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Photos: Batavia reads Gardner at the Pok-A-Dot

By Howard B. Owens

Members of the John Gardner Society gathered, as they do every October, for a reading of selections from the work of Batavia's own John Gardner.

Top photo: Bill Kauffman reading a portion of an essay about Gardner by Susan Thornton, who was Gardner's fiancée at time of his death.

Byron Hoot, who began attending the readings a few years ago, driving to Batavia annually from his home in Pennsylvania. 

Jim Gardner, John's brother

Leona Pastore and Terry Abrams

Bill Kauffman

Brian Paris reading

Evening Adult Book Discussion

By Leslie DeLooze

The Evening Adult Book Discussion Group will meet at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia on Wednesday, November 19 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou.  Books are available at the library’s front desk.  For more information, call the library at 343-9550, ext. 8 or visit www.batavialibrary.org.

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Little free library blooms on Washington and Lewis, Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

Jen Reardon loves books and wants to encourage people to read more, so she set up a little free library in front of her house on the corner of Washington Avenue and Lewis Avenue.

She got the idea after learning about a web site called LittleFreeLibrary.org. In fact, she bought her brightly colored box from the web site. The site also tracks locations of little free libraries, and hers is the first one registered in Genesee County.

"I knew of nothing in area, at least on the map, so why not do this?" Reardon said. "I love books. I seem to always have lots of readers around me with lots of books and they're like, 'what can I do these,' so I thought we'll put them out and let people take a book, leave a book."

That's the whole concept of the little free library right there -- there's no fee, no library card to sign up for, you take a book and leave a book. Return what you take whenever you like, nor never return it if you like it that much. Just put something else in its place.

Yesterday was the first day for Reardon's little free library and quite a few people stopped and took books. Not too many have been added to the collection yet.

"Yesterday was a busy day at the little free library," Reardon said. "There was definitely more borrowing than trading, but since it's the first day, I don't think people really knew what to make of it."

Reardon already has one of the most colorful front yards in Batavia, with a cornucopia of flowers growing all spring, summer and fall. Her green, orange and purple box fits right in.

Her neighborhood is perfect for something like this, Reardon believes.

"We have all income levels within like a three block area," she said.

"I think people don't read enough and some people might not have access to books. You can always go to the library, but if you have books in your home, you're more likely to pick it up and read it, kids especially.

Evening Adult Book Discussion

By Leslie DeLooze

The Evening Adult Book Discussion Group will meet at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia on Wednesday, October 15 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss “Letters from Skye” by Jessica Brockmole.  Books are available at the library’s front desk.  For more information, call the library at 343-9550, ext. 8 or visit www.batavialibrary.org.

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Books Sandwiched In

By Leslie DeLooze

“Books Sandwiched In” will be held on Wednesday, October 15 at 12:10 p.m. at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia.  Pat Burk will review “Fosse”  by Sam Wasson.  Bring your own sandwich; coffee, tea and cookies served.  All are welcome to this talk.  For more information, call the library at (585) 343-9550, ext. 8 or log on to www.batavialibrary.org.

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Books Sandwiched In

By Leslie DeLooze

 “Books Sandwiched In” will be held on Wednesday, October 8 at 12:10 p.m. at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia.  John Holder will review “One Summer: America, 1927”  by Bill Bryson.  Bring your own sandwich; coffee, tea and cookies served.  All are welcome to this talk.  For more information, call the library at (585) 343-9550, ext. 8 or log on to www.batavialibrary.org.

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"Fizz, Boom, READ!" Summer Reading Club for Adults begins, runs thru Aug. 8

By Leslie DeLooze

Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross St., Batavia is presenting “Fizz, Boom, READ!,” a Summer Reading Club for Adults from June 23 through Aug. 8. Participants are encouraged to read through the summer, and a small gift is awarded for finishing six books.

In addition, participants receive entry forms for a chance to win some theme-related grand prizes, including laboratory beaker mugs and gift certificates to the library’s café, kitchen science kits, and gift cards.

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Evening Adult Book Discussion

By Leslie DeLooze
The Evening Adult Book Discussion Group will meet at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia on Wednesday, April 16 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss “The Golem and the Jinni” by Helene Wecker. Books are available at the library’s front desk. For more information, call the library at 343-9550, ext. 8 or visit www.batavialibrary.org.
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Tale Talk with Norm Gayford

By Leslie DeLooze

Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross St., Batavia presents “Tale Talk with Norm Gayford” on Monday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m.  Science fiction, speculative fiction...do these genres make you scratch your head and wonder what they are all about?  Sci-fi scholar and enthusiast Norman Gayford (Professor of English at GCC) will talk about these in relation to this year’s Tale for Three Counties book, The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker.  All are invited to this free program.   More information is available in the library and at

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Book Discussion

By Leslie DeLooze

The Evening Adult Book Discussion Group will meet at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia on Wednesday, March 19 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss THE AGE OF MIRACLES by Karen Thompson Walker.  This is the 2014 selection for “A Tale for Three Counties,” the 12th annual one-book program covering Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties.  Books are available at the library’s front desk to borrow or to purchase. Refreshments served.  For more information on this program and other area book discussions, call the library at 343-9550, ext.

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Book Discussion

By Leslie DeLooze

The Adult Book Discussion Group will meet at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia on Wednesday, March 5 at 7:45 a.m. to discuss THE AGE OF MIRACLES by Karen Thompson Walker.  This is the 2014 selection for “A Tale for Three Counties,” the 12th-annual one-book program covering Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties.  Books are available at the library’s front desk to borrow or to purchase. Refreshments served.  For more information on this program and other area book discussions, call the library at 343-9550, ext.

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Evening Book Discussion

By Leslie DeLooze

The Evening Adult Book Discussion Group will meet at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia on Wednesday, February 19 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED by Khaled Hosseini.  Books are available at the library’s front desk.  For more information, call the library at 343-9550, ext. 8 or visit www.batavialibrary.org.

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Mystery Readers' Book Discussion

By Leslie DeLooze

The Mystery Readers’ Mondays Discussion Group will meet at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia on Monday, January 27 at 7:00 p.m. to discuss WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE by Maria Semple.  Books are available at the front desk.

For more information, call the library at 343-9550, ext. 8 or log onto www.batavialibrary.org.

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Adult Book Discussion

By Leslie DeLooze

The Adult Book Discussion Group will meet at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia on Wednesday, January 8 at 7:45 a.m. to discuss THE BARTENDER’S TALE by Ivan Doig.  Books are available at the library’s front desk.  The Evening Discussion Group will talk about this book on Wednesday, January 15 at 6:00 p.m. For more information, call the library at 343-9550, ext. 8 or visit www.batavialibrary.org.

Evening Book Discussion

By Leslie DeLooze

The Evening Adult Book Discussion Group will meet at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia on Wednesday, January 15 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss THE BARTENDER’S TALE by Ivan Doig.  Books are available at the library’s front desk.  For more information, call the library at 343-9550, ext. 8 or visit www.batavialibrary.org.

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Northern Borders Movie Screening

By Leslie DeLooze

A Tale for Three Counties, the community-reads project for Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties, is presenting “Northern Borders Movie Screening ” on Saturday, January 11 at 2:00 p.m. at the Stuart Steiner Theatre at Genesee Community College, One College Road, Batavia.  This movie will include a talk with award-winning director/producer Jay Craven.  The movie is based on the novel by Howard Frank Mosher, which was the featured book for A Tale for Three Counties in 2004.  Tickets are $15.00 and may be purchased at local public libraries, at the GCC library and at the door.

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Evening Adult Book Discussion

By Leslie DeLooze

The Evening Adult Book Discussion Group will meet at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia on Wednesday, December 18 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY by Rachel Joyce.  Books are available at the library’s front desk.  For more information, call the library at 343-9550, ext. 8 or visit www.batavialibrary.org.

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Adult Book Discussion

By Leslie DeLooze

The Adult Book Discussion Group will meet at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia on Wednesday, December 11 at 7:45 a.m. to discuss THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY by Rachel Joyce.  Books are available at the library’s front desk.  Refreshments served.  The Evening Discussion Group will talk about this book on Wednesday, December 18 at 6:00 p.m. For more information, call the library at 343-9550, ext. 8 or visit www.batavialibrary.org.

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Evening Adult Book Discussion

By Leslie DeLooze

The Evening Adult Book Discussion Group will meet at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia on Wednesday, November 20 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB by Will Schwalbe.  Books are available at the library’s front desk.  For more information, call the library at 343-9550, ext. 8 or visit www.batavialibrary.org.

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