Beach Library offers thanks at annual Volunteer Appreciation Gathering
Weekly Activities
>Preschool Story hour on Wednesday, June 3, at 10:30 a.m.
> Knitting session on Wednesday, June 3, at 6:30 p.m.
>Digital Camera class on Tuesday, June 9, at 10:30 a.m.
Activity Details
Knitters, both new and experienced, gather for camaraderie and sharing conversation and tips on June 3.
If you’re seeking to understand the digital camera better, especially how features work, consider signing up for the Digital Camera class on June 9.
Upcoming Activities
Card making is scheduled for Thursday, June 11, at 10:30 a.m. Carole Vasterling will offer ideas and materials. Pre-registration and $3 materials fee are needed.
The Book Discussion Group gathers on Tuesday, June 16 at 10:00 a.m. “Run” by Ann Patchett is under consideration. One of the biggest advantages of the group is that you get to discover aspects of the reading you somehow missed as you were digesting the story. The multiple viewpoints and varied experience adds a lot to the work being discussed.
Page Turners
“An Accidental Light” (DIA) is a first novel by British author Diamond combining realistic themes with a suggestion of the paranormal. It’s a story about moving on after a tragedy occurs. The characters come to life. The first person who read the book noted that she was riveted to the book and never lost interest.
“Act of Will” (HAR) is for those readers who like a complete story in one volume. The characters have a way of engaging the reader and the narration does bring a smile now and then. It’s been checked out once and the returning reader talked about “Act of Will” making him laugh out loud.
Two recommendations: being riveted without losing interest and laughing out loud that are worth an exploration of these titles.
At Sea
As Joan Druett explains in her entertaining and well-written account, “Hen Frigates: Wives of Merchant Captains Under Sail” (387.54 DRU), there were more than a few nineteenth-century women who went to sea with their husbands. Some of them lived on board ship for many years. It was better, they contended, to have their babies, take care of the sick and wounded, deal with drunken crews, and learn to navigate the vessel than to be alone in the stifling Victorian society of parasols and petticoats. They saw the world and shared adventures with wives on other “Hen Frigates,” as they were called. Druett has based her account on the diaries, journals, and letters of these intrepid travelers and has made the life-though it was not like a luxury cruise to the Bahamas-sound exciting and rewarding.
When in Doubt, Mute
We ask library users to refrain from using cell phones in the library. We don’t want you to miss an important call so use the vibrate feature that almost all cell phones offer.
When outside the library, talk but don’t yell. Have you noticed how some people feel the need to talk as if the listener was half a block away while speaking on a cell phone? Observers note that most of us speak louder when we dial. Talking loudly doesn’t make you easier to hear over the phone; a lower voice generally works or move to a quiet place to continue the call.
When Returning
If you’re coming into the library and are returning materials, please leave the titles on the front desk instead of dropping them in the materials drop. This saves wear and tear, gets the titles checked in quicker and saves staff from having to retrieve the titles from the drop area.
Volunteer Appreciation
We have the pleasure of having a wonderful group of volunteers who contribute a lot to the smooth functioning of the Beach Library. On May 15 we gathered at DiamondHead Beach Resort for the ninth annual Volunteer Appreciation gathering.
Thirty-six volunteers participated in the festivities and we were delighted to say thanks for their many hours of assistance during the past year. The Beach Library is governed by a Board of Directors who work together excellently as a team and a fact that this community can take great pride in, do so without any financial renumeration. The Library also has a volunteer present every hour the library is open and these talented individuals share myriad skills and talents. The bookstore, run by The Friends of the Library, open every hour the library is open, is staffed by a volunteer manager and by workers who man the store. The Friends of the Library have Officers and Directors who facilitate extra support for library projects that would not able to be carried out in the operating budget. Each of these aspects is complimented by staffmembers, most of whom give more than the minimum required.
The Volunteer banquet was made possible through the generosity of Claude Bowyer, treasurer of the Board of Directors. Thank you Claude. Thank you volunteers.
Slight Move
The new non-fiction titles originally just inside the front door are at the top of the stairs on the second floor. Some like the change already. This is a permanent change.
The Classics Collection has a temporary home on shelving near the bay window facing Bay Rd on the first floor. We anticipate it will be there for most of the summer. Summer is a perfect time for staff to work on needed projects and while we work on adding new titles and arranging materials to be optimally accessible, some adjustment will be needed from week to week.
Library Hours
Don’t remember library hours? Call for information. When we are closed, a recorder gives the hours of operation, either on 765-8162 or on 765-8163. Except for holidays, which would be mentioned on the recorder, we are open Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. We look forward to seeing you.