Editor's note: Janel Keizer is president of the Friends of Monroe Public Library.
What are you reading now?
I heard a speaker in September talk about this woman, Rhonda Cornum, now Gen. Cornum, who is in charge of resiliency training for the army. I'm reading her autobiography "She Went War: The Rhonda Cornum Story." It's the story of (her experience as) a female flight surgeon shot down (in Iraqi territory) during the first Gulf war and her time as a prisoner of war.
That inspired me to start doing research. I use the library to research other female POWs. There were quite a few instances in our history. There were over 60 women POWs interned in a camp in the Philippines for over three years during World War II.
What book has inspired you?
Recently I read a book by Lee Ellis, called Leading With Honor. It is about his time as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton, and how he uses the leadership lessons that he gained from his experience there in life now. He works with different businesses as a consultant for leadership. Just recently I heard him speak in Madison. I read his book before I went to his talk, so that I would be able to better understand where he's coming from.
The history, of course is interesting, but how someone perseveres through such difficult experiences, and comes out such an amazing person is very inspiring. [It] makes my troubles seem light and momentary.
What was your favorite book growing up?
There was a book (The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton) about a little house in the country that ended up being in a city because the city grew up around it. Somehow the pictures in that book gripped me. At the end of the story the little country house turned city house was transplanted back to the country. It was a cute little happy story.
Did you go to the library a lot when you were little? How did you find out the books that you wanted to read?
My mom was a volunteer librarian in a little one-room library in the back of one of the churches in my hometown. We went there, and I went to the school library, too.
Did you bring your kids to the library when they were growing up?
Absolutely. Twice a week. I home-schooled my children. When we were going through a particular topic we'd come to the library, and I used the inter-library loan to find books that supported what we were teaching, if it was ancient Egypt or Rome or whatever it was we were going through.
They had their own interest on what they liked to read, for sure, but all of my kids enjoyed reading as they were growing up. I was happy. I felt as though that was an accomplishment. Three boys, three readers.
If you could be a character in a book, who would you be?
Sherlock Holmes. That's my choice. I'm going to stick with it.
Tell us about a book that you were disappointed in.
I read "Catcher in the Rye" as an adult a few years ago. After reading it, I thought, "Really? That guy was kind of messed up." I felt there was a lot of hype over it. It didn't really do much for me.
If you were stranded on a desert island and only had one book with you, what would it be?
Maybe one of those multiple-ending books and then I could keep reading and get a different ending each time. Those would be fun. The Bible is 66 books. I'd get a lot of bang for the buck if I asked for The Bible. There's a lot in there to read and digest.
Is there anything we haven't asked that you would like to tell us?
I can't imagine living without a library in my community. When I moved to Monroe 17 years ago, one of the selling points for me was that it had a nice library. Having the access to the inter-library loan. Then having the librarians that will go out and search outer-library for a book for you if you really need it, and have amazing success in doing that. It's an invaluable resource. I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have access to a library. I'd be a lot poorer, because I'd have to buy a lot of books.
Columnist's note: The Friends group is hosting a scavenger hunt event for adults and teens at Monroe Public Library on Feb. 20. Email friends@monroepubliclibrary.org or call Suzann at 328-7551 for more information.
What are you reading now?
I heard a speaker in September talk about this woman, Rhonda Cornum, now Gen. Cornum, who is in charge of resiliency training for the army. I'm reading her autobiography "She Went War: The Rhonda Cornum Story." It's the story of (her experience as) a female flight surgeon shot down (in Iraqi territory) during the first Gulf war and her time as a prisoner of war.
That inspired me to start doing research. I use the library to research other female POWs. There were quite a few instances in our history. There were over 60 women POWs interned in a camp in the Philippines for over three years during World War II.
What book has inspired you?
Recently I read a book by Lee Ellis, called Leading With Honor. It is about his time as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton, and how he uses the leadership lessons that he gained from his experience there in life now. He works with different businesses as a consultant for leadership. Just recently I heard him speak in Madison. I read his book before I went to his talk, so that I would be able to better understand where he's coming from.
The history, of course is interesting, but how someone perseveres through such difficult experiences, and comes out such an amazing person is very inspiring. [It] makes my troubles seem light and momentary.
What was your favorite book growing up?
There was a book (The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton) about a little house in the country that ended up being in a city because the city grew up around it. Somehow the pictures in that book gripped me. At the end of the story the little country house turned city house was transplanted back to the country. It was a cute little happy story.
Did you go to the library a lot when you were little? How did you find out the books that you wanted to read?
My mom was a volunteer librarian in a little one-room library in the back of one of the churches in my hometown. We went there, and I went to the school library, too.
Did you bring your kids to the library when they were growing up?
Absolutely. Twice a week. I home-schooled my children. When we were going through a particular topic we'd come to the library, and I used the inter-library loan to find books that supported what we were teaching, if it was ancient Egypt or Rome or whatever it was we were going through.
They had their own interest on what they liked to read, for sure, but all of my kids enjoyed reading as they were growing up. I was happy. I felt as though that was an accomplishment. Three boys, three readers.
If you could be a character in a book, who would you be?
Sherlock Holmes. That's my choice. I'm going to stick with it.
Tell us about a book that you were disappointed in.
I read "Catcher in the Rye" as an adult a few years ago. After reading it, I thought, "Really? That guy was kind of messed up." I felt there was a lot of hype over it. It didn't really do much for me.
If you were stranded on a desert island and only had one book with you, what would it be?
Maybe one of those multiple-ending books and then I could keep reading and get a different ending each time. Those would be fun. The Bible is 66 books. I'd get a lot of bang for the buck if I asked for The Bible. There's a lot in there to read and digest.
Is there anything we haven't asked that you would like to tell us?
I can't imagine living without a library in my community. When I moved to Monroe 17 years ago, one of the selling points for me was that it had a nice library. Having the access to the inter-library loan. Then having the librarians that will go out and search outer-library for a book for you if you really need it, and have amazing success in doing that. It's an invaluable resource. I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have access to a library. I'd be a lot poorer, because I'd have to buy a lot of books.
Columnist's note: The Friends group is hosting a scavenger hunt event for adults and teens at Monroe Public Library on Feb. 20. Email friends@monroepubliclibrary.org or call Suzann at 328-7551 for more information.