Image: Color postcard showing the pavilion and roller coaster on the north end of Goguac Lake, c. 1910 Caption on front: Club House and Roller Coaster, Lake Goguac. Postcards emerged in the mid-19th century as an inexpensive way to send a short message — think of them as the Instagram or Facebook of their day. And just as social media revolutionized the way people communicated, the humble postcard became an engine of our modernist culture, and people loved them. Historians estimate that that some 200 billion postcards circulated in the first two decades of the 20th century. The telephone would soon extinguish the “Postcard Craze,” but nostalgia for the medium endures. Postcard collecting, known as “deltiology” remains among the world’s largest collecting hobbies. Thanks to donations from local collectors, most notably the late Stuart Lassen, Willard Library today has more than 5,000 postcards in its digital archive. Browsing the images, you see the city age from its infancy as a mill town through its halcyon days as the Queen City and the birthplace of the cereal industry. This month, you can see the cards up-close in our “Things Worth Remembering” exhibit downtown. 

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Willard Library! Santa and his reindeer plan to stop at the library’s downtown location, 7 W. Van Buren St., on Tuesday, Dec. 3 from 4 to 7 p.m.  Tynisha Dungey, director of youth services at Willard Library, details all of the fun planned for the evening, “People should expect to have an amazing time exploring the library and getting in the spirit of Christmas. Participants will be able to pet a real reindeer, take a picture with Santa, enjoy hot cocoa and cookies while watching a nice Christmas movie, and make Christmas themed crafts in Santa’s workshop.” Crafts and activities will be spread throughout the library, so there will be plenty for families to do and see while they wait for Santa. The library has hosted a “holiday open house” for several years, and it has become a yearly tradition for many families. Says Dungey, “We decided to bring Santa and his reindeer back this year because we wanted children to experience the nostalgia of meeting Santa Claus, and not many people can say that they have actually pet a live reindeer. We want children to create lasting memories of Santa and his reindeer, but also create fond memories of the library.” Willard Library is delighted to be hosting Santa again this year, and to be part of future fond memories for local children.   In the past, Santa’s visit has been one of the library’s most popular programs. Dungey has a few words of advice for parents, “Dress warmly. This program is very popular and we want you to be comfortable if you have to wait in line outside to see the reindeer. Be patient. This is an amazing event and there will be people from all over the community wanting to participate. Have fun. A lot of time and love has been put into this program to make sure it is fun for all who attend.”  Santa is busy making his list and checking it twice; parents should be sure to bring a camera for photos, and don’t forget those Christmas wishlists! 

Willard Library helps kickoff the spooky fall season with horror author Grady Hendrix, who will present his one-of-a-kind one-man show, “How To Sell a Haunted House Live” on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 6 pm. at the Kool Family Community Center, 200 W. Michigan Ave.  Hendrix is the author of the popular and critically-acclaimed books Horrorstör, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, the Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, and his most recent, How to Sell a Haunted House, among others. Reference librarian Brenna LaForge described Hendrix as an “expert on writing horror.” She continued, “he writes ‘campy’ horror novels, but don’t let the term fool you – you may laugh while reading his books, but you’ll definitely find something scary waiting for you too!”  Hendrix’s most recent novel, How to Sell a Haunted House, introduces readers to Louise, who reluctantly returns to her cluttered family home in Charleston following the death of her parents, dreading both the emotional toll and the task of preparing it for sale. She must confront her troubled relationship with her brother, Mark, while sorting through a house filled with memories and strange remnants of her parents’ lives. As they work together, it becomes clear that the house, and its contents, have eerie plans of their own.  In describing How to Sell a Haunted House, Hendrix wrote, “During the pandemic, I wanted to write something comforting and old fashioned and gothic. I wanted to write a traditional haunted house story and I wanted it to be full of empty bedrooms, restless spirits stalking the halls, family curses, and ancient secrets. Because whether it’s around a campfire, at a sleepover, or alone by ourselves on the couch, there’s nothing more comforting than a haunted house story.”  Hendrix will be performing what he calls a “one-man show,” which diverges from a traditional author talk. Instead, Hendrix will present “an hour-long extravaganza about ghosts and our fascination with them. Be prepared for a fast-paced presentation full of sarcasm, dark humor, and perhaps a scare or two,” said LaForge.   New Story Community Books will have books available for purchase, and Mr. Hendrix will answer questions and sign books, three per person, after the show.