Databases are hidden gems at the Library

One of the hidden gems of the Library is our access to the Kansas State Library databases. It is one of the most valuable resources that the Library has to offer. The information that you can find is vast and right at your fingertips.

How do you find the databases? It’s easy. Log in to a computer, go online and get to the library web page at lmlibrary.org. Then right below the banner on top of the page, you’ll see several categories across the page. Move the mouse to online databases and a drop down menu will appear. You’ll see Databases for Kansas Residents, click on it and then you’re off.

Here are some of the resources you’ll find in the databases.

GENERAL RESEARCH

* MasterFile Premier: Delivers articles, reference books, and an extensive image collection for every subject area, including access to Consumer Reports.
* Academic Search Premier: Scholarly multi-disciplinary research database.
* Student Research Center: Browse or search topics from current events to art to math. Includes biographies and images.
* Newspaper Source Plus: Access full articles from over 850 newspapers. This database now includes transcripts of television and radio news.
* Kansas Periodical Index: Find articles in 14 current and discontinued Kansas publications, 2002-2012. The index contains citations only, no full-text or links to articles.
* Encyclopedia Britannica Online (select a version):

Public Library Edition
Academic Library Edition
School Library Editions

EN ESPAÑOL


* Mango: Aprendizaje de idiomas, incluye ingles para hispanohablantes. Folleto en español.
* Learning Express: Incluye recursos para hispanohablantes y preparación para examen de ciudadania Estados Unidos de América.
* MedicLatina: Colección de revistas especializadas en la investigación médica, en español nativo.
* Fuente Academica: más de 450 publicaciones académicas de América Latina, Portugal y España que cubren todas las áreas temáticas principals. La base de datos se actualiza semanalmente.
* Enciclopedia Britannica: Enciclopedia Moderna para adultos y estudiantes y Britannica Escolar Online para estudiantes de 6 a 12 años de edad.

TEACHER/LIBRARIAN PROFESSIONAL SOURCES

* ERIC (Education Resource Information Center): Online digital library of education research and information sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education.
* Professional Development Collection: Education journals and reports.

LISTA (Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts).


LEARNING MODULES

* Mango: Courses in over 40 languages (basic & complete lessons available). Creating a username and password is optional, but doing so will allow you to pick up where you left off between learning sessions.
* LearningExpress: Learning Centers by subject (up to college level), computer software tutorials, and practice tests for college and occupational exams and the GED. The Job & Career Accelerator section provides help with resumes, interview skills, and exploring occupations.

BOOKS

* Kansas EZ Library: Learn to use the statewide digital audiobooks and ebooks library on your home computer or mobile device.
* EBSCO Book Collection: Non-fiction: Online access to a variety of non-fiction for all ages. Books are read within your internet browser.
* NoveList: Explore authors or a specific book to discover read-a-like recommendations, book discussion guides, reviews, and more.
* Literary Reference Center: Browse and search full-text of literary works alongside journal articles, author biographies, and reviews.
* Kansas Library Catalog: Search materials held at libraries across Kansas. If you are interested in borrowing an item found in this catalog, please contact your local school or public library for Interlibrary Loan. Mobile Device Access Link (no flash)
* Talking Books Catalog: Books, magazines and other materials available to qualified patrons through the Talking Books Program.
* WorldCat (OCLC): Catalog of library holdings worldwide.


POPULAR TOPICS

* Auto Repair Reference Center: Access to repair, maintenance, and service information.
* HeritageQuest: Genealogical resource to search federal census records (1790-1930), family and local histories, and more.
* Genealogy Connect: Collection of nearly 600 genealogy research and reference publications in searchable PDF format.
* History Reference Center: Articles, full text of historical documents, biographies, historical photos, maps, and videos.
* Kansas History, Territorial through Civil War Years, 1854-1865: Expansive and unique collection of historical documents that include personal narratives and memoirs, pamphlets and political speeches, sermons and songs, legal treatises and children's books.
* Art Full Text: Database specializing in fine, decorative and commercial art, folk art, photography, film, and architecture.
* Legal Collection: Journals covering current issues, studies, and trends of the legal world.
* Agricola: Research agricultural information dating back to 1970. Contains records from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Library.
* GreenFile: Scholarly, government and general-interest titles covering all aspects of human impact to the environment.

HEALTH AND MEDICAL

* Consumer Health Complete: Browsable medical database including drug information, topic fact sheets, medical dictionaries, and ebooks.
* MEDLINE: Information on medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and more. Created by the National Library of Medicine.
* ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health: Research nursing, allied health, alternative & complementary medicine topics.

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY

* Small Business Reference Center: Business basics, start-up kits, industry information, and access to ebooks on a variety of business and career topics.
* Business Source Premier: Coverage in all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, accounting, finance and economics.
* Computer Source: Latest information and trends in technology.
* Vocational & Career Collection: Created for technical schools, this collection covers trade and industry journals.

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SUMMER READING ACTIVITIES FOR THIS UPCOMING WEEK:

(All activities are free and open to the public.)

Lunch and Library will be held on Tuesday, June 11 at noon in the Cooper Clark Room. The book "Where’d You Go, Bernadette" by Maria Semple will be discussed.

Did you know that underground tunnels exist beneath us on Main Street? Find out more from Lidia Hook Gray on Tuesday, June 11 at 2 p.m. We’ll head underground, take a look at a local business and learn a little history about the buildings and tunnels that are connected to one another.

The Liberal Memorial Library and Dr. Patrick Ross of Southwestern College present “Life in A Dirt Cup” on Wednesday, June 12 at 4 p.m. You’ll find out that soil is more than just dirt, but a living ecosystem with a diverse array of inhabitants. And you might even get to make your own soil from basic ingredients and predict what is needed to make soil that is good for different types of organisms.

Unleash your inner hero as we delve into the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons with Brad Kearn on Thursday, June 13 at 4 p.m. Learn about how you can guide your heroes through quests for treasure, battles with deadly foes, daring rescues, courtly intrigue, and much more. We’ll also be serving pizza and lemonade.

Join us for a movie on Friday, June 14 at 2 p.m. Star-crossed garden gnomes have obstacles to overcome when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors. But with plastic pink flamingos and lawnmower races in the mix, can this young couple find lasting happiness? Popcorn and lemonade will be served.

Summer reading …it’s not just for kids!

It’s that time of year again… summer reading! Sign up has been steadily moving along as kids, teens, and adults are embarking on the adventures of reading through the hot sweltering days ahead. The children and teen programs run through the end of June and the adult program runs through July. There are many activities and drawings involved for all age groups in the next few weeks.

The theme of adult summer reading is "Groundbreaking Reads". For chances to win t-shirts and other prizes, adults must fill out a line on a Bingo sheet and enter into a drawing to be held the first week in August. It’s a chance for adults to get out of their comfort zone and read books in categories such as classic fiction, spy novels, biographies, historical fiction, science fiction, westerns, romance, fantasy, Kansas authors, short stories, favorite books from childhood, etc. If left to my own devices, mysteries and biographies would be the only genres I’d read.

The first event on the adult summer reading agenda will be a Social on Tuesday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. It’s a chance for adults who are participating in the program to get together and kick start the program. Library and Lunch will be held on Tuesday, June 11 at noon. The book "Where’d You Go, Bernadette" by Maria Semple will be discussed. Gardening Club will be meeting on Tuesday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m. for Some Like It Hot to discuss growing vegetables particularly peppers and other spicy items. Book Chat will meet on Thursday, June 20 at 6:30 p.m., a social get together to discuss what books we are currently reading and seeing who may or may not have gotten a Bingo on their sheets. Recipe Swap on Monday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m. will continue the theme of Some Like It Hot. Bring a copy of a recipe (and the recipe if you’re so inclined!) that is hot and spicy.

The conclusion of Groundbreaking Reads this year will once again be a Murder Mystery. The date is yet to be announced. To be eligible, participants in the summer reading program must have earned at least one Bingo.

The teen summer reading program theme is "Beneath the Surface". Teens set a goal of how many hours they plan on reading during the program's five weeks. If they reach their goal, they are eligible to win a t-shirt and those who read 35 or more hours have the opportunity to join in on the High Readers Party at the end of the program.

Beneath the Surface activities will include Zumba with Lydia Augustine, Wild hairstyles with Sheila Schieb and SCCC students, Soil tunnel, a tunnel tour with Lydia Hook-Gray, Life in a Cup of Dirt with Dr. Patrick Ross, Dungeons and Dragons with Brad Kearn, Dig it with J & R Sand, Tai Chi with Terri Barnes, Mad Science, Yoga with Alli Lyons, Learn to Juggle, and the end of the summer reading Ice Cream Party in August! These are the events in store for teens at the library this summer. For dates and times, check out our website or grab a calendar from the circulation desk.

For both adults and teens, if you prefer to read at home instead of joining in on library activities that’s fine as well! We’d still love to see you signed up this summer and participating in the capacity that you are able.

So pick up a summer reading packet and sign-up sheets this month and grab a newsletter at the circulation desk. Stay tuned and connected through our social media pages. If you have any questions or suggestions don’t hesitate to ask. Hope to see you at the library this summer!

Find out what’s Beneath the Surface at the Liberal Memorial Library

Summer Reading begins this upcoming week at the Liberal Memorial Library! Activities and programs kick things off on Tuesday, May 28 and programs and activities will run through the end of June. And if you haven’t signed up yet, what are you waiting for?!

In last week’s column, we let you know what was going on with the children’s portion of summer reading. But the fun’s not limited just to the kiddies this summer. There’s plenty of fun stuff for the teens as well.

So what are we going to do? We’re going to find out what’s Beneath the Surface this summer. That’s the theme: Beneath the Surface. We’re going to take it figuratively and literally.

Here’s a list of activities for the teen/young adult summer reading program:

* We will kick things off with a movie on Wednesday, May 29 at 4 p.m. A scientist whose radical theories have completely tarnished his reputation goes backpacking across Iceland and finds a cave that leads him deep down into the bowels of the planet. He discovers a fantastic and dangerous lost world in the center of the earth filled with bizarre landscapes and terrifying creatures.

* It’s time to unleash some energy and join us for Zumba on Thursday, May 30 at 3 p.m. Zumba fuses fitness, entertainment and culture into an exhilarating dance-fitness sensation, blending upbeat world rhythms with easy-to-follow choreography, for a total-body workout that feels like a celebration!

* Join us as we explore wild and crazy hairstyles courtesy of the SCCC/ATS Cosmetology Department on Wednesday, June 5th at 1:30 p.m. Express your true self with a hairstyle that matches your personality. Maybe it’s big hair? Or perhaps a mohawk? How about a beehive? Learn about the out of control hairstyles through the years.

* Did you know that underground tunnels exist beneath us on Main Street? Find out more from Lidia Hook Gray on Tuesday, June 11 at 2 p.m. We’ll head underground, take a look at a local business and learn a little history about the buildings and tunnels that are connected to one another.

* Unleash your inner hero as we delve into the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons with Brad Kearn on Thursday, June 13 at 4 p.m. Learn about how you can guide your heroes through quests for treasure, battles with deadly foes, daring rescues, courtly intrigue, and much more. That’s Thursday, June 13 at 4 p.m. See you at the Library.

* Join us for Tai-Chi as we find serenity in motion on Wednesday, June 19 at 4 p.m. Terri Barnes introduces us to the art of Tai Chi. She will help us meditate through movement as we connect our mind and body through gentle activity. That’s Wednesday, June 19 at 4 p.m. See you at the Library!

* We’ll take a look at Mermaid Art on Thursday, June 20 at 4 p.m. Susan Copas leads us through a wondrous art adventure with the mystical and magical creatures known as mermaids. In the end, you’ll have created your own mermaid masterpiece. That’s Thursday, June 20 at 4 p.m. See you at the Library!

* Join us for yoga as we find self-awareness and inner peace on Wednesday, June 26 at 4 p.m. Alli Lyon introduces us to yoga, which is more than stretching exercises. It is also about creating balance in the body through the development of both strength and flexibility. Relax and find your spiritual self. See you at the Library!

And remember, it’s more than just books for young adults (and everyone else) during the summer reading program.

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Just, that we do have a Kindle Fire available for check out.

If you’ve always wanted to see what a tablet can do, here’s your chance to find out first hand. Here’s a great opportunity to check out the wonders of what a tablet can do. You can surf the web, read a book, watch a video and do so much more.

All you have to do is come down to the circulation desk and ask for the Kindle Fire. Borrowers have to be at least 18 years old and sign a borrowing agreement adhering to the Library’s policies and terms for the device. Once you’ve done all that, you’ve got 14 days to check out one of the coolest devices around. (And don’t forget, late fees do apply!)

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For the latest events and happenings at the Library, check out our webpage at www.lmlibrary.org or visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/lmlibrary.

Dig Into (Summer) Reading

The best part about the summer vacation as a kid was having a whole summer with nothing to do.  It always sounded like a good idea, but after a couple of days, I got bored and my mom had to figure out something for me to do until school started again.    It usually involved swimming lessons (I sink), softball (I was a left-handed pitcher) and cleaning my room.

Parents in Liberal may have an easier time figuring out what their kids can do during the summer.   

Liberal Memorial Library will have their summer reading program from May 28^th to June 29th.   The theme for the children’s program is “dig into reading”.  We are going to travel through the sewers, explore burrowing animals, get the basics of gardening, dig into the past and for the final week of the program, dig up trouble. 

Just like in the past, every week children from birth to grade six can come to the library for an hour of books, songs, crafts and games.  We also have a lot of special programming for the whole family.   There are programs for tweens, teens and adults during the summer as well. 

The five-week program begins on May 28^th at 3:00 with a worm box building session.  The library is going to be home to a box of worms as the mascots of the program.   We are going to learn about worms and how to take care of them.  The names Justin Bieber and Frank have already been suggested by kids. 

We have the Soil Tunnel Trailer from 10:30-11:30 on Thursday, June 6^th.  Kids and adults will be able to see what it looks like under the earth, complete with 3-D worms and roots. 

On June 12^th  at 4:00, Dr. Patrick Ross of Southwestern College will be at the library to discover life in a cup of dirt.   We’ll dig in and discover the rich life and real value in a cup of dirt. 

On June 18^th at 3:00 we are going to see some big machinery that may have been used to make the roads in Liberal. 

Mad Science is coming back to the library.  Kids will be see how cool science is, and who knows, maybe even get to volunteer for a mad science experiment.  The program is on June 25^th at 1:00. 

We will also try not to dig up too much trouble by learning how to be a medieval jester and juggling.  Don’t worry, it’s a lot easier than it sounds.  While I can’t guarantee that every kid will learn to juggle in an hour, every kid will learn the basics, and with a little practice, they should be able to juggle well in no time.  Come to the library on Thursday May 27^th at 3:00. 

The library is showing a different movie each week on Friday May 31^st, June 7^th and June 14^th.    All movies are rated G or PG.  I’m excited about the movies because not only are they good movies but we are serving popcorn and lemonade.  

Of course, there is also the reading part of the summer reading program.  Children from birth to grade six have the opportunity to read for a t-shirt.  Kids set a reading goal when they sign up (at least 10 hours during the five weeks). When the five weeks are over, kids bring their signed forms back to the library (by Saturday, June 29^th).  At the end of the summer party (August 2^nd at 2:00), everyone who reached their goal will get a summer reading t-shirt. 

Sign up for the program begins May 20^th and programming begins on the 27^th.  For more information contact the library at 620-0180 or visit the website www.lmlibrary.org. 

Journey into the library this summer

It’s May and who would think to expect snow to start it off. May is Bike Month celebrated every May for the last 55 years.  If you happen to get on the road check out the League of American Bicyclists and challenge yourself by playing Bike Month Bingo!

Preschool storytimes meet Mondays from 11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m., toddler storytimes meet Tuesdays from 11:15 a.m. to 11:35 a.m., and infant storytimes meet Thursdays from 11:15 a.m. to 11:35 a.m.

The next Library and Lunch will meet on Tuesday, May 14 at noon. The book chosen for the month is "The Chance" by Karen Kingsbury.  It’s a heartwarming story about childhood friends, broken lives, and a long ago promise that just might offer the hope of love for today. In “The Chance”, Kingsbury delves deeply into a theme that resonates with us all: It’s never too late for those willing to take a chance.

Teen Pizza Party will be held on Thursday, May 16 at 4 p.m. All high schoolers are welcome to come and hang out at the library.

Book Chat will be held on Thursday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m.  Come discuss what books you are currently reading. Discover what new books have hit the shelves and what others are reading.  If you haven’t read one in a while, stop by, and share what books you adore.

The library will be hosting a Recipe Swap on Monday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m.  Dessert was the focus of the Recipe Swap last week… lemon cake, coconut pineapple cupcakes, apple cake and cinnamon roll cake were on display. This month we’re focusing on picnic salads!  I visited my sister while I was out of town and she makes the best summery salad. That might have to be my contribution in May!

The Gardening Club will meet on Tuesday, May 21 6:30 p.m. The latest update on the daisies is that they haven’t shown up for this gardener. The basil was a flop too.

The countdown begins for Summer Reading 2013. Sign up starts on Monday, May 20! What will be digging into this summer? The kickoff event is Thursday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. where we will be making dirt cups!

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.  See you at the library this summer!

Summer Reading Programs

It seems that this year’s Summer Reading Program for the children and teens just started. And now, before you know it, it’s over. We started the last week of May (the day after Memorial Day) and just ended this past Friday. Time flies when you’re having fun.

As usual, it was a fun-filled and activity-packed Summer Reading Program. There were special programs almost every day during the week with crafts and story times for the children and teens.

Some of the highlights of the special programming focused on science. We had Becky Myers from Mad Science of Central Oklahoma and Dr. Patrick Ross of Southwestern College in Winfield stop by and show the wonders of science.

Myers wowed the crowd with her science experiments, including a genie in a bottle, an air drum and balloons. There was plenty of gas filling the air and liquids gushing and frothing.

Ross had his own light show in presenting “Who Glows There.” The Southwestern College professor brought fireflies as well as glowing scorpions, mushrooms, fish, and even microbes.  Equipped with a state of the art microscope and camera projection system, Ross demonstrated how even microscopic organisms are able to generate their own light.

Participants got to color with glow-in-the-dark markers and even sampled some fluorescent candy.

But it wasn’t just traditional science that took center stage during the Summer Reading Program, Patsy Guinn of the Liberal Police Department ventured in and did a presentation of the science of crime investigations.

Guinn gave details on what goes on at a crime scene and how she collects evidence. Participants got a chance to go through the process of lifting fingerprints from objects with special dust and tape.

But we had more than just science, we had movies and crafts and storytellers and sleepovers and meditation and relaxation. Hopefully, we had something for everybody.

And while the activities are a big part of the program, the main part is to keep everyone reading.

After you go to a program, maybe you’ll be interested enough to learn more about the activity, go through the library and search for it. Whether it’s a reference book on fireflies or a story about a mad scientist, if the activity spurred you on to read, that’s a good thing.

Now the children and teen Summer Reading programs may be over, but the adult program is still ongoing and will last through July.

Adult Summer Reading Schedule for July:

July 2: Movie at 6 p.m.

July 10: Book chat at 6:30 p.m.

July 16: Movie at 6 p.m.

July 19: Murder Mystery at 6 p.m. (Sign up required. Space is limited. Must be signed up for summer reading.)

July 31: Final day to submit tickets. (Write down the books that you have read during summer reading. The more tickets you have entered, the better chance you have at winning prizes.)

Also July will be “Space Movie” month. We’ll be showing family-friendly movies with an outer space theme on Wednesdays in July at 2 p.m. We’ll be showing movies on July 11, 18 and 25.

Summer Reading Well Underway

Greetings from the ‘eye’ of the summer reading ‘storm’ as we experience a whirlwind of activities here at the library.  We are truly in the midst of our program, as we saw the end of week three on Friday and will usher in week four on Monday, the 18^th.  And what better way to welcome the new week but with a special program?

Storyteller Rosie Cutrer will be joining us in the Children’s Library at 10 a.m.  This program is not only for our summer readers but also for the citizens of the community.  Rosie has been telling stories professionally for 15 years. Do plan to come and enjoy her presentation.

Our weeks have moved by quickly.  Week one focused on night animals and our young enrollees got into our individual age groups and learned some interesting things, made some fun crafts, and just had a good time.  The adults had their first event on May 31.  It was a fun, social gathering.

Week two, we focused on NASA.  On Tuesday, we shared some NASA clips so that the young people learned a bit about life in space.  On Wednesday, our older students (fifth and sixth graders) tackled a moon habitat project which they made from tightly rolled newspapers.  Two hours later, however, they had to admit defeat.  They were trying to construct one twice as big as the model in the alcove.  They quickly learned where their engineering errors were, but we were out of time to start the project over.  Most of them took home the plans and supplies to construct the smaller one at home.  They had a great time, even if they didn’t have expected outcome. 

The teens experienced a bit of CSI Liberal with a presentation during week two by Patsy Guinn of the Liberal Police Department.  She truly sparked the interest of the young people and we appreciate her willingness to contribute to our programming agenda.   The adults did Library and Lunch on the 12^th and discussed books they were currently reading. 

Week three was entitled Night Shivers.  Our activities were not too scary, if you don’t ask the first and second graders!  Those who came Wednesday afternoon to our presentation by Mad Science of Central Kansas had a rollicking good time with Becky Myer as she mixed together all sorts of interesting things.  The following day, students ages 10 and up got to attend Who Glows There? by Dr. Patrick Ross of Southwestern College in Winfield.  It was a fascinating program in which the kids got to ask lots of questions and see things first hand. 

Alli Lyon came to the library last week to lead the teens in some Yoga.  Some of the participants reported that they felt fine during the yoga but a bit sore if they slouched afterwards.  Good posture is important.  A big ‘thank you’, Alli for leading us!

Now we are ready for week four.  Besides storytelling Rosie this week, we are also offering a special sleepy story time and stuffed animal sleepover.  Children 5, 6, and 7 are invited to wear pajamas and bring a favorite stuffed animal.  Following the story time, the humans leave and the animals stay for a night in the library.  This is a reservation-only event and participants must be signed up for our summer reading program.  There are a few spots left, so phone the library first thing Monday!

The teens will be enjoying a movie this week on Thursday at 3.  In this 1985 film, a nice, average teenage basketball player begins to show werewolf tendencies that suddenly make him popular at school when he leads the team to victory. The underlying message is to be yourself, regardless of how much hair you have on your body.

The adults will be taking part in Book & Movie on Thursday evening at 6 p.m.  Featured will be A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. Come and join us for a discussion about the play!

Week four will wrap up with the Teen program Tai Chi at 2 p.m. on Friday.  Lydia Augustine will be our presenter.  Teens, stop by and experience this ancient art.  Wear comfortable clothing. 

Summer reading is truly a lot of fun!  Hope you can take part in some way and we’ll see you at Memorial Library!

Summer Reading in Full Swing

School’s out, Memorial Day weekend has passed and that means that summer has unofficially kicked off. It also means that the SummerReading Program at the Liberal Memorial Library is in full swing.

The Children’s programs were off to a bustling start with each age group handling individual projects.

The little ones (up to 36 months) were treated to story time and learned about pajamas. They were read Llama, llama, red pajama.

Preschoolers were read stories on owls and then made owl sack puppets.

First and second graders learned about night-time animals and made masks of nocturnal animals.

Third and fourth graders watched a video on bats and then made bats out of clothespins and craft paper.

Fifth and sixth graders took a journey through music as they learned about jazz. They listened to the melodic musings of smooth jazz and then made percussion instruments with everyday items.

The Young Adult started its program with a Game Session. The teens came in and played Just Dance on the Wii, Uno and Battleship while snacking on popcorn and drinking lemonade.

The Adult program shot out of the gate with a nite time snacking social – there were chips and salsa, chocolate cake and cheesecake and cookies. There was also plenty of good conversation as patrons in the program discussed books and what books they were reading.

The genres ran the gamut from historical romances to mysteries to non-fiction.  And we also found out that reading came in many forms. Some used the good ol’ fashioned print others went through audio books while others embraced new technology with e-readers. It really didn’t make a difference how you were reading but that you were reading.

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This coming week at the Library, the Children’s Summer Reading programs will have a space theme to it.

Join us at 1 p.m., on Tuesday, June 5, for NASA movie shorts. We’ll be showing some informational shorts about life in space.  Topics included are brushing your teeth, exercising, working in space, sleeping.  This program is part of our summer reading and is open to the public.

On Wednesday, June 6 at 3:00 p.m., we’ll be presenting a Moon Habitat workshop for 5th and 6th graders. Come and help make a moon habitat large enough to crawl into.  No need to bring anything but yourselves!

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The Young Adults will have a movie at Tuesday, June 5 at 3 p.m. A group of seven young friends from a small Northwest town find themselves on a thrilling, underground adventure, filled with humor and heart-pounding peril as they seek the secrets behind the treasure of the notorious pirate, One-Eyed Willie.

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Don’t forget that we’re on facebook at facebook/lmlibrary. It’s a great way to communicate with us. We want to let you know what we’re doing and we want to hear from you. What programs would you like to see at the Library? What books would you like us to carry? How can we better serve you – the community?

Summer Reading… Not Just for Kids!

It’s that time of year again… summer reading! Sign up has been steadily moving along this week as kids, teens, and adults are embarking on the adventures of reading through the hot sweltering days ahead.  The children and teen programs run through the end of June and the adult program runs through July. There are many activities and drawings involved through all age groups in the next few weeks.

The theme of adult summer reading is “Between the Covers”.   Frankenstein weeping while reading Gone with the Wind and Scarlett O’Hara shocked at reading Frankenstein. That’s the artwork for the theme. It’s quite adorable.  For chances to win the t-shirts and other prizes, adults who sign up will receive tickets to write down what books they have completed through the summer to enter drawings at the end of the program.  Also, the first fifteen individuals who sign up for the program will receive tote bags to cart their books (or audiobooks) around!

The first event on the adult summer reading agenda will be a Social on Thursday, May 31 at 6 p.m.  A chance for adults who are participating in the program to get together and kick start the program.  (The theme for the evening will be night-time snacks!)   Through the summer there will be a Book and Movie that has been incorporated into this summer’s theme and two films.  A Library and Lunch will be held on Tuesday, June 12 at noon and a Book Chat on Tuesday, July 10 at 6 p.m.   Two chances for participants to meet and discuss the books they are currently reading. To end the program there will be a Murder Mystery scheduled for Thursday, July 19 at 6 p.m.  More details will be released on the event as they become available.

There are no particular books that need to be read.  In case you need suggestions, on the library website check out New, Notable, and Awarded Books under the What’s New tab for books to browse.  On the library catalog interface (before and after you log in) there are links to the newly cataloged material the library has acquired including separate sections for new DVDs, music, new young adult, new gentle reading fiction, audio books, new adult, and new children’s items!  There are also links to awarded books that the library owns.  For non-fiction buffs, there are also topical searches in a variety of subjects from Antiques and Collections to True Crime.  Or ask the circulation desk!  Shannon, one of our newest circulation staffers and I had a fun encounter with a teen this week.  We both gave them so many Hunger Games readalikes they may have been overwhelmed.  Though we know they will be back next week when they’re through with their batch of books.

The teen summer reading program theme is “Own the Night”.  Teens set a goal of how many hours they plan on reading during the program's five weeks.  If they reach their goal, they are eligible to win a t-shirt and those who read 35 or more hours have the opportunity to join in on the High Readers Party at the end of the program.     

Own the Night activities will include Animals in the Night a program by Josh Jagel of Meade State Park, Game Time full of board games, video games, and card games, Follow the Evidence a program by Patsy Guinn of the evidence division of the Liberal Police Department (I’m calling it our look into CSI!), Mad Science of Central Oklahoma will explore dreams, Yoga a program by Alli Lyon, Who Glows There a program by Dr. Patrick Ross from Southwestern College, Tai Chi a program led by Lydia Augustine, Zombies! Zombies! Zombies! a program by Zach Carpenter and friends talking about why zombies are so popular, DIY Crafts where the production of ornaments and button bracelets will take place, Magician Steve Crawford, and the end of the summer reading Ice Cream Party in August!  These are the events in store for teens at the library this summer.

For both adults and teens, if you prefer to read at home instead of joining in on library activities that’s fine as well! We’d still love to see you signed up this summer and participating in the capacity that you are able.

So pick up a summer reading packet and sign-up sheets this month and grab a newsletter at the circulation desk.  Stay tuned and connected through our social media pages.   If you have any questions or suggestions don’t hesitate to ask. Hope to see you at the library this summer!

Summer Reading Begins

                The library is bustling with activity this time of year as we approach the start of our summer reading programs.  Every age group is able to take part, so no one will feel left out.  For the adults, our program this year is entitled “Between the Covers”.  The adult session lasts longer than that of the other two.  It will go from May 29 through July 31.   Some unique things are planned for the adults, including the start of the program social, book discussions, movies, and a murder mystery.  Paulina will have more details in next week’s column.

Teens entering seventh through twelfth grade can look forward to “Own the Night” which runs from May 29 through June 29.  Sign up and set a reading goal to earn a cool tee shirt.  In addition, there will be programs taking place throughout the five weeks that you can attend, including a program by the evidence division of the Liberal Police Department, Yoga, and much more.   When you sign up, you’ll get a sheet with all the info on it.

Children from infant through entering sixth grade can sign up for “Dream Big…Read”.  Besides the reading portion of the program to earn the tee shirt, there are also age group gatherings each week for stories and crafts and special programs the whole family can attend, including Mad Science, a storyteller, and a program on nocturnal animals, to name a few.   When children sign up, they’ll get a program sheet that tells all about the activities. 

Sign up week is May 21 - 26.  We are hoping that patrons can make it into the library during that week, but if not, it will be possible to sign up after the 26^th of May.  New this year is the option to print out your sign-up sheets on line, fill them out, and have them ready when you come in to sign up.  To access each set of forms, go to www.lmlibrary.org, Adult Summer Reading will be in the column on the left.  Teens go to Youth Pages at the top of our home page, click on teen drop down, then following summer reading in left column.  For children, it’s Youth Pages on the top of the home page, kid’s page, then summer reading on the left.  All the forms can be picked up when you are at the library as well.  Parents need to accompany minors, as a media release form will need to be signed.  

Parents, the Dream Big…Read! Program is truly beneficial to your children in that it provides reading practice, through a fun program, for five additional weeks into the summer.  Research proves that children lose reading skills throughout the summer unless they read.  “Access to reading materials has been consistently identified as a vital element in enhancing the reading development of children. Of all the activities in which children engage outside of school, time spent actually reading is the best predictor of reading achievement – the more students read, the better readers they become (Allington, 2006; Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1988).”  (Taken from Summer Reading Loss by Maryann Mraz & Timothy V. Rasinski at www.readingrockets.org/article/15218/)

The library affords wonderful access to reading materials to help your child keep up his or her reading skills this summer and a fun program to go along with those materials.  Why not plan to join us?  See you at Memorial Library!

 

COMING UP AT THE LIBRARY THIS WEEK

·         Sign up week May 21-26.  Stop by the Children’s Desk

·         Teen Gaming, Thursday, May 24 at 4:00

Earth Day and Coming Events

April always seems like a whirlwind of activity!  Some of the library staff just returned from the Kansas Library Association’s annual conference.  Lots of good information is always presented to guide library staffers in ultimately providing the best service for our patrons. 

National Library Week has come and gone.  The theme this year was You Belong @ Your Library.  The emphasis was on all the varied things libraries provide for patrons with a wide range of interests.  The week kicked off with a cookie and lemonade reception on Monday, the 9^th.  Patrons were invited to put their names into a drawing for neat prizes in the children’s, teen, and adult categories.  If you were called as a prize winner, be sure to stop by the library and pick up your prize. 

The final sessions of spring story time took place on Thursday, the 19^th.  The next group of story times begins with the start of summer reading the week of May 29.  Speaking of summer reading, something new is available this year for attendees of our program.  In order to speed up the sign up process, which begins the week of May 21, patrons have two options.  They can either stop by the library for the forms necessary to enroll their children in the summer program OR they can go to our website at www.lmlibrary.org, click on Youth Pages, then Kids’ Corner, then Summer Reading and the forms will be available to print out.  In fact, it is set up that you can fill them out before printing them out.  Then all you need to do is stop by during sign up week with the completed forms and we’ll get your children enrolled.  This should make sign up a much more pleasant experience.  Should you have any questions, please call the Children’s Desk at 626-0180, ext 4. 

Today is Earth Day.  Second graders in our district got to start celebrating early with a special program on Monday, April 16, provided through the partnering of Liberal Parks & Rec, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Seward County Conservation District, and Memorial Library.  Educator Tarra Tyson and docents Joe and Connie from the Lee Richardson Zoo presented a program about how our conservation practices here impact wildlife in other parts of the world.  They brought along boa constrictors, desert tortoises, and chinchillas.  The students not only got to see the animals but got to touch them as well. 

It’s always impressive how well behaved these second graders are even when they become excited about seeing the animals.  The second grade teachers are to be commended for guiding their students in the proper behavior out in public. 

In honor of Earth Day, here are a few resources available in the library.  Two popular book characters are featured in Earth Day stories.  Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter presents It’s Earth Day and the ever-popular Jane O’Connor character Fancy Nancy stars in Every Day is Earth Day.    Diane de Groat, who is famous for her ‘catchy’ titles, has penned Ants in Your Pants and Worms in Your Plants, another fiction offering.   Wilma Gore and David F. Marx have each written non-fiction books about Earth Day with the title Earth Day.  The 333.7 section in the Children’s Library will net a plethora of various titles having to do with the conservation of our many resources.  Another non-fiction title is Recycle this book :  100 top children's book authors tell you how to go green edited by Dan Gutman  who is also the author of Honus and Me, The Kid Who Ran for President, and the My Weird School series, among others.  The book offers simple things that anyone can do.  Gutman points out that if enough people do these simple things, it will make an impact.   So check out these and other titles and see how you can join others in making that impact.  Have a happy Earth Day.  See you at Memorial Library!

Curious George Wartime Escape

August is here and thoughts are turning to the start of another school year. Summer activities have wound to a close at the library with the final event for summer reading--the tee shirt claim. Readers who reached their goal were not only able to come and pick up their tee shirts on August 4 in the late afternoon, but were treated to an ice cream sundae of their own construction as well. Good work, all you diligent readers! Remember, if you were unable to come to claim your shirt on August 4, you will need to pick it up by August 20, or call the library to make other arrangements.

On the 9th, the library hosted Kansas State University Children's Literature professor Joe Sutliff Sanders who was brought to Liberal in conjunction with the Wartime Escape exhibit currently at the Mid America Air Museum. Sutliff Sanders presented a wonderful, informative program focusing on World War II conditions in France at the time of the German invasion helping those in attendance to better understand the climate under which the German born Jewish Reys, creators of the popular Curious George books, escaped from Paris, and eventually from Europe. Sutliff Sanders was keynote speaker that evening at the Mid America Air Museum for a Chamber After Hours event. The library is excited to partner with the Air Museum on this project, which was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Kansas Humanities Council.

The library has planned additional activities to go along with the Air Museum exhibit which include two days designated for Read with Curious George. Youngsters may come between the hours of 3:30 and 5:30 on Tuesday, August 23, and Thursday, August 25, and read with our large Curious George plush. We will have a number of Curious George titles available. Any youngster taking part will get their name entered into our drawing for a Curious George plush and book combination. In addition, there will be tickets to the museum exhibit given away.

On Tuesday evening, August 30, a bi-lingual Curious George story time will take place in the Children's Library at 6:30 p.m. The regular story time on Thursday, September 1, at 9:15 a.m. will have the Curious George theme. On Saturday, September 10, a video session will take place at 10 a.m. in the Cooper Clark Room. This will feature short stories from the PBS Curious George program and will last approximately 90 minutes. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Museum tickets and a chance to enter the drawing will also be available at these events, which are open to anyone interested.

The library has purchased additional Curious George books for our collection. These include some bi-lingual titles and some Spanish titles. Several of the DVDs which are produced by the PBS Curious George series were also purchased. For patrons interested in the book which parallels the exhibit, it is entitled The Journey that Saved Curious George by Louise Borden, with illustrations by Allan Drummond. This book can be found in the Children's Library. Another recent addition to our collection is the biography entitled H. A. Rey by Cari Meister. This is a simpler written, smaller book which contains a glossary and suggested websites in the back.

As Sutliff Sanders mentioned in his presentation, there are a lot of children's books which deal with the holocaust that help children to better understand it. One book which he shared is entitled The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Saved Jews During the Holocaust by Karen Gray Ruelle. This book is on the current list of nominated titles for the William Allen White Award in the third through fifth grade category. Here's a description which the WAW Committee provided:

"During the Nazi occupation of Paris, no Jew was safe from arrest and deportation to a concentration camp. Few Parisians were willing to risk their own lives to help. Yet many Jews found refuge in an unlikely place, the sprawling complex of the Grand Mosque of Paris. Not just a place of worship, but also a community center, this hive of activity was an ideal temporary hiding place for escaped prisoners of war and Jews of all ages, including children."

The library owns both of these titles, as well as many others about World War II and the holocaust. They are well worth checking out.

Story times begin again August 18. This is a fun time for little ones. It not only exposes them to early literacy skill building but also gives them socialization time. It's a good time for parents, grandparents, and caregivers to connect as well. Check with the library for a schedule of times and age groups or go to our website at lmlibrary.org.

For those of you with a special place in your heart for Winnie the Pooh, he will be turning 90 on August 21. If you would like to send him a birthday card, here is the link

http://www.nypl.org/blog/2011/06/29/winnie-the-pooh-birthday

Even though you may be bustling around to get children ready for the start of school, don't forget that the library has great resources for both academic and leisure reading. Stop by frequently. See you at Memorial Library!

Drop by the library for August events

The ice cream and t-shirt pickup wrapped up the summer reading program for the year. If your child or teen earned a t-shirt for completing the program and reaching their summer reading goal, they can be picked up at the library.

The library has partnered with the Mid America Air Museum on its latest exhibit, "The Wartime Escape: Margaret and H.A. Rey's Journey from France." It tells the story of the Reys journey, featuring framed prints by artist Allan Drummond and supplemental images from the DeGrummond Collection of Children's Literature at the University of Southern Mississippi. The whole exhibit was organized by the Institute for Holocaust Education in Omaha.

The library is running programs in conjunction with the Air Museum's exhibit.
One of the programs will feature Kansas State professor Joe Sutliff Sanders, a specialist in children's and adolescent literature, who teaches a broad variety of courses relevant to books for young readers, who will be at the library over lunch on Tuesday, August 9. He journaled in photographs the journey of the Reys, authors of the Curious George books as they fled Paris in the summer of 1940 on their bicycles over a five month adventure by bike, train, and boat that brought them over the Atlantic Ocean.

The Library and Lunch pick of the month is "The Metropolis Case" by Matthew Gallaway. The group will meet on Tuesday, August 16 at 12 p.m. The novel is a debut for the author and follows the interconnected lives of four characters living in different cities, all of whom have a passion for Richard Wagner's Tristan and Isolde: Lucien is an opera singer coming of age in mid-19th century Paris; Anna, an opera singer reaching the height of her career in 1960s New York; Maria, a promising young singer but a difficult student; and Martin, an aging lawyer whose love of music might save his life.

The author is a former musician who twines opera and punk by illuminating their shared passion and chaos. My opera experience dates back to spending a semester abroad and ending up at Moravskie divadlo one night with three fellow students, two from Iowa and one from Michigan, as we watched Madama Butterly in Czech. According to an educated source, Phillip, a library co-worker the play was stolen from the Chinese.

The Book and Movie will feature "How it Was With Dooms" by Xan Hopcraft on Thursday, August 18 at 6 p.m. Xan recounts the life of Dooms, a cheetah who lived on the Hopcrafts' game ranch in Kenya until Xan was 7.

The library invites young adults to a Teen Reader's Advisory as they collaborate on new and exciting ideas for programs at the library. They will meet on Thursday, August 25 at 4 p.m.

The library had the pleasure of having western romance writers Linda Broday and Phyliss Miranda in the library a few weeks back for a presentation and book signing. According to one of their newest blog entries, in Petticoats and Pistols (great name) Liberal is smokin' hot.  http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style

As always, 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. Hope to see you at the library this fall!

Summer Events

Summer Reading 2011 has now gone into the history books here at Memorial Library. Readers have turned in their logs and the tee shirt order has been submitted. High readers were rewarded with Grif Golf and a picnic this past Tuesday. Everyone who attended had a fun (but rather warm) time out in the sun, but then got to eat their fill of pizza in the nice, shady picnic area. Our high readers are to be commended. It takes at least 35 hours of reading in the five weeks of summer reading to get into the club. As a whole, Summer Reading 2011 was very successful. Well over 450 young people took part, with 3,522 hours of total reading time turned in between the children and the teens.

The only thing that remains is for everyone to claim their tee shirts, which will take place on Thursday, August 4, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. If your child earned a tee shirt, please mark that date on your calendar. It is truly a shame to have children work for their tee shirts then not have them claimed.

Doing cooperative projects with other agencies is one of the fun things about this job and a great one is coming up. As was mentioned in this column space last Sunday, Mid America Air Museum is bringing an exhibit called Wartime Escape from Exhibits USA to their facility from July 27 to September 23. The library is planning some interesting programs in conjunction with the exhibit. The exhibit tells the story of Curious George creators H.A. and Margret Rey and their escape from Paris just as the Nazi invasion was taking place during WW II.

The Children's department is planning programming to showcase Curious George and will host special programming as well. A complete schedule will be available in the near future. All the events are made possible by a grant from the Kansas Humanities Council.

Once summer reading is completed, planning for fall begins once again. Our storytimes will start on Thursday, August 18. The various ages of little ones will return to their previous groupings: Lapsit storytime is for children birth to 19 months; Toddle In storytime is for children 19 months to 3 years, and preschool time is for children 3 to 5. The session times are just going to be tweaked slightly. Preschool time still begins at 9:15 and ends at 10:00, but toddler time is moving up by five minutes to start at 10:15 and end at 10:35. Lapsit time will then begin at 10:50 and end at 11:10. Storytimes are grouped into six sessions, followed by a break of two weeks before the next session begins. Schedules for the first session are now available both in the library and on our website. Be sure you stop in and sign your little one up.

A lot of parents and grandparents have been in this summer wanting to start their children reading or wanting to know what we have for young readers. Our easy reader collection used to be shelved in the center of our easy books. Since the installation of our bins for easy books, the easy reader collection has moved. It is now located on the west side of the first set of north-south running shelving. A lot of the books have the reading level right on the spine, making it fairly easy for someone who has a little time to invest to locate the level of books they are looking for. However, using the card catalog could prove to be a more efficient way.

Once in front of the card catalog screen, click the 'advanced search' button. This allows movement to the center column and changing of the blue word location from 'Liberal Memorial Library' to either 'Children's Area' or even, in this case, 'Easy Reader Books'. Once you have done that, type in 'I can read'. If you want a specific reading level, you can type in 'level 1, for instance following the 'I can read'. For those who are in search of the very first readers, type in 'My first I can read'. Library staff members are happy to assist patrons in locating materials or with any questions they may have. There are a lot of great titles in this section, with new titles arriving regularly. Stop in and check out what we have. See you at Memorial Library!

Summer Reading

Every year it is just amazing how quickly Summer Reading passes and how much fun everyone has. This year's theme One World, Many Stories has been a great way for children to learn about people from other countries and about the countries themselves. Every week we put up a new map,and the young people have really enjoyed finding various places on each map.

Weekly programs have highlighted different continents. This past week found us 'down under' in Australia where we learned about interesting animals that are not found any place else in the world. Young people learned, for instance, that a red kangaroo can move at over 30 miles per hour. They also learned what a marsupial is and that wombats are nocturnal as well as habitat destructive. In addition, the older children experienced a didgeridoo, a boomerang, and a bullroarer. Toward the end of the week, SCCC student and native Australian Nathan Nelmes came to charm the audience with his accent and to share interesting information about Australia. The library is so fortunate to have these young people available and willing to share with us.

Summer Reading will be coming to a close on July 1. Those who are signed up need to remember to get their reading logs turned in by 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 2.

The final week will feature the continent of Africa. On Tuesday at 1:30, there will be two speakers from that continent. These young men are also SCCC students. On Thursday the Lee Richardson Zoo will be sending an employee from their education department with a special program. These programs are always quite popular. Make sure you plan to arrive early in order to get a good seat and because zoo regulations require that no late arrivals be admitted for the safety of their animals.

Lots of reading has gone on this summer--between the 300 plus children birth through age 12 who are signed up for the program, our teens, and our adult summer readers. One teen set 120 hours for a reading goal and reported in the middle of week four that her goal had been reached! That's an amazing amount of reading.

When young people read things of interest to them, they may not realize that they are also helping to strengthen their reading skills. This leads to academic success, which every parent desires for their child. Parents are to be commended for getting their children involved in this worthwhile program and for setting an example by reading themselves.

Lots of fun books are coming being placed on our shelves weekly. One such title is The Voyage of Turtle Rex by Kurt Cyrus. This book chronicles the hatching of a sea turtle in prehistoric times. This book is a wonderful selection for dinosaur lovers. There seem to be a plethora of sheep books lately. Hide and Sheep by Andrea Beaty finds Farmer McFitt trying to shear somewhat illusive sheep. In this clever counting book, he finally gets the last one sheared as it follows young Mary and heads into school. Another recent sheep book addition is No Sleep for the Sheep by Karen Beaumont. Poor sheep is fast asleep, complete with teddy bear, in the big red barn until a duck quacks loudly at the door. Once duck and sheep are fast asleep, a goat comes to the door. Several other animals disturb sheep's sleep.

A new book by Denise Fleming encourages shouting and is titled Shout! Shout it out! This book encourages kids to show what they know. It goes through numbers, the A-B-Cs, colors, and several other fun things.

Pig Kahuna by Jennifer Sattler is a cute book to show children to not be afraid to try new things. Big brother pig Fergus loves the beach but avoids the water due to the ickiness factor. Check this one out to see what happens when a surfboard floats onto the shore near Fergus and little brother Dink.

Several chapter books have also gone onto our shelves. Whatever your reading preference, come on in and check out our materials, both old and new. See you at Memorial Library!

Summer Reading

It's that time of year once more . . .when lots of information comes out about the library's Summer Reading Program. This year's theme One World Many Stories will offer a wonderful program that will be ready to launch on Tuesday, May 31. All you need to do before that date is to stop in the library and sign up. Sign up will begin on Monday, May 23, when our doors open and will be available during library hours that entire week. Our groups start with the Wee Ones and go up through the group for children entering fifth and sixth grade in the fall.

What is the purpose of signing up, you ask. Sign up allows you to assist your child in setting a realistic reading goal for the five-week program. As an incentive, the library offers an opportunity for children to earn a summer reading tee shirt if they set a goal of at least ten hours of reading during the five weeks and reach that goal. In addition, library staff members get an idea of how many children to plan for at the weekly story and craft sessions for the various age groups. In addition to just reading, these age group sessions give the children a fun time at the library each week at a designated time.

Special programs are also offered for the whole family throughout summer reading. When you sign up, you will be given a schedule of everything happening at the library. The schedule includes a section to tear off and turn back in when your child's reading goal is met. Summer is a busy time and not everything may fit into your family's schedule, but you are welcome to participate in summer reading however it works best for your family.

It is a research-proven fact that children lose reading skills over the summer if they do not practice. What a fun way to make sure your children get in some reading during the summer!

Up to this point, children have been the topic, but the teens have their own program entitled You Are Here. Special activities are planned for them during the five weeks. They sign up just like the children and set their goal to work toward the tee shirt. Voracious readers in both the children's and teens' groups (those who read 35 hours or more during the five weeks of summer reading) qualify for our High Readers Club. Those young people will be treated to an outing at the end of the program.

Novel Destinations is the theme of our Adult program this year. It will run from May 31 through July 18. At sign up, adults will receive a special passport and an opportunity to turn in tickets to qualify for prize drawings.

In keeping with this year's One World Many Stories theme, lots of new books have been purchased. The My First Book series will help to explore how various words are said in various other countries. Books in the series include, but are not limited to, Japanese Words, Vietnamese Words, Italian Words, and German Words. Another new title is Monkey by Gerald McDermott. Monkey is a trickster tale from India and is an example of some of the stories that will be shared during our weekly story and craft sessions.

Kicking off our special programs will be Laercio Lobo and Iago Goncalzes from Brazil. Both of these young men are attending college here in Liberal. That program is on Wednesday, June 1 at 3:30. On Thursday evening, June 2 at 6:30, will be Llamas on the Lawn, featuring the llamas of Terryl and Betty Hollman. The following week, June 7 at 6:45 will be a Multi-Lingual Story Time featuring Fannie Benincasa reading in French, Olga Cisneros reading in Spanish, and me reading in English

Fannie will return on Wednesday, June 8, at 3:30, along with Juraj Stepanovic, for a program on the European countries of France and the Czech Republic.

On June 17, Dr. Randy Gill will present a program on India at 2:00 p.m.

Another Seward County Community College student, Nathan Nelmes, will be presenting a program on Australia on the 23rd at 2:30. Week five of summer reading will include two young men from the continent of Africa--Idowu (John) Esomojumi and Opeyemi Salami, telling attendees about their African countries on Tuesday, June 28, at 1:30. Our final program is the Lee Richardson Zoo on Thursday, June 30, at 2 p.m. They always bring an intriguing set of animals to show and ask only that the audience be punctual and remain quiet during their presentation.

Have we got excitement? You bet! Plan to join us for a good time this summer. See you at Memorial Library!