Summer Reading 2009!

Be Creative!

Try this trial database

from EBSCO for the

next 30 days,

it's very creative!

Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center!

Watch the CMRLS blogs all summer
for new and creative website finds!

Feel free to leave your comments concerning
this resource.

Forest Library is OPEN!

Forest Public Library opened Monday, May 18 at the temporary location; and the patrons were ready! Having spoken to the staff yesterday, everyone seemed excited! The temporary address is 415 East Third Street. The hours of operation, telephone and FAX numbers are the same.

Watch this blog and the CMRLS website for updates and pictures of the progress of the NEW Forest Library.

Flu Season?

Here is a collection of links for information concerning the Swine Flu, Pandemic Flu, and how you can stay healthy!

PandemicFlu.gov - Official Health and Human Services site: A One-stop Access to U.S. Government Swine, Avian, and Pandemic Flu Information
Center for Disease Control (CDC): H1N1 Flu
World Health Organization (WHO): Swine Flu
WHO: Swine Flu Information in Spanish
MedlinePlus-National Library of Medicine: Swine Flu
American Red Cross: Preparing for a Potential Flu Pandemic
Medicare and Flu Information (link found here for Spanish also)
What is the Government Doing Now to Prepare for a Pandemic Flu Outbreak?
CDC: Recommendation for When to Close Schools
Flu History: The Great Pandemic of 1918, from PandemicFlu.gov

Also, use these link to find blog entries* through Google from across the web regarding Pandemic Flu; and through Ask.com or Yahoo! regarding swine flu.

If more information is needed, ask your librarian for help.
Librarians, the original search engines!

*Blog entries may be by news agencies, health organizations, or individuals just offering insights. Although this may be almost real-time information shared about different areas of the U.S. or the world, further research through trustworthy resources may be warranted.

A GREAT Statement for today!

National Library Week 2009 is almost at its close!

Worlds Connect @ your library, is a theme we can look at so many different ways. A world of people can obviously 'connect' @ your library, but better yet, the Peoples of the world can 'connect'. Anyone can go into the library and learn about any Peoples; their beliefs, their struggles, their accomplishents! Too deep? Maybe, but very true!

I found this quote attributed to Lady Bird Johnson in an email I received today. "Perhaps NO place in ANY community is so Totally democratic as the town Library. The only entrance requirement is Interest."

The couple of minutes that I spent Googling this quote did not give me the reason, date, or location of this statement by our late First Lady; and the quote sent to me was not emboldened or italicized as you see it quoted here. I just let my knowledge, however limited, of the First Lady's Southern drawl and my interpretation of the quote give it the emphasis I feel she must have meant! Forgive me, but I can see and hear it very clearly in the archived video that plays in my head. I'm sure that she most probably was speaking to a group standing in a garden outside a new building, maybe even a new library, and wearing a pastel outfit with a white handbag in the crook of her elbow, pine trees in the background...oh, sorry, probably too much information!

It is a great quote, and is really fitting for today when everyone thinks the word democratic can only be spelled with a "capitol D". It must have sounded grand in that drawl!

What's happening @ Forest Library?

Forest Library will be CLOSED beginning April 20 for move to a temporary location. Watch the Forest Library website and this blog for information regarding opening and availability. Watch this blog for pictures of the progress, also!

What's happening @ your Forest Library? A temporary location has been chosen. The boxes will be packed; the temporary location will be prepped; the boxes will be unloaded and the books put on the shelves. The temporary location will open and construction on the new library will begin soon!

To check out the closest CMRLS libraries, visit Morton Library, Lake Library, Pelahatchie Library, or Brandon Library for needed library resources. However, your CMRLS library card is good in all four counties, 20 libraries - Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith counties. Take a look at all CMRLS libraries, you may want to visit others!

Have a little patience, the Forest Library will be up and running very soon! We hope the excitement of watching the construction of the NEW LIBRARY will help everyone understand this temporary inconvenience.

National Library Week!

National Library Week is April 12-18! Stop by your local library or visit the online calendar to see about the FUN programming during this special week in the library community!

A history of National Library Week from ALA.org: In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned that Americans were reading less, the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee in 1954. The committee's goals were ambitious. They ranged from “encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time” to “improving incomes and health” and “developing strong and happy family life.” In 1957, the committee developed a plan for National Library Week based on the idea that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries. With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme “Wake Up and Read!” National Library Week was observed again in 1959, and the ALA Council voted to continue the annual celebration. When the National Book Committee disbanded in 1974, ALA assumed full sponsorship.

National Library Week is observed each year in April, generally the second full week.

This years' theme is World's Connect @ your library! Visit a library near you and make a connection; whether its information needed for a job search, a new meat loaf recipe, or the newest suspense thriller to read on a warm spring day, there is something for everyone @ your library!

Look at Next Good Book!

Next Good Book is found on the CMRLS website and can be used with or without signing up for an account. You will find new book lists on the CMRLS Bookshelves for "Living on a Shoestring", "Resumes and Interviews", and "Looking for a Job or Career". These CMRLS Bookshelves contain lists of books found in your libraries. You can search for books by subject or check out the New York Times Bestseller lists or dozens of different awards lists. Click on "Catalog" in any of the lists and request that book be sent to your library. If CMRLS doesn't have the book, speak to your library staff about requesting the book through I-L-L.

By signing up for a FREE account with Next Good Book you can comment on books you've read, read comments by others, and even keep a list of books you've read or want to read (and decide if you want to share your list with friends). If you need help setting up an account, just ask your library staff! Happy reading!

Job Opportunities @ CMRLS

Check out the new job listings at CMRLS libraries here. Libraries are GREAT places to work and CMRLS is the best -- with the nicest patrons and the friendliest staff!

Reminders on Your Cell Phone!

The following are two ways to keep ahead of library items coming due. Each one of these will notify you so that you can return the items or renew them, if you wish.

Library Elf works with the CMRLS catalog to not only send you email when your items are due, you can have the reminders sent to your cell phone!

The CMRLS Early Email Notification will send you an email 3 days before you or anyone in your household or care has library material due!

For CMRLS Early Email Notification, just let your library staff know that you are interested and supply a valid email address. You can have everyone in your household linked to one email! For Library Elf, just follow the hyperlink and fill in the information. Library Elf works with the library catalog to notify you by email or cell phone!

Stay ahead in 2009!

Libraries' ToolBar

Have you looked at the link for the libraries' free personalized toolbar; it works with Internet Explorer and FireFox, Windows and Mac. There is even an uninstall, if you don't like it; and there is no SPAM, viruses, or junk mail that is linked to it. You get a one-click button to the libraries' website, online catalog, quick reference, news links, and our job notices...even a "search the library website" textbox! Check it out!

Library Closings

Wasn't the snow nice? Unfortunately it meant that the libraries were closed on Thursday, Dec. 11, but opened Friday morning at 10:30. Administration wanted to make sure staff and patrons would be safe on the roads. Simpson County libraries (Magee, Mendenhall, and Harrisville) are still closed today, Friday, Dec. 12, as the Simpson County Sheriff's Department asked that citizens not be on the roads. These libraries will be open Saturday, Dec. 13, 9:00 a.m., for their regular hours of business.

ALL CMRLS libraries will be CLOSED at 1:00 p.m., on Dec. 24, and remain CLOSED on Dec. 25, 26, and 27, for the Christmas holiday. Libraries will again close at 1:00 p.m, on Dec. 31, and remain CLOSED on Jan. 1 and 2, for the New Year's holiday. You may renew items during these times on the website using Rosie's Web the online catalog or by phone at 601-825-5450. Please have your library card with you when logging on or making the phone call. Your barcode and Personal Identification Number are needed to complete the transaction.

Books and Holidays

Need some help choosing a book for a gift? Here are several websites that have wonderful lists:

Best Gift Books 2008 on NPR
Top 20 Holiday Gift Books for kids
Top Ten Gift Books for the 2008 Holidays
Book Passage: 2008 Holiday Gift Book Guide
Amazon.com Book Gift Ideas

Or, checkout some great books @ your library to make your holiday special:
Advent & Epipheny
Holiday cookery & Holiday decoration
Holiday stress
Books, CDs, DVDs on Christmas & More Christmas items
Spanish Language Christmas items
Kwanzaa & Kwanzaa decoration
Hanukkah kids books & Hanukkah/Jewish cookery
Hanukkah children's books
Ramadan
Handmade Gifts for any holiday

CMRLS Staff Member Receives Scholarship

Congratulations, Mara!

CMRLS' and Pearl Public Library's own Mara Villa recieved the 2008 Virgia Brocks-Shedd Scholarship, awarded by the Mississippi Library Association Black Caucus Roundtable in honor of the late Virgia Brocks-Shedd who devoted twenty-six years of outstanding service to the Humanities. This award is made annually to a minority library science student and was presented during the 2008 Mississippi Library Association Conference in Natchez, held Oct. 22-24.

Ms. Villa, pictured far left, is the Youth Services Supervisor of the Pearl Public Library. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Library Science from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Check us out on Twitter!

CMRLS can now be found on Twitter! You never know where you'll find a library!

Getting Ready for School

While your child is choosing which color notebook to use for which class, remember that the most valuable tool for school is a Central Mississippi Regional Library System (CMRLS) LIBRARY CARD. “The library card is FREE to anyone living, working, or attending school in Rankin, Scott, Simpson, or Smith counties,” said Kaileen Thieling, Director of CMRLS. Not only will the library card give your child access to more than 350,000 books, newspapers, and magazines to be checked out or used in the library; your child will have FREE online access to even more up-to-date books, newspapers, and magazines for those inevitable school projects. These may be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the library website, http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us/.

Think of needing an encyclopedia or magazine article late one evening when the library is not open! The article will be right at your fingertips from any online computer. “Most teachers do not accept sources such as Wikipedia™ or Yahoo Answers™ for school projects not because they are found on the Internet, but because the sources of the answers are not verified,” said Director Thieling. “The libraries’ online sources are reputable, peer reviewed journal articles, books, encyclopedias, maps, and videos in all the subjects needed by your elementary, middle or high school student.”

This year, CMRLS has added Internet Math™ to the homework help resources found online. Internet Math™ teaches and reviews math word problems for students in grades 1-8. Each problem is accompanied by a series of visual hints that teach the student how to solve the problem. Library staff will set up a FREE account for any student wanting to use this resource. Lessons are saved by using the student’s password, allowing students to return to the lessons as often as needed.

Students with library cards may also practice the 4th and 8th grade proficiency exams and study lessons on math, language, or computer skills on Learn A Test™, another online library resource. “Library staff will be glad to help students access any of these resources,” said the Director. “The libraries want to help make this a successful school year.”

Central Mississippi Regional Library System serves the public libraries in Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith counties. Further information may be found online at http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us/ or by visiting your local library.

Playing Games for Fun and Learning

Video games at your library? YES! Wii, Playstation 2 and 3, Xbox360, and Nintendo DS; at your library!
Central Mississippi Regional Library System (CMRLS) added more than 300 video games in five of the most popular game formats to its collection. The libraries are not choosing to offer video games rather than reading material to the young or the young-at-heart of the community. On the contrary, reading lists are available at the library for those wishing to read in the same genre in which they enjoy playing games. Science fiction and fantasy, military action, sports, adventure, and treasure seeking are popular themes of today’s video games, and of course, books for all ages. Slow or reluctant readers may learn to love books and become life-long learners from playing games and taking advantage of these age appropriate reading lists!
The video games are found at the Flowood Library in Rankin County, Forest Library in Scott County, Magee Library in Simpson County, and the Taylorsville Library in Smith County. However, the games may be checked out from any library in these counties for one week, by any library cardholder, 16 years of age or older. A list of the game titles in each format may be seen at http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us/ from the Basic Search window of Rosie’s Web, the online catalog. All games in the collection are rated E for everyone through T for teen, by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
Popular sports games such as SEGA Bass Fishing, Cabela’s Trophy Bucks, Madden NFL ’08, NASCAR ’08, FIFA Soccer ’08, Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour ’08, are among the many titles in this new collection. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hannah Montana: Music Jam, Bratz, Ironman, The Bee Movie, LOST Via Domus, and Lego Star Wars are just a few of the television and movie tie-in games available.
For the younger gamer, the collection includes Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids, Go Diego Go: Safari Rescue, Strawberry Shortcake Sweet Dreams, John Deere Harvest in the Heartland, and many, many more. Physically interactive games requiring additional controllers are loaned with the needed equipment, such as the Wii Mario Kart (with wheel), karaoke games such as American Idol Encore and Singstar (with microphone), and Scene It Movie Trivia (with 4 wireless controllers).
Many CMRLS libraries are busy planning gaming program opportunities for all ages, to be held at the library. These events will be announced through the media at future dates. An Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, administered by the Mississippi Library Commission this year, funded the CMRLS video game collection announced here. This is the first such collection in the state of Mississippi.
For information concerning this or other library materials, contact your local library or visit on the web at http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us/. Central Mississippi Regional Library System serves the public libraries of Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith counties.
-End-

Not Today's Music!

RatherGoWalking, originally uploaded by msulibrary1. (Viewed during a breakout workshop at the MSU Library 2.0 Summit, 2008)

This is one of many scans of 100 year old sheet music from the archives of Mississippi State University! Check out the rest of the collection on Flikr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/msstatelibraries/sets/72157605711536723/.

JUNE is Audio Book Month

Are you planning a family vacation this summer? Gonna' have to be stuck in a car for hours? Take along a family-friendly audio book! Your library has them on cassette tape, CD, even a "Playaway."

What's a Playaway, you ask? It's a MP3 player (pictured above) on which the book is loaded; you can listen through earphones (or an external speaker, just like you use for iPod or other players). This is battery operated and comes with the batteries needed to listen to the book, even the long ones! No CDs or tapes to lose under the car seat or forget where you last put them! Patrons are listening to these while exercising and doing chores around the house; its small enough to fit in your pocket or hang around your neck.

Check here for a list of books on tape @ your library, here for books on CD, and here for Playaway.

Have a GREAT summer listening to books!

NEW Library Card!

They are here!

The NEW plastic

CMRLS library cards

can be found at your

nearest CMRLS library.

Stop by your library with your current card and ask the staff to issue you one of the new plastic cards. You have the choice of a credit card sized library card or the convenient key tag library card. The key tag card easily slips on to your key ring just like your Kroger or CVS cards. You'll always have it with you!

The library staff will take your old paper library card and add it to the cards they have already collected. Make sure your signature is on the back, because your old card enters you into a drawing at the end of September! Each CMRLS branch will hold a drawing with prizes from local businesses.

While you are replacing your old paper card, you will want to tell the staff of any address, phone number, or email address changes that need to be made. EARLY EMAIL NOTIFICATION is available to those of you with email addresses. CMRLS will send you an email 3 days before any item you have checked out is due. This means NO late fees! Just tell your library staff to sign you up for EARLY EMAIL NOTIFICATION.

For branch location and hours of operation visit http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us/BRANCHES.htm, with a new interactive CMRLS service area map!

Celebrate 100 Years - Ian Fleming

May 28, 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ian Fleming who gave us that famous spy, James Bond! Check out his books and the movies @ your library. Take a look at the website Ian Fleming Centenary for a brief biography and news of the latest theatrical release coming in November. And, because of Fleming's Bond, not only do all of us expect spies to have great gadgets, we expect them to dress the part. Who would think of a spy not owning an x-ray vision camera pen and a tux, or two?

If you have enjoyed the Bond movies and haven't read the books, why not start with the latest release, Devil May Care, by Sebastian Faulks, writing as Ian Fleming. Just can't wait for your name to come up on the request list for Devil May Care? Try these series titles...

Hawke, by Ted Bell
Quiller bamboo, by Adam Hall
The spy who came in from the cold, by John Le Carre
Eye of the storm, by Jack Higgins

Still looking for something that reads like a James Bond novel? Ask your librarain!

National Library Week!

National Library Week is April 13-19! Check the calendar for great programs at your library and celebrate the library in your community.

LookyBook

Take a look at LookyBook, a great website with children's picture books that you can read online. I think my favorite is Bad Kitty, by Nick Bruel. I hope you enjoy it!

Libraries Close for Holidays

ALL CMRLS Libraries

will close

Monday, February 18

for Presidents' Day.

Branches will open

regular hours on

Tuesday, February 19.

Items may be renewed online,

through Rosie's Web/Online Catalog

or by phone,

through TeleCirc: 601-825-5450.

2008 Presidential Election

Have you made your mind up yet or do you need help making sense of it all? Try some of these websites to follow along the campaign trail.

From the Librarians' Internet Index:

AltWeeklies.com: 2008 Presidential CampaignCompilation of news stories and commentary concerning the 2008 U.S. presidential election, from more than 100 alternative U.S. and Canadian newsweeklies. Entries include headline, brief story summary, author, publication, and option to email the stories. Also includes links to the full stories. Listed chronologically. From the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies.

Election 2008: Vote by Issue QuizThis quiz helps you "[l]earn about the [2008 presidential] candidates through their platforms, not their personalities. [It] features some of the issues that have gained traction this campaign season." Also includes an "Election Issues" section (top menu, once you enter the quiz) with candidates' statements about health care, immigration, energy, Iraq, abortion, and other issues. From WBUR and the Online NewsHour.

The Onion: War for the White HouseThis satirical publication's coverage of the 2008 U.S. presidential election features "news" stories, humorous candidate profiles and candidate statements on key issues, videos, and a creative description of the election process. From the Onion, which "is not intended for readers under 18 years of age."

PolitiFact.comThis website was created "to help voters separate fact from falsehood in the 2008 presidential campaign. Journalists and researchers from the [St. Petersburg] Times and CQ [Congressional Quarterly] will fact-check the accuracy of speeches, TV ads, interviews and other campaign communications." Searchable; or browse the site's "Truth-O-Meter" by candidate, subject, political party, and other factors. Includes related articles and in-depth features.

Resources found elsewhere on the 'Net:

Declare Yourself - Quick and easy Learn about the 2008 election.

Electoral Vote - Track the electoral college and congressional elections with a red/blue map of the US updated daily using the latest state polls.

2008 Presidential Election from Yahoo! - Full news coverage and opinions on the 2008 presidential election. Find photos, audio, video, and related sites about the 2008 election on Yahoo! on Yahoo!

The 2008 Election with CNN - Latest headlines and video, candidates' positions on the issues, fundraising totals, States to Watch news and analysis, and a unique side-by-side visual ...

NPR & the 2008 Election - In-depth coverage of the 2008 presidential election, Democratic and Republican candidates, and primary elections and caucuses. Listen to audio and video ...

Election 2008 - Ongoing collection of nonpartisan and partisan national polls.

For teachers from Scholastic.com - Read our extended news reports of the Election 2008 campaign. This special report include stories, activities, background information and more.

From USA Today - Up-to-the-minute breaking news coverage of US politics, including election 2008 and the presidential candidates. Visit USATODAY.com for complete access to ...

From Wall Street Journal 2008 presidential election -Learn more about the 2008 Presidential Election with news and headlines from the Wall Street Journal.

Reuters - Election 2008 - Link to Reuters Special Coverage pages for the major 2008 US Presidential candidates.

Best-selling Books @ your library

This is a list of best-selling books @ your library as of 1/6/08 from USA Today...
Use Rosie's Web/Online Catalog to search for and request any of these best-selling titles.

Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
Atonement - Ian McEwan
The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
I am Legend - Richard Matheson
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
The Innocent Man: Murder and injustice in a Small Town - John Grisham
You: Staying Young - Michael F. Roizen
Shooters - W. E. B. Griffin
Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
The Golden Compass - Phillip Pullman
Double Cross - James Patterson
The Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs
Exlipse - Stephenie Meyer
Shadow Dance - Julie Garwood
Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
World without End - Ken Follett
Become a Better You - Joel Osteen
Shadow Music - Julie Garwood
I am America (And So Can You!) - Stephen Colbert
The Overlook - Michael Connelly
T is for Trespass - Sue Grafton
The Subtle Knife - Phillip Pullman
Deceptively Delicious - Jessica Seinfeld
Blood Brothers - Nora Roberts
Blood Dreams - Kay Hooper
Stalemate - Iris Johansen
The Amber Spyglass - Phillip Pullman
The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz
12 Second Sequence - Jorge Cruise
The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
90 Minutes in Heaven: A true story of Death and LIfe - Don Piper
The Daring Book for Girls - Andrea J. Buchanan
The Dangerous Book for Bosy - Conn Iggulden
The Shape Shifter - Tony Hillerman
Your: On a diet - Michael F. Roizen
People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks
Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life - James J. Cramer
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Charlie Wilson's War - George Crile
Next - Michael Crichton
No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy
The Choice - Nicholas Sparks
Born Standing Up - Steve Martin
Hide and Seek - Fern Michaels
Shopaholic & Baby - Sophie Kinsella
Stone Cold - David Baldacci
What to Expect When You're Expecting - Heidi Murkoff
The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
Star Wars: Darth Bane rule of two - Drew Karphyshyn
The Glass Castle: A memoir - Jeannette Walls
Cross - James Patterson
Someone to Love - Jude Deveraux
The Alchemist - P{aulo Coelho
Playing for Pizza - John Grisham
Harry Potter and the Deathly Haloows - J. K. Rowling
The Best Life Diet - Bob Greene
The Audacity of Hope - Barach Obama
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A natural history of four meals - Michael Pollan
For One More Day - Mitch Albom
The South Beach Diet - Arthur Agatston
Blizzard of the Blue Moon - Mary Pope Osborne
Hunters: A Presidential Agen Nove - W. E. B. Griffin
The Emperor's Children - Claire Messud
Rhett Butler's People - Donald McCaig
The Suspect - John Lescroart
Women & Money - Suze Orman
The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers - Lillan Jackson Braun
The Venetian Betrayal - Steve Berry
Suite Francaise - Irene Nemirovsky
Home to Holly Springs - Jan Karon
Book of the Dead - Patricia Cornwell
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling
confessor - Terry Goodkind
The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory
Cesar's Way, Cesar Millan
The Almost Moon - Alice Sebold
Unnatural Exposure - Patricia Cornwell
Just a Taste - Deirdre Martin
The Nine - Jeffrey Toobin
The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield
Good to Great - Jim Collins
Deadly Gamble - Linda Lael Miller
Free Lunch - David Cay Johnston
Protect and Defend - Vince Flynn
World War Z - Max Brooks
Boom - Tom Brokaw
Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
Lone Survivor - Marcus Luttrell
Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki
Dear John - Nicholas Sparks
Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom
Flesh and Bone - Jefferson Bass
You: The owner's manual - Micael F. Roizen
Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen
Snakehead - Antohony Horowitz
My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult

February is Library Lover's Month!

Best of 2007

If you "Google" the phrase 'best of 2007' today (Jan. 2, 2008), you get 2,050,000 hits! That number will change tomorrow. Here is a list of some of the interesting ones, in no particular order.

50 Best Websites of 2007 from Time
100 Best Companies from Working Mother
2007 World's Best Awards for Travel and Leisure from American Express
Best Books of 2007 from Amazon.com
Best Books of 2007 from Library Journal
Best Cars of 2007 from CNN and Consumer Reports
Best Employers of 2007 from AARP
Best Hospitals of 2007 by US News & World Report
Best of 2007 by Surfing the Net with Kids
20 Top Tens of 2007 by LifeHacker
Best of Zen Habits for 2007 by Zen Habits
Best of the Best Lists by Filmoculous.com (Lots of lists!)
Book Awards Lists
Best CDs of 2007 by NPR Music
100 Best Products of 2007 by PC World magazine
The Best of What's New for 2007 by Popular Science (PopSci.com)
Best Books of the Year by Publishers Weekly
Best of 2007 by Rolling Stone
Best 10 Books of 2007 by New York Times
TV's Best of 2007 by San Francisco Chronicle

Have fun finding out what others thought made 2007 a great year!

December Closings and Holiday Material

CMRLS Libraries will be closed Saturday, Dec. 22 through Tuesday, Dec. 25, for the Christmas holiday. Libraries will open for regular business on Wednesday, Dec. 26.

So, be sure to check out the holiday videos & DVDs before the 22nd; and the holiday cookbooks; and the children's easy books to keep everyone occupied! Brandon Library even has jigsaw puzzles to check out! How about holiday music to play in the background? Let the library help make your celebration special.

Did you know...
The U.S. Postal Service expects to deliver 20 billion pieces of mail between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. The busiest mailing day is set for Dec. 17, as more than three times the average daily volume of cards and letters should be mailed (more than 275 million versus 82 million). This and other interesting holiday facts can be found at the US Census website.

Libraries Close for Holidays

Florence, Lake, and D'Lo libraries are still closed!

Meanwhile, your CMRLS library card is valid in all public libraries in Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith counties. To find the nearest CMRLS library to you, click here. The staff is friendly and helpful in all the CMRLS libraries, and they understand you want "your library" to open soon. Renovations and repairs take time, so please be patient. Let the CMRLS staff help you find what you need.

The holidays are just around the corner! All CMRLS libraries will be closed Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23, for Thanksgiving. Libraries will be open regular hours beginning Saturday, November 24.

Ann Graham and Brandon Library staff

Ann and Brandon Library staff, originally uploaded by CMRLS Photos (click to see more pictures.)

Ann Graham (seated, second from left) and staff of the Brandon public Library pose for a picture on September 22, 2007, at Ann's retirement reception. Ann served CMRLS 20 years, first at Forest Public Library and then the Brandon Public Library, beginning in 1996.

Thank you, Ann, for all your hard work!

National School Bus Safety Week

Oct. 21-27 is National School Bus Safety Week. Check out the website for statistics and a booklet of activities to help make everyone become aware of the need for School Bus Safety. This from the National Association for Pupil Transportation. Also, check out School Bus Info from the School Bus Information Council. Read the House resolution of the 109th Congress for National School Bus Safety Week, here. Find school bus stories for little ones, here.

Be Aware,

Cross with Care!

National School Bus Safety Week

Oct. 21-27, 2007

Teen Read Week - Oct. 14-20

"LOL @ your library" during Teen Read Week 2007

Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, and educators. It is celebrated each year during the third week of October. Since 1998, Teen Read Week has encouraged teens to make time to read for the fun of it; use their local library to discover their interests; and get reading materials and participate in events at their school or public library.

Teen Read Week is administered by the Young Adult Library Services Associations (YALSA), the fastest grouwing division of the American Library Association. For 50 years YALSA has been the world leader in selecting reading, listening, and viewing for teens.

Check out these books and see the YALSA book lists!

Check out the programs @ your library!