‘I Have Found the Most Valuable Thing in My Wallet Is My Library Card’
Boo! in the Books, a Friends of the Library Fundraiser
December 15, 2024
The Boo! in the Books inaugural fundraising Halloween party was so much fun that we’re doing it again next year! This year’s costume contest winners were Elaine Kushmaul, Sally Ryerson, and Ferne Porter.
Becky Frusher
Mrs. Bennet (from Pride and Prejudice), Mrs. Claus, and Fern (the little girl from Charlotte’s Web) walk into the Robson Ranch Library. It’s not the beginning of a good joke. It was Boo! in the Books, the inaugural Halloween party fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Library (FOL) and supported by our wonderful library volunteers.
These three adorable outfits won top honors in the costume contest for their wearers: Elaine Kushmaul, Sally Ryerson, and Ferne Porter, respectively. The first-place winner took home a witchy trophy, and second and third place received fall-themed treat bags filled with goodies, donated by Diane Dressen.
On Oct. 29 our usually brightly lit library was illuminated only by the glow of spider webs, pumpkins, and other spooky décor, donated by and on loan from library volunteers and FOL members. Inside the library, partygoers could mix and mingle while enjoying frothy sherbet punch, posing for pictures in front of a haunted library backdrop, and participating in the costume contest.
Outside, in the hallway, it was Cake Walk madness! Dozens of delicious baked and bought cakes, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, and pumpkin breads lined the tables, waiting to be chosen by winners. Our music meister Tim Lucas played a selection of fun, seasonal-themed songs that kept the Cake Walk going all evening as walkers danced and sang along while vying to win sweet treats. So fun!
Thanks to all those who volunteered and attended to make this first event a rousing success! Proceeds exceeded $400 and will be used to provide the RR Library with any expense request they may have to purchase books and puzzles, subscriptions (including online subscriptions), and more. Boo! in the Books will become an annual fundraising event, with even more fun activities planned for next year, so watch for more information or stop by the library to learn more.
Boo! in the Books 2024 Planning Committee: Deborah Diehl (FOL chair), Dianna Lucas (FOL vice chair), Liz Handley, Becky Frusher
Find out how to become an FOL member at www.rrtxfol.org.
Mrs. Bennet (from Pride and Prejudice), Mrs. Claus, and Fern (the little girl from Charlotte’s Web) walk into the Robson Ranch Library. It’s not the beginning of a good joke. It was Boo! in the Books, the inaugural Halloween party fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Library (FOL) and supported by our wonderful library volunteers.
These three adorable outfits won top honors in the costume contest for their wearers: Elaine Kushmaul, Sally Ryerson, and Ferne Porter, respectively. The first-place winner took home a witchy trophy, and second and third place received fall-themed treat bags filled with goodies, donated by Diane Dressen.
On Oct. 29 our usually brightly lit library was illuminated only by the glow of spider webs, pumpkins, and other spooky décor, donated by and on loan from library volunteers and FOL members. Inside the library, partygoers could mix and mingle while enjoying frothy sherbet punch, posing for pictures in front of a haunted library backdrop, and participating in the costume contest.
Outside, in the hallway, it was Cake Walk madness! Dozens of delicious baked and bought cakes, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, and pumpkin breads lined the tables, waiting to be chosen by winners. Our music meister Tim Lucas played a selection of fun, seasonal-themed songs that kept the Cake Walk going all evening as walkers danced and sang along while vying to win sweet treats. So fun!
Thanks to all those who volunteered and attended to make this first event a rousing success! Proceeds exceeded $400 and will be used to provide the RR Library with any expense request they may have to purchase books and puzzles, subscriptions (including online subscriptions), and more. Boo! in the Books will become an annual fundraising event, with even more fun activities planned for next year, so watch for more information or stop by the library to learn more.
Boo! in the Books 2024 Planning Committee: Deborah Diehl (FOL chair), Dianna Lucas (FOL vice chair), Liz Handley, Becky Frusher
Find out how to become an FOL member at www.rrtxfol.org.
Friends of the Library - Spotlight on Literary Award Winners and Finalists
September 15, 2024
By Linda Bono
That’s right, “Literary Awards—Winners and Finalists” is the current theme for the Featured Books Shelf (FBS) in the Robson Ranch Library. There’s lots of variety in the genres on display—highlighted books run the gamut from the expected fiction, history, and biography to “romantasy” (who knew that was even a genre!). Hardcovers, paperbacks, large print copies, and books on CD are included in the mix. The FBS definitely offers something for everyone! Award-winning books will be highlighted throughout the months of September and October. Be sure to come in and check it out! Stop by often, because the display will be changed frequently. We have over 150 titles on the curated list!
The Featured Books Shelf is a new offering in the library. The shelf kicked off with Celebrity Picks as the theme for May/June. Historical Fiction followed for July/August. In November, the FBS will proudly honor our veterans, and December will offer holiday-themed materials. We encourage patrons to tell the volunteers on duty how they feel about the FBS and share suggestions.
So, what can you expect to find on the current FBS?
We’ve got recent releases and classics represented. The 2024 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Biography, King: A Life, by Jonathan Eig, as well as the 2024 Pulitzer Prize Biography Finalist, Larry McMurtry: A Life, by Tracy Daugherty, are included on our list. We’ve also got A Bell for Adano, by John Hersey (Pulitzer Fiction Winner 1945), and the beloved To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (Pulitzer Fiction Winner 1961). To Kill a Mockingbird also holds the distinction of having garnered the #1 spot in The Great American Read sponsored by PBS in 2018, which, through a lengthy Internet vote, sought to identify America’s Best-Loved Novel. You might be interested in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, which won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for Fiction in 1983. Or maybe you’d like to read one of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize Winners in Fiction: The Nickel Boys (2020) and The Underground Railroad (2017). How about David McCullough’s The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914 (1978 National Book Award Winner in History)?
Perhaps Goodreads Choice Awards will interest you. We have scoured our shelves to find what books we have in our collection from the Top 10 in their genre from 2019 to 2023. That’s where you’ll find the 2023 #1 Best Romantasy book Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros, as well as the 2023 #1 Best Humor book Being Henry: The Fonz … and Beyond, by Henry Winkler. Are you looking for a Mystery/Thriller winner? You might consider The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides (#1 in 2019), The Guest List, by Lucy Foley (#1 in 2020), The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave (#1 in 2021), The Maid, by Nita Prose (#1 in 2022), or The Housemaid’s Secret, by Freida McFadden (#1 in 2023).
That’s right, “Literary Awards—Winners and Finalists” is the current theme for the Featured Books Shelf (FBS) in the Robson Ranch Library. There’s lots of variety in the genres on display—highlighted books run the gamut from the expected fiction, history, and biography to “romantasy” (who knew that was even a genre!). Hardcovers, paperbacks, large print copies, and books on CD are included in the mix. The FBS definitely offers something for everyone! Award-winning books will be highlighted throughout the months of September and October. Be sure to come in and check it out! Stop by often, because the display will be changed frequently. We have over 150 titles on the curated list!
The Featured Books Shelf is a new offering in the library. The shelf kicked off with Celebrity Picks as the theme for May/June. Historical Fiction followed for July/August. In November, the FBS will proudly honor our veterans, and December will offer holiday-themed materials. We encourage patrons to tell the volunteers on duty how they feel about the FBS and share suggestions.
So, what can you expect to find on the current FBS?
We’ve got recent releases and classics represented. The 2024 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Biography, King: A Life, by Jonathan Eig, as well as the 2024 Pulitzer Prize Biography Finalist, Larry McMurtry: A Life, by Tracy Daugherty, are included on our list. We’ve also got A Bell for Adano, by John Hersey (Pulitzer Fiction Winner 1945), and the beloved To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (Pulitzer Fiction Winner 1961). To Kill a Mockingbird also holds the distinction of having garnered the #1 spot in The Great American Read sponsored by PBS in 2018, which, through a lengthy Internet vote, sought to identify America’s Best-Loved Novel. You might be interested in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, which won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for Fiction in 1983. Or maybe you’d like to read one of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize Winners in Fiction: The Nickel Boys (2020) and The Underground Railroad (2017). How about David McCullough’s The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914 (1978 National Book Award Winner in History)?
Perhaps Goodreads Choice Awards will interest you. We have scoured our shelves to find what books we have in our collection from the Top 10 in their genre from 2019 to 2023. That’s where you’ll find the 2023 #1 Best Romantasy book Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros, as well as the 2023 #1 Best Humor book Being Henry: The Fonz … and Beyond, by Henry Winkler. Are you looking for a Mystery/Thriller winner? You might consider The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides (#1 in 2019), The Guest List, by Lucy Foley (#1 in 2020), The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave (#1 in 2021), The Maid, by Nita Prose (#1 in 2022), or The Housemaid’s Secret, by Freida McFadden (#1 in 2023).
Friends of the Library Celebrates Years of Supporting Our Library
August 15, 2024
By Jane Scholz
Friends of the Library (FOL) celebrated its seventh annual meeting and anniversary of providing financial resources to the Robson Ranch community library with an event in the library that drew about 50 members.
Members won 18 door prizes, including lots of books and book-related gifts, as well as cooking equipment, gifts for dog and cat lovers, and several home décor items.
Klaus Dannenberg, one of the founders and first board chair of FOL, recalled its founding in April of 2018 in response to a proposal to reduce the library’s space to make room for a woodshop expansion.
He recalled talking with Ed Robson, then chair of Robson Development, and other company executives about the library’s value to people who live here. As a result, FOL was founded both to raise funds for the library and to show that many people support our community library.
Gil Clifton, chair of the Library Subcommittee which oversees library operations, reported that this year the library, now open seven days a week, reported 30 to 35 resident visits a day, with 10,000 to 12,000 visits a year. He recalled that prior to FOL, the library had to rely on donations of used books, making it difficult to organize themed reading events like the Historical Fiction activity that’s underway now. “Being able to order and buy books has made a big difference,” he said.
Deborah Diehl, the incoming FOL chair, said that a competition among Robson book clubs to sign up new FOL members in May and June had netted 33 new members. The winning book club was Book Buddies.
The club’s new officers are Diehl as chair, Dianna Lucas as chair-elect, and Elaine Kushmaul as past chair. Secretary Deb Blackburn and Treasurer Frannie Howard will continue in their roles with the club.
New members are welcome! Robson residents can join or renew their FOL memberships at rrtxfol.org/pay.
Friends of the Library (FOL) celebrated its seventh annual meeting and anniversary of providing financial resources to the Robson Ranch community library with an event in the library that drew about 50 members.
Members won 18 door prizes, including lots of books and book-related gifts, as well as cooking equipment, gifts for dog and cat lovers, and several home décor items.
Klaus Dannenberg, one of the founders and first board chair of FOL, recalled its founding in April of 2018 in response to a proposal to reduce the library’s space to make room for a woodshop expansion.
He recalled talking with Ed Robson, then chair of Robson Development, and other company executives about the library’s value to people who live here. As a result, FOL was founded both to raise funds for the library and to show that many people support our community library.
Gil Clifton, chair of the Library Subcommittee which oversees library operations, reported that this year the library, now open seven days a week, reported 30 to 35 resident visits a day, with 10,000 to 12,000 visits a year. He recalled that prior to FOL, the library had to rely on donations of used books, making it difficult to organize themed reading events like the Historical Fiction activity that’s underway now. “Being able to order and buy books has made a big difference,” he said.
Deborah Diehl, the incoming FOL chair, said that a competition among Robson book clubs to sign up new FOL members in May and June had netted 33 new members. The winning book club was Book Buddies.
The club’s new officers are Diehl as chair, Dianna Lucas as chair-elect, and Elaine Kushmaul as past chair. Secretary Deb Blackburn and Treasurer Frannie Howard will continue in their roles with the club.
New members are welcome! Robson residents can join or renew their FOL memberships at rrtxfol.org/pay.
Friends of the Library Annual Meeting July 17
July 15, 2024
By Dianna Lucas
The Friends of the Library (FOL) annual meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 17, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. It will be held in the library in the CATC building instead of the clubhouse this year. All members of Friends of the Library and interested Robson residents are invited to attend. If you are not an FOL member, you are cordially invited to join the organization simply by paying your $10 annual dues at the door. All members who have paid their dues will be eligible for the door prizes to be awarded during the meeting.
A report will be shared with those present on how FOL has honored their members by using the money they have donated through their dues, both in programming and in new acquisitions for the library. Plans for the future will also be presented, while suggestions from the membership will be welcomed. The winner of the recent Book Club Challenge will be announced as well.
The recommended slate of officers for the coming year will be presented and voted on. These officers will take over their positions immediately and hold their positions until the annual meeting next year.
If you notice an extra flurry of activity in the library these days, it just might be due to our newest attraction. We have added a Featured Books shelf. For the months of May and June, we are featuring books recommended by celebrities. Books on the shelf have been recommended by the likes of Jenna Bush Hager, Good Morning America, Jimmy Fallon, Bill Gates, Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, and others you are sure to find interesting.
You are invited to browse this shelf any time you visit the library and check out books from its collection. As items are checked out, we are prepared to fill in the gaps with more enticing recommendations.
Every two months the theme for the Featured Books shelf will change. Check back in July and August when the theme will be Historical Fiction Novels. You will want to check out these titles to fill your summer reading list.
We welcome comments and suggestions, so please let us know what you think of our Featured Books shelf.
The Friends of the Library (FOL) annual meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 17, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. It will be held in the library in the CATC building instead of the clubhouse this year. All members of Friends of the Library and interested Robson residents are invited to attend. If you are not an FOL member, you are cordially invited to join the organization simply by paying your $10 annual dues at the door. All members who have paid their dues will be eligible for the door prizes to be awarded during the meeting.
A report will be shared with those present on how FOL has honored their members by using the money they have donated through their dues, both in programming and in new acquisitions for the library. Plans for the future will also be presented, while suggestions from the membership will be welcomed. The winner of the recent Book Club Challenge will be announced as well.
The recommended slate of officers for the coming year will be presented and voted on. These officers will take over their positions immediately and hold their positions until the annual meeting next year.
If you notice an extra flurry of activity in the library these days, it just might be due to our newest attraction. We have added a Featured Books shelf. For the months of May and June, we are featuring books recommended by celebrities. Books on the shelf have been recommended by the likes of Jenna Bush Hager, Good Morning America, Jimmy Fallon, Bill Gates, Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, and others you are sure to find interesting.
You are invited to browse this shelf any time you visit the library and check out books from its collection. As items are checked out, we are prepared to fill in the gaps with more enticing recommendations.
Every two months the theme for the Featured Books shelf will change. Check back in July and August when the theme will be Historical Fiction Novels. You will want to check out these titles to fill your summer reading list.
We welcome comments and suggestions, so please let us know what you think of our Featured Books shelf.
Check Out the ‘Book Excitement’ in the Library!
June 15, 2024
By Linda Bono
If you haven’t visited the Robson Ranch Library recently, you might just want to check it out! On May 1 the library staff introduced a new highlight called the Featured Books shelf, and the new shelf has been enthusiastically received by patrons. The shelf is easy to spot, but if you don’t see it immediately, ask the volunteer on duty at the desk to point it out.
The Featured Books shelf is themed, and the theme will change every other month. Our first theme, in place for the months of May and June, has been Celebrity & Media Book Picks. Books on display will change frequently as patrons borrow a displayed book and another book from our collection replaces it. For this particular theme, we’re mixing a variety of books—hardcover, paperback, and large print—and drawing from various genres.
Are you aware of how many celebrities now recommend books and/or host book clubs? Lots! In our collection, we’ve found books recommended by the people you’d expect: Oprah, Jenna Bush Hager, Reese Witherspoon, and Good Morning America, and some you might be surprised by: Bill Gates, Diane Rehm, Barack Obama, and even Jimmy Fallon. Have you tried a Celebrity Pick? Here’s your chance!
You’ll find some terrific selections on the library’s Featured Books shelf. Following are just a few of the books you might come across on the new shelf and the words of the celebrity recommending them:
Jenna Bush Hager and Oprah bonded over Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. In December 2020, Jenna announced it as her Read with Jenna Book Club Pick. Oprah had chosen it for her book club 20 years earlier in 2000! They talked about it on the Today show. Jenna was assigned it in her sophomore English high school class and remembers that it changed her forever. Oprah said, “To be able to read Toni Morrison … is one of the greatest joys in life.”
Along with many others, Jimmy Fallon and Bill Gates highly recommend Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin. “This is a gem!” were Jimmy’s words when announcing it as his first pick for the Fallon Book Club. Bill Gates wrote, “I loved Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow! in his GatesNotes blog.
“There’s so much to love about this thrilling, roller coaster of a novel” is how Reese Witherspoon recommended The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave.
Bill Gates was surprised by Hillbilly Elegy. “The fact that Hillbilly Elegy [by J.D. Vance] is not just an important read but also a great one came as a bit of a surprise to me,” he said in his GatesNotes blog.
The Historical Fiction genre is popular with many of our patrons, and that’s the theme we’ll be featuring in July and August. We hope you will find some satisfying reads, discover some new authors, and enjoy the new Featured Books shelf as the months and book themes change.
If you haven’t visited the Robson Ranch Library recently, you might just want to check it out! On May 1 the library staff introduced a new highlight called the Featured Books shelf, and the new shelf has been enthusiastically received by patrons. The shelf is easy to spot, but if you don’t see it immediately, ask the volunteer on duty at the desk to point it out.
The Featured Books shelf is themed, and the theme will change every other month. Our first theme, in place for the months of May and June, has been Celebrity & Media Book Picks. Books on display will change frequently as patrons borrow a displayed book and another book from our collection replaces it. For this particular theme, we’re mixing a variety of books—hardcover, paperback, and large print—and drawing from various genres.
Are you aware of how many celebrities now recommend books and/or host book clubs? Lots! In our collection, we’ve found books recommended by the people you’d expect: Oprah, Jenna Bush Hager, Reese Witherspoon, and Good Morning America, and some you might be surprised by: Bill Gates, Diane Rehm, Barack Obama, and even Jimmy Fallon. Have you tried a Celebrity Pick? Here’s your chance!
You’ll find some terrific selections on the library’s Featured Books shelf. Following are just a few of the books you might come across on the new shelf and the words of the celebrity recommending them:
Jenna Bush Hager and Oprah bonded over Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. In December 2020, Jenna announced it as her Read with Jenna Book Club Pick. Oprah had chosen it for her book club 20 years earlier in 2000! They talked about it on the Today show. Jenna was assigned it in her sophomore English high school class and remembers that it changed her forever. Oprah said, “To be able to read Toni Morrison … is one of the greatest joys in life.”
Along with many others, Jimmy Fallon and Bill Gates highly recommend Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin. “This is a gem!” were Jimmy’s words when announcing it as his first pick for the Fallon Book Club. Bill Gates wrote, “I loved Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow! in his GatesNotes blog.
“There’s so much to love about this thrilling, roller coaster of a novel” is how Reese Witherspoon recommended The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave.
Bill Gates was surprised by Hillbilly Elegy. “The fact that Hillbilly Elegy [by J.D. Vance] is not just an important read but also a great one came as a bit of a surprise to me,” he said in his GatesNotes blog.
The Historical Fiction genre is popular with many of our patrons, and that’s the theme we’ll be featuring in July and August. We hope you will find some satisfying reads, discover some new authors, and enjoy the new Featured Books shelf as the months and book themes change.
Friends of the Library Celebrates Our
Priceless Robson Library Volunteers
May 15, 2024
By Dianna Lucas
Robson Library volunteers are not paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless. This was the message that greeted 51 library volunteers as part of the PowerPoint presentation at the recent Library Volunteer Appreciation Brunch.
The volunteers joined the Friends of the Library (FOL) board members on April 8 in the Legacy Room of the Robson clubhouse for a delicious breakfast of cheesy eggs, sausage, bacon, muffins, and fruit. As part of the celebration, each volunteer was given an attractive book bag with a picture of the eclipse to commemorate the other event that was also taking place on that day. Aside from being on the day of the eclipse, the brunch also fell during National Volunteer Month and Library Appreciation Week, the following day being Library Staff Appreciation Day.
Elaine Kushmaul, chair of FOL, started the informal program by introducing the FOL officers. She also shared a few interesting anecdotes about working in the library. Since both Elaine and Diane van Naerssen are retired librarians, they do a lot of productive work to the great benefit of our library. Gil Clifton, Library Subcommittee chair, continued by thanking FOL for their help with the library.
The program continued as Elaine asked some of the volunteers to share a small story of a positive happening during the hours they spent volunteering in the library. One volunteer related her own personal story. She moved to Robson in 2020 when she couldn’t go out anywhere to meet people due to the pandemic. She began volunteering in the Robson Library and made her first Robson friend there. Another volunteer told of how the puzzle tables often become busy centers of activity and conversation. Even prospective residents have been drawn into the activity at these tables.
So, if you’re looking for a friend or just looking for conversation or an activity, try the library, as a patron or a volunteer. You never know who may come into your life to make it a bit more interesting.
Robson Library volunteers are not paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless. This was the message that greeted 51 library volunteers as part of the PowerPoint presentation at the recent Library Volunteer Appreciation Brunch.
The volunteers joined the Friends of the Library (FOL) board members on April 8 in the Legacy Room of the Robson clubhouse for a delicious breakfast of cheesy eggs, sausage, bacon, muffins, and fruit. As part of the celebration, each volunteer was given an attractive book bag with a picture of the eclipse to commemorate the other event that was also taking place on that day. Aside from being on the day of the eclipse, the brunch also fell during National Volunteer Month and Library Appreciation Week, the following day being Library Staff Appreciation Day.
Elaine Kushmaul, chair of FOL, started the informal program by introducing the FOL officers. She also shared a few interesting anecdotes about working in the library. Since both Elaine and Diane van Naerssen are retired librarians, they do a lot of productive work to the great benefit of our library. Gil Clifton, Library Subcommittee chair, continued by thanking FOL for their help with the library.
The program continued as Elaine asked some of the volunteers to share a small story of a positive happening during the hours they spent volunteering in the library. One volunteer related her own personal story. She moved to Robson in 2020 when she couldn’t go out anywhere to meet people due to the pandemic. She began volunteering in the Robson Library and made her first Robson friend there. Another volunteer told of how the puzzle tables often become busy centers of activity and conversation. Even prospective residents have been drawn into the activity at these tables.
So, if you’re looking for a friend or just looking for conversation or an activity, try the library, as a patron or a volunteer. You never know who may come into your life to make it a bit more interesting.
Friends of the Library: ‘Demon Copperhead’ and ‘David Copperfield’ Will Be Compared at Next Book Talk
April 15, 2024
By Dianna Lucas
If you enjoyed meeting at 6:30 p.m. for the Friends of the Library Book Talk in March, you will be pleased to learn that the one in May is at 6:30 p.m. also. Deborah Diehl and Elaine Kushmaul will be in the Robson Library on May 1 to lead a discussion of two related books, one current fiction and one classic fiction.
The discussion will compare the similarities between the recent Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver, and the well-known classic David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens.
Kingsolver was inspired to write her book by her years of admiration and devotion to Dickens. She followed his example by letting the child tell the story, because nobody doubts the child. She was awarded the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction for this work.
The similarities in the two novels go beyond the poverty-stricken worlds the authors bring their subjects into at birth and the hardships they endure throughout their lives. Kingsolver borrows character names and builds familiar relationships to those that Dickens used.
Kingsolver exchanges the poverty David experienced in 19th century Victorian England for the 20th century Appalachian poverty in America that Demon finds himself born into. In her updated version, Kingsolver deals with contemporary issues and reminds the reader that the problems inherent with poverty are still with us in today’s world.
You may remember David Copperfield from required reading in a past life. You can refresh your memory by watching one of the movies made of the story. The Robson Library has a DVD of the 1999 version starring a young Daniel Radcliffe as the young David, Maggie Smith as Betsey Trotwood, and Bob Hoskins as Micawber.
If possible, find time to read Demon Copperhead. There are copies in the Robson Library to be checked out. Not only will you be prepared for the Book Talk, you will be treated to an excellent book by a talented author.
This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library club of Robson Ranch. The organization’s purpose is to give financial support to the library for the purchase of books and other items needed to maintain the library, as well as sponsoring library-related events that are open to all Robson residents.
If you enjoyed meeting at 6:30 p.m. for the Friends of the Library Book Talk in March, you will be pleased to learn that the one in May is at 6:30 p.m. also. Deborah Diehl and Elaine Kushmaul will be in the Robson Library on May 1 to lead a discussion of two related books, one current fiction and one classic fiction.
The discussion will compare the similarities between the recent Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver, and the well-known classic David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens.
Kingsolver was inspired to write her book by her years of admiration and devotion to Dickens. She followed his example by letting the child tell the story, because nobody doubts the child. She was awarded the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction for this work.
The similarities in the two novels go beyond the poverty-stricken worlds the authors bring their subjects into at birth and the hardships they endure throughout their lives. Kingsolver borrows character names and builds familiar relationships to those that Dickens used.
Kingsolver exchanges the poverty David experienced in 19th century Victorian England for the 20th century Appalachian poverty in America that Demon finds himself born into. In her updated version, Kingsolver deals with contemporary issues and reminds the reader that the problems inherent with poverty are still with us in today’s world.
You may remember David Copperfield from required reading in a past life. You can refresh your memory by watching one of the movies made of the story. The Robson Library has a DVD of the 1999 version starring a young Daniel Radcliffe as the young David, Maggie Smith as Betsey Trotwood, and Bob Hoskins as Micawber.
If possible, find time to read Demon Copperhead. There are copies in the Robson Library to be checked out. Not only will you be prepared for the Book Talk, you will be treated to an excellent book by a talented author.
This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library club of Robson Ranch. The organization’s purpose is to give financial support to the library for the purchase of books and other items needed to maintain the library, as well as sponsoring library-related events that are open to all Robson residents.
Friends of the Library – What You Always
Wanted to Know
March 15, 2024
FOL Chair Elaine Kushmaul showing members where to deposit their membership dues or renewals in the Robson Library drop box.
By Dianna Lucas
You may know about Friends of the Library (FOL), you may even be a member, but how much do you really know about the organization? Read on to find out some interesting facts and details. As a member, you may already know many of these. If you’re not a member, perhaps you will decide to join when you learn a bit more about the organization.
Friends of the Library is a 501(c)(3) organization supporting an all-volunteer community-organized and community-funded library, open to all residents of Robson Ranch. The club is led by four officers who serve on a voluntary basis. The current chair is Elaine Kushmaul, and the vice chair is Deborah Diehl. Either are available to answer questions about FOL, as well as welcome recommendations for fundraising ideas.
Club officers are elected during the annual meeting each year, which is held in July and is open to the entire membership. Event planning, fundraising, and treasury reports are also discussed at this meeting.
Recently, FOL has used close to $1,500 of its funds to benefit the library and its patrons. This money was used to purchase 70 new titles spanning fiction and nonfiction genres, as well as two new picture books for children.
FOL also provides Book Talks at the library four or five times per year, providing knowledgeable presenters to discuss popular fiction and nonfiction books. At least four copies of each book that is used as the subject of one of these talks are purchased with funds entrusted to FOL by its members.
Even though audiobooks and movies on DVD are less popular due to digital access, we still have those formats available.
All Robson residents are encouraged to join FOL. Dues of $10 per person per year go to support the library in various ways. Annual dues payments are effective from July 1 through June 30 each year.
To join Friends of the Library, stop by the library in the CATC building and deposit a check for $10 per person in the FOL drop box on the checkout counter. Make your check out to Friends of the Library – Robson Ranch and include your name, email address, and whether or not you want a tax receipt. If requested, a tax receipt will be sent to your email address.
You may know about Friends of the Library (FOL), you may even be a member, but how much do you really know about the organization? Read on to find out some interesting facts and details. As a member, you may already know many of these. If you’re not a member, perhaps you will decide to join when you learn a bit more about the organization.
Friends of the Library is a 501(c)(3) organization supporting an all-volunteer community-organized and community-funded library, open to all residents of Robson Ranch. The club is led by four officers who serve on a voluntary basis. The current chair is Elaine Kushmaul, and the vice chair is Deborah Diehl. Either are available to answer questions about FOL, as well as welcome recommendations for fundraising ideas.
Club officers are elected during the annual meeting each year, which is held in July and is open to the entire membership. Event planning, fundraising, and treasury reports are also discussed at this meeting.
Recently, FOL has used close to $1,500 of its funds to benefit the library and its patrons. This money was used to purchase 70 new titles spanning fiction and nonfiction genres, as well as two new picture books for children.
FOL also provides Book Talks at the library four or five times per year, providing knowledgeable presenters to discuss popular fiction and nonfiction books. At least four copies of each book that is used as the subject of one of these talks are purchased with funds entrusted to FOL by its members.
Even though audiobooks and movies on DVD are less popular due to digital access, we still have those formats available.
All Robson residents are encouraged to join FOL. Dues of $10 per person per year go to support the library in various ways. Annual dues payments are effective from July 1 through June 30 each year.
To join Friends of the Library, stop by the library in the CATC building and deposit a check for $10 per person in the FOL drop box on the checkout counter. Make your check out to Friends of the Library – Robson Ranch and include your name, email address, and whether or not you want a tax receipt. If requested, a tax receipt will be sent to your email address.
New Library Books Purchased by Friends of the Library
March 15, 2024
Joan Muyskens Pursley
Friends of the Library (FOL), an official Robson Ranch club, has made a large purchase of books for our library for three years, filling in sections that do not receive many resident donations. Each year’s new purchases are featured on the FOL bookshelf, which faces the information desk. When looking for something to read, do not forget to peruse this shelf unit. It is also where FOL puts copies of the books to be featured in its upcoming book discussions held in the library.
In February, FOL purchased 54 books for our collections. Among the fiction selections are Murder Crossed Her Mind: A Pentecost and Parker Mystery, by Stephen Spotswood; The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel, by Nita Prose; Never Never, by Colleen Hoover; and James Patterson’s Obsessed (number 15 in the Michael Bennett Series) and Russia (number 13 in the Michael Bennett Series).
A sampling of the non-fiction books recently added to the FOL bookshelf:
• Being Henry: The Fonz … and Beyond, by Henry Winkler
• Book of Pet Love and Loss: Words of Comfort and Wisdom from Remarkable People, by Sara Bader
• Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships, by Nina Totenberg
• Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir, by Paul Newman
• Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, a Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor, by Mark Harmon
• Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight, by Julia Sweig
• Larry McMurtry: A Life, by Tracy Daugherty
• Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village, by Stephen G. Rabe
• The Mind-Gut-Immune Connection: Understanding How Food Impacts Our Mind, Our Microbiome, and Our Gut Immunity, by Emeran Meyer
Large-print books and books on tape are among the FOL purchases paid for by members’ tax-exempt donations and $10 annual dues. There is a box on the library’s information desk with envelopes for new and renewing members’ dues.
If you want to know if a specific book is in the library’s non-fiction or hardback fiction sections, go to the LibraryWorld link near the top of the library website’s home page (www.RobsonLibrary.org) and follow the easy-to-use directions. Note: Paperback fiction is not inventoried, so you have to come into the library to see what’s on those shelves. To get a Robson library number, needed for checking out materials, just ask one of the volunteer staff to add you to the patrons list.
Friends of the Library (FOL), an official Robson Ranch club, has made a large purchase of books for our library for three years, filling in sections that do not receive many resident donations. Each year’s new purchases are featured on the FOL bookshelf, which faces the information desk. When looking for something to read, do not forget to peruse this shelf unit. It is also where FOL puts copies of the books to be featured in its upcoming book discussions held in the library.
In February, FOL purchased 54 books for our collections. Among the fiction selections are Murder Crossed Her Mind: A Pentecost and Parker Mystery, by Stephen Spotswood; The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel, by Nita Prose; Never Never, by Colleen Hoover; and James Patterson’s Obsessed (number 15 in the Michael Bennett Series) and Russia (number 13 in the Michael Bennett Series).
A sampling of the non-fiction books recently added to the FOL bookshelf:
• Being Henry: The Fonz … and Beyond, by Henry Winkler
• Book of Pet Love and Loss: Words of Comfort and Wisdom from Remarkable People, by Sara Bader
• Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships, by Nina Totenberg
• Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir, by Paul Newman
• Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, a Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor, by Mark Harmon
• Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight, by Julia Sweig
• Larry McMurtry: A Life, by Tracy Daugherty
• Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village, by Stephen G. Rabe
• The Mind-Gut-Immune Connection: Understanding How Food Impacts Our Mind, Our Microbiome, and Our Gut Immunity, by Emeran Meyer
Large-print books and books on tape are among the FOL purchases paid for by members’ tax-exempt donations and $10 annual dues. There is a box on the library’s information desk with envelopes for new and renewing members’ dues.
If you want to know if a specific book is in the library’s non-fiction or hardback fiction sections, go to the LibraryWorld link near the top of the library website’s home page (www.RobsonLibrary.org) and follow the easy-to-use directions. Note: Paperback fiction is not inventoried, so you have to come into the library to see what’s on those shelves. To get a Robson library number, needed for checking out materials, just ask one of the volunteer staff to add you to the patrons list.
Left to right: Haley, Bill, and Dee, librarians from the Denton Public Library, will be in the Robson Ranch Library on March 22 from 10 a.m. to noon. (Photo by Linda Bono)
Linda Bono
Former First Lady Laura Bush said that, and I totally agree! Library cards provide their holders with a wealth of possibilities. On Friday, March 22, from 10 a.m. to noon, staff from the Denton Public Library (DPL) will be in the Robson Ranch Library to sign up residents for DPL cards! Mark your calendar and plan to be there!
Robson Ranch residents are fortunate to be able to sign up for library cards from the Denton Public Library right here at Robson Ranch a few times a year. During the March 22 visit, DPL librarians will also provide residents with hands-on help with e-readers and digital audio books. This Denton Public Library Cards and E-Reader and Digital Audio Books Assistance Program has proved to be very popular with Robson residents over the years, so I repeat: Mark your calendars and plan to be there. When residents come to the DPL Program, they often register to borrow items from the Robson Library as well. So, while you’re there on March 22, take time to look and discover what items are available right here in our Robson Library, too.
In case you’re new to the Ranch, the CATC building is where you’ll find the Robson Ranch Library. You can access Robson Library information on the library’s website, www.robsonlibrary.org.
To obtain a DPL card, you will need to show a photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, passport, etc.) and some kind of bill/document with your name and address on it. If your photo ID has your current Denton address on it, that will suffice as proof of residency. Expiring library cards can also be renewed. If you need e-reader or digital audio book assistance, it would be best to bring your e-reader or device with you to the Robson Library for hands-on help.
On Friday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to noon, DPL Outreach Librarian Haley Phillips will be in the Robson Ranch Library to offer a detailed and informative program on using the DPL website, www.library.cityofdenton.com. She will also focus on all the things that make a library more than just books. Bringing your laptop or device from which you would access the library’s website will help you to more easily follow along with the presentation.
Public libraries offer much more than books these days! Obtain a Denton Public Library card on March 22, and on April 26 at the DPL website presentation, discover the opportunities your library card will bring. The presentation on the DPL website will explore the library’s online catalog, databases, trainings, and digital collection. Attendees will learn how to personalize their online accounts and how to navigate DPL online resources from their home computers.
You might want to check out the DPL website in advance of the DPL programs in the Robson Library to identify things you’d like to ask questions about.
Former First Lady Laura Bush said that, and I totally agree! Library cards provide their holders with a wealth of possibilities. On Friday, March 22, from 10 a.m. to noon, staff from the Denton Public Library (DPL) will be in the Robson Ranch Library to sign up residents for DPL cards! Mark your calendar and plan to be there!
Robson Ranch residents are fortunate to be able to sign up for library cards from the Denton Public Library right here at Robson Ranch a few times a year. During the March 22 visit, DPL librarians will also provide residents with hands-on help with e-readers and digital audio books. This Denton Public Library Cards and E-Reader and Digital Audio Books Assistance Program has proved to be very popular with Robson residents over the years, so I repeat: Mark your calendars and plan to be there. When residents come to the DPL Program, they often register to borrow items from the Robson Library as well. So, while you’re there on March 22, take time to look and discover what items are available right here in our Robson Library, too.
In case you’re new to the Ranch, the CATC building is where you’ll find the Robson Ranch Library. You can access Robson Library information on the library’s website, www.robsonlibrary.org.
To obtain a DPL card, you will need to show a photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, passport, etc.) and some kind of bill/document with your name and address on it. If your photo ID has your current Denton address on it, that will suffice as proof of residency. Expiring library cards can also be renewed. If you need e-reader or digital audio book assistance, it would be best to bring your e-reader or device with you to the Robson Library for hands-on help.
On Friday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to noon, DPL Outreach Librarian Haley Phillips will be in the Robson Ranch Library to offer a detailed and informative program on using the DPL website, www.library.cityofdenton.com. She will also focus on all the things that make a library more than just books. Bringing your laptop or device from which you would access the library’s website will help you to more easily follow along with the presentation.
Public libraries offer much more than books these days! Obtain a Denton Public Library card on March 22, and on April 26 at the DPL website presentation, discover the opportunities your library card will bring. The presentation on the DPL website will explore the library’s online catalog, databases, trainings, and digital collection. Attendees will learn how to personalize their online accounts and how to navigate DPL online resources from their home computers.
You might want to check out the DPL website in advance of the DPL programs in the Robson Library to identify things you’d like to ask questions about.
Friends of the Library - Scott Baker to lead Book Talk
February 15. 2024
By Dianna Lucas
The Friends of the Library is trying something a little different for its March Book Talk. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. instead of the usual earlier afternoon time. Perhaps this timing will fit with the schedule of some Robson residents who have not been able to attend the talks held earlier in the day.
The talk will be held in the Robson Library on Thursday, March 14, with Scott Baker leading the discussion on Stephen King’s 11/22/63: A Novel. Scott is a Robson resident who has lived in or near the Denton/Lewisville/Flower Mound area his entire life. He received his computer science degree from North Texas State University when UNT went by that name. He started a computer networking company, which he later sold.
Scott has lived at Robson for 10 years and is very active in the community. He is in the Motorcycle Club and the Fishing Club, going on trips with them several times every year. He also golfs regularly. One might wonder how he works in these activities, since he and his wife Vicki travel so much. In the past six months, they have done an Arctic expedition cruise, traveled to Machu Picchu, the Amazon Basin, the Galapagos Islands, and walked the Appalachian Trail.
And so it is this wealth of experience that Scott brings to his leadership of this book talk. He feels that this book is enjoyable, possibly some of King’s best work. It harkens back to King’s early style with a lot of detail and multiple plot lines that leave readers thinking several different things could happen.
Through his storytelling, King shows us how much our culture has changed since the late ‘50s and early ‘60s to the 2000s. He makes mention multiple times of the butterfly effect throughout the book and how much we have changed throughout our history.
The underlying premise of the book is the end of the world. The details are very interesting and complex. Two buddies find a way to travel back in time. They attempt to use this time warp process to prevent President John F. Kennedy from being assassinated in hopes of securing a better future for the nation and the world. They fail to realize that history cannot be altered in a vacuum. One change sets in motion what can only be described as an unexpected chain of events and consequences.
If you have read the book, you will definitely enjoy taking part in this book talk. If you are not able to read it, please join us anyway. You will learn a lot and perhaps decide to put it on your TBR (To Be Read) list.
The Friends of the Library is trying something a little different for its March Book Talk. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. instead of the usual earlier afternoon time. Perhaps this timing will fit with the schedule of some Robson residents who have not been able to attend the talks held earlier in the day.
The talk will be held in the Robson Library on Thursday, March 14, with Scott Baker leading the discussion on Stephen King’s 11/22/63: A Novel. Scott is a Robson resident who has lived in or near the Denton/Lewisville/Flower Mound area his entire life. He received his computer science degree from North Texas State University when UNT went by that name. He started a computer networking company, which he later sold.
Scott has lived at Robson for 10 years and is very active in the community. He is in the Motorcycle Club and the Fishing Club, going on trips with them several times every year. He also golfs regularly. One might wonder how he works in these activities, since he and his wife Vicki travel so much. In the past six months, they have done an Arctic expedition cruise, traveled to Machu Picchu, the Amazon Basin, the Galapagos Islands, and walked the Appalachian Trail.
And so it is this wealth of experience that Scott brings to his leadership of this book talk. He feels that this book is enjoyable, possibly some of King’s best work. It harkens back to King’s early style with a lot of detail and multiple plot lines that leave readers thinking several different things could happen.
Through his storytelling, King shows us how much our culture has changed since the late ‘50s and early ‘60s to the 2000s. He makes mention multiple times of the butterfly effect throughout the book and how much we have changed throughout our history.
The underlying premise of the book is the end of the world. The details are very interesting and complex. Two buddies find a way to travel back in time. They attempt to use this time warp process to prevent President John F. Kennedy from being assassinated in hopes of securing a better future for the nation and the world. They fail to realize that history cannot be altered in a vacuum. One change sets in motion what can only be described as an unexpected chain of events and consequences.
If you have read the book, you will definitely enjoy taking part in this book talk. If you are not able to read it, please join us anyway. You will learn a lot and perhaps decide to put it on your TBR (To Be Read) list.
Library's Fabulous First
January 15, 2024
Program participants at the table in the front of the room (from left): Klaus Dannenberg, Dale Spaulding, and David Carlton (standing) (photo by Julie Parker)
By Joan Muyskens Pursley
David Carlton, Klaus Dannenberg, and Dale Spaulding presented an amusing, poignant, and informative program in our library on Dec. 8. Each of these men has written a book, or in Dr. Carlton’s case, five books, that are very personal to them, yet of wide interest for others. Organized by the RR Library Subcommittee, the event was hosted by Joan Pursley and videotaped by Marcia Elving. The video appears on the library’s website RobsonLibrary.org.
David Carlton holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Texas A&M and has owned and operated five veterinary hospitals since 1976. His books Doc, Country Doc, Dallas Doc, Texas Doc, and Hey, Doc feature many zany adventures and moving moments of his long career. His story about a woman who brought in a goldfish with a blue pebble in its belly was a hit with the audience. And, yes, the “Doc” did succeed in extracting the pebble without killing the fish.
Klaus Dannenberg co-authored (with Bruce Black) Honoring Aging Parents. He began working on the book, subtitled How to Grow Up When Mom and Dad Grow Old, after spending 15-plus years caring for elderly parents. This guide uses real-life vignettes illustrating situations, emotions, and frustrations—experienced by Klaus and his co-author—to provide helpful counsel and emotional support for caregivers. It’s a good read and a book you might want to give to your children as you become less independent. Klaus holds a BS and MS from Auburn University and a PhD in Philosophy from Southern Methodist University. He worked in the aerospace/defense industries for more than 40 years.
A retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, Dale R. Spaulding is a graduate of Auburn University and the U.S. Navy Postgraduate School. He spoke about and read a brief passage from Fortitude, his family history narrative, which won the 2023 Readers Favorite Silver Medal Award for Non-Fiction: Genealogy. A story of faith, patriotism, and determination, it weaves 400 years of his family’s history through national and international events.
Residents interested in sharing their family’s history with future generations will want to attend Dale’s OLLI course titled “Crafting A Family History Narrative.” It will be held here at Robson on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Dale will share lessons he learned during his 20 years researching and writing Fortitude.
David, Klaus, and Dale’s books can be found in the RR Authors section of our library, along with books by a number of our other neighbors. We hope to feature additional Robson authors in future programs. If a book of yours is in our library and you would like to participate in one of these programs, please contact Joan Pursley at [email protected].
David Carlton, Klaus Dannenberg, and Dale Spaulding presented an amusing, poignant, and informative program in our library on Dec. 8. Each of these men has written a book, or in Dr. Carlton’s case, five books, that are very personal to them, yet of wide interest for others. Organized by the RR Library Subcommittee, the event was hosted by Joan Pursley and videotaped by Marcia Elving. The video appears on the library’s website RobsonLibrary.org.
David Carlton holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Texas A&M and has owned and operated five veterinary hospitals since 1976. His books Doc, Country Doc, Dallas Doc, Texas Doc, and Hey, Doc feature many zany adventures and moving moments of his long career. His story about a woman who brought in a goldfish with a blue pebble in its belly was a hit with the audience. And, yes, the “Doc” did succeed in extracting the pebble without killing the fish.
Klaus Dannenberg co-authored (with Bruce Black) Honoring Aging Parents. He began working on the book, subtitled How to Grow Up When Mom and Dad Grow Old, after spending 15-plus years caring for elderly parents. This guide uses real-life vignettes illustrating situations, emotions, and frustrations—experienced by Klaus and his co-author—to provide helpful counsel and emotional support for caregivers. It’s a good read and a book you might want to give to your children as you become less independent. Klaus holds a BS and MS from Auburn University and a PhD in Philosophy from Southern Methodist University. He worked in the aerospace/defense industries for more than 40 years.
A retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, Dale R. Spaulding is a graduate of Auburn University and the U.S. Navy Postgraduate School. He spoke about and read a brief passage from Fortitude, his family history narrative, which won the 2023 Readers Favorite Silver Medal Award for Non-Fiction: Genealogy. A story of faith, patriotism, and determination, it weaves 400 years of his family’s history through national and international events.
Residents interested in sharing their family’s history with future generations will want to attend Dale’s OLLI course titled “Crafting A Family History Narrative.” It will be held here at Robson on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Dale will share lessons he learned during his 20 years researching and writing Fortitude.
David, Klaus, and Dale’s books can be found in the RR Authors section of our library, along with books by a number of our other neighbors. We hope to feature additional Robson authors in future programs. If a book of yours is in our library and you would like to participate in one of these programs, please contact Joan Pursley at [email protected].
Robson Library Volunteers Celebrated at Reception
January 15, 2024
Library Subcommittee members Nancy Tarpley, Joan Pursley, Patti Ewoldt, and Gil Clifton
By Lorraine Wilson
In a heartwarming tribute to the unsung heroes of the Robson community, the Robson Ranch Library Subcommittee hosted an after-hours event on Dec. 1. This special occasion, dedicated to honoring 75 devoted volunteers, illuminated the tireless commitment and passion these individuals pour into sustaining the library’s essence as a community hub.
From 5 to 7 p.m., the library played host to a jubilant congregation of Robson resident volunteers coming together to recognize and applaud the remarkable efforts of these dedicated souls. These volunteers, the lifeblood of the library, invest significant time and energy to ensure the library doors remain wide open catering to the needs of the entire Robson community.
The evening sparkled with warmth and gratitude, enveloping guests in an atmosphere teeming with camaraderie. The tantalizing spread of appetizers, wine, and a delectable cake added a delightful touch to an already charming affair.
Amidst animated conversations and shared laughter, a PowerPoint presentation stole the spotlight, capturing glimpses of all the volunteers. This visual ode underscored the immeasurable value of their contributions, showcasing their unwavering commitment to keeping the library accessible seven days a week.
Each volunteer was presented with personalized gift bags, a small token acknowledging their monumental dedication. This event, conceptualized by Gil Clifton, president of the Library Subcommittee, was flawlessly executed by the subcommittee members (Linda Bono, Sondra Clifton, Marcia Elving, Patti Ewoldt, Gary Koenig, Joan Pursley, Mitch Mitchell, Nancy Tarpley, and Lorraine Wilson), highlighting their stellar teamwork and collaborative spirit.
The night was an ode to unity and gratitude, fostering connections and a shared reverence for the dedicated library volunteers. As attendees bid farewell, their smiles echoed the sentiment of a celebration that exalted the ethos of service and community ingrained within Robson residents.
This event stands as a resounding testament to the communal spirit and unwavering dedication of these volunteers who are the beating heart, ensuring the library’s continual operation—a cornerstone of the Robson community.
For those yet to experience the enchantment of the library, an open invitation beckons to explore the CATC building and indulge in its plethora of offerings. The Robson Ranch Library’s website, www.robsonlibrary.org, serves as a treasure trove, offering insights into library events and Friends of the Library activities. Additionally, an easily accessible link to the library’s catalog at opac.libraryworld.com simplifies the search for specific materials from hardback books to audiobooks, movies, and even jigsaw puzzles—no password needed.
A heartfelt thank you resounds to all the volunteers whose unwavering dedication and commitment have transformed the library into a cherished haven. Their selfless service continues to enrich the lives of residents, solidifying that the Robson Ranch Library is an indispensable cornerstone of community life.
In a heartwarming tribute to the unsung heroes of the Robson community, the Robson Ranch Library Subcommittee hosted an after-hours event on Dec. 1. This special occasion, dedicated to honoring 75 devoted volunteers, illuminated the tireless commitment and passion these individuals pour into sustaining the library’s essence as a community hub.
From 5 to 7 p.m., the library played host to a jubilant congregation of Robson resident volunteers coming together to recognize and applaud the remarkable efforts of these dedicated souls. These volunteers, the lifeblood of the library, invest significant time and energy to ensure the library doors remain wide open catering to the needs of the entire Robson community.
The evening sparkled with warmth and gratitude, enveloping guests in an atmosphere teeming with camaraderie. The tantalizing spread of appetizers, wine, and a delectable cake added a delightful touch to an already charming affair.
Amidst animated conversations and shared laughter, a PowerPoint presentation stole the spotlight, capturing glimpses of all the volunteers. This visual ode underscored the immeasurable value of their contributions, showcasing their unwavering commitment to keeping the library accessible seven days a week.
Each volunteer was presented with personalized gift bags, a small token acknowledging their monumental dedication. This event, conceptualized by Gil Clifton, president of the Library Subcommittee, was flawlessly executed by the subcommittee members (Linda Bono, Sondra Clifton, Marcia Elving, Patti Ewoldt, Gary Koenig, Joan Pursley, Mitch Mitchell, Nancy Tarpley, and Lorraine Wilson), highlighting their stellar teamwork and collaborative spirit.
The night was an ode to unity and gratitude, fostering connections and a shared reverence for the dedicated library volunteers. As attendees bid farewell, their smiles echoed the sentiment of a celebration that exalted the ethos of service and community ingrained within Robson residents.
This event stands as a resounding testament to the communal spirit and unwavering dedication of these volunteers who are the beating heart, ensuring the library’s continual operation—a cornerstone of the Robson community.
For those yet to experience the enchantment of the library, an open invitation beckons to explore the CATC building and indulge in its plethora of offerings. The Robson Ranch Library’s website, www.robsonlibrary.org, serves as a treasure trove, offering insights into library events and Friends of the Library activities. Additionally, an easily accessible link to the library’s catalog at opac.libraryworld.com simplifies the search for specific materials from hardback books to audiobooks, movies, and even jigsaw puzzles—no password needed.
A heartfelt thank you resounds to all the volunteers whose unwavering dedication and commitment have transformed the library into a cherished haven. Their selfless service continues to enrich the lives of residents, solidifying that the Robson Ranch Library is an indispensable cornerstone of community life.
Friends of the Library: First Book Discussion of the Year
January 15, 2024
Leaders of the February book discussion: Julia Kellogg, Marsha Scholze, and Richard Kushmaul
By Dianna Lucas
You are invited to the Robson Library on Thursday, Feb. 15, at 2:30 p.m. for the first book discussion of the year. Julia Kellogg, Richard Kushmaul, and Marsha Scholze will be leading the discussion on Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, by David Grann.
Even though the events depicted in the book are historical, happening in the early 1920s, very few people learned about them until this book was written in 2017. Marsha Scholze is especially interested in this topic, because these events took place shortly before her father grew up in the same area of Oklahoma. However, she never heard him speak of them during his lifetime.
Our leaders will discuss what caused these events to happen, what happened, and whether or not this could happen again. Perhaps other groups of people could be affected in a similar fashion in the future.
The birth of the FBI came out of the true-life murder mystery presented in this book. J. Edgar Hoover took credit for bringing justice in the case. However, we will discuss whether justice was brought to those who deserved it.
The Martin Scorsese movie version of this mystery, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, was released in theaters late last year. If you saw the movie but didn’t read the book, you will want to be a part of this discussion. There are many more details in the book that were not included in the movie. You will want to hear what you missed.
Even if you haven’t read the book, you are invited to attend the discussion. Perhaps you will be intrigued enough to read it.
You are invited to the Robson Library on Thursday, Feb. 15, at 2:30 p.m. for the first book discussion of the year. Julia Kellogg, Richard Kushmaul, and Marsha Scholze will be leading the discussion on Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, by David Grann.
Even though the events depicted in the book are historical, happening in the early 1920s, very few people learned about them until this book was written in 2017. Marsha Scholze is especially interested in this topic, because these events took place shortly before her father grew up in the same area of Oklahoma. However, she never heard him speak of them during his lifetime.
Our leaders will discuss what caused these events to happen, what happened, and whether or not this could happen again. Perhaps other groups of people could be affected in a similar fashion in the future.
The birth of the FBI came out of the true-life murder mystery presented in this book. J. Edgar Hoover took credit for bringing justice in the case. However, we will discuss whether justice was brought to those who deserved it.
The Martin Scorsese movie version of this mystery, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, was released in theaters late last year. If you saw the movie but didn’t read the book, you will want to be a part of this discussion. There are many more details in the book that were not included in the movie. You will want to hear what you missed.
Even if you haven’t read the book, you are invited to attend the discussion. Perhaps you will be intrigued enough to read it.