Nothing Trivial About It: The Answer Is… by Alex Trebek

Tragically, Alex Trebek, the long-time host of the syndicated game show Jeopardy!, passed away earlier this month on November 8, at the age of 80, after struggling with pancreatic cancer. As a fixture on the show for 36 years, Trebek became a steadfast daily presence in the lives of millions of Americans. He became a symbol of intellectual achievement and commitment to curiosity and learning.

Behind the symbolism, though, lay an ordinary human with a story to tell. Before his death, Trebek released his autobiography, The Answer Is…:Reflections on My Life, this July. Alex Trebek was born as the son of a Ukranian immigrant hotel cook in a mining town in northern Ontario. Trebek does not pay short shrift to his origins, nor is he condescending in his tone. He understands most people are probably reading the book for insight into the world of Jeopardy!, but I think this choice is revealing of a very humble attitude in his perspective on his success.

Trebek does get to Jeopardy! and tells you about iconic champions Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer, but also tells you about his favorite contestants of lesser renown as well. Both in the book and on the show, he could vacillate between gravitas and silliness, becoming whatever the situation called for. He mentions several times that he is the host, not the star, of Jeopardy! The show itself is the star, and we are the players.

Written well into his cancer struggle, The Answer Is… can be pensive, but it is never morose. It is far closer to being joyful and full of life. While a look into the life of Alex Trebek (written by the man himself) may surprise its readers, we should all be so lucky to take stock of our lives as the final curtain closes.

Brandon: International Game Week and Other November Tidbits

Even though National Game Week is November 3-9 this year, The Brandon Library will be playing games all month.  Monday, November 4 at 5 p.m. our middle graders and teens  (ages 10+) will be trying out the digital version of the Operation!  Tuesday, November 5 the Brandon Library will host Trivia Night at Lost Pizza at 6 p.m.

Saturday, November 9 we are hosting our Ultimate Escape Room! However, you can’t just come. You must have a golden ticket!  Stop by the library to find out how to get your ticket today!

Our regular Video Game day is November 16. We are playing Minecraft.  Even our Family Night on Monday November 18 at 6 pm will be a game and puzzle adventure.

If you happen to miss all these fun days, do not worry we will have puzzles, card games, and board games out for all ages!  If you do not like board games or puzzles, we always have the Wii set up in the children’s department.

Since we are a library, not everything is games and puzzles. Other fun includes:

•          Genealogy for Beginners on Thursday, November 14 at 6 p.m. and Tuesday, November 19 at 11 a.m. for those who are interested in researching your family tree. 
• ·         Thursday November 7 at 6 p.m. come to the library to relax before the holiday rush and enjoy making Creative Zentangles. 
•          Need help learning about Google Apps or buying a new computer?  We have Computer Literacy 101 to help with that! Wednesday, November 6 and 20 at 11 a.m.

Have any questions about any of our programs? Come on in or give us a call and we will be happy to help!

Mugshots Trivia

Mugshots Trivia, an exciting contest where patrons gather to test their intellectual skills, meets at Mugshots Restaurant in Flowood, MS once a month, every third Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. to play for Mugshots Restaurant gift cards.

First prize winner will receive a $15 gift card. Second prize winner will receive a $10 gift card. Third prize winner receives a $5 gift card. Fourth prize winner will receive the satisfaction of playing the game while eating good quality food.

As for myself I receive practice in front of a live audience with my public speaking skills. Don't worry. Unlike some of the generals and colonels I knew in the Army, I try to speak well and say something. I try not to waste time and I get to the point.

People gather for the free family fun and with a coupon enjoy free Rotel Dip.

Mugshots Trivia is a library outreach program. It can be a challenging game to play for patrons, but it is also a challenging game to prepare for.

I am one of two branch managers with the responsibility of providing a reasonably challenging trivia game that is both intellectually stimulating and fun.

On my team I have a trivia gamemaster available to assist me in preparing the questions. These questions are often seasonal. For example, last night the theme was Easter, so Easter-related questions were asked. I never knew the Easter Bunny originated in Germany. I review these questions to determine the level of difficulty. I don't want anything too hard or too easy. Everyone needs a reasonable chance of getting the question correct.

The trivia questions are incorporated on a Power Point slide presentation to be displayed on a monitor. It's easier if people can read the questions.

I take a voice amplifier speaker system and attach it to my belt. The Loft, where the game is played, can be noisy with people talking downstairs and music and sports games playing in the background. I also tend to be soft spoken.

"Testing, Testing." The patrons give me a thumbs up letting me know they can hear me.

Then the game begins.

I ask the questions and give everyone time to answer on a slip of paper. I gather the slips of paper and hand them to my assistant. She compiles the score.

At the end of the game we generally know who the winners are. But, sometimes we have a tie and have to have a Bonus Round of questions. First team to get a question right wins.

At the end of the contest people continue with their meals and enjoy the Mugshots Restaurant atmosphere. I pack up my belongings and start to move towards the exit. As I leave the Loft I talk to a few people, but I want to leave everyone to enjoy their meals.

It is astounding that we can get so many people out on a Tuesday night to come and test their intellectual prowess.

A question comes to mind on what we can do to grow this program further.

Should we offer bigger prizes? Should we change the location? Should I ask Miss Mississippi to come and read the questions?

We continue to look for new and innovative ways for our patrons to enjoy their Tuesday evenings at Mugshots Restaurant.

Tacos & Trivia

Everyone knows that Nicholas Sparks is the King of Romance. How well do you love them? How many times have you read all his books?

His first book was The Notebook, set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast, The Notebook begins with the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner recently returned from the Second World War. Noah is restoring a plantation home to its former glory, and he is haunted by images of the beautiful girl he met fourteen years earlier, a girl he loved like no other. Unable to find her, yet unwilling to forget the summer they spent together, Noah is content to live with only memories...until she unexpectedly returns to his town to see him once again.*

My favorite is the sequel, The Wedding, after thirty years of marriage, Wilson Lewis, son-in-law of Allie and Noah Calhoun (of The Notebook), is forced to admit that the romance has gone out of his marriage. Desperate to win back his wife Jane's heart, he must figure out how to make her fall in love with him... again. Despite the shining example of Allie and Noah's marriage, Wilson is himself a man unable to easily express his emotions. A successful estate attorney, he has provided well for his family, but now, with his daughter's upcoming wedding, he is forced to face the fact that he and Jane have grown apart and he wonders if she even loves him anymore. Wilson is sure of one thing--his love for his wife has only deepened and intensified over the years. Now, with the memories of his in-laws' magnificent fifty-year love affair as his guide, Wilson struggles to find his way back into the heart of the woman he adores.*

On Tuesday, February 12 at 6:00 pm, the Magee Library will have a Tacos and Trivia Night. We will be asking trivia from all of the romance books written by Nicholas Sparks. 

For a complete list of his books click here.


We will be serving tacos from one of our local Mexican restaurants. 

*Book blurbs came from the website goodreads.com

LET'S GET THE PARTY STARTED AND GO ALL WEEK! IT'S WORTH IT!

There's a reason, libraries are celebrated all over the United States for a whole week in April. This year it's April 14 -18. 

Hey!!!! Libraries are WORTH IT! Can you imagine life without libraries?! WAKE ME UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE, SOMEBODY PLEASE!

I'm OK now. Thanks. 

There's one thing for sure. The Pearl Public Library is definitely celebrating! On tap are an Easter Egg hunt for adults, trivia and prizes.  Oh, what's this I hear! Eleanor says the bunny is leaving a cute little basket for the winner that finds that special egg!  Cooooooooooooool beans...uh, eggs I mean!  Don't miss it!

And, now, let's take a look at what some folks have to say about libraries...

--The public library is more than a repository of books. It's a mysterious, wondrous place with the power to change lives.Chicago Tribune literary editor Elizabeth Taylor

--It's an essential fight librarians are making, an age-old fight; yours is a battle for civilization. It's a fight for our country's founding values. Radio talk-show host Jim Hightower

--We must not think of learning as only what happens in schools. It is an extended part of life. The most readily available resource for all of life is our public library system. Author David McCullough

--The part of my education that has had the deepest influence wasn't any particular essay or even a specific class, it was how I was able to apply everything I learned in the library to certain situations in my life. . . The library takes me away from my everyday life and allows me to see other places and learn to understand other people unlike myself. Musician Gloria Estefan

--We all love to hear a good story. We save our stories in books. We save our books in libraries. Libraries are the storyhouses full of all those stories and secrets. Actor Kathy Bates

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YES! YES! YES! That's what I'm talkin' about! And, that's why the Pearl Public Library will have some special, adult fun going on during National Library Week!

Please come by and support your library especially during this nationally recognized week!

We'll see you there!