The 10th Annual Dr. Seuss Party Is Coming!

I have to tell you about this upcoming event now, because it's going to be here before you know it!
The 10th Annual Dr. Seuss Party will be held Tuesday, March 4th, right here at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library!
"Blast Off With Books!" will be a family event from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and a time when everyone will literally have a BLAST!
Miss Norma, the children's librarian, said they will be reading the book Goldilocks and the Three Martians. On top of that, everyone will make rockets. . .and SHOOT THEM OFF!
But there's more. . .the Junior Woman's Club will provide the refreshments for all who attend.
So, on March 4th load up the family and plan to "Blast Off With Books!" You always have a great time when you come to the library!
See you there!

Today in History and Random Thoughts

Once in a while my curiosity gets the best of me, and I have to check out The History Place and see what happened way back when.
Today I found out that on this day...

• in 1950 the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was ratified, limiting the President to two terms or a maximum of ten years in office.

I also found out that...

• in 1991 in Desert Storm, the 100 hour ground war ended as Allied troops entered Kuwait just four days after launching their offensive against Iraqi forces.

And it's also...

• the day American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born (1807-1882) in Portland, Maine. He was best known for Paul Revere's Ride, The Song of Hiawatha, and The Wreck of the Hesperus. I seem to remember having to memorize all those poems when in high school.

There's also a wonderful literary birthdays site I frequent and, along with Longfellow, this day is the birthday of...

• Boston-born African American dramatist and poet Angelina Weld Grimke (1880-1958);
• John Steinbeck, California novelist and 1962 Nobelist (1902-1968);
• Chicago native, novelist and short story writer James Thomas Ferrell (1904-1979);
• Chicago author Peter DeVries (1910);
• India-born British novelist Lawrence Durell (1912-1990), author of The Alexandria Quartet; and
• U.S. novelist Irwin Shaw (1913-1984).

A friend sent me some random thoughts she found online the other day. They are so true, and I thought I'd share a few with you.

• About the time we think we can make ends meet, somebody moves the ends. -Herbert Hoover-
• It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. -Abe Lincoln-
• Just when you think you have hit bottom, someone tosses you a shovel.
• Confidence is what you have when you don't really understand the situation.

So, after all that information, I'll leave you with this one thought: Life is what happens after you make other plans. Just live today and have a good day! (Sources: The History Place http://www.historyplace.com/; Waterboro Public Library http://www.waterborolibrary.org/)

There Are Reference Books You Should Know About!

We've been adding like crazy to our reference library, and there are reference books you should know about.
For those of you thinking about college, look at these books:

• Top 100 Careers Without a Four-Year Degree, Eighth Edition, by Michael Farr
• Health Careers in Georgia
• Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-2007 Edition, U.S. Department of Labor
• Book of Majors, Second Edition, by CollegeBoard
• 2008 Getting Financial Aid: Scholarships, Grants, Loans & Jobs by CollegeBoard
• 2008 Scholarship Handbook by CollegeBoard.

If you need to write a resume, look at this book:

• Same Day Resume: Write An Effective Resume in an Hour by Michael Farr.

Now, if you're interested in starting a business, look at these books:

• How to Start a Business in Georgia, 3rd Edition, by Judge Charles T. Robertson II and Mark Warda, Attorney at Law
• The Only Grant-Writing Book You'll Ever Need, 2nd Edition, by Ellen Karsh and Arlen Sue Fox
• Foundation Grants to Individuals, 11th Edition, from The Foundation Center
• The One Page Business Plan by Jim Horan.

And just to make the reference section of the library more interesting, look at these books:

• eBay Power Seller, Million Dollar Ideas by Brad Schepp and Debra Schepp
• A Civilian's Guide to the U.S. Military by Barbara Schading, Ph.D.
• The United States Government Manual 2007-2008
• World Book
• Chase's Calendar of Events 2008.

The reference section of the library is not hard to find. When you come up the front steps of the library it is straight ahead to the right of the circulation counter. If you come into the library from the parking lot, it will be just past the circulation counter to your left. There are plenty of seats and study areas, and library staff to help you.

The Silliness Of It All...

The other morning when I came in, something hit me and I couldn't shake it off. It was a silly feeling. I just wanted to hug everyone in sight.
So I did!
Everyone I saw, I hugged. I ran toward them with open arms and a big grin on my face. As I ran toward them, each person's eyes widened in surprise. Then they got a big grin on their face, too. And by the time I grabbed them and hugged tight, they hugged me back.
"Whatever are you doing?" someone asked as I grabbed them.
"I'm collecting hugs," I answered as I grabbed and squeezed hard. But of course, I explained why I was collecting hugs.
You see, a lovely little old lady I once knew at a nature center outside of Thomasville, Georgia, told me that you need twelve hugs a day to stay healthy. I never forgot what she said. And the other morning, when I clocked in at work, I decided that I really needed my twelve hugs as fast as I could get them.
In less than five minutes, I'd collected a hug from Norma, Sheila, Josh, Edna, Johnnie, Aileen, and Tyrone. And you should have heard the silly giggles and seen the smiles and bright eyes. After I'd hugged everyone, the place had a soft buzz in the air. It was the buzz of friendship.
It didn't have anything to do with books or the library. Just had to do with the silliness of it all and friends and staying healthy.
Hugs are great things! Being silly is too!
Mike Myers said, "Silly is you in a natural state, and serious is something you have to do until you can get silly again."
Jane Austen (1775-1817) said, "Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way."
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) said: "If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done." Now how about
that!
But Horace (65 BC - 8 BC) said it best: "Mix a little foolishness with your prudence: It's good to be silly at the right moment."
I think I hit just the right moment. We all had a good laugh and felt better. And hopefully, feeling better helps make you
healthier.
Try it sometime and see the response you get. There'll be a buzz of friendship around you...a warm buzz of happiness that will keep you healthy. It's really contagious...the silliness of it all.

A Little Tour Around Town

On Monday, when some of the businesses were closed for Presidents' Day, I took a "little tour around town," as my Mama used to say. Do you know, our town makes me think of books!
My first stop was at Al's Deli where I had a cup of coffee and a bagel with cream cheese. Just thinking of the food I was eating made me realize we have cookbooks at the library, such as: Food, Fun & Fable (641.5W), Not By Bread Alone (641.5N) and Recipes from the Olde Pink House (641.5R).
When I left Al's, I stopped a couple of stores down at Market on the Square to take a quick peek. There are strange and delightful antiques in that store, and I got interested in a couple. I knew we had books at the library about antiques that could explain some of them, and they are: Antiques You Can Decorate With (749.2G), Antique Collector's Dictionary (R708.04C) and Miller's Antiques & Collectibles: The Facts at Your Fingertips (745.1M).
Next, I walked across the street and stopped at Citi-Trends. They have clothes in there, but what caught my eye were the wind chimes they had for sale. At the library, the book we have about wind chimes is Wind Toys That Spin, Sing, Twirl & Whirl (745.5B). Neat sounding book, huh?
From Citi-Trends, I walked to the next block and stopped at Everything Special, a quaint little shop stuffed with gifts for birthdays, weddings, babies, gardeners, and children. There are gifts for every event you can imagine. Books about gifts we have at the library are: The Book of Presents: Easy to Make Gifts for Every Occasion (745.5B), Scrap Saver's Gift Stitchery (745.4F), and The Meaning of Gifts (150T).
Not wanting to miss any shop around the square, I backed up in my tour and went around the corner to Griner's Jewelry Company, where I spied beautiful diamond jewelry in their windows. A couple of books we have at the library about diamonds are: Engagement & Wedding Rings: the Definite Buying Guide (R739.27M) and Official Investor's Guide (R737.4H).
When I left Griner's, I walked across the street to the last leg of my four-sided tour around town. I made my way into Books 'n' More to check out books by Southern writers. I not only found the books, but had a delightful little visit with the owner. My visit made me think of the books we have at the library about Southern writers, such as: Southern Black Creative Writers (R016.81F), Going to Ground: Simple Life on a Georgia Pond (975.8B) by Amy Blackmarr, and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (YF-AR McCullers) by Carson
McCullers.
The next time you take a "little tour around town," see what books you think of as you visit each store. It's an interesting game to play if you're so inclined.
Maybe I've just been a book lover for too long...

Say, Don't Forget Our Tech Lunch Bunch Tomorrow

The Tech Lunch Bunch will meet on Wednesday, February 20th, at noon in the Willcoxon Auditorium here in the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library.
We're going to be exploring some of the many applications available under the Google umbrella. Aileen, our Webmaster and presenter of the program, will teach us about gmail, maps, and product search.
If you're new to computers or just want to add to your knowledge, come join us. "Googling" is so much fun!!!
Registration is not required, but appreciated. And if you need more information, just call Aileen at 985-6540.
We'll look for you there...

You Should Come Check Out Our Reading Area

Last Wednesday about 1:30 p.m., I decided I'd leave the office and sit in the reading area to write my upcoming blog. I had something in mind to write about, so it was unexpected when I wrote what
I did.
As I sat on one of our new couches, it was just plain delightful; soft cushions, high back, the seat the right height for my feet to meet the floor. The new furniture was so nice that I wanted to run out and buy something new for my home. For a few minutes I sat and soaked up the atmosphere.
On the love seat beside my couch sat a woman wearing her hair in a ponytail, a blue sweatshirt and jeans. She was very into her paperback. On the right of me sat a man dressed all in black with a Yamaha baseball cap still on his head. (Men don't take off their hats in a building like they used to do.) He was reading the want ads in the newspaper. In front of the magazine racks, a man bent over the table as he studied a newspaper. At the round table in the middle of the reading area, a slender woman with blond hair stood while she worked on the community puzzle we started three weeks
ago.
Our reading area is an open area with a high ceiling and plenty of light. It has spacious wine-colored, fabric-covered mahogany chairs, as well as cushy couches, all facing each other in a big square. And there are end tables, of course. The new beige carpet ties the whole area together. Fans whir as they push a soft breeze across the area. It's a pleasant and cheerful place. I knew I'd like to sit there more often.
This is what a library should be like, I thought. Quiet and peaceful enough so you can concentrate on what you're reading or doing...like working a puzzle.
There's plenty of room on the long tables to work and spread out your papers. The magazine racks are full of the latest magazines, as well as a few past ones. There's free literature available on the long counter in front of the fiction section, covering health, driving safety, and many other topics. Current newspapers are also available. If you don't want to read or work on anything, you can browse around the area and look at the cabinets full of memorabilia.
When I finally decided it was time to get busy and write my blog, I realized I had it...a blog about our reading area and the pleasure of just sitting on the couch and taking in the view.
Not many people get to enjoy such a simple pleasure. I hope you'll check out our reading area someday soon and enjoy the view. It's a pleasant and cheerful place. And if you need help with anything, just ask one of the staff members at the circulation counter. They're pleasant and cheerful, too.

What Do You Think Of When You Hear "Valentine's Day"?

This being the "Day of Hearts and Flowers," I asked several staff members what they think of when they hear "Valentine's Day." Since most of our staff members are ladies, I got the usual hearts and flowers. Ann and Gail said love; Aileen said candy with words on them; Cray said loved ones; Carolyn said chocolate; Norma said red; and Melody said sweetheart. Of course, Josh said the Valentine's Day Massacre.
I decided to look in Chase's Calendar of Events and see what it said. I found that Valentine's Day (other than information about the Christian martyrs) had an old legend that birds choose their mates on Valentine's Day. And as we know, it is an occasion for the exchange of gifts (usually books - YEAH! -, flowers or sweets) and greeting cards with affectionate or humorous messages.
Famous people were born on February 14th, including Jack Benny, the great American comedian who was born in 1894. And Gregory Hines, born in 1946, who was one of the best tap dancers of his generation.
On this day journalist Carl Bernstein will be 63; football player Drew Bledsoe will be 35; the mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg will be 65; broadcaster Hugh Downs, 86; singer/actress Florence Henderson, 73; and magician Teller (of Penn & Teller) will be 59.
We have some books about valentines, too.
In the Children's Library, there's Max's Valentine by Rosemary Wells and Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine by Barbara Park. There's a mystery, Valentine Murder by Leslie Meier, and a science fiction, Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg. There's also The Last Valentine by James Michael Pratt and Be My Valentine by Debbie Macomber.
So, there's lots to think of when you hear "Valentine's Day." What do you think of?

Ten Reasons to LOVE Your Public Library

The other morning the library director handed me a sheet of paper and said, "This might be something for your blog." I have several staff members that keep me supplied with goodies for the blog, but since this is the day before Valentine's Day, LOVE interests most everyone.

The information on the paper was adapted by the Georgia Library Association from a project developed by the Public Relations Committee of the Texas State Library. It was "50 Reasons to LOVE Your Library." So, I decided to tell you about ten for our library here in Moultrie, Georgia. And here they are:

• Use the library's public-access computers free of charge.
• Check out the latest best sellers.
• Arrange the loan of a book or other resource from a library in another part of Georgia through PINES.
• Research health-related concerns.
• Enjoy storytimes with your children.
• Use our easy-access Web site to find links to online resources and databases through GALILEO.
• Borrow CDs and DVDs to decide if you like them before you buy copies of your own.
• Save money by borrowing items instead of buying them.
• Find out how to replace a lost birth certificate.
• Get IRS and Georgia tax forms in the library or online.

And I could give you ten more or twenty more, but I won't. You get the idea.

Of course, there is just one more I'd like to mention. We are here to help you every day that we are open. Please know that you can suggest improvements to your library and know that your suggestions are welcome. All you have to do is write your suggestion on a slip of paper and give it to one of the staff members at the circulation counter. It will be delivered to the library director for consideration.

In the meantime, you can also research local history, learn another language, learn how to write a resume, get help on preparing you will. . .oops! See, I told you I had more reasons for you to LOVE your public library!

We're Walking to Jekyll

I always wanted to work for a library or a bookstore. There's just something about books that leaves me with tingles. I guess you could say I'm easy to please, huh?
Anyhow, those of us who work here at the library are doing something different this month that has nothing to do with books. And again, I'm left with tingles.
We are walking to Jekyll Island!!!
Yep, that's right. Every Wednesday (and we started February 1st), however many miles we walk during the week will be recorded as a group on a map of Georgia that hangs on the back of our break room door. The map shows the highways and byways from Moultrie to Jekyll. Everyone turns in the number of miles they walked during the week, and Aileen posts the total on the map. Todate we have walked 39 miles and we are one mile east of Ray City. Of course, that reflects only the first five days of February and that was a short week.
Now, I imagine some of you think walking to Jekyll is a silly thing to do, but it's really not. The endeavor was created by Aileen to help those of us who need to MOVE. Most of us sit quite a bit. Some of us are overweight. Others of us just need to keep Mr. Arthritis from setting in. So, Aileen dreamed up the walk to Jekyll as a health endeavor.
Of course, anytime you have an endeavor like this, you need to have a payoff. No one wants to walk to just get healthy, right?
Well, when we finally tally up enough miles to get us to Jekyll Island, we're going to have a big, heart-healthy potluck lunch. Everyone will bring a good-nutrition dish to share, and we'll enjoy the fellowship of having done something really rewarding.
That doesn't mean the food. That means we actually got up and MOVED, got our bodies out of that chair and exercised. Good for our heart. Good for our lungs. Good for our legs. Good for US!
And you know what? It also means that I have another reason for loving to work at the library. It's all the people I work with and the enjoyment of sharing good times with them. More tingles!!!

Have You Checked Your Blood Pressure Lately?

In conjunction with American Heart Month, the American Heart Association, and Colquitt Regional Medical Center, the library is sponsoring a blood pressure screening program on Tuesday, February 12, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the reading area of the library. This service is free to the public and should be taken advantage of by all who have blood pressure! That means you! Because everyone has blood pressure!
Do you know what high blood pressure is? What high blood pressure does to your body? How you know if you have high blood pressure? And what you can do about high blood pressure?
Most people with high blood pressure have no symptoms at all. There are no specific warning signs. If high blood pressure continues for a long time, your heart and arteries may not function as well as they should. And other body organs also may be affected. It increases your risk of stroke, heart failure, kidney disease and heart attack.
The only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to have your doctor check it or visit a local blood pressure screening program.
And that's where the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library comes in. Put Tuesday, February 12, on your calendar and come in for a free check-up by qualified CRMC nursing staff. It will be from 2 to 4 p.m.
There will be handouts, provided by the American Heart Association, available for you to pick up. Handouts such as "Warning Signs and Action" for heart attacks, cardiac arrest and stroke emergencies. And a guide to physical activity called "Just Move!" as well as "Easy Food Tips for Heart-Healthy Eating."
Come join us. It's American Heart Month. Treat your heart with love. Have your blood pressure checked. It's all free at the library!!!

It's Tax Time Again

Yesterday was the first day the AARP Taxaide people were here in the library. They came with their computers and stacks of papers and pencils, and they were prepared to help all who came to have their taxes done.
When I walked past the door of the Willcoxon Auditorium at 9:30 a.m., the preparers were busily working on the taxes of the people sitting in front of them. I looked around the room and counted 20 people, eleven just sitting there, waiting to be "next." Some were reading books, others talking. Some just sitting and waiting. But all there for the same purpose. And they were only the first bunch to show up.
Every Tuesday from February 5th (which was yesterday) to April 15th, the AARP Taxaide staff will be in the Willcoxon Auditorium to assist with taxes. They will be there from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on those days, and may stay even a little longer on April 15th.
This service is provided free by AARP at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library.
AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is a United States-based non-government organization (a special interest group). It was the word formerly that caught my attention. When I checked out their website (and Wikipedia), I learned that because its focus had become broader than American retirees, in 1999 it officially changed its name to just "AARP" (pronounced one letter at a time, "A-A-R-P"). And it no longer requires that members be retired. The organization claims over 38 million members, making it one of the largest membership organizations for people age 50 and over in the United States, and membership is expected to grow significantly as baby boomers age.
So, helping to prepare taxes, for those who meet the criteria, is just one thing AARP does. And you'll find them here at the library every Tuesday for the next few months. If you need their help, just show up at the appointed time (usually 9:00 a.m.) and take a seat.
Oh, and you might want to bring a book to read while you wait. If you don't have one, remember you're in the library and can check out one. Be sure to bring your library card!
(Sources: http://www.aarp.org/, http://www.wikipedia.org/)

VOTE! It's Super Tuesday!

I'm sure you've heard the same thing. "I'm voting for Obama because he's black." "I'm voting for Clinton because she's a woman." "I'm voting for McCain because he's a soldier." "I'm voting for Romney because he's a businessman."
This is SUPER TUESDAY! The day many of us will vote for the person we want to be President of the United States. That is an awesome
job!
And for that reason, I'm hoping you will take the time to vote. And vote for the right reason...for the person you feel is best qualified to be President of the United States. Not the person who is black or a woman or a soldier or a businessman. But the person most qualified to be our President.
Think about that for a while. Then go out there and VOTE! It's Super Tuesday and your vote counts!
And remember what a privilege it is to be able to vote in this country called the United States of America.