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We Wish a Fond Farewell to our Youth Services Coordinator

After 23 years of service, our Youth Services Coordinator, Carri Fry, is retiring. Carri has been a part of the Derby Public Library’s many metamorphoses from the facility’s humble iterations to its now grand and growing infrastructure.

When Carri first joined the library’s team, only two employees worked in Youth Services, and due to circumstance, Carri found herself as the head of the department within a few years of employment. Now Carri manages a team of four others on staff and has supervised that team through facilitation of programs for all ages. Carri has watched our library’s Summer Reading Program evolve from just a few hundred reading finishers to the massive institution that is our summer reading program today with thousands of sign-ups and finishers and a prize package rivaling some of the country’s top libraries.

To read more about Carri's accomplishments and contributions to the library, click the red Read More button below to read the entire blog post.

Creativity StARTs Here
by Kansas Academy of Oil Painters

In this time when so many of us are feeling a little isolated and traveling is discouraged, escape into the art of the Kansas Academy of Oil Painters exhibit at the Derby Public Library. With 80 pieces of art on display, viewers will be able to escape into the memories and experiences of the artists.

The scope of the work includes animals, people and landscapes, created mainly in oils, but with some in acrylic. Sink into an idyllic day on a ranch, catch the sweet moment between a puppy and its mother, or enjoy a beautiful bouquet of flowers as you view the show.

Click the red Read More button below to learn more about art exhibits at the library.

Lost Breed
by Lisa Kellerby

Girls Best Friend
by Debra Mitchell

Coming soon to the
High Wall Gallery

Tranquility

Acrylics by Karon Watson

On display Feb. 9-March 27

Sunset on the Bay

Library hours in February:

9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday

9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Friday

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday

Please wear a mask and social distance while visiting the library.

Library holiday closures this month

The library will be closed Monday, Feb. 15, in observance of Presidents Day.

There's still time to participate in the Big Read!

We still have a few Big Read events coming up and would love to see you there. Don't miss the chance to discuss this intriguing book with others who have read it at our VIRTUAL book discussion at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5. Register to participate on the library events calendar, and you will receive the Zoom link via email the day before the discussion.

There are still three more opportunities to enjoy the mythological movie series, on Tuesdays, with a family friendly flick showing at 6 p.m. Feb. 9. Movies for the grown-up crowd will show at noon on Feb. 2 and 16.

The Curse of Pandora's Box Murder Mystery Answers Due by Feb. 19
If you still need a murder mystery kit, give the library a call or stop by to put in a request. Don't forget to submit your answers to this Greek mythology-themed mystery by February 19 to be entered to win one of three potential prizes. Here's the direct link to submit your answers: https://forms.gle/VdovwJbVxD3A16d6A

For a complete list of Big Read events around the area, click on the big, red Read More button to visit the Big Read: Wichita website.

Two exciting new programs available at the library!

We are so excited to announce that an English as a Second Language class and a Letter Writing Club will both be starting at the library in February. Staff member Terese will be sharing her expertise and enthusiasm in both these endeavors. She shared some background about her passion for these two skills that she wants to share with the Derby community:

"While pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Spanish at the University of Kansas, I spent a semester in Spain getting the opportunity to immerse myself in the language I was studying. After graduating, I ended up in Hamburg, Germany where I received my CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and spent the next two years traveling to different companies and teaching English. I loved getting to know my students and coming up with creative ways to teach and learn together. Engaging with different cultures and people is endlessly fascinating and fun.

"I’ve also been a para-educator at an elementary school and taught English to students in China across cyberspace before realizing I could combine all of my passions and experience into one magical field: librarianship! I graduated from Emporia State University last year with a Master’s in Library Science.

"All of this to say, I’m thrilled to be a part of offering ESL classes and to host a letter-writing club through the Derby Public Library. These programs encompass my interests in language, teaching, and the written-word. I hope to see you there!"

ESL classes begin Feb. 18 and will be held 11 a.m.-noon on Thursdays. The first meeting of the Letter Writing Club is 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23. Both programs will be held at the library. Details are on the images above this article.

Looking for someplace to discuss books? We've got you covered!

We have three active book groups here at the library that are open to everyone. If you love to read and talk about the books you read, pop in to one or more of the book groups!

Bemused Biblipohiles — meets at 1 p.m. Feb. 3. The title for February is Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel. *The book club will meet in person in the Community Room.

Hauntingly Good Reads — meets at 7 p.m. Feb. 8. The title for February is Children of the Fire by Drew Karpyshyn. *This month, the book club will meet via Zoom. Please contact Cori Dodds at cori@derbylibrary.com for a link to the meeting.

Joyful Page Turners — meets at 6:45 p.m. Feb. 25. The book chosen for February is New Boy by Tracy Chevalier. The book club will meet in person in the Community Room.

Bemused Bibliophiles meets during the day and reads popular books that have been on the bestseller list. Hauntingly Good Reads meets in the evening and explores all kinds of books that have a supernatural/magical/unexplainable kind of bent—we look far beyond the traditional vampires, ghosts and witches.

Joyful Page Turners is the most enduring book club at the library—it's been meeting regularly since May 2000! Books selected for this book club include just about everything: classics, modern bestsellers, non-fiction, and more.

Click the red "Read More" button below to visit the book club page on the library website, where you can find lists of books each book club has read.

Five books recommended by Amelia:

I Love You Because You're You by Liza Baker

Leyla by Galia Bernstein

Goodnight World by Debi Gliori

Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes by Kimberly & James Dean

Quackers by Liz Long

Catherine the Great
by Robert K. Massie

First Line: Prince Christian Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst was hardly distinguishable in the swarm of obscure, penurious noblemen who cluttered the landscape and society of politically fragmented eighteenth-century Germany.

Summary: Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, reigned for over thirty years. She came to Russia as a fourteen-year-old German princess to marry the heir to the Russian throne. After years of marriage and her husband’s ascension to the throne she staged a coup and took over the country. During her time she implemented many new ideas of the Enlightenment on a country that had been living decades behind the rest of Europe.

My Thoughts: I became fascinated with Catherine the Great while watching the Hulu Original series, The Great. Even though it is not historically accurate it was a lot of fun! As I watched I looked up items about Catherine and her story is one that is made for television. She had power, lovers, and conflict. I knew that I needed to learn more about this woman who ruled such a vast empire. Luckily I was gifted the book for Christmas and I immediately started reading it.

I loved how the author wrote. It read like fiction. It was broken into short chapters dealing with different parts of her life and the people around her. I learned so much about the empress, the country and politics of the time. The book is 575 pages which is a time commitment but I broke it up by reading other books at the same time.

As I read I compared it to the TV show. Very little was the same but the show did include little details that gave it some peek into the history. The descriptions of her husband and the other members of Russian court are astounding. These people lived lives that are beyond what normal people can comprehend. It took me nearly a month to finish Catherine’s biography but I found it worth every minute. She did so much for her adoptive country. She bettered it and truly earned title of “Catherine the Great.”

Release date: Sept. 18, 2012

Ashley's rating:

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by
Marie Benedict

First Line: I could not have written a more perfect man.

Summary: Agatha Christie, one of the most famous mystery writers of the twentieth century has gone missing. A widespread manhunt ensues looking for the missing author. Meanwhile, her husband is hiding secrets of his own. As time progresses and Agatha is not found more suspicion is placed on Archie. Then suddenly after eleven days Agatha reappears with no recollection of what happened or where she had been. What happened during these days? It is a mystery that is still yet to be uncovered.

My Thoughts: Several years ago I remember hearing about the disappearance of Agatha Christie. It sounds like one of her stories but was actually true. I was really excited when I saw that Marie Benedict was going to bring this piece of history to life. Benedict does a great job of giving voice to historical women who time has forgotten. Even though Christie is famous, this part of her life was not as well known.

I liked the alternating time periods and perspectives. We see the beginning of the romance between Agatha and Archie. We see the progression of their lives together. But then we see how Archie deals with Agatha’s disappearance. I kept having to stop myself from Googling the case in order to avoid how the author’s reappearance happens. I liked that it was a short novel that was quick to read and gives a little more insight into such a prolific writer. I now have to read more of Christie’s novels starting with The Mysterious Affair at Styles.

Release date: Dec. 29, 2020

Ashley's review:

We Wish a Fond Farewell to our Youth Services Coordinator

Creativity StARTs Here by Kansas Academy of Oil Painters

Lost Breed by Lisa Kellerby

Girls Best Friend by Debra Mitchell

Coming soon to the High Wall Gallery