The recent controversy at the library makes one thing perfectly clear: just like many communities all over the world, the parents of Marshall are very committed to caring for and protecting their children. As a parent myself, I support and applaud parental involvement in children's lives.

The Marshall Public Library cares about your children too. The Board of Trustees' recently updated policy addresses that in the following passage.

"The Marshall Public Library encourages children and families to use its facility together. In an effort to ensure the safety and well-being of the children and to provide all patrons with a facility that is safe, pleasant, and conducive to library use, the following guidelines must be observed.

a. Responsibility for the welfare and the behavior of children using the library rests with the parent/guardian or an assigned chaperone. Though staff will always respond with care and concern, they cannot assume responsibility for children's safety and comfort when they are unattended. Staff may need to contact authorities such as the police either to assist with the enforcement of discipline in the library or to ensure the safety of an unattended child.

b. Young children should be attended and adequately supervised by a parent, guardian, or caregiver who is a responsible person of at least twelve years of age.

c. Older children may use the library unattended, provided they are able to maintain proper library behavior."

The staff of the Marshall Public Library enjoys seeing children using our facility. With our commitment to early literacy, it is encouraging to see parents introducing their children to books and the love of reading. It is equally disheartening for us to see children left alone in a public place. Library staff are not trained to provide childcare and simply put, there are not enough of us to do so even if we wanted to. If you wouldn't drop your child off at Walmart alone, please don't drop your child off at the library alone.

Friends of the Marshall Libraries

Halloween Contest

The winners are:

Preschool category -- Jeffrey Hollabaugh

Elementary category -- Isaiah Guthrey

Teen/adult category -- Mercedes Parker

Book sale

Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3 and 4

Donations and memorials

Thank you to the Dorothy C Peterson and Frances C Riley for their donation towards the annual Heritage Quest subscribtion. Also, our thanks to Richard and Nelda Forey for providing the library staff with Halloween chocolates.

New books

Fiction

-- "The Crossroads Cafe" -- Deborah Smith

-- "Bancroft Strategy" -- Robert Ludlum

-- "Hundred Dollar Baby" -- Robert B Parker

-- "Hounds and the Fury" -- Rita Mae Brown

Non-fiction

-- "Between Heaven And Ground Zero" -- Leslie Haskin

-- "Reading Like a Writer" -- Francine Prose

-- "Overcoming Life's Disappointments" -- Harold S Kushner

Library events

-- Preschool Story Time each Tuesday,10 a.m. Games, stories, crafts. Appropriate for children approximately 3 to 7 years.

-- Pajama Story Time each Monday, 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Wear your jammies or come as you are. Games, crafts, stories.

-- Wee Ones Lap Time Story Times for babies up to 24 months, each Wednesday 10 a.m. Interactive finger play and song time for mothers and babies.

How can I support the Marshall Public Library?

-- Bring your receipts from Patricia's into the library when you're returning or checking out books. Each month, Patricia's Foods will donate a portion of the collected receipts to the library.

-- When purchasing items from Amazon.com, use the link to Amazon that appears on the Marshall Public Library's Web site: www.marshallpubliclibrary.com. A portion of your purchase will go to support the library.

-- Consider joining Friends of the Marshall Libraries. Membership forms are available at the library.

-- Honor a mentor. Celebrate a friend. Commemorate an event. A gift to the Marshall Public Library is a unique and enduring way to pay tribute to friends and family. Your generosity will be a lasting source of joy and enrichment for the community. For additional information, please call (660) 886-3391 with any questions.