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Friday at the Ford Presents Patchouli
Friday, September 10, 7:30 p.m.


We start the 2010-2011 Friday at the Ford season with Patchouli, a progressive folk duo who fuse harmony, guitars, percussion, theology, and ethnobotony into their unique acoustic sound. Mixing their lively compositions with a few well-known standards, Julie and Bruce are highly entertaining for all ages. The concert is free of charge, thanks to the Western Springs Library Friends, who will provide refreshments. All Friday at the Ford concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m.


Chicago Gardens: The Early History
Lecture on Tuesday, September 14th, 7:00 p.m.


Chicago Gardens: The Early History by Cathy Jean Maloney Cathy Maloney, local author and senior editor at Chicagoland Gardening magazine, will discuss her book Chicago Gardens: The Early History at this informative program. Maloney has meticulously researched Chicago’s horticultural heritage, its pioneering gardeners, and its evolution as the nation’s produce hub. You will learn about the roles that the pioneers who planted native wildflowers as well as the immigrants who cultivated treasured seeds from their homelands had in making Chicago live up to its motto, Urbs in Horto. Several lucky attendees will win autographed copies of her book. Plan to attend this delightful program which is a combination of gardening lore and a history of the city that we love.


Welcome: A Film Discussion
Friday, September 17, 7 p.m.


WelcomeWelcome back, movie lovers! We are starting our fall season of film discussions with Welcome, winner of the Grand Prize for Dramatic Feature of the Heartland Film Festival. Bilal is a young Kurdish refugee following his girlfriend through Europe but is detained in Calais, on the French side of the Channel. Left with no other alternatives, he decides to swim across.

Our fall season is full of exciting dramas and documentaries from all over the globe. Catch one film or all of them, have some free popcorn, and stay for discussion afterwards. All films are shown on Fridays at 7 pm; doors open at 6:45.

(Drama, French & English, 109 minutes)


Thomas Ford's Triple Play Program


Show your Thomas Ford Memorial Library card when making a purchase with the following merchants and receive the designated discount through Summer 2010.

  • Clever Girl - 10% off regular priced items every Wednesday
  • The Competitive Foot – 10% off regular priced merchandise
  • The De-Clutter Box - $25 off your initial 2 hour home consultation. We walk through your entire home and develop solutions you can easily implement yourself, to tame the clutter in your home or office.
  • Snackers Café - Free order of regular-sized French fries with purchase of a specialty sandwich
  • Stems and Twigs - 10% off on Wednesdays
  • Studio Bliss Salon - 10% off retail purchases, excluding gift card purchases. The discount will not apply to payment for services and cannot be combined with any other offer.
  • Taste of Vino – 10% off lunch or dinner on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (excludes alcohol)
  • The Theatre of Western Springs - $8 off every Saturday matinee ticket

The Triple Play Program benefits our local businesses and organizations, the community and library patrons alike! If you would like to offer our patrons a discount, please e-mail laura@fordlibrary.org.


Sneak Preview: Books for October 2010


October is a traditional big month in the fall book publishing season. Here are some of the most anticipated titles already ordered for Thomas Ford:

    Busy Body
  • American Assassin by Vince Flynn
  • Brave by Nicholas Evans
  • Busy Body: An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M.C. Beaton
  • Chasing the Night by Iris Johansen
  • Christmas Odyssey by Anne Perry
  • Coming Back by Marsha Muller
  • Confession by John Grisham
  • Djibouti by Elmore Leonard
  • Embers of Love by Traci Peterson
  • Valcourt Heiress
  • Nemesis by Philip Roth
  • Painted Ladies by Robert Parker
  • Playing the Game by Barbara Bradford
  • Promise Me by Richard Evans
  • Real Murders by Charlaine Harris
  • Reversal by Michael Connelly
  • Valcourt Heiress by Catherine Coulter
  • Worth Dying For by Lee Child

You may place requests for these books at the Checkout Desk or by calling 246-0520. Requests will be filled in the order that they were received.


Join the Thomas Ford Collection Club!


The Thomas Ford Library Board and Thomas Ford Library Foundation have unveiled a new way for you to support your library and community. Through the Thomas Ford Collection Club, you can designate gifts that will strengthen Library's collections. For further details, check our Thomas Ford Collection Club web page.


Museum Adventure Pass


Museum Pass Promotion Venture into an aardvark den or master a mythical maze. Come face to face with a human-headed winged bull and sit peacefully in a Japanese garden. Your pass to these adventures and many more is already in your hands. Continuing through the year, Thomas Ford Library card holders can receive free admission to 17 exciting museums and cultural institutions throughout the Chicago area, such as the Chicago Botanic Garden, Brookfield Zoo, Morton Arboretum and Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies.

This special opportunity is made possible by a generous contribution from Macy's in partnership with the Metropolitan Library System.

You must visit the Library to pick up a pass for the museum of your choice. Each museum is contributing four passes each week, good for two to four free admissions depending on location. They are available on a first come, first served basis. So many adventures await! All you need to take part in these learning adventures is a valid library card. Note: You can only check out passes from your home library. One Museum Adventure Pass may be checked out per person, per loan period.

For a full listing of participating institutions and for check-out guidelines, go to www.museumadventure.org, or ask a Reference Librarian the next time you visit the Library.