Friends of the Decatur Public Library

06/20/2026

HUGE cookbook selection. We received a donation of BRAND NEW cookbooks! They are priced $1-$5 each! We also have gently used cookbooks ranging from .25-$3. LOOK at all the Taste of Home magazines- each marked .50 each, most look brand new. Also take a look at our gift bags and baskets. Open this week Monday. & Tue. 10:30-2:30, Thursday 3-6:30 and Saturday 9:30-12:30. This is also a drop off donation Saturday, we will have help available for you !

06/16/2026

Please join us on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 12:15 in the Decatur Public Library’s Madden Auditorium for Books Between Bites.

“Dictionary”—“A book explaining or translating, usu. in alphabetical order, words of a language or languages. II fig., A person or thing regarded as a repository of knowledge, convenient for consultation” from the Oxford English Dictionary. People regularly use dictionaries in their various forms, so the July 1 Books Between Bites will offer insights into the creation of what many consider the most important English language repository of words, their definitions, and their etymologies, The Oxford English Dictionary.

Sarah Ogilvie examines the development of the OED from an unusual perspective in her 2023 The Dictionary People: The Unsung Heroes Who Created the Oxford English Dictionary. Ogilvie organizes her exploration alphabetically with chapter titles such as “H for Hopeless Contributors,” “S for Suffragists, and “Z for Zealots.” While she does not have space to focus on all the contributors, Ogilvie shares how the definitions and usages were compiled and the stories of those who toiled for sometimes a decade to amass hundreds of entries and others who spent only a week for a dozen entries. We will learn about Professor James Murray, one of the lead directors of the OED project, and spend time on Dr. W. C. Minor, who made thousands of contributions while confined to the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. These fascinating stories Ogilvie investigated while serving as one of the more recent editors of the OED.

July’s presenter is Teena Zindel-McWilliams, Director of Institutional and Academic Planning at Richland Community College. A regular presenter at Books Between Bites, Teena is a lover of words, sentences, and books about books, she is always eager to share insights about the people who do not seek the spotlight but who should be recognized for contributions to great events.

Books Between Bites is a free program at the Decatur Public Library, sponsored by Friends of the Decatur Public Library

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06/14/2026

Local author Marcy Bialeschki dropped by the FOL bookstore Thursday. She brought a three book series plus three stand alone books for us to share with the community. She has another book in the works and we are thrilled to have her books in the store. Open this week Monday, Tuesday 10:30-2:30 and Thursday 3-6:30. Come check out our new arrivals and newly stocked shelves.

06/07/2026

We have five sets of Guidepost series. All are like new condition. Also we have Back to the Beach promo. We once again have two bookcases of Book Tok books. A great mix of fiction - heavy on romantsey - some brand new still in packaging. Open this week Mon& Tue 10:30-2:30, Thursday 3-6:30 and Saturday 9:30-12:30.@

06/04/2026

Take a look at the Book Tok shelves! Lots of new arrivals- some are brand new in plastic! Lots of Romantasy- also we received even more today but they will not hit the shelves until next week! Thank you to whoever is donating these- great donation. Last day for half price puzzles. Open today 3-6:30

05/30/2026

This book was purchased at Sam’s Club. Full price it is $30! At Sam’s they charge $17.98. FOL would charge $7! It would be in like new condition! Just a sample of our pricing and what we have to offer! Most hardbacks ( not new releases) are $1 and paperbacks are .50. Puzzles are half price for another week. Come stock up-the MOST you will pay is $3! Open Mon& Tue 10:30-2:30 and Thursday 3-6:30.

05/22/2026

We were recently gifted with an incredible donation. It is a 16-volume set (housed in 11 books) of biblical texts and essays written by long forgotten foremost Christian authority Theodor Christoph Lilienthal. All the books are in German. The 16 volumes began being published in 1750 and were completed in 1779. The books are titled, depending on your translator, The Just Cause of Divine Revelation Vindicated and Rescued Against Its Enemies although when you Google Lens this title it comes out Divine Revelation. Lilienthal was, at the time, the foremost leading authority on religion and he dissected the Bible arguing that everything in it was true and he worked overtime to prove his beliefs. These sixteen volumes are an apologetic defense of divine revelation, addressing critics of both the Old and New Testaments. These books are in astonishingly great condition for being over 276 years old. They are not moldy, the pages are made of ragpaper, so not a page is torn. There is some foxing but not at all what you might anticipate. You really have to see these up close to appreciate them. These books sell on ebay and Bookfinder for a small fortune. Each book generally runs $125. The Friends aren’t about to ask over $1000 for these books because no one would buy them. We are asking $200 for the complete set. If you want to see them ask for Tony the Special Book Guy and he will take you into the sorting room to look at them.

SOLD.

05/20/2026

FOL is having a book donation drive Saturday May 23rd. Please consider donating your gently used books, DVDS, CDs, puzzles and adult coloring books. We will have help to unload your vehicles. 9:30-12:30! We turn your donations into items the community can purchase for way under original purchase prices. We then give the Decatur Public Library to offer the free classes and events that they have to our community. Community supporting community! Keep in mind you can donate books anytime the library is open. There is a cart outside at the main doors and also a drop box inside the library!

We are especially asking for CDs and DVDs. We are running low on both.

Puzzles will be half price for a week starting this Thursday.

05/18/2026

Come add to your TBR pile! We have tons of new items out! Open this week Monday & Tuesday 10:30-2:30 and Thursday 3-6:30! Books, DVDS, CDS, puzzles, adult coloring books, and a few games-all complete and VERY reasonable prices - games for all ages!

We are also open on Saturday from 9:30 to 12:30. It is a book drop off day. Bring your used books, cds, dvds, and puzzles to the library parking lot. We will help you unload them.

05/07/2026

Just received huge donation of romance! Some sets are included. Also new paranormal and spicy romance added to the romance shelves!