Monday, December 13, 2010

From today's "Item" in Sumter SC


BISHOPVILLE - Thanks to a grant from the federal institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the South Carolina State Library, the Lee County Public Library will be able to add technology and educational services to its after-school and summer youth programs.
"We are so excited," said Librarian Elizabeth Snyder-Powell. "We just never expected that our grant proposal could win out against the larger libraries in the state. What a great endorsement for Lee County and the Lee County Public Library!"
The $23,300 grant is designed to strengthen library's education related services for children and teens, she said.
Snyder Powell said the grant will provide additional computers and software.
Items included in the budget proposal are 10 laptop computers, two wireless portable routers, salaries for after-school tutors and field trip expenses for the summer reading program.
The after-school program is expected to begin soon, and will take place at the library annex on Nettles Street, Snyder-Powell said.
"We hope to recruit some top academic students to serve as tutors for the after-school program," she said. "They will be able to help other students with their homework."
Snyder-Powell said field trips are a very important part of the summer reading program, and the inclusion of the field trip in the grant proposal satisfied the requirement of having a cultural component.
"We are also very pleased to be able to add a field trip to our summer reading program," she said. "We didn't have a field trip last year. We think this will serve to create greater interest in the program."
According to the Institute's website, "The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development."


BYLINE: Randall T Burns, Special to "The Item"

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Holiday hours.....


Hard to believe, but Christmas is fast upon us. Because the holidays, Christmas and New Years, are falling on Saturdays the library will be closed on December 25th and January 1st. The library will also be closed on Monday December 27th and Monday January 3rd. Beginning the week of December 20th and through Friday December 31st the library will close at 5:00 PM daily. If you have questions about our holiday hours, please call us at: 803.484.5921.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

More Christmas cheer.........


Special thanks to our friends at the Lee County Farm Bureau Woman's Committee. Pictured are Laura Haddon and Mary Adele Tomlinson putting touches to the Agricultural Tree they put up in the library foyer.

The tree features peanuts, soybeans, corn and (of course) cotton. Come down to the library and check it out - as well as a great selection of cookbooks and decorating books for the holidays!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

It was a chilly morning......


frost
Originally uploaded by pollyalida
It started out to be a beautiful winter day. It was crisp, clear and cold with a hint of frost on the fields. Who knew that it was going to turn into a red letter day?

On Wednesday last, when I got to work, I thought that the rest of the gang was acting strangely. After I had put my stuff away my director, Dawn Ellen, handed me a big envelope from the SC State Library. Ordinarily large envelopes from the state library are not a good thing so I opened it gingerly. The cover letter started:

“Congratulations! I am pleased to inform you that your application for a grant of Library Services and Technology Act funds has been approved.”

What happened next involved shouting, leaping, dancing and some tears. The entire staff spent the rest of the day on cloud nine. We just never expected that our grant proposal could win out against the larger libraries in the state. What a great endorsement for Lee County and the Lee County Library.

Now we have to get busy and design the programs that this grant will fund. We will be featuring a lot of new programs for children and teens emphasizing education and cultural events. We can’t wait to get started so pay close attention to this weekly column and the blog to keep informed as we roll out the new programs.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Christmas Has Arrived @ the library.....




Everyone who knows our Director, Dawn Ellen, knows her decorating acumen!! It really shows during the holiday season. Make it a point to come down to the library and get some holiday spirit!!

We also have a huge selection of cookbooks, decorating books and lots of holiday magazines.

Bring you little ones, so they can be dazzled with our decorations and check out their own holiday books!

Check out the rest of the pictures here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leecountypubliclibrary/

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Contest Deadline approaches......


Attention Gentle Readers:

If you are participating in the “Letters About Literature” contest please have your entries turned into the library by Tuesday December 7, 2010 so that I can mail them in time to meet the deadline. We are really looking forward to seeing the submissions from our young readers – and we hope to be announcing a national or state winner representing the Lee County Library!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving all........


**Photo Caption: Ms. Carol-Anne Anderson and her son Joseph, age 7, enjoy a moment in the library reading area.**


The Library Ladies would like to wish the entire community a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving. The library will be closed on Thursday November 25th and Friday November 26th. We will reopen on Saturday November 27th.

It's more than books @ your library.....


The library has several resources for resume building. Using the Kuder Personal Pathways software available to us we can build a resume, do a cover letter and search for jobs all at one website. Oh yeah, best part….it’s FREE!!

This website is quite a bit more than just resume writing. With Kuder, you can follow a self-guided, step-by-step process to plan your next career move. It starts simply by learning about yourself– specifically what you like doing (interests), what you are good at (skills), and what is important to you in a work environment (values).

With our comprehensive, user-friendly, and Internet-based solution, you can explore new career directions, plan for future education, seek current job opportunities, and even apply for financial aid. All of the information is uniquely tailored to your needs based on how you register with the system and identify your occupational background and employment situation.

This service is available for free. However, an appointment must be made to use this service. That is because of the intensive nature of the on line assessment procedure. Appointments can be made by calling Elizabeth at 803-484-5921 Tuesday through Saturday. Please allow a least one hour for the needs assessment. If you need a resume built allow more time.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

It's all good @ the Library....


Last week Debbie Tindal, who is a Community Employment Specialist at the Department of Social Services, and I went to the Richland County Library to participate in a workforce exchange. This was a great meeting bringing together several libraries as well as state agencies who are concerned with helping South Carolina’s unemployed and underemployed.

Debbie and I have been working informally with her clients for over a year. The clients come to the library for training in resume building, computer skills and job searching. We have had some successes, but this meeting helped show us how we can improve our services, measure our successes and build on the foundation that we have formed. We are both really excited about taking this opportunity and expanding our services; not only to the DSS clients but to the entire community.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Library Use Calculator with Curtis Rogers. ....

This is great video showing the true value of your local library - featuring our pal Dr. Curtis Rogers.

Thought provoking!!


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

A fun New Contest.......


How has an author's work--novel, nonfiction, poetry--changed your view of the world or yourself? What did you learn about yourself that you didn't realize before reading the author's work? Don't write a book report. The author already wrote the book and knows what happened. What the author doesn't know is how you reacted while reading the book. Write about that--your response in a reflective, personal letter to the author! That is the LAL (Letters about Literature) writing challenge.

Each year, LAL awards thousands of dollars through state and national prizes, as well as LAL library grants. Last year, 70,000 young people entered. For more information on how you as a young reader or how your students can enter, come to the library and ask Elizabeth for the guidelines and entry coupon. Let's put the Lee County Library on the state and national map!!

Deadline for this year's competition:

DECEMBER 10, 2010

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

And the Winner Is.......


For the past three years the Lee County Library has won the statewide photo contest held each year during Library Week. For three years we have won the Best Overall, Most Humorous and gotten three honorable mentions. These contests are sponsored by the South Carolina State Library and all the county libraries compete. Our photos have been published in both state and national publications.

This year, during the South Carolina Library Association annual meeting in October we were awarded not one, but two Presidential Citations to honor these achievements. Because it is a statewide competition to win top honors for three years is quite an accomplishment. We were thrilled by the recognition and thank the SCLA for the honor.

“I was so surprised and shocked when they called me up the second time that I didn’t know what to say,” Director Dawn Ellen said, “I just sort of stammered ‘thank you’ and ran off the stage!”

We also thank our patrons who allow librarian Elizabeth the chance to take their picture. All of our photos are candid shots and with them we try to portray our library in it’s true light – as a community meeting place where curiosity is welcomed and encouraged.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

More from the Halloween Fall Festival,,,

We had a great turn out and want to thank the community and the organizations that came out and supported us. An especially big shout out goes to the Lee County School District’s Building Bridges Americorp team who arrived with 12 students to help organize and assist Chamber Director Pam Kelley and Librarians Brenda Brisbon and Elizabeth Snyder Powell. Because of their help the activities flowed smoothly.

Monday, October 25, 2010

More from the Halloween Festival


The next event was the stuffed animal contest. This event was ably judged by the members of the B.A.R.K (Bishopville Animal Rescue Krew) team headed up by the ever effervescent Tom Kerr. I unfortunately did not get the names of the winners in this event but if the young ladies will come into the library or call I will acknowledge their wins in a future column.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Trunk a Treat Unqualified Success!!


It was a delicious bright blue October day last Saturday. Out at the Grammar School Park, though, it was all witches, princesses, a Chucky or two and various ghouls and goblins! That’s because the Lee County Library and the Lee County Chamber of Commerce were hosting the first annual Halloween Festival Community Day.

We had a great turn out and want to thank the community and the organizations that came out and supported us. An especially big shout out goes to the Lee County School District’s Building Bridges Americorp team who arrived with 12 students to help organize and assist Chamber Director Pam Kelley and Librarians Brenda Brisbon and Elizabeth Snyder Powell. Because of their help the activities flowed smoothly.

The first event was the Halloween Costume Contest. The library has been hosting this for years at the library but this year it was fun to have it outdoors in the warm October sun. We had about 50-60 entrants and all of them showed creativity and imagination in their various costumes. The winners were:

Most Original .................. Nicholas Dolen
Scariest ......................Cole Huggins
Best over all .................Preston and Christian Seeby

Friday, October 15, 2010

Friends of the Library Week proclaimed..........


Governor Mark Sanford has declared October 17th – 23rd as “Friends of the Library Week.” Following is the proclamation:

WHEREAS, libraries are an essential part of the fabric of communities throughout the state and they link us to one another and to the ideas and events of yesterday, helping us prepare for tomorrow, and serving as a sanctuary in which we are free to read, write, and dream about events and ideas of the past, present and future; and

WHEREAS, libraries have become powerful equalizing forces in society where every visitor is welcome and knowledge is free to all regardless of personal wealth or position; and

WHEREAS, Friends of the Library groups energize libraries by enhancing their services and capabilities in communities across the Palmetto State; and

WHEREAS, Friends of the Library volunteers give their time and talents to sponsor recreational and educational programs for children and adults and organize book sales and other events to raise funds to meet special library needs.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mark Sanford, Governor of the Great State of South Carolina, do hereby proclaim October 17-23, 2010, as

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY WEEK

What Mr. Sanford has proclaimed, the Lee County Library has always known. Our local Friends of the Library are true and valuable friends. They have supported our programs both monetarily and with enthusiasm. This is a great opportunity to say thank you to them and acknowledge their value to us and our appreciation of them.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The witch is in............


Our favorite witchy-poo girl is in the house and promoting our "Trunk a Treat" event coming up on October 23rd. Make sure to mark you calendar! Call the library if you have questions, or you would like to participate. This is a community event - so the more the merrier!!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Banned Book Week.......


September 25th marks the start of “Banned Book Week” In support of the right to choose books freely for ourselves, the ALA and The South Carolina State Library are sponsoring Banned Books Week September 25 - October 2, an annual celebration of our right to access books without censorship. This year's observance commemorates the most basic freedom in a democratic society-the freedom to read freely-and encourages us not to take this freedom for granted.

Since its inception in 1982, Banned Books Week has reminded us that while not every book is intended for every reader, each of us has the right to decide for ourselves what to read, listen to, or view. Many libraries will celebrate the freedom to read by participating in special events, exhibits, and read-outs that showcase books that have been banned or threatened.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Great new event!


The library, in partnership with the Lee County Chamber of Commerce, is planning a "Trunk a Treat" program for Saturday October 23, 2010 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Grammar School Park.

"What's a Trunk a Treat," you ask? Well, instead of handing out your candy at your house, you put your treats in the trunk of you car and the youngsters come around to get their candy.

You can also decorate your car....and we will be having a judging contest. Stay tuned for more information about this program. We are planning lots of activities that day. So, mark your calendar for October 23rd - we'll look for you!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Cotton Festival Weekend


Congratulations to the Lee County Chamber of Commerce for the great success of the Cotton Festival. A lot of time and effort went into putting on a weekend event and it all paid off.

Be sure to tell Pam Kelley and all the volunteers what a great job they did. They are already planning next years event!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Halloween!!!


Well, Halloween is fast approaching and the library has some special events planned. Halloween is Director Dawn Ellen's favorite holiday so make sure you come to the library to check out the decorations. We always have the most interesting decorations! We are also planning some special events to be held at The Annex. Keep your eye on this column and I will be letting you know event times and dates.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

We are losing a friend...

We are losing a friend today. Randy Burns reporter for the Sumter Daily Item is retiring today. Randy frequently filed his stories from the Library to save him time and relieve him from having to drive home.

We jokingly designated the conference room as "The Item Satellite Office."

Lee County has had it's share of discouraging news lately, but Randy always accentuated the positives about Lee County. he is a special friend to Lee County Library - his grandchildren and family always came to our programs and Randy always gave us great press coverage.

We will miss Randy's smiling face but we know he will be no stanger to us. We hope him great happiness in his retirement.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Summer Winding Down...............


During the dog days of August the Librarians get a chance to regroup, rethink and reevaluate the programs and services offered at the Lee County Public Library. It’s going to be hard to achieve the success of the Summer Reading Program but we are pretty sure that we can.

This fall we will be offering new programs for children and young adults. We will have a schedule put together soon and will post it on the web as well as publish it here!!

We also invite the adult community in Lee County to contact us regarding services we offer. We have talking books, large print books and many other services available to us via the South Carolina State Library. In addition, we have Wii Fit, an interactive exercise program. Wii Fit combines fun and fitness into one product. It can change how you exercise, how you balance, and even how you move. We invite adults to contact us to utilize these services.

Saturday, August 7, 2010


If you see Librarian Brenda Brisbon around make it a point to thank her and congratulate her for a fabulous and successful 2010 Summer Reading Program. For eight weeks our summer readers had a selection of fun and worthwhile activities.

The final “wrap” party was held last Friday at the Annex. The readers ate pizza, played with the video games and received their certificates. It was a great afternoon for the youngsters and their parents. We thank everyone who participated in this year’s program for making it such a success.

In the near future we will be announcing our Fall Schedule of activities, so check the future columns.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Summer Reading 2010,,,,,


Last week the summer readers attended an education program and picnic at Lee State Park. Conducted by Ranger Laura Kirk, the program consisted of taking samples from the pond and then examining them under the electron microscope. This is the fourth year we have gone out to the part and Ranger Kirk always shows us a good as well as educational time! The youngsters love to see the invisible world that is opened up by using the microscope – a lot of creepy crawlies are contained in pond water!

We then had a picnic lunch at the pavilion with hot dogs and toasted marshmallows. The readers all had a great time – ummmm, so did the librarians!!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Our Condolences......

The Lee County Library Ladies would like to extend their condolences to the Teal family after the loss of their son Bayler.

Bayler was a joy of a boy and he will be missed by the entire community. We share our tears and our prayers with the Teal family.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Frog Prince - The Play!!

While I was out of town last week, the Lee County Library presented a gift to the community by presenting "The Frog Prince" a play presented By the Porkchop Players of Aiken SC.

We thought the play would be a great kick off for our 2010 Summer Reading Program and the summer readers loved it!! We also invited the entire community to join us and we are glad to report that many did!! We had a full house and everyone just loved the production.

Although the play is designed with young people in mind, many of the sight gags and one liners were aimed at the adults and the entire audiences was helpless with laughter.

We would like to thank our community for their continued support of our programs!!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Lee County Library philosophy...

Yep, this little sign sums it up for "The Library Ladies."

Brenda Signing up Patrons for Summer Reading

It's sign up week all week for the Lee County Library Summder Reading Program. "Make a Splash @ Your Library"

Come down to the Library and enroll your children!!



HELP THE LIBRARY HELP YOU - CLICK ON ANY ADVERTISING YOU SEE ON THIS BLOG. BY TAKING A CLICK YOU MAY HELP US GENERATE A LITTLE INCOME!! THANKS!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Summer Reading 2010

Now that the Summer Reading Program has been planned, it’s time to reveal the schedule. First off, this week is sign up week. In order to sign up for Summer Reading you must have a library card in good standing. Come to the library this week until Saturday and enroll your child to participate in the “Make a Splash @ the Library” summer reading program - a water related theme.

First up is a special production of “The Frog Prince” which will kick off the summer reading program. We have partnered with the Lee County Arts Council to offer this special program and we invite the community to join us.

“The Frog Prince” is a production of the Porkchop Players a professional children’s theater troupe from Aiken SC. Their interpretation of classic tales include a modern twist and lots of audience participation. Again, we are offering this live theater production to the community and we hope to have a good turnout. For more information, call the library at 803.484.5921 and ask for Brenda or Elizabeth.

The following is the rest of the summer reading program.

June 18th Craft Day
June 22nd Cooking with Darlas
June 25th Swimming at the Hope Center
June 30th Special Water Program with Jennifer Kelley
July 2nd Gaming at the Annex
July 6th Field Trip to Scape Ore Farm
July 9th Gaming at the Annex
July 12th Cooking with Darlas
July 16th Craft Day
July 21st Swimming at the Hope Center
July 30th Field Trip

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Summer is heating up.......

Now that the school year has come to a close, we can concentrate on our summer activities for children and young adults. We are really excited about the Summer Reading Program. This years theme is “Make a Splash @ Your Library” and we are trying to plan our events so we have a water based theme.

First of all, to participate in the Summer Reading Program, you must sign up. The sign up week will begin on Monday June 7th and run until Saturday June 12th. In order to participate you must have a library card in good standing – that’s it! Pretty easy. If your child does not have a library card, this is a great time to get one. All you need is an ID showing that you live in Lee County. Anyone under 18 must have a adult to be responsible for them.

Now to the planned programs! We are so thrilled to be hosting a live theater presentation by “Porkchop Productions.” Founded in 1991, Porkchop Productions is a professional theatre company specializing in audience participation performances. Their interactive approach to their performances make for a one-of-a-kind theatre adventure! They will be presenting “The Frog Prince” on Thursday June 17th at 10:00 AM at the Bishopville Opera House. The performers have taken a well known tale and added a few modern twists as well as lots of audience participation. We hope that this performance will help instill a love of live theater in our young people. There really is no substitute to live theater.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Tech Savvy - Facebook privacy



This is a great video on setting your privacy profile on Facebook. With Facebook changing so frequently it is hard to keep up. They are now sharing a lot of your info to third parties - beware!!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

PR Exchange 2010

Librarian Elizabeth attended the PR Exchange on Tuesday. She learned a lot and had fun too!!!

That's a win-win.

State Librarian David Goble once again reminded us that we are the "first responders" for information technology. Even though we know that, it's always good to be reminded.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

More Goodies @ the Library

The "Library Ladies" have decided to eliminate paperbacks from the shelves so that we can free up some space.

This is good news for the citizens!! While supplies last we will be giving away these books. It's a win - win here people.

So, come on down to the library and grab some paperbacks while they last!!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

That's a wrap.....

Well, that's a wrap for the SC State Library's Annual Photo Contest. Our library walked away with three wins - "Best Overall" (shown), Most Humorous" and "Honorable Mention." Are we proud?? You betcha!!

We celebrate our library not with awards, but with the daily interactions that are depicted in these photos. We strive, daily, to offer a welcoming environment that encourages curiosity and life long learning.

We are pleased as punch that we won this annual contest, but we remember, always, that our patrons are our most important mission.

Give a hoot - lobby your local representatives to stabilize library funding. Your librarians need you!!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Working in the library


Randy Burns the Lee County reporter for the Sumter Daily Item has started using the library to file his stories. We all think this is super cool, because we love Randy, we love The Item and they both give us great coverage for our events and fundraisers!!!

Thanks guys.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Now this looks like fun......



With all the youngsters out on spring break it seemed like a good time to open the annex in the afternoons for some gaming fun.

In the clip above, the kids are knocking themselves out playing "Rock Bank."

Just another day at South Carolina's finest library!!

Spring Break

The Library Annex will be open in the afternoons all this week for your gaming pleasure. We have Playstation 2's and Wii's all warmed up and ready for your use.

Come down and visit Librarian Brenda, and get your groove on. Will post pictures later.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Spring has sprung.....


The Friends of the Lee County Library are planning a Book Sale on Friday April 16th and Saturday April 17th. The hours will be 4:00 – 8:00 on Friday and 10:00 – 4:00 on Saturday. The Book Sale will be held at the Library Annex.

As a special treat during the book sale, we are thrilled to announce that Mr. Jack Bass will be holding a book signing on Friday night. . Mr. Bass is the author of the definitive biography of Strom Thurmond. He has recently published The Palmetto State, The Making of Modern South Carolina. This book promises to become a classic. It also serves as a valuable point of entry for inquiries into the state’s diverse and complex heritage.

The Friends of the Lee County Library are also conducting their annual membership drive. By joining the Friends you help support the Lee County Library and its many worthwhile projects. Each day the Library offers citizens help with resumes and job searches, we offer training in software and conduct classes – not to mention just the general reference help, the printing and copying services and the ever needed homework help. Please support the Friends of the Lee County Library by joining. We hope to see you at the Book Sale!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Ahhhh, Spring!


Easter Sunday Tulips
Originally uploaded by suesue2
Finally spring seems to have arrived in Lee County and the “Library Ladies” are hard at work planning new programs for the warmer weather.

The Annual Easter Egg hunt will be held at the Lee County Library Annex on Saturday March 27th at 3:00 PM. The Library Annex is located at 102 Nettles Street. It was formerly “The Garden Gates” gift shop.

The Easter Egg Hunt has always been one of our most popular programs and this year we will be expanding it to include games and prizes. Mark you calendars now for this event, and we will be adding information in the coming weeks.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

A message from the Director of the SC State Library.

A timely and informative short from David Goble regarding important issues to the South Carolina library community.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Friends of the Library

The Friends of the Lee County Library are in the planning stages for a book sale scheduled April 16th and April 17th. Last years book sale was a great success. This year we have even a wider selection of gently used and new books. This a great time to look for bargains and pick up your favorite authors to enhance your library!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

New Release shelf,,,,,

If you haven’t visited the Library lately and are looking for some newly released books this is the time to come down. Our new release shelf is bursting with books that we have just received. Librarian Missy has been cataloging all week. It’s good to know, also, that if you would like a new release book that you do not see, we can put your request on our “wish list” and order it for you!!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

And the Winner Is........

Ms Pamela Nelson won our Valentine Raffle for a specially made Candycake. Librarian Brenda Brisbon graciously donated one of her creations to help support the "Care Center" in Bishopville.

Thanks Brenda!

Again, this was a win/win for our community.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Social Networking......


Blue and white
Originally uploaded by ashlie conway
Isn't that a great picture? The picture was taken by Ashlie, my newest contact on Flickr. I 'met" A on Twittter - another social networking site.

Social networking is a way to expand horizons. Most likely I would not have met A - or several other interesting people without social networking. Given the age and location difference there is little way we could have met without the benefit of social networking.

There have been a lot of false/misleading reports about social networking. Like anything else, it come with its own inherent dangers, but if you are and adult responsible person, the concept opens doors that are not available anywhere else.

Hope you have enjoyed the picture. Thanks, A.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Words to live by!!

I attended the PLAD (Public Library Appreciation Day) at the South Carolina State house on Wednesday January 27th. Librarians from all over the state came together to impress upon the State Legislators the importance of libraries to the citizens of the state.

I am writing this on Saturday. We are fortunate to be open on Saturdays since we lost one librarian during the last round of budget cuts. It is because the librarians rallied and shifted around that we are able to open on Saturdays.

Today is cold, cold, cold and very rainy. So far today I have helped a patron set up a Facebook page, another an e-mail account as well as handing out tax forms, answering questions and helping a high school kid get enrolled in extra credit classes.

Not to mention the six homeless guys we give shelter to on bad days.

Where will the homeless guys be tomorrow - I don't know - because of the budget cuts we can no longer open on Sundays.

At PLAD, SC Library Director David Goble called the state librarians "first responders." How right he is! We are on the front line of information technology for most of our citizens. We help with resumes, help with job searches, offer training in software - not to mention just the general reference questions printing/copying services and homework help..

Take the time to contact your state legislators. It is important for them to know how valuable your library is to you. We are here for you when you need us - please try to be here for us now!!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Budget Cuts to Affect us all

Libraries have received major state and county budget cuts because of the economic downturn.

****State aid has been cut 41% in two years from $2.25 per capita to $1.32 per capita.

****Similar revenue cuts, sometimes harsher. have come from local counties.

As money is dwindling, ironically, libraries face record-breaking, double -digit increases in the demand for service. (Also a result of the economy.

Libraries are often the only resource available in a community to help people laid off, displaced, furloughed or desperate for assistance.

It is up to you to contact your state and county representatives to help protect this valuable resource. The Library is always here when you need us - now we need you to be with us when we need YOU!!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

My Lowcountry 3 Book Club: The Help (pt 1) | WSAV

Check out the link - will take you to the video of the WSAV book club with Holly Bounds and Amanda Brewer. LC Library hopes to be participating soon!!



My Lowcountry 3 Book Club: The Help (pt 1) | WSAV

Friday, January 8, 2010

Catchin' some Z's..........

One of our favorite patrons taking a little nap in the reading area.

Reading Rooster Recommends January 8 2010

Thanks to our friends at the State Library.

Welcome to 2010

Between holidays and vacations, it has been awhile since the Lee County Library posted to the blog. But, we're baaaack!!

What's new? Well, we will be having a Valentines Day raffle to benefit the "Care Center" in Bishopville. To enter the raffle you only have to bring non-perishable food products to donate. We will be posting a picture of the prize once your blogette gets her camera working.

We will have lotso new programs for children and young adults.

We are trying to organize a on-line book club in partnership with Beaufort County Lilbrary and WSAV television in Savannah. This could be totally cool, and I hope we can pull it off. First book is "The Help"

Our new year resolution - keeping up with the Blog!!!!