Introducing Playaways

Playaways

The Southwest Kansas Library System (or SWKLS for short) van comes once every two months to switch out the rotating items that are temporarily on loan to our library. Included in the rotating collection are books, DVDs, audio books, and our newest addition, Playaway books.

Playaways are all-in-one digital audio books.

No CD player or mp3 player is required when checking out one of these audio books, because they are the players. Each Playaway contains one full audio book and has standard easy to use buttons. All that is required when listening to a Playaway is earphones and a AAA battery.

The SWKLS rotating van will come again this Tuesday, so we should have a new batch of Playaways available for checkout very soon.

Zinio – Online Newsstand

Our patrons now have to option of checking out magazines online from Zinio (also made available with the help of the Southwest Kansas Library System). The magazines are always available, there are no limits on checkout, and there is never a need to return any of the magazines you check out.

You can checkout magazines from the website, http://zinio.lmlibrary.org, and read them either on the computer or on your device.

Zinio reader apps are available for the computer, PC or Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows 8, Blackberry, and Nook.

There are currently over 90 magazine titles available for checkout. Here is a partial list of the most popular:

• American Craft   
• American Patchwork & Quilting
• Astronomy
• Car and Driver   
• Cosmopolitan    
• Family Circle    
• Food Network Magazine  
• Martha Stewart Living
• Newsweek 
• Reader's Digest
• Redbook
• Taste of Home  
• True West
• Us Weekly
• Woman's Day

Tax forms

The library has always been a good place to find federal and state income tax forms, but in the last few years, tax forms, like most everything else, have shifted toward being available primarily online. The library does receives federal tax forms, but not quite as many or as quickly as in the past, and we no longer receive paper Kansas income tax forms at all.

Still, our staff members are always glad to help download and print the forms that are no longer sent out to the library. Printable Kansas income tax forms are available at http://www.ksrevenue.org/ and http://www.ksrevenue.org/iiwebfile.html has options for filing Kansas income tax forms online for free. Federal income tax forms can be downloaded and printed from http://www.irs.gov/Forms-&-Pubs and http://www.irs.gov/uac/Free-File:-Do-Your-Federal-Taxes-for-Free has options for filing federal income tax forms online for free.


Database Spotlight

The new year brought changes in the GED testing procedures and LearningExpress has it covered with new test prep information, including an interactive tutorial called “Introduction to the 2014 GED® Test”, practice tests, skill builders, and ebooks.

This is all part of the High School Equivalency Center, which is one of several learning centers included in LearningExpress. The other learning centers include:

• the Adult Learning Center
• the Career Center
• the College Preparation Center 
• Recursos Para Hispanohablantes - for the Spanish speakers
• the College Center
• the School Center
• the Computer Skills Center
• the Job & Career Accelerator

LearningExpress is one of the many databases available to Kansas residents for free on the Explore Our Resources (http://www.kslib.info/librarians/eor.html) page of the Kansas State Library website.

New DVDs bring Action, Laughs and Monsters to the Library

The Liberal Memorial Library provides plenty of opportunities for entertainment. One of the most used services is our DVD collection. Since DVD rental places in town have gone by the wayside, the Library has done quite a job in filling that niche.

 Not only do we have major motion pictures, but television series, documentaries, and instructional videos plus plenty for the kiddies and young adults. And just like with our books, if we don’t have a DVD you’re looking for we can try and get it for you through InterLibrary Loan.

Here are some of the new DVDs we have at the Library:

2 Guns – A DEA agent (Denzel Washington) and a naval intelligence officer (Mark Wahlberg) find themselves on the run after a botched attempt to infiltrate a drug cartel. While fleeing, they learn the secret of their shaky alliance: Neither knew that the other was an undercover agent.

Pacific Rim – When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes-a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)-who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

We’re the Millers – David Burke (Jason Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer whose clientele includes chefs and soccer moms, but no kids-after all, he has his scruples. So what could go wrong? Plenty. Preferring to keep a low profile for obvious reasons, he learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished when he tries to help out some local teens and winds up getting jumped by a trio of gutter punks. Stealing his stash and his cash, they leave him in major debt to his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms). In order to wipe the slate clean-and maintain a clean bill of health-David must now become a big-time drug smuggler by bringing Brad's latest shipment in from Mexico. Twisting the arms of his neighbors, cynical stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston) and wannabe customer Kenny (Will Poulter), and the tatted-and-pierced streetwise teen Casey (Emma Roberts), he devises a foolproof plan. One fake wife, two pretend kids and a huge, shiny RV later, the "Millers" are headed south of the border for a Fourth of July weekend that is sure to end with a bang.

The World’s End – The third installment of director Edgar Wright's trilogy of comedies starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, following the successes "Shaun of the Dead" (2004) and "Hot Fuzz" (2007). In "The World's End," 20 years after attempting an epic pub crawl, five childhood friends reunite when one of them becomes hellbent on trying the drinking marathon again. They are convinced to stage an encore by Gary King (Pegg), a 40-year-old man trapped at the cigarette end of his teens, who drags his reluctant pals to their hometown and once again attempts to reach the fabled pub –The World's End. As they attempt to reconcile the past and present, they realize the real struggle is for the future, not just theirs but humankind's. Reaching The World's End is the least of their worries.

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The Library will be closed on Monday, January 20 in observance of Martin Luther King’s birthday. You can still use the drop boxes to drop off your boxes and DVDs.

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There’s still space and time to sign up for our Cowboy party on Saturday, January 25th from 10-11:30 for children ages four and up.  Registration is required and you can sign up at the front desk or children's desk. Dress up as a cowboy or cowgirl and mosey on over for tons of fun!

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And don’t forget about our first Recipe Swap of the New Year on Monday, January 27 at 6:30 p.m. We had such a good time last year, let’s make it bigger and better in 2014! Come on down and share your recipes with other foodies and aficionados that share your passion.

Make visits to the library a part of your NYE Resolutions

Eleven days into the New Year, have you kept your New Year’s Resolutions?  Some core items that individuals set their goals on include spending more time with family and friends, getting fit, financial goals, learning something new, and getting organized, taming the clutter. If one is on your list, the library can help you! We have a wealth of information and books about making your resolutions a possibility.

For getting fit, we have Zumba and introductory yoga books and DVDs to help you along the way. Within the last few weeks, we've acquired new cookbooks including “The Daniel Plan” by Rick Warren, Daniel Amen, and Mark Hyman, “Giada’s feel good food: my healthy recipes and secrets” by Giada De Laurentiis, and “Wheat Belly” by William Davis. On display in the adult area are “Real Food’ by Nina Planck and “Skinny Bitch in the Kitch” by Rory Freedman.

The newest financial book on the shelf, is “Jim Cramer’s get rich carefully” by James Cramer as well as others on the non-fiction shelves.

For organization check out “Organic Housekeeping” by Ellen Sandbeck, “The Organized Home” by Leslie Plummer Clagett, and a slew of Martha Stewart books. Family Circle, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, and Martha Stewart Living magazines (not the only ones) are great for finding articles and recipes. Or check out our newest Zinio magazine subscription on your e-reader.

If you’re learning something new, check out our computer classes every week on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. Or start a path on web design and languages with “Web design in a nutshell” or an audiobook on learning German, Greek, Portuguese or Japanese.  

As for spending more time with family and friends, do so at the library! You knew that’s where I was going didn't you? In the month of January, children’s programs include Stories on Mondays at 11:15 a.m., Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m., and Thursdays at 11:15 a.m., Lapsit on Tuesdays at 11:15 a.m., and Evening Story time on Tuesday nights at 6 p.m.  There will be a Cowboy Party on Saturday, January 25. Registration is required for this one so call the library today.  There will also be a Chinese New Year’s Eve Party on Tuesday, January 28 during Evening Story time.

Family Place Library Parent/Child Workshops will also have a run early this year starting on Thursday, February 27 at 6:30 p.m.  Join us to play with your children, meet other parents, and have fun.

 

Library and Lunch will be meeting this week on Tuesday, January 14 at noon for “The Husband’s Secret” by Liane Moriarty.  We meet every second Tuesday of the month so join us this year! Book Chat will also take place on Thursday, January 16 at 6:30 p.m. Come and discuss what you’re reading and check out new books at the library. Recipe Swap will be held on Monday, January 27 at 6:30 p.m. Bring a copy of a recently made by you recipe to share with the group.

For the latest library programming take a peek at the library website or grab a newsletter from the circulation desk. Stay tuned and connected through our social media pages. If you have any questions or suggestions about books or programs don't hesitate to ask. Make visits to the library a part of your NYE Resolutions!

New Medal Winners Coming to the Library

 January is probably the most exciting month for us in the children’s department of the library. Not only do we celebrate the beginning of a new year, but it’s also the month where the majority of the book awards for children’s literature are announced. Most people know about the Newbery and Caldecott awards for children’s literature and illustration respectively, but fewer people know about the Pura Belpré award. This award celebrates outstanding children’s books from Latino and Latina writers and illustrators. At the library, I am so excited about the announcement of 2014 Pura Belpré award at the end of month, that I might charge you as you walk into the children’s section, waving a copy of Chato’s Kitchen – the book that won the first illustration medal in 1996. 

Last year, there were two great books that won the honor. For 2013, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe a novel by Benjamin Alire Sáenz won the medal for narrative. In addition to the Pura Belpré, it won so many other awards, including a Lammy and a Printz honor. This book was phenomenal and I would recommend it to anyone over the age of 16 who is trying to discover themselves, figure out friendships and love or wanting to know how to tell the truth.


The book that won the award for illustrator David Diaz is Martín de Porres: the Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt. This biography tells the story of Martín de Porres, the first black saint in the Americas. If you look closely at the alcove near the circulation desk you can see a scene from the book. Check it out just to look at the pictures. It’s also a great biography to share as a bedtime story, because it’s a cool story than can be read in about ten minutes, though you will probably linger over the pictures.

Past years have also had great Pura Belpré medal and honor winning books, and many of these books are on display this month at the library. One of my favorites is Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match (Marisol McDonald no combina) by Monica Brown. This bilingual book is about a girl who doesn’t want to be the same as everybody else. Girls who like the Fancy Nancy books will love this book (and in my opinion, it’s ten times better, because Marisol just wants to be herself, and is not interested in being pretty). This would be a great bedtime story, and could be read in English or Spanish.

Another honor book that I think would appeal to boys is Maximilian: the Mystery of the Guardian Angel, a Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller by Xavier Garza. Max falls over the railing while his favorite wrestler, the Guardian Angel is wrestling. It turns out that Max is linked to his hero and his summer vacation gets turned into a wild ride! This book is great because the Spanish and English are side by side, meaning that you could read it entirely in English or entirely in Spanish or half and half.

In addition to the Pura Belpré winners, Caldecott and Newbery winners will also be announced in January. Past winners are on display in the children’s section of the library. If you remember a medal winner from your youth, check it out and share it with your kids. When the 2014 winners are announced, I’ll have a lot more books on my reading list and you’ll have another reason to come to the library.