HEY! Do you download free library eBooks or audiobooks?

The OverDrive app will stop serving people at the end of April.

If you haven't switched to the new version yet (Libby) here's everything you need to know:

- your login and password will remain the same

- everything is still free

- the same number of books and audiobooks are available

- your current loans and holds from the OverDrive app will be added to Libby as soon as you add your library card

- Kindle Fire tablets still have a compatibility issue with Libby, but there's a workaround here: https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby/kindlefire

- YOU NEED TO DOWNLOAD THE LIBBY APP TO MAKE THE SWITCH

- if you are downloading books to your desktop computer, please use libbyapp.com

For a step-by-step guide to switching from Overdrive to Libby,

click here: https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/switch-to-libby-faqs.htm

For a link to the new Libby app, FAQs, and troubleshooting

click here: https://resources.overdrive.com/libby/

Libby also comes with new features we know you’ll love, like:

·         Tags to categorize books however you’d like—you can even sync your OverDrive wish list into a tag!

·         A central bookshelf for all loans and holds

·         Customizable notifications for ready holds

·         Compatibility with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Sonos speakers

·         Easy access to OverDrive support staff

Let us help you with your New Year's Resolutions!
These free programs are for adults (especially older adults) who are looking to improve their lives, meet their goals, and find peace of mind.
All classes are free, but PLEASE  RSVP by calling 920-295-6777 or emailing director@princetonpublib.org

Wed. Jan. 11th, 1pm
Heal Your Space: Organize and Redesign
Nicole from the Markesan Library  will give an informative, fun, and nonjudgmental workshop
with the best tips and tricks you need to make your home or workspace a true sanctuary.

Thurs. Jan. 12th, 1pm
Learn to Avoid Common Scams
with the Wisconsin Bureau of Consumer Protection
Jeff Kersten will tell you about the most common scams out there right now, and how to avoid getting caught by scams in the future. Learn the telltale signs of a scam, and how to protect yourself from being a target.

Fri. Jan. 20th, 1pm
Learn to Download Books & Audiobooks
with the library’s free Libby app
Let us help you get this great technology set up, so that you can read or listen anywhere!

Thurs. Feb. 2nd, 1pm
Prevent Identity Theft
with the Wisconsin Bureau of Consumer Protection
Jeff Kersten will talk about how easily anyone can have their identity stolen, and what you can do to prevent ID theft. Learn why you should check your receipts, and always use a credit card instead of a debit card!

Wed. Feb. 8th, all day / by appointment
Memory Checkup
with the Green Lake Aging and Disability Resource Center
Lisa Zimmerman is an expert in identifying, preventing, and treating memory issues, including dementia.
Why not get a free screening with her to see how your brain is doing?
Please make an appointment with Lisa by calling 920-294-4070.

Fri. Feb. 17th, 1pm
Healthy Cooking Potluck Lunch
Let’s eat better this year! Bring a healthy dish to pass and swap recipes with others.

Planning Ahead for the End of Life: A 6 Session Course
Facing end-of-life decisions can be emotional and overwhelming. You’re not alone! Get help with your will and estate planning, power of attorney decisions, medical care choices, and your final wishes. Classes will be held every Wednesday from 1pm- 2:30pm, February 15th through March 22nd. This course is taught by Katie Gellings from the Green Lake County Extension office, but features visits from local experts.

Recently, we received an official censorship request, asking us to remove an item from the library. The book is "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"  by Jesse Andrews published in 2012, added to the library collection in April of 2013. The book is shelved in the Teen fiction section. Copies are owned by Princeton, Oshkosh, Montello, Neenah, North Fond du Lac, Ripon, Wautoma, and Oakfield libraries. "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" has been checked out 19 times here. It was listed by the American Library Association as #7 in the list of most challenged books in 2021. The book was made into a movie, released 2015. We also have the movie on DVD.

As per our official collection and censorship policies, the request for censorship went before the Library Board.
The Library Board voted not to censor the book, and also voted to endorse an open letter written by Library Director Laura Skalitzky:

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November 1st, 2022

In regards to the request to censor the teen fiction book “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” and have it removed from the Princeton Public Library:
 

Having personally reviewed the book, I can say that I certainly find some of the content distasteful. The author uses a lot of swearwords, the main character makes fun of everyone including himself in hurtful ways, the book mentions gross bodily functions including diarrhea and nose-picking, dialog includes insulting banter, characters discuss crass and sexist “pickup lines,” etc etc. It is clearly a book that relies on crude humor. However, I do not find that it crosses the line of material that is appropriate for older teens in general.

Furthermore, I believe that the overall theme of the book is a good one. The book attempts to show the harsh reality of a teenage girl dying from an incurable disease, and the various reactions of her friends, relatives, and classmates. In dealing with such heavy subject matter, authors often choose to use very realistic language in order to reinforce the fact that such situations do happen to people in everyday life, and we must navigate them somehow. In addition, as in the real world, the people in the book (especially the teens) are not all morally or emotionally mature. By the end of the novel, the main character has learned something about his immaturity and faces his shortcomings.

I am cautious about purchasing books for young people. However, my position on this book and others is that ultimately, parents must be the judges of appropriateness for their own children. I have known a mother who did not allow her 10 and 11 year old kids to watch the “scary” scenes in Disney movies as harmless as “Snow White.” I have also known some parents to allow their very young children to play extremely violent and graphic videogames. I know some parents don’t allow their children to read classics like “Little House on the Prairie” and “Huck Finn” because they consider those books “racist.” Although you and I might make different choices for these children if they were ours, they are not our children.  I admire Ms. Barzyk's intent to preserve the safety of the teens of Princeton. However, I believe we must allow their parents the freedom to make these kinds of decisions.

Parents are welcome, indeed encouraged, to question their teens and children about the books they are reading. They are free to set rules for their own children about what they can and can’t read. Most importantly, they are free to raise children with the morality and values of their family, religion, and culture so that they are prepared to deal with difficult topics. Far better this, than to attempt to ensure that their children never encounter anything controversial.

I must now touch on current events. Nationally, censorship has been a hot button issue for the last three years. We have seen doctors and politicians censored on social media sites for questioning the narrative surrounding Covid-19. We have seen tech companies and college campuses censor people for “hate speech.” The popular app TikTok has banned videos critical of the Chinese government. Libraries across the country are facing coordinated censorship efforts targeting a wide variety of books. We have seen many classic books come under fire including, in March of 2021, six “racist” books by Dr. Seuss. I have consistently spoken out against these censorship efforts, and I will continue to do so, regardless of which side of the political aisle these attacks come from. I wholeheartedly endorse the American Library Association’s “Freedom to Read” statement, from which I will quote:
 

“Most attempts at suppression rest on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy: that the ordinary individual, by exercising critical judgment, will select the good and reject the bad. We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice their heritage of a free press in order to be ‘protected’ against what others think may be bad for them. We believe they still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression.”

Laura Skalitzky
Director

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Follow-up:

Check out our upcoming events!

Click HERE for a printable PDF of February events.

Public Notice:

The Princeton Library Board Meeting will be held at the library
424 W. Water St. Princeton WI 54968 at 6pm on Monday, February 6th, 2023.

Library Board Meeting Agenda 

• Call to order

• Roll Call of Members

• Approval of Minutes from January

• Friend's Report

• Director’s report
     - Review & approval of bills from January 2023

• Statistics!

• Front door repair/replacement quotes

• Adjournment

The next meeting will be at 6pm on Monday, March 6th, 2023. The Library Board usually meets on the first Monday of every month at 6pm. 

The Winnefox digital resource collection has hundreds of free Gale Courses on almost everything. From accounting to photoshop, alternative medicine to web design, you can advance your career, build your resume, or just learn a new hobby!

    - 375+ interactive online courses, available 24/7.
    - Courses run for six weeks.
    - New sessions begin every month.
    - Taught by college instructors who are experts in their field.
    - Certificate of Completion awarded.
    - Students who have enrolled in a course must log in and VIEW (not complete) lessons one and two within 13 days after the start date of the course, or they will be automatically dropped.
    - Students who are dropped from a course will be able to enroll in the course during a later session.

Click here to view courses.