The magical month of May - summer reading begins

     To me, the month of May is magical.  Two reasons: 1) it's my birthday month, and 2) it's the month of Mother's Day.  I get to celebrate both occasions.
     If you read this blog very often, you know I always find a way to bring my thoughts about something in particular around to the subject of our library.
     Well, May is a magical month here at the library, too.
     It's the time when we begin our registration for the Summer Reading Programs for the month of June, when most everything begins.  BUT, some things are going to happen in May this year also.
     The Summer Reading Programs will not only be at the Moultrie-Colquittt County Library here in Moultrie, but also at the Doerun Municipal Library and with the Colquitt County Bookmobile.
     Lets look at the Moultrie Library's activities:

• "Dream Big READ!" for children 9 and younger in Moultrie will be held in June on Tuesdays, 6 to 7 p.m., and again on Thursdays, 10 to 11 a.m.  Registration begins today, May 1st.
• "Own the Night" for pre-teens and teens will be on Fridays, 6 to 7 p.m.  Registration is also May 1st.
• Bookmobile registration begins May 30th.
• And "Between the Covers," the adult reading club, will be the second Tuesday of each month (except December and May), 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.  Registration is June 12th at the first meeting.  Members who met in April decided they would read a different genre each month.  For June, they're reading about "Books That Keep You Up At Night!" and the genre will be Thrillers and Survival stories.
• The Children's Library Coordinator Michele Croft is starting a LEGO Club and looking for members.  The activity is scheduled for 7 to 12 year olds.  For more information, call Michele at 985-6540, the Moultrie Library.

     Doerun Municipal Library's activities are:

• Game Day is the first and third Wednesday of each month from 1 to 4:30 p.m.  They're presently playing "Hand and Foot," which is a form of the card game Canasta.  It only takes minutes to learn and is so much fun that players will not want to go home.  If you'd like to play bridge, chess or something else, they will be willing to find a teacher.
• There will also be a "Pin-It" club for creative people.  You can create with them on the second Tuesday of the month, beginning May 8 at 12:30 p.m.  If you want to participate in the May craft activity, be sure to bring a glass jar with you to the meeting.
• Doerun's "Between the Covers" adult reading club will meet the fourth Tuesday of each month starting at 12:30 p.m. on May 22nd.  In June they will be reading "Books That Keep You Up At Night."
• Plans are underway to have a LEGO Building Club in July for ages 7 to 11.  Registration will be required and class size will be limited.  You can call the Doerun Library at 229-782-5507 for more information.
• The Summer Reading Club for children and youth will be held on Thursdays at the library beginning at 2 p.m.  This is a change from the past few years, so be sure to mark the new date and time on your calendars.
• And one more event...a BIG one!  There will be a Used Book Sale at the library on Saturday, May 5th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the library.  The sale is open to the public. Items will be sold for 25 cents to $2.00.  A great way to get ready for your summer reading.

     Didn't I tell you May is a magical month?  Just look at the different activities you can participate in and those for your children.  It's wonderful to have the library open during the summer for a lot of entertainment.  We're a great lifestyle for the whole family.

It's LEGO time at MCCLS

Yes, it is!!!

 The Moultrie-Colquitt County Children's Library invites youth to join our LEGO Club.

When:  During May on Tuesday afternoons, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Where:  In the Children's Library at MCCLS

Who For:  Children, ages 7 to 12 years

What's It About:  Club nights include a half-hour of stories and Lego challenges, followed by a half-hour of building.  Learn about amazing world structures, use teamwork, and lastly, get creative with building!

How To Sign Up:  See Michele Croft or Norma McKellar in the Children's Library or call them at the library at 229-985-6540.

Hurry!  Because membership is limited to 15 places.

Geez, Louise!!! You should see our book sale!!!

       I'm not kidding!!!  The auditorium is loaded from wall to wall with books to sell!
      The Friends of the Library will hold their Spring Book Sale this Friday and Saturday, April 20 and 21, here at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library, 204 Fifth Street, S.E.
      It's a "members only" on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.  And memberships are available at the door or during business hours in the Library.
      Then on Saturday, doors are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
      A special will be the $1.00 bag sale Saturday from 2 to 3 p.m.  But if you wait that long, you've missed all the good books. 
      The books cover all genres imaginable, from cookbooks to biographies, fiction and nonfiction, on and on.... 
      The cost is so small that you'll be able to afford tons and tons.  Pre-owned books, audio books and movies are 25 cents to $2.00.  By pre-owned, we mean gently-used, clean and neat.
      The sale's proceeds will benefit the Library.
      Come see the stacks and stacks of books early on Saturday (unless, of course, you're a member of the MCCLS Friends).  We've got lots of good stuff just waiting to go home with  you.

THE ORIGAMI WHIZ-KID VISITS THE LIBRARY

     We have big plans in the Children's Library tomorrow.  That's Thursday, April 19th.
     Jett Kiminas, the origami whiz-kid, will be here to teach basic and intermediate folds, as well as demonstrate how to make origami objects. 
     Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper into decorative or representational forms, such as animals and flowers.
     "The Art of Origami" will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Jenkins Conference Room (often called the classroom), which is adjacent to the Children's Library.
     Jett is a student at Sunset Elementary School and nine (yes, 9!) years old.  He said his father taught him about origami, and he wants to share his talent to show others that origami is an art form, not just a hobby.  He has designed dragons, frogs, hearts, and a host of other interesting forms. 
     Jett has high ambitions of being in the World Book of Records by folding and completing a six-headed crane.  You'll be amazed with his designs.
     Come and join us.  Be intrigued to make your own folds and designs.
    

You have permission to read on D.E.A.R. Day.

      Do you know about this day?
     D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything and Read.  It's usually a time when schools let kids read and enjoy the books they want, just for the pleasure of reading and with no questions asked!
     The aim of this nationwide initiative is to encourage families to designate a special time to "drop everything and read" at home.  But I say...don't read just at home!  Read in the park or Burger King or anywhere your kids would enjoy hearing a good story.  (Well, without disturbing someone else, of course.)
     The concept of D.E.A.R. is referenced in the second chapter of Newbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary's book Ramona Quimby, Age 8.  Ramona is the campaign spokesperson.  This day, April 12th, also shares Beverly's birthday - she will be 96 today - and she has been honored with the celebration on her birthday ever since.
     The partnership effort is huge - Reading Rockets, the National Education Association (NEA), the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), First Book, the Newspaper Association of American Foundation, the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC), Read Kiddo Read, Walden Media, and HarperCollins Children's Books.
     So, why not come to the library and check out a few of the Ramona books.  They have a ton of history and lots of kids through all the grades love to read the Ramona books.
     Today, take at least 30 minutes to put aside all your distractions and enjoy books as a family.  Stop whatever you're doing, pick up a good book, and join all of us who will be celebrating National Drop Everything and Read Day.
     You might even make it a habit. 

Novel Destinations ends, BUT...

     I imagine you know when a sentence says but, there will be something else you will want to know.  And in this case, it's true.
     Our adult book club "Novel Destinations" ended last night, BUT we have an even better season coming. 
     Beginning on Tuesday, June 12th, at 6:30 p.m. in the library auditorium, we will begin our "Between the Covers" book club.  Doesn't that sound interesting?
     Last night seven members met to enjoy coffee, butternut pound cake, and fresh fruit with honey-yogurt sauce.  We received brochures about a new series at the library called "Our Favorite Authors," bookmarks, the library's April newsletter, and great midnight blue coffee mugs with the logo "Between the Covers."
     After chatting for a short time, we got down to business.
     For the BTC meetings we decided to stay with the second Tuesday of each month (except May and December), 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.  And we decided that each month we would read a different genre.  We all felt that would help us get out of our "comfort genres" and explore others...expand our knowledge, so to speak.  We also decided it would be nice if each person could contribute a small plate of snacks at each meeting with the library providing coffee, tea, or lemonade.
     We decided that at the June meeting for our short program we will explore one of the library's free databases "NoveList." This helpful database can be reached through a link on our website to Georgia's Virtual Library GALILEO.  The genre we will discuss will be "books to keep you up at night," Thrillers or True Survival.  We have almost two months to read whatever book we'd like to discuss at this first meeting.  At the July 10th meeting, we discuss "remembering the romance," the genre of Romance novels.
     With all the necessary planning completed for the upcoming season's first couple of meetings, we got down to serious business, that of discussing what we've been reading.  And I have to tell you that I discovered we are a group of serious readers.  By that I mean, we read lots of books and all kinds of books.  Our discussion was one of the most interesting I've been involved with in a long time.
     Here are the titles of just a few books we discussed:  Desert Angel by Charlie Price, The Message by Eugene Peterson, The Rope by Nevada Barr, Zero Day by David Baldacci, Moon Spinners by Sally Goldenbaum, Blues in the Night by Rochelle Krich, Chateau of Echoes by Siri Mitchell, and The First 48 by Tim Green.  There were more, but you get the idea.
     Around the middle of May, we're going to place our displays in the library for "Between the Covers" to remind you of a great opportunity to be part of an interesting and exciting adult book club.  We're not going to tell you what you have to read and discuss.  We're going to suggest a monthly genre to read and share...but we're not going to make you.  We're only going to suggest the excitement of reading out of your "comfort genre" and expand your reading power.
     And somewhere along the way, we'll have brochures and bookmarks and possibly some gifts to distribute that will encourage your reading habit and delight you.
     Think about joining us.  It's only for one hour or there-about.  I think we'll have more fun than watching "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Voice."  Besides, imagination is always better than sight.

What about libraries? Well...

     Next week we'll be celebrating National Library Week all across the country.  While placing the displays this week, I learned some interesting facts about libraries.  (That made me think you might like to know about them also.)
     For instance, when I looked up the word "library" in the dictionary, I found that The American Heritage Dictionary gives this description: 1) A place in which literary and artistic materials, such as books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, prints, records, and tapes are kept for reading, reference, or lending; 2) a collection of such materials, especially when systematically arranged; 3) a room in a private home for such a collection; and 4) an institution or foundation maintaining such a collection.   (Now you are thoroughly knowledgeable in what a  library really is!)
     So.  What about the evolution of libraries?  The earliest known library was a collection of clay tablets in Babylonia in the 21st century.  A public library was opened in Boston as early as 1653.  In the U.S., a circulating library, the Library Company of Philadelphia, was chartered in 1732 on the initiative of Benjamin Franklin.  In 1833 the first tax-supported library in the country opened at Peterborough, New Hampshire.  The American Library Association (ALA) was formed in 1876.  And Andrew Carnegie gave more than $65 million for public library buildings in the U.S. alone.  (Now, I have to admit that was an eye-opener for me, especially when the ALA was formed.)
     What about our modern libraries?  These libraries provide patrons with access to books and other materials.  They often publish lists of acquisitions.  They provide interlibrary and intralibrary loan systems, as well as lectures, public book reviews, and story hours.  And many maintain special collections (check out our Odom Genealogical Library's collections).  They use specialized book classification systems such as the Dewey decimal system, Charles Ammi Cutter system, and/or the Library of Congress system.  They also have technological tools at their disposal, such as microphotographic techniques for copying, computer data banks for storing and search information, and electronic networks for instant access of materials in libraries throughout the world.  (Have you noticed on our website's home page the various links we have?)
     There are so many notable libraries in the world that they cannot be listed here.  However, you might want to look online at these famous ones:  Geisel Library in San Diego, CA; Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France; British Museum, London, England; Vatican Library in Rome, Italy; Laurentian Library, Florence, Italy; Huntington Library, San Marino, CA; Library of Congress in Washington, DC; and the New York Public Library in New York, NY.  (Many of these libraries offer virtual online tours, which are quite amazing.)
     There are also several sorts of libraries in the U.S. and elsewhere that exist apart from the public and university systems.  Three major categories of these are private libraries, presidential libraries, and industrial libraries.
     And there is a National Library Symbol, which depicts a generic human figure reading a book.  This symbol was originally designed by Ralph E. DeVore for use in the Western Maryland Public Libraries.  The image was officially endorsed at the 1982 Annual Conference of the American Library Association (ALA).  In March 1985, the symbol was accepted by the Federal Highway Administration to use on highway signs to indicate where libraries are located.  It made its first appearance in March 1986.  (They are here in Moultrie also.)
     I hope you found that information as interesting as I did.  It certainly made me realize just how important our libraries are around the world.
     All the more reason to celebrate them during National Library Week, April 8 through 14.  Come see us!!!!