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Celebrating a DECADE of our Library Director!

It’s not difficult for a staff member to find library director, Eric Gustafson, in the building. All one has to do is pause and listen carefully, because you can hear him just about anywhere. His voice can travel a mile, at least. And there’s comfort in the sound of his sometimes loud voice.

In September, the staff of Derby Public Library celebrated ten years of Eric Gustafson’s tenure as library director. And what a ten years it has been!

Many of our patrons can recognize the booming success the library has had under Eric’s careful guidance. In the last ten years, Eric has helmed many library projects that have enriched the lives of the citizens of Derby.

Eric brought more ebooks and digital content to library patrons with the apps Hoopla and Libby. Thanks to Eric the library is now a one-stop shop for many services outside of checking out materials. Services such as passports, mobile printing, notary services, and business center databases. Eric started Santa’s Village and then expanded it exponentially into Christmas in the Park. Viewed by many as his crowning achievement, the amazing KanShare library consortium was Eric’s brainchild. With careful negotiations, Eric brought eight regional libraries together in one shared catalog with room for additional expansion.

But what the patrons perhaps don’t see is the work culture Eric has created for his staff. He is often heard telling new employees, “If you aren’t having fun, then I’m not doing a good job.” Eric has fostered a work culture of productivity, creativity, and fun. He has made change a positive experience, not one of dread and frustration.

Eric is honest, transparent, and sincere. These qualities make him a great boss man, Supreme Overlord, and fearless leader.

So cheers to 10 years of Gustafson! Here’s to many more successful years for Derby Public Library.

Dia De Los Muertos Read-a-thon

We are excited to announce that in honor of both Hispanic Heritage Month and Dia De Los Muertos, we are hosting a special Read-a-thon! Readers will be tasked with selecting one of four patrons from Latin Mythology and completing challenges to bring their patron closer to the ofrenda (altar) by the Day of the Dead. The Read-a-thon includes reading challenges, Instagram challenges, and trivia called Las Velas. The team whose patron reaches the ofrenda first will be entered to win one of two $50 Los Cocos Gift Cards! The remaining teams will be entered to win either a $25 Target Gift Card or a bag of goodies.

October 4 - November 2

Adults and Teens (6th-12th Graders)

Have you checked out our blog?

Looking for book recommendations? We have you covered. Our staff curated blog is filled with new favorites, old classics and the quirky stuff in between. New additions weekly.

Preschool Storytime Halloween Parade

Wear your costumes and bring your candy bags for this special storytime event! Join us for Halloween-themed stories and an in-building costume parade with plenty of tricks and treats!

Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 10 a.m.

Click here to view the brochure on our website.

Gathering Space Gallery

"My Passion to Paint"

by Derby Artist's Mark and Mary Ward

A 2D collection of Mark Wards art, rendered in acrylics, watercolors, conte crayons and graphite are hanging in the Gathering Space Gallery of the library. Additionally, our display case holds 3D embellished gourds carved and painted by Mary Ward.

Many of the paintings are paired with poetry, or personal notes explaining Mark's perspective on the work. Turtle Crossing the Road is one such piece. Mark states, "Life is just like the turtle crossing the road. I'm halfway wondering if it's possible to make it to the other side. Since I'm retired life has it's struggles. But Good News! I made it across to the other side!" Daily life has its struggles - how to balance it all work, family, health and fun. We do keep trudging and hoping to make it to the other side of the road in the belief the grass is greener.

Mary Ward has been creating art for 22 years and is excited to share the gourds she has transformed into sculptural expressions of beauty. Despite not having any formal or informal training, Mary is an accredited cake artist and dichronic glass artist. She has been a gourd artist since 1999. Seeing this vegetable for the first time artistically, she realized all the possibilities. "The shapes, the smooth texture and the sizes. So many ideas came over me. I was amazed!"

Ward is a member of the American Gourd Society, the Missouri Gourd Society as well as the Texas Gourd Society. She is a nationally awarded artist in this medium. Memberships and newsletters bring her new ideas, techniques and information about other amazing gourd artists all over our country!

Showing through Oct. 26

Learn more about art that is on display at the library by clicking the big red "Read More" button below.

"Turtle Crossing the Road" by Mark Ward

"Elephant" by Mary Ward

"Life Map 47"

High Wall Gallery

"Bold"

by Stephanie Bayliff

Mulvane artist Stephanie Bayliff brings "Bold" the first week of October to the library. Her last show focused on landscapes and still life pieces in the Impressionist style that one could escape into as we came out of last year's Covid lockdown. This entirely new body of work is an experiment in color, line, texture and composition. Instead of working from her library of reference photos, this show has developed organically from her imagination. Bayliff has created woven wall-hangings from a variety of fibers, collage pieces that tell a story through shape and color, painted pieces that incorporate embroidered elements, geometric and bold abstract paintings, and a series of paintings in a flat illustration style.

This new body of work has pushed beyond the reality of the world she sees every day and has turned into an inward journey. "Our imaginations are what makes each person unique. We should each embrace that uniqueness and be Bold."

Artist Reception

Thursday, Oct. 14 at 6 - 7:30 p.m.

High Wall Gallery

Learn more about art that is on display at the library by clicking the big red "Read More" button below.

Only three more events left!

The KanShare libraries are joining forces to host KanRead, a series of events hosted by each library in the consortium. For more details, stop by the library and pick up a copy of Grimms' Fairy Tales (limited availability). Be sure to pick up your passport with the list of events, which you can take to each library to get stamped, and be eligible to win a prize!

Five books recommended by Amelia:

Daddy Honk Honk! by Rosalinde Bonnet

Hide and Seek, Little Chameleon by Anita Bijsterbosch

Once Upon a Garden: Lucy's Light by Jo Rooks

Macca the Alpaca by Matt Cosgrove

One Moon, Two Cats by Laura Godwin

*Click on the cover or title to find the books in our catalog.*

Summer Reading Survey

We want your feedback! Through Oct. 15 we will be conducting a survey about how summer reading works. We'd like your input on Beanstack, how we promote events, and how we communicate deadlines for summer reading. You can fill out the survey online, using the Google Forms link below, or pick up a paper copy at the library and return it to the Youth Services Desk. Thanks for helping us make summer reading even better for the children of Derby!

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

First line: Entitlement has a particular stench.

Summary: Belmont Academy is the best school in town. It churns out smart and well connected students to Ivy League universities. Teddy Crutcher, an English teacher, has just won Teacher of the Year. It is a high honor, especially for someone who did not attend Belmont as a student. And as a teacher he has high hopes for his students. He wants the ones who deserve to do well to achieve great things but he must teach the students who are entitled to learn a lesson. For their own good of course. When a parent dies at a school function the Belmont community is thrown into chaos. But then another murder happens. What is going on in this prestigious school?

My Thoughts: This is fine. I liked it. The characters were mostly terrible people. They each had such strong opinions about everyone else around them and were not afraid to act on their urges. Teddy was definitely scary in a calm methodical way. He could always justify his actions. But he also seemed to make sense in some of the things he thought which is even scarier.

I felt like the book was aimed more for young adult readers. And this may be because several of the main characters were teenagers. It felt like it was missing something that her other novels had which led me to give them a higher rating.

There were plenty of little twists but the reader knows from the very beginning who is killing. It was fun to read. And the ending was satisfying. Perfect for the story and the characters involved.

Click here to find For Your Own Good on the KanShare catalog.

Release date: July 20, 2021

Ashley's rating:

Rizzio by Denise Mina

First line: Lord Ruthven wanted him killed during this tennis match but Darnley said no.

Summary: On the night of March 9, 1566, the personal secretary of Mary, Queen of Scots was murdered by assassins in the Queen’s apartments at Holyrood Palace. David Rizzio was dragged out and stabbed fifty six times while the pregnant queen was restrained by her husband, Lord Darnley.

My Thoughts: I remember the first time I learned about David Rizzio. It was a in a book by Jane Yolen, The Queen’s Own Fool, that I stumbled upon in a book sale. It seems like such a fantastical story but it is actually history. Mina’s book is a quick story about these events, the people involved and the reasons behind them.

Even though I liked the story I found the writing style strange. I didn’t feel like it flowed well. This was my first book by Denise Mina, so maybe this is her normal style but it’s not one that I found appealing.

Mary had such a tragic life. But I think that is why so many people, including myself, find her interesting. She was a woman with power in an age when many women had no power. And she is constantly being compared to her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. If you have never heard about this event in Mary’s life or need a short book (118 pages) to complete your reading challenge then I would recommend picking this one up!

Click here to find Rizzio on the KanShare catalog.

Release date: September 7, 2021

Ashley's review:

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 Bibliophiles — meets at 1 p.m. Oct. 6. The title for October is The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. The book club will meet in person in the Frank Fanning Conference Room.

Hauntingly Good Reads — meets at 7 p.m. Oct. 5. The title for October is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. The book club will meet in person in the Frank Fanning Conference Room.

Joyful Page Turners — meets at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 28. The title for October is The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel. The book club will meet in person in the Frank Fanning 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.

Get your copy of Celebrating Derby now!

Celebrating Derby — 150 Years: 1869-2019 is a wonderful book that lets you see what life was like in the early years of the town we call Derby, but was originally named El Paso.

Pick up your copy today at the library for $20.