The annual used book sale was a success this year with thousands of books sold. With the help of over sixty volunteers and more than one hundred book donors we raised $3800 for the library’s operating budget. We hope all the new book owners across the area are happy with their latest purchases and are planning to enjoy them throughout the long winter.
I’m pleased to announce the library’s new Afterschool Crafts Programs, put together by library board member, Jennifer Cockerham. So far we’ve had fantastic programs on quilting and watercolors. The programs are held on Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Mountain View Room of the library. Upcoming programs include a Halloween Craft Party on October 30th, Origami taught by David Cockerham on November 6th, a Thanksgiving Craft Party on November 13th, Bracelet Beading with Tate Swecker of Mariah Boone on November 20th, and a Christmas Craft Party on December 18th. The programs are geared toward school-age kids and are free, with all materials provided.
The next Family Movie Night at the library will be on Friday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m. We’ll be showing “Nim’s Island” (Rated PG). The movie, popcorn, candy and drinks are all free. Bring the whole family; everyone is welcome.
On Monday, Nov. 10 at 7:00 p.m., Monterey author Will Vaus will be reading from and signing copies of his latest book “The Professor of Narnia, the C. S. Lewis Story.” The author will be sharing what caused him to write this intriguing book as well as some interesting tidbits about the creator of Narnia he has gleaned over the years. Books will be available for purchase at the event. Refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome.
On Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 10:30 a.m. “Curtie the Builder” will be reading stories to preschoolers and showing them the tools of the building trade. There will be activities and refreshments too. All preschoolers are welcome.
Library use continues to grow across the country and in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This library’s September circulation numbers, referring to how many items were checked out, increased 27% over the previous year. Computer use continues to rise also.
Check out our hottest new titles on the shelves this month. We have Nelson DeMille’s “The Gate House,” Margaret Truman’s “Murder Inside the Beltway,” Danielle Steel’s “A Good Woman,” Vince Flynn’s “Extreme Measures,” Iris Johansen’s “Dark Summer,” Gregory McGuire’s “A Lion Among Men,” Jonathan Kellerman’s “Bones,” Anita Shreve’s “Testimony,” Michael Connelly’s “The Brass Verdict,” John Le Carre’s “A Most Wanted Man,” and Christopher Paolini’s “Brisingr.” In non-fiction we have Bill O’Reilly’s “A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity,” William Least Heat-Moon’s “Roads to Quoz,” and Vicki Myron’s “Dewey, the Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World.”
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Classic cookbooks added today
Check out one of our new classic cookbooks:
Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Julia Child
The German Cookbook - Mimi Sheraton
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan
Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico - Rick Bayless
Other more recent titles:
The Best of Mexico: A Cookbook - Evie Righter
Complete Book of Indian Cooking - Suneeta Vaswani
The Everything Chinese Cookbook - Rhonda Laurent Parkinson
Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook - Beth Hensperger
Microwave Gourmet - Barbara Kafka
Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Julia Child
The German Cookbook - Mimi Sheraton
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan
Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico - Rick Bayless
Other more recent titles:
The Best of Mexico: A Cookbook - Evie Righter
Complete Book of Indian Cooking - Suneeta Vaswani
The Everything Chinese Cookbook - Rhonda Laurent Parkinson
Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook - Beth Hensperger
Microwave Gourmet - Barbara Kafka
Sunday, September 21, 2008
More budget cuts
At their September meeting the Highland County Board of Supervisors announced that county departments receiving state aid would have that aid cut by approximately 4% this fiscal year. This cut originated with the state and it was up to each locality how it would be applied. The options were an across-the-board cut to all departments, cuts made to some departments and not others, or the county could step in and cover the costs of the cut by writing a check from their reserves. Our supervisors chose the option suggested by Virginia's Department of Planning and Budget, which seemed most fair to all departments affected by the cuts. In our case it will be a loss of $708. This money will be cut directly from the library materials budget.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Longer Saturday hours to serve you!
We recently added to our Saturday hours. You can now stop by the library on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. That's three more hours to get your stuff done!
It's fundraising time!
September is when we send out our annual letter asking for donations for the library. Since we're a 501(c)3 non-profit we are more dependent on local donations than most other libraries. We raise local funds for our operating budget, not extras. It's vitally important that our community continues to support the library with contributions if we are to continue to provide the services that everyone has come to enjoy.
For those of you who didn't receive a letter, here's what we said:
Greetings,
Since this is Chris Scott’s second year as library board president, and he had already written one of these letters, he asked me if I’d like to write it this year. I jumped at the chance.
This year the library has faced challenges as budget cuts have hit us again and again.
We understand that the cuts are happening because of a larger problem with loss of revenue across the state. Difficult economic times are hitting everyone and we realize there is less discretionary income to go around. Gas and food come first. However, hard times are when libraries really prove their worth.
When economic times are tough people seek ways to cut expenses. Books and web sites that preach frugality and debt reduction nearly always publish lists of ways to economize. On almost every one of these lists you’ll find, “Use your public library.” Libraries can save the expense of buying books, renting DVDs, and paying for internet service. In your library you can search for a better job, find books to help you improve your current job skills, or plan to start your own business. Libraries offer programs for an educational and/or entertaining evening out. Libraries are a fun and exciting destination for families with children.
This library is here for you when you need it, and recently you’ve been making good use of it. Our Summer Reading Program for the children had the most registrants ever this year, 102.
We had more children than ever complete their reading logs and return them. We had the largest attendance for a library program ever (sixty-five) when The Wildlife Center of Virginia brought their snakes and box turtle for “Scales and Tails.” In the month of July we posted the highest number of items checked out ever (3405). In our 2007-2008 fiscal year, which ended June 30th, we had our highest number of items ever checked out in a year (28,429). That’s twelve items checked out for every person in Highland County.
So that the library may continue to serve you at the level you’ve come to expect, I ask that you please consider investing in your library with your donation. The library is one place where you can enjoy an immediate return on investment and you’ll be helping the larger community.
To quote an American Library Association saying which is posted in our library, “Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.”
Sincerely,
Tomi Herold
Library Director
If you'd like to make a donation our address is listed at the top of the right side information bar.
For those of you who didn't receive a letter, here's what we said:
Greetings,
Since this is Chris Scott’s second year as library board president, and he had already written one of these letters, he asked me if I’d like to write it this year. I jumped at the chance.
This year the library has faced challenges as budget cuts have hit us again and again.
We understand that the cuts are happening because of a larger problem with loss of revenue across the state. Difficult economic times are hitting everyone and we realize there is less discretionary income to go around. Gas and food come first. However, hard times are when libraries really prove their worth.
When economic times are tough people seek ways to cut expenses. Books and web sites that preach frugality and debt reduction nearly always publish lists of ways to economize. On almost every one of these lists you’ll find, “Use your public library.” Libraries can save the expense of buying books, renting DVDs, and paying for internet service. In your library you can search for a better job, find books to help you improve your current job skills, or plan to start your own business. Libraries offer programs for an educational and/or entertaining evening out. Libraries are a fun and exciting destination for families with children.
This library is here for you when you need it, and recently you’ve been making good use of it. Our Summer Reading Program for the children had the most registrants ever this year, 102.
We had more children than ever complete their reading logs and return them. We had the largest attendance for a library program ever (sixty-five) when The Wildlife Center of Virginia brought their snakes and box turtle for “Scales and Tails.” In the month of July we posted the highest number of items checked out ever (3405). In our 2007-2008 fiscal year, which ended June 30th, we had our highest number of items ever checked out in a year (28,429). That’s twelve items checked out for every person in Highland County.
So that the library may continue to serve you at the level you’ve come to expect, I ask that you please consider investing in your library with your donation. The library is one place where you can enjoy an immediate return on investment and you’ll be helping the larger community.
To quote an American Library Association saying which is posted in our library, “Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.”
Sincerely,
Tomi Herold
Library Director
If you'd like to make a donation our address is listed at the top of the right side information bar.
Accepting book donations now!
Actually we accept them all year long. That's what our storage building is for! The book sale is coming up in less than a month so if you've been saving your books to bring at book sale time, the time is now!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Book Sale Volunteers Needed
The Annual Used Book Sale is coming up October 10-12, 2008. We need volunteers. It takes hundreds of man hours to put on this sale so we're asking for your help. What can you do?
1. Sorting before the sale. Help arrange books by subject. It's a loose system intended only to help people find the books that interest them.
2. Moving books. We need help moving the books from our storage building to the meeting room and tents. You'll have to be able to lift boxes up to 50 lbs.
3. Selling books during the sale weekend. It's a great opportunity to meet and assist fellow book lovers.
4. Taking down the sale. Helping move the leftover books off site, taking down the tents and cleaning up the aftermath.
If you can be of any help please contact us. The sign-up schedule is on the front desk in the library right now! 468-2373.
1. Sorting before the sale. Help arrange books by subject. It's a loose system intended only to help people find the books that interest them.
2. Moving books. We need help moving the books from our storage building to the meeting room and tents. You'll have to be able to lift boxes up to 50 lbs.
3. Selling books during the sale weekend. It's a great opportunity to meet and assist fellow book lovers.
4. Taking down the sale. Helping move the leftover books off site, taking down the tents and cleaning up the aftermath.
If you can be of any help please contact us. The sign-up schedule is on the front desk in the library right now! 468-2373.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Highland County Public Library E-Newsletter August 2008
As school begins again I’d like to focus on the achievements of the kids who participated in the library’s summer reading program. Over one-hundred children enrolled in our reading incentive program. Forty-five of those kids completed their voluntary reading and returned their reading logs for a prize. Attendance at our various activity programs reached 223 people. All of these numbers are record numbers and we’re thrilled that so many children chose to participate in our programs this year. There are many people who make the summer reading program possible, and I want to express my thanks to them. Many thanks to the kids who participated with such enthusiasm this summer, to the local merchants who contribute prizes, to the people who present the programs, to the library donors who make it possible for us to hire performers, and to the library volunteers and staff who run it all so smoothly. Not the least of all, I’m thankful to the parents who bring their children to the library and inspire them to read. I fully realize that few children arrive here under their own steam and it’s the parents who deserve praise and thanks.
In less than a month and a half the library will be putting on our Annual Used Book Sale, during the Hand and Harvest Festival. We’re accepting book donations right now. In fact, actually accept them all year long. We have a storage building on our property that was purchased with that purpose in mind. We’re also starting to cast our eyes about for possible volunteers to run the sale. It takes hundreds and hundreds of man hours to put on the sale and we never seem to have quite enough help. Please consider volunteering this year. Those that volunteer to sort and arrange books the week prior to the sale may purchase books early, once they’ve put in four hours of work. We need some people who can help us move books from the storage building to the sale area. This work requires some heavy lifting and this job is where we often run short of volunteers. We’ll need people to help sell the books, a fun job and great of anyone who likes to meet new people. If you’re interested in volunteering for our book sale contact the library at 468-2373 or stop by and talk to us.
I’ve recently expanded our collection of books on farming, to better reflect the importance of farming in our community. Some of our new titles include “Grass-Fed Cattle,” “Storey’s Guide to Raising Beef Cattle,” “Living With Sheep,” “How to Build Animal Housing,” “Barnyard in the Backyard,” and the Future Farmer’s of America’s guide on “How to Raise Cattle.” These books are useful for the large-scale farmer or the small farmer who is just beginning.
Great new books continue to arrive and we’re adding them to our shelves all the time. Come check out James Patterson’s “The Dangerous Days of Daniel X,” Daniel Silva’s “Moscow Rules,” Anne Rivers Siddon’s “Off Season,” Linda Barnes’s “Lie Down With the Devil,” Robin Cook’s “Foreign Body,” Mary Daheim’s “Vi Agra Falls,” Edna Buchanan’s “Legally Dead,” Barry Brunonia’s “The Lace Reader,” Faye Kellerman’s “Mercedes Coffin,” Harlan Coben’s “Fade Away,” and Barbara Taylor Bradford’s “Being Elizabeth.” In new non-fiction we have Tom Vanderbilt’s “Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us),” Evan Wright’s “Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War,” and “Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip – Confessions of a Cynical Waiter” by The Waiter.
In less than a month and a half the library will be putting on our Annual Used Book Sale, during the Hand and Harvest Festival. We’re accepting book donations right now. In fact, actually accept them all year long. We have a storage building on our property that was purchased with that purpose in mind. We’re also starting to cast our eyes about for possible volunteers to run the sale. It takes hundreds and hundreds of man hours to put on the sale and we never seem to have quite enough help. Please consider volunteering this year. Those that volunteer to sort and arrange books the week prior to the sale may purchase books early, once they’ve put in four hours of work. We need some people who can help us move books from the storage building to the sale area. This work requires some heavy lifting and this job is where we often run short of volunteers. We’ll need people to help sell the books, a fun job and great of anyone who likes to meet new people. If you’re interested in volunteering for our book sale contact the library at 468-2373 or stop by and talk to us.
I’ve recently expanded our collection of books on farming, to better reflect the importance of farming in our community. Some of our new titles include “Grass-Fed Cattle,” “Storey’s Guide to Raising Beef Cattle,” “Living With Sheep,” “How to Build Animal Housing,” “Barnyard in the Backyard,” and the Future Farmer’s of America’s guide on “How to Raise Cattle.” These books are useful for the large-scale farmer or the small farmer who is just beginning.
Great new books continue to arrive and we’re adding them to our shelves all the time. Come check out James Patterson’s “The Dangerous Days of Daniel X,” Daniel Silva’s “Moscow Rules,” Anne Rivers Siddon’s “Off Season,” Linda Barnes’s “Lie Down With the Devil,” Robin Cook’s “Foreign Body,” Mary Daheim’s “Vi Agra Falls,” Edna Buchanan’s “Legally Dead,” Barry Brunonia’s “The Lace Reader,” Faye Kellerman’s “Mercedes Coffin,” Harlan Coben’s “Fade Away,” and Barbara Taylor Bradford’s “Being Elizabeth.” In new non-fiction we have Tom Vanderbilt’s “Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us),” Evan Wright’s “Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War,” and “Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip – Confessions of a Cynical Waiter” by The Waiter.
Friday, July 25, 2008
How much is your library worth to you?
Try out this calculator provided by the Maine State Library and find out.
Seven ways your library can help you during a bad economy
This list was produced for The Consumerist, a consumer advocacy blog, by a librarian who wanted to point out all the ways a library can help you save money when money is tight.
Read the rest at The Consumerist.
1. You can get pretty much any book at the library: A book habit can be expensive. Even second hand books can add up if you read a lot. Even the smallest library can access inter-library loan, Worldcat, OCLC and other library loan services to get you even the most obscure and out of print material.
Read the rest at The Consumerist.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
RSS feed
Don't forget to add the RSS feed for this blog to your News Reader. Since I manage to post intermittantly you'll be alerted when there's something new. I recommend web-based readers such as Google Reader or Bloglines.
Great news!
The library has been fortunate enough to receive some sizeable gifts in the last few years. This year the library board has made it a priority to upgrade and improve our collections. We'll be focusing primarily on non-fiction, but we'll also be working on educational and documentary DVDs and genealogy. This year our planned materials budget is over $18,000! Look for lots of shiny new books this coming year!
Highland County Public Library E-Newsletter July 2008
The library has been hopping this summer and it’s great to see so many people coming by. The summer reading program has been a big success and great fun so far. We have a record number of participants this year; 102 kids have signed up and nearly half of those have completed their reading and returned their reading logs for prizes. Participation in the activity programs has been up too. Last week we had a record number of people attend the “Scales and Tails” program by The Wildlife Center of Virginia. Sixty-five people were there to see a box turtle and two snakes up close. We still have a few programs to go:
Thursday, July 24th at 7:00 p.m. the storytellers Mack and Joan Swift will be here to tell Jack Tales, traditional Appalachian stories of the wit and wiles of Jack.
Friday, July 25th at 10:00 a.m. we’ll be showing the movie “Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker” (Rated PG). This movie is based on the young adult books written by Anthony Horowitz and features a 14 year-old British spy who works for MI5.
Thursday, July 31 at 10:00 a.m. we’ll be showing the movie “Game Plan” (Rated PG). This movie features Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a football player who discovers he has a young daughter and learns to appreciate family life over the glitzy life of a professional ball player.
The summer reading program ends on Saturday, August 2nd so all reading logs should be turned in by then. We’ll draw for the three big prizes on Monday morning, August 4th. Participants do not need to be present to win.
We’ve added many new books on compact disc in our children’s section. These are great for long distance travel for summer vacation. We have Andrew Clement’s “Frindle,” Deborah Howe’s “Bunnicula,” Franklin Dixon’s “Hardy Boys, the Tower Treasure,” Barbara Park’s “Junie B. Jones, Books 1-8,” Richard Peck’s “A Long Way from Chicago,” and C. S. Lewis’s series “The Chronicles of Narnia.”
We recently rearranged our DVD section and added color coding for easier browsing. DVDs are now separated into sections, which include adult, child, educational and documentary, exercise, and stage performances. Stage performances include concerts, comedians, dance and plays. We hope the color coding system will make it easier to find just what you have in mind.
There are plenty of great summer reads still being released. We have Nora Roberts’s “Tribute,” Ridley Pearson’s “Killer View,” James Lee Burke’s “Swan Peak,” Donna Andrews’s “Cockatiels at 7,” Lisa Gardner’s “Say Goodbye,” Luanne Rice’s “The Last Kiss,” Christopher Reich’s “The Rules of Deception,” Charles Martin’s “Where the River Ends,” J. A. Jance’s “Damage Control,” and David Wroblewski’s “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.” In non-fiction we have Ron Paul’s “The Revolution,” Mignon Fogarty’s “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing,” and The College Board’s “Getting Financial Aid.”
Thursday, July 24th at 7:00 p.m. the storytellers Mack and Joan Swift will be here to tell Jack Tales, traditional Appalachian stories of the wit and wiles of Jack.
Friday, July 25th at 10:00 a.m. we’ll be showing the movie “Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker” (Rated PG). This movie is based on the young adult books written by Anthony Horowitz and features a 14 year-old British spy who works for MI5.
Thursday, July 31 at 10:00 a.m. we’ll be showing the movie “Game Plan” (Rated PG). This movie features Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a football player who discovers he has a young daughter and learns to appreciate family life over the glitzy life of a professional ball player.
The summer reading program ends on Saturday, August 2nd so all reading logs should be turned in by then. We’ll draw for the three big prizes on Monday morning, August 4th. Participants do not need to be present to win.
We’ve added many new books on compact disc in our children’s section. These are great for long distance travel for summer vacation. We have Andrew Clement’s “Frindle,” Deborah Howe’s “Bunnicula,” Franklin Dixon’s “Hardy Boys, the Tower Treasure,” Barbara Park’s “Junie B. Jones, Books 1-8,” Richard Peck’s “A Long Way from Chicago,” and C. S. Lewis’s series “The Chronicles of Narnia.”
We recently rearranged our DVD section and added color coding for easier browsing. DVDs are now separated into sections, which include adult, child, educational and documentary, exercise, and stage performances. Stage performances include concerts, comedians, dance and plays. We hope the color coding system will make it easier to find just what you have in mind.
There are plenty of great summer reads still being released. We have Nora Roberts’s “Tribute,” Ridley Pearson’s “Killer View,” James Lee Burke’s “Swan Peak,” Donna Andrews’s “Cockatiels at 7,” Lisa Gardner’s “Say Goodbye,” Luanne Rice’s “The Last Kiss,” Christopher Reich’s “The Rules of Deception,” Charles Martin’s “Where the River Ends,” J. A. Jance’s “Damage Control,” and David Wroblewski’s “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.” In non-fiction we have Ron Paul’s “The Revolution,” Mignon Fogarty’s “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing,” and The College Board’s “Getting Financial Aid.”
Highland County Public Library E-Newsletter June 2008
Things are hopping at the library now that the “Catch the Reading Bug” summer reading program is underway. Eighty kids have registered for the reading program so far and many have already completed their first reading logs for prizes. We have lots of exciting programs coming up so I want to take this opportunity to let you know what they are. Bear in mind that these are open to everyone, from children to adults…
On Friday, July 11, at 7:00 p.m. we’ll have our next Family Movie Night. We’ll be featuring the Disney classic “101 Dalmatians” Rated G. Prize drawings and extra food and drinks mean extra fun on family night.
On Thursday, July 17, at 10:30 a.m. the Wildlife Center of Virginia will be presenting “Scales and Tales,” a look into the world of scaly critters. They’ll bring along live wild animals so that you can get a close look.
On Friday, July 18, at 10:00 a.m. we’ll be showing the movie “Nancy Drew” Rated PG. This is the 2007 version featuring Emma Roberts.
On Thursday, July 24, at 7:00 p.m. Joan and Mack Swift, known as Tales and Tandem, will telling stories from the Appalachians through Jack Tales, ancient tales from the Celtic Islands brought here by our early settlers.
This list should get you through till my next report, and then I’ll have a few more dates to share.
I was recently contacted by Peggy Sawyers, who leads the Second Tuesday Reading Group, which meets in the library. She wanted me to extend an invitation to everyone to join the reading group and writes, “I am leading our Second Tuesday Reading Group discussion on the book “Why Forgive?” by Johann Christoph Arnold. Because of that, I feel the need to explain that this is not a self-help book in the general sense of that genre. Though he writes from a Christian world-view, this is a book for anyone, because it reflects humanity as a whole. The true stories of people who have forgiven, and some who chose to withhold their forgiveness, are compelling and we may see ourselves in them. This is a small book of 150 pages and one to be read quickly, but not forgotten easily. I hope you will join us on July 8, at 1:30 p.m. in the library.”
The summer season means lots of great new book releases. Come check out James Patterson’s “Sail,” Billie Letts’ “Made in the U. S. A.,” Rita Mae Brown’s “The Sand Castle,” Salman Rushdie’s “Enchantress of Florence,” Lee Child’s “Nothing to Lose,” Patrick Robinson’s “To the Death,” Catherine Coulter’s “Tail Spin,” Danielle Steel’s “Rogue,” James Rollins’s “The Last Oracle,” Deborah Crombie’s “Where Memories Lie,” and Clive Cussler’s “Plague Ship.” In non-fiction we have Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of Now,” James Webb’s “A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America,” and David Sedaris’s “When You are Engulfed in Flames.”
On Friday, July 11, at 7:00 p.m. we’ll have our next Family Movie Night. We’ll be featuring the Disney classic “101 Dalmatians” Rated G. Prize drawings and extra food and drinks mean extra fun on family night.
On Thursday, July 17, at 10:30 a.m. the Wildlife Center of Virginia will be presenting “Scales and Tales,” a look into the world of scaly critters. They’ll bring along live wild animals so that you can get a close look.
On Friday, July 18, at 10:00 a.m. we’ll be showing the movie “Nancy Drew” Rated PG. This is the 2007 version featuring Emma Roberts.
On Thursday, July 24, at 7:00 p.m. Joan and Mack Swift, known as Tales and Tandem, will telling stories from the Appalachians through Jack Tales, ancient tales from the Celtic Islands brought here by our early settlers.
This list should get you through till my next report, and then I’ll have a few more dates to share.
I was recently contacted by Peggy Sawyers, who leads the Second Tuesday Reading Group, which meets in the library. She wanted me to extend an invitation to everyone to join the reading group and writes, “I am leading our Second Tuesday Reading Group discussion on the book “Why Forgive?” by Johann Christoph Arnold. Because of that, I feel the need to explain that this is not a self-help book in the general sense of that genre. Though he writes from a Christian world-view, this is a book for anyone, because it reflects humanity as a whole. The true stories of people who have forgiven, and some who chose to withhold their forgiveness, are compelling and we may see ourselves in them. This is a small book of 150 pages and one to be read quickly, but not forgotten easily. I hope you will join us on July 8, at 1:30 p.m. in the library.”
The summer season means lots of great new book releases. Come check out James Patterson’s “Sail,” Billie Letts’ “Made in the U. S. A.,” Rita Mae Brown’s “The Sand Castle,” Salman Rushdie’s “Enchantress of Florence,” Lee Child’s “Nothing to Lose,” Patrick Robinson’s “To the Death,” Catherine Coulter’s “Tail Spin,” Danielle Steel’s “Rogue,” James Rollins’s “The Last Oracle,” Deborah Crombie’s “Where Memories Lie,” and Clive Cussler’s “Plague Ship.” In non-fiction we have Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of Now,” James Webb’s “A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America,” and David Sedaris’s “When You are Engulfed in Flames.”
Friday, May 23, 2008
Summer Reading Program web page created
This morning I finished working on a web page for our "Catch the Reading Bug" summer reading program. You can have a look at it here: Catch the Reading Bug!
Sorry
My apologies for not blogging more faithfully. I'll try to do better. We have a lot coming up this summer so I'll have a lot to share.
Highland County Public Library E-Newsletter April 2008
We had our first Family Movie Night on Friday, April 18. It was a huge success and I believe that everyone had a great time. I know I did. We showed “Bee Movie” to over forty people, from preschoolers to grandparents, and all ages in between. The free popcorn, drinks and candy were a big hit with the kids, who helped themselves with great enthusiasm. We gave away door prizes to three lucky winners. We’re planning another Family Movie Night for Friday, May 16th at 7:00 p.m. This time we’ll be showing “Alvin and the Chipmunks” Rated PG. If you missed the first Family Movie Night this will be your opportunity to find out what all the fun is about. The movie and snacks are free to everyone.
Also in May we’ll be offering the opportunity to travel to Africa through the traditional story telling of Dr. Mwizenge Tembo, who was born and raised in Zambia in Southern Africa. Dr. Tembo’s wide range of cultural experiences and first-hand knowledge of African culture make him an entertaining story teller, African drummer, African traditional and modern dancer, as well as an articulate teacher and academic. He calls his act "BambaZonke," which in his native language means "variety show." He is currently Associate Professor of Sociology at Bridgewater College and a columnist for the "Daily News Leader" in Staunton. He’ll be presenting his show at the Highland County Public Library on Tuesday, May 13 at 7:00 p.m. The program is free and everyone is welcome.
We recently held our annual volunteer luncheon where we thanked all the volunteers who have helped the library in the past year. We invited over sixty people. That’s how many people contributed their time and talents to helping make HCPL a great little library and community center. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of our volunteers once again and praise them for giving back to their community. We’re always looking for new folks to help out so if you’d be interested in volunteering please let me know. Keep in mind that book sale time in October is when we have our greatest need for help.
Did you know that we have a paperback book exchange rack in the library? You can bring paperbacks in to exchange, or you can purchase paperbacks from the rack for fifty cents each. We also have hardcover books available for sale in our foyer for two dollars each. Proceeds from the sale of these books go into our operating budget.
Stop by the library and check out the newest titles we’re offering, including David Baldacci’s “The Whole Truth,” Robert K. Tanenbaum’s “Escape,” Iris Johansen’s “Quicksand,” Stuart Wood’s “Santa Fe Dead,” Amanda Quick’s “The Third Circle,” Thomas Perry’s “Fidelity,” Beverly Lewis’s “The Forbidden,” Harlan Coben’s “Hold Tight,” Mary Higgins Clark’s “Where Are You Now?,” Elizabeth Berg’s “The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted,” Louise Erdrich’s “The Plague of Doves,” and Alexander McCall Smith’s “Miracle at Speedy Motors.”
Also in May we’ll be offering the opportunity to travel to Africa through the traditional story telling of Dr. Mwizenge Tembo, who was born and raised in Zambia in Southern Africa. Dr. Tembo’s wide range of cultural experiences and first-hand knowledge of African culture make him an entertaining story teller, African drummer, African traditional and modern dancer, as well as an articulate teacher and academic. He calls his act "BambaZonke," which in his native language means "variety show." He is currently Associate Professor of Sociology at Bridgewater College and a columnist for the "Daily News Leader" in Staunton. He’ll be presenting his show at the Highland County Public Library on Tuesday, May 13 at 7:00 p.m. The program is free and everyone is welcome.
We recently held our annual volunteer luncheon where we thanked all the volunteers who have helped the library in the past year. We invited over sixty people. That’s how many people contributed their time and talents to helping make HCPL a great little library and community center. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of our volunteers once again and praise them for giving back to their community. We’re always looking for new folks to help out so if you’d be interested in volunteering please let me know. Keep in mind that book sale time in October is when we have our greatest need for help.
Did you know that we have a paperback book exchange rack in the library? You can bring paperbacks in to exchange, or you can purchase paperbacks from the rack for fifty cents each. We also have hardcover books available for sale in our foyer for two dollars each. Proceeds from the sale of these books go into our operating budget.
Stop by the library and check out the newest titles we’re offering, including David Baldacci’s “The Whole Truth,” Robert K. Tanenbaum’s “Escape,” Iris Johansen’s “Quicksand,” Stuart Wood’s “Santa Fe Dead,” Amanda Quick’s “The Third Circle,” Thomas Perry’s “Fidelity,” Beverly Lewis’s “The Forbidden,” Harlan Coben’s “Hold Tight,” Mary Higgins Clark’s “Where Are You Now?,” Elizabeth Berg’s “The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted,” Louise Erdrich’s “The Plague of Doves,” and Alexander McCall Smith’s “Miracle at Speedy Motors.”
Friday, March 28, 2008
Highland County Public Library E-Newsletter March 2008
Here at the library we are looking forward to celebrating National Library Week, April 13-19. We’ll be offering programs, a prize drawing, and amnesty on library fines.
On Tuesday, April 15th at 10:30 a.m. we’ll be presenting a story time for preschoolers. The program will feature the library and how we use it. We’ll have stories, activities and snacks. The program is free and all preschoolers are invited.
On Friday, April 18th at 7:00 p.m. we’ll be hosting a Family Movie Night featuring “Bee Movie” (Rated PG). We’ll have free popcorn and drinks available. We’ll also have a door prize drawing for a DVD copy of “Bee Movie” for one lucky winner to take home. The evening should be fun for the whole family and everyone is invited.
If you come by and see us during National Library Week you can enter our prize drawing for one of three great prizes. You will have a chance to win a signed copy of Chris Scott’s “Highland County, Images of America,” a Highland County Public Library tote bag, or a family movie DVD pack including “The Longest Day,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “The Karate Kid,” and “Born Free.” The rules allow one entry per person and you may only enter for yourself.
Also during National Library Week we’ll be offering amnesty on fines for overdue books. Anyone who has library items overdue can return them during that week and be forgiven of their fines. Sadly, there are many people out there holding onto books that really belong to the whole community. I hope they’ll take advantage of this opportunity to return the items with no penalty. Again, those amnesty dates are April 13-19.
I’ve already begun planning for the summer reading program. At this point I can reveal that the theme this year will be “Catch the Reading Bug.” We’ve already booked our favorite puppet troupe Puppets with Pizzazz and the Thursday Morning Movies will be returning. I’m working on setting up several other fun programs, too. Summer is coming soon and I can’t wait!
Did you know that you can have items laminated at the library? We offer laminating sheets in sizes 8”x11” and 8”x14.” Each sheet is one dollar. This service is available to everyone.
Check out some of the hottest new releases on our shelves. We have Jennifer Chiaverini’s “Winding Ways Quilt,” Joel Rosenberg’s “Dead Heat,” Linda Fairstein’s “Killer Heat,” Heather Graham’s “Death Dealer,” Andrew Gross’s “The Dark Tide,” Carolyn Hart’s “Death Walked In,” Jodi Picoult’s “Change of Heart,” Anne Rice’s “Christ the Lord, the Road to Cana,” Stephen White’s “Dead Time,” and Joy Fielding’s “Charley’s Web.” In non-fiction we have Nick Sheff’s “Beautiful Boy, A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction,” Charles Colson’s “The Faith, What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters,” and Scott Douglas’s “Quiet Please, Dispatches from a Public Librarian.” Check them out!
On Tuesday, April 15th at 10:30 a.m. we’ll be presenting a story time for preschoolers. The program will feature the library and how we use it. We’ll have stories, activities and snacks. The program is free and all preschoolers are invited.
On Friday, April 18th at 7:00 p.m. we’ll be hosting a Family Movie Night featuring “Bee Movie” (Rated PG). We’ll have free popcorn and drinks available. We’ll also have a door prize drawing for a DVD copy of “Bee Movie” for one lucky winner to take home. The evening should be fun for the whole family and everyone is invited.
If you come by and see us during National Library Week you can enter our prize drawing for one of three great prizes. You will have a chance to win a signed copy of Chris Scott’s “Highland County, Images of America,” a Highland County Public Library tote bag, or a family movie DVD pack including “The Longest Day,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “The Karate Kid,” and “Born Free.” The rules allow one entry per person and you may only enter for yourself.
Also during National Library Week we’ll be offering amnesty on fines for overdue books. Anyone who has library items overdue can return them during that week and be forgiven of their fines. Sadly, there are many people out there holding onto books that really belong to the whole community. I hope they’ll take advantage of this opportunity to return the items with no penalty. Again, those amnesty dates are April 13-19.
I’ve already begun planning for the summer reading program. At this point I can reveal that the theme this year will be “Catch the Reading Bug.” We’ve already booked our favorite puppet troupe Puppets with Pizzazz and the Thursday Morning Movies will be returning. I’m working on setting up several other fun programs, too. Summer is coming soon and I can’t wait!
Did you know that you can have items laminated at the library? We offer laminating sheets in sizes 8”x11” and 8”x14.” Each sheet is one dollar. This service is available to everyone.
Check out some of the hottest new releases on our shelves. We have Jennifer Chiaverini’s “Winding Ways Quilt,” Joel Rosenberg’s “Dead Heat,” Linda Fairstein’s “Killer Heat,” Heather Graham’s “Death Dealer,” Andrew Gross’s “The Dark Tide,” Carolyn Hart’s “Death Walked In,” Jodi Picoult’s “Change of Heart,” Anne Rice’s “Christ the Lord, the Road to Cana,” Stephen White’s “Dead Time,” and Joy Fielding’s “Charley’s Web.” In non-fiction we have Nick Sheff’s “Beautiful Boy, A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction,” Charles Colson’s “The Faith, What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters,” and Scott Douglas’s “Quiet Please, Dispatches from a Public Librarian.” Check them out!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Did You Know?
That the library has a magazine exchange rack?
You can bring in your old magazines for someone else to read. You don't have to bring magazines to exchange, you can just take them from the exchange rack for free. We ask that people not bring in magazines more than six months old. You'd be amazed at the variety of titles that are available to take home with you.
You can bring in your old magazines for someone else to read. You don't have to bring magazines to exchange, you can just take them from the exchange rack for free. We ask that people not bring in magazines more than six months old. You'd be amazed at the variety of titles that are available to take home with you.
Highland County Public Library E-Newsletter February 2008
This Sunday, March 2nd at 2:00 p.m., as part of the library’s Local Author’s Series, Chris Scott will be talking about and signing copies of his new book, “Highland County, Images of America.” To quote the book description on the jacket, “With photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries and into the new millennium, this volume tells the rich, fascinating story, both rural and modern, of the county and its people.” Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event. Chris will also be opening an exhibit of old photos of Highland County in the Mountain View Room. The photos are being provided by the Highland Historical Society, The Recorder, and private collectors. The Highland Arts Council will be sponsoring the art exhibit and providing refreshments. The book talk is at 2:00 p.m. and the reception for the photo exhibit will last until 4:00 p.m. The photo exhibit will be on display in the Mountain View Room of the library for the month of March.
The library recently added some fascinating new documentary DVD’s on a variety of topics which should be of interest to our patrons. We’ve added Ken Burn’s acclaimed PBS series “The War,” The History Channel’s “The Vietnam War,” and a PBS American Experience production “Reconstruction: the Second Civil War.” For context in understanding complex current issues we have “The Road to 9/11,” “China From the Inside” and “Six Days in June, the War That Redefined the Middle East.” If you’re more interested in social issues we have two new films on addiction and recovery, HBO’s documentary “Addiction,” and PBS’s “Crank: Darkness on the Edge of Town.” We also have “Raising Cain: Exploring the Inner Lives of America’s Boys” and “Fat: What No One is Telling You.” Our DVD’s are available for a two week check out and may be put on hold.
I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that the library is closed both Saturdays of the Maple Festival, March 8th and March 15th.
We have many new books to help you fight cabin fever. Check out Nora Robert’s J. D. Robb novel “Strangers in Death,” Lisa Scottoline’s “Lady Killer,” John Grisham’s “The Appeal,” James Patterson’s “7th Heaven,” Martha Grimes’s “Dakota,” Jack Higgins’s “Killing Ground,” Kristin Hannah’s “Firefly Lane,” Robert B. Parker’s “Stranger in Paradise,” Stephanie Laurens’s “Where the Heart Leads,” T. Jefferson Parker’s “L. A. Outlaws,” Luanne Rice’s “Light of the Moon,” and Jayne Ann Krentz’s “Sizzle and Burn.” In new non-fiction we have Gary Wills’s “What the Gospels Meant,” Alan Weisman’s “The World Without Us,” and Chris Scott’s “Highland County, Images of America.” Check them out!
The library recently added some fascinating new documentary DVD’s on a variety of topics which should be of interest to our patrons. We’ve added Ken Burn’s acclaimed PBS series “The War,” The History Channel’s “The Vietnam War,” and a PBS American Experience production “Reconstruction: the Second Civil War.” For context in understanding complex current issues we have “The Road to 9/11,” “China From the Inside” and “Six Days in June, the War That Redefined the Middle East.” If you’re more interested in social issues we have two new films on addiction and recovery, HBO’s documentary “Addiction,” and PBS’s “Crank: Darkness on the Edge of Town.” We also have “Raising Cain: Exploring the Inner Lives of America’s Boys” and “Fat: What No One is Telling You.” Our DVD’s are available for a two week check out and may be put on hold.
I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that the library is closed both Saturdays of the Maple Festival, March 8th and March 15th.
We have many new books to help you fight cabin fever. Check out Nora Robert’s J. D. Robb novel “Strangers in Death,” Lisa Scottoline’s “Lady Killer,” John Grisham’s “The Appeal,” James Patterson’s “7th Heaven,” Martha Grimes’s “Dakota,” Jack Higgins’s “Killing Ground,” Kristin Hannah’s “Firefly Lane,” Robert B. Parker’s “Stranger in Paradise,” Stephanie Laurens’s “Where the Heart Leads,” T. Jefferson Parker’s “L. A. Outlaws,” Luanne Rice’s “Light of the Moon,” and Jayne Ann Krentz’s “Sizzle and Burn.” In new non-fiction we have Gary Wills’s “What the Gospels Meant,” Alan Weisman’s “The World Without Us,” and Chris Scott’s “Highland County, Images of America.” Check them out!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Chris Scott Book Signing Event
Local author Chris Scott will be talking about and signing copies of his new book, "Highland County, Images of America" on Sunday, March 2 at 2:00 p.m. in the Mountain View Room of the Highland County Public Library. He'll also be opening a photo exhibit of old photos of Highland County. The reception will last until 4:00 p.m. The exhibit will be available for viewing in the Mountain View Room for the month of March.This event is sponsored by the Highland Arts Council and the Highland County Public Library. The photos displayed will be on loan from the Highland Historical Society, The Recorder, and private collectors.
Card catalog it still having problems
We've been working on it intermittantly since the last post. Sometimes we'll think we have it fixed and then the next morning it will be down again. We've obviously got some conflict on the network, but we can't seem to pinpoint it. Bear with us...
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Online card catalog is down again
Sorry about that. We seem to have a server connection problem again. I'm going to work on it some and if I can't figure it out I'll be calling in the pro. I'll let you know when we're back in service.
UPDATE:
I pulled out my files to review them before I attempted to sort out the connection problem. The first time I checked for the card catalog it was there. I don't get it. But the good news is that it's now operational again.
UPDATE:
I pulled out my files to review them before I attempted to sort out the connection problem. The first time I checked for the card catalog it was there. I don't get it. But the good news is that it's now operational again.
Big January!
The library just posted the highest January ciruclation numbers ever. 2,650 items were checked out last month. It's been a busy winter here compared to last year.
November circs up 14%
December circs up 24%
January circs up 30%
Visiting the library is a great way to perk up the dull winter months!
November circs up 14%
December circs up 24%
January circs up 30%
Visiting the library is a great way to perk up the dull winter months!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Watercolor books
We recently received a donation of a collection of books on watercolor painting. I know we have many watercolor artists in the area so I thought I'd list the collection here:
Practical Watercolor Painting: The Comprehensive Guide to Materials and Techniques by Gerald Woods
Landscapes in Watercolor by Theodora Philcox
The Watercolourist's Year: How to Use Seasonal Palettes Effectively by Richard Taylor
Creative Watercolor Painting Techniques by North Light Books
Complete Step-by-step Watercolour Course by Mike Whittlesea
Practical Watercolor Painting: The Comprehensive Guide to Materials and Techniques by Gerald Woods
Landscapes in Watercolor by Theodora Philcox
The Watercolourist's Year: How to Use Seasonal Palettes Effectively by Richard Taylor
Creative Watercolor Painting Techniques by North Light Books
Complete Step-by-step Watercolour Course by Mike Whittlesea
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Making the most of Find It Virginia
First you have to find it. Click on www.finditva.org
On the front page choose "Highland County Public Library" from the drop-down box. Then enter your library card number on the next line. If you don't know your library card number you can call the library at 468-2373 or email me at mail@highlandlibrary.com.
The database I usually go to first is "Infotrac Onefile." It's a catch-all database. There are many good ways to search this database.
First, if you want to find as much as you can on a particular topic start with a "Basic Search." This will return results from all the publications they have in the database.
If you want to have more control over your search, choose "Advanced Search." With this search you can limit your search results to full text articles, and eliminate abstracts and citations, if those aren't helpful to you. You can also narrow down the timeframe for your search. You can narrow by Publication Title and other parameters, too.
If you are searching for an article in a particular publication, often the best way to search is by choosing "Publication Search." If you want to browse the magazine by issue, just type the publication title in the top box and search. Once you select your publication from their list it should show you a list of issues for the year. You can look at the drop-down box to see how many years are available. From the same page you can also do a subject search within that publication. You'll see the box for that to the left.
For example: I know that there was an article a while back in Popular Mechanics about stocking up survival gear in case of disaster. I'd like to see that article.
I choose "Publication Search."
In the top box I type in "Popular Mechanics" and click "Search." The search results show Popular Mechanics Magazine. I click on that.
It shows me a description of the magazine. If I hit the drop-down box I can see that they have issues all the way back to 1980. But I don't know which issue I need...
To the left there is a search box. I type in "survival." Then I'm given a list of Popular Mechanics articles relating to survival. I see that the fourth item down is just what I was looking for!
I can choose to look at the article in full text with pictures or in .pdf format. If I choose .pdf then I will see the article exactly as it was scanned from the magazine.
Find It Virginia is a valuable tool to both children and adults. Please take advantage of this wonderful resource being offered through the Library of Virginia and the Highland County Public Library.
On the front page choose "Highland County Public Library" from the drop-down box. Then enter your library card number on the next line. If you don't know your library card number you can call the library at 468-2373 or email me at mail@highlandlibrary.com.
The database I usually go to first is "Infotrac Onefile." It's a catch-all database. There are many good ways to search this database.
First, if you want to find as much as you can on a particular topic start with a "Basic Search." This will return results from all the publications they have in the database.
If you want to have more control over your search, choose "Advanced Search." With this search you can limit your search results to full text articles, and eliminate abstracts and citations, if those aren't helpful to you. You can also narrow down the timeframe for your search. You can narrow by Publication Title and other parameters, too.
If you are searching for an article in a particular publication, often the best way to search is by choosing "Publication Search." If you want to browse the magazine by issue, just type the publication title in the top box and search. Once you select your publication from their list it should show you a list of issues for the year. You can look at the drop-down box to see how many years are available. From the same page you can also do a subject search within that publication. You'll see the box for that to the left.
For example: I know that there was an article a while back in Popular Mechanics about stocking up survival gear in case of disaster. I'd like to see that article.
I choose "Publication Search."
In the top box I type in "Popular Mechanics" and click "Search." The search results show Popular Mechanics Magazine. I click on that.
It shows me a description of the magazine. If I hit the drop-down box I can see that they have issues all the way back to 1980. But I don't know which issue I need...
To the left there is a search box. I type in "survival." Then I'm given a list of Popular Mechanics articles relating to survival. I see that the fourth item down is just what I was looking for!
I can choose to look at the article in full text with pictures or in .pdf format. If I choose .pdf then I will see the article exactly as it was scanned from the magazine.
Find It Virginia is a valuable tool to both children and adults. Please take advantage of this wonderful resource being offered through the Library of Virginia and the Highland County Public Library.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Library Board Welcomes Three New Members
Tonight at the Annual Public Library Meeting three new board members were elected. The board welcomes Carol Bandy, Jennifer Cockerham and Lisa Munchel. They'll be joining returning board members Chris Scott, Rhet Wilson, Randy Richardson and Sarah Chaney.
Library board members serve a three year term and act as a governing board for the library. Any library members who paid their $5 dues are eligible to vote in the board member election. Board members are always elected at the public meeting in January.
Library board members serve a three year term and act as a governing board for the library. Any library members who paid their $5 dues are eligible to vote in the board member election. Board members are always elected at the public meeting in January.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Highland County Public Library E-Newsletter January 2008
The library annual public meeting is coming up on Tuesday, January 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Mountain View Room in the library. We’ll dazzle you with a multimedia presentation on the 2007 Year in Review at the Library. We’ll also be electing new members to our board of directors. Anyone who has paid their membership dues this year is eligible to vote. We’re serving refreshments and everyone is invited.
I recently realized that our music CD collection was seriously lacking in bluegrass music. I immediately went shopping and stocked the library with classics from Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, and the original Carter Family. I also added CD’s of bluegrass gospel and mountain music. For those interested in the origins of bluegrass music I purchased a DVD, “High Lonesome, The Story of Bluegrass Music.”
We recently launched a new blog for the library. For those of you unfamiliar with blogs (short for weblogs) it is an online diary of sorts. I use the library’s blog to post updates on what is happening at the library on a day-to-day basis. I also blog about topics related to libraries in general. The blog allows readers to comment on specific posts so you can provide feedback. We hope to use your feedback to improve services at the library. If you’re interested in an insider’s view of what’s going on at the Highland County Public Library then check out the blog at http://highlanderslovetoread.blogspot.com. You can also find it on the front page of the library web site at www.highlandlibrary.com.
Now that the snowy season is here I wanted to remind you all that even when the schools are closed the library is usually open. The only time we close for weather is when the county offices close or when I absolutely cannot get out of my driveway, which means we very rarely close.
Come by the library check out the newest titles, including Sara Paretsky’s “Bleeding Kansas,” Kay Hooper’s “Blood Dreams,” Leslie Meier’s “The Worst Hard Time,” Douglas Preston’s “Blasphemy,” Geraldine Brook’s “People of the Book,” Minette Walters’s “The Chameleon’s Shadow,” Sue Miller’s “The Senator’s Wife,” Janet Evanovich’s “Plum Lucky,” and Arturo Perez-Reverte’s “The Painter of Battles.” In non-fiction we have Stephen Colbert’s “I Am America (And So Can You)” and Joseph J. Ellis’s “An American Creation: Tragedies and Triumphs at the Founding of the Republic.”
I recently realized that our music CD collection was seriously lacking in bluegrass music. I immediately went shopping and stocked the library with classics from Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, and the original Carter Family. I also added CD’s of bluegrass gospel and mountain music. For those interested in the origins of bluegrass music I purchased a DVD, “High Lonesome, The Story of Bluegrass Music.”
We recently launched a new blog for the library. For those of you unfamiliar with blogs (short for weblogs) it is an online diary of sorts. I use the library’s blog to post updates on what is happening at the library on a day-to-day basis. I also blog about topics related to libraries in general. The blog allows readers to comment on specific posts so you can provide feedback. We hope to use your feedback to improve services at the library. If you’re interested in an insider’s view of what’s going on at the Highland County Public Library then check out the blog at http://highlanderslovetoread.blogspot.com. You can also find it on the front page of the library web site at www.highlandlibrary.com.
Now that the snowy season is here I wanted to remind you all that even when the schools are closed the library is usually open. The only time we close for weather is when the county offices close or when I absolutely cannot get out of my driveway, which means we very rarely close.
Come by the library check out the newest titles, including Sara Paretsky’s “Bleeding Kansas,” Kay Hooper’s “Blood Dreams,” Leslie Meier’s “The Worst Hard Time,” Douglas Preston’s “Blasphemy,” Geraldine Brook’s “People of the Book,” Minette Walters’s “The Chameleon’s Shadow,” Sue Miller’s “The Senator’s Wife,” Janet Evanovich’s “Plum Lucky,” and Arturo Perez-Reverte’s “The Painter of Battles.” In non-fiction we have Stephen Colbert’s “I Am America (And So Can You)” and Joseph J. Ellis’s “An American Creation: Tragedies and Triumphs at the Founding of the Republic.”
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Federal Universal Serv Charge
Look at your phone bill. You should see a line with a the title of this post on it. It's one of those charges that tend to annoy people because they have no idea what it's for. I can tell you what it's for...
The money collected through that charge partially funds the Erate program, a program by which schools and libraries receive discounts on telecommunications and internet charges. This library qualifies for a 70% discount, based on the number of kids involved in the free and reduced school lunch programs in our school system. We pay our phone bills up front and then have to apply for a rebate of that 70%.
In any given year we are juggling three applications. One application is for the coming fiscal year, in this case 2008-2009. Our application for the current year is still open because we have to report that we are receiving the services we applied for. Last year's application only recently closed when we received our discount rebate for the completed year 2006-2007. The application process is not much fun, as you can imagine any federal application process would be. But in our case it's worth the work because annually we receive rebates in the area of $1400.
By law, to qualify for this federal funding we have to have content filters on our internet access computers, which we do.
So now you know.
The money collected through that charge partially funds the Erate program, a program by which schools and libraries receive discounts on telecommunications and internet charges. This library qualifies for a 70% discount, based on the number of kids involved in the free and reduced school lunch programs in our school system. We pay our phone bills up front and then have to apply for a rebate of that 70%.
In any given year we are juggling three applications. One application is for the coming fiscal year, in this case 2008-2009. Our application for the current year is still open because we have to report that we are receiving the services we applied for. Last year's application only recently closed when we received our discount rebate for the completed year 2006-2007. The application process is not much fun, as you can imagine any federal application process would be. But in our case it's worth the work because annually we receive rebates in the area of $1400.
By law, to qualify for this federal funding we have to have content filters on our internet access computers, which we do.
So now you know.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Tom Camden's Rare Books Program
The program was hosted here at the library last night by the Highland Historical Society. It was a terrific program and I'm glad I didn't miss it. Mr. Camden promised that if seeing some of the books didn't make you tingle then you must be dead. He proved his point with his first book. It was a book that had traveled over on the Mayflower, and then traveled back. He showed us two books from Thomas Jefferson's collection and showed us the markings which Jefferson put on them to mark them as his property. Mr. Camden actually let us hold and examine two books that had belonged to Patrick Henry. We saw a book produced in 1851 by the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. He also brought several miniature books to show us.
It was an entertaining program and it was easy to get caught up in Mr. Camden's enthusiasm for his subject. He told us of an online resource that might be of great interest to local history buffs. The Virginia Historical Inventory was a WPA project in the thirties that documented the buildings in Highland County. Many buildings are included in the inventory which are lost to us now. You can find more information about this resource and search the inventory at the Library of Virginia's web site:
Virginia Historical Inventory.
It was an entertaining program and it was easy to get caught up in Mr. Camden's enthusiasm for his subject. He told us of an online resource that might be of great interest to local history buffs. The Virginia Historical Inventory was a WPA project in the thirties that documented the buildings in Highland County. Many buildings are included in the inventory which are lost to us now. You can find more information about this resource and search the inventory at the Library of Virginia's web site:
Virginia Historical Inventory.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Fundraising Update!
We have achieved our fundraising goal for our 2007 donation solicitation mailing! Whew, I was worried there for a while. In November 2007 we had raised $2000 less than we had by November 2006. I wasn't sure we were going to make it to the necessary $12,000 in local donations.
The money we raise from donations helps us pay for important things like electricity, heat and a clerk to provide evening and Saturday hours. Local donor money also buys books and materials, but no other funds are available for utilities and staff. Donor support is essential to our operations.
Each year as we prepare our budget we anticipate how much we may raise the next time we send out a plea for donations. It's always an "iffy" proposition and in the eight years I've been here we've never been let down. I was sweating a little this year though.
As an aside, we received a substantial donation that was not a part of our donor drive. The board is currently planning how to best use the gift. We have money in the bank and we're not in danger of going bankrupt in the short term. But in the long term we need to build a sustainable source of revenue and that happens to be our local donors. Thank goodness they (you!) continue to support our efforts so generously.
The money we raise from donations helps us pay for important things like electricity, heat and a clerk to provide evening and Saturday hours. Local donor money also buys books and materials, but no other funds are available for utilities and staff. Donor support is essential to our operations.
Each year as we prepare our budget we anticipate how much we may raise the next time we send out a plea for donations. It's always an "iffy" proposition and in the eight years I've been here we've never been let down. I was sweating a little this year though.
As an aside, we received a substantial donation that was not a part of our donor drive. The board is currently planning how to best use the gift. We have money in the bank and we're not in danger of going bankrupt in the short term. But in the long term we need to build a sustainable source of revenue and that happens to be our local donors. Thank goodness they (you!) continue to support our efforts so generously.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
January holiday closings
The library will be closed Friday, January 18 for Lee-Jackson Day and Monday, January 21 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We will be open Saturday the 19th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Library of Virginia Program Wed., Jan 9
The Highland Historical Society with the Highland County Public Library will host a presentation of rare papers, documents and manuscripts from the Library of Virginia in Richmond. Some of the material will relate to Highland County. Mr. Tom Camden, Director of Special Collections at the Library of Virginia, will speak about the rare documents and show examples. The public is cordially invited to attend.
Highland County Public Library
Mountain View Room
Wednesday, January 9
7:00 p.m.
Mountain View Room
Wednesday, January 9
7:00 p.m.
The beauty (or something) of this job
When you come in to work every day you never know what you are going to be doing. You may know what your goals are. You may even have a list. But sometimes the list gets shoved aside when there is a crisis or a patron who needs extra help. Such was the case today.
I have a little list of items I need to accomplish for the IRS, the Erate program and the Library Board. However, the theme of the day was fated to be printers, apparently. Our circulation desk printer is failing on us. My goal was to get the front desk computer to use the laser printer that is on the network. After repeated attempts to make the printer connection I gave up. Now neither printer will print. Joy!
Also, for some reason Quicken will not print to the laser printer in my office. I'm not sure what the problem is there. I checked on the internet and it appears the problem is not unique to us. But it seems to be a Quicken problem, specifically. My interim solution is to save worksheets to Adobe .pdf and then print the .pdf. Not ideal.
So you see, this is not what I had planned at all.
I have a little list of items I need to accomplish for the IRS, the Erate program and the Library Board. However, the theme of the day was fated to be printers, apparently. Our circulation desk printer is failing on us. My goal was to get the front desk computer to use the laser printer that is on the network. After repeated attempts to make the printer connection I gave up. Now neither printer will print. Joy!
Also, for some reason Quicken will not print to the laser printer in my office. I'm not sure what the problem is there. I checked on the internet and it appears the problem is not unique to us. But it seems to be a Quicken problem, specifically. My interim solution is to save worksheets to Adobe .pdf and then print the .pdf. Not ideal.
So you see, this is not what I had planned at all.
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