Fairmont City Library Center is 1 Year Old

On June 6th Fairmont City Library Center located in the American Legion building at 2870 N. 44th St. in Fairmont City, Illinois will celebrate its 1st Birthday.

Last year the Mississippi Valley Library District opened this Library in one of the buildings of the Holy Rosary School in Fairmont City. The small community of 2500 people enjoyed having a library so much that when it was scheduled to close in August, the American Legion offered space for the Library to move into its buiding. It has been a success story ever since -- more books, more audios and dvds, more computers and best of all, more people month after month.

To celebrate the staff at the Fairmont City Library Center will host a Birthday Celebration with treats, games and fun and they are hoping that everyone will stop by.

Come by for the Party!!

Saturday, June 6th

Fairmont City Library Center

2870 N. 44th St.

Fairmont City, IL

10am to 6pm

We are Twittering!

If you are on Twitter, look us up -

MVLibraryDist

and add us to your RSS feed for updates!

Judging at KETC Channel 9

On Wednesday evening, our Children's Librarian Alison Donnelly and Adult Services Librarian Katie Heaton spent a fun evening at KETC Channel 9. They were there to assist in the judging of Channel 9's Young Writers and Illustrators Adventure in Science competition. There were hundreds of entries from KETC's viewing area and lots of very unique, entertaining stories written by children from Kindergarten up to Grade 3. The winners will be announced soon, and perhaps we'll see a winer from our area!

Alison and Katie were thrilled to be part of this event and are looking forward to attending again next year.

New Websites!

The Mississippi Valley Library District is so excited to roll out our new Websites!

There are three separate sites for you to use and each has a special function...

** The Mississippi Valley Library District site explains the Library District and its connection to Lewis and Clark Library System and the Illinois State Library. It is also a site where you can reach both of our Library Centers ...

** Collinsville Memorial Library Center site is a remake of our original site. You can find and explore our event calendar, services, information, online databases, policies and procedures, our Library Board meetings and minutes, etc. You can search our site and you can search our Card Catalog with ease. More features being added every week...

** Fairmont City Library Center, established in June of 2008, is our newest building and our newest online site. This website has much the same information as the Collinsville Center site but geared to the community and surrounding area that it serves.

Visit any and all of our online websites today. Any easy contact site on each website lets you send us an online comment without having an email.

Thank you, Howard

Howard Dartt served on the Mississippi Valley Library District Board since 2005 - our first election of a Board in our transition from municipal library to a district library.

Howard was instrumental in the expansion of our Library District that took our boundaries throughout the entire Unit 10 School District to include all Collinsville school children in a public library service. He was also there to be sure that the Fairmont City Library Center got a good start in the Summer of 2008.

Howard was on the Board of Trustees when the decision was made to give part of our ground for the building of the Collinsville Historical Museum and was a big proponent of our Library Service and our staff.

The Library appreciates all of the time that he gave to the Mississippi Valley Library District.

Yesterday's Election gave us Two New Board Members

After the results were tallied, the final count showed that the Mississippi Valley Library District had 2 new Board Members.

They are
Nancy Gerstennecker
and
Virginia York.

We congratulate them on their win and look forward to welcoming them to the Board.

Pan has returned

If you missed the picture in the Sunday edition in the Collinsville Journal (big main page picture!), Pan has now returned to preside over the Fountain in front of the Collinsville Library Center.

He has had a major 'spa' treatment and looks wonderful.

Russell-Marti Conservators worked diligently on the Carl Mose statute for the past 8 months - removing paint and odd finishes, repairing chipped and missing pieces and then finally refinishing him as close to his original state as possible.

He looks absolutely wonderful and I know he is happy to be back.

In the coming weeks the Fountain should be turned back on and finally after years of work and fundraising Pan's Fountain will be back to its full glory.

A May 3rd rededication from 1 to 3 pm is being planned and we hope that you will mark that on your calendar and come to join in the celebration.

ER television series now here!

ER's final farewell to TV happened last week but you can start all over and watch it from its first episode.

Collinsville Library Center has Seasons 1 through 10 on the shelves for you right now and as they become available we will purchase through the final season.

This popular TV show joins many, many more TV shows that are on the Collinsville Library shelves everyday - from oldies but goodies like the Jeffersons, All in the Family, and MASH and more to new programs like Lost, Boston Legal, Two and a Half Men and Stargate and more.

Come in and look through the TV series and take home hours of enjoyment today!

Pan Returns, Front Doors Closed and Food for Fines!

Important Week of Events!

Pan returns on Wednesday, April 1st

This is not an April Fool's Joke! Our little woodland creature that has been missing from the center of our fountain for the last six months is returning to his home on Wednesday, April 1st at noon. It will take a couple of hours to place him in the center of the fountain so if you would like to be apart of his historic return, please join us in the front of the Collinsville Library.

Front doors of the Collinsville Library closed for renovation

For the next two weeks when you come to the Collinsville Library, you will want to park in the large East parking lot and enter the Library through the Community Room doors. The front doors have been removed for renovation and the entrance is boarded up. We are sorry for the inconvenience but the doors were sorely in need of a new coat of finish.

Food for Fines has returned

From today until April 11th you can bring in a nonperishable food item or a hygiene item and we will take $1 off of your fines for every item you bring in. This is happening at the Collinsville Library Center and at the Fairmont City Library Center. This offer is not good toward payment of nonreturned library items or processing fees. Great time of the year to help the needy in our community and to help yourself as well. All donations go to the local food pantry.