Writing For The Love Of It

It’s truly a labor of love!

Welcome to the third issue of Writings from the Edge, the magazine of stories, poems, and essays by writers from the Edgewater Library writing group.

Joanna BroussardNovember 11, 2024Friends of the Edgeater Library | Edgewater LibraryEdgewater Writing Group, Edgewater Branch Library, Writings on the Edge, writing, adult writing workshop, writing workshop, community writers, Community Writing Project, Friends of the Edgewater LibraryComment

Everybody Has A Story!

“Edgewater Stories” made us laugh, cry, ooh, and ah! We hope you’ll find them as entertaining, thought-provoking, and emotional as we did.

Edgewater StoriesJoanna BroussardNovember 6, 2024Friends of the Edgewater Library | Edgewater Branch LibraryEdgewater Stories, Edgewater Branch Library, Friends of the Edgewater Library, Chicago Public LibraryComment

Celebrating Filipino American History Month

Who knew? Chicago boasts one of the largest and most vibrant groups of Filipino Americans in the United States. Many of these individuals live in the Uptown, Edgewater, and Rogers Park neighborhoods.

Books On The Chopping Block

These seemingly unrelated books have something in common: To Kill a Mockingbird, Beloved, 1984, and Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl. They’re all on the list of most banned and challenged books.

Joanna BroussardSeptember 24, 2024Friens of the Edgewatr Library | Edgewater Librarybanned books, Books on the Chopping Block, Banned Book Week, Chicago Public Libraries, Edgewater Library, Friends of the Edgewater Library, Freed Between The Lines, freedom of expression, American Library Association, Top Ten Banned Books, Chicago Public Library, censorship, freedom, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, ALA Office of Intellectual FreedomComment

My First Library Book

How does a certain library book that influenced a little girl still have an impact on her decades later?

Which book is it?

Joanna BroussardAugust 14, 2024Friends of the Edgewater Library | Edgewater LibraryCrockett Johnson, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Friends, Friends of the Edgewater Library, purple, Dawn Olderr Montalvo, Chicago Public Library, CPL, Austin Branch Library, Children's Books, Library card, Children's Classics, Babar, Pinocchio, Pippi Longstocking, lavender Comment

Ready, Set, Action! The Year In Review

WOW! What a year we’ve had! Ideas without action are just words on paper. Thanks to you, 2023-2024 has been a year of activity.

Joanna BroussardMay 22, 2024Friends of the Edgewater LibraryFriends of the Edgewater Library, Year in Review, Bookmark programs, Board Games & Puzzle Exchange, The No Book Club, community engagement, Edgewater Stories, Board Activities, Edgewater Branch Library, Edgewater Library, Chris Brown, CPL Commissioner, CPL, Chicago Public LibrariesComment

Speaking of Presidents

While the third Monday in February is a day to honor present and past presidents of the United States, we’re recognizing Abraham Lincoln. The official state slogan of Illinois is “Land of Lincoln.”

Photo courtesy of CPL website; Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded In A Divided America by Steve Inskeep

Joanna BroussardFebruary 13, 2024Friends of the Edgewater Library, Friends, Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Douglas Debates, political debates, National Park Service, Land of Lincoln, Illinois, speeches, candidates, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Steve Inskeep, Civil War, American Civil War, Looking for Lincoln, Lee PriceComment

Splash your friends!

Splish Splash. It’s National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day on January 11. Read how one Friend associated this day of recognition with her childhood adventures in the library.

Joanna BroussardJanuary 8, 2024Friends of the Edgewater Library | Edgewater Branch LibraryFriends of the Edgewater Library, Chicago Public Library, Edgewater Branch Library, Edgewater Library, Splash Your Friends, Step in a Puddle, Lee Price, Communications Committee, Children's Book-A-Day Almanac, Edward Eager, Half Magic, magic, Edward Ormondroyd, Time At The TopComment

National Sacher Torte Day and a sweet memory

Delectable, decadent cake and cozy mysteries layered with an amazing experience. Celebrate National Sacher Torte Day on Dec. 5.

Joanne KitsosNovember 30, 2023Friends of the Edgewater Library | Edgewater Branch LibrarySacher Torte, Vienna, Sacher Hotel, Friends of the Edgewater Library, Europe, National Sacher Torte Day, Chicago Public Library, University of Vienna, Sigmund Freud, Cozy Mystery, Cafe Selmarie, Lutz BakeryComment

National Friends of the Library Week 2023

Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown sent an email to the Friends’ groups throughout Chicago for National Friends of the Library Week.

Joanna BroussardOctober 16, 2023Friends of the Edgewater Library | Edgewater Branch LibraryNational Friends of the Library Week, Chicago Public Library, Friends of the Edgewater Library, Friends, Edgewater Branch Library, Edgewater LibraryComment

Whatcha Reading?

I tell people that I literally grew up in my hometown library in central Nebraska. That makes sense because my mother was a librarian. She instilled in me my love of reading across authors and genres, and I grew to love talking with others about what they were reading.

Friends Edgewater LibraryAugust 24, 2023Friends of the Edgewater Library | Edgewater Branch LibraryNo Book Club, Friends of the Edgewater Library, Tom Welch, love of reading, books, libraries, love of libraries, love to read, Edgewater Village Chicago, Edgewater Branch Library, Nebraska, stories, librarian, librarians, Chicago Public Library, Edgewater LibraryComment

It's A Wrap: The Friends' Year in Review

Looking back over the past year, I decided that in many ways it was a great example of “everything old is new again.”

My First Love - The Public Library

Libraries always have been a refuge for me. A place of limitless potential to whisk me away to another time and experience.

Storybook Tea Time for Two

What are the ingredients for a storybook tea party? Children and their caregivers were delighted to find out.

Joanna BroussardNovember 9, 2022Edgewater branch Library | Friends of the Edgewater LibraryStuart Griner, Children's Librarian, nursery rhyme, tea party, storybook, I'm a Little Teapot, Friends of the Edgewater Library, Friends, National Friends of the Library Week, Edgewater Branch Library, Edgewater, parents, children, tea, story time, Chicago Public LibraryComment

“The Canterville Ghost” Materializes at Edgewater Branch Library

"The Canterville Ghost" was the first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in two parts on February 23 and March 2, 1887.

Joanna BroussardNovember 4, 2022Friends of the Edgewater Library | Edgewater Branch LibraryOscar Wilde, The Canterville Ghost, Megan Wells, Friends of the Edgewater Library, Friends, National Friends of the Library Week, Picture of Dorian Gray, Edgewater Library, Edgewater Branch LibraryComment

Celebrating National Friends of the Library Week

Friends of the Libraries groups have their own national week of celebration to highlight the work they do in support of their local libraries.

Joanne KitsosOctober 21, 2022Friends of the Edgewater Library | Edgewater Branch LibraryNational Friends of the Library Week, Friends, Friends of the Edgewater Library, Edgewater Library, Chicago Public Library, Edgewater Branch Library, libraries, Friend A Library, Friend Your LibraryComment

What’s the Library Worth to You?

Whether or not you’re a frequent visitor to the library, you may want to try this calculator to find out what the library is worth to you.

Joanna BroussardApril 22, 2022Friends of the Edgewater Library | Edgewater Branch Libraryvalue of library, Chicago Public Library, Edgewater Branch Library, books, Friends of the Edgewater Library, worth, Friends, libraries, Connect With Your LIbrary, National Library WeekComment

The Mystery of Nancy Drew

At age 10, I remember reading The Secret of the Old Clock and The Hidden Staircase and eagerly searching for the latest book with the dark blue cover by Carolyn Keene at the library.

Midsummer Reads

It’s the middle of summer and, for me, that means lazy days with a glass of lemonade and a book

Joanna BroussardAugust 13, 2021Friends of the Edgewater LibraryMidsummer Reads, Friends, Friends of the Edgewater Library, Kristin Hannah, No Book Club, Chicago Public Library, Goodreads, Bookends and Beginnings, The New York Times, Literary Hub, Women and Children FirstComment

Writings From The Edge

When I heard of the Edgewater writing group, I joined it hoping to have a chance to share my thoughts and get feedback on stories that were swirling in my head.

Let’s Blog | Frendz

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