When the votes were counted, Georgetown readers chose a novel of historical fiction, a murder mystery set in 19th century Austin, for the next Georgetown Reads! selection. Steven Saylor’s A Twist at the End was widely praised when it came out in 2000 for the accuracy of its history and the depth of information it provides about life in Austin, Texas in the 1880s.

The book is based on what may have been the first serial killings in the U.S. Over the period of a year, eight people, most of whom were black, were brutally axed to death. In Saylor’s story, O. Henry, who had lived in Austin and was just beginning his writing career when the murders occurred, returns to the scene when he gets a tip about who the murderer was. Saylor does a masterful job of recreating the scenes and the events, and throws in his own kind of O. Henry twists to keep you turning pages.

The purpose of Georgetown Reads! is to facilitate discussion in our community by introducing a book that may be widely read and appreciated, and which provides food for thought and discussion. Ultimately, the library hopes the program will enhance life in our community by bringing together diverse opinions and viewpoints.

During the past three years, the Georgetown Reads! selections included The Tortilla Curtain, by T.C. Boyle, a novel about illegal immigration; The Speed of Dark, by Elizabeth Moon, science fiction focused on a man with autism; and Where Dreams Die Hard, by Carlton Stowers, non-fiction about six-man football in Texas. Although there are faithful followers who read all of the selections, each book engaged different segments of our town’s population and brought new points of view into the discussions.

Library programs related to A Twist at the End will begin within a few weeks, but we hope that other groups and organizations in the community may use this book as a basis for a program in coming months. Watch our bulletin boards and website for information about upcoming events.

Sandra Gaiser has scheduled two software classes during February—Word and PowerPoint. Each will be two sessions, from 1:00 to 3:00 on Saturday and Sunday. The Word class will be on February 9 and 10 and the PowerPoint class will be on February 16 and 17. The charge for each 2-part class is $25, which must be paid in advance. Register at the reference desk on the second floor of the library. The classes will meet in the library classroom.

Volunteer Jim Tannenbaum is offering two free classes during February. His Intro to Computers class will be taught in two parts, on February 20 and 27, in the library classroom. Check the online calendar for class time, or call Richard Groves at 931-7620 for the information. Pre-register for this class at the reference desk on the second floor, or by calling 930-3627.

Jim also will teach a free class in Internet travel on Tuesday, February 26. This is not a hands-on computer class—Jim will do the surfing for you, on-screen in the Friends Room. He will cover a broad range of resources, from finding information about places you want to visit to booking reservations. The class will meet from 1:00 – 3:00. Please pre-register for the class at the reference desk on the second floor or by calling 930-3627.

During March we have three databases available on our website on a trial basis. There’s one for auto repair (more detailed than a Chilton manual), another for home repair and improvement, and a third for small engine repair. Our reference librarian, Suzette Davidson, would appreciate your feedback if you have time to give one or more of these resources a trial run. Databases such as these are expensive, but if our users would rather have this information available electronically instead of in hard copy, we’d like to know. Your feedback will help us make budget decisions. Unfortunately, we’re not well-endowed enough to buy everything in both formats.

To test the databases, from the library’s home page, click on Reference Web Links, then scroll to the bottom of that page to the paragraph headed EBSCO Databases. Click the link at the bottom of that paragraph and log in using rmn1151 as the User ID and tx78626 as the password. Scroll to the very bottom of the list of databases that comes up to find Auto Repair Reference Center, Home Improvement Reference Center, and Small Engine Repair Reference Center.

Our policies regarding overdue and lost books have evolved over the past five years, and it’s possible that you may not be aware of the current ways we handle these situations.

After a hiatus of a year or longer, we’ve recently resumed sending overdue notices—but not until borrowed items are six weeks overdue. We decided that anything this far past due may have slipped from your memory or be buried under piles of other reading materials, so a little reminder might bring it to light and get it back to the library. And, to encourage everyone to return those long-held items, we’ve capped our overdue fines at $2.50 per item. No matter how late you return an item, the most you’ll pay is $2.50. Our chief concern is getting our materials back, not making money from fines.

We realize that those of you who return materials promptly may think we’re being far too generous with that person who has kept the book you’ve been waiting to read for three months, but wouldn’t you rather get to read the book eventually rather than never get to read it at all? Library statistics show that punitive fines only encourage people to never return their overdue items. Also, fines begin accruing as soon as a book becomes overdue and once someone has more than $5.00 in charges on their account, they may not check out any more materials. So, borrowers who choose to keep their materials beyond normal renewal periods, or never return them, are basically giving up their borrowing privileges.

After 90 days, overdue items are declared lost and we send a billing notice to the borrower, telling how much it will cost to clear their record. The notice invites the borrower to call us to discuss the situation, in case we’ve made a mistake, or to learn about options for clearing the record. The easiest thing, of course, is to bring us the book that was checked out. But perhaps it is irretrievably lost or damaged. In those cases, the patron is responsible for either bringing us a new copy of the item (in the same format as the one checked out), or paying the cost of the item plus a $5.00 processing fee. In this day of Internet book-selling, the patron’s cheapest option usually is to purchase the book and bring it to us, but we’re also more than willing to take cash, call the deal closed, and reinstate borrowing privileges.

Our director, Eric Lashley, is very much opposed to punishing the overwhelming majority of borrowers because of the few who abuse library privileges. Nearly all of the people who use the Georgetown Public Library recognize the responsibility they assume when they borrow our materials and uncomplainingly comply with our policies. The privilege of using a public library is not unlike the privilege of driving a vehicle on our public roads. As long as everyone obeys the rules and behaves responsibly, things run very smoothly, but accidents and scofflaws are inevitable. The library staff is grateful, though, that we rarely have to call in those legendary enforcers, the Library Police.

Ms. Rosa has lots of fun activities lined up March 17 – 20, the week of GISD’s spring break.

Monday
On Monday, March 17, at 10:30 a.m., author and illustrator Scott Sutton will show the kids how to draw. Mr. Sutton is the author of How to Draw Stuff, but other books of his in our collection include Tyrannosaurus Forest and The Family of Ree. This event, which will last about an hour, will be best for children who are seven or older.

Monday afternoon, from 1 – 3 p.m., the Georgetown Homeschoolers GMA Musicians will put on a concert of Irish music. The event is for all ages and is a great opportunity to see some local musical talent.

Tuesday
A favorite spring break event, the annual children’s tea party, will be held Tuesday afternoon, March 18, beginning at 2:00 p.m., in the Community Rooms on the second floor of the library. All children, age 3 and older, are invited. You will need to RSVP by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 14, to assure your children will have place cards at their seats. Children should dress up and girls are encouraged to wear hats and gloves. Each child should bring a special cup and plate for refreshments.

Wednesday
Do you know ENZO? He’s the 7-year-old science whiz kid (from Georgetown!) who likes to share his love of nature with other kids. He has appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show and we’re delighted that he’s coming to our library. He’ll be here at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 19, with his fossils, in an event that is meant to be fun and informative for all ages.

Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, March 19 and 20, from 2-4 p.m., will be arts and crafts time. Ms. Rosa will break out the art supplies so that everyone can indulge in some creativity. Bring all the kids and take home some masterpieces!