A day at the Library........

There is a Greek word:  “Agora” which literally means “assembly’ or “gathering place” or “discussion place.”  If ever there was an appropriate word for the Lee County Library, agora is it.  This is especially true on Friday afternoons.  We have a rotating cast of characters who come in and the discussions are wide ranging and open.  As well as books, current events and top news stories are discussed.  All the debates are good natured and usually pretty funny.  Our Friday regulars really light and lighten up the day. 

Not long ago, a friend/patron returned a book and recommended it to me.  It was called “Still Life with Crows,” by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs.  I read it and loved it and recommended it to another friend/patron.  We all started recommending it and everyone loved it.  We are now having a run on Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs books that cannot be believed.  Once, we had an entire shelf of them and now at last count there were about three of them on the shelf.  Showing the power of word of mouth!!

These could be classified as mysteries, but they are way, way more.  The protagonist, Aloysius Penergast is an FBI agent with some really unusual abilities.  He also has a back story that is dribbled out with new twists in each book.  This is a book series but they can be read as standalone novels.  All the ones I have read are slightly eerie, maybe even scary, but they are definitely interesting.  This brings us back to the Lee County Library “agora.”  Last Friday there was a heated discussion on old Aloysius’ back story and each of us had something different to add.  We are ordering copies of the titles we don’t have from SCLends. 

The upstart of all of this is that the original friend/patron who recommended it to me came in Friday and couldn’t find any copies.  I think he was a little cranky!  But we all had a good laugh; since we are all reading the copies and the original recommender couldn’t find his.  

Book - a - Palooza

Heads up citizens.  So, you say you like books….you say you like book sales…..you say you like books that are priced to sell….well, look no further!!  On June 5^th, 6^th and 7^th the Friends of the Lee County Library will be holding a book sale at the Library Annex.  These books will be priced to sell - $.25 - $1.00 for everything.  We have a great selection of classic children’s literature, classic and newish fiction and a wide selection of non-fiction books.  The sale starts on Wednesday June 5^th at 10:00 AM and runs until Friday June 7^th at 5:00 PM.  That’s three days from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM.  We will have specials on bags of books and boxes of books.  So make plans to come join us and pick up some bargains for your summer reading. 

Book Sale at the Library!!!

It’s Book – a –palooza at the Library!  We have had a huge donation of books down at the Annex, and we have NO room for them.  Therefore we will be having a HUGE book sale starting on Wednesday June 5^th to Friday June 7^th.  Make plans to come to the Library Annex and take advantage of this opportunity to stock up.  We have priced all the books to GO.  So mark your calendars now and plan to join us. 

What happens when you take two talented actors presenting a play that has nine characters? Well that’s called the magic of theater! And magic was what we had last Friday at the Opera House when Porkchop Productions presented “Chicken Little.” We had an SRO (standing room only) crowd and the entire audience was enchanted with madcap adventures of Chicken Little. With a little help from our summer readers; the actors, Stacy and Laura, presented 10 separate characters. (We’re talking some serious costume changes here.)

Now the truth can be told: when Chicken Little arrives to see the king who should he meet? Yep, Elvis the real king!! When Laura came on stage dressed as Elvis, she brought the house down. You probably could hear the laughter on Main Street. The whole Elvis twist was the best kept secret at the library. We were dying to tell for weeks, but we held off and the surprise factor was worth it!!

We would like to thank the Friends of the Library for their continued support in bringing live theater for the summer readers. Of course special thanks to the Lee County Arts Council and the Bishopville Opera House for partnering in this and other activities. Strong partnerships build strong communities.

We have hit the half way mark of the 2012 Summer Reading Program. Because of the holiday nothing is planned for this week. Next week we will be offering a three day art class. This class is limited and you must be enrolled in summer reading AND sign up separately for the class. If you are interested, please come to the library and speak with Brenda.

SC Book Festival.....

We just received our public relations material from the SC Humanities Council promoting the 16th Annual SC BookFestival. The festival will be held on May 18th – 20th at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center and has grown over the years to be one of the best festivals around. On Friday there are writer’s workshops and an opening gala – all of those require a registration and a fee, but on Saturday and Sunday all the events are free. In the past I have met Dorthea Benton Frank (funny) C. J. Box (bald) Mary Alice Monroe (sweet as sugar) Pat Conroy (funny and round) and a bunch of other great national and local authors. I have volunteered for years at this event and would encourage everyone who is interested to volunteer also. It really is a great time and kind of like a mini vacation. If you need more information please stop by the library. I should have the schedule of events by Tuesday.

The 2011 Summer Reading Program begins.....

Here are some heroes from Saturdays Kick Off Gala.

Louis and Vicki Moniz. Thanks so much for your help.

Kay Farmer & South Atlantic Canners for letting us use the trailer, and helping me get it unlocked!!

The AmeriCorps volunteers. They were the hands that got the job done.

Special mention for Laresha McDaniel who was my shadow all day. Helped me save my wounded wing. Also helped Brender-boo all day long!

Thanks to all. Hope you all had a good time.
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Wow.......

I found this image at the British Library = too cool and timely!

**Attribution: Phil Bradley's Weblog

It's a steal......

Well, not really a steal. The Librarians are weeding out our Juvenile Fiction shelves and we will be selling our books for $1.00 a volume. If you have youngsters who are into chapter books, this is a great opportunity to increase their library without breaking you wallet.

Come down to the Library and check out the selection. There's always something going on @ your library!!

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"

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.

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/

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!

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.

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.

SC Book Festival

The 13th annual SC Book Festival will be held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia, SC on February 27–28, & March 1,2009. On Friday, February 27th, the festival will feature workshops at various locations around Columbia during the day. These workshops have a charge attached to them. If you are interested in attending call the Library for the fees. On Saturday and Sunday of the festival all events are free. The weekend activities feature award-winning authors discussing their works and other interesting literary topics. The Exhibit Hall will be filled with authors autographing books. Over 100 exhibitors set up their booth spaces where you can shop all weekend long for that special literary treat. All events are open and free to the public, no appointment, registration or reservation required.

This year’s featured authors are Ernest F. “Fritz” Hollings, Mary Alice Monroe, Scott Turow and many, many more. Call the library, or check the Book Festival web page for more details.
www.scbookfestival.org. Of course, the Lee County Library is again partnering with the Book Festival by providing volunteer services. We hope to see you there!!

Whoops

Well faithful blog heads - it's been quite awhile since I posted. "Whats up?" you may be asking. Well, boys and girls, your fellow blog head has had an extreme case of writers block or writers cramp. All that means is, sometimes overwhelmed with options, it is hard to choose what to write about.

We had such a great wrap up of our summer reading program that I had too many pictures, too many ideas and too much "stuff" that I couldn't choose or prioritize. Well, I cannot promise that the quality of writing will be great, but the flood gates have opened so be prepared. The next few posts will be coming at you pretty quickly!

Thanks for your patience, and keep reading - feedback is ALWAYS welcome.

Friends of the Library............

The Friends of the Library have made a generous donation to the Summer Reading Program that will enable us to expand our program even more this year. We are hoping to charter a bus and take the "summer readers" to Ed-venture in Columbia and also visit the Richland County Library so our readers can see a BIG library

We extend the largest, warmest "thank you" to President Davis Kirkpatrick, the Board of Directors and all the Friends of the Library for their generosity. The Librarians, and especially the children, really appreciate your kindness.

Library Baby Celebrates One Year!!

Ms. Jaidyn Wright, one year old this weekend, is one of our favorite Library Babies!

Happy Birthday Jaidyn and many happy returns.

Here, Jaidyn is riding through the Library in our little red wagon.

New Release Shelf

What is on the New Release Shelf? Under Orders by Dick Francis is a fine mystery by an author who is a master at his craft. Mr. Francis’ mysteries always involve the British Horse Racing scene and his details are fascinating. His mysteries are always satisfying because you never really figure out the crime until the end.

Come in and check out the new release shelf. New arrivals come in daily.