Wednesday, December 19, 2012
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
MOULTRIE-COLQUITT COUNTY LIBRARY
SYSTEM CLOSES FOR THE HOLIDAYS:
PUBLIC LIBRARY AND ODOM LIBRARY
DECEMBER 19 AT 5:30 P.M.
DOERUN MUNICIPAL LIBRARY
DECEMBER 18 AT 6 P.M.
ALL LIBRARIES REOPEN
JANUARY 3, 2013 AT REGULAR TIMES
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
THE NEW BOOK DROP IS HERE
Yep! It's here! Do you know how long we've been waiting for a new book drop? Long time!
So, where is it? you ask.
If you're a user of the old book drop, you know that it was located at the back side of our parking lot. You could come down the one-way drive behind the library, pull up to the old book drop on the lefthand side of the drive, and put your books (ONLY books) in the book drop.
Well, the new book drop is right before where the old one was, same side of the one-way drive. You can't miss it. It's BIG. And it's SILVER with blue words. And, best of all, with this one you can put returned books AND media in the two separate slots.
Yep, it's a double-return, meaning that patrons can return books through one slot, and movies/audiobooks through the smaller slot. Patrons will no longer be required to turn in movies and audiobooks at the front desk of the library, because this book drop is designed to protect these materials from the elements...rain, sleet, snow, whatever.
And here's another good thing to know. The book drop was funded by SPLOST funds. Our director, Holly Phillips, said it just "shows that all those pennies do add up!"
And while I have your attention, let me tell you that work is continuing on the new roof and the new chiller. We'll be looking for the completion by the end of February. No more leaking ceiling tiles...no more freaky weather inside the library.
It's going to be a "wonderful life" at the library when we reopen again January 3, 2013. We keep making your library experience better and better.
Be sure you make visiting your the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library more often in 2013 one of your new year resolutions.
So, where is it? you ask.
If you're a user of the old book drop, you know that it was located at the back side of our parking lot. You could come down the one-way drive behind the library, pull up to the old book drop on the lefthand side of the drive, and put your books (ONLY books) in the book drop.
Well, the new book drop is right before where the old one was, same side of the one-way drive. You can't miss it. It's BIG. And it's SILVER with blue words. And, best of all, with this one you can put returned books AND media in the two separate slots.
Yep, it's a double-return, meaning that patrons can return books through one slot, and movies/audiobooks through the smaller slot. Patrons will no longer be required to turn in movies and audiobooks at the front desk of the library, because this book drop is designed to protect these materials from the elements...rain, sleet, snow, whatever.
And here's another good thing to know. The book drop was funded by SPLOST funds. Our director, Holly Phillips, said it just "shows that all those pennies do add up!"
And while I have your attention, let me tell you that work is continuing on the new roof and the new chiller. We'll be looking for the completion by the end of February. No more leaking ceiling tiles...no more freaky weather inside the library.
It's going to be a "wonderful life" at the library when we reopen again January 3, 2013. We keep making your library experience better and better.
Be sure you make visiting your the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library more often in 2013 one of your new year resolutions.
Monday, December 17, 2012
SANTA IS ON OUR LIBRARY BOARD!
That's right! Santa is on our Odom Genealogical Library Board! Has been for several years and will continue to be for years to come! And I just thought it was about time you knew!
But first let me tell you a little about the Odom Library. It was made possible by a bequest from Ellen Ashby Payne Odom, who was a Trustee of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library and very interested in genealogy.
At her death, it was revealed that she had bequeathed the proceeds of the sale of her land and home to the library for the purpose of building a genealogy library in Moultrie.
Today, the Odom Library operates on the interest from her estate. The endowment is managed by a Moultrie banking firm. The Odom Library is governed by a Board of Trustees.
So, let me tell you who is on the Board of Trustees and, if you live in Moultrie and know some of these people, you just might be able to figure out who Santa is in disguise.
Board Chairman is Lauren Howell and the Trustees are Merle Baker, Virginia Horkan, James Jeter, William McIntosh, Paula Neely, Brooks Sheldon, and Doug Strange. I've left out the name of the person Santa is impersonating. Do you know who it is?
Santa has been coming to the Odom Library Board meetings for as many years as I've known him. He's a retired educator. When Mr. Bert Harsh resigned from the Board in February 2003, Santa (in his disguise) was elected May 2003 to serve as a Trustee.
He comes to every meeting with his lovely white beard, sharing his happiness and wisdom with all in his presence. He's a rather quiet gentleman, but a deep thinker. And his sense of humor is displayed when (and if) his cell phone sounds during a meeting.
Many of us see him all around town. He is always helping at the Colquitt County Museum of History, where he is available to lead tours or talk to out-of-towners about the many exhibits. Of course, we see him in his sleigh during the Christmas events. And many parents have pictures of their children with him displayed on the walls of their homes.
As a teacher, the students called him "Mr. B." and some of us continue to call him that.
So...any ideas who Santa is in disguise?
Well, I'll never tell. I don't want to be on his Naughty List!!!
But first let me tell you a little about the Odom Library. It was made possible by a bequest from Ellen Ashby Payne Odom, who was a Trustee of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library and very interested in genealogy.
At her death, it was revealed that she had bequeathed the proceeds of the sale of her land and home to the library for the purpose of building a genealogy library in Moultrie.
Today, the Odom Library operates on the interest from her estate. The endowment is managed by a Moultrie banking firm. The Odom Library is governed by a Board of Trustees.
So, let me tell you who is on the Board of Trustees and, if you live in Moultrie and know some of these people, you just might be able to figure out who Santa is in disguise.
Board Chairman is Lauren Howell and the Trustees are Merle Baker, Virginia Horkan, James Jeter, William McIntosh, Paula Neely, Brooks Sheldon, and Doug Strange. I've left out the name of the person Santa is impersonating. Do you know who it is?
Santa has been coming to the Odom Library Board meetings for as many years as I've known him. He's a retired educator. When Mr. Bert Harsh resigned from the Board in February 2003, Santa (in his disguise) was elected May 2003 to serve as a Trustee.
He comes to every meeting with his lovely white beard, sharing his happiness and wisdom with all in his presence. He's a rather quiet gentleman, but a deep thinker. And his sense of humor is displayed when (and if) his cell phone sounds during a meeting.
Many of us see him all around town. He is always helping at the Colquitt County Museum of History, where he is available to lead tours or talk to out-of-towners about the many exhibits. Of course, we see him in his sleigh during the Christmas events. And many parents have pictures of their children with him displayed on the walls of their homes.
As a teacher, the students called him "Mr. B." and some of us continue to call him that.
So...any ideas who Santa is in disguise?
Well, I'll never tell. I don't want to be on his Naughty List!!!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
HAVE YOU TRIED THE NEW "GALILEO"?
Those of us who work at Georgia public libraries are fortunate to receive copies of Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) NEWS, a newsletter about great happenings in libraries around Georgia.
Just the other day we received our December issue and it has an important article about how the new GALILEO interface streamlines content searches. For that reason, I need to tell you some of what the article said (and I quote):
"GALILEO users are discovering an easier, more streamlined way to search and retrieve content from the 100-plus information databases, digital collections and other resources offered to them by Georgia's Virtual Library.
"Introduced in October, the new Discover GALILEO interface simplifies the search process...by searching almost all GALILEO resources at once. Results can be sorted by relevance or date, and customers can easily refine searches by format, source, collection and more.
"'Discover GALILEO uses a different approach, combining resource indexes into one master index,' explained Merryll Penson, executive director of Library Services for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. 'This makes for a faster, more customizable list of results,' she said.
"Possibly the most notable advantage of simultaneously searching resources is that users often get results from places that they might not have thought about.
"...Alan Harkness, assistant state librarian for Library Development, noted that the Discover GALILEO interface should get even better over time, as GALILEO staff tweak the tool's effectiveness. 'Anyone who has ever been frustrated with a GALILEO search in the past needs to give it another try now,' he said. 'The difference is really amazing.'
"Users should note that a few popular GALILEO resources cannot logically be included as part of the new Discovery search. These include genealogy resources such as Heritage Quest or Ancestry Plus, which is not available outside of the library; and the online testing preparation resources that are included in Learning Express Library and RB Test Prep. These must still be launched separately within GALILEO or through Express Links from another web page.
"Harkness said, 'In the near future, we hope to add public library catalog results to Discover GALILEO, so that customers would literally have to look only in one place for all their information needs.'
"GALILEO is available in every public library in Georgia and can be accessed from home at www.galileo.usg.edu by using a library-issued password or PINES card number."
So, now you know! We're constantly on the move to make your library experience a great experience! Try the new Discover GALILEO today and have lots of fun.
(Source: Georgia Public Library Service NEWS, December 2012 issue)
Just the other day we received our December issue and it has an important article about how the new GALILEO interface streamlines content searches. For that reason, I need to tell you some of what the article said (and I quote):
"GALILEO users are discovering an easier, more streamlined way to search and retrieve content from the 100-plus information databases, digital collections and other resources offered to them by Georgia's Virtual Library.
"Introduced in October, the new Discover GALILEO interface simplifies the search process...by searching almost all GALILEO resources at once. Results can be sorted by relevance or date, and customers can easily refine searches by format, source, collection and more.
"'Discover GALILEO uses a different approach, combining resource indexes into one master index,' explained Merryll Penson, executive director of Library Services for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. 'This makes for a faster, more customizable list of results,' she said.
"Possibly the most notable advantage of simultaneously searching resources is that users often get results from places that they might not have thought about.
"...Alan Harkness, assistant state librarian for Library Development, noted that the Discover GALILEO interface should get even better over time, as GALILEO staff tweak the tool's effectiveness. 'Anyone who has ever been frustrated with a GALILEO search in the past needs to give it another try now,' he said. 'The difference is really amazing.'
"Users should note that a few popular GALILEO resources cannot logically be included as part of the new Discovery search. These include genealogy resources such as Heritage Quest or Ancestry Plus, which is not available outside of the library; and the online testing preparation resources that are included in Learning Express Library and RB Test Prep. These must still be launched separately within GALILEO or through Express Links from another web page.
"Harkness said, 'In the near future, we hope to add public library catalog results to Discover GALILEO, so that customers would literally have to look only in one place for all their information needs.'
"GALILEO is available in every public library in Georgia and can be accessed from home at www.galileo.usg.edu by using a library-issued password or PINES card number."
So, now you know! We're constantly on the move to make your library experience a great experience! Try the new Discover GALILEO today and have lots of fun.
(Source: Georgia Public Library Service NEWS, December 2012 issue)
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
WE'RE TELLING CHRISTMAS STORIES
We're celebrating the holidays at our library with a delightful afternoon for the children of our community.
On Tuesday, December 11th, our library will host a "Children's Holiday Story Time," 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the Children's Library. The program will be bilingual.
Children are invited to listen to two selected Christmas stories, make a craft, and enjoy a snack.
The stories they will be listening to are "Winter's Gift" by Jane Monroe Donovan and "The Finest Christmas Tree" by John and Ann Hassett.
We do, however, ask parents or guardians to phone the library to register their children for the event. We want to be sure everyone has a craft and a snack. The number to call to register is 229-985-6540.
Plan now to bring your children to the library for this wonderful storytime.... See you there!
On Tuesday, December 11th, our library will host a "Children's Holiday Story Time," 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the Children's Library. The program will be bilingual.
Children are invited to listen to two selected Christmas stories, make a craft, and enjoy a snack.
The stories they will be listening to are "Winter's Gift" by Jane Monroe Donovan and "The Finest Christmas Tree" by John and Ann Hassett.
We do, however, ask parents or guardians to phone the library to register their children for the event. We want to be sure everyone has a craft and a snack. The number to call to register is 229-985-6540.
Plan now to bring your children to the library for this wonderful storytime.... See you there!
Monday, December 3, 2012
WHAT A WONDERFUL LIFE AT OUR LIBRARY!
Here we are in the last month of 2012. What better time to tell you about some wonderful things that are happening at our library...the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library in Moultrie, Georgia.
Earlier this year, someone must have told Santa what they would like to have for Christmas 2012. And it appears those wishes are coming true!
First, a new book drop was ordered and the maintenance crew poured the concrete pad this week. The new book drop will be located just across the driveway from the current two book drops. It will be a double-return book drop, meaning that our patrons can return books through one slot and movies/audiobooks through the smaller slot. Patrons will no longer be required to turn in movies and audiobooks at the library's front desk, because this new book drop is designed to protect these materials from the elements. (That's a YEA!, huh?) The book drop should arrive within a few weeks, so keep your eyes open for it in the new location. By the way, this project was funded by SPLOST, which shows that all those pennies do add up!!!
Second, work has begun on the new roof. And work will also begin on the new chiller for the north end of the building. The contractor has already poured a concrete pad for it. They are estimating that the project will be complete (for both roof and chiller) by the end of February 2013. That's like a double present all in one!
And the Friends of the Library decided to fund the software for "PC Reservation." (Thank you, thank you to our Friends!!!) This software will allow patrons to sign up for a computer without having to go through the front desk. PC Reservation will also handle time limits for the computers, so that once the computers fill up, the patron who has been on the longest will receive a message telling them their time is about to be up, and the next patron will be assigned that computer. Tentative plans call for installation sometime this month. The program will free up a lot of time for the circulation staff so they can better help patrons with requests, assistance, and research. It will also save time for patrons, since they won't need to stand in line and wait for a computer or turn in a mouse. Like with anything new, there will undoubtedly be some bumps along the way, but it will all work out just fine.
Last but not least, be sure you notice the lovely big container (you really won't be able to miss it!) full of tall green plants that has been placed in the atrium by (once again) our great Friends of the Library. The atrium is located by coming in the double doors from the parking lot. We appreciate so much the wonderful things they have done to help us this year!!! They are truly our "best friends forever."
So, it's not only a Merry Christmas for all of us working here at the library, but it's a big Merry Christmas to all of you who use our library...your library. And a big HAPPY NEW YEAR, too!
Earlier this year, someone must have told Santa what they would like to have for Christmas 2012. And it appears those wishes are coming true!
First, a new book drop was ordered and the maintenance crew poured the concrete pad this week. The new book drop will be located just across the driveway from the current two book drops. It will be a double-return book drop, meaning that our patrons can return books through one slot and movies/audiobooks through the smaller slot. Patrons will no longer be required to turn in movies and audiobooks at the library's front desk, because this new book drop is designed to protect these materials from the elements. (That's a YEA!, huh?) The book drop should arrive within a few weeks, so keep your eyes open for it in the new location. By the way, this project was funded by SPLOST, which shows that all those pennies do add up!!!
Second, work has begun on the new roof. And work will also begin on the new chiller for the north end of the building. The contractor has already poured a concrete pad for it. They are estimating that the project will be complete (for both roof and chiller) by the end of February 2013. That's like a double present all in one!
And the Friends of the Library decided to fund the software for "PC Reservation." (Thank you, thank you to our Friends!!!) This software will allow patrons to sign up for a computer without having to go through the front desk. PC Reservation will also handle time limits for the computers, so that once the computers fill up, the patron who has been on the longest will receive a message telling them their time is about to be up, and the next patron will be assigned that computer. Tentative plans call for installation sometime this month. The program will free up a lot of time for the circulation staff so they can better help patrons with requests, assistance, and research. It will also save time for patrons, since they won't need to stand in line and wait for a computer or turn in a mouse. Like with anything new, there will undoubtedly be some bumps along the way, but it will all work out just fine.
Last but not least, be sure you notice the lovely big container (you really won't be able to miss it!) full of tall green plants that has been placed in the atrium by (once again) our great Friends of the Library. The atrium is located by coming in the double doors from the parking lot. We appreciate so much the wonderful things they have done to help us this year!!! They are truly our "best friends forever."
So, it's not only a Merry Christmas for all of us working here at the library, but it's a big Merry Christmas to all of you who use our library...your library. And a big HAPPY NEW YEAR, too!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
'TIS THE SEASON
It's beginning to look like Christmas around our library.
Yesterday we finished putting out the Christmas book displays and are still working on the lighted cases.
Several staff members have contributed to the display in the cases...a little metal Christmas tree with dangly ornaments, a soft fuzzy white bear with his matching moose friend, a Santa in his red suit, blue flowers, items of silver, lots of glittery things...and with more to come. Our signs say "Give More Love, Give More Hope, Give More Joy." Great words to remember all year round.
Our front lobby foyer table has a Christmas tree decked out with small red balls and ribbon streamers. The tree and decorations were contributed by Johnnie and the bow-making was compliments of Ann, who has a talent we now know about! The tree skirt (also from Johnnie) is red plaid and everything sits on a green plaid tablecloth. All around the tree are Christmas books, colorful as a string of bright lights.
Our bookcase next to the circulation counter has a sign that says, "Weather Frightful? Books Delightful!" and the shelves hold a 12-pack collection of Christmas books, good for any-time-weather reading.
As you can see, we have out our seasonal books. The "'Tis the Season" table in front of the nonfiction stacks holds holiday books to enjoy. Aileen has offered a brochure titled "'Tis the Season" with a list of great holiday readings and their reviews. Some of the books listed encourage me to take a couple home..."Naughty or Nice" by Eric Jerome..."The Diva Cooks a Goose" by Krista Davis..."Cat Deck the Halls: A Joe Grey Mystery" by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. So many to read; so little time!
Be sure to look at the books we've placed on top of the front lobby cases...such books as "Christmas Around the World," "Christmas Cheer," and "The Family Christmas." In a week or two we will include the Christmas cookbooks, unless they are all checked out!
We don't want to forget the picture in the Ellen Payne Odom Genealogical Library either. This time we've place a lovely picture of "Washington Crossing the Delawre, 1851" by artist Emanuel Leutz (1816-1868). The snow and ice will make you glad you're in the warm South. We've also included a list of questions that will tempt you in your search for the answers about the picture.
We're going to be open for business as usual until December 19. So, come on in and get in the spirit of Christmas. And watch for our Christmas additions.... There's bound to be more to come.
Yesterday we finished putting out the Christmas book displays and are still working on the lighted cases.
Several staff members have contributed to the display in the cases...a little metal Christmas tree with dangly ornaments, a soft fuzzy white bear with his matching moose friend, a Santa in his red suit, blue flowers, items of silver, lots of glittery things...and with more to come. Our signs say "Give More Love, Give More Hope, Give More Joy." Great words to remember all year round.
Our front lobby foyer table has a Christmas tree decked out with small red balls and ribbon streamers. The tree and decorations were contributed by Johnnie and the bow-making was compliments of Ann, who has a talent we now know about! The tree skirt (also from Johnnie) is red plaid and everything sits on a green plaid tablecloth. All around the tree are Christmas books, colorful as a string of bright lights.
Our bookcase next to the circulation counter has a sign that says, "Weather Frightful? Books Delightful!" and the shelves hold a 12-pack collection of Christmas books, good for any-time-weather reading.
As you can see, we have out our seasonal books. The "'Tis the Season" table in front of the nonfiction stacks holds holiday books to enjoy. Aileen has offered a brochure titled "'Tis the Season" with a list of great holiday readings and their reviews. Some of the books listed encourage me to take a couple home..."Naughty or Nice" by Eric Jerome..."The Diva Cooks a Goose" by Krista Davis..."Cat Deck the Halls: A Joe Grey Mystery" by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. So many to read; so little time!
Be sure to look at the books we've placed on top of the front lobby cases...such books as "Christmas Around the World," "Christmas Cheer," and "The Family Christmas." In a week or two we will include the Christmas cookbooks, unless they are all checked out!
We don't want to forget the picture in the Ellen Payne Odom Genealogical Library either. This time we've place a lovely picture of "Washington Crossing the Delawre, 1851" by artist Emanuel Leutz (1816-1868). The snow and ice will make you glad you're in the warm South. We've also included a list of questions that will tempt you in your search for the answers about the picture.
We're going to be open for business as usual until December 19. So, come on in and get in the spirit of Christmas. And watch for our Christmas additions.... There's bound to be more to come.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
WE'RE CLOSING FOR THANKSGIVING
I'm ashamed to say that I'm sitting here listening to Christmas music...but I am. Ashamed because it's not even Thanksgiving Day yet.
Once again I need to tell you that we will be closed for Thanksgiving. Sometimes I think we are closed for too many days - the 21st through the 24th, reopening on the 26th - but I understand it also helps with the budget constraints of a public library. And I do understand that it gives those staff members who are traveling out of town more time to be safe in their traveling.
It does make me wonder, however, about all those people who use the library every day, for whatever reason. Makes me wonder what they do when we are closed, where they go, and, really, if they are all right. Many come to use our computers because they have none themselves. How do they continue to job search, do online class homework, check with family and friends by email? Many come to get in out of the weather, sit on our couches and read and sometimes take a little nap. Nevertheless, I wonder what everyone does when they aren't able to come to the library.
Today as I sit here, listening to the Christmas music, I'm thoughtful about Thanksgiving and thinking what I'm thankful for.
One thing that comes to mind is being thankful for Johnnie, who makes morning coffee almost every day for those of us who work here. So, thank you, Johnnie, for that necessary morning brew.
Another thing I'm thankful for is Holly, our director, who I know is working hard to make sure our library continues to move forward and provide the best service we can to all those who walk through our doors. We've been told that this old building will be getting a new chiller and new roof during the next few months, thanks to the help of our County and State officials. We are definitely thankful for that assistance.
And I have to say I'm thankful for my office partner, Aileen, who works so hard to keep our large group of computers doing the right things. That has to be a strain-and-a-half. Plus she is contantly finding interesting events for the library to hold...like the upcoming January 2013 community health fair. Plus, she's become a very best friend. Can't ask for more in a two-person office.
I'm also thankful for all the people I work with here at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library. I've been here about nine years now, working in various capacities, and everyone here is absolutely the best of the best to work with. Occasionally we lose one...to retirement or another position somewhere...but not often. We have a few here who we could call "old timers," but who aren't old. It's just that once you start working here, you realize what a great place it is and you stay.
There are many more things I am thankful for at our library, but I won't take the space to list them all.
I do have to say that I'm thankful for all of you who read this homely, little blog. It's not fancy with pictures, colorful with design, or elegant with words. It's just a little thing I do because I was asked to do it, and I've truly enjoyed it. However, I'm sure if I could find the right person here at the library, it would take on a different kind of life. But for the meantime, I'm thankful I'm allowed to write it and share our library's information with you.
So, take a few minutes somewhere around Thanksgiving Day and think about what you're thankful for. It might surprise you what you come up with.
Once again I need to tell you that we will be closed for Thanksgiving. Sometimes I think we are closed for too many days - the 21st through the 24th, reopening on the 26th - but I understand it also helps with the budget constraints of a public library. And I do understand that it gives those staff members who are traveling out of town more time to be safe in their traveling.
It does make me wonder, however, about all those people who use the library every day, for whatever reason. Makes me wonder what they do when we are closed, where they go, and, really, if they are all right. Many come to use our computers because they have none themselves. How do they continue to job search, do online class homework, check with family and friends by email? Many come to get in out of the weather, sit on our couches and read and sometimes take a little nap. Nevertheless, I wonder what everyone does when they aren't able to come to the library.
Today as I sit here, listening to the Christmas music, I'm thoughtful about Thanksgiving and thinking what I'm thankful for.
One thing that comes to mind is being thankful for Johnnie, who makes morning coffee almost every day for those of us who work here. So, thank you, Johnnie, for that necessary morning brew.
Another thing I'm thankful for is Holly, our director, who I know is working hard to make sure our library continues to move forward and provide the best service we can to all those who walk through our doors. We've been told that this old building will be getting a new chiller and new roof during the next few months, thanks to the help of our County and State officials. We are definitely thankful for that assistance.
And I have to say I'm thankful for my office partner, Aileen, who works so hard to keep our large group of computers doing the right things. That has to be a strain-and-a-half. Plus she is contantly finding interesting events for the library to hold...like the upcoming January 2013 community health fair. Plus, she's become a very best friend. Can't ask for more in a two-person office.
I'm also thankful for all the people I work with here at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library. I've been here about nine years now, working in various capacities, and everyone here is absolutely the best of the best to work with. Occasionally we lose one...to retirement or another position somewhere...but not often. We have a few here who we could call "old timers," but who aren't old. It's just that once you start working here, you realize what a great place it is and you stay.
There are many more things I am thankful for at our library, but I won't take the space to list them all.
I do have to say that I'm thankful for all of you who read this homely, little blog. It's not fancy with pictures, colorful with design, or elegant with words. It's just a little thing I do because I was asked to do it, and I've truly enjoyed it. However, I'm sure if I could find the right person here at the library, it would take on a different kind of life. But for the meantime, I'm thankful I'm allowed to write it and share our library's information with you.
So, take a few minutes somewhere around Thanksgiving Day and think about what you're thankful for. It might surprise you what you come up with.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
A VISIT WITH HELEN SCOTT CORRELL
It's hard to believe the last post was written on October 24th, but it was. Vacations are always hard to come back from, but this time will be easier for me.
We're going to have a visit from Helen Scott Correll, a nature illustrator and author of "Middlewood Journal: Drawing Inspiration from Nature."
The event will be this Thursday, November 15th, here in the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library's auditorium, starting at 6:30 p.m. The event is free to the public.
Correll is a freelance writer, illustrator, and photographer from Spartanburg, South Carolina. She's also a member of the Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators, as well as the Guild of Nature Science Illustrators. Multi-talented, she has a blog, has published articles and illustrations in numerous magazines, and has now published a book about nature.
I took the review book home during my vacation and was amazed at the beautiful illustrations of flowers, mushrooms, leaves, animal tracks, feathers, and all kinds of nature's treasures.
With a foreward by naturalist Janisse Ray (who has been at our library several times and is well-known in our area), Correll's book gathers illustrations and writings from her hikes and blog (by the same name - Middlewood Journal) to create a treasury of discoveries, from giant red mushrooms peaking beneath a cover of leaves to a hawk on a branch so close you can hear its preening. She covers season to season, discovering miniature beauties of the South, the life that you only find by slowing down and allowing the landscape to inspire you. You, too, will witness the change of seasons through the blooms, birdsongs, and balance of sunlight in Correll's delicate prose and drawings in the Middlewood Journal.
For the Middlewood Journal blog, go to http://middlewoodjournal.blogspot.com/. You can also follow Helen on Twitter at @hscorrell.
And don't forget, on our library website home page, you'll see Helen's picture and several areas you can click on. Be sure to watch the book trailer. You'll have the chance to see her cabin and the trails she walks on her property at Middlewood.
Join us this Thursday for an amazing visit with Helen Scott Correll. Her book will be available to purchase.
We're going to have a visit from Helen Scott Correll, a nature illustrator and author of "Middlewood Journal: Drawing Inspiration from Nature."
The event will be this Thursday, November 15th, here in the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library's auditorium, starting at 6:30 p.m. The event is free to the public.
Correll is a freelance writer, illustrator, and photographer from Spartanburg, South Carolina. She's also a member of the Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators, as well as the Guild of Nature Science Illustrators. Multi-talented, she has a blog, has published articles and illustrations in numerous magazines, and has now published a book about nature.
I took the review book home during my vacation and was amazed at the beautiful illustrations of flowers, mushrooms, leaves, animal tracks, feathers, and all kinds of nature's treasures.
With a foreward by naturalist Janisse Ray (who has been at our library several times and is well-known in our area), Correll's book gathers illustrations and writings from her hikes and blog (by the same name - Middlewood Journal) to create a treasury of discoveries, from giant red mushrooms peaking beneath a cover of leaves to a hawk on a branch so close you can hear its preening. She covers season to season, discovering miniature beauties of the South, the life that you only find by slowing down and allowing the landscape to inspire you. You, too, will witness the change of seasons through the blooms, birdsongs, and balance of sunlight in Correll's delicate prose and drawings in the Middlewood Journal.
For the Middlewood Journal blog, go to http://middlewoodjournal.blogspot.com/. You can also follow Helen on Twitter at @hscorrell.
And don't forget, on our library website home page, you'll see Helen's picture and several areas you can click on. Be sure to watch the book trailer. You'll have the chance to see her cabin and the trails she walks on her property at Middlewood.
Join us this Thursday for an amazing visit with Helen Scott Correll. Her book will be available to purchase.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD LIBRARY BOOK CLUB
This is the second year that our library has had an adult reading club, or adult book club as it is sometimes called. And it's great that it's still "tooling" along.
So far, we are a group of women, but fellows are invited to attend the meetings, too. I imagine that if more of them realized we serve refreshments at the meetings, they would be more willing to show up.
Occasionally, our members receive gifts. When we first started a year ago, we had several great gifts, rather costly ones, we thought. They were given in a drawing during the first meeting. But that really didn't work. The people who won the gifts came only once or twice more and then didn't make it again.
This year our gifts have been given out at different meetings and that seems to work better. For instance, during one of our first meetings this year we gave really nice midnight blue coffee cups with the printed logo "Between the Covers" (meaning book covers, of course) and an open book on one side. We've also given our Amazing Black Book Bags (huge pocket, waterproof, side pocket, wide comfy straps), MCCLS pens, note pads, journals, bookmarks, and a few other things. And we are already planning what we're going to give next year in June when we begin our third season called "Groundbreaking Reads."
Our topics change for each month, which makes reading even more interesting. In June we had "Books That Keep You Up All Night"; those were thrillers and survival stories. July we read "Books About Books," August "Tall Tales" that were biographies and memoirs, and September we had "Night Time Adventures" about mysteries and detectives. We just finished October's meeting where the topic was "Moon Madness" and our books had the word "moon" in the titles.
At the October meeting we learned that our November topic is called "An Evening Concert." We will read books which will use threater and drama as backdrops to the story; maybe some will have stories about concerts during the holidays.
In fact, Aileen, who makes our brochures to hand out, has selected several books for the brochure to help readers decide what they'd like to read. Look at these:
And if you're interested in our little book club, we meet the second Tuesday of every month, except December (too many other holiday events) and May (lots of school events). The time is at 6:30 p.m. in the library auditorium. All you need to do is bring a small plate of snacks to share and show up. Coffee (mainly decaf) is provided by the library.
Come join us. We already know that for the January meeting we're going to be talking about books by Georgia writers. You have plenty of time to read a bunch of books before then. And if you don't know any Georgia writers to choose from, here's a short list: Terry Kay, Jimmy Carter, Pat Conroy, Janet Daugharty, Melissa Fay Greene, Lewis Grizzard, Frances Mayes, Carson McCullers, Eugenia Price, Janisse Ray, Ferrol Sams, Anne Rivers Siddons, Alice Walker, and Bailey White.
Oh, and while I'm talking to you, I need to let you know this blog will be down for two weeks while we do a little R&R with family. I'll see you again about the middle of November.
Good reading, y'all.
So far, we are a group of women, but fellows are invited to attend the meetings, too. I imagine that if more of them realized we serve refreshments at the meetings, they would be more willing to show up.
Occasionally, our members receive gifts. When we first started a year ago, we had several great gifts, rather costly ones, we thought. They were given in a drawing during the first meeting. But that really didn't work. The people who won the gifts came only once or twice more and then didn't make it again.
This year our gifts have been given out at different meetings and that seems to work better. For instance, during one of our first meetings this year we gave really nice midnight blue coffee cups with the printed logo "Between the Covers" (meaning book covers, of course) and an open book on one side. We've also given our Amazing Black Book Bags (huge pocket, waterproof, side pocket, wide comfy straps), MCCLS pens, note pads, journals, bookmarks, and a few other things. And we are already planning what we're going to give next year in June when we begin our third season called "Groundbreaking Reads."
Our topics change for each month, which makes reading even more interesting. In June we had "Books That Keep You Up All Night"; those were thrillers and survival stories. July we read "Books About Books," August "Tall Tales" that were biographies and memoirs, and September we had "Night Time Adventures" about mysteries and detectives. We just finished October's meeting where the topic was "Moon Madness" and our books had the word "moon" in the titles.
At the October meeting we learned that our November topic is called "An Evening Concert." We will read books which will use threater and drama as backdrops to the story; maybe some will have stories about concerts during the holidays.
In fact, Aileen, who makes our brochures to hand out, has selected several books for the brochure to help readers decide what they'd like to read. Look at these:
- Exit Music [sound recording] by Ian Rankin (2008 CD Fiction, Rankin).
- Shadow Music: A Novel is by Julie Garwood (2007 F Garwood)
- A Distant Music by B. J. Hoff (2006 F Hoff)
- Trunk Music by Michael Connelly (1997 Mystery Connelly)
- Evening Class is by Maeve Binchy (1996 F Binchy)
- Beach Music by Pat Conroy (1995 F Conroy) (also LP and Audio)
- The Butcher's Theater is by Jonathan Kellerman (1988 F Kellerman)
- Murder at the Mimosa Inn by Joan Hess (1987 M Hess)
- First Hit of the Season by Jane Dentinger (1984 M Dentinger)
- And if you're not a big fiction reader, the back of the brochure gives you some nonfiction.
And if you're interested in our little book club, we meet the second Tuesday of every month, except December (too many other holiday events) and May (lots of school events). The time is at 6:30 p.m. in the library auditorium. All you need to do is bring a small plate of snacks to share and show up. Coffee (mainly decaf) is provided by the library.
Come join us. We already know that for the January meeting we're going to be talking about books by Georgia writers. You have plenty of time to read a bunch of books before then. And if you don't know any Georgia writers to choose from, here's a short list: Terry Kay, Jimmy Carter, Pat Conroy, Janet Daugharty, Melissa Fay Greene, Lewis Grizzard, Frances Mayes, Carson McCullers, Eugenia Price, Janisse Ray, Ferrol Sams, Anne Rivers Siddons, Alice Walker, and Bailey White.
Oh, and while I'm talking to you, I need to let you know this blog will be down for two weeks while we do a little R&R with family. I'll see you again about the middle of November.
Good reading, y'all.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
GRANT WRITING IS A BIG HIT
I think I better tell you right now that the interest in grant writing is a big thing in our area.
The first workshop we had here in our auditorium was in August of 2010 when Dr. Anne Holt presented the program "Introduction to Grant Writing."
Then she came back in October of the same year to give "Improve Your Grant Proposal." Both times the auditorium was filled with people interested in learning more about this difficult job of writing a really good grant proposal. What with funding getting tighter and tighter over the past few years, people are looking for ways to help pay for their projects and programs. And Dr. Holt says the funds are out there.
Dr. Holt switched gears a little when she came back in February of 2011 to teach a class called "Are You Ready to Find a Publisher?" The workshop helped people with writing, editing, querying and pitching. And even though the workshop was more for a writer looking to be published, it also helped people with writing anything, including a grant.
Like I said, there's a big interest in grant writing now days. Dr. Holt came back in September of 2011 to give another grant writing workshop and although not quite as many people showed up, the classroom was filled.
So, we've brought her back again. Her timely workshop "Introduction to Grant Writing" will be held Saturday, November 3, from noon to 3 p.m. in the library auditorium. Once again the topics will include grant writing guidelines, model narrative budget information, the Georgia funders list, writing do's and don'ts, and tips on finding matching funds.
The cost is $40 per person and will be well worth it. A pre-registration fee of $10 is required, nonrefundable, basically to hold your seat. The remaining $30 is payable at the door.
And if you're wondering who Dr. Anne Holt is, she is not only a grant writer, but a writer of novels and a speaker. She has served as president and fundraiser-grant writer for the Tallahassee Writers Association, Inc., served on the "Art in the Court Committee" of the Florida Supreme Court, and is grant writer for the Tallahassee Film Society, Inc.
Dr. Holt is an active member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, The Florida Library Association, and ALAN. She has completed several novels, a dissertation, and a book of poetry.
We are already signing people up for the November 3rd workshop. All you have to do is come by the library, 204 Fifth Street SE in Moultrie, or mail in your pre-registration fee and information. And if you need more information, you can call us at 229-985-6540 or email mccls@mccls.org.
It's time to sign up now! Grant writing is big business!
The first workshop we had here in our auditorium was in August of 2010 when Dr. Anne Holt presented the program "Introduction to Grant Writing."
Then she came back in October of the same year to give "Improve Your Grant Proposal." Both times the auditorium was filled with people interested in learning more about this difficult job of writing a really good grant proposal. What with funding getting tighter and tighter over the past few years, people are looking for ways to help pay for their projects and programs. And Dr. Holt says the funds are out there.
Dr. Holt switched gears a little when she came back in February of 2011 to teach a class called "Are You Ready to Find a Publisher?" The workshop helped people with writing, editing, querying and pitching. And even though the workshop was more for a writer looking to be published, it also helped people with writing anything, including a grant.
Like I said, there's a big interest in grant writing now days. Dr. Holt came back in September of 2011 to give another grant writing workshop and although not quite as many people showed up, the classroom was filled.
So, we've brought her back again. Her timely workshop "Introduction to Grant Writing" will be held Saturday, November 3, from noon to 3 p.m. in the library auditorium. Once again the topics will include grant writing guidelines, model narrative budget information, the Georgia funders list, writing do's and don'ts, and tips on finding matching funds.
The cost is $40 per person and will be well worth it. A pre-registration fee of $10 is required, nonrefundable, basically to hold your seat. The remaining $30 is payable at the door.
And if you're wondering who Dr. Anne Holt is, she is not only a grant writer, but a writer of novels and a speaker. She has served as president and fundraiser-grant writer for the Tallahassee Writers Association, Inc., served on the "Art in the Court Committee" of the Florida Supreme Court, and is grant writer for the Tallahassee Film Society, Inc.
Dr. Holt is an active member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, The Florida Library Association, and ALAN. She has completed several novels, a dissertation, and a book of poetry.
We are already signing people up for the November 3rd workshop. All you have to do is come by the library, 204 Fifth Street SE in Moultrie, or mail in your pre-registration fee and information. And if you need more information, you can call us at 229-985-6540 or email mccls@mccls.org.
It's time to sign up now! Grant writing is big business!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
WHAT DO YOUR KIDS DO FOR HALLOWEEN?
It's been a long time ago, but I remember what we used to do for Halloween.
I lived in a small community in Texas and had a group of friends that I ran around with in the neighborhood.
It was at a time in life when kids always dressed up for Halloween in various frightening (well, we thought so) costumes. There was no fear of receiving candy laced with razor blades or needles or dis-tasteful tastes. There was no fear about someone hauling us off, away from our homes and families. It was just a time for good, clean fun. We didn't TP houses and bushes and trees. We didn't "egg" windows or cars. We just had fun.
My brother, three years younger than me, and I would always go to the houses in our neighborhood for maybe three or four blocks in each direction. We knew everyone for blocks around and they knew us. One year we both dressed up as pirates, one year Indians, and one year hobos, faces with black shoe-polish beards, some of Daddy's old work clothes and boots, and sticks carrying our knap-sacks on the end. We often carried a medium-sized bag or plastic pumpkin that had a handle. But most of the time it was just a paper sack.
There were no teenagers with pillow cases pushing us aside for the hand-out treats. Halloween was for kids younger than teenagers. There were no mothers or fathers going along with us. The whole neighborhood was safe. In fact, most of the time, us older kids took the hands of the little kids in the neighborhood and watched over them like they were our own brothers and sisters.
We would go from house to house over that three or four block range and then go home. Our trip around the neighborhood would be from the beginning of dark, usually about 7 p.m., until we'd walked the entire area. It usually brought us home about 9 p.m. Remember, we had the tiny ones with us also. But once we went home, we didn't go back out again to collect more treats. There was moderation even in collecting the goodies to eat; no stuffing pillow cases and then going out again for more. And our parents were definitely watching for us to return also.
Here in Moultrie now days there are various activities that go on for Halloween. The Downtown Merchants usually have a "trick or treat" thing going on around the Square. Many churches hold events inside their churches. Some organizations have special events for the little ones. Lots of these events are held during the daylight hours.
And that brings us to the library.
This year on Tuesday, October 30th, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library will hold a "Kid's Halloween Draw and Fold" event.
We're inviting students in the first through third grades to the library for a fun program of folding Halloween origami and drawing some Halloween objects. There will be time to enjoy a Halloween story and just have a good time.
But there's something you have to do in order to have all this fun. Since space is limited to 25 students, you need to call 229-985-6540 to register your child. Ask for Michele Croft, the Children's Librarian. Or email her at jmc@mccls.org. It's as easy as that. Sorry it couldn't be for more, but 25 kids, all in one place, will be a lot of kids. And of course, parents are invited to stay for the event, too.
Plan now to bring your kids to the library for a safe and happy Halloween...it's a place they should always come to for special children's programs.
I lived in a small community in Texas and had a group of friends that I ran around with in the neighborhood.
It was at a time in life when kids always dressed up for Halloween in various frightening (well, we thought so) costumes. There was no fear of receiving candy laced with razor blades or needles or dis-tasteful tastes. There was no fear about someone hauling us off, away from our homes and families. It was just a time for good, clean fun. We didn't TP houses and bushes and trees. We didn't "egg" windows or cars. We just had fun.
My brother, three years younger than me, and I would always go to the houses in our neighborhood for maybe three or four blocks in each direction. We knew everyone for blocks around and they knew us. One year we both dressed up as pirates, one year Indians, and one year hobos, faces with black shoe-polish beards, some of Daddy's old work clothes and boots, and sticks carrying our knap-sacks on the end. We often carried a medium-sized bag or plastic pumpkin that had a handle. But most of the time it was just a paper sack.
There were no teenagers with pillow cases pushing us aside for the hand-out treats. Halloween was for kids younger than teenagers. There were no mothers or fathers going along with us. The whole neighborhood was safe. In fact, most of the time, us older kids took the hands of the little kids in the neighborhood and watched over them like they were our own brothers and sisters.
We would go from house to house over that three or four block range and then go home. Our trip around the neighborhood would be from the beginning of dark, usually about 7 p.m., until we'd walked the entire area. It usually brought us home about 9 p.m. Remember, we had the tiny ones with us also. But once we went home, we didn't go back out again to collect more treats. There was moderation even in collecting the goodies to eat; no stuffing pillow cases and then going out again for more. And our parents were definitely watching for us to return also.
Here in Moultrie now days there are various activities that go on for Halloween. The Downtown Merchants usually have a "trick or treat" thing going on around the Square. Many churches hold events inside their churches. Some organizations have special events for the little ones. Lots of these events are held during the daylight hours.
And that brings us to the library.
This year on Tuesday, October 30th, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library will hold a "Kid's Halloween Draw and Fold" event.
We're inviting students in the first through third grades to the library for a fun program of folding Halloween origami and drawing some Halloween objects. There will be time to enjoy a Halloween story and just have a good time.
But there's something you have to do in order to have all this fun. Since space is limited to 25 students, you need to call 229-985-6540 to register your child. Ask for Michele Croft, the Children's Librarian. Or email her at jmc@mccls.org. It's as easy as that. Sorry it couldn't be for more, but 25 kids, all in one place, will be a lot of kids. And of course, parents are invited to stay for the event, too.
Plan now to bring your kids to the library for a safe and happy Halloween...it's a place they should always come to for special children's programs.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
WE HAVE A LITTLE RIVER OF WORDS AT OUR LIBRARY
It's here again! The River of Words! And we are so glad to be hosting a portion of the traveling River of Words exhibit.
I just took a tour of the exhibit, which is in our reading area. There is a back and front to the exhibit, so be sure that you look at both sides.
The Environmental Poetry and Art Project is coordinated in Georgia by the Georgia Center for the Book and Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), a program of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. River of Words is a national poetry and art competition. Students in grades 1 through 12 are invited to create visual art or poetry that shows an understanding and appreciation of their natural environment, and specifically their own watershed.
During my tour of the exhibit I noticed pictures and poetry from mostly "up-state" in the areas of Cumming, Duluth, Marietta, Lilburn, Gainesville, Woodstock, Roswell, Atlanta and Conyers. However, I did see one entry from Monticello!
The entries cover grades 1 through 12 with a variety in their pictures: a red fox, white wolf, green crab, blue egret,white polar bear, blue-black octopus, multi-colored gecko, greenish alligator, and purple jellyfish, along with beaver, deer, and trees. The water side of pictures covered waterfalls, ponds, seasides, lakes and savannahs. I saw pictures of children playing at the beach, floating on rivers and ponds with their inner tubes, and just having fun in the water.
The pictures were made up of collages, acrylics, photography, markers and pencils, pastels and plain chalk, and tempera. The poetry covered four lines to thirty lines. Children as young as six years old were writing little poems about the water.
All these children were State Winners! All had expressed themselves to the fullest, whether they'd painted a picture, taken a photo, or written a poem about something water-related.
More than 150,000 entries have been submitted since the program begin in 1997. Thousands of students have participated in Georgia; more than 2,000 entries in three grade categories were received in 2009 alone! Entries were judged on a state and national level. Georgia has had several National Grand Prize Winners in recent years.
You can visit the winners Galleries on GAProjectWET.org. And you can learn more about River of Words at their website: http://www.riverofwords.org or view the Georgia State Winners of poetry and art at our library, 204 Fifth Street, Southeast, in Moultrie.
The exhibit will be here through October 20, during the library's open hours.
I just took a tour of the exhibit, which is in our reading area. There is a back and front to the exhibit, so be sure that you look at both sides.
The Environmental Poetry and Art Project is coordinated in Georgia by the Georgia Center for the Book and Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), a program of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. River of Words is a national poetry and art competition. Students in grades 1 through 12 are invited to create visual art or poetry that shows an understanding and appreciation of their natural environment, and specifically their own watershed.
During my tour of the exhibit I noticed pictures and poetry from mostly "up-state" in the areas of Cumming, Duluth, Marietta, Lilburn, Gainesville, Woodstock, Roswell, Atlanta and Conyers. However, I did see one entry from Monticello!
The entries cover grades 1 through 12 with a variety in their pictures: a red fox, white wolf, green crab, blue egret,white polar bear, blue-black octopus, multi-colored gecko, greenish alligator, and purple jellyfish, along with beaver, deer, and trees. The water side of pictures covered waterfalls, ponds, seasides, lakes and savannahs. I saw pictures of children playing at the beach, floating on rivers and ponds with their inner tubes, and just having fun in the water.
The pictures were made up of collages, acrylics, photography, markers and pencils, pastels and plain chalk, and tempera. The poetry covered four lines to thirty lines. Children as young as six years old were writing little poems about the water.
All these children were State Winners! All had expressed themselves to the fullest, whether they'd painted a picture, taken a photo, or written a poem about something water-related.
More than 150,000 entries have been submitted since the program begin in 1997. Thousands of students have participated in Georgia; more than 2,000 entries in three grade categories were received in 2009 alone! Entries were judged on a state and national level. Georgia has had several National Grand Prize Winners in recent years.
You can visit the winners Galleries on GAProjectWET.org. And you can learn more about River of Words at their website: http://www.riverofwords.org or view the Georgia State Winners of poetry and art at our library, 204 Fifth Street, Southeast, in Moultrie.
The exhibit will be here through October 20, during the library's open hours.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
SO, WHO'S ON THE BANNED BOOKS LIST?
We put this year's Banned Books display right where people going to the nonfiction and fiction bookshelves, and to the Children's Library, would see it. It's right where you go past it on the way to the restrooms. It's right next to the audiobooks carousels. Doesn't that sound like you can't miss it? Unless you go in the other direction, of course.
Most everyone has heard of Banned Books Week, celebrated this year from September 30th to October 6th. And libraries across the country, as well as booksellers, bookstores, and practically everywhere books are a big deal, will have some kind of display. There's even a contest in libraries for the best Banned Books Week display.
The reason we promote Banned Books Week is because this freedom, not only to choose what we read, but also to select from a full array of possibilities, is firmly rooted in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press. And we feel we must remain vigilant to ensure that access to this material is preserved; would-be censors who continue to threaten the freedom to read come from all quarters and all political persuasions. Even if well intentioned, censors try to limit the freedom of others to choose what they read, see, or hear.
Book banning efforts were alive and well in 2011. The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) received 326 reports regarding attempts to remove or restrict materials from school curricula and library bookshelves.
The top ten most frequently challenged books of 2011 include the following titles; each title is followed by the reasons given for challenging the book: [a challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness]:
1) ttyl; ttfn; 18r, g8r (series) by Lauren Myracle - offensive language; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
2) The Color of Earth (series) by Kim Dong Hwa - nudity; sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
3) The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence
4) My Mom's Having a Baby! A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy by Dori Hillestad Butler - nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
5) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
6) Alice (series) by Phillis Reynolds Naylor - nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint
7) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit
8) What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones - nudity; offensive language; sexually explicit
9) Gossip Girl (series) by Cecily Von Ziegesar - drugs; offensive language; sexually explicit
10) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - offensive language; racism.
Of course there are many others that we've heard of and read, such as Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings; The Awakening by Kate Chopin; Pat Conroy's Lords of Discipline; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey; The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver; The Giver by Lois Lowry; All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy; Beloved by Toni Morrison and The Bluest Eye, as well as Song of Solomon; the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling; The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain; As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner; Joseph Heller's Catch 22; and how could we forget Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury!
It should be noted that this bibliography is incomplete because many prohibitions against free speech and expression remain undocumented. Surveys indicate that approximately 85 percent of the challenges to library materials receive no media attention and remain unreported. Moreover, this list is limited to books and does not include challenges to magazines, newspapers, films, broadcasts, plays, performances, electronic publications, or exhibits.
Take action and protect your right to read. The rights and protections of the First Amendment extend to children and teens as well as adults. While parents have the right - and the responsibility - to guide their own children's reading, that right does not extend to other people's children. Similarly, each adult has the right to choose their own reading materials, along with the responsibility to acknowledge and respect the right of others to do the same.
When we speak up to protect the right to read, we not only defend our individual right to free expression, we demonstrate tolerance and respect for opposing points of view. And when we take action to preserve our precious freedoms, we become participants in the ongoing evolution of our democratic society.
(Information provided by the American Library Association. Banned Books Week sponsored by American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, ALA, Association of American Publishers, Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, National Association of College Stores, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Council of Teachers of English, and PEN American Center.)
Most everyone has heard of Banned Books Week, celebrated this year from September 30th to October 6th. And libraries across the country, as well as booksellers, bookstores, and practically everywhere books are a big deal, will have some kind of display. There's even a contest in libraries for the best Banned Books Week display.
The reason we promote Banned Books Week is because this freedom, not only to choose what we read, but also to select from a full array of possibilities, is firmly rooted in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press. And we feel we must remain vigilant to ensure that access to this material is preserved; would-be censors who continue to threaten the freedom to read come from all quarters and all political persuasions. Even if well intentioned, censors try to limit the freedom of others to choose what they read, see, or hear.
Book banning efforts were alive and well in 2011. The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) received 326 reports regarding attempts to remove or restrict materials from school curricula and library bookshelves.
The top ten most frequently challenged books of 2011 include the following titles; each title is followed by the reasons given for challenging the book: [a challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness]:
1) ttyl; ttfn; 18r, g8r (series) by Lauren Myracle - offensive language; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
2) The Color of Earth (series) by Kim Dong Hwa - nudity; sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
3) The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence
4) My Mom's Having a Baby! A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy by Dori Hillestad Butler - nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
5) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group
6) Alice (series) by Phillis Reynolds Naylor - nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint
7) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit
8) What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones - nudity; offensive language; sexually explicit
9) Gossip Girl (series) by Cecily Von Ziegesar - drugs; offensive language; sexually explicit
10) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - offensive language; racism.
Of course there are many others that we've heard of and read, such as Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings; The Awakening by Kate Chopin; Pat Conroy's Lords of Discipline; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey; The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver; The Giver by Lois Lowry; All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy; Beloved by Toni Morrison and The Bluest Eye, as well as Song of Solomon; the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling; The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain; As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner; Joseph Heller's Catch 22; and how could we forget Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury!
It should be noted that this bibliography is incomplete because many prohibitions against free speech and expression remain undocumented. Surveys indicate that approximately 85 percent of the challenges to library materials receive no media attention and remain unreported. Moreover, this list is limited to books and does not include challenges to magazines, newspapers, films, broadcasts, plays, performances, electronic publications, or exhibits.
Take action and protect your right to read. The rights and protections of the First Amendment extend to children and teens as well as adults. While parents have the right - and the responsibility - to guide their own children's reading, that right does not extend to other people's children. Similarly, each adult has the right to choose their own reading materials, along with the responsibility to acknowledge and respect the right of others to do the same.
When we speak up to protect the right to read, we not only defend our individual right to free expression, we demonstrate tolerance and respect for opposing points of view. And when we take action to preserve our precious freedoms, we become participants in the ongoing evolution of our democratic society.
(Information provided by the American Library Association. Banned Books Week sponsored by American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, ALA, Association of American Publishers, Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, National Association of College Stores, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Council of Teachers of English, and PEN American Center.)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
HERE'S WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CHILDREN'S LIBRARY
There are several exciting things going on in the Children's Library that you need to know about.
First, the promotion of "First Cards for First Graders," our library card promotion during National Library Card Sign-up Month in September, continues until the last day of September. So far, we have 18 first graders who have signed up for their library cards. It's not too late. Come on in and get the smartest card you'll ever have.
The Lego Club will be offered from October 9 through November 6 on Tuesdays, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Spaces are limited to 15, and parents can sign up their children in the Children's Library. If Children's Librarian Michele Croft is out, parents can leave their name and phone number at the front desk in the main lobby so she can call them back to register their children.
On Tuesday, October 2, we have Steve Pridmore, the children's author of Reese Madison, P.I., who will talk to students and have autographed books available for purchase. This event is at 4:30 p.m. in the Children's Library.
And Ms. Croft has some books with CDs available for check out. Just check with her if you're not sure where they are.
If you haven't visited the Children's Library for a while, be sure to stop in. There are always amazing displays, new books, and plenty of room to hang out in the "garden" area.
First, the promotion of "First Cards for First Graders," our library card promotion during National Library Card Sign-up Month in September, continues until the last day of September. So far, we have 18 first graders who have signed up for their library cards. It's not too late. Come on in and get the smartest card you'll ever have.
The Lego Club will be offered from October 9 through November 6 on Tuesdays, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Spaces are limited to 15, and parents can sign up their children in the Children's Library. If Children's Librarian Michele Croft is out, parents can leave their name and phone number at the front desk in the main lobby so she can call them back to register their children.
On Tuesday, October 2, we have Steve Pridmore, the children's author of Reese Madison, P.I., who will talk to students and have autographed books available for purchase. This event is at 4:30 p.m. in the Children's Library.
And Ms. Croft has some books with CDs available for check out. Just check with her if you're not sure where they are.
If you haven't visited the Children's Library for a while, be sure to stop in. There are always amazing displays, new books, and plenty of room to hang out in the "garden" area.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
A WRITING WORKSHOP FOR VETERANS
You always hear about writing workshops for various groups, such as women's retreats, nature lovers, mystery or romance writers, but here's a very special one.
The Moultrie-Colquitt County Library is hosting a writing workshop for Veterans on Saturday, October 6th, 10 a.m. to noon, in the Willcoxon Auditorium here at the library. Our address is 204 Fifth Street Southeast in Moultrie. We're only a few blocks away from the downtown square.
And you don't necessarily have to be a Veteran. You might be the wife or the child or the mother or father of a Veteran and remember stories your loved one told you. Or maybe you lived in a particular country during war-time and have memories of the soldiers you knew or saw.
Have you ever thought you might like to write about your experiences, whether as a member of the Armed Forces or not, but didn't know how to start?
The workshop will be led by Dr. Jeff Newberry, who is a published author and an Associate Professor of English at Abraham Baldwin Ag College in Tifton, Georgia. He will discuss good examples of war memoirs and provide some possible strategies for getting your experiences out of your head and into words.
The workshop is free. All you need to do is call the library at 229-985-6540 and register; we need a head count in order to set up the room.
Then on the day you attend, just bring paper and pen, notebook or e-gadget, and join us!
This is an opportunity that doesn't often come into you life. Take advantage of it now.
We'll look for you.
The Moultrie-Colquitt County Library is hosting a writing workshop for Veterans on Saturday, October 6th, 10 a.m. to noon, in the Willcoxon Auditorium here at the library. Our address is 204 Fifth Street Southeast in Moultrie. We're only a few blocks away from the downtown square.
And you don't necessarily have to be a Veteran. You might be the wife or the child or the mother or father of a Veteran and remember stories your loved one told you. Or maybe you lived in a particular country during war-time and have memories of the soldiers you knew or saw.
Have you ever thought you might like to write about your experiences, whether as a member of the Armed Forces or not, but didn't know how to start?
The workshop will be led by Dr. Jeff Newberry, who is a published author and an Associate Professor of English at Abraham Baldwin Ag College in Tifton, Georgia. He will discuss good examples of war memoirs and provide some possible strategies for getting your experiences out of your head and into words.
The workshop is free. All you need to do is call the library at 229-985-6540 and register; we need a head count in order to set up the room.
Then on the day you attend, just bring paper and pen, notebook or e-gadget, and join us!
This is an opportunity that doesn't often come into you life. Take advantage of it now.
We'll look for you.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
WHO IS STEVE PRIDMORE? COME AND SEE!
Let me tell you who Steve Pridmore is.
If you have children ages 4 to 8 years old, you should bring them to the Children's Library on Saturday, October 2nd, at 4:30 p.m. to meet Steve Pridmore.
He is the author of the Reese Madison, P.I., children's stories. The Daily Mountain Eagle says he is "the Nancy Drew for a new generation." And The Torch (Chicago) says he "balances education and entertainment, giving a new excitement for kids."
Steve is a native of Alabama. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Theater Conservatory of the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. He has written, directed and/or produced over 15 theatrical state productions. And he's been an essential part of some of the biggest television shows in America, such as American Idol, The Apprentice, Heroes, Grease: You're the One that I Want, Dance War--Bruno vs. Carrie Ann, and Steven Spielberg's On the Lot, just to name a few.
If you're wondering who Reese Madison, P.I., is, then it's time you and the kiddies came to the library event to check her out. She's a sharp, ambitious eight-year old private eye. She and her sidekick, Braden, set out to solve the next great mystery.
Reese Madison, P.I, teaches children lessons about vowels, basic math, science, safety, basic problem solving, and several life lessons.
Children who come to the event will be able to talk to Steve and purchase autographed copies of his new books, "Ghost of Adventureland" and "Case of the Missing E." There's a special on the books for you...$10 for each one or both for $18. And, parents, I have to tell you, these will make great birthday or Christmas presents.
Remember, Saturday, October 2nd, 4:30 p.m. in the Children's Library at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library, 204 5th Street Southeast, in Moultrie (that's in Georgia).
If you have children ages 4 to 8 years old, you should bring them to the Children's Library on Saturday, October 2nd, at 4:30 p.m. to meet Steve Pridmore.
He is the author of the Reese Madison, P.I., children's stories. The Daily Mountain Eagle says he is "the Nancy Drew for a new generation." And The Torch (Chicago) says he "balances education and entertainment, giving a new excitement for kids."
Steve is a native of Alabama. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Theater Conservatory of the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. He has written, directed and/or produced over 15 theatrical state productions. And he's been an essential part of some of the biggest television shows in America, such as American Idol, The Apprentice, Heroes, Grease: You're the One that I Want, Dance War--Bruno vs. Carrie Ann, and Steven Spielberg's On the Lot, just to name a few.
If you're wondering who Reese Madison, P.I., is, then it's time you and the kiddies came to the library event to check her out. She's a sharp, ambitious eight-year old private eye. She and her sidekick, Braden, set out to solve the next great mystery.
Reese Madison, P.I, teaches children lessons about vowels, basic math, science, safety, basic problem solving, and several life lessons.
Children who come to the event will be able to talk to Steve and purchase autographed copies of his new books, "Ghost of Adventureland" and "Case of the Missing E." There's a special on the books for you...$10 for each one or both for $18. And, parents, I have to tell you, these will make great birthday or Christmas presents.
Remember, Saturday, October 2nd, 4:30 p.m. in the Children's Library at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library, 204 5th Street Southeast, in Moultrie (that's in Georgia).
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
WE'RE CELEBRATING CONSTITUTION WEEK
Like many public libraries across the country, we are celebrating Constitution Week here at our library. The event is being celebrated September 17th through the 23rd. The week is designed to promote a revival of interest in the U. S. Constitution and its foundations of American freedoms.
According to the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Constitution is the oldest document still in active use that outlines the self-government of a people. This landmark idea that men had the inalienable right as individuals to be free and live their lives under their own governance was the impetus of the American Revolution. Today, the Constitution stands as an icon of freedom for people around the world.
We are fortunate enough to have members of the John Benning Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution come in and decorate our library foyer table with colorful flags and handouts. They have provided Constitution Week information for the past three years, and each year their display is informational and decorative.
This time DAR members Margaret Griner, Pat Rentz and Barbara Thompson came to decorate the table and, when they were finished, the display turned out to be one of the cutest we've seen for Constitution Week.
Standing tall on a long patriotic scarf of stripes and stars is a doll with a white beard and a tophat. He's dressed in red, white and blue with stripes and stars. He's holding a bag of United States flags in one arm and hanging from the other arm is a drum with drumsticks. Across the bottom of his long coat are stitched the words "Bless the USA." Of course, you might think he resembles Santa Claus, but I really think he resembles Uncle Sam.
All around the table are small flags representing different states of the USA, red and blue sparklers, and small red tophats with bands of red, white and blue stripes and stars. The handouts provided by the DAR are Constitution Week bookmarks and an article, "George Mason and the Bill of Rights" by Marie Tunstall Lingo, with a copy of the Bill of Rights on the reverse side.
The DAR has served America for 122 years as its foremost cheerleader, including the Moultrie chapter which is 102 years old this year. In 1928, the Daughters began work on a building as a memorial to the Constitution. John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial, was commissioned to design the performing arts center, known as the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. Today, the DAR Constitution Hall is the only structure erected in tribute to the Constitution of the United States of America.
Known as the largest women's patriotic organization in the world, the DAR has more than 165,000 members with approximately 3,000 chapters in all 50 states and 11 foreign countries. The DAR has long promoted patriotism through commemorative celebrations, memorials, scholarships and activities for children, and programs for new immigrants.
We hope you'll stop by and view this lovely display. And be sure to pick up some of the handouts, also.
According to the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Constitution is the oldest document still in active use that outlines the self-government of a people. This landmark idea that men had the inalienable right as individuals to be free and live their lives under their own governance was the impetus of the American Revolution. Today, the Constitution stands as an icon of freedom for people around the world.
We are fortunate enough to have members of the John Benning Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution come in and decorate our library foyer table with colorful flags and handouts. They have provided Constitution Week information for the past three years, and each year their display is informational and decorative.
This time DAR members Margaret Griner, Pat Rentz and Barbara Thompson came to decorate the table and, when they were finished, the display turned out to be one of the cutest we've seen for Constitution Week.
Standing tall on a long patriotic scarf of stripes and stars is a doll with a white beard and a tophat. He's dressed in red, white and blue with stripes and stars. He's holding a bag of United States flags in one arm and hanging from the other arm is a drum with drumsticks. Across the bottom of his long coat are stitched the words "Bless the USA." Of course, you might think he resembles Santa Claus, but I really think he resembles Uncle Sam.
All around the table are small flags representing different states of the USA, red and blue sparklers, and small red tophats with bands of red, white and blue stripes and stars. The handouts provided by the DAR are Constitution Week bookmarks and an article, "George Mason and the Bill of Rights" by Marie Tunstall Lingo, with a copy of the Bill of Rights on the reverse side.
The DAR has served America for 122 years as its foremost cheerleader, including the Moultrie chapter which is 102 years old this year. In 1928, the Daughters began work on a building as a memorial to the Constitution. John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial, was commissioned to design the performing arts center, known as the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. Today, the DAR Constitution Hall is the only structure erected in tribute to the Constitution of the United States of America.
Known as the largest women's patriotic organization in the world, the DAR has more than 165,000 members with approximately 3,000 chapters in all 50 states and 11 foreign countries. The DAR has long promoted patriotism through commemorative celebrations, memorials, scholarships and activities for children, and programs for new immigrants.
We hope you'll stop by and view this lovely display. And be sure to pick up some of the handouts, also.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
We're gonna have a little mystery!
Did you see on our website home page the announcement about the "Murder in the Library"? Well, I want to tell you about it, because it is going to be one of the best things that's happened in our library.
This tongue-in-cheek mystery begins with a book signing party for a rather unpopular mystery author, Agatha Mystry. When all the suspects have toasted her - and she has given her scathing reponse - Agatha Mystry suddenly drops dead between the book stacks. (An appropriate place, huh?)
Well! Whodunnit?
The suspects and characters are from Moultrie's finest actors:
Besides that, you will be served desserts "to die for," along with gourmet coffee and tea, which will be your food for thought as you work through the drama to determine who really done it. And prizes - yes! prizes! - will be awarded to the person who solves the crime!
The cost for participating in the fundraiser, sponsored by the Friends of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library, is only $25 per person. Tickets are available at the Library, 204 5th Street, SE, and from Christian Books & More, 1612 First Avenue, SE, both in Moultrie.
Come join us for the best time ever. Join us in raising funds for continued support of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library, your place of "Knowledge without Walls."
This tongue-in-cheek mystery begins with a book signing party for a rather unpopular mystery author, Agatha Mystry. When all the suspects have toasted her - and she has given her scathing reponse - Agatha Mystry suddenly drops dead between the book stacks. (An appropriate place, huh?)
Well! Whodunnit?
The suspects and characters are from Moultrie's finest actors:
- Agatha Mystry, portrayed by school teacher Patience Hicks, is a famous mystery writer and the honored guest, who just sold her 200th book.
- Dell Doubleday, who is really financial advisor Ken Turnipseed, is the book publisher who published Agatha's first book in 1967.
- Page Turner, the book critic with 130 slander cases pending against her, is played by Moultrie Observer reporter Adelia Ladson.
- Mayor MacBook, the newly-elected Mayor who plans to run for President in two years, will be portrayed by our own Moultrie Mayor, Bill McIntosh.
- Lotta Books is none other than our own retired library director, Melody Jenkins, acting as the head librarian since 1966 and host of the night's book signing event.
- Dalton B. Walden, the bookstore owner who provided eight free copies of Agatha's book, will be Jim Soos, co-owner of Christian Books & More.
- Lauren Bacall Number, the star of several trashy, low budget movies, including "Cat on a Hot Muffin Tin," who is on her fourth marriage, will be portrayed by hospital secretary Barbara Peoples.
- And Al Whittington, county sheriff, will be Sam Slayed, Chief of Police and head of the local Vice Squad, on his second roll of Tums.
Besides that, you will be served desserts "to die for," along with gourmet coffee and tea, which will be your food for thought as you work through the drama to determine who really done it. And prizes - yes! prizes! - will be awarded to the person who solves the crime!
The cost for participating in the fundraiser, sponsored by the Friends of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library, is only $25 per person. Tickets are available at the Library, 204 5th Street, SE, and from Christian Books & More, 1612 First Avenue, SE, both in Moultrie.
Come join us for the best time ever. Join us in raising funds for continued support of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library, your place of "Knowledge without Walls."
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
"A BEACH TAIL"
Like many of you, my Labor Day holiday is over and it's back to work...somewhere.... Lots of us work in offices, many of us work outside, others of us are traveling for our businesses. It doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing, the Labor Day holiday is over. September is in full bloom and we must move with the tide.
Ah! Did I say "tide"? For some reason, my thoughts of the beach never leave me.
So, it wasn't a surprise when I came in to work today and passed the checked-in books that I saw a children's book with the title "A Beach Tail." And because my curiosity is always on high, I picked up the book and took it to the office for a fast read.
I am a lover of children's books and this one shows a little African-American boy on the cover with a stick in his hand as he digs in the sand.
I wasn't disappointed with the book at all. The pictures are gorgeous. They look as if they've been painted with sand, lots of shades of brown and tan, soft blues and reds.
Gregory is the little boy's name and he's at the beach with his dad. Like all good parents, Dad tells Gregory as he draws a lion in the sand, a lion he's named Sandy, that he's not to go in the water and he's not to leave Sandy. And Gregory promises he won't.
As Dad sits under a blue umbrella on a dolphin towel, Gregory, with stick in hand, makes the lion's tail grow longer and longer. It's during the length of the lion's tail that the story is told, as it circles around a purple jellyfish, goes past an old sand castle, zig-zags around a golden horseshoe crab, on an on down the beach, until Gregory realizes he can no longer see Dad and the blue umbrella.
Does that make you wonder what happens next? Well, good then. It's a book to check out even if you don't have a child to read it to. The pictures bring back good times at the beach, good times not only for children, but of the pleasures adults have at the beach also.
I can close my eyes and see the waves rolling in, smell the beachy air of fish and birds, see the gulls and sandpipers and pelicans, listen to the music of everything around me.
Sure, September is here and Labor Day is gone, but here in South Georgia we're not too far from an ocean beach no matter which direction we go (excluding beaches at lakes, several of which are to the north of us).
But there's one way you can always keep a beach nearby. We have lots of good books and audio books at our library about beaches. Of course, there are always the novels (try reading those by Dorothea Benton Frank) and the nonfictions (try those about Jekyll Island and Cumberland and the islands of the Golden Coast of Georgia).
Oh, yes, and remember...September is National Library Card Sign-up Month at libraries all across the nation. If you don't have a library card, you're missing one of the most important cards you can keep in your wallet or purse. It's a guaranteed way of getting to the beach even when you have to wait until the next holiday to get to the real thing.
That book I read...well, it's by Karen Lynn Williams and the illustrations are by Floyd Cooper. If you're lucky and want to read it, you might find it in the Children's Library, unless it's already checked out again.
Ah! Did I say "tide"? For some reason, my thoughts of the beach never leave me.
So, it wasn't a surprise when I came in to work today and passed the checked-in books that I saw a children's book with the title "A Beach Tail." And because my curiosity is always on high, I picked up the book and took it to the office for a fast read.
I am a lover of children's books and this one shows a little African-American boy on the cover with a stick in his hand as he digs in the sand.
I wasn't disappointed with the book at all. The pictures are gorgeous. They look as if they've been painted with sand, lots of shades of brown and tan, soft blues and reds.
Gregory is the little boy's name and he's at the beach with his dad. Like all good parents, Dad tells Gregory as he draws a lion in the sand, a lion he's named Sandy, that he's not to go in the water and he's not to leave Sandy. And Gregory promises he won't.
As Dad sits under a blue umbrella on a dolphin towel, Gregory, with stick in hand, makes the lion's tail grow longer and longer. It's during the length of the lion's tail that the story is told, as it circles around a purple jellyfish, goes past an old sand castle, zig-zags around a golden horseshoe crab, on an on down the beach, until Gregory realizes he can no longer see Dad and the blue umbrella.
Does that make you wonder what happens next? Well, good then. It's a book to check out even if you don't have a child to read it to. The pictures bring back good times at the beach, good times not only for children, but of the pleasures adults have at the beach also.
I can close my eyes and see the waves rolling in, smell the beachy air of fish and birds, see the gulls and sandpipers and pelicans, listen to the music of everything around me.
Sure, September is here and Labor Day is gone, but here in South Georgia we're not too far from an ocean beach no matter which direction we go (excluding beaches at lakes, several of which are to the north of us).
But there's one way you can always keep a beach nearby. We have lots of good books and audio books at our library about beaches. Of course, there are always the novels (try reading those by Dorothea Benton Frank) and the nonfictions (try those about Jekyll Island and Cumberland and the islands of the Golden Coast of Georgia).
Oh, yes, and remember...September is National Library Card Sign-up Month at libraries all across the nation. If you don't have a library card, you're missing one of the most important cards you can keep in your wallet or purse. It's a guaranteed way of getting to the beach even when you have to wait until the next holiday to get to the real thing.
That book I read...well, it's by Karen Lynn Williams and the illustrations are by Floyd Cooper. If you're lucky and want to read it, you might find it in the Children's Library, unless it's already checked out again.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY THOUGHT ABOUT LABOR DAY?
Our library will be closed for Labor Day, Monday, September 3rd, but we'll be open again on Tuesday the 4th, regular time of 8:30 a.m.
When I came to work this morning, I asked several coworkers what they would be doing on Labor Day.
Cray said she'd probably be babysitting her little grandson, Qaden, who is now four months old.
Johnnie said she'd probably be cleaning house and that her husband would probably cook, while she cleaned house. (That's a blessing in itself.)
Ann said she was definitely going to take Friday, Saturday, and Monday to clean her home office, which is covered with her genealogy projects.
Monique will be working the weekend at her second job, but her sister and husband will be visiting all weekend. Luckily, Monique will be off on Labor Day and enjoying a cookout the evening before.
Me, well, I'm going to be doing the same thing that Irene will be doing...just resting and piddling around at home.
Of course, all of these activities made me check with one of my favorite sources, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, to see what it had to say about Labor Day.
We all know it's a federal holiday observed the first Monday in September. But how many really know why.
Labor Day is supposed to pay tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. It's usually a time of parties and parades and athletic events.
Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday in 1887. By the time it became a federal holiday in 1894, thirty states officially celebrated Labor Day.
Wikipedia says, "The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public 'the strength and spirit of corps of the trade and labor organizations', followed by a festival for the workers and their families."
Nowdays the holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parties. Speeches and political demonstrations are more low-key than the May 1 Labor Day celebrations in most countries. Our Labor Day in the United States is also known as the symbolic end of summer, a time when high society once considered it the last day of the year to wear white or seersucker clothes.
I wonder how far away we've come from celebrating the original thought of Labor Day. Do we still think of the contributions and achievements of our American workers? If so, how much? And in what ways?
Look in your local newspaper and see what your community will be doing. And remember...our library will be closed during this time of acknowledgement to all who work to make our nation strong and free, whether they be in trade and labor organizations, or just out there working...just plain working.
When I came to work this morning, I asked several coworkers what they would be doing on Labor Day.
Cray said she'd probably be babysitting her little grandson, Qaden, who is now four months old.
Johnnie said she'd probably be cleaning house and that her husband would probably cook, while she cleaned house. (That's a blessing in itself.)
Ann said she was definitely going to take Friday, Saturday, and Monday to clean her home office, which is covered with her genealogy projects.
Monique will be working the weekend at her second job, but her sister and husband will be visiting all weekend. Luckily, Monique will be off on Labor Day and enjoying a cookout the evening before.
Me, well, I'm going to be doing the same thing that Irene will be doing...just resting and piddling around at home.
Of course, all of these activities made me check with one of my favorite sources, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, to see what it had to say about Labor Day.
We all know it's a federal holiday observed the first Monday in September. But how many really know why.
Labor Day is supposed to pay tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. It's usually a time of parties and parades and athletic events.
Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday in 1887. By the time it became a federal holiday in 1894, thirty states officially celebrated Labor Day.
Wikipedia says, "The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public 'the strength and spirit of corps of the trade and labor organizations', followed by a festival for the workers and their families."
Nowdays the holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parties. Speeches and political demonstrations are more low-key than the May 1 Labor Day celebrations in most countries. Our Labor Day in the United States is also known as the symbolic end of summer, a time when high society once considered it the last day of the year to wear white or seersucker clothes.
I wonder how far away we've come from celebrating the original thought of Labor Day. Do we still think of the contributions and achievements of our American workers? If so, how much? And in what ways?
Look in your local newspaper and see what your community will be doing. And remember...our library will be closed during this time of acknowledgement to all who work to make our nation strong and free, whether they be in trade and labor organizations, or just out there working...just plain working.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE SO NICE
We don't praise our volunteers enough, do we? Sometimes we don't even think about them until something really nice happens. And that's a shame. We need to think of our volunteers all the time and praise them all the time...especially to their faces.
I say this because two things happened today to me and I began to think about volunteers in a different way.
The first happening occurred as I was pulling books to place in one of our displays. I was roaming through the bookshelves and a lovely, little lady said to me, "Your library has the best books of all the libraries I go to."
Of course, I said thank you. But she continued as she rearranged some of the shelved books into alphabetical order under one author's name. "You have your labels all the same and they're easy to read. I go to two other libraries, too, but they don't do that. In fact, it's rather hard to find the books I really want."
Again, I said thank you, and we took a little time to talk about our recent shelver, who had moved to another job. I mentioned how we really missed her and noticed the lady was still working with the books, rearranging them and lining them up straight on the shelves. (Thanks, Miss Shirley.)
When I went to the front counter, I told one of our staff members about the "volunteer" who really liked our library. You just can't praise a person like that enough.
Then, in the afternoon, another volunteer appeared.
This woman approached me as I was working with the lighted cases display. She leaned toward me and talked over the case: "Do you work here?" she asked.
When I said I did, she said, "Would it be all right if I clean that little table over there where the big plant is?"
I looked and I could see what she meant. The table has this huge, "many-leaved, many-limbed" plant in a big clay flower pot setting on it. And where it's been watered so many times and run over the rim of the clay saucer, the table was stained and dusty.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" I asked.
"Oh, I don't mind at all. I'll just get some wet paper towels and clean it off." She smiled and walked way. And I continued my display work and marveled at this wonderful volunteer.
Once again, I went to the front counter and told the staff member about this volunteer, and she was able to tell me the volunteer's name. (So, I can say thanks, Miss Joyce.)
Of course, I could tell you the last names of the volunteers, but they might not want their last names mentioned. I didn't ask them.
Instead, I want to say to ALL our volunteers, whether they are our Friends of the Library volunteers, who come in and help shelve books (I know who you are, Angie), or whether they are the silent angels that appear out of nowhere to do something, we DO so appreciate you and all you do. We welcome your help and are so glad that you take the time to help shelve books, or straighten them, or wipe off our dusty tables.
You just make our days bright!
I say this because two things happened today to me and I began to think about volunteers in a different way.
The first happening occurred as I was pulling books to place in one of our displays. I was roaming through the bookshelves and a lovely, little lady said to me, "Your library has the best books of all the libraries I go to."
Of course, I said thank you. But she continued as she rearranged some of the shelved books into alphabetical order under one author's name. "You have your labels all the same and they're easy to read. I go to two other libraries, too, but they don't do that. In fact, it's rather hard to find the books I really want."
Again, I said thank you, and we took a little time to talk about our recent shelver, who had moved to another job. I mentioned how we really missed her and noticed the lady was still working with the books, rearranging them and lining them up straight on the shelves. (Thanks, Miss Shirley.)
When I went to the front counter, I told one of our staff members about the "volunteer" who really liked our library. You just can't praise a person like that enough.
Then, in the afternoon, another volunteer appeared.
This woman approached me as I was working with the lighted cases display. She leaned toward me and talked over the case: "Do you work here?" she asked.
When I said I did, she said, "Would it be all right if I clean that little table over there where the big plant is?"
I looked and I could see what she meant. The table has this huge, "many-leaved, many-limbed" plant in a big clay flower pot setting on it. And where it's been watered so many times and run over the rim of the clay saucer, the table was stained and dusty.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" I asked.
"Oh, I don't mind at all. I'll just get some wet paper towels and clean it off." She smiled and walked way. And I continued my display work and marveled at this wonderful volunteer.
Once again, I went to the front counter and told the staff member about this volunteer, and she was able to tell me the volunteer's name. (So, I can say thanks, Miss Joyce.)
Of course, I could tell you the last names of the volunteers, but they might not want their last names mentioned. I didn't ask them.
Instead, I want to say to ALL our volunteers, whether they are our Friends of the Library volunteers, who come in and help shelve books (I know who you are, Angie), or whether they are the silent angels that appear out of nowhere to do something, we DO so appreciate you and all you do. We welcome your help and are so glad that you take the time to help shelve books, or straighten them, or wipe off our dusty tables.
You just make our days bright!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
GALILEO IS A POWERFUL TOOL
We're offering you something very helpful from our library and you don't even have to be sitting in our library to use it. You can use it from your own home computer, too.
As of July 1, the Georgia Public Library Service began offering the LearningExpress Library and its Job & Career Accelerator(tm) to all the state's public libraries through GALILEO, Georgia's Virtual Library.
The services we now have in GALILEO will allow you to:
So, the rest is up to you. If you have a Moultrie-Colquitt County Library card, just call the library at 229-985-6540 and ask for the current GALILEO password.
We've just begun to find out what's in all these databases and they are awesome! We'd like to encourage you to do the same. And if you need help, come see us. We'll be glad to help.
As of July 1, the Georgia Public Library Service began offering the LearningExpress Library and its Job & Career Accelerator(tm) to all the state's public libraries through GALILEO, Georgia's Virtual Library.
The services we now have in GALILEO will allow you to:
- Prepare for tests (GED, Compass, SAT, ACT, Praxis, GRE, etc.)
- Prepare for occupational exams
- Access U.S. Citizenship test information
- Write resumes and apply for jobs
- Learn to use computers and Internet through tutorials
- And many more features!
- Go to GALILEO on the library's website home page
- Click on Databases A-Z
- Type LearningExpress (all one word) in the empty box and click on Find Database
- You'll see the links to both of the databases
- 1. Job and Career Accelerator for resume, cover letter, job listings, occupation descriptions and more
- 2. LearningExpress Library for test preparation, career certification, skills improvement and more.
So, the rest is up to you. If you have a Moultrie-Colquitt County Library card, just call the library at 229-985-6540 and ask for the current GALILEO password.
We've just begun to find out what's in all these databases and they are awesome! We'd like to encourage you to do the same. And if you need help, come see us. We'll be glad to help.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
OUR BOOKMOBILE'S NEW FACE LIFT
Maybe you've seen it around town, or parked in its little spot beside the library, or out in the country on one of its many routes.
It's a bus with a couple of air conditioner units on top, a couple of side windows and back window, and two really neat ladies who take it to our away-patrons, Miss Sheila and Miss Amanda. (We use Miss in the South to denote respect for our ladies.)
It's the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library's bookmobile. (And I usually capitalize the word "bookmobile" because of my great respect for it, too.)
Our Bookmobile had for many years been painted red, white and blue. Paint was the way to refresh the look whenever needed. But lately, a new thing has been happening not only to Bookmobiles, but semi-truck rigs, city buses, cars, and a host of other traveling machines. (We won't count the knit-wrapped bicycles.)
When Melody Jenkins, our since-retired director, approached Sunbelt Signs, Inc. with the idea of redesigning our Bookmobile, she envisioned the bus with bright colors, a beautiful landscape on it, little children reading, and a bunch of books.
Well, the sign company went out of their way to please her. It dreamed up a "wrap" that looks like something out of a storybook. The new look shows people reading their books in a field where trees made of books grow. The name "Bookmobile" is in large letters on the bus, easy for people to read. There is a larger-than-life bookshelf wrapped all around the bottom of the bus, stacked with colorful books.
Many people along the routes that the Bookmobile travels thought there was a new bus coming their way. But with several budget cuts at the library, no new bus was on the library horizon. Instead, this clever graphic wrap has given our Bookmobile a new life, a new look, and a new talk about town.
The next time you're by our library at 204 Fifth Street, Southeast, in Moultrie, see if it's parked in its corner spot and admire the gorgeous new look. However, chances are it won't be there. You see, our Bookmobile librarians, Miss Sheila and Miss Amanda, are often out and about on their many routes, taking books to home-bound patrons and schools.
But if you're interested in knowing about the Bookmobile's routes, call the library for more information at 229-985-6540. Be sure to ask for the Bookmobile librarians...they have all that information. If they're out, be sure to leave your name and number so they can return the call.
And if I were you and I was on one of their routes, I'd have my camera ready to take a picture of the storybook Bookmobile. It's a delightful sight to behold!!!
It's a bus with a couple of air conditioner units on top, a couple of side windows and back window, and two really neat ladies who take it to our away-patrons, Miss Sheila and Miss Amanda. (We use Miss in the South to denote respect for our ladies.)
It's the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library's bookmobile. (And I usually capitalize the word "bookmobile" because of my great respect for it, too.)
Our Bookmobile had for many years been painted red, white and blue. Paint was the way to refresh the look whenever needed. But lately, a new thing has been happening not only to Bookmobiles, but semi-truck rigs, city buses, cars, and a host of other traveling machines. (We won't count the knit-wrapped bicycles.)
When Melody Jenkins, our since-retired director, approached Sunbelt Signs, Inc. with the idea of redesigning our Bookmobile, she envisioned the bus with bright colors, a beautiful landscape on it, little children reading, and a bunch of books.
Well, the sign company went out of their way to please her. It dreamed up a "wrap" that looks like something out of a storybook. The new look shows people reading their books in a field where trees made of books grow. The name "Bookmobile" is in large letters on the bus, easy for people to read. There is a larger-than-life bookshelf wrapped all around the bottom of the bus, stacked with colorful books.
Many people along the routes that the Bookmobile travels thought there was a new bus coming their way. But with several budget cuts at the library, no new bus was on the library horizon. Instead, this clever graphic wrap has given our Bookmobile a new life, a new look, and a new talk about town.
The next time you're by our library at 204 Fifth Street, Southeast, in Moultrie, see if it's parked in its corner spot and admire the gorgeous new look. However, chances are it won't be there. You see, our Bookmobile librarians, Miss Sheila and Miss Amanda, are often out and about on their many routes, taking books to home-bound patrons and schools.
But if you're interested in knowing about the Bookmobile's routes, call the library for more information at 229-985-6540. Be sure to ask for the Bookmobile librarians...they have all that information. If they're out, be sure to leave your name and number so they can return the call.
And if I were you and I was on one of their routes, I'd have my camera ready to take a picture of the storybook Bookmobile. It's a delightful sight to behold!!!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
"Where you been?" he asked
That's what he said. "Where you been?"
I knew the minute I glanced into the little mirror I keep on my desk, the one that shows me who is coming toward my door behind my back, that I was in for it. My favorite critic and advisor tapped on the door, then poked his head in and said, "Where you been?"
"I've been right here," I said.
"Well, you haven't been doing your blod!"
A long time ago, my friend and I had a discussion about it not being a blod, that it's really a blog, but it didn't make much of an impression on him.
"I know," I said. "Just been too busy doing other things."
He stepped over to my the file cabinet next to my computer, leaned on it and stared at what I was working on.
"So, what's kept you so busy you can't write about what's going on here? How're we supposed to know what's going on in this place if you don't write about it in the blod? I mean, I read it ever-day, but if you can't write it, how'm I gonna read it?" That was a mild form of chastisement, right?
"I'm sorry," I said. "I'll try to do better and get something done today. OK?"
He didn't look much happier, but he nodded his head at me and left. I watched in my mirror as he walked away from the office. Then he stopped at the end of the hallway and looked back, shaking his head at me.
So, I'm here today, compliments of my friend, to tell you that we have some upcoming events you will be interested in. Such as:
I knew the minute I glanced into the little mirror I keep on my desk, the one that shows me who is coming toward my door behind my back, that I was in for it. My favorite critic and advisor tapped on the door, then poked his head in and said, "Where you been?"
"I've been right here," I said.
"Well, you haven't been doing your blod!"
A long time ago, my friend and I had a discussion about it not being a blod, that it's really a blog, but it didn't make much of an impression on him.
"I know," I said. "Just been too busy doing other things."
He stepped over to my the file cabinet next to my computer, leaned on it and stared at what I was working on.
"So, what's kept you so busy you can't write about what's going on here? How're we supposed to know what's going on in this place if you don't write about it in the blod? I mean, I read it ever-day, but if you can't write it, how'm I gonna read it?" That was a mild form of chastisement, right?
"I'm sorry," I said. "I'll try to do better and get something done today. OK?"
He didn't look much happier, but he nodded his head at me and left. I watched in my mirror as he walked away from the office. Then he stopped at the end of the hallway and looked back, shaking his head at me.
So, I'm here today, compliments of my friend, to tell you that we have some upcoming events you will be interested in. Such as:
- Sunbelt Writers will hold their monthly meeting in the auditorium on Saturday, August 18, with a program by Sandra Giles of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton. Ms. Giles will talk about creative nonfiction and how to make memoirs more than just memories.
- On Sunday, August 19, a "drop-in" retirement reception will be held for past-library-director Melody S. Jenkins. Ms. Jenkins held the post for 37 years and will be honored at the reception held by the MCCLS Friends and the Junior Woman's Club of Moultrie. The community is invited to attend. Time is from 2 to 4 p.m. in the library's reading area. Refreshments will be served.
- The MCCLS Friends will meet on Monday, August 20, in the auditorium at 6 p.m. This group has several things they are working on. They are the advocates for the library and are presently involved in Melody's retirement party and a play-fundraiser for the library. For more information about being a Friend of the Library, call the library or pick up a Friends' brochure in the library foyer.
- It is always necessary to let the public know when the library is closed and one of those times is coming up. On Monday, September 3, the library will be closed for Labor Day, but opening again on Tuesday the 4th. That includes the Odom Genealogical Library. The Doerun Library will be closed for the same holiday and opening on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
- There will be a combined meeting of the library Boards in September. The Odom Genealogical Library Board and the MCC Library Board will meet on Monday, September 10, at 4 p.m. due to the director being out of town on Thursday the 13th, when the MCC Library Board would normally meet. New library director Holly Phillips will present "facts and figures" at the meeting.
- On Tuesday, September 11, at 6:30 p.m. you'll find the Library Book Club for Adults meeting in the auditorium. At the last meeting there were 11 women present to share snacks and lemonade and talk about the books they read during August. Books to be read for the September meeting will be "Night Time Adventures" about mysteries and detective stories. All adults with a reading passion are encouraged to join in the fun.
- Constitution Week is September 17 through 23. Plans call for a display to be assembled on the round table in the library's front foyer by members of the John Benning Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The week-long celebration commemorates the adoption of the U. S. Constitution.
- Friday, September 21, at 7 p.m., the community will enjoy the first "Mystery @ the Library," presented by the MCCLS Friends as a fundraiser. Tickets for $25 will include admission, desserts and gourmet coffee and tea, as well as participation in trying to solve the crime and become the winner of big prizes. Tickets will be on sale at the library and from members of the Friends of the Library.
- Other events planned at the library include September's National Library Card Sign-up Month and Banned Books Week during September 30 through October 6.
- Of course, there are various displays around the library to encourage you to pick up a book and read, or listen to an audiobook, or watch a good movie on one of our DVDs.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
You're invited to a baby shower
No...no one here, working at the library, is expecting a baby. But there are lots of lovely women out there in our community who are new mothers or are expecting a little one.
For that reason you're invited to join us for a special baby shower celebration.
The event is presented by AMERIGROUP Community Care and it will be a "Community Baby Shower" on Thursday, August 16th, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. here in the library auditorium.
The baby shower is for new and expecting moms. There will be important health information, games, prizes, food, and so much more.
There also will be an AMERIGROUP representative present to answer questions about member benefits and health care programs and services. All eligible individuals are welcome into the health care programs, regardless of health status.
If you have any questions concerning the baby shower, call Michele, our Children's Librarian, at the library, 229-985-6540, or call 706-868-4412 if you plan to attend.
This is just another community event held here at your Moultrie-Colquitt County Library, 204 5th Street, Southeast, in Moultrie, Georgia. We welcome your inquiries about eligibility requirements for using the library meeting rooms.
For that reason you're invited to join us for a special baby shower celebration.
The event is presented by AMERIGROUP Community Care and it will be a "Community Baby Shower" on Thursday, August 16th, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. here in the library auditorium.
The baby shower is for new and expecting moms. There will be important health information, games, prizes, food, and so much more.
There also will be an AMERIGROUP representative present to answer questions about member benefits and health care programs and services. All eligible individuals are welcome into the health care programs, regardless of health status.
If you have any questions concerning the baby shower, call Michele, our Children's Librarian, at the library, 229-985-6540, or call 706-868-4412 if you plan to attend.
This is just another community event held here at your Moultrie-Colquitt County Library, 204 5th Street, Southeast, in Moultrie, Georgia. We welcome your inquiries about eligibility requirements for using the library meeting rooms.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Special events with author Janisse Ray
Writer, naturalist and activist Janisse Ray, author of “The
Seed Underground: A Growing Revolution to Save Food,” will discuss her new book
on Friday, August 10, at 6:30 p.m. The
event, which is hosted by the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library, 204 5th
Street, SE, Moultrie, will be held in the library’s reading area. The talk and book signing is free to the
public.
From Janisse we hear: "Across the country, a renaissance of local food, farming, and place-based culinary traditions is taking hold. And yet something small, critically important, and profoundly at risk is being overlooked in this local food resurgence: seeds. Of the thousands of seed varieties available at the turn of the 20th century, 94 percent have been lost - forever."
It is Janisse Ray who brings us the inspiring stories of ordinary gardners whose aim is to save time-honored open-pollinated varieties like Old Time Tennessee muskmelon and Long County Longhorn okra - varieties that will be lost if people don't grow, save, and swap the seeds.
It is in "The Seed Underground" that Janisse introduces us to dozens of seed savers like the eccentric sociology professor she dubs "Tomato Man" and Maine farmer Will Bonsall, the "Noah" of seed saving who juggles hundreds of seeds, many grown by him, and him alone. And Janisse tells her own story about her grandmother saving squash seed, about her own tiny garden, and about the one seed, the Conch cowpea, that got away from her.
So, it is in "The Seed Underground" that we are reminded our underlying health, food security, and sovereignty may be at stake as seeds disappear, as well as the stories, heritage, and history that passes between people as seeds are passed from hand to hand.
Then on Saturday, August 11, Janisse will present “Writing Your Own Story,” a workshop in creative nonfiction and memoir. The event will be from 9 to 4 p.m. Participants will have lunch on their own. Pre-registration is required by August 7. A $10 fee is payable at the library’s front counter. Class size is limited to 24.
Ray is a seed-saver, seed-exchanger, and seed-banker, and has gardened for twenty-five years. She is the author of several books, including “Pinhook” and “Ecology of a Cracker Childhood,” a New York Times Notable Book. She has won numerous awards, is on the faculty of Chatham University’s low-residency MFA program, and is a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow. Ray lectures widely on nature, community, agriculture, wildness, sustainability and the politics of wholeness. She lives on a farm in southern Georgia with her husband, Raven Waters.
If you've never met Janisse Ray, now is your golden opportunity. You certainly won't want to miss these special events.
From Janisse we hear: "Across the country, a renaissance of local food, farming, and place-based culinary traditions is taking hold. And yet something small, critically important, and profoundly at risk is being overlooked in this local food resurgence: seeds. Of the thousands of seed varieties available at the turn of the 20th century, 94 percent have been lost - forever."
It is Janisse Ray who brings us the inspiring stories of ordinary gardners whose aim is to save time-honored open-pollinated varieties like Old Time Tennessee muskmelon and Long County Longhorn okra - varieties that will be lost if people don't grow, save, and swap the seeds.
It is in "The Seed Underground" that Janisse introduces us to dozens of seed savers like the eccentric sociology professor she dubs "Tomato Man" and Maine farmer Will Bonsall, the "Noah" of seed saving who juggles hundreds of seeds, many grown by him, and him alone. And Janisse tells her own story about her grandmother saving squash seed, about her own tiny garden, and about the one seed, the Conch cowpea, that got away from her.
So, it is in "The Seed Underground" that we are reminded our underlying health, food security, and sovereignty may be at stake as seeds disappear, as well as the stories, heritage, and history that passes between people as seeds are passed from hand to hand.
Then on Saturday, August 11, Janisse will present “Writing Your Own Story,” a workshop in creative nonfiction and memoir. The event will be from 9 to 4 p.m. Participants will have lunch on their own. Pre-registration is required by August 7. A $10 fee is payable at the library’s front counter. Class size is limited to 24.
Ray is a seed-saver, seed-exchanger, and seed-banker, and has gardened for twenty-five years. She is the author of several books, including “Pinhook” and “Ecology of a Cracker Childhood,” a New York Times Notable Book. She has won numerous awards, is on the faculty of Chatham University’s low-residency MFA program, and is a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow. Ray lectures widely on nature, community, agriculture, wildness, sustainability and the politics of wholeness. She lives on a farm in southern Georgia with her husband, Raven Waters.
If you've never met Janisse Ray, now is your golden opportunity. You certainly won't want to miss these special events.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
MCC LIBRARY SYSTEM CLOSES
Did you read that? The Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System closes!
Did that make you wonder if it went bankrupt? Or that there was a fire or a sale or some other catastrophy that made it close?
Well, if it made you wonder, then I'm glad. And the reason I'm glad is because maybe it made you stop and think...what you might have to do if the public library in your community actually closed its doors for good.
If you're a frequent visitor to your public library and it closed, where would you get your "free" books to read, your "free" audiobooks to listen to, your "free" DVDs and VHS movies to watch? Where would you be able to use a "free" computer to job search or email family and friends? Where would you go (other than McDonald's or Hardee's or someplace like that) where you could sit in the air conditioning on a hot day? Where would you pick up the latest newspaper ("free") and sit for a little read? Where would you take your children for storyhour or to check out 10 books to take home and look at? And if you couldn't get to the public library, how would you be able to get those interesting books you love to read if the Bookmobile didn't come by your house on a regular route?
Of course, we're not just a public library. We're also a genealogical library, the Odom Genealogical Library, where you can research your family tree, find pictures of Grandma and Aunt Susie, where you can look in the archival tapes at old community newspapers, where you can learn about the Veterans History Project, and where you can use "free" computers for your research.
Also, there's the Children's Library, where every summer you can bring your children for the Summer Reading Programs and special events by entertainers, where there are puzzles to do and coloring pages to work on and toys to play with, where the Children's Librarian goes to the schools and visits in the classrooms, and helps teachers and mothers find certain books for their children.
And don't forget our branch library in Doerun. If we were to close the libraries here in Moultrie, stop the Bookmobile routes, and turn out the lights and lock the doors in Doerun, where would you go? How far away would you have to go to get to another library?
OK, now. Back to the MCCL System closing. That's right, we are going to close. But you're in luck. It's only going to be for a little while.
Beginning Monday, July 30, we will close our library system to do our annual inventory through Friday, August 3. This is when we clean from top to bottom, when our force of janitors clean the ceiling fans and change the light bulbs, mop and wax and wipe down everything. This is when all the books are inventoried, as well as the computers. This is when old items, worn items, torn items, and displaced items are taken care of. This is when we make sure our "home" is nice and clean and ready for you when we open again on Saturday, August 4, at 8:30 a.m.
Now, isn't it wonderful to know that we'll be closed for only five days, that we will not be closed forever, and that you'll have the opportunity again to come back to a great library right here in your community.
We'll be glad to see you also. After all, you are what we're here for. You are why we open our doors. We're your community libraries.
Did that make you wonder if it went bankrupt? Or that there was a fire or a sale or some other catastrophy that made it close?
Well, if it made you wonder, then I'm glad. And the reason I'm glad is because maybe it made you stop and think...what you might have to do if the public library in your community actually closed its doors for good.
If you're a frequent visitor to your public library and it closed, where would you get your "free" books to read, your "free" audiobooks to listen to, your "free" DVDs and VHS movies to watch? Where would you be able to use a "free" computer to job search or email family and friends? Where would you go (other than McDonald's or Hardee's or someplace like that) where you could sit in the air conditioning on a hot day? Where would you pick up the latest newspaper ("free") and sit for a little read? Where would you take your children for storyhour or to check out 10 books to take home and look at? And if you couldn't get to the public library, how would you be able to get those interesting books you love to read if the Bookmobile didn't come by your house on a regular route?
Of course, we're not just a public library. We're also a genealogical library, the Odom Genealogical Library, where you can research your family tree, find pictures of Grandma and Aunt Susie, where you can look in the archival tapes at old community newspapers, where you can learn about the Veterans History Project, and where you can use "free" computers for your research.
Also, there's the Children's Library, where every summer you can bring your children for the Summer Reading Programs and special events by entertainers, where there are puzzles to do and coloring pages to work on and toys to play with, where the Children's Librarian goes to the schools and visits in the classrooms, and helps teachers and mothers find certain books for their children.
And don't forget our branch library in Doerun. If we were to close the libraries here in Moultrie, stop the Bookmobile routes, and turn out the lights and lock the doors in Doerun, where would you go? How far away would you have to go to get to another library?
OK, now. Back to the MCCL System closing. That's right, we are going to close. But you're in luck. It's only going to be for a little while.
Beginning Monday, July 30, we will close our library system to do our annual inventory through Friday, August 3. This is when we clean from top to bottom, when our force of janitors clean the ceiling fans and change the light bulbs, mop and wax and wipe down everything. This is when all the books are inventoried, as well as the computers. This is when old items, worn items, torn items, and displaced items are taken care of. This is when we make sure our "home" is nice and clean and ready for you when we open again on Saturday, August 4, at 8:30 a.m.
Now, isn't it wonderful to know that we'll be closed for only five days, that we will not be closed forever, and that you'll have the opportunity again to come back to a great library right here in your community.
We'll be glad to see you also. After all, you are what we're here for. You are why we open our doors. We're your community libraries.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
You can learn something new every day at our library
As long as I've been working here, I've never checked out a video! But today I surprised myself.
In the past, I've donated my old VHS movies and even some of my DVDs. I guess I thought I'd never need to check out one. Today I got curious about just what we have "in stock" and went to the PINES catalog to look.
When the main screen came up, I clicked on video recordings (where you find title, author, etc.) and then for the name typed in "all." The whole list came up. There was lots to choose from.
Under VC for video cassettes, I found Dumbo (the Disney version), Starring Pluto and Fifi (another Disney), The Berenstain Bears, Dora the Explorer, and lots more fun movies.
However, since I no longer have my VHS, I had to look at the DVDs and here's what I found:
Hugo (fantastic movie), The Three Stooges (4 episodes), The Decades Collection (from the TV History Channel), Holy Grail in America (from the TV A&E Channel), The Bucket List, Steven Spielberg's War Horse, Water for Elephants (great book, too), and Dancing at Lughnasa with Meryl Streep.
Well, being new at this, I thought I'd get first-hand instruction and asked Johnnie, who was at the front desk, just how to go about getting the DVD with Meryl Streep. She said I needed to have the "call number."
To find the "call number," select the DVD/VHS you want and click on it. The screen will come up with all that movie's information. Look for the "call number" at the bottom of the screen. It will say DVD or VC. Once you have the "call number," go to the video files located in the library's main foyer next to the large, lighted cases, find the "call number" on the plastic sleeve and remove the index card in the sleeve's front pocket. If there's not an index card there, that means the movie has been checked out. Of course, you can find that also by looking at the PINES screen.
Take the index card to the front check-out counter and give it to a staff member. That person will retrieve the movie (DVD or VHS) and check it out to you. You can have the movie for a week.
Now...isn't that easy. Of course, if my instructions were as clear as mud, our staff will be glad to take you through the process and make it easier.
Oh, yes, be sure you bring your library card with you. And while you're at the front desk, pick up one of our brochures titled "Video and DVD Checkout Policy."
It was so easy, I'm sure I'm going to select something for the next several weekends and enjoy my hot summer inside, in front of the television, watching good movies from the library.
See there. You can learn something new every day at our library!!!!!
In the past, I've donated my old VHS movies and even some of my DVDs. I guess I thought I'd never need to check out one. Today I got curious about just what we have "in stock" and went to the PINES catalog to look.
When the main screen came up, I clicked on video recordings (where you find title, author, etc.) and then for the name typed in "all." The whole list came up. There was lots to choose from.
Under VC for video cassettes, I found Dumbo (the Disney version), Starring Pluto and Fifi (another Disney), The Berenstain Bears, Dora the Explorer, and lots more fun movies.
However, since I no longer have my VHS, I had to look at the DVDs and here's what I found:
Hugo (fantastic movie), The Three Stooges (4 episodes), The Decades Collection (from the TV History Channel), Holy Grail in America (from the TV A&E Channel), The Bucket List, Steven Spielberg's War Horse, Water for Elephants (great book, too), and Dancing at Lughnasa with Meryl Streep.
Well, being new at this, I thought I'd get first-hand instruction and asked Johnnie, who was at the front desk, just how to go about getting the DVD with Meryl Streep. She said I needed to have the "call number."
To find the "call number," select the DVD/VHS you want and click on it. The screen will come up with all that movie's information. Look for the "call number" at the bottom of the screen. It will say DVD or VC. Once you have the "call number," go to the video files located in the library's main foyer next to the large, lighted cases, find the "call number" on the plastic sleeve and remove the index card in the sleeve's front pocket. If there's not an index card there, that means the movie has been checked out. Of course, you can find that also by looking at the PINES screen.
Take the index card to the front check-out counter and give it to a staff member. That person will retrieve the movie (DVD or VHS) and check it out to you. You can have the movie for a week.
Now...isn't that easy. Of course, if my instructions were as clear as mud, our staff will be glad to take you through the process and make it easier.
Oh, yes, be sure you bring your library card with you. And while you're at the front desk, pick up one of our brochures titled "Video and DVD Checkout Policy."
It was so easy, I'm sure I'm going to select something for the next several weekends and enjoy my hot summer inside, in front of the television, watching good movies from the library.
See there. You can learn something new every day at our library!!!!!
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