Wednesday, May 14, 2008

How in the world did four months pass? (Actually, since my 22 year old son graduated from college this past Sunday I am really asking: how did 20 years just pass in what seemed like the "blink of an eye.")

Well, guess it has to do with way too much happening at CPL, but, that is good! We have been working steadily on archiving "The Collerd Collection" and it is most exciting! In addition, programming for the "Welcoming Library Spaces for the Autism Community & Their Families" collaborative project with The Children's Institute and MSDA has been producing miracle, after yet another miracle. (Thank you Loretta Boronat - for starting it all!)

Deborah Khost is working above and beyond, and then some, preparing for the 2008 summer reading program "Catch the Reading Bug." In addition to all the prep work here, at the library, Deborah is visiting the schools, and, nursery schools and camps are visiting CPL. Our kickoff will be on Tuesday, June 24th at 7 p.m. when "Pitch Pipe Dreams" will headline the evening.

And, word was recently received that the National Endowment for the Humanities ("NEH") selected The Caldwell Public Library to receive the 2008 We the People "Created Equal" Bookshelf. In addition to the 21 books (4 of the titles in both English and Spanish)on the theme of "Created Equal" the library also received the "History in a Box" resource kit on Abraham Lincoln created by the Gilder Lehrman Insititute of American History. This theme is especially timely in light of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial celebrated in February 2009. More on the bookshelf, and our library's programming surrounding the materials, in the next couple months!

Finally, please be certain to take a few moments to enjoy the photographs on display in The Gene and Kathryn Collerd Local History Resource Room. Linda Stewart's photography students at Mount Saint Dominic Academy are sharing their creations with our community - including art created during the school's participation in The Big Read. Seeing how these teenagers translated Edith Wharton's work into photographs is worth your trip. (And, maybe we can help you with something else while you are here!)

A belated Happy Mother's Day, hope all did/are doing well on their AP exams, as well as college finals, and see you soon,

~ Karen Lembo

Monday, January 14, 2008

Happy New Year to all! So many exciting happenings in 2007, but, 2008 is looking equally promising - and challenging.

Last Friday, January 11, 2008, the official work on processing "The Collerd Collection" started. The goal is for all of the necessary archival work to be completed by year's end, but, to make that happen we need to "re-configure" the library space slightly. Thank you for your anticipated patience, and understanding, as we move different groups and events to other spaces in the library.

Saturday brought "Curious George" to the library through the generosity of The Rotary Club of the Caldwells - thank you! And special thanks to Christine, Grace and Andrew Coleman and Betsy Mathieson for their "hands on" help Saturday. On Friday, Children's Programmer Deborah Khost will visit The Mount Carmel Guild Pre-School in Newark and The Children's Institute ("TCI") with "George" - which is especially appropo in view of our library's longtime partnership with The Children's Institute. And, as some of you may have heard or read, our library was recently awarded - as partner of The Children's Institute - a contract to provide programming around "Welcoming Library Spaces for the Autism Community & Their Families." Deborah and Clifford, and later Deborah and Lilly (of Kevin Henkes' fame!), visited The Mount Carmel Guild Pre-School in 2006 and 2007, but, this is her first visit to TCI. And she (and George) are most excited!

These programs, were made possible through a contract The Children's Institute and the Caldwell Public Library received for a pilot project offered through INFOLINK: "Welcoming Library Spaces for the Autism Community and Their Families." INFOLINK, The Eastern New Jersey Regional Library Cooperative, and its services are funded by the New Jersey State Library, which is responsible for the coordination, promotion and funding of the New Jersey Library Network.

Finally, please take a moment to check out the "Upcoming Events" section of this site - and take some of the flyers at our circ desks. There are now three different book groups meeting (thank you NEA!) at three different time slots - early a.m., afternoon and evening - here at CPL. We hope you might consider joining one. Especially with Parsippany Troy Hills Public Library System being awarded a grant for "The Big Read" this spring (to read and discuss Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club) - we hope you will consider reading it, joining in on the February 6th discussion, and then participating in some of their Big Read related events!

And, the Upper Hudson Library System (in New York) is the only community reading and discussing The Age of Innocence this winter/spring, so, I think we should all talk about a bus trip at some point to partake in their community's programming, don't you?

Stay warm, and we hope to see you soon!

~Karen (Kleppe Lembo), Director

"If the only prayer you say in your life is "thank you," that would suffice."

--Meister Eckhart

Monday, November 26, 2007

Thank you! For supporting The Big Read. For supporting this library. For your friendship. We are most thankful for all of you not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day.

~Karen

p.s. Now you can tell what part of the newspaper I read first!

Monday, November 5, 2007

How do I, how do WE, as a library, as a community, express our sincere gratitude for Saturday evening? On behalf of so many people I thank Mayor Gartland for designating The Caldwell Public Library as the beneficiary of the proceeds raised by Saturday evening's Mayoral Gala.

A BIG check for $16,000 is on display in the Library - along with the beautiful centerpieces created for the Gala by the Garden Club of the Caldwells. Yes, yellow roses abound!

I am extremely grateful to the Mayor, and to everyone who contributed in so many ways to making Saturday evening the success it was. Thank you for your support of the library in this very concrete fashion - in addition to your support evidenced in so in other ways throughout the year. And, that check will go a long way towards enabling us to undertake a very busy year housing, archiving, and cataloging the Collerd Collection - in order to make it accessible to the community. I have no doubt that Gene and Kathryn McDermott Collerd would have been most pleased with Saturday evening!

~Karen Kleppe Lembo, Director

Monday, October 30, 2007

Dear Friends,

As I shared in my last "update on The Big Read email" sent to the listserv yesterday, I am having withdrawal pains even before The Big Read has ended. It has been AWESOME. The Big Read has been more work than I ever imagined, but oh so much more wonderful than I ever imagined. We have made so many new friends (and deepened friendships with 'old' friends), we have stretched ourselves intellectually, but also shared so much on a personal level throughout these book discussions, and programs, and the "public read." I really, honestly, hate to see it end.

SO - we have scheduled two last book discussions - and at two different times on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 to accommodate all schedules - 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. - both in the library. We will have refreshments, and look forward to sharing all we have learned from the past two/three months of reading and discussing Edith Wharton!

Please share this information with any of your friends, neighbors, colleagues that have been part of The Big Read - and even those who have not. One CRAZY thought I had was not just to celebrate what we have learned, and accomplished, over the past fall but also to consider IF we want to continue some sort of discussion or group to read more of The Big Read books. After spending so much time on www.neabigread.org, I am thinking I would like to re-read My Antonia, Fahrenheit 451 and To Kill a Mockingbird and read (for the first time, I am somewhat ashamed to admit) The Maltese Falcon and The Heart of a Lonely Hunter.

The level of our discussions and the cross-generational ones especially, made me wish for more of the same - and - if I am not alone in that wish, let us make it happen!

Thank you again for making The Big Read SO Big and wonderful in the Caldwell's. I am thankful, in a very special way, for all of you this Thanksgiving!

Best, Karen

Saturday, October 20, 2007

In spite of illness, in spite even of the archenemy sorrow, one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways.

~Edith Wharton (from A Backward Glance)

It is 4:22 p.m. and WHAT a day...WHAT a week! Today was "The American Girls Tea Party" and my goodness - it was GRAND! Kudos of monumental proportions go to Deborah Khost, and tremendous thanks as well are due to Sue Ploch, Marsha Robbins and our many teen staff assistants (thank you Gillian, Emilie and Katherine) as well as the volunteers from the Key Club of Mt. St. Dominic as well as my friend Nora - and for Mayor Gartland who just stopped in - and ended up staying for two hours helping us with the event!

The girls looked adorable in their tulle and flowered and butterflied hats - and were absolutely wonderful in terms of their manners at the tea party held upstairs in our newly dedicated "Gene and Kathryn Collerd Local History Resource Room." Deborah read stories about Samantha, and some parlor games were played - and a fun time was clearly had by all. (I believe this involvement with The Big Read for these young women will be well received by The National Endowment for the Arts - if the girls' "survey forms" were any indication!)

And - to speak of how awesome this past week was - it could take me much longer than most want to read! Suffice it to say what has happened with every single event associated with The Big Read -- every single event so far surpassed our WILDEST dreams or expectations that, well, it was the most amazing week I have ever experienced in this library, and in the time I have lived in this community. Tuesday at Greenwood Gardens was breathtaking ( a deep and sincere thank you to Peter Blanchard, Pamela Redmond Satran, Jennifer Hanna Rieve & Matthew Gundy); Wednesday's keynote address by Dr. Carol Singley was utterly fantastic; and Thursday's program by New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Virginia A. Long and National Endowment for the Arts Literature Specialist Erika Koss - a program specifically designed to address the teens from James Caldwell High School and Mount Saint Dominic Academy - was utterly, utterly awesome. And then today....! WOW oh WOW!

My only request of you all, at this point? Keep the buzz going on The Big Read - and try to attend as many of the events planned as possible. This is all for you!

~Karen

Sunday, October 14, 2007

“Thank you” seems inadequate as I describe and recall the past 48 hours, indeed the past week! And, as I express my deepest gratitude, I feel comfortable stating I speak for not just myself, but for my colleagues/dear friends at the library as well as our Library Board of Trustees.

The Street Fair last Sunday really kicked off The Big Read – and it does make me laugh to recall getting the carriage (yes, the one featured in Scorsese’s 1993 film version of “The Age of Innocence”!) to the library’s appointed booth! Thank you ALL for helping us that day, in so many ways, and for stopping by to say “hi” and share your thoughts about The Big Read! (Again we say: WHAT page are you on? Edith wants to know!)

The book discussions continued, and were grand, and then we got to – the Library’s 90th! WOW! If I started to share what was happening on Thursday and Friday “behind the scenes” at the Library so as to ready for 7:30 p.m. you never would believe me. But, in the end, it really was a “memory maker” evening, and so, SO many people are due thanks. Yes, it takes a village – and I think the whole village participated on Friday. Please, if you know of anyone who was unable to be at Dedication/Re-Dedication on Friday and/or THE READ on Friday/Saturday, bring them in to see “Caldwell's Age of Innocence: Early Photographs From The Gene Collerd Archive.” Bruce White did a masterful job of curating this unbelievable exhibit – which is just the “tip of the iceberg” we suggest! It was an honor, and great pleasure, for us to unveil this exhibit and room dedicated to Gene and Kathryn McDermott Collerd. And, it meant so very much to us all that Joe Collerd, Gene Collerd, Jr., and his wife, Elizabeth, were able to be with us Friday evening. (I think that Gene, Jr., especially, as the musician trained at Yale, appreciated the talents of violinist Daniel Khost, violinist Annamaria Vasmatzidis and cellist Allegra Whiting. These young people are all students of Nancie Lederer, who also graced us with her talents Friday evening. My deepest gratitude to all of you!)

Now, onto The Big Read’s REALLY BIG happenings this week:

~Our keynote speaker, Dr. Carol Singley, Wharton Scholar from Rutgers, will be presenting at Caldwell College’s Alumni Theatre at 7 p.m. this Wednesday, October 17. PLEASE join us, and tell all your friends, neighbors, relatives. If you know of someone who needs a ride there, offer it, or let us know and we will help figure it out! We are looking to show Dr. Singley (and the National Endowment for the Arts) that we LOVE to read, we LOVE Wharton, and The Big Read is BIG in the Caldwells! In fact, National Endowment for the Arts Literature Specialist, Erika Koss, will be joining us Wednesday evening. She wrote the materials we have all been enjoying and benefiting from, so thank her!

~Thursday morning Ms. Koss, and Supreme Court of New Jersey Justice Virginia A. Long will be addressing the teenagers from James Caldwell High School (“JCHS”) and Mount Saint Dominic Academy (“MSDA”) that have been reading “The Age of Innocence.” As the students met together in September at JCHS to enjoy a dramatic reading from the novel, they will meet Thursday at MSDA for this special program designed especially for them.

~Saturday means a “tea party” for the younger women (much younger women!) to celebrate The Big Read, so if you haven’t signed up your daughter or know of a school aged girl who would enjoy the event and hasn’t signed up, go and do so now! Space is limited to 45 so please call 973-226-1636 or email: edith@caldwellpl.org.

Check out the “Upcoming Events” section of our website (www.caldwellpl.org) for all the details, as well as details concerning the other two MAJOR Big Read events for our community: Wednesday, October 24th Eleanor Dwight program and Thursday, November 1st Linda Costanzo Cahir program.

~Karen (Kleppe Lembo)

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

I am most excited at the prospect of yet another book discussion group meeting this afternoon at the library. Jackie Patton, an English teacher who grew up in West Caldwell, and has returned with her husband to raise her family here, will be facilitating our discussion. Join us!

And, please, pending formal thank you notes, know how much we all appreciate the many businesses and friends in town lending their support in a panoply of fashions. Banks, restaurants, stores of all sorts, realtors, post offices, the Grover Cleveland Birthplace, the Borough Hall and Community Center - all are helping us so very much by displaying "Edith Big Read posters" and keeping the good word going. (Please thank these businesses when you see that poster or those reader's guides in their establishments - and check out our "Upcoming Events" page to see what discounts you can use where and on what days.)

The community has shared with us their resources, and we are grateful. Now, tell me again: WHAT page are you on?

~Karen

P.S. Don't forget: our the re-dedication of the Caldwell Public Library on the occasion of its 90th anniversary and the dedication of the Gene and Kathryn Collerd Local History Resource Room is scheduled for Friday, October 12, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. Gene and Kathryn's sons and families will be here - please note the date on your calendar right now!

Friday, September 21, 2007

As I wrap up a couple items this afternoon, all I can say is: WOW! What a week! This past Wednesday the library had its second book discussion, which I enjoyed as much as last Saturday's discussion, but for far different reasons. I saw Mae in a far different light - and a controversial decision she made in a completely different fashion. Wonderful! (And I met and had the chance to really talk with women I might never have met otherwise!)

Then, words cannot express what we all experienced at James Caldwell High School in the afternoon of the 19th - a priceless gift from Alysia Reiner, David Alan Basche and Terry Berenson! But, I cannot say it better than the Star Ledger did today (and WHAT a great picture!). Take page 33 (Essex County Section) out of recycling and read it - if you haven't already!

Hope you can join us at one, or better yet BOTH, of our book discussions during the week ahead. You have a week-end to READ - since - "Edith does want to know what page you are on....?"

~Karen

Monday, September 17, 2007

Good Morning! Just a BIG READ update: this past Saturday we had our first book discussion group for The Age of Innocence - it was phenomenal! Some loved the book, some didn't love the book - in fact, strongly disliked the book! - but, the different insights and viewpoints and areas of discussion made for quite an intellectually stimulating Saturday morning. For all who got up early, for all who sacrificed time with family to join us, for those who finished the book, and those who didn't, and for Sheila who travelled the greatest distance to attend, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

We have another group set up for Wednesday morning, and many more scheduled for different days, times and locales. Please consider joining us for The Big Read. You will not be disappointed!

~Karen

Friday, September 7, 2007

FRIENDS ~ Back from vacation - best vacation of my ENTIRE 50 years of life. BUSY non-stop with BIG READ! Check out our website, check www.neabigread.org, and MAKE SURE you are part of our community's BIG READ! Next BIG READ Committee meeting is this Monday night, September 10, 2007 @ 7:30 p.m. in the Library. Consider joining us!

~Karen

Friday, August 3, 2007

"My ruling passions: Justice - Order - Dogs - Books - Flowers - Architecture - Travel - A good joke...and perhaps that should have come first." ~Edith Wharton diary entry

"There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." ~Edith Wharton

Dear Friends,

As I prepare to leave with my family on vacation in three hours (it is official - I am insane!), I can hardly tear myself away from the BIG READ itis (all good, all good!) that has overtaken all of us at our library - staff, friends, volunteers, Library Board, BIG READ partners - for the past two months.

A couple things before I leave: first, check out the "Upcoming Events" section of our website for the latest information on what we are planning for our BIG READ! Second, if you haven't gotten the book yet, either get it from our library, or any library, or Book World or BORDERS, and please plan to join us for as many programs during the fall that you are able to squeeze in. It should be GREAT as well as BIG!

And, while our June 25th press release should have answered most, if not all, of your questions as to - "WHAT the Sam Hill is the BIG READ?" - I am including below, for your 'ready reference' the information shared at the past two BIG READ committee meetings.

"The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.

The Big Read answers a big need. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, a 2004 report by the National Endowment for the Arts, found that not only is literary reading in America declining rapidly among all groups, but that the rate of decline has accelerated, especially among the young. The concerned citizen in search of good news about American literary culture would study the pages of this report in vain.

The Big Read aims to address this crisis … by provid[ing] citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their communities. The initiative includes innovative reading programs in selected cities and towns, comprehensive resources for discussing classic literature, an ambitious national publicity campaign, and an extensive Web site providing comprehensive information on authors and their works.

Each community event lasts approximately one month and includes a kick-off event to launch the program locally, ideally attended by the mayor and other local luminaries; major events devoted specifically to the book (panel discussions, author reading, and the like); events using the book as a point of departure (film screenings, theatrical readings, and so forth); and book discussions in diverse locations and aimed at a wide range of audiences." ~taken from www.neabigread.org

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and see you either at our Monday, August 27, 2007 BIG READ Committee Meeting (7:30 p.m., here at the library), or, at one our great BIG READ happenings!

Ciao for now ~ Karen (Kleppe Lembo)

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

"Life changes in the instant. The ordinary instant."

-Joan Didion, TheYear of Magical Thinking

Dear Friends,

As I just reviewed my April 23, 2007 message of thanks to all of you for your kindness and patience with us as we dealt with the challenges of the April nor'easterner here at the Caldwell Public Library, and the above quote, I realized: the quote applies as well to my message today.

For 14 hours yesterday, via computer, telephone, fax machine and in person, we spread our wonderful news - of being the only New Jersey library to have been awarded a BIG READ grant from the National Endowment of the Arts. We are one of two institutions in New Jersey to have received this grant (Congratulations are due to the United Way of Salem County as well!), and only one of two institutions (of the 117 national grant recipients) to be reading Edith Wharton's Pulitzer Prize winning novel: The Age of Innocence.

I will 'cut and paste' the entire press release below, however, let me take one minute to thank the staff at the Caldwell Public Library (friends who I cherish), our Board of Trustees, and a number of very special angels (Eline Maxwell and Christine Corliss come to mind immediately).

Get ready for an incredibly exciting September through December 2007 - to appropriately celebrate this library's 90th anniversary on Friday, October 12, 2007. And, just a question: what page are you on? Trust me, when you see me from hereon in, I want to know!

Gratefully ~ Karen (Kleppe Lembo)

CALDWELL PUBLIC LIBRARY, ONLY NEW JERSEY LIBRARY AWARDED BIG READ GRANT FROM NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, LEADS FIGHT TO REVERSE DOWNWARD TREND IN READING

Library Launches Extensive Town-Wide Reading Initiative with Edith Wharton's Classic "The Age of Innocence"

Caldwell, N.J.-June 25, 2007-The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) today announced that among 117 national grant recipients, the Caldwell Public Library is the only New Jersey library to receive a 2007 BIG READ grant. The Library will use the $10,000 matching grant to promote and carry out community-based reading programs between September and December 2007. Additionally, the Library will offer a variety of speakers and programs this fall that will illuminate Edith Wharton's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The events, predominantly scheduled during October and November 2007, allow for book groups, students and indeed, all readers, to read the book and benefit from the wide array of related activities, maximizing the entire reading experience.

Launched nationally in 2006, the NEA presents THE BIG READ in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest to encourage literary reading by asking communities to come together to read and discuss a single book. Organizations selected to participate in THE BIG READ receive grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 to promote and carry out community-based programs.

Modeled on successful "one book, one community" programs, THE BIG READ was created to address the national decline in literary reading as documented in the NEA's 2004 landmark survey Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America. The survey showed that less than half the American adult population reads books as a leisure time activity.

"We are thrilled to be awarded this grant and given the opportunity to participate in the 2007 BIG READ program," said Library Director, Karen Kleppe-Lembo. "We embrace programs that foster a love of reading across all facets of our community, and THE BIG READ enables us to begin reversing the proven decline in literary reading, while targeting a wide spectrum of readers and potential readers in our community, including high school students, college students, book clubs and more."

To encourage community-wide participation in THE BIG READ, the Caldwell Public Library has partnered with James Caldwell High School, the Kiwanis Club of Caldwell-West Essex, and the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Caldwell. In addition, Caldwell College, Mount St. Dominic Academy, and a host of community, library, religious, social and other local book groups have joined the effort, all agreeing to read, review and discuss the classic work.

The Library selected The Age of Innocence from a list of twelve literary classics chosen by an esteemed panel of writers, poets, and critics convened by the NEA and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. "We are celebrating our 90th birthday this fall and Edith Wharton's novel was published just three years after our library was dedicated," added Kleppe-Lembo. "By reading this literary classic we are not only exposing our community to an ageless work of art, but also educating them about the history of our library and our town."

THE BIG READ is designed to restore reading to the center of American culture, bringing together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment. "By joining the Big Read, these cities and towns are showing how important reading is to the cultural, civic, even economic fabric of its community. They understand the benefit of having people from different generations and walks of life reading and discussing a great book," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. "Yes, this is about reading, but it's also about getting people to leave their homes and offices, unplug themselves for a few hours, and enjoy the pleasures of literature with their neighbors."

"We are pleased to announce this second round of Big Read grants. The first-round grantees created innovative and exciting partnership activities that exceeded our expectations," said IMLS Director Anne-Imelda Radice, Ph.D. "We're eager to support these additional communities in launching their collaborative efforts. Through the Big Read, IMLS and NEA are assisting people all across the country as they come together in community to rediscover the great American novel."

The NEA also provides participating communities with a library of free materials, including Reader's and Teacher's Guides for each of THE BIG READ novels, an Audio Guide for each novel featuring distinguished actors and writers, an online organizer's guide for hosting a BIG READ program, BIG READ publicity materials, and a comprehensive program website. The audio guide for The Age of Innocence features screen actor Alfred Molina.

To participate in the Caldwell Public Library's BIG READ programs or for more information on local activities and events related to THE BIG READ, please contact Karen Kleppe-Lembo at 973-226-2837 or librarian@caldwellpl.org.

For a complete list of communities participating in THE BIG READ, a list of THE BIG READ novels, program application guidelines, or more information on the program, please visit www.neabigread.org.

The Caldwell Public Library, an Andrew Carnegie Library dedicated in 1917, celebrates its 90th birthday in October 2007. Its mission is to provide its diverse community with a wide array of literary, cultural, historical, educational and social resources through personal service and innovative programs utilizing a range of learning technologies in a welcoming environment. www.caldwellpl.org.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts-both new and established-bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information, please visit www.arts.gov.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: www.imls.gov.

Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest's history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit www.artsmidwest.org.

-Adopted by Caldwell Public Library Board of Trustees on May 18, 2006