Transition: from summer to fall

     If you've been in the library lately, you've noticed that our display colors have changed.  We are transitioning from summer into fall.  We're using lots of reds, oranges, and yellows.  Our lighted display cases are filled with colorful fall flowers, bright orange pumpkins, and books that showcase pumpkins and the likes.  Even our round foyer table is topped by a large basket of sunflowers; the dark blue table cloth is covered with bright yellow books and bookmarks announcing our upcoming grant writing program.
     Yes, the weather has finally changed.  Yesterday was the first day I was able to walk for 30 minutes outside without feeling like I was in a sauna.  The sky was that brilliant, clear blue, and the white puffy clouds against the tall dark green pine trees made the day just absolutely delightful.  The call was too powerful.  I just had to go for a near-fall walk.
     So, how are you going to handle the transition from summer into fall?
     Right now there are lots of fall demands.  The kids are all going back to school and have new schedules to follow.  The weather has become cool enough for the road crews to start moving our traffic patterns (we have one bridge coming down and not being rebuilt to completion until July 2012, which routes traffic to different avenues and streets for almost a whole year).  We've even had an increase demand at work.  And there are so many projects I want to finish before the end of the year.  Does all this sound familiar to you?
     There's always going to be change and disorder in our lives.  Sorry to say this, but that's the way it's supposed to be.  Nothing stays the same.  Haven't you noticed that before?
     Well, I'm here to tell you that it's important to restore your equilibrium once in a while.  Occasionally you're going to have to remember to put yourself first!  If you don't, you're going to get the crazies!  Don't you know about the crazies?  Haven't you already experienced them?  Well, some of us have.
     So...let me invite you to take some time and come the library where you can check out another great read or DVD.  Reading (or watching a good movie) allows you to have some get-away time from all the demands you face every day.  Fun reading should be something you have in your life every day.
     Why not block out some time to join our Novel Destinations adult book club.  We meet the second Tuesday of each month (except December - for obvious reasons - and May - another obvious reason month) at 6:30 p.m. right here in the library.  In fact, this month, Tuesday, September 13th, would be perfect for you to give yourself some time off and join us.  Jane Shelton from South Georgia Travel will be sharing with us her China Adventure and we'll all talk about what books we're reading now.
     There are other things here at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library to help you transition from summer to fall.  Come in and sit yourself on the couch in our reading area, take the time to sit and read the newspaper or a magazine.  Or look over all the good books we have on our sale shelves and tables.  Find out about the new stuff in the genealogy library, or bring your children to the Children's Library and let them play for a while among all the fun stuff.  In fact, you'd be surprised at how much fun you'll have reading a wonderful child's book.
     You can't function effectively without some "me" time.  Make your transition from summer to fall a delightful one.  After all, it's your life and your time.  (Well, part of it is, anyway.)  Why not enjoy the coming of the Great Fall.  Soon it will be all around us!  Yeah!  And we're here to help you in any way we can.  We're your passport to freedom!

Guess what September is in our library

     Today is the day I put up a bunch of signs...on the long, white hallway wall; on the ends of the bookshelves (we're not calling them stacks; it's friendlier to say bookshelves); and on a poster board near the front check-out counter (we're not calling it circulation counter; it's friendlier to say check-out counter).
     September at our library is National Library Card Sign-up Month and our displays are throughout the library.
     Do you have a library card?  Do you know it's the smartest card you can have in your pocket?  Look at it this way...

• Need homework help?  Encourage your child to ask a pro - your librarian.
• Why buy when you can borrow?  Your public library is a goldmine of books, magazines, movies, CDs and other great stuff.
• Make learning fun.  Check out reading clubs (our library book club is Novel Destinations for adults), storyhours, movies and other free programs for kids and families.
• Free stuff @ your library.  Most public libraries provide computers - and classes - for kids to use, mom and dad too.
• Keep kids reading.  The more kids read, the better they do in school.  Your library has something for every age and interest.
• Look, listen and enjoy.  Borrow films and music for the whole family.
• Bring the whole family!  How many places can you all enjoy together?  For free!!!
• If you don't see it, ask!  The library may be able to get it for you.
• It's never too late!  Use the library 24/7 online.  And remember we have a new website address.  It's http://mccls.org.
• Remember, learning begins at home.  See your library's parenting collection for tips on how you can be your child's first and best teacher.
• Your library card is your key to opportunity!

     September is National Library Card Month.  Make sure you get your card now!  And don't forget that children love to have their very own card too. 
     It's the smartest card you'll ever have!

PINES: Georgia's Statewide Library Card

     So, what is PINES, you ask?   That stands for the Georgia Library Public Information Network for Electronic Services.  It's Georgia's public library automation and lending network for 285 public libraries and affiliated service outlets in 143 counties.  PINES serves patrons in all 159 Georgia counties.
    PINES is an initiative of the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the University System of Georgia.  Fifty percent of Georgia's population and more than 80 percent of Georgia's public library systems rely on the PINES network for their library service.
     PINES creates a statewide "borderless library" that eliminates geographic and socio-economic barriers and provides equal access to information for all Georgians.
     Georgians with PINES cards have access to materials beyond what is available on their local library shelves, and they enjoy the benefits of a shared collection of approximately 10 million books and materials that can be delivered to their home library with no charge to them.
     OK...how do Georgia's citizens benefit from PINES?
     Any resident of Georgia may obtain a free PINES card by visiting any PINES library. (Your Moultrie-Colquitt County Library is a PINES library.)  In addition to browsing and checking out books on the shelves of their local libraries, PINES allows library users to log on to www.gapines.org, browse or search the online catalog for books and other library materials, and have their selections delivered to their local library.
     Look at these statistics of PINES by the numbers:

• 2.4 million PINES library cards are in use.
• Nearly 1 of 4 Georgians (23.8%) has a PINES card.
• PINES serves patrons in all 159 Georgia counties.
• 10 million items (books, tapes, CDs, videos) are available.
• There were 19.1 million circulations in FY 2010.

     With an annual budget of $1.3 million, the PINES program costs less than 60 cents for each cardholder!
     We're here to help you find any information you need.  Do you have your PINES library card?

There are treasures to find in the Children's Library

     If you haven't been in the Children's Library for a while, you should venture that way.  Even standing at the front check-out counter, you can see the big black and white cow standing in the Children's Library doorway.  There she is, standing on the green grass, under the white fluffy clouds, against the blue background.  And she's holding a sign that says, "READ MORE BOOKS!"
     All around her is a frame filled with book covers that say Moo Who?, Good Thing You're not an Octopus, Captain Duck, Bear with Me, When Dinosaurs Came with Everything...you probably get the idea...books about animals.
     But this is just where the fun begins!
     There's a treasure hunt for you in the Children's Library.  And even if you don't have children to bring to the library, you should see if you can find:

• the pirate's chest full of books and beads,
• the black spider with the straw hat, who holds a library card,
• the red/yellow/blue/green locking tiles where the puzzles are kept,
• the yellow school bus filled with pencils and the white mouse who sits atop a stack of papers,
• the tall tree with the cows hanging from its branches,
• the "wimpy kid" standing at the end of a bookshelf,
• the red and blue windsock with a dragonfly (look high for that one), and
• Owney, the Mail Pouch Pooch.

     The large, colorful room is filled with displays of interesting, exciting book displays, as well as loads of places to sit (for parents, too), and small tables where the little ones can sit and work on their colorbook pictures provided for them.
     "READ MORE BOOKS" is the theme.  Ms. Michele, the Children's Library Coordinator, said she's getting ready for September and the special events she's planning.
     Now's the time to check out all the treasures in the Children's Library.  You won't be sorry!  It's just another step toward September.

Here's a heads-up about a grant writing program

     We've had Dr. Anne Holt give a program at our library three or four times, either on grant writing or how to publish your book.  And it's amazing how many participants attend, because those are topics our public wants.
     Well, here's a heads-up...Dr. Holt is coming again.
     Yep, she's going to teach another "Introduction to Grant Writing."  This is a topic many people are interested in, because we are all looking for ways to help fund the programs and efforts we want to present to our communities.
     Put this date on your calendar now and plan to attend.
     "Introduction to Grant Writing" by Dr. Anne Holt will be Saturday, September 24th, noon to 3 p.m.  The cost is minimal considering the benefits you'll gain from the information she will give you.  For only $30.00 per person, you will learn about grant writing guidelines, a model narrative budget, the GEORGIA funders list, writing do's and don'ts, and tips on finding matching funds.
     It's really necessary for your to register, however, because the space is limited.  And registration is easy.  If you 're in the library, you can register at the front check-out counter.  Or you can call us at 229-985-6540.  Or you can email us at mccls@mccls.org.  And if that doesn't work, you can even contact Dr. Holt at 850-977-5110 or email her at ahholt@ahholt.com.
     If you're connected with a business, school, church, or some other organization that needs funds to help you carry out your community programs, then this is the event you need to attend.
     Sign up now.  Once the word gets past this blog and out into the community, the seats will fill up fast.

We have a new website address....

     Tired of that old website address, that long one that was so hard to remember?  Well, that's been fixed!
     We now have our new website address...mccls.org!!!!  So short and sweet.  So simple.  Can't beat that one.  So easy to remember, so easy to tell your friends about.
     If you want to email us, you can do that by contacting us at mccls@mccls.org.  Another simple address.
     And in order to help you and your friends, the next time you come into the library look for the fliers we've posted in various places.  These fliers have strips with the website address on them.  You can tear one off and tape it to your computer monitor...right where you can see the next time you want to pull up our website. 
     You can also help your friends and neighbors by sharing this information, and help us, when you post one of our fliers at your church, favorite eating place or business, or in your local community room.
     Share the news!  It's just one more thing the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library has done to better serve you.

The McCall event...like old home week!

     "Well, what was it like?"
     When I got home last night, my neighbor met me in the apartment breezeway and asked me that question.  I was returning from the John Clark McCall book event at the library.
     John was invited to talk about his little memoir titled "Tales of a Southern Palazzo," the magnificant mansion on Tallokas Road that served as a backdrop for his story.
     "Oh, hey, you should have been there," I said.  "It was like old home week."
     "What do you mean?"  She stood with her hands on her hips and waited for a reply. 
     I was anxious to get inside and get my shoes off, but I knew this was a golden moment to talk to someone who does not read books, does not attend book events, and hardly ever comes to the library except for a meeting or two.
     "Well, first of all, most everyone who walked through the door knew John McCall.  And most everyone got a big hug and a peck on the cheek or a big handshake.  And believe me, they came pouring through the doors."
     "So, who was there?" she asked.
     "Oh, I wish you could have been there to see everyone.  You probably would have known most of them.  There was Mimi Platter and Katrina McIntosh, Haley Hall Rosenberg and her dad Howard Hall, Joan Holman, Cooka Hillebrand, Carolyn and Jack Chastain, Betty Henrick and Ginger Horkan, as well as Nancy and Jim McGilvray, and Ola Newton.  I can't remember all of them.  But really, it was like old home week."
     I guess my neighbor still wasn't convinced about how good the evening was.
     "What did he talk about?" she asked. 
     Somehow, I wished I could convince her to read the book.  But I'd tried that before.  Couldn't even convince her to see a movie made from a book, like "The Help," the book by Kathryn Stockett, that I just went to see.
     "Well, he talked about the people who have lived in the palazzo, and his family members, and some of his friends.  He explained what prompted him to write the book, and he talked about how much he loves Moultrie.  And he said that he's already started on another book, a collection of short stories that everyone keeps saying he should write down."
     I stood and stared at my neighbor, waiting for something profound, hoping I'd hear that she would attend the next book event at the library because the McCall one sounded so good. 
     When she didn't say anything fast enough, I finally asked, "Sandy, why don't you come to the next book event we have?  Then you can see for yourself how good they are.  I mean, you don't have to read the book first to come to a book event.  And if you like what you hear, you can purchase the book right there and have the author sign the book, too."
     "Humpf."  That was all I heard.
     Well, win some, lose some, I thought.  I slipped out of my shoes right there in the breezeway and started toward my door.
     "When's the next one?" she said.
     Yes!  Contact! I thought.
     "The next author's book event will be in November.  Of course, if you want to learn something about writing grants, you should attend Dr. Anne Holt's September 24th event.  It's from noon to 3 p.m. and will cost you only $30 to learn about guidelines, budget, tips on finding matching funds, and things like that.  But if you want an author's event about a book, that will be November 8th at 6:30 p.m. when Janisse Ray comes again to talk about her new book, "Drifting into Darien."  The last time Janisse came for a book event, we drew well over 100 people.  We had them standing in the doorway and in the hall.  You should plan to come to that one.  That's going to be like old home week, too!"
     I thought I heard "humpf" again, but I wasn't sure.
     "Well," she said, "I might just do that.  You seem to get all hepped up about these things.  Guess I ought to come see what you get so excited about.  I'll let you know when the time comes."
     And with that she turned toward her apartment, waving her hand and saying, "See you tomorrow."
     I watched her walk away and wondered what else I could do to get her interested in reading books.  She is a challenge.  But I love a good challenge.