​Death is part of the human experience; all of us have experienced loss, and all of us will die one day. Yet conversations about death and dying are difficult and often avoided even with our closest family members and friends. Lake County Libraries invite you to a meaningful community discussion on Wednesday, November 18 in the Main Library - Lakeview meeting room and Thursday, November 19 in the Christmas Valley Community Hall. Both programs begin at 7:00 pm.
 
Participants will come away from this conversation with a strengthened sense of community support, as well as a resource list with tools and information to help them consider how to shape a meaningful approach to death and dying. During the program, participants will reflect on what stories and influences shape their thinking about death and dying and hear different perspectives and ideas from fellow community members by exploring essential questions: What do we think about when we think of dying? As people we’ve known have moved closer to death, what seemed to work well for them and the people close to them? What seemed difficult? When we think about our own dying, what do we want most?
 
Talking about Dying is a statewide initiative by Oregon Humanities, created in partnership with Cambia Health Foundation, to bring thirty conversations about death and dying to communities across the state from September through November. These conversations will be facilitated by trained professionals working in the fields of chaplaincy, counseling, gerontology, facilitation, and hospice care. For more information about this free community discussion, please contact Library Director Amy Hutchinson at 541-947-6019 or amyh@lakecountylibrary.org.
 
Oregon Humanities (921 SW Washington, Suite 150; Portland, OR 97205) connects Oregonians to ideas that change lives and transform communities. More information about Oregon Humanities’ programs and publications, which include the Conversation Project, Think & Drink, Humanity in Perspective, Idea Lab, Public Program Grants, and Oregon Humanities magazine, can be found at oregonhumanities.org. Oregon Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities and a partner of the Oregon Cultural Trust.

Lake County Library District Main Library is pleased to announce “Come Write In” events on three Saturdays in November for National Novel Writing Month participants. NaNoWriMo writers can stay in the meeting room as late as they want on Saturday, November 7, 14, or 21 as long as they arrive between noon and 4:00 p.m. – the regular library business hours. The meeting room has plenty of power outlets for laptops and a high speed Internet connection. Writers will not have access to the library after 4:00 p.m.


National Novel Writing Month is a “fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing,” according to their website. Participants have a goal of writing a 50,000 word novel between November 1 and November 30. They register online, where they can earn badges as they progress to the finish line, network with other writers, and check out resources to help them along. 2015 participants will be throwing the doors to open to “the NaNoWriMo Library.”
 
Last year, NaNoWriMo welcomed 325,142 writers, including over 80,000 students and educators participating via the Young Writers Program. Of those, 58,917 hit their goals and completed a 50,000 word draft by November 30, 2014. Since its inception in 1999, over 250 NaNoWriMo novels have been traditionally published, including Sara Gruen’s Water For Elephants, Erin Morganstern’s The Night Circus, and Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl.
 
For further information or questions, please contact Library Director Amy Hutchinson at 541-947-6019 or amyh@lakecountylibrary.org.

Thanks so much to everyone who came out for the Endowment Dinner on October 17, 2015!