Expect new program in September at Beach Library
Activities This Week
Wednesday, Aug. 28, 10:30 a.m. Preschool Story Hour in Kid’s Place multi-purpose area
Thursday, Aug. 29, 10:30 a.m. Introduction to Urban Farming
Friday, Aug. 30, 1:30 p.m. Afternoon Movie at the Library
Monday, Sept. 2, closed in observance of Labor Day
Activity Details
Those who would like to get pointers on having a small yard, condo or other space garden would gain ideas in the Intro to Urban Farming presentation and discussion on Aug. 29.
The Afternoon Movie at the Library features the independent & foreign film, Hitler’s Children by director Chanoch Ze’evi, highly recognized at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, 83 minutes with English subtitles. The details for next month’s movies are posted on the bulletin board on the Third Floor.
Origami
Give yourself a chance to learn basics to make origami something you can do. The presentation on Monday, Sept. 9, at 10:30 a.m., concentrates on simple origami designs and may just be your start to want to gain further mastery in origami. Pre-register.
Leonard
Writer Elmore Leonard died at age 87 last week. He has long been noted for Westerns and wrote 45 novels. He was long appreciated for recognizing that words, the sound and precision of them, were most important. He had written 20 books by age 59 when he first began to become famous. In 1986, his publisher put three novels he had written into a single edition, “Double Dutch Treat,” in part a play on his nickname, Dutch.
It’s worth spending some time with Leonard. Western readers must absolutely consult “The Complete Western Stories” (LEO) and you would be enriched lingering in “Elmore Leonard’s Bandits” (M LEO and also available in LP). Most of his titles can be found in M LEO.
Families Coming
It’s a joy seeing the growing numbers of children and families enjoying Kid’s Place and the Toddler’s area. “Parents, Children, Libraries, and Reading,” a new report released in May, 2013, from the Pew Research Center, points to the critical role libraries still play in parent-child relationships.
The numbers in the report underline the importance of libraries today:
n 94% of parents report that libraries are important for their children; 79% of parents admit that libraries are “very important.”
n 30% of parents with children say that they are patronizing their libraries more because they have a young child.
N 71% of parents point to libraries as being “a safe place for children.”
Exciting New Program
The library is beginning an exciting new program in September that will run through the fall season. The program, “Human Resilience: A Community Story”, will give people of all ages a chance to read books centered on the theme of human resilience. After reading a book, participants will share their thoughts in short video or audio interviews at the library and reflect on their own resilience in tough circumstances or what this particular story prompted in them. These individual stories will be combined into a community story that is made into a movie presentation at the end of the program that celebrates the resilience of our community. Participants will have a chance to win prizes and also participate in the creation of the digital movie through optional hands-on workshops. More details coming soon!
Civil War
After 150 years the Civil War still holds a central place in American history and self-understanding. One can reasonably note that it is our greatest national drama, holding heroic, tragic and epic aspects. We notice that publishing of Civil War titles continues to gather interest and that the subject warrants reading and review.
Consider “The Civil War: The First Year” (973.7 CIV), which brings into one place over 120 pieces by more than sixty participants offering a unique firsthand narrative of this great historical crisis. The companion volume “The Civil War: The Second Year” brings together letters, speeches, memoir excerpts. poems and military reports to give a portrait of the period in which the conflict was transformed from a secessionist rebellion into a war of emancipation.
Millage
As we receive our notices of upcoming taxes, observe the proposed reduction in library tax for our Beach Library. We continue with our goal of offering the best at a return to the community one can be proud of. The county library system is proposing a millage that is 30 percent higher than ours. While my intention is not to evaluate the county system, I also want to gently note that the lower costs for our Beach Library, without sacrificing quality or services, comes with regular effort and planning.
Survey
If you’ve completed the survey as part of your check-out procedure at the check-out stations in the past few weeks, thank you. We look at the results of surveys done seeking input as we continue to work on plans for our collection, changes and services. Those comments left in the suggestion box with a name and contact info are most helpful.
Hours
A recorder at 765-8162 gives the hours we are open if you call in when we are closed. Open hours are Monday and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9 to 5; and Saturday 9 to 1. We look forward to seeing you.