The heroic young wizard who has sparked a new interest in reading is our focus for teens this month as the Get Inspired! Meet a Hero @ Your Library community-wide reading program continues.

This February through April, libraries across CU are recommending books and presenting free events about heroes. Visit meetaheroatyourlibrary.org to see our monthly picks of hero-themed books and related events for all ages. Once you’ve read a recommended book, share your reaction and tell us what inspires you on our blogs. We’d love to get a community dialogue started.

The “Meet a Hero @ Your Library” program is made possible by a $100,000 LSTA grant.

Our March “Meet a Hero” book picks for teens are all in the Harry Potter series, and we’ve packed our calendar with Potter programs. Catch top wizarding band The Remus Lupins (pictured) at the library on Friday, March 14, at 7 pm, in a free Wizard Rock concert. This LA band will headline at the Wrock Chicago concert this August. Joining them in Champaign is Ginny & the Heartbreakers from Oklahoma.

Other Potter events in March include Wednesdays @ Hogsmeade, a weekly program of crafts and computer games at 3 pm, and a free showing of the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on Friday, March 28, at 6 pm.

For a one-time gift of $5,000, your name, or that of your designee, can be forever displayed on a shelf in our beautiful new library.

Your shelf sponsorship gift can support collections, programs, or the library endowment. You can give online with our secure form or pick up a newsletter at the library and use the form inside. To charge your gift by phone or if you prefer to make a gift of stock, contact Donna Pittman, development director, at 217/403–2048 or dpittman@champaign.org.

Engraved Glass Wall

Your name may be engraved on the beautiful glass donor wall in the new library lobby for a gift of $10,000. For that gift, two shelves will also be dedicated to you or a designee. Please contact Donna Pittman or visit our website to learn more.

Minnie Pearson joined the Library Board of Trustees in 2005, having been a part of our strategic planning process in 2003.

Describe the importance of public libraries.

I believe a public library helps to define and enhance the community in which it is located. In many ways, it can be an extremely powerful, important pillar of the community. Champaign is very fortunate to have a wonderful newly built library and many new resources. It is a safe, attractive, inviting, child friendly place for all who walk in. It is evident that the status of our library is reflective of and supported by the generosity of citizens in the Champaign community.

Describe your background and what you bring to the board.

I attended Parkland College then transferred to the U of I, where I received my undergraduate degree and a master’s in elementary education. I taught first grade for over thirty years in the Unit #4 schools. I love working with people and especially children, and am a mentor to two students. I am a member of Kappa Delta Pi, an international education honor society. On the University YWCA Board, I’ve served as president and vice president. I was secretary on the Urban League Board for three years, and in Delta Sigma Theta’s local chapter, I’ve served as president and in many other leadership roles. I am currently the education committee chairperson for the NAACP’s Champaign County Branch and a member of the Douglass Branch Advisory Board and the U of I Children’s Youth Literature Festival Committee.

Tell us a little about your family, pets, etc.

My husband, Bobby Pearson, is retired from the U of I as a sound technician. My daughter, Lucretia, works for the U of I. Her son, Chumar Williams, is a senior at Uni High School. I have one son, Bobby Jr., of Denver. He and his wife gave me a granddaughter, Britany. Every Christmas I ask Santa for a little dog, but they must be hard to come by, because I never get one.

What have you read, watched, or listened to lately?

I am reading Black Pain by Terrie M. Williams and recently finished The Color of Water by James McBride. As a retired teacher, good picture books still get my attention every time I enter a library or bookstore. I watch a lot of Book Talk TV and love the History and Animal Channels.

Two handicapped parking spaces are now available on Randolph Street, near the sidewalk to our entrance. This walkway is temporary and will be replaced when the parking lot and landscaping are completed later this spring. We also now offer walkers with baskets, along with wheelchairs, for use inside the Main Library. Ask for them at the Checkout Desk.