the cost might be too much for Beau to bear.
Beautiful Ugly DB 126338 by Alice Feeney author Grady Green is having the best day of his life. Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news. As she is driving home, he hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge, the headlights are on, the driver door is open and her phone is still there. But his wife has disappeared. A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He he can't sleep and he can't write. So he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible. A woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
The Spy Coast A Thriller DB 124418 by Tess Garretson Former Spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong.
These days, she's living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement. But when a body turns up in Maggie's driveway, she knows it's a message from former foes who haven't forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends, all retirees from the CIA, to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her and why.
This martini club of former spies may be retired, but but they still have a few useful skills that they're eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.
Complicating their efforts is Purity's acting police chief, Joe Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Joe is puzzled by Maggie's reluctance to share information and by her odd circle of friends who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn. As Joe's investigation collides with the Martini Club's maneuvers, Maggie's hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe. From Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta, the ghosts of her past have returned. But with the help of her friends and the reluctant Joe Thibodeau, Maggie might just be able to save the life she's built.
New Kid in Town A Jack Reacher Story DB127433 by Andrew Child Hitching a ride cross country, Reacher manages to thwart an unsavory criminal hiding out in a sleepy backwater town in rural Tex.
[00:13:07] Speaker A: The sign up for the Youth Summer Reading Program is coming soon. The theme for this summer is Power Up Game on for Summer Reading and will run from June 9 through July 25.
Each week, participants will travel to a new part of the country, from the mystical forests of the Pacific Northwest to the sunny shores of New England. Participants will play interactive games like a Bigfoot Mystery Hunt, a Buffalo Stampede Adventure, and a Firefly Glow Challenge. They'll also create awesome crafts including paracord bracelets, petroglyph rock art, beaded dreamcatchers, and much more, all designed to be loads of fun at every border.
Programs will be conducted virtually on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Join Denise Bean, our youth librarian, for these great programs. Ages 0 to 18 are welcome. If you have questions about any of our youth programs, reach out to Denise Bean, Youth Services Librarian at Denise Beanline State IA, US or 515-452-1338.
[00:14:17] Speaker B: In this month's Makerspace Monday Night Workshop. Get ready to combine art, imagination and your favorite books and in this fun filled library workshop, we'll kick things off with a story time featuring colorful characters and inspiring tales. Then dive into painting rocks with your own creative twist. Whether you're designing a rock that looks like your favorite book character or writing a kind message to share with your community, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Makerspace Monday will be held May 12 from 6 to 7:15pm it is offered in person at the Iowa Library for the Blind and virtually via Zoom. You can find the link to register on our blog at IowaLibrary blog or call the library and we can help you get registered. For any questions about Makerspace Mondays, contact Denise Bean at Denise Bean State IA US or 515-452-1338.
[00:15:14] Speaker C: Save the date the library will be a part of the Downtown Des Moines Farmers market on Saturday, May 31 from 7am to 12pm we will have a booth offering a Hands on Braille activity while spreading awareness about Braille literacy, the library and the department. If you are in the area, stop by and say hello.
[00:15:33] Speaker A: The April's the Many Faces of Bard program hosted by NLS was cut short due to technical difficulties. They plan to reschedule the program. The next Many Faces of Bard will be held on Thursday, May 8th at 6pm via Zoom Smart. Speaking to the smart speaker, a new limited series program from the National Library Service will be held Thursday, April 15th at 6pm A brief presentation will begin the session. Presenters will spend the remainder of the time answering questions about the presentation.
The ALME Eread, the monthly NLS program that focuses on the NLS Braille Ereader, will be held Tuesday, May 27 at 6pm Friday via Zoom.
Contact the library if you need assistance getting registered for any of the NLS events.
The library will be closed Monday, May 26 in observance of Memorial Day.
Please don't hesitate to contact the library with any questions or comments at 515-281-1323 or by email at librarylind state ia us.
The library is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm Happy reading.
