Please join us for a Holiday Open House on Dec. 10 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the library and enjoy hot cocoa, cookies, candy canes, and more!

We will have our holiday DVDs, CDs, decorating books, and cookbooks available for borrowing as well as a small book sale including many holiday VHS movies. The event is free and open to the public. Please stop by, meet some friends, and join us for some holiday cheer. There will be holiday items on display as well as a craft available for families to make in the lower level in the library.

Remember that the library has databases that will help you with holiday decorating and entertaining. Click on EBSCOhost and search for any recipe or decoration that you would like to research. Often you will find step-by-step directions with images that are easy to follow. If you are preparing for SATs, GRE, LSAT, etc., you can always take practice tests using LearnATest, our database that allows you to take sample tests online and see how you score. All you need is a library card and a pin number.

New holiday books available for your reading pleasure include "Lakeshore Christmas" by Susan Wiggs, "Wishin' and Hopin'" by Wally Lamb, and "Christmas Promise" by Anne Perry.

New music CDs available include "Love is the Answer" by Barbra Streisand, "Midwinter Graces" by Tori Amos, "Christmas From the Heart" by David Archuleta, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" by Mariah Carey, "If on a Winter's Night" by Sting, and "Christmas in the Heart" by Bob Dylan.

Some of the new titles of books on CD include "Time of My Life" by Patrick Swazey, "Traveling With the Pomegranates" by Sue Monk Kidd, and new DVDs include "Up" and "Pitch Black."

Book discussion has resumed at the library. Our Friday afternoon group will meet on Dec. 11 and discussion will be "The Given Day" by Dennis Lehane. There is also a group of folks interested in meeting in the evenings; that group will get together on Nov. 24 at 7 p.m.

The library's Web site will also feature a blog for those who are not able to attend the discussion session. By participating in the blog, they will be able to keep up with the other's comments and share comments about the books being discussed as well. More information on the blog is available on the library's Web site.

The Friends of the Library will host a December book sale on Dec. 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Book bags and notecards will also be available for sale that day; they make great holiday gifts! Many of the books donated to the sale are in excellent condition and would also make great gifts.

Finally, please check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Search for the Derry Public Library in both places and become a fan or tweet with us. Click on www.derrypl.org for access. We are hoping to reach 100 fans by the end of the year. See you at the library!

ÔÇæÔÇæÔÇæ

Diane Arrato Gavrish is assistant director of the Derry Public Library.