Reading with Audiobooks

The end of school and summer is upon us. Your child has made advancement in their reading skills but what now? Summer can be a time to continue to grow in reading skills or not. What can you do as a parent to help?

I had a reading expert tell me that she recommends audiobooks where the child can listen to the book as they follow along with reading. Audiobooks offer an enjoyable way for your child to improve their reading skills. Using audiobooks along with actual hard copies of books allows kids to follow the words on the page with their eyes as they listen to the words being read. The shared visual and audio reading experience provides extra support for readers: They learn to pronounce new words, hear fluent reading, and get to enjoy a new story. It's a win-win!

Guess what? Your public library is a good place to pick up a book in your child’s interest and there may be an audiobook available too. At Raleigh Library we have several popular physical books along with the audiobook available to check out. There are several audiobooks available on Axis 360. You can stop at your library to get a physical copy and check out the audiobook on Axis 360.

Audiobooks can also be a motivation to your reader. As they follow along to the end, they might realize they just “read” a book above their grade level. This might encourage them to keep trying when the reading gets hard.

Why not try this summer. Maybe you will surprise your child’s teacher when your child shows up next school year reading better than when they left school.

Library Services Update

May 12, 2020

Dear Valued Library Patron

On behalf of our entire family of libraries, we want to thank you for your support during the past couple of months. While our doors were physically closed to you, our Central Mississippi Regional Library System Board of Trustees and Library Team was committed to providing digital services which included access to eBooks, Databases, eContent, free WiFi at all branches. We are grateful that you have continued to support us from a distance. Because of your support, we have been able to promote safety for our communities and our library team. We sincerely appreciate your vast loyalty and look forward to having you visit our libraries again soon.

From the beginning of the pandemic, we have continued to prioritize the health and well-being of our library team members and library patrons. As we enter phased reopening plans in our branches, we want to inform you of the practices and safety protocols we are following to ensure our libraries remain a safe place to work and provide library services. Below is a list of policies and operations that our libraries will be following, along with estimated dates of when each location plans to reopen.

We kindly ask that you refrain from visiting our libraries if you have any symptoms (coughing, shortness of breath, sore throat, vomiting or diarrhea), if you have had a fever of 100.4 in the past 48hrs, or if you have been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID19. Additionally, we request your participation in our social distancing practices to safeguard our CMRLS team and patrons. Thank you for your assistance in this matter!

• Libraries will follow all local guidelines to open at specified capacity rates.
• In-person library programming, such as but not limited to story times and book clubs, will not be offered until further notice.
• The Library Team Member is required to undergo a series of health screening questions before entering the building. Those showing any signs of symptoms or fever are prohibited from entering the library.
• Study tables and computer stations are seated at least 6ft apart from one another.
• Availability of computers will be limited. We will adhere to thirty-minute sessions to allow for others to use computers. Free Wifi can be accessed on the outside of the library building.
• Curbside Document Delivery Services such as printing, copying and faxing are available for a fee. Wireless printing is available at select branches: Flowood, Pearl, Magee, Mendenhall, Forest.
• Notary services are available for a nominal fee at the following branches: Flowood, Magee, Mendenhall
• Library Team Members are required to wear protective masks and gloves with frequent glove changes and hand washing.
• Tables, chairs, and other library surfaces are sanitized after every use.
• High-touch areas such as doorknobs, screens, restrooms, etc. are sanitized frequently throughout each shift.
• Antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer are readily available for Library Team Members and patrons in the libraries.
• Library Team Members are provided proper training and guidance on safety protocols and steps to minimize the spread of COVID19.
• Meeting room use and study room use are discontinued until further notice.

CMRLS has a plan for our libraries. The first part of the plan includes opening Book Drops and offering Curbside Services. During this phase, patrons will not be allowed to enter our libraries.

Book drops at selected locations will be open starting Monday, May 18, 2020 (at the following locations: Floyd J.Robinson Memorial Public Library (Raleigh, MS), Forest Public Library (Forest, MS), G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Public Library (Flowood, MS), Magee PublicLibrary (Magee, MS), Mendenhall Public Library (Mendenhall, MS), Pearl PublicLibrary (Pearl, MS), Richland Public Library (Richland, MS)). All returned items will be quarantined for fourteen (14) days in the designated and approved area in the library. The returned items will be in quarantine. Items will remain on the patron’s account until the quarantine period is completed. However, it should not hinder the patron from borrowing more items.

Beginning Tuesday, May 26, 2020, Curbside Services will be available from 10:00 A.M.-5:30 P.M. at the following locations: Floyd J.Robinson Memorial Public Library (Raleigh, MS), Forest Public Library (Forest, MS), G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Public Library (Flowood, MS), Magee PublicLibrary (Magee, MS), Mendenhall Public Library (Mendenhall, MS), Pearl PublicLibrary (Pearl, MS), Richland Public Library (Richland, MS).

We will continue to closely monitor the recommendations of local health departments and authorities to ensure we are serving you in the safest way possible.

Warm regards,

Mara V. Polk

Executive Director

6 Word Story

RALEIGH: "Apparently, Ernest Hemingway was lunching at Luchow’s with a number of writers and claimed that he could write a short story that was only six words long. Of course, the other writers balked. Hemingway told each of them to put ten dollars in the middle of the table; if he was wrong, he said, he’d match it. If he was right, he would keep the entire pot. He quickly wrote six words down on a napkin and passed it around; Papa won the bet. The words were “FOR SALE, BABY SHOES, NEVER WORN.” A beginning, a middle and an end!"

That is a story that is told about Ernest Hemingway. We have decided to continue this idea to honor National Library Week by having our own 6 word story contest. We will be accepting 6 word stories the week of April 7th - 13th. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 15th and will win a $25 dollar prize.

Let's see how creative you can be.

Valentine Fun at Raleigh

We will have a busy but fun Valentine's Day at the Raleigh Library. It will begin with a book club meeting for adults and then a Valentine party for elementary kids.

We have a great book for our adult book club this month. It is a classic you may have read when you were younger. It is always fun to renew our memories. This month's classic is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It is the classic tale of four sisters as they relate to each other and the changes that life throws at them.

Our adult book club is a special time to get together with other book lovers for a time of discussion. We meet at 2:00 pm on the second Thursday of the month. It is a good time to read books outside of your normal genre. We would love for you to join us.

We will also be celebrating Valentine's Day with a party for our elementary kids at 3:30 pm.
We will have books, songs, cookie decorating, Valentine Tic Tac Toe craft, Valentine Card decorating, and games. This will be a really fun time. Come out and invite your friends.

Something fun is being planned for March 1st, be watching for the announcement!

Pajama Party

What can be more fun than a pajama party? A pajama party with a great story teller!
The Raleigh Public Library will be having a merry time Thursday, Dec 13th at 3:30 pm as we have a Pajama Party with Diane Butler. Diane is a great story teller so it should be a really fun time.
So put on your favorite Christmas pajamas (non pajama wearers welcome too) and come to the library to have some fun. And a party is not a party without some great refreshments.  See you there.

Importance of Reading

You can't be on the CMRLS website without reading about our new Acorn Card. It's a card to encourage children and vulnerable adults to do more reading.

This is just a quick note about the importance of not just your child reading, but about the importance of you as a parent reading aloud to your child. My daughter has just finished getting her master's degree as a Reading Specialist. She teaches middle school age youth who have trouble with their reading skills. One thing she has shared with me is how important it is to read aloud to your children. This can be for youth of all ages, especially those who have trouble with reading. They frequently can sound out the words but because of the time it takes, it's hard for them to understand what they have read.

Plus, this time can create special memories. I grew up on a small farm in Kansas with 6 of us kids. There was always something that needed done and my mom stayed very busy. I have one special memory of that time about reading. One winter my mom found a series of books at a library that she read to all of us as we gathered around the heating stove. It was the story about three teenagers called the three Jolly J's. (I have never been able to find these books.) I would probably been a young elementary student at the time (many years ago), but I remember how we couldn't wait until the next time Mom had time to sit down and read some more to us. I don't know if that is when my love of reading started, but it is still my favorite way to entertain myself.

So, take advantage of your library card, find something your child is interested in and make time to read to them. They will benefit as will you.

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!