Our PINES Online Library Can Get You The Latest Books

The other morning, I saw a copy of The New York Times list of hardcover fictions for August 24th. It had some interesting books, and I wondered how many we could get through our online PINES library catalog. A quick check told me we can get 11 of the top 16 through the PINES library. We can get three from our own library. There were only two we could not get from either source. I've listed 10 of those 16 here.

• MOSCOW RULES by Daniel Silva -- Gabriel Allon, an art restorer and an occasional spy for the Israeli secret service, uncovers a Russian arms sales plot. (MCCL has this book)
• THE BOURNE SANCTION by Eric Van Lustbader -- Robert Ludlum's character Jason Bourne pursues the leader of a Muslim terrorist group. (Order through PINES)
• THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski -- A mute takes refuge with three dogs in the Wisconsin woods after his father's murder. (Order through PINES)
• THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows -- After World War II, a journalist travels to the island of Guernsey to meet residents who resisted the Nazi occupation. (Order through PINES)
• TRIBUTE by Nora Roberts -- A former child star returns to Virginia to rehabilitate the farm owned by her grandmother, an actress who dies mysteriously. (MCCL has this book)
• THE LACE READER by Brunonia Barry -- Secrets of a family of Salem women who foresee the future.
• THE LAST PATRIOT by Brad Thor -- Scot Harvath, a Homeland Security superagent, searches for an ancient secret that could defeat Islamic militants. (Order through PINES)
• CHASING HARRY WINSTON by Lauren Weisberger -- Three glamourous friends, New York women nearing 30, vow to change their lives. (Order through PINES)
• LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH by Emily Giffin -- A woman encounters an old boyfriend. (MCCL has this on audio CDs)
• THE GARGOYLE by Andrew Davidson -- A hideously burned man is cared for by a sculptress who claims they were lovers seven centuries ago. (Order through PINES)

There are so many good books out there to read. Why go and spend $25 or $30 for one, when you can use your library card and save your money for something else...like gasoline.

Now, if you don't know about the PINES Online Library Catalog, I can tell you it's a "borderless library" (doesn't that sound great!) that provides equal access to information for all Georgians. PINES stands for Public Information Network for Electronic Services. It is the public library automation and lending network for more than 275 libraries and affiliated service outlets in almost 140 counties. If you don't know how to use it, one of our staff members will be glad to show you. And our Inter-Library Loan Clerk, Johnnie, can order the books for you.

Give it a try. Save your money and order today through PINES one of those hot new books on The New York Times "top 10" list.

Oh, and if you don't have a library card, you can get one any time. Also, September is National Library Card Sign-up Month. The cards are free, and we have plenty of them for you and your entire family. (Source: The New York Times Hardcover Fiction List, August 24, 2008)

Our Reward Is A Southwestern Luncheon

Here's another exciting thing to tell you about the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library and its staff.
On April 2nd, several staff members decided to "walk" to Las Vegas. It was a way to get us up and out of our chairs, to get us moving, to encourage us to exercise, to help us "lighten our load" of weight. We had already "walked" to Jekyll Island and had a wonderful "end of walk" lunch together. So, we decided to continue walking, but in the other direction...all the way to Las Vegas.
The walk covered 2,080.06 miles. It took us until June 25th to walk 2,019 miles. That's when some of us stopped walking. However, others faithfully carried on, and one person actually walked until August 6th. Our mileage was complete thanks to the stamina of a person named Dakota.
When we began the trek, ten people signed up. By the end, twelve had walked. We were asked to keep track of our miles "anonymously" on the chart taped to the break room door. Walkers were asked to choose the name of their favorite book character or superhero. So, we took names such as Lulu, Bugger, Shorty, Dakota, and On The Road Again (I think that means Willie Nelson was their superhero).
We were given a chart showing how steps equal minutes equal miles, i.e., 2000 steps = 20 minutes = 1 mile. And we were told if we used a pedometer, counting would be much easier.
Of course, it would have taken only 31 hours and 48 minutes had we all gone by car!!! But that wouldn't have been any fun. And even though some of us did stop early (probably due to aching feet, jelly legs, or crumbling backs), we did have a...well...different kind of
fun.
Today we celebrate our walk to Las Vegas with a Southwestern luncheon. The menu includes Black Bean Salsa, Taco Casserole, Tamale Pie, Southwestern Salad, Chocolate Tamales, Mexican Meatballs, and Dog Food Dip (I've been assured this is really a delicious food!). There will be coffee, tea, soft drinks and a couple of cakes. We'll sit together and enjoy the "fruits of our labor" -- our
walk.
When we take the opportunity to get together like this, we do it not only as people who work together, but as friends. We laugh and talk and often get silly. It makes us feel like family. And it helps us work better together.
I bet we're going to plan another walk. I just can't imagine where we'll go. But I'm sure we'll have another great luncheon to match the destination of our walk. I can hardly wait!!!

Sometimes Coping Is The Name Of The Game

I suppose coping with all the rain from Storm Fay is the last thing people want to do, but it seems to be the name of the game
lately.
I looked up the word "cope" in the dictionary. It said "to struggle, especially on fairly even terms or with some degree of success; to face and deal with responsibilities or problems, especially calmly or adequately."
We do need the rain to keep the drought away, to keep Georgia and the farm fields green, but it does cause us some excitement occasionally here in the library. We have a few places where, like in your home, if the water gets too high and too plentiful, it comes right into your life big time. That's what happened to a few of us this weekend.
"Don't be surprised when you come to work tomorrow," my coworker said when she called me at home. "We've had the wet-vac in to suck up the water from the carpet, and they had to move our desks and the file cabinet, and I didn't know exactly where to put your papers...." I understood completely. This was not my first experience with an overabundance of rain.
The first experience I remember was when my oldest son was a babe-in-arms. I was nineteen years old. We lived in a little two-room house in the country, while his father worked in the oil fields for the Humble Oil Company. Since I didn't have the convenience of a washing machine or dryer, I washed his diapers by hand (before Pampers!) and hung them out to dry on the barbed-wire fence next to the house. We didn't even have a clothes line. One particular time, when we were down to the last nine diapers, it rained on the ones drying on the fence. And it rained for three days. It's amazing how you can dry diapers over the back of ladder-back chairs in front of a small fan in a tiny country kitchen. But coping was the name of the game even
then.
So, today several of us are coping with some areas of our library that are damp. And even though the wet-vac has come and gone, and the maintenance men are going about repairing the leaks, we are doing just fine.
Experience has taught us to cope rather well. There's work that still needs to be done, patrons to help, books to check in and out, blogs to write, emails to answer. Goodness knows, we should have no complaints considering what others have to go through with the loss of homes, cars, and even family members. We are doing just
fine.
We always seem to make it through. Coping is the name of the game and we're doing just fine.

We Don't Have Carnival Rides Or Cotton Candy, But...

That was the beginning of an advertisement on the radio I heard this morning.
I can say that about the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library also. We don't have carnival rides or cotton candy, but.... It's the "but" that interests me. "But" what?
But...we are a force to be reckoned with! And we serve our patrons with pride!
But...we strive to be a good investment to our citizens and an economic anchor by attracting not only good businesses to our area, but by attracting growing families with the services we offer.
But...our Mission is to ensure that the citizens of Colquitt County have the right and the means to free and open access to ideas and information which are fundamental to a democracy. The library protects intellectual freedom, promotes literacy, encourges lifelong learning, and provides library materials and information sources in a variety of formats.
Our Ellen Payne Odom Genealogical Library brings increased tourism to Moultrie every year due to the unique collections we have: the Emmett Lucas Collection, the materials concerning Scottish genealogy, and the Georgia Collection, just to mention a few. Genealogists come from around the world to search for specific information in this well-known library.
And there's more...
Just look at these facts made possible by the American Library Association's Library Champions.

• Did you know 63% of adults in the U.S. have public library cards?
• And that Americans go to school, public and academic libraries 50% more often than they go to the movies?
• Also, that reference librarians in the nation's public and academic libraries answer more than 7.2 million questions weekly? Standing single file, the line of questioners would stretch from New York City to Juneau, Alaska!
• There are more public libraries than McDonald's in the U.S. -- a total of 16,549, including branches.
• Americans spend more than twice as much on salty snacks as they do on public libraries.
• Americans check out an average of more than seven books a year. They spend $30.49 a year for the public library -- about the average cost of one hardcover book.
• Public libraries are the number one point of online access for people without Internet connections at home, school or work.
• 98.9% of public libraries provide public access to the Internet.
• Americans spend nearly ten times as much money on home video games ($9.9 billion) as they do on school library materials for their children ($1 billion).

We don't have carnival rides or cotton candy, but...we have a Summer Reading Program for children and a bright, colorful Children's Library. We have a Bookmobile that serves patrons who live in the county, as well as eight county schools. We have the Catherine M. Bryant Veterans History Project that collects information about veterans of any war or conflict, the Bert Harsh Park adjacent to the library, and the Doerun Municipal Library.

We have not only books, but audio books, videos, DVDs, current newspapers and magazines, public computers with Microsoft Word and the Internet, copying and laminating services, sound and audio visual equipment for public use, and meeting rooms. We have the best staff in the world, just waiting to help you. And they do it with smiles, friendship and concern.

With all of this, we don't need carnival rides or cotton candy! Do we? (Source: www.ala.org, American Library Association)

We're Planning Some Great Events

We're getting so excited around here because we have some great plans in the works. And we hope that you'll get excited about them also because we're planning them with you in mind.

• August 26 (Tuesday) -- Last day of our contest, "My library is the greatest because...." We have several entries and the winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 2.
• September is National Library Card Sign-up Month. -- Do you know that two-thirds of Americans have library cards? Do you have yours? If not, drop by our library and get the smartest card of all...your own library card. It helps you not only get access to books, but the Internet, DVDs, homework help and more. It's your ticket to a world of opportunity. And we'll have some special give-aways for you when you get your new library card.
• September 25 (Thursday) -- PINES Catalog Workshop, 10 a.m. to noon, Willcoxon Auditorium. If you're confused about how the online PINES Catalog works, then this is the workshop for you. The PINES (Public Information Network for Electronic Services) Catalog is the public library automation and lending network for more than 275 libraries and affiliated service outlets in almost 140 counties. PINES creates a statewide "borderless library" that provides equal access to information for all Georgians. With this workshop, you'll be able to search for books, CDs, audios, videos and more!
• Saturday, September 27 through Saturday, October 4 -- "Celebrate the Freedom to Read" during Banned Books Week. Observed since 1982, this annual American Library Association event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. This year, 2008, marks the 26th anniversary. Look for our special wall displays, posters and booksmarks.
• October marks Family History Month -- October 11 (Saturday), 1 to 4 p.m., Willcoxon Auditorium, "Beginning Genealogy Workshop." This is a great time for those of you who have always wanted to find out more about your family history. Learn the beginnings of setting up your records and how to use the Internet in your search.
• October 14 (Friday) -- A special Veterans Tea will be held from 10 a.m. to noon in the Willcoxon Auditorium. The Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System plans to invite veterans from the local veterans groups to attend our ceremony.
• October 21 (Tuesday) -- As part of Family History Month, a Genealogy Interest Group meeting will be held 6 to 7 p.m. in the Willcoxon Auditorium. We'll have more information on the topic in the near future.
• December 11 (Thursday) -- The public will be invited to join us in a Cookie Contest from 10 a.m. to noon in the Willcoxon Auditorium. Each person will bring a specific number cookies from one recipe to share and be judged. The winner will be chosen during the event and receive a Christmas prize.

Well, that's what's in the works. Look for these exciting events during the next several months. We have great things planned for you!!!

A Southern Email Started It All

We all get them...those of us with computers. It's those emails that people send to you and want you to pass on to your friends. I got one this morning and got a hoot out of it. It was a list of little things many of us know about Southerners. I don't mind being poked fun at, 'cause all of these below apply to me.

• Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit, and that you don't "have" them, you "pitch" them.
• A Southerner knows that "fixin" can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.
• Only a Southerner knows exactly how long "directly" is. As in "Going to town, be back directly."
• In the South, y'all is singular. All y'all is plural.
• Only Southerners make friends while standing in lines. And when we're "in line," we talk to everybody!

Of course, I always wonder how what I read (or see or hear) relates to what we have in the library. So, I went off to check. I looked for things "Southern."

We have Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg on video (VC397), the book Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells (F Wells), and the book Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. But I didn't find Steel Magnolias; that's one we'll have to get! I've had fun over the years either reading the books or watching the videos of all four stories. They represent Southern women pretty good. And there's a lot of funniness in all four stories.

Then I found all kinds of books about things of the South: people, war, plantations, gardening, writing, cooking, poetry and more. Like these:

• Southerners, Portrait of a People by Charles Kuralt (975.04K)
• Embattled Confederates, An Illustrated History of Southerners at War by Bell Irvin Wiley (G973.713W)
• Forgotten Confederates: An Anthology About Black Southerners by Charles Kelly Barrow (G973.7415B)
• Daily Life On a Southern Plantation, 1853 by Paul Erickson (G975.03E)
• African-American Patriots in the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution by Bobby Gilmer Moss (G973.315)
• The Roots of Southern Writing: Essays on the Literature of the American South by C. Hugh Holman (810.9H)
• Smokehouse Ham, Spoon Bread and Scuppernong Wine: the Fokelore and Art of Southern Appalachian Cooking by Joseph Earl Dabney (641.59D)
• Southern Gardening by Charles Hudson (635.909H)
• Handicrafts of the Southern Highlands by Allen H. Eaton (G741.5E)
• Three Centuries of Southern Poetry 1607-1907 by Carl Holliday (G975.0811)
• Hiking Trails in the Southern Mountains by Jerry Sullivan (917.5S)
• Southern Herb Growing by Madalene Hill (635.7H)

And here's two little books that are classics in themselves about Southern people:

• Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns (F Burns)
• Mama Makes Up Her Mind by Bailey White (F White)

Now, I have to let you know that June Bailey White is a famous Southern writer from just down the road in Thomasville, Georgia. She's a novelist and nationally known NPR (National Public Radio) commentator. And she was the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame 2008 Award recipient for accomplishment by a living author. She's written three books, all of which you can check out from our library.

So, you see, you can never tell what's going to come to you in the form of a Southern email...joke, quote, or whatever. We've got most of it covered here at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library. Check us out.

Be An Olympic Winner At Your Library

If you're like most of us sitting here somewhere in the United States, you've been watching the Summer Olympics in Beijing. I've watched it since the big beginning on Friday, with all the fireworks and millions of people doing fantastic things in the huge center ring of the "Birdsnest" stadium.

But before the Olympics began, we put up our bulletin board here in the library on the first day of August. It's designed to show you how you can "Be An Olympic Winner At Your Library."

Stuffed among the pictures of the Olympic flame, a gold medal, a torch carrier, the five Olympic rings, and the Beijing 2008 Olympic symbol are pictures of competitors from the Summer and Winter Olympics.

Each competitor has a tag that tells you how you can become an Olympic winner at your library, meaning this library, of course. For example, for:

• Speed skating -- You can take a tour of the library and familiarize yourself with where everything is located.
• Basketball -- You can ask questions of any staff employee, who will be glad to help you find the answer.
• Gymnastics -- You can gain knowledge in a multitude of ways that will help you in your daily living.
• Weight-lifting -- You can make copies of needed materials, except for those considered illegal, i.e., passports, money, driver's license.
• Hockey -- Children can come to the library to hear stories during the Summer Reading Program and at other special times.
• Swimming -- You can visit our website for a variety of information; just go to http://colquitt.k12.ga.us/pub_lib (there's an underscore line between pub and lib).
• Wrestling -- You can see different exhibits displayed at the library.
• Ice skating -- You can attend meetings held by civic organizations, clubs, and school groups.
• Skiing -- You can use one of our twenty Dell computers.
• Track -- You can read a variety of magazines and newspapers.
• Shot put -- You can visit the genealogy library and find your ancestors.

Our calendar shows a few other things also. Each month we put up the Genealogy Book Pick. For August it is Richmond County, Georgia, Land Records by Daniel N. Crumpton, RLS. You can ask Irene, our genealogist in the Odom Genealogical Library, about it. Our Children's Book Pick is Thank You, Mr. Falkner by Patricia Polacco. Ask Cray or Norma in the Children's Library about that book and others by Patricia Polacco. And we also put up the Bookmobile schedule.

So, the next time you're in the library, take a peek at the bulletin board. It's down the long white hall toward the genealogy library. You can't miss it. It's all lit up. And plan to "Be An Olympic Winner At Your Library."

Who Has A Birthday Today?

I have a really neat website I go to when I want to look at daily literary birthdays. It's put up by the Waterboro Public Library in Waterboro, Maine. They have an old website and a new one, but I really like the old website better. I think it's because of the birthdays.
I use these birthdays in all kinds of ways...in the blog, of course; on the bulletin board, of course, and often with the birthday person's picture; and in various writings.
Some of the people I've never heard of, but I enjoy knowing a little something about them. Often, I get curious enough to check them out in Wikipedia or other reference books we have here at the library.
So, today I checked out who was listed on August 12th.

• English poet and biographer Robert Southey (1774; selected Southey poetry)
• The author of America the Beautiful, Katharine Lee Bates (1859)
• Spanish dramatist and 1922 Nobel prize winner Jacinto Benavente y Martinez (1866)
• U.S. mythology writer Edith Hamilton (1867)
• U.S. mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876), author of The Circular Staircase
• English novelist and literary critic Frank Swinnerton (1884)
• Zerna Sharp (1889), born in Indiana and the creator of the Dick and Jane readers for children
• Brooklyn-born satirical novelist Wallace Markfield (1926; d.23/May/2002)
• Chicago native, novelist and screenwriter William Goldman (1931), who wrote Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
• Virginia native (raised Harlem), African American young adult novelist and picture book writer Walter Dean Myers (1937), who received a Newbery Honor Award for his book Scorpions (1988)
• NYC-born writer Gail Parent (1940), author of Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York (1972) and a comedy writer for "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
• Pennsylvania-born poet and essayist J.D. McClatchy (1945).

Well, that's a bunch, huh? I knew some, but mostly I knew what they had written, like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I also found a couple of birthday people I'd like to know more about, such as the author of America the Beautiful, Katherine Lee Bates, and Zerna Sharp and Walter Dean Myers and Gail Parent. Working in a library is wonderful, but there's just never enough time to read all I want to read. Even bookworms have problems! (Source: http://www.waterborolibrary.org/)

We're Having A Fun Contest For You

We're having an August contest for our patrons. Something to liven up your "dog days." And ours, too!
It's called the "My Library is the Greatest Because..." contest.
It's open to the public, any age.
You just need to pick up a contest form at the circulation counter in the main library, in the genealogy library, or at the Doerun library. If you don't see one, please ask the circulation clerk.
Then, write on the form why you think your library is the greatest and return the form to the circulation clerk.
The deadline to return your form is Tuesday, August 26, at 5 p.m.
We will announce the winner on Tuesday, September 2, and the person will be notified by phone.
Of course, everyone always wants to know what the prize will be. Well, there will not be just ONE prize, but FIVE!
The winner will have their entry form displayed in the library for everyone to see. They will have their name and picture in The Moultrie Observer. They will receive one large MCCLS "Amazing Black Book Bag" and two colorful MCCLS pens. And they will receive a "Get Out of the Library Free" card, which allows for one overdue book during 2008, not to exceed five days.
There are forms at the Doerun library, the Odom Genealogy Library, and the main library. The Bookmobile will also have some for its patrons.
Be sure to get your form today and join us in the August fun.
We want to know why you think your library is the greatest!
Just think...you could be the winner!

We're Connecting The Dots For Health Education

For the past few months, we've been displaying health education information through the use of posters, wall displays, and bookmarks. If you've visited our library, you've probably noticed some of them.
We highlighted heart problems, obesity, and not smoking in February. March was nutrition. We skipped April, but displayed information about strokes in May. For June, we had literature about high blood pressure, and in July it was about heat stroke.
Our participation in health education comes from "connecting the dots" with the Partnership for Health & Accountability of the Georgia Hospital Association and local libraries in communities throughout Georgia. By working together, we hope to ensure a healthier population for all Georgians.
This month, we're highlighting three areas of health awareness for the public.
In our main entrance foyer, we have a poster about National Immunization Awareness Month. Most parents are very diligent about getting "well baby" checkups and guaranteeing that their baby gets all the shots that are needed. However, many people fail to realize that older children and adults also need to have specific immunizations. You can ask your family physician to give you a list of immunizations needed.
Near the library restrooms, we have a wall display for handwashing. Handwashing is the number one thing that anyone can do to prevent the spread of disease. Unfortunately, statistics show that very few people actually wash their hands properly or as frequently as they need to do. I was always told to lather up my hands and, while washing, sing the "Happy Birthday" song before rinsing. That takes a while if you don't rush through the song.
And the last health education item is a bookmark about drug awareness. The bookmarks are available at the circulation counter for the public. According to the U.S. Government, about 8.3% of the population of this country use illegal drugs, with marijuana being the most common illegal drug in use today. The bookmark provides the signs of drug abuse in children.
Each month we hope to provide our patrons with useful health information. It's our way of "connecting the dots" with our friends, neighbors, and community.

While Looking For Carol Burnett, The Cleaning Lady...

Do y'all remember the Carol Burnett show on television? At the beginning and end of the show, she would come on the stage dressed in a cleaning lady's outfit: dust-ruffled hat on her head, baggy shirt and old sweater, long skirt, and big old-fashioned work boots. She also carried a long-handled mop and a bucket.
Well, while looking for the cleaning lady, who I was told looked like Carol Burnett and was here to help today, I decided to see what our employees were doing. It's inventory time, you know. And everyone was busy as bees!
I started in the Odom Genealogical Library where Irene said she was cataloging the backlog of information that had been kept in storage during our renovation and was waiting for shelf space. Keva was also in the genealogy library. She was databasing the Veterans Project, but said she's also been shelving books, putting them in order and straightening the racks.
Next I went to the Information Services office, where Aileen was catching up on her webmaster mail and setting up paperwork for inventorying all the equipment tomorrow.
I didn't see that cleaning lady though....
Melody, our director, was buried in work at her computer. She said she was discarding books. Those are books that haven't been on the shelf for three years when compared to the list that said they should be. She also said she was listening to the noise up on the roof, where the guys are putting in the new air conditioning system. She said they had to cut a new door first to get the equipment in.
She also said everyone went to the old Doerun library yesterday and cleaned it out. The building belongs to the city. At the new library, they placed the shelves brought from the old building, set up the paperback section, repaired books and cleaned...and a lot of general stuff.
The next person I saw was Johnnie, who said she finished her monthly report and was doing some normal catching up with the Interlibrary Loans. And like Melody, she was looking for missing books.
And I was still searching for that Carol Burnett look-alike.
Elois was found cleaning the top of her desk and surrounding area. She said when she finished, she had to place in order and straighten all the reference books on their shelves.
Carolyn was catching up around the processing desk. Ann was doing normal work in bookkeeping, such as counting money and doing reports. She said she wasn't doing any inventory today. But I knew that later she'd be in the genealogy library to help.
Josh and Sheila were both looking for missing books. Sheila said if she finds one, she checks it in and marks it off her list. Josh said he was trying to avoid moving any shelves; his yesterday at the old Doerun library gave him sore muscles.
Norma and Cray were reading shelves in the Children's Library, and after the Summer Reading Program, that's a big job! Since the books are for the little ones, they really get stuck in strange places. And they're looking for missing books also. Two other jobs they have are 1) to do a big switch, which is to reposition the books so they aren't squeezed together in some places with large empty gaps in other places; and 2) weeding out the dirty, moldy, messed-up books.
So, I'd gone from one end of the library to the other looking for that Carol Burnett cleaning lady and didn't find her anywhere. But I found out what everyone else is doing today for inventory.
Oh, I suppose you wonder what I'm doing for inventory. Well, checking up on everyone else and writing this blog. And looking for that Carol Burnett cleaning lady someone said was here to help with inventory.