February 2011

I know that, technically, winter doesn’t arrive until the end of December, and I know that it isn’t spring until the end of March. Officially that only gives us about 12 weeks of winter. Yet, for some reason I always think of Wisconsin as being locked in a cold, miserable, snowy grip for months on end. That’s why I’m always surprised by the weather in February. I expect it to be wet and downright disagreeable. And sometimes it is. Just look at the huge blizzard that swept through at the beginning of the month. But then you get a streak of days where the temperature is in the 40’s and you can actually see patches of green beneath all of that white (and sometimes gray) snow. I start to get hopeful. I start thinking about reading books on the beach. I start thinking about taking the dogs for a walk on a nice sunny day. And then another blizzard blows through in March. Oh well…

Whatever the weather, when it comes to returning your library materials, the Beloit Public Library has you covered. With our outside Book Return, you can return your books, cds, dvds, and magazines any time of the day from the comfort of your car. No more running through the rain or slogging through the snow to bring your materials into the library. Located on the south side of our building, you can get to the Book Return from the access road that runs between the library and Eclipse Boulevard. Just drop your materials in the slot and we will take care of the rest.

Stop in or visit us on the web at www.beloitlibrary.info and be sure to check out these great new books coming soon to the library:

The Complete Guide to Preserving Your Own Seeds for Your Garden by Atlantic Publishing Company. Seeds are the essence of life on earth, providing the genetic information needed for every plant we currently use for growing food, harvesting for clothing, and creating homes and furniture with…Which is why this book was developed to help any individual who is seeking to start preserving their own seeds for future use and growing. (Product Description)

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb by Marion Dane Bauer. In this exuberant, rhythmic story, March, personified as a lion, enters a boy's cozy home and leaves a trail of snow flurries and muddy footprints. The boy calmly observes the pouncing, howling, growling lion until in comes the lamb on the crest of a huge sneeze. (Children’s Book - Product Description)

Twilight Garden: Creating a Garden That Entrances by Day and Comes Alive at Night by Lia Leendertz. Covering basic planting and design principles that make the most of outdoor surroundings, this guide helps gardeners establish a unique nocturnal garden. Including chapters on night-scented and night-blooming plants, gentle mood lighting, water features, enclosures, and the use of color and sound to attract wildlife, this is the perfect starting place for gardeners attracted to the ethereal nature of a moonlit landscape… (Product Description)