Florence -Florence -SRP Container Gardening

Florence -SRP Container Gardening
June 11, 2013 @ 11:00 a.m.
Groundbreaking Adult Summer Reading with Angela Perret of the Rankin County Extension Service.

For more information contact the Florence Public Library.

Florence Public Library
115 West Main Street
Florence, MS 39073
Phone: 601-845-6032

M & Th 9:30-7:00
Tu & W 9:30-5:00
F 1:00-5:00
Sa 9:00-12:30

Florence - Book Sale

The Friends of the Florence Public Library 's Annual Book Sale will be Saturday, May 4. 8:00 am- 10:00 am. Location : Florence Public Library. 

For more information contact the library at 601-845-6032

Pearl Library starts National Library Week off with glasses and parties!

Yesterday was a huge day for us at the Pearl Library! For starters, it was Dress Like a Librarian Day! Here are a few shots of our supervisors hamming it up in the stacks...

(You have no idea how happy all of us were to don our glasses and official-looking skirts. Fun fact: one of the librarians pictured to the side is actually wearing a skirt that was given to her by ANOTHER librarian at a state library agency. The force of the library was strong with us yesterday!)






While all of the fun dressing up was going on, we were also doing what we normally do as librarians, which means that we were checking books out to patrons, manning the computer lab, running our regular story times, and preparing for programs. Here's a photo of our Children's supervisor giving one of the children's clerks some information about  an upcoming story time.






As late afternoon approached, we had to kick it into serious work mode to prepare for programs. Our children's department hosted Sarah Frances Hardy, who read her picture book Puzzled by Pink to a room full of kids decked out in princess outfits, fairy wings, jeans, pajamas, or whatever they wanted to wear to the Puzzled by Pink Party!

Finally, the adults ended the night with delicious refreshments (inspired by Pinterest, of course!) and a reading by Mississippi's cartoonist-laureate, Marshall Ramsey, who read to us from his book and from his blog, which can be found at http://marshallramsey.com/. 

Wow! What a day! For those of you who joined us, we thank you, and we hope you had a great time! For those of you who couldn't make it by the Pearl Library yesterday, we hope we'll see you later on this week, when James Meredith with speak about his new book and when the MDAH will talk to us about Eudora Welty's house and collection.Check Facebook and our calendar for details!

*We'd like to add a big thanks to the Pearl Chamber of Commerce for donating all the food for yesterday's programs. It was wonderful!

Skype Chat with Pearl Chapter 1 Book Club

What an exciting evening we had Thursday, April 11 when we spoke live with bestselling author Melanie Benjamin via Skype. The club read and discussed Benjamin's The Aviator's Wife about the life of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, wife of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh.

 

 

This is our first Skype. Everyone was very excited.  Melanie spoke to us from her home outside of Chicago.  Other titles by Benjamin are Alice I Have Been and The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb.  It was truly a team effort to get everything hooked up and working properly.  Thanks to all staff who made it happen without any technical problems at all.  This was so much fun.  We hope to do this again sometime and highly recommend it to other book clubs.

 



National Library Week & New Services Announced!

It is National Library Week and Central Mississippi Regional Library System (CMRLS) is excited to announce two new services from Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith County Libraries! Freegal Music and Rocket Languages are both services by Library Ideas(TM) that was named "One of the Top 100 Companies in the Digital Content Industry for 2011-12" by EContent Magazine. 

Freegal Music is a database of over 3 million songs including Sony Music's catalog of legendary artists and over 10,000 music labels from 65 different countries. Registered CMRLS cardholders can download 3 music tracks in MP3 format each week at no cost. In addition, Freegal Music recently announced the availability of free mobile apps. The app is available at the Apple(r) App Store and Google Play(r). This makes the Libraries' music collection mobile and downloadable from anywhere. 

"We have been waiting a long time for a service like this that delivers great music, compatibility with lots of devices and simplicity of use. We think this will be incredibly popular with our patrons and will help the library in marketing all its services to the community," said CMRLS Director Kaileen Thieling.

Where did the name "Freegal" come from? It must be asked often, Library Ideas (TM) answers the question on their website. Freegal, which rhymes with legal, is free, downloadable, legal music. Library Ideas (TM) thinking to further advertise the point came up with "Free and Legal" - it's Freegal. It is memorable, which is what you want when marketing a product and there is no threat of copyright infringement when downloading this music. So, Freegal it is! 

Rocket Languages is an online conversational language lesson database of 13 languages, including American Sign Language and ESL for Spanish and Japanese speakers. The language lessons have been created to help the learner speak naturally; even recording your voice for comparison with every word and phrase used in the course. To reinforce the lessons, Rocket Languages uses Language-Master Games, self-testing, and a forum so that anyone using the language lessons can interact with other learners and your Rocket Languages teachers. 

Other languages in the Rocket Language database are Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Hindi, German, French, Chinese, Arabic, and Portuguese. Cardholders may work on one or all of the languages that are accessible anywhere through the CMRLS website. Rocket Languages also has iOS and Android apps so that you can use your course wherever you are.

"We are excited to also offer this free Library service. This can be very useful for our communities that continue to grow more diverse, and for travelers. The lessons travel with you, either online, by the use of an app, or by downloading the lessons as pdf or MP3 files," said Dorothy Vance, CMRLS Public Relations Coordinator. 

National Library Week, first sponsored in 1958, is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. "Communities matter @ your library, is this year's motto and service to the community has always been the focus of the library," said Vance.

Central Mississippi Regional Library System serves the public libraries of Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith Counties. For more information, contact your local CMRLS Library or visit www.cmrls.lib.ms.us. 

Author Jeana Campbell Visits Florence Library for National Library Week

Florence Public Library

Author Jeana Campbell will join us during National Library Week to sign copies of her latest novel Spirit Woman . Tuesday, April 16 at 11:00 am. Come and enjoy coffee and light refreshments.

Spirit Woman
... by Jeana Campbell

Book Description
Publication Date: September 12, 2012
Faced with an uncertain future after the death of her soldier husband, and the end of the Civil War, a young American In...dian woman must come to grips with life when she returns home to her family, a man she once loved, and the legend that has been written for a lifetime.

Florence Public Library
115 West Main Street
Florence, MS 39073
Phone: 601-845-6032

M & Th 9:30-7:00
Tu & W 9:30-5:00
F 1:00-5:00
Sa 9:00-12:30See More

National Library Week at the Pearl Library

We have so much coming up at the Pearl Library that I hardly know where to start!

Next week, we go into overdrive with so many events at the library in honor of National Library Week. On Tuesday, April 16th, all of the staff members (well, all of the willing staff members) are going to be dressed like stereotypical librarians (Hair buns, glasses, pencil skirts, the whole deal)! The public is welcome to join in this fun occasion!

Also, our children's department will be having a Puzzled by Pink party on Tuesday the 16th at 5:00 p.m., at which author Sara Frances Hardy will be reading her book by that name. Children are welcome to come dressed up in pink or in all black, or in anything they would want to wear to a party! Refreshments generously provided by the Pearl Chamber of Commerce.

On the 16th, famed cartoonist and local celebrity Marshall Ramsey will ALSO be visiting us! He'll be in the meeting room at 6:00 p.m., reading from his new book, Fried Chicken and Wine. We're so excited for him to come read with us! Refreshments generously provided by the Pearl Chamber of Commerce.

Next, on Thursday, April 18th at 12:00 p.m., James Meredith will be here speaking about his newest book, A Mission from God: A Memoir and Challenge for America. I was so excited when my branch manager told me that she had met and spoken with Mr. Meredith. He has done so much to promote racial equality in this state and country, and we are thrilled to have him come to the Pearl Library. Refreshments will be served (again by generous donation from the Pearl Chamber of Commerce, so come on over during your lunch break!

Finally, we'll end National Library Week 2013 on Friday, April 19th with a very special Brown Bag Luncheon, in which the Mississippi Department of Archives and History will come talk to us about the Eudora Welty House and Collection. This is going to be a phenomenal presentation, and you won't want to miss it. Bring your sack lunch and meet us in the meeting room at 12:00 p.m. We'll have light refreshments and drinks provided by the Friends of the Pearl Library!

It's sure to be a crazy, exciting, and fun week around here next week. We hope you'll come hang out with us and enjoy some of these great programs. See you then!!

The Pearl Library's March Madness Outreach Continues!

Wow! I’ve been many places since Monday. But since my last post was so long and rambling, I’m going to try something a little shorter and to the point with this one: in short, I will make a list of everywhere I went for March Madness on Wednesday and of the people I met AND of the things I thought about in each place. Be prepared, library goers of Mississippi! It’s about to get real up in this blog post.

Without Further Ado:

1. (This one was a ribbon cutting, so it doesn’t technically count as part of “March Madness,” but I’m listing it anyway!) Holiday Inn Express: Here, I met many people, including Aleksandra, the Assistant General Manager, and I got to go on a tour of the rooms and facilities. This is a gorgeous hotel, and it’s just the beginning of a new development in Pearl.  I can’t wait to see more!
   2. Jose’s Tamales. I met Diane here, and I fought back the urge to order tamales, chips, and salsa. This is on Pearson Road, and I think that I know what I want to eat during my next lunch break!
   3. Glow Tan and Salon. I met Carrie Wheat here. Glow has only been open for a few weeks, so you should know that it’s not just a good place to get a tan; it also has a hair salon AND a little retail space that features some very cute purses!
   4. Papa’s Pizza and Subs. Here, Andy convinced me that my next pizza will be a Papa’s pizza. In our Brown Bag last month, I learned/talked about how tomatoes (and tomato sauce!) are a superfood…which means that delicious pizza is super-healthy, right? Right!
   5. Solar Nails. I only got a chance to run in here and drop off a flyer, since everyone here was busy working, giving manicures and pedicures. This reminded me that I need a spa day, ASAP!
   6. Kobe Japanese. Mr. To, the owner, greeted me here. He will be helping us in May when we do our Asian and Pacific Island Heritage potluck! I love that Kobe is so close—my favorite thing to eat here is the Teriyaki Chicken bento box with a California roll. Yum!
   7. That Special Touch. I spoke with Richard Bailey, the manager here. Before I started working in Pearl, I knew about That Special Touch. All of my friends use this bakery to cater special events like baby showers and bridal showers. In fact, the cake for my baby shower came from here, and I ate A LOT of it. Seriously, SUCH GOOD CAKES (and cupcakes) (and cookies) (and donuts! They actually donated a bunch of donuts to us for Come in from the Cold in February)!
   8. Save A Lot. I talked to Mark here. I had no idea what good-looking produce and other stuff Save A Lot carries. I will be stopping here for some fruit the next time I head out to buy things for the library!
   9. Dollar Tree. Here, I talked to Widley, the manager. The Pearl Library frequents the Dollar Tree to get decorations and prizes for different library events. Dollar Tree has used our big meeting room for some of their events, and we have a great partnership with them!
   10. Pearl Parent Teacher Community Resource Center. I talked to Janice here. She and Alfongelia always welcome us here to make signs and to cut out decorations for the library. But the resource center has so much more! The staff here serve many educational needs, including teaching English to Spanish-speakers and providing teaching resources to parents and educators. We’re so lucky to be located next to the PTCRC!
   
   
   What a day! And now, I'm getting ready for today's Computer Class--every day holds something exciting at the Pearl Library! See you soon!

March Madness Outreach at the Pearl Library

The Clock tower outside of Pearl City Hall

This month, I've been visiting the businesses of Pearl in a little initiative I have dubbed "March Madness," though it has nothing to do with basketball. In preparation for National Library Week's "Community Matters" theme, I'm trying to get out into the community to let owners, managers, and employees of Pearl businesses know the kind of services we offer at the Pearl Library. We've got everything from free story times and craft classes to free computer classes and meeting room facilities here. In the next month alone, we're going to have appearances from Marshall Ramsey, James Meredith, the MDAH (speaking about Eudora Welty), and MS Telco (who will do a program on smart savings plans)--and that's just for adults. We have a whole list of programs for children's events, which you can access on our website at http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us.

Last week, I visited Anytime Fitness, Dollar General, O! How Cute, Los Parrilleros, McAlister's, and Wendy's, and on Monday, I visited more businesses!

First, I stopped by Dunkin' Donuts, which is one of my favorite places to get coffee in Pearl. Furthermore, DD has partnered with us for several initiatives, like our Come in from the Cold program where we gave out free donuts and coffee in February. The manager, Willie, was in a meeting, so I talked to one of the cashiers and got a dee-licious cup of hot coffee to help me stay alert during the rest of my visits!

Next, I went to see Alana Robertson at MS Telco Federal Credit Union. Alana and the other people at MS Telco have been great supporters of our library; they donated all of the delicious food for our Youth Art Month Reception, and they're going to help us with our Money Smart Week programming in April. As always, Alana was beautifully coiffed and enthusiastic about working with the library. Thanks, Alana!

After MS Telco, I went to Tinseltown and met Mr. Keen, the manager. I've seen so many movies at Tinseltown, and it was  nice to be able to let him know about the services we have for him and his employees. While I was there, I also noticed that a recent movie featuring Jennifer Lawrence is still playing. I thought I had missed it, so I'll probably be in there in the next couple of weeks to see it!

The Mississippi Braves!

From Tinseltown, I headed into Braves territory. First, I stopped by the MS Braves office and talked to Miranda, Gene, and the new receptionist about the Pearl Library. Our reference librarian Cecelia and her husband are both avid Braves supporters, so I mentioned that for good measure. I can't wait for baseball season to begin! After going to the Braves office, I went to the Holiday Inn at Trustmark Park and talked to Brenda and Jessica. First, I have to say that that facility is just gorgeous. Also, Brenda and Jessica were a lot of fun to talk to, and I hope I can lure them in to some of our awesome programs here!

Speaking of lures, I went to the Bass Pro Shop next. While I'm not much of a sportsman (sportslady?), I did take my daughter to get her first Santa picture there, so there is quite a soft spot in my heart for that store! Also, we get lots of Bass Pro Shop employees in here, checking their schedules and using our computer lab. So I was happy to get to talk to Lisa, the manager, about our programs, and I hope we can see more partnerships with Bass Pro in the future!

Finally, I went to Sam's. Sam's has been such a great ally of our library--the team there has given us many donations over the years, and we love having their support. All of the managers were in a meeting, so I left some calendars and candy with the customer service cashier, and I've got big plans for making a phone call later on today to talk to the manager and advertise our services.

I know this post was long, but it is so important to us that the community members know how much we appreciate all that they do for us and all that they contribute to the City of Pearl. See you soon for my next installment of March Madness!!

Paper Flowers at Pearl Library's March Craft Night

We had a ball at Pearl Library's craft night last Tuesday! Once again pulling some inspiration from Pinterest, we made mountable paper flowers from paper bags. The Pinterest craft looked like this:

 

 

We got a little creative and painted some of our paper bags. We also used some colored paper, buttons, and glass beads in the middle of our flowers. Look how pretty they turned out:

 

 



 What fun! Notice that we got to have our craft night in the presence of a lot of great art made by students from the Pearl Public School District. It was inspiring to get to make some crafts in such an artistic environment!

We can't wait for next month, when our craft will be to make necklaces out of old t-shirts. If you're interested in attending, we'll meet on Tuesday, April 9th, at 5:30 p.m. Bring an old t-shirt (preferably without seams on the side) and get ready to turn it into something new!

Florence - Family Movie Night

Come and bring the family to enjoy a movie and popcorn! it's FREE, FUN for the entire family. We will be watching Brave. Brave is a production of Walt Disney Pics/ Pixar and is rated PG 

For more information contact Tina Clyburn: Youth Services

Florence Public Library
115 West Main Street
Florence, MS 39073
Phone: 601-845-6032

M & Th 9:30-7:00
Tu & W 9:30-5:00
F 1:00-5:00
Sa 9:00-12:30

Pearl Library Snuggle Up and Read! Winners

This January and February, the Pearl Library held a reading contest for Young Adult and Adult patrons. The goal was simple: read the most books and win a big prize! And we were so impressed with our patrons-those who turned in reading logs read almost 500 books! 

Here are some pictures of our most avid readers:

 

With a grand tally of 43 books read, Tabatha won the adult category. Here she is with me (Joy, the Reference Supervisor) and her gift, which included a back rest, a blanket, some coffee cups, a box of tea, a book light, some cozy socks, a cool candle, and a few other small prizes.Tabatha is one of our loyal patrons, and we're so excited that she read so many books and won this prize! Good job!

And here's a picture of Elizabeth, who read 128 books!!! That's amazing! Included in her prize were a back rest and a cozy blanket, along with socks, hot chocolate, a book light, a travel mug, a candle, and a cute notepad.Way to go, Elizabeth!

We hope everyone will stay tuned to hear about future programs we're doing here in Pearl! A special thanks goes to the Friends of the Pearl Library for helping us to fund these prizes and the other small prizes for entrants in this program.

Super Foods at Pearl Library's Brown Bag Luncheon, Friday, February 22

This Friday, the Pearl Library is having a different kind of Brown Bag Luncheon! We'll be having an in-house presentation on superfoods, and we'll be giving everyone a little something to try along with their lunches!

In this presentation, you'll learn the definition of "Super Food," you'll get to try some super foods like dark chocolate, kale, and green tea, and you'll get some information about what these foods can do for you!

Please join us in the Pearl Library Meeting Room at 12:00 on Friday, February 22nd. Bring a sack lunch. Light refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Pearl Library.

February Craft Night at the Pearl Library!

Last week's Craft Night at the Pearl Library was a double-header!

First, we decorated some coffee mugs using stencils and magic markers. We then baked the coffee mugs at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. This sets the magic marker. I got this idea from Pinterest, and everyone had such a nice time doing this craft!

Next, while we waited for our mugs to bake, we made some Valentine's Day cards using repurposed book paper from an old book, along with some stencils, more markers, and acrylic paints. Look at all the fun we had!

And I forgot to mentino that the whole night got started off by a little celebration of Annie's birthday. Happy birthday Annie, and Happy Valentine's Day to everyone else!

If you're interested in coming to our craft nights, please join us every second Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.! Also, you can follow CMRLSLibrary on Pinterest and get a sneak peak at some of the crafts we plan to do.

Marshall Ramsey, Speaker, Writer, Cartoonist to Visit the Florence Library

Marshall Ramsey, Speaker, Writer, Cartoonist to Visit Library
Need to laugh? Want to be inspired? Look no further than cartoonist/writer/speaker Marshall Ramsey. Ramsey brings his newest book to the library, Fried Chicken and Wine: Short stories inspired by Banjo the dog. He will be discussing and signing his newest book at the Florence Public Library on February 26 at 11: 30 

“The stories are very personal — and yet they aren’t about me,” says Ramsey about his newest book. “Most are set in this unique state we know as Mississippi, although New York City, The Smokies, San Diego, Washington D. C., and Atlanta all make cameos. Laughter, hope, and redemption are ingredients that make up the seasoning of the literary gumbo.”

Ramsey wrote in his blog (www.marshallramsey.com) while waiting for printing and delivery of the new title, “The stories vary. The Mustard Seed is a story of hope for a man struggling to reinvent himself after his career has been turned on end. It’s a story that has spread around the country on the internet during this crazy economy we’re surviving. If Sherman Attacked Atlanta Today is a funny story about if the Battle of Atlanta occurred today.  The Bottle Tree is a story about true love. Up in the Delta sky is also about love and the need to heal. The Final D-Day salutes a forgotten soldier. The Legend of Winston the Whitetail Deer features a local deer from Kosciusko (because I like saying Kosciusko) who saves Christmas. The Amazing Game tells the life of a father and son as a football game. And of course, there are several stories featuring Banjo the dog, my beloved Border Terrier who died this summer. Requiem for a Terrier is his obituary.”

Marshall Ramsey, 42, spent his first 18 years in Marietta, Georgia. He then uprooted and accepted a scholarship to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

While at the University of Tennessee, Ramsey served as the editorial cartoonist for The Daily Beacon, the University of Tennessee’s daily student newspaper. Ramsey also won  The John Locher Memorial Award, awarded to the top collegiate cartoonist in America. Since his graduation from UT  in 1991, Ramsey‘s cartoons have appeared in  USA Today, Newsweek,  U.S. News and World Report, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times and 450 other newspapers.  His work has also been seen on CNN and CSPAN. He is currently the staff cartoonist for The Clarion-Ledger and is syndicated nationally by Creators Syndicate. Ramsey was named a Pulitzer Finalist in 2002 and 2006.

Ramsey has also illustrated seven children’s books for his cousin, financial expert Dave Ramsey (five of which appeared in Chick-fil-a kid’s meals) and has illustrated Nobody’s Poet for chef and author Robert St. John. His first book Marshall Ramsey’s Greatest Hits sold out and 10! A Ten-Year Celebration is also a local best seller.

He is also a melanoma survivor and has been honored by the Melanoma Research Foundation (2003 Winds of Hope Award) and the American Cancer Society for his work with promoting skin cancer screening. He is co-founder of the Run from the Sun, a 5K race that raises money and awareness to cure melanoma.
Ramsey, his wife and three sons live in Mississippi, the greatest state for politics and raising a family.

Florence Public Library is part of Central Mississippi Regional Library System, which serves the public libraries of Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith Counties. For more information call 601-845-6032.

Florence - Adult Book Club

Florence Library's Adult Book Club meets Wednesday, Feb. 13, 11:00 a.m.- 12:00pm. This month author Jeana Campbell will join us to sign copies of her latest novel Spirit Woman. Come and enjoy coffee and light refreshments.


Spirit Woman
by Jeana Campbell

Book Description
Publication Date: September 12, 2012
Faced with an uncertain future after the death of her soldier husband, and the end of the Civil War, a young American Indian woman must come to grips with life when she returns home to her family, a man she once loved, and the legend that has been written for a lifetime.

Florence Public Library
115 West Main Street
Florence, MS 39073
Phone: 601-845-6032

M & Th 9:30-7:00
Tu & W 9:30-5:00
F 1:00-5:00
Sa 9:00-12:30

Flowood Library Wins Community Award

The G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, MS won a prestigious community service award on January 29, 2013.  The award, given to the 2013 service organization of the year, was presented to Branch Manager, Jennifer J. Meister, and Circulation Supervisor, Elizabeth C. Carter.


The description of the award, presented annually by the Chamber of Flowood, is as follows:
  
Service Organization of the Year: The Flowood service organization, non-profit, whose deeds and  actions have contributed to the betterment of the Flowood community. 

The awards were presented by Derrel Palmer, News & Sports Director of Pearl Municipal Broadcasting.  Mr. Palmer introduced the award as such:

“With the 91 nominations that were submitted to the office, you could say they were concerned about the fax machine burning up. Some of the comments from all the nominations include: 'amazing staff,' 'best story time for children,' and 'a welcoming, peaceful environment.' Congratulations and thank you for bettering our community.”

Flowood Branch Manager, 

Jennifer J. Meister, holding

the award.

The Friends of the Pearl Library Book Sale Kicks off Library Lovers Month!

It's that time of year again...

Love is in the air as February approaches! In library-land, February is Library Lovers Month, and at the Pearl Library, we're starting our Feburary off with a bang! The Friends of the Pearl Library will be holding its annual book sale THIS weekend!

The sale runs from 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. on Friday, February 1st and from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 2nd.

But wait! Doesn't our library usually close at 5:00 p.m. on Fridays? It does, but for this special occasion, we're keeping the big event room open until 6:00 p.m. so that anyone who wants to drop by and shop for books, DVDs, and more can do so on the way home from work on Friday!

Please stop by! We've got children's books, art books, inspirational books, paperbacks, DVDs, and all kinds of stuff for you to peruse and purchase. Support the Friends of the Library and the Pearl Library, and come on by! We'll have coffee waiting for you!

Dudley Sykes to speak at Pearl Library's Brown Bag Luncheon, January 25th

Books may be purchased in the library, or online at Amazon.com
or barnesandnoble.com

The Pearl Library is so excited that Dudley Sykes will be reading from and talking about his new novel, The Lynching of Malcolm Brown at this month's Brown Bag Luncheon on January 25th!

Sykes is a lifetime member of the Friends of the Pearl Library and has always been a huge supporter of this library. In his latest novel, he tells a fictionalized account of a lynching of a man in Jones County, Mississippi in 1941. Sykes wrote this novel in honor of his father, who stood up to a group of men who wanted him to lead a lynching mob. Sykes has already inspired several of our staff member to read this tale, and we hope that you'll come out to hear about it on Friday!

The Brown Bag Luncheon is on Friday at 12:00 p.m. in the Pearl Library meeting room. Bring a sack lunch, and the Friends of the Pearl Library will provide drinks and dessert. You may purchase The Lynching of Malcolm Brown for $16.99, and $2.00 will be donated to the Friends of the Library for each book purchased on this date.

Resume Workshops at The Pearl Library!

Image from http://www.distinctiveweb.com

Many patrons at the Pearl Library use our computers to search and apply for jobs and to write resumes. This process takes time and can often be frustrating and difficult. Luckily, as librarians, we have lots of resources at our fingertips, and we've decided to hold two resume workshops this month to help anyone who's currently in the process of looking for a job! We're partnering with the WIN Job Center of Pearl to offer the following classes:

Workshop 1: Thursday, January 24th, at 6:30 p.m. -- At this workshop, participants will get application building and resume writing skills, including how to search for jobs, how to target an application or resume for a particular job, and how to write functional or chronological resumes.

Workshop 2: Thusday, January 31st, at 6:30 p.m. -- At this workshop, a representative from the WIN Job Center will talk about interviewing skills. Participants will also have a chance to print out several copies of their resumes, free of charge.


These classes are free to the public, but we are asking for interested persons to register with us at the Reference Desk. Please call (601) 932-2562 and reserve your space today!

Craft night @ Pearl

Hello loyal crafters! Here is a sneak peek at what we made at this month's craft night (January 8, 2013).

Button Bookmarks & Barrettes!

 

Our bookmarks were made with buttons, ribbon, felt, and sequins, as were the hair barrettes. We hot-glued them all together. The burns were minor... sometimes we have to endure pain in order to be victorious/glorious/beautiful/make amazing crafts/get anywhere in life/[insert cliche' of your choice here].

 

If you'd like to come to craft night, we meet every 2nd Tuesday @ 6 p.m. We love seeing new faces and welcome everyone who enjoys crafting or the company of wonderful people. Stay tuned to the blog for updates on next month's craft. Hint: it will most likely be Valentine-y.

Snuggle Up with a Good Book from the Pearl Library!

Snuggle up and read with us at the Pearl Library!

From January 3-February 28th, the Pearl Library is running a "Snuggle Up with a Good Book" contest for Young Adults and Adults. All patrons who read 5 books will get a small prize (our sources tell us that it's a stylish candle!), and those who read 5 books or more can then compete to read the most books by February 28th. The YA winner and the adult winner will each receieve a warm, cozy Nook-in-a-Box package to help them snuggle up and read during the cold winter!

Please come read with us! Call Children's Supervisor Ally Watkins or Reference Supervisor Joy Garretson for more information at (601) 932-2562.

*The prizes for this contest have been provided by the Pearl Friends of the Library. Thank you, Friends!

Get Smart!



Did you or someone you know get a new Smart Phone for Christmas? If you got one and you want help learning to use it, come to the Pearl Library on Tuesday, January 15th at 6:00 p.m. Our staff will be on hand to teach you how to use your smart phone and how to download apps, take photos, check your email, and more! We have experience with iPhones, Android phones, and more, so bring whatever type of smart phone you have with you to class and get ready to learn what it can do for you.

Space is limited for this class so we do ask that you register at the reference desk. Call Reference Supervisor Joy Garretson at (601) 932-2562 for more information!

Craft night @ Pearl

It was a cold, dark night. The weather had suddenly dropped, forcing some people to stay in their homes. But not Annie, Paula, Shelly or Totsy. Oh no, they had visions of button wreath ornaments dancing in their heads! Here's what they looked like:

They were fairly easy to make, once we got the hang of it. They were made out of some adorable Christmas buttons, floral wire, and ribbon. If you like crafts, you can come by each 2nd Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome!

Simply Crafts @ Pearl

Keeping with the Christmas spirit, we've decided to make a button wreath ornament for craft night this Tuesday, Dec. 11 at the Pearl Library starting @ 6 p.m. The ornament will look very similar to the picture shown below:

 

This program is free to the public with all materials provided. Come hang out and make something with us... and bring a friend if you like! Everyone is welcome. See you soon!



Holiday Mail for Heroes Has Ended

The Flowood Library would like to thank everyone who participated in this year's "Holiday Mail for Heroes."  You contributed a total of 117 cards that will be sent to our service men and women!

Please remember that we are still collecting for "Toys for Tots."  We have extended the deadline due to the overwhelming support.  The last day to drop off items will be Friday, December 7th. 

Pearl Chapter 1 Book Club Honors Award Winning Author

Chapter 1 and the Friends of the Pearl Library are jointly honoring the Mississippi Poetry Society's 2012 Poet of the Year, Pearl's own Pat Jordan.  Pat and others will be reading from her new book The Tender Gift.  Everyone is invited to attend this tribute to Pat who battled cancer while writing this collection.  Her fight is ongoing which makes this event extra special to all who know her indomitable spirit.

 

The tribute and poetry readings will be followed by  reception and an opportunity to purchase The Tender Gift at only $10 each.

Autumn Book Harvest Winners

This fall, the Pearl Library ran an Autumn Book Harvest contest in which any adult patron who checked out at least three items from our adult fiction or adult nonfiction collections could enter to win one of two $50 gift cards to Kroger.

We're happy to announce that Amanda Greear and Melanie Theall are our two winners! We are so happy to have these ladies and their families as Pearl Library patrons, and we hope that they enjoy their gift cards just as much as they enjoyed checking items out from our collection. We also want to thank the Friends of the Pearl Library for making this contest possible.

Amanda Greear and her gift card!

Melanie Theall and her gift card (and adorable children)!

Craft night @ Pearl 11.13.12

It's amazing what you with Mod-Podge! We decoupaged some really pretty tissue paper to some taper candles for this month's craft night. Of course, they are for decorative purposes only. Although, the Mod-Podge label states that the glue is not flammable... If we get any reports of our crafters' houses on fire due to lighting these particular candles, we'll update you! We had lots of paper to choose from, and some new guests showed up! If you like doing crafts and enjoy great company, come by the Pearl Library every 2nd Tuesday. We'll see you soon!

Toys for Tots

 

The Flowood Library is an official drop off zone for Toys for Tots this year.  You can drop off your new, unopened toys at the Flowood Library throughout the month of November.  All toys will be distributed to needy children residing within the state of Mississippi. Please help place a smile on a child's face this holiday season.

Pearl Library's Brown Bag Luncheon, November 16th!

Join the Pearl Library this Friday, November 16th, for the monthly Brown Bag Luncheon! Judy Sikes, the ADA Coordinator of the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities will be giving a demonstration on disaster preparedness. In the wake of such national tragedies as Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, all of us need to learn how to be prepared in the event of an emergency.

This month's Brown Bag is a week early because of the Thanksgiving holidays, but it will be at 12:00 p.m., as always. And, as always, you should bring a sack lunch with you, and the Friends of the Pearl Library will provide drinks and a light dessert.

This program will last between an hour and an hour and a half. We hope to see you there!