32 Years, And Still Holding The Record!

On this day in 1983 the television series "M*A*S*H" finished up over a decade of episodes with the series finale "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen." The television series was adapted from the 1970 film by the same name. A film that was in turn adapted from a book titled MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker. That final episode remains to this day the most viewed season finale, with over 100 million viewers. If you'd like to see the final episode again, or maybe try to fit in a "M*A*S*H" marathon before spring hits; you can stop in at the library and checkout a season or two. We have all 11 seasons available for checkout.

Don't Forget The Food!

Remember this month if Amnesty Month, so there are only a few days left to bring in food for your fines. February 28th is the last day that the IPL will take off a dollar of fines for every food item you bring in.
If you prefer to pay your fines in cash, the money will still benefit the Independence Area Food Pantry until the end of February.
Be sure to stop in. Saturday will be here faster than you think.

Genealogy At The IPL!

Starting February 28th, the Independence Public Library will be hosting a series of Genealogy Sessions in the Community Room. You can get the basics in Genealogy 101 this Saturday (Feb. 28th) with Tony Bengston, and take more specific courses in the month of March. You can view the entire collection of Genealogy Sessions by clicking here or by visiting the IPL Website. If you would like to register for Genealogy 101 or any of the other Genealogy Sessions, you can stop in at the library or give us a call at 334-2470. All courses are free, but registration is required.

Cards'n'Convo

Join other adults for card games and some light conversation at the Independence Public Library every first and third Tuesday of the month. Cards'n'Convo is free and there is no registration required. The next Cards'n'Convo will be March 3rd, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. See you there!

It's Been 119 Years!

A certain chewy chocolate treat is celebrating it's 119th anniversary today. This popular candy can often be found flying freely through the air at parades, or trapped in the center of hard sugar candy perched on a stick. Know what it is? The Tootsie Roll! Stop in at the library today (February 23rd) and get a taste to celebrate!

Kari's Corner

Brother’s Blood by Scott Cawelti

                This novel is a fictional account based on the true events of a murder that occurred in Cedar Falls 1975.  The novel is written from Jerry Mark’s view.

            Jerry Mark was a Peace Corps volunteer, lawyer, 4-H leader, and vice-president of his Cedar Falls High School senior class.  He was about the last person you would expect to murder his brother and family in cold blood.  Jerry is jealous of his brother inheriting the family farm.  He tells everybody that he is taking a motorcycle trip to find himself.  He calls his girlfriend a few times and tells her where he is located.  However, later the police find out that Jerry lied about his location when they are able to trace his phone calls.  He is actually much closer to Iowa than he wants anybody to realize.

            This novel is much darker than something I would normally read, but I chose this as part of the true crime genre while participating in the library’s 5-5-5 Challenge.  (Read five different books from five genres that you normally do not read from.)  The novel was well written, and kept your interest.  It is horrifying to think that this really did happen, that a brother would murder his own brother out of jealousy and that he would also murder his sister-in-law and an innocent five year old and a 21 month old toddler.

            You can decide for yourself if Jerry is guilty or innocent.  However, the evidence presented in the book make a strong case against him.   After reading this, you may want to go and hug your own children.