New library hours

Starting on January 2, 2009, the library hours will change to: M-W 10am - 8:00pm; Th-F 10:00 am - 6:00 pm; and Sat 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. These hours will be the same all year long (no more reduced summer hours!) Please give us a call if you have any questions.

Library closed Dec. 24 and 25

Just a reminder that the library will be closed both on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Happy holidays!

Holiday cheer!

Well, technically, it doesn't have anything to do with the holidays, but the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest will cheer you up! It's a "literary competition that challenges entrants to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels." There's a variety of categories, including Westerns, Romance, and Science Fiction. Here's one small sample - the Grand Prize Winner from 2004: "She resolved to end the love affair with Ramon tonight . . . summarily, like Martha Stewart ripping the sand vein out of a shrimp's tail . . . though the term "love affair" now struck her as a ridiculous euphemism . . . not unlike "sand vein," which is after all an intestine, not a vein . . . and that tarry substance inside certainly isn't sand . . . and that brought her back to Ramon."

Why do we do the things we do?

In Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior, authors Ori and Rom Brafman look at the factors that undermine people's efforts to behave rationally. Conversational in tone and full of entertaining anecdotes, the book will amuse and enlighten you at the same time!

The air that you breathe

We've all been enjoying the recent brisk breezes - but do you know why the wind blows? In An Ocean of Air, author Gabrielle Walker explains why the wind blows and all sorts of other fascinating details about the atmosphere. Learn about (among other people): "A one-eyed barnstorming pilot [who] finds a set of winds that constantly blow five miles above our heads; an impoverished American farmer [who] figures out why hurricanes move in a circle by carving equations with his pitchfork on a barn door; and a well-meaning inventor [who] nearly destroys the ozone layer. A great book - check it out!

Best Books of the Year

Several more entries in our ongoing series of links to various "Best Books of the Year" lists.

NY Times 10 Best Books of 2008
NY Times Notable Crime Fiction of 2008
USA Today’s Holiday Guide Gift Books
Stephen King’s 10 Best Books of 2008
Top Ten Hockey Books of 2008

New DVDs

Newly arrived at the library:

Sex and The City: The Movie (Rotten Tomatoes rating 50%)





Leatherheads (Rotten Tomatoes rating 52%)





The 4400: The Complete First Season (featuring Red Wing's Patrick Flueger)




30 Days of Night (Rotten Tomatoes rating 50%)





Belle Toujours (Rotten Tomatoes rating 64%)

Zero, zip, zilch, nada...

is the amount you will pay in overdue fines on children's books and magazines checked out starting in 2009, because we are eliminating overdue fines on children's books and magazines. It's just one of a series of changes coming in the New Year, all of which are designed to make things simpler and more convenient for our patrons. The reduced summer hours are being eliminated - we'll be open 10-8 M-W, 10-6 Th-F, and 9-3 on Sat. all year 'round. Almost all checkout periods will follow 'the rule of 2' - 2 week checkouts with 2 renewals allowed, and 20 cent fines on materials which still incur fines. Ask one of our staff members if you have any questions!

Snow Emergencies

Heavy snowfalls such as we just experienced can trigger the declaration by the City of Red Wing of a snow emergency. There is not one currently in effect, but if you ever have questions about anything to do with Red Wing snow emergencies (including if one has been declared and the location of snow emergency routes), check out the City's snow emergency page.

Best Books of the Year

Two more entries in our ongoing series of "Best Books of the Year" lists. NPR's 10 Best Cookbooks of 2008 and NPR's Best Gift Books of 2008.

Software upgrade on Monday, Dec. 8

The catalog software for the SELCO system is being upgraded on Monday Dec. 8. During this time, you will not be able to search the catalog or place requests for materials. However, reference staff will be able to help you find what you're looking for or place requests - so please don't hesitate to ask! Internet access on the public computers will not be affected.