Honoring Bussie, a long-time library supporter

Published 8:00 am Saturday, August 18, 2018

Welcome to the new Saturday edition of “What’s Happening at the Library.”

Now that this column will be published Saturdays, readers can make coming to the library part of their weekend, and this Saturday spot allows me to highlight all events and classes for the coming week.

In the Monday spot, some events and classes got short shrift.

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So prop your slippered feet up, take another sip of coffee and let’s see what’s happening next week.

The biggest upcoming event is the Back-to-School Book Sale, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, in the library’s Rose Mary Codell Brooks Community Room. There will be the same unbeatable price, $3 for a bag of books. The library will provide the bags.

The library has received some wonderful donations during the past few months — everything from classic fiction to medical books — all will be available. You might be able to pick up books your children will be reading during the school year. You will definitely be able to find books you will enjoy reading until the library’s Black Friday Book Sale in November.

If you are having trouble deciding on the book you want to buy, library ambassador Lisa Johns will be helping at the sale Saturday, and she’s one of the best reader advisors in the universe. Ask Lisa for great recommendations.

If you have questions about the Back-to-School Book Sale, call the library at 744-5661, and ask for Lynn Wills or Caleb Diederich.

Other happenings:

— At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Meeting of Minds discusses how perceptions of time change as we age. Last month, Minders considered how the experience of summer changes after childhood. This month, we will consider whether those changes are inevitable or learned.

— At 2 p.m. Wednesday, Kentucky Picture Show presents a 1966 romantic comedy about a woman who must steal a statue from a Paris museum to help conceal her father’s art forgeries. Peter O’Toole and Audrey Hepburn star in their prime.

— At 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Engine House Pizza Pub, reference librarian Jeff Gurnee drives trivia champs bats with baffling challenges.

— At 10 a.m. Friday, Write Local sets new standards for poetry and prose in Clark County … maybe even in Montgomery County.

— From 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Saturday, Outside the Lines Adult Coloring. Go to the book sale, color a bit, go back to the book sale and then color some more.

Now, I must end this column on a very sad note.

As everyone knows, Henry “Bussie” Rosenthal passed away last Wednesday. Bussie served as the library board chairman for 11 years. During that time he was a prime mover for the construction of the current library. He served as the library’s legal counsel for nearly 20 years.

Bussie worked hard for the library.

He lifted our spirits with his jokes and inspired us because he let us know he believed in our work.

He presented one of the most charming and delightful local history programs we ever had, a program about Kentucky children’s furniture.

Talking to him was a treat. He had a knack for teaching us something new or saying something totally surprising.

In the picture at the top of this article, Bussie is borrowing a book from Clark County’s first free-standing library, the boxcar. Bussie’s name is at the top of the memorial plaque for this library building.

He was a lifelong friend of the library and we feel shaken by his death.

Happy trails, Bussie. You will always be with the library.

John Maruskin is director of adult services at the Clark County Public Library. He can be reached at john.clarkbooks@gmail.com.