On Friday of this week, host city London will be raising the curtain to the waiting world on the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics. These will be the Games of the XXX Olympiad and will feature the following 26 events: triathlon, rowing, sailing, shooting, archery, judo, modern pentathlon, canoe/kayak, swimming and diving, track and field, equestrian, gymnastics, taekwondo, tennis, wrestling, boxing, table tennis, handball, field hockey, weightlifting, badminton, soccer, basketball, volleyball, cycling and fencing. The Olympics will draw to a on August 12.
Athletes who participate in the Olympics are nationally ranked, already demonstrating their superior athletic skill. They are chosen to represent the United States and compete against outstanding athletes of 203 other countries. Young people can not only watch the various competitions but might see a sport that truly sparks their interest and leads them to participation in that sport, first at the local level, and then perhaps beyond.
Olympic medals are a much-sought-after part of the Games. In the 2008 Summer Games, the United States accumulated the most total medals with 110, but trailed China for the most gold medals, with 36 to their 51. Historically, since the creation of what is known as the ‘modern day’ Olympics in 1896, the United States has earned 2,285 medals in the Olympics, with its closest competitor being the Soviet Union with 1,009 total medals. These medal statistics are courtesy of msn.com.
The library created an alcove display highlighting the Olympics as well as a display of information about the individual sport of Archery for the glass display case in our hallway. In the alcove are a number of books on display which pertain to the Olympics. As with any books on display in the library, these books are available for checkout. There are books specifically about the Olympics, such as National Geographic’s Swifter, Higher, Stronger, which is a photographic history of the Summer Olympics. Books on many individual sports which are part of the Summer Olympics are also on display and include Swimming and Diving by Christin Ditchfield and biographies such as the one entitled Wilma Unlimited – How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman. New to our collection is a book which is part of the new Go-for-Gold Gymnasts series written by former Olympic Gymnast Dominique Moceanu. Winning Team is its title. Another recently added title written by Deloris Jordan, mother of basketball great Michael Jordan, is the fictionalized story of Michael Jordan and the Pursuit of Olympic Gold entitled Dream Big. Look for these and other titles in the Children’s collection. If they are not what you are seeking, staff can help you find something that can be requested through our Interlibrary Loan service, which is free to patrons.
Here is just a reminder about a few upcoming events. The final movie will be shown in the Space Movie series this Wednesday, July 25, starting at 2 p.m. Children under 8 will have to be accompanied by an adult. Call the library for additional details.
Friday, August 10, will mark the official end of Summer Reading 2012 with those young people who earned tee shirts claiming them beginning at 2:00. This event will last until 3:30, but shirts may be claimed any time the library is open after that event and should be picked up no later than August 25. If this poses a problem, please phone the Children’s desk and make alternate arrangements. Our readers worked hard this summer and the library is proud to acknowledge their reading achievements with the tee shirts.
Those of you who have infants, toddlers, or preschoolers, mark August 23 on your calendars for the start of the next story time session. Please note one important detail if you are a returning story time patron—the starting times have changed! Story time now begins with the infant session, moving into toddlers, and ending with the preschoolers. Stop by the library for a schedule or check our website at www.lmlibrary.org. See you at Memorial Library!
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