Award-winning author Tobias Wolff, whose book “The Barracks Thief” has been selected as the One Book, One Highland Park featured title, will appear at the Highland Park Public Library on Tuesday, July 15, at 7 p.m. Mr. Wolff will read from “The Barracks Thief” and discuss his writing. A question and answer session and book signing will follow the program.

Wolff’s “The Barracks Thief,” the summer title for the One Book One Highland Park community-wide read program, is a brief yet powerful tale of three young paratroopers waiting to be shipped out to Vietnam. The award-winning novella tells the story of the three young men who share an experience that affects each of them in profoundly different ways and is an insightful examination of compassion, perspective and tolerance. Discussions of the “Barracks Thief” are scheduled at the Highland Park Public Library and the Highland Park Borders during the month of July. And, to enhance the experience of reading the “Barracks Thief,” Mr. Wolff will speak about the book.

In addition to “The Barracks Thief,” Wolff’s books include the memoirs “This Boy’s Life” and “In Pharaoh’s Army: Memories of the Lost War;” the novel “Old School;” and four collections of short stories, “In the Garden of the North American Martyrs,” Back in the World,” “The Night in Question,” and most recently, “Our Story Begins: New and Selected Stories.” He has also edited several anthologies. Wolff’s work has been translated widely and has received numerous awards including the PEN/Faulkner Award, The Los Angeles Times Book Prize, both the PEN/Malamud and the Rea Award for Excellence in the Short Story, and the Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Wolff is the Ward W. and Priscilla B. Woods Professor of English at Stanford.

“The Barracks Thief” is the second title of the One Book, One Highland Park community-wide read program, a joint project with The City of Highland Park, the Highland Park Public Library and Highland Park Borders Books & Music. The program was initiated this spring to broaden and deepen an appreciation of reading and compel friends, family and neighbors to share their experience while reading the same book. The project seeks to engage the community in dialogue and bring them together by promoting tolerance and understanding about different points of view. The initial One Book, One Highland Park title for the community-wide read was “Maus: A Survivor’s Tale,” by Art Spiegelman.

“An Evening with Tobias Wolff” at the Highland Park Public Library is free and open to the public. The program begins at 7 p.m. and will conclude with a book signing of Mr. Wolff’s work. The program is also presented by the City of Highland Park and the Highland Park Borders Books & Music.

The Highland Park Public Library strives to provide the highest quality Library services to community members for life-long learning, cultural enrichment, and enjoyment. The Highland Park Public Library is located at 494 Laurel Avenue, Highland Park. For more information, please call (847) 432-0216.

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Former NSLS board member Nancy Heggem has a poem in the book Wild Things: Domestic and Otherwise; ed. Whitney Scott; Dyer Indiana: Outrider Press, 2008.

NSLS board member Leora Siegel, Director of Lenhardt Library at the Chicago Botanic Garden, was elected Board President of the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries (CBHL) at their 40th annual meeting June 3-6, 2008.

The "Reader’s Shelf" column in the June 15, 2008 issue of Library Journal was written by Jennifer Baker, Youth Services Librarian at Algonquin Area Public Library District. The topic is Birth Pangs: Mothers of the American Revolution.

Mary Radmacher, Skokie's Chief Librarian from 1956 through 1985, has died.

Mary Radmacher came to Skokie in 1956 intending to make changes, and make changes she did, starting with removing a "SILENCE" sign from the doorway and installing a listed phone number to enable people to reach the library directly. The most tangible evidence of her unwavering commitment to serving the Skokie community is the library building itself. The original building at the library's current location, 5215 Oakton, embodied her devotion to quality, openness, and welcome that are still manifest today.

Miss Radmacher, born November 24, 1915, in Monmouth, Illinois, died June 9, 2008 at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago. She attended Monmouth College and graduated from the University of Illinois. She started her library career as children's librarian in Warren County Library in Monmouth, Illinois, then worked at the University of Illinois Library and the Gary Public Library before being appointed chief librarian in Skokie in 1956.

During her 29-year career at Skokie Public Library, Miss Radmacher oversaw the building of the library's permanent home in 1959 and a major expansion in 1972. She was responsible for significant growth of all parts of the library to serve Skokie's rapidly growing community, including Bookmobile service, initial automation of the card catalog, and equipment and staff training to make many library materials accessible to those with vision impairments and other disabilities at a time when such equipment was not easily available. She also founded the Young Steinway Concert Series in 1981, along with library board member Diana Hunter, which continues to this day showcasing 16-18 talented young musicians each year.

Miss Radmacher was very much a people person, devoted passionately to all members of the Skokie community and the library staff. The staff's devotion to her was clearly demonstrated by a surprise party thrown for her by the staff upon her 20th anniversary at the library. She regularly brought treats to the staff, and continued to remember staff members' birthdays, sending a beautiful flowering plant to her former secretary only a couple of months ago. The Village of Skokie offered tribute as well, declaring September 29, 1985 to be Mary Radmacher Day in the Village of Skokie. She was quite active in national, state, and local library associations, holding a life membership in the Illinois Library Association. She served in several offices of the Public Library Association of the American Library Association, as well as the Illinois Library Association and the American Library Association.

Private services have been held in Monmouth, Illinois. A public memorial service is being held in the Mary Radmacher Meeting Room of Skokie Public Library at 1pm on Sunday, July 13.

Detlev Pansch was named executive director of the Barrington Area Library last week and will be saddled with the challenge of overseeing the library's expansion project. Pansch, a Chicago resident, has served as library director for the Frankfort Public Library District since 1998 and oversaw a building expansion project there.

"It's a great career opportunity to work for a large library (district) that has plans for the future," he said. "One thing that attracted me to the library was the expansion plans."

Richard J. Ryan, president of the Barrington Area Library Board, said a referendum is being planned for the November ballot asking voters for funds to put an addition on the current library building at 505 N. Northwest Highway. "(Pansch) has experience and enthusiasm," Ryan said. "He had favorable answers to all of our questions and he's been through the referendum process which we will be looking into in the near future."

Ryan said more information on the referendum will be available after Monday's board meeting. If the library district doesn't pose the referendum question in November, it will likely be on the April 2009 ballot, he said.

Pansch said he has not discussed specifics about the proposed referendum or possible expansion with board members yet. He said he wants to speak with board members and library staff before revealing any other ideas he has for the library. "A challenge will be how to provide service in such a large district and how to best serve all areas of the district," he said.

Pansch is expected to start on July 7 and he replaces former executive director, Barbara Sugden, who retired last month after over 32 years at the library. "Barbara left us in really good shape and we could probably run the place on autopilot for a while if we had to," said Ryan, who was on the board when Sugden was hired.

Susan Gibberman of Schaumburg Township District Library has been selected as the 2008 Librarian of the Year by the Romance Writers of America. This award is presented to a librarian who demonstrates outstanding support of romance authors and the romance genre. She will be honored at the summer conference in San Francisco.

Picturing America, an exciting new initiative from the National Endowment for the Humanities, brings masterpieces of American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide. Through this innovative program, students and citizens will gain a deeper appreciation of our country’s history and character through the study and understanding of its art."
View full list of NSLS member recipients.

Representing the Dundee Township Public Library at the 11th Annual Literacy Connection Trivia Bee on April 19 was the team of Jennifer Blessman, the library's board president; Diane Campbell, president of the Friends of the Library; Jeanne Etling, head of Circulation and patron Marsha Walker. The team placed 11th out of a field of 19 in the annual fundraiser for the Literacy Connection.

Nancy Heggem, Palatine Public Library District, will be reading her work from the new Outrider Press anthology at Printers Row Book Fair, on Sunday, June 8, in the Poetry Tent at 10 am. In addition, Nancy has had another poem accepted for Point of View 2008, the Harper College publication of literary and visual creative works.

Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln’s Journey to Emancipation, a National Endowment for the Humanities/American Library Association display, and the replica Lincoln Memorial sculpture by Fran Volz have joined the Tapestry of Freedom exhibit and will be at the library until the end of May.

Huntley Area Public Library is has launched a website to inform residents about their referendum effort as well as to gather feedback from the community. The website contains polls, graphs, charts, and library information. View the site.

The “Created Equal” Bookshelf grants are part of the NEH's We the People initiative, which aims to encourage and strengthen the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture through libraries, schools, colleges, universities, and cultural institutions. A total of 3,000 libraries were selected to receive the “Created Equal” Bookshelf. View collection.

The following NSLS member libraries were recipients of this award:

• Barrington Middle School Station Campus, Barrington
• Barrington Middle School Prairie Campus, Barrington
• Beach Park Middle School, Beach Park
• Central Elementary School Library Media Center, Des Plaines
• Red Oak School Library, Highland Park
• Lake Bluff Public Library, Lake Bluff
• Northbrook Public Library, Northbrook
• Rolling Meadows Library, Rolling Meadows
• Vernon Hills High School Library Media Center, Vernon Hills
• Thomas Jefferson Middle School LMC, Waukegan

View list of all award recipients.

The Wauconda Area Library is proud to kickoff National Library Week with The Outfit: A Collective of Chicago Crime Writers. Meet popular Chicago mystery authors, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Barbara D'Amato, Kevin Guilfoile, Marcus Sakey and Michael Allen Dymmoch on Sunday, April 13 at 2 p.m. The panel will discuss all things related to mysteries, crime writing, and their new short story anthology, Chicago Blues. Books will be available for sale and signing following the program.

The Fremont Public Library District kicks off its Big Read program on Monday, April 14. Actress and Cather scholar Betty Jean Steinshouer will perform her one-woman show, Willa Cather Speaks at 7:00 p.m. The Friends of the Library will serve refreshments. Readers of all ages are invited. The library will host book discussions, films, and music concerts during the months of April and May. The specifics can be found on the library's website: www.fremontlibrary.org