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Hall County Library System Newsletter

 

November 2007

 

In This Month’s Edition

Library Closings

News and Programs

What’s Hanging in the Galleries

Computer News

This Month in Youth Services

This Month in Adult Services

Donations to the Library

From the Director

Accessing Your Account

Web Picks: Cool Stuff on the Web

 

 

Library Closings

The Hall County Library System will be closed Sunday and Monday, November 11-12 in honor of Veteran’s Day.

 

The library will also be closed for the Thanksgiving holidays on Thursday-Friday, November  22-23.

 

Book Lovers’ Roadshow

Are your bookshelves overflowing? Have you inherited unusual books or found some interesting books at a yard sale? The Friends of the Hall County Library will hold their annual meeting and program on Tuesday, November 13 at 5:00 p.m.  Following a short business meeting, antiquarian book dealer Cliff Graubert will give a brief presentation on identifying valuable books. After Mr. Graubert’s talk, he will be available on a first come, first served basis to offer appraisals of books brought in by program attendees, a sort of “Antiques Roadshow®” for books.  (Due to time constraints, no more than four books per person, please.)

 

About our Presenter

Cliff Graubart has run the Old New York Bookshop since 1971.  He is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (www.abaa.org). For 25 years he ran his store on Juniper Street in Midtown Atlanta where autograph parties for Pat Conroy, Anne Siddons, Terry Kay and others were held.  In 1996 he went electronic and now sells rare books from home via the Internet.

 

 

 

Blackshear Place Booksale

Working on your holiday shopping?  Be sure to stop by the Blackshear Place Branch November 30-December 2 for a major book sale featuring hundreds of used children’s books and other materials.  The event will take place in the Blackshear Place meeting room. Friends of the Hall County Library members are invited to a special preview sale on Thursday, November 29 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Non-members can join any time, including at the door, to take advantage of this early bird opportunity.

 

Volunteers are needed to work at the sale; to sign up to assist call 770-532-3311 ext. 151.

 

Book sale dates and times:

Thursday, November 29 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Friends of the Library Preview Sale)

Friday, November 30               10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 1           10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 2                         1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 

 

Foundation Center

The Hall County Library System, a cooperating collection with the Foundation Center of New York is once again offering Grant Writing 101-How to Get Started.   This class is taught by Angel Randolph and is held in the Bill & Melinda Gates Computer Lab at the Gainesville Branch.   The last class for 2007 will be November 15 from 10:30-12:30. Click here to download a registration form.  One may also register by asking for a form at the Gainesville Branch Information Desk.  For more information please call 770-532-3311, ext. 114, or e-mail Leslie James at ljames@hallcountlylibrary.org.

 

 

 

Scrapbooking Workshop

There will be ongoing Scrapbooking Workshops once a month at the Blackshear Place Branch.  The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 5th from 5:00-7:30pm.  Experienced scrapbooker Arneshia Echols will demonstrate useful techniques and creative ideas to showcase family memories or create clever pages for your memorabilia. Experienced scrappers and “newbies” are welcome, but advanced registration is required. Beginners may purchase an optional starter kit for $12, payable upon registration. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own photos or clippings.

 

Card Making Workshop

There will be a card making workshop at Blackshear Place Branch of the Hall County Library System on Saturday, November 17 from 10 am-4:30 pm.  The cost for this workshop is $25 and includes materials to make 20 greeting cards, lunch, snack and door prizes.  Pre registration is required.  Please call the Blackshear Place Branch at 770-532-3311 ext. 151 for more information or click here and follow the links. 

 

 

Kids and Kritters

Animals enjoy stories, too!   The Blackshear Place Branch will have a special storytime Thursday November 29 at 3:30 pm, featuring Kelley Uber of the Hall County Humane Society.  Kelley will read stories, bring surprise furry or four-legged “guests,” and talk about how to care for pets.  All children are invited to enjoy this “Kids and Kritters” program.

 

 

 

What’s Hanging in the Galleries

Carol Cutts will be featured in the Gainesville Branch galleries from November 15 through December 15. Her specialty is realistic watercolor.

 

At the Blackshear Place Branch, the works of George Frank, local resident and wood carver, will be on display during November. Mr. Frank has been carving birds for a number of years and has won numerous local and regional awards.  Included in the exhibit are a swan, duck, cardinal, wren and chickadee as well as his very first attempt at carving.

 

Computer News

The library system offers free computer classes including Introduction to Email, Introduction to the Internet, Advanced Email, Introduction to MS PowerPoint, Word Processing Basics and Introduction to MS Publisher.  Classes are taught by trained library staff and are free to the public. Classes will be held in the computer training labs at the Blackshear Place Branch.  For class details and times, click here or contact the library at 770-532-3311.

 

 

This Month in Youth Services

                                                                                           

The next pajama storytime will be held at 6:30 pm at the Gainesville Branch on November 5 (Joel Williams, Program Director for WDUN will be the guest reader) and at Blackshear Place Branch on November 13. Everyone is welcome. Children may wear their jammies and bring their favorite bedtime buddy.  For more information, check the link above, go to the library website, or call 770-532-3311, ext.151.

 

 Preschool storytimes and Baby Steps infant lapsit are in session through November16. Winter session begins the week of January 7. For more information, check the links above, go to the library website, call 770-532-3311, ext. 129, or pick up a flyer in any library branch.

 

Jump Start Reading Club for children who cannot read on their own and Reading Patch Club for children who can read on their own are in session. There are 8 new patches to earn and new guidelines this year for Reading Patch Club! For more information, check the links above, go to the library website, or call 770-532-3311, ext. 129.

 

New titles for children and teens:

Go, Baby Jaguar! by Kirsten Larsen

Diego encourages Baby Jaguar to climb with him to the top of Jaguar Mountain. (EZ Reader)

Undercover Kid: Tuna Surprise by Ronald Kidd

When Maggie’s grandfather visits he brings an invention that may help Maggie solve a neighborhood crime—who is stealing the tuna fish from outside Mr. Kling’s shop? (EZ Reader)

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Fearing that her legal guardian plans to abandon her to return to France, Lucky determines to run away while also continuing to seek the Higher Power that will bring stability to her life. (JFC, 2007 Newbery Award Winner)

Toes by Tor Seidler

After getting lost on Halloween night when he is only a few months old, an intelligent seven-toes kitten makes his way into the life of a struggling musician. (JFC)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called “Out-With” in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pajamas who lives behind a wire fence. (YAF)

A Small White Scar by K. A. Nuzum

Will Bennon has always looked after his twin brother, Denny, who has Down syndrome, but now Will is ready to leave his family’s ranch and become a professional cowboy. However, Denny unexpectedly joins the journey. (YAF)

                                   

This Month in Adult Services

 

New titles in the adult area:

Dragonwell Dead: A Tea Shop Mystery by Laura Childs

“In the enjoyable eighth installment of Childs's tea shop series … Mark Congdon, commodities broker and co-owner of a Charleston bed and breakfast, drops dead after sipping a glass of sweet tea at the Spring Plantation Ramble.”  This delightful mystery includes delicious recipes for tea shop specialties such as Lemon Jumble Cookies and Key Lime Scones, as well as Tea Time Tips from the author.

Helpless by Barbara Gowdy

Celia, single mother to nine year old Rachel, is well aware of her daughter’s exotic beauty. However, she is unaware of a stranger’s unhealthy fascination for her daughter until the girl disappears.

Ghost Exit by Philip Roth

Protagonist Nathaniel Zuckerman returns to Manhattan for the first time in eleven years.

The Short Bus: A Journey beyond Normal by Jonathan Mooney

            When it was decided that Mooney needed special education in school he was assigned to ride the “short bus.”  Even though he graduated from Brown University with honors he could never shake the feelings of being “less than.” The Short Bus is a rebellious, funny, and incredibly colorful investigation of a life lived happily outside the lines.

The Buried Book: The Loss and Rediscovery of the Great Epic of Gilgamesh by David Damrosch

            “Daring adventurers, fearless explorers, ancient kings, gods and goddesses come to life in this riveting story of the first great epic—lost to the world for 2,500 years, and rediscovered in the nineteenth century.”

Perfect Figures: The Lore of Numbers and How We Learned to Count by Bunny Crumpacker

            Packed with eloquent wit and broad intelligence, this volume proves that numbers are much more than just a way of keeping count.

 

           

Artists’ Book Club

The Artists’ Book Club will meet at the Gainesville branch on Tuesday, November 6th from 6 – 7:30pm. Jamal Campbell will be the speaker, representing Team-Arts, a group of North Georgia artists whose mission is advocacy for the role of arts in schools. Mr. Campbell is a native of Brooklyn, New York who graduated from Washington State with a specialization in performing arts. He is on staff at Fair Street Elementary as a Parent Liaison.

 

 

Donate a Book for a Loved One

Donating a book to the library in honor or memory of a loved one is a great way to show affection. Titles of suggested book donations are listed on the library’s Amazon.com Wish List.  For the price of a book, anyone can help the library keep the most current materials available.  To view the list, see the library website and follow the link to amazon.com.  Book donors may request that a commemorative plate be placed inside the front cover of the book in recognition of a loved one or to honor a special occasion.  The Hall County Library System is a non-profit government agency and a charitable 501(C) (3) organization; therefore, all donations are tax deductible.  The library is pleased to announce that it has now received 200 plus books through this program.

 

 

 

From the Director

 

Dear Patron,

 

Ignore everything you have read in the popular media concerning the death of libraries. It is not happening. According to some, the Internet is replacing libraries since all the information in the world can be found free over the computer in your home.  They say electronic books will do the bound book in, for books are an outdated medium. The naysayers also claim just a few still read and those who still cherish a good book can go to their local mega bookstore. It makes for good copy and like Chicken Little’s followers there is camp that has run with this story.

 

More people are using public libraries than ever before. If you do not believe it then I invite you to visit the Gainesville branch location on any given day. Last year we had over 400,000 visits to the libraries in our county.

 

More books are being published than the year before. After all, Amazon.com and stores like Barnes and Nobles would not exist if there was not a market for the printed word. It requires the longer format to explain complicated ideas and last year’s - still valid – philosophies need massaging to fit today’s sensibilities. Dressing for success in the seventies would probably not get you hired today.  According to the latest industry statistics there were 172,000 new titles and editions published in the U.S. and 206,000 in the United Kingdom, which may reflect a movement toward the outsourcing of U.S. publishing.

 

The expansion of the Internet into so many homes just means more people are reading than ever in our history. I would like to see a good survey conducted to discover how many of these new readers ever used books. I also believe many that read popular magazines and newspapers migrated to the Internet since the short format is a better design for the web.

 

In my business there are many people who seem to be afraid of what the electronic or commercial world is doing to their jobs. I embrace the new outlets. They are good for education and libraries, and great for us all. Everything I see in successful businesses reminds me of what good libraries have always done. I know the web businesses are hiring public librarians to develop their pages and I bet the mega bookstores are sending their marketing teams into the good libraries to see how they do displays and programs.

 

I go to mega bookstores all the time. It is where I window shop for work and the best place I know to discover new magazines. I wish we had the funds to add a few more music magazines, a rock climbing magazine, several more art titles, and a few regional magazines for our new residents – the sort of publications not well served up on the Internet.

 

If you have never read Being and Nothingness by Jean Paul Sartre, you are not alone. Last week I was in one of the smaller Barnes and Nobles and went to its philosophy collection to see if they had a copy. Just like a good public library, I found this quintessential work on existentialism on the shelf. The store probably does not sell many copies – this paperback one was yellow along the edges – but it sort of affirmed what I have always felt: big bookstores are now doing what great libraries always did in providing magazines for every taste and books on just about every topic in a comfortable setting.

 

You might say that I find good public libraries on every great website or in every mega bookstores I visit. What I do not find in the commercial sector is a knowledgeable staff. Try talking to your web page or asking a bookstore clerk if he knows where to find a Heidegger.

 

Hope to catch you in the stacks reading.

 

Adrian Mixson

Library Director

 

Your Account

To get more information on your library account, please call the library’s Circulation Manager at 770-532-3311 ext. 110 or visit the library website and enter your account through the library's catalog. You will need your library card and pin number, which may be obtained by visiting any library branch.  You may also email the Circulation Manager for additional information.

 

  

Web Picks: Cool Stuff on the Web

Autism Speaks- Website for this organization "dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism." Features material about organization's activities and policies as well as background about autism including how to cope, how to grow with it, and video clips.

Refdesk.com- One of the single best web sources for facts of all sorts.

http://www.dltk-kids.com/  DLTK's Crafts for Kids features a variety of fun, printable children's crafts, coloring pages and more.

 

 

Editors Leslie James and Lisa MacKinney

For more information please call (770) 532-3311 ext. 134 or visit our website at http://www.hallcountylibrary.org/

 

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