Read for the Record @ YOUR Rowan County Public Library

Mark your calendar for the 11th anniversary of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record®, a global movement towards transformative change in early education.  On 10/27, children and adults around the world will highlight the importance of children’s literacy by participating in the world’s largest shared reading experience. This year’s campaign book, “The Bear Ate Your Sandwich” by Julia Sarcone-Roach, is a classic tale of a bear’s epic journey and the mystery surrounding one delicious sandwich. Join the movement today at readfortherecord.org. #ReadfortheRecord

This event will take place on Thursday, October 27, at 6 pm; for ages 12 and under.

The New York Times @ YOUR Rowan County Public Library

 

You asked for it, and now, it’s here.  Whether you are at YOUR Rowan County Public Library or you are off-site, the New York Times is available online.  At the Library, use our laptops or desktops for unlimited access.  For off-site access, use your RCPL card to create a personal account to receive a generated code for access via computers or Smartphones (iPhone, BlackBerry 10, Windows Phone, and Android powered phones).

Access the New York Times online for full access to both New York Times and International New York Times content including:  breaking news, multimedia reviews and opinion, blogs, videos, and more.  Edited from London, Paris, Hong Kong, and New York, the International NYT provides a continuous flow of geopolitical, business, sports, and culture coverage.  If you wish, you may even read the Chinese edition online!

The New York Times digital program gives you:

–access to exclusive interactive videos and photos

–access to New York Times articles published 1851-1922 and 1981 through the current day

–full access to International New York Times

–access to Market Data charts and indexes, with interactive tools

–ability to share favorite articles with friends, family, and colleagues via Facebook, Twitter,

Google+, Reddit, LinkedIn, and/or emails.

The site provides searchable access to articles, videos, blogs, features, interviews, obituaries, and columns.  A really special feature is the capability of performing images-only searches.

Financial data is also available.  The site gives you access to real-time global snapshots of U.S. and World Markets, Funding Currencies, and Bonds & Consumer Rates (powered by Thomson Reuters).  In-depth company research pages covering 11,000+ public and private companies are also provided.

To log in when visiting the Library:  (1) connect to the Library’s WiFi; (2) click on the link for the in-house New York Times; (3) login for unlimited access.  To log in when you are not at YOUR Rowan County Public Library:  (1) go to the Library’s website–rowancountylibrary.org; (2) click on the New York Times remote link; (3) create an account.

Visit our web site or call to find out about classes we will be offering on accessing and navigating the New York Times online.

~ Helen Williams
RCPL Director

~ Graphics – Dawn Sargent

 

Back to School @ YOUR Rowan County Public Library

 

Where has the summer gone?  Next week is the last week of another super summer reading program at YOUR Rowan County Public Library.  Staff members have already met to make plans to attend Readifest and the Rowan County Schools Breakfast event.  Look for us at each of the back-to-school events at Tilden Hogge, Clearfield, Rodburn, and McBrayer Elementary schools and the Rowan County Middle School Open House for both 6^th and 7^th-8^th Grades.  We will be telling you about upcoming Library programs and activities as well as distributing free items and books.

Rather than going back to school, many children will be going to school for the first time.  To help them learn about what to expect, we suggest sharing books from the following list:

Adventure Annie Goes to School by Toni Buzzo (E BUZZ)

Amelia Bedelia’s First Day of School by Herman Parish (E PARI)

1. Bear and Lolly: Off to School by A.A. Livingston (E LIVI)

Back to School Crafts by Sue Locke (J 745.5)

Back to School, Splat by Lara Rice Bergen (E BERG)

Chu’s First Day of School by Neil Gaiman (E GAIM)

Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa:  School Days by Erica Silverman (JE SILV)

Daddy’s Back-to-School Shopping Adventure by Alan Lawrence Sitomer (E SITO)

Dinosaur Starts School by Pamela Duncan Edwards (E EDWA)

Eliza’s Kindergarten Surprise by Alice B. McGinty (E MCGI)

Franklin Goes to School by Paulette Bourgeois (E BOUR)

The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray (E MURR)

I Am Absolutely Too Small for School by Lauren Child (E CHIL)

I Love School! by Hans Wilhelm (JE WILH)

Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick (E VERN)

Little Rabbit Goes to School by Harry Horse (E HORS)

Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney (E DEWD)

Look Out, Kindergarten, Here I Come by Nancy L. Carlson (E CARL)

Marley Goes to School by Jon Grogan (E GROG)

Meet the Barkers:  Morgan and Moffat Go to School by Tomie DePaola (E DEPA)

Monsters Love School by Mike Austin (E AUST)

Mouse’s First Day of School by Lauren Thompson (E THOM)

Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth by Alison McGhee (E MCGH)

Murphy and Myrtle:  the First Day of School by Martha Atwater (E ATWA)

The Night Before Preschool by Natasha Wing (E WING)

Planet Kindergarten by Sue Ganz-Schmill (E GANZ)

Que nervios!:  el Primer Dia de Escuela by Julie Danneberg (E DANN)

Ready for Kindergarten, Stinky Face? by Lisa McCourt (JE MCCO)

Sparky and Eddie:  the First Day of School by Tony Johnston (JE JOHN)

Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton (E SCOT)

When an Elephant Comes to School by Jan Omerod (E OMER)

 

 

A Literacy Legacy @ YOUR Rowan County Public Library

 

According to my Webster’s dictionary, “literacy” is the ability to read and write, and a “legacy” is something handed down.   A few days ago, after learning of the passing of Billie Jean Clayton, I thought about the many years of her life that were spent in the field of education.  Billie Jean was about learning; more specifically, she was passionate about reading.  She loved to read, and she wanted everybody else to experience the joy of reading.  She bought books to read—lots of books.  The obvious next step was to share those books with family and friends.  She let so many people borrow books that I teased her we were going to have to designate her place as a branch library.  Actually, she thought that was a pretty good idea!

To honor Billie Jean on her 80^th birthday, her family and friends donated money to the Rowan County Public Library and requested that we use it for the Children’s Area.  We suggested using the money to encourage children to become readers.  We purchased a large brass bell and had it mounted in the Children’s Area, and then invited everybody to a reception where a child read their first book to Miss Billie.  Now, when a child reads their first book to Miss Sandy, we celebrate!  We make an announcement over the PA system that we have a new reader and that they are going to ring the literacy bell to commemorate the occasion.  We present them with a certificate and we take their photo to be printed in The Morehead News.  The children, as well as their family members, are so proud of that accomplishment.  Billie Jean was thrilled that her Literacy Bell would continue to promote literacy for all the children in the county.

In addition to the Literacy Bell, we developed our “100 Books to Read Before Kindergarten” program which grew into a “Second 100 Books to Read Before Kindergarten.” We used Billie Jean’s birthday money to buy additional copies of books on the lists.  Those books are being used by parents to develop their children’s reading skills.

Like Billie Jean, YOUR Rowan County Public Library is about lifelong learning.  Whether they are reading printed books, “reading” books in electronic format, using the Tumblebook Early Learning computers and tablets, attending Story Time or Mother Goose programs, or reading magazines, children who use the Library are increasing their literary skills.

To those who have donated money to the Library in her memory, we pledge to use it to continue Billie Jean’s literacy legacy.  I’m pretty sure she’s happy about that.

~Helen Williams
RCPL Director

Heard Any Good Books Lately? @ YOUR Rowan County Public Library

 

When I talk with folks about reading, I usually mention the various materials formats available from YOUR Rowan County Public Library—books on CD, Playaways, downloadable eAudiobooks and ebooks, and, of course, traditional printed books in regular and large print, hardback and paperback.

More often than not, they tell me what books mean to them and assure me there is nothing that can take the place of settling down in a favorite spot, holding that book, and reading.  I hear about sitting in front of the fireplace in the winter and falling asleep while reading; about taking a walk in the woods, sitting down and leaning against a tree, and reading; about enjoying time on the porch or on the beach, and reading a book.  And who among us hasn’t, in our younger days, hidden under the covers with flashlight in hand, because we just had to finish that book?
Many of us who were once “printed book only” people have discovered that audio books have a place in our lives, too.  Busy, hectic lifestyles make finding time to sit down with a book difficult, if not impossible.  What better time is there to listen go a book than while cooking and cleaning, walking, jogging, exercising, doing yard work, or gardening?  Enjoy your time commuting by listening to a book.  Truckers and others who drive long hours have discovered the joy of listening to books.

June is Audiobook Month!  Check out or download the audiobook titles below, each of which was a finalist for a 2016 Audie Award from the Audio Publishers Association.

ALL THE OLD KNIVES by Olen Steinhauer (downloadable eAudiobook)

ALL THE RIGHT PLACES by Jennifer Niven (CD YAF NIVE and downloadable eAudiobook)

ALL THE STARS IN THE HEAVENS by Adriana Trigiani (PA F TRIG)

AND THEN THERE WERE NUNS by Jane Christmas (downloadable eAudiobook)

BLUE LABYRINTH by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (CD F PRES)

BORN WITH TEETH by Kate Mulgrew (downloadable eAudiobook)

DORY FANTASMAGORY by Abby Hanlon (CD JF HANL)

ECHO by Pam Munoz Ryan (PA JF RYAN)

THE ENGLISH SPY by Daniel Silva (PA F SILV)

GHETTOSIDE by Jill Leovy (downloadable eAudiobook)

GHOST BOY by Martin Pistorius (downloadable eAudiobook)

ILLUMINAE by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (CD YAF KAUF)

LITTLE SHOP OF MONSTERS by R.L. Stine and Marc Brown (PA JF STIN)

MISSOULA by Jon Krakauer (CD NF KRAK and downloadable eAudiobook)

MODERN ROMANCE by Aziz Ansari (downloadable eAudiobook)

NATURE OF THE BEAST by Louise Penny (PA F PENN)

THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah (CD F HANN and PA F HANN)

THE PATRIOT THREAT by Steve Berry (PA F BERR)

THE STARLING PROJECT by Jeffery Deaver (downloadable eAudiobook)

UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand (CD YAB ZAMP)

X:  A NOVEL by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon (PA JF SLOA)

 

~Helen Williams
RCPL Director

Ready to Check Out a Kindle?

Some people avoid technology as much as possible. We don’t email or text and we definitely don’t need an electronic device to read something as low-tech as a book! So why check out a Kindle? Even for the person who stays away from electronics, a Kindle has some great benefits.

The Rowan County Public Library has had Kindles to borrow for three years now. They are pre-loaded with books so you just have to turn them on and start reading. If you can’t picture yourself reading on an electronic reader, the best reason to try one is because of Kindle-only books. Patrons often call the library and ask if we can purchase a new book from their favorite author, just to find that Amazon.com (the creator of the Kindle) has it available for Kindle users only. Don’t despair! The library will purchase the Kindle version, load it for you, and have it available for you to borrow.

Are you interested in reading one of the many series that are popular? We have several series that are all on one Kindle, such as the Game of Thrones series or Outlander series. If you can’t keep up with all the characters, the Kindle has a feature for you to look up the character and remind you who they are and where else they appear in the book. There’s also a dictionary if you aren’t quite sure what a word means.

Do you hate carrying around that 800 page novel? A Kindle is so much easier to take with you. Plus, you don’t have to worry about bending the cover as you pull it in and out of your tote-bag. Kindles are sturdy and come in a nice leather case to protect the screen.

If you read large type books, the Kindle has a feature to make the text larger or smaller. The brightness of the screen is controllable and is easy to read in bright sunlight or in the dark. If you want a quick demonstration on how it works, the front desk staff are happy to help. There are titles that include best sellers, fiction, non-fiction and some great biographies. So, are you ready to check out a Kindle?

~Marilyn Freidhof
Accounts & Public Relations

Three Weeks @ YOUR Rowan County Public Library

What a fantastic April we are having at YOUR Rowan County Public Library!  Last week, we celebrated National Library Week.  It began with Rowan County Judge Executive Walter Blevins and Morehead Mayor Jim Tom Trent signing a proclamation declaring April 10-16 National Library Week in Morehead and Rowan County, and proclaiming Wednesday as Rowan County Public Library Staff Appreciation Day.  On Monday, members of the Morehead Woman’s Club greeted and served refreshments to RCPL visitors, including the Christian Home School Fellowship families who meet at the Library each Monday.  Thanks to the Friends of the Rowan County Public Library and Fazoli’s, RCPL staff were served a delicious lunch on Wednesday that included homemade peach cobbler from Anne and Dave Muncy.  The Annual Friends of the Library Book Sale setup was from noon to midnight on Thursday.  We could not have started sales on Friday morning without all the hours of help from the Friends, MSU fraternity and sorority members, Bet Ison, and RCPL staff, as well as assistance provided by Wes Coldiron, Rowan County Jailer.  Both the book sale and the surplus sale were a huge success.  Thanks so much to all the generous folks of Rowan County who have donated books to the Library during the past year and to all the people who came out and bought thousands of used items.  Your support makes it possible for the Library to continue to provide outstanding programs and to give Rowan County children new books throughout the year.

This week, Library users are being introduced to the new Rowan County Public Library App.  To download the application for either iOS or Android devices, just search for RCPL2GO on either the play store via Android or the iTunes app store via iOS.  For additional information about the RCPL App, go to rowancountylibrary.org and click on “Mobile Application Installation” under the Services & Information tab.  It’s really cool!  As always, our technology staff members will be glad to provide any needed assistance.

We are super excited about next week.  Since moving to the new Library building on Beacon Hill in 2010, Library usage has increased over 65%.  We currently have 20,097 Library card holders.  The volume of Library usage, as wonderful as it is, has created a need for additional parking spaces.  Many of you have heard that YOUR Rowan County Public Library is going to build a parking lot addition.  Actual construction is scheduled to begin next week and will, when finished, provide 39 more parking spaces including additional handicap parking.  Workers will make every effort to keep Beacon Hill traffic moving during the next 12-16 weeks of construction. The new parking lot is a result of the joint efforts of the Morehead Youth Development Center, State Representative Rocky Adkins, and the Rowan County Public Library.

No doubt about it, this April is one of the best ever for YOUR Rowan County Public Library—and it’s all because of YOU!

~ Helen Williams
RCPL Director

~ Graphics – Dawn Sargent

Transforming Lives @ YOUR Rowan County Public Library

 

 

Next week, April 11-15, YOUR Rowan County Public Library, along with all types of libraries across the nation, will be celebrating National Library Week.  Libraries are continuing to transform the lives of those they serve.  Today’s libraries are more about what they do for and with their users than what they have for them.  YOUR Rowan County Public Library is a creative and engaging community center where people meet, learn, and collaborate. 

From their beginning, public libraries have leveled the playing field.  Gone were the days of subscription libraries which served only those who could afford a membership.  Instead of the “information elite,” everybody was given free access to literature and information.  Both the formats of information and the methods for accessing it have changed greatly since the early days of public libraries.  Today, our mission of service and lifelong learning can only be met by our providing you with the latest types of information as well as the best ways to access it.  Only a few short years ago, you could borrow record albums, audio tapes, VHS and Beta videotapes, and slides.  Now we’re circulating Kindles and DVDs as well as offering thousands of downloadable print, audio, and video formats.

Equally exciting are the many opportunities you have to participate in classes, programs, and discussion groups.  Regardless of age, RCPL is the place to learn, grow, and be creative.  There are crafting activities and groups, LEGO and Minecraft Clubs, Osher Lifelong Learning (OLLI) classes and special interest groups, and book discussion groups.  Support groups and service groups meet regularly at the Library, as do retirees and home school groups.  As the American Library Association says, “Libraries aren’t only a place of quiet study, but are also creative and engaging community centers.”

Mayor Jim Tom Trent and County Judge Executive Walter Blevins have signed a proclamation declaring April 11-15, 2016, as National Library Week in the City of Morehead and Rowan County, and also proclaiming Wednesday, April 13, 2016, as Rowan County Public Library Employee Appreciation Day.  On Monday, April 11, members of the Morehead Woman’s Club will be celebrating NLW by serving refreshments in the Library’s vestibule between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Join us at YOUR Rowan County Public Library as we celebrate National Library Week.

~ Helen Williams
RCPL Director

Listen @ YOUR Rowan County Public Library

 

                Today’s question is:  “Have you listened to any good books lately?”  YOUR Rowan County Public Library offers hundreds of books for your listening pleasure.  Whether you prefer books on CD or the MP3 format Playaway, new titles are arriving daily.  Listen to a book by your favorite author, a hot new best seller, or the latest title in a series whether you are commuting, jogging, gardening, or relaxing on the patio.

Be the first to place a hold on these new Playaway titles that were ordered this week:

1924 by Peter Ross Range

13 HOURS by Mitchell Zuckoff

CLAWBACK by J.A. Jance

FIRE TOUCHED by Patricia Briggs

THE GANGSTER by Clive Cussler

ISIS by Jessica Stern

A MOTHER’S RECKONING by Sue Klebold

SMARTER FASTER BETTER by Charles Duhigg

THE STEEL KISS by Jeffery Deaver

 

Stop in and check out these recently added titles:

ALL THE SINGLE LADIES by Dorothea Benton Frank (PA F FRAN)

ARSENIC AND OLD BOOKS by Miranda James (New Items CD F JAME)

BADLANDS by C.J. Box (CD F BOX)

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM by Kerstin Gier (PA YAF GIER)

EMMA by Alexander McCall Smith (PA F MCCA)

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins (Playaway Best PA F HAWK)

GO SET A WATACHMAN by Harper Lee (Best Seller CD F LEE)

HOT PURSUIT by Stuart Woods (PA F WOOD)

THE MEOLDY LINGERS ON by Mary Higgins Clark (PA F CLAR)

NEVER DIE ALONE by Lisa Jackson (PA F JACK)

THE REST OF US JUST LIVE HERE by Patrick Ness (Playaway Best PA YAF NESS)

THE SACRFICE by Joyce Carol Oates (PA F OATE)

SEE ME by Nicholas Sparks (Best Seller CD F SPAR)

SILVER LININGS: A ROSE HARBOR NOVEL by Debbie Macomber (PA F MACO)

A SPOOL OF BLUE THREAD by Anne Tyler (CD F TYLE) and (PA F TYLE)

SUMMER SECRETS by Jane Green (PA F GREE)

TERMINAL by Kathy Reichs (PA YAF REIC)

THE THEORY OF DEATH by Faye Kellerman (PA Playaway F KELL)

Crafting @ YOUR Rowan County Public Library

 

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When you hear the word “library,” the first thought that comes to mind probably does not involve crafting in any way.  Yet, when you explore our web site, you see numerous programs and meetings that either include or focus on crafting.  These activities are a part of our mission to provide materials and opportunities for lifelong learning.

According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, “to craft” means “to make something with skills, artistry, or precision.”  Synonyms for “crafting” include:  creating, constructing, concocting, and designing.  Kentucky has a rich tradition of craftsmanship.  I am blessed to have some of my grandmother’s beautiful quilts that she made from scraps of material that were pieced into beautiful tops which were then quilted with stitches so perfectly matched.  My parents lived through the Depression and World War II when most people struggled to “make do” with very little.  Materials were repurposed, and clothing was made from colorfully patterned fabric sacks that had contained flour or food for farm animals.  My dad loved to create toys and puzzles out of wood, wire, or plastic.  Although I seem to have inherited hardly any of that creative, artistic ability, I can teach you how to make an amazing hillbilly billfold.  I guarantee you will have fun making it, and you will almost assuredly teach somebody else how to make one, too.

On the simplest level, crafting is about making something and having fun doing so.  It’s about meeting other people as well as learning from and with other people.  Crafting actually reduces stress.  Crafting activities provide bonding opportunities, especially for family members.  One of my great joys is to drop in during Miss Sandy’s story times and watch the parents/grandparents working on a craft project with the children—it’s hard to tell which generation is having more fun.  Food crafts are really popular.  What’s not to like about creating an artistic masterpiece by squeezing frosting on a cookie—and then eating the cookie?

March is National Craft Month.  Celebrate it by participating in at least one of these crafting opportunities happening during the next few weeks at YOUR Rowan County Public Library:  Afterschool Story Time (Monday and Thursday at 4 p.m.), the Annual Teddy Bear Picnic, Crafty Friends weekly meetings, Busy Bees weekly meetings, I HeART Old Books, LEGO Club, Minecraft Club, Creative Coloring & Coffee, Get Real Yarn Group meetings, and more.  Go to rowancountylibrary.org to see our calendar of events; call RCPL at 784-7137 for information.

~Helen Williams
RCPL Director