On April 20, the Friends of the Troy Public Library received the 2011 Outstanding Friends of Libraries Award (Class IV-VI libraries) from the Friends of Michigan Libraries group, at it annual meeting. The Friends of Troy were chosen over 16 other applicants for “carrying out an outstanding project or activity that had significant impact on their library’s services to the community,” through their efforts to save the Troy Public Library from closing. The award includes a plaque, which will be on display at the Troy Public Library, and a $400 stipend, which the Friends will use towards their ongoing efforts to promote and support the Library.

The staff of the Troy Public Library offers sincere congratulations to the Friends of the Troy Public Library on this well-deserved award!

(Above: Friends of Michigan Libraries' President Charles Hanson presents the award to the officers of the Troy Friends.)

April showers are out - May flowers are in!

To help you make the most of your backyard, the Troy Library staff have dug up a collection of books on gardening and landscaping, on display now in the Library's Adult Information area. Whether you are growing turnips or tulips, we have materials that can suit your specific needs.

If you are looking for inspiration, you can click here to browse through some of our gardening and planting titles. Stop by today and watch your knowledge grow!

Can't make it to the Library? Don't forget that we have a collection of eBooks that you may access from home. Click here to take a look. To check out eBooks, you will need a valid Troy Library card.

You will not believe all the great things that tumble out of the Troy Library's toy box during Play Time each Monday morning from 10 am - 12 noon! Children find an assortment of toys to enjoy, and they learn new skills by playing and discovering. Adults who accompany them spend quality time with their youngsters and meet new friends. Play Time is a worthwhile adventure for everyone.

Look for lots of Legos at the Library on Thursday afternoons from 4 - 6 pm. We have thousands of Legos of all sizes, and themed play sets for children age five and up. Build anything imaginable. Dream big and create a work of art.

Play contributes to early literacy development by increasing attention span, memory, creativity, and language and vocabulary skills. It also lays the foundation for logical mathematical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solving. These are things children will carry with them throughout their school years.

(Photos: bunchofpants and Slack pics)

Are you an avid reader? Do you love to discuss what you read with family and friends? If so, you might want to join one of the Troy Public Library’s Book Discussion Groups. The groups meet monthly, at different times during the day or week. Whether you read fiction, non-fiction, mystery, or classics, there is a discussion group for you!

The upcoming May Book Discussion Groups are:

Booked for Lunch
Wednesday, May 2, 12:15 pm
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Life Readers
Wednesday, May 2, 7 pm
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Mystery Book Club
Tuesday, May 8, 10 am
Law and Disorder by Mary Jane Maffini

Dan Ewald’s Book Group
Tuesday, May 8, 7 pm
Half-Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls

Non-Fiction Book Group
Wednesday, May 16, 7 pm
The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine

All members of the public are invited and welcome to attend.

Forty years ago, in May 1971, the Troy Public Library at 510 West Big Beaver opened its doors to the public.

To honor that occasion, then-Troy children's librarian Marguerite Hart wrote to dozens of actors, authors, artists, musicians, playwrights, librarians, and politicians of the day. She asked them to write a letter to the children of Troy about their memories of reading and of books, and the importance of libraries.

Hart received 97 Letters to the Children of Troy from individuals who spanned the arts, sciences, and politics across the 50 states, Canada, and several other countries. Those replying included First Lady Pat Nixon; Michigan Governor William Milliken; Governor of California (and future president) Ronald Reagan; first-man-on-the-moon Neil Armstrong; Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley Brown; authors Isaac Asimov, Hardie Gramatky, Dr. Seuss, Dr. Ben Spock, and E.B. White; and actors Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Vincent Price, and Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.

In collecting these letters, Marguerite Hart created a snapshot of the cultural and political landscape of the early 1970s. She accumulated a diverse anthology of letters that enriches the Troy Public Library’s remarkable history, and one that is a lasting tribute to the children of Troy – past, present, and future.

Several Letters to the Children of Troy are currently on display in the Troy Public Library's lobby. Visit the Library and take a look at these pieces of Troy history.

To view all the letters, visit troylibrary.info/letterstothechildrenoftroy.