Shelf. Life

Many of us have been home for several weeks now. I don't know about you, but life is getting a little dull around the Dillinger household. As a parent of a very energetic only child, I'm struggling with ways to keep my daughter occupied while I'm working from home. My family and I are also in a rut with dinner, TV shows, and ideas for family activi...

Do you ever wonder what happens before new books hit the shelves? Here's a special behind the scenes tour of the Acquisitions and Technical Services Department here at Willard. I'll walk you through the ordering process and what happens as soon as books are delivered from our vendors. So, let's follow the book! Part 1: Selection Ordering for both t...

Do you know about Select Reads ? I feel like it is one of the lesser-known library services, but so awesome. If you are an avid reader, who is constantly looking for new materials, please check out Select Reads. Select Reads is an email newsletter subscription service, which delivers title suggestions directly to your inbox. Lists are compiled by l...

Happy New Year from your friends at Willard! As we welcome 2020, many of us think about the coming year and commit to improving ourselves in some way. My resolution every year, for the past five years, has been to eat better and exercise more. I start off with the best of intentions, but can never seem to make it past the month of January. Either t...

It's that time of year when we are supposed to give thanks for all that is good in our lives and spend time with loved ones. Leisurely put up the holiday decorations while sipping eggnog and listen to festive music. Find the PERFECT gift for everyone on our list. The reality is that many of us dash around in panic mode, stressed beyond belief, tryi...

I don't know why, but I'm a glutton for punishment when it comes to horror novels. I find myself horrified by most, but I can't seem to stop reading. I guess I'm just drawn to the creepy and horrifying. If you, too, enjoy the creepy and horrifying, you'll be happy to know that there are numerous horror novels available at Willard. One of the creepi...

There are so many great books coming your way this fall! Let's take a look at what's hitting library shelves. The Testaments, due this month, is the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Popularity of this classic novel grew in 2017 when Hulu released it as an exclusive series. I haven't seen much in the way of a synopsis for The Testam...

It has been an entire year since we launched the Willard Library App. We are so excited to celebrate this milestone. (Insert party blowers and confetti here!) The app offers users a convenient way to search our physical and digital materials, place holds, manage accounts, view our events calendar, and keep in touch with us via chat, Facebook, Twitt...

I was an avid knitter when I hired in at Willard. I knit everything from socks to shawls. I even attended a couple of knitting conventions in Chicago. Nearly three years ago, I had my daughter. Life got exponentially busier! This working mama, like most, rarely has time to do anything extracurricular. I order books for the crafting section, and the...