The New Year at the Brandon Library

It is now a new year and the Brandon Library is ready with some fun programs for all ages! Come in to get our new January calendars or go to http://cmrls.evanced.info/signup/Calendar to see all of our programs. 

There are two new programs that we added to our roster! Every Tuesday from 1-5 we have The Makery for all ages. We will provide a space and supplies for a different making activity each week. It is a casual come and go program.

We have incorporated our Coding Club with STEAM+. This program is on the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of every month. Ages 9-12 at 4 pm and ages 13-18 at 5pm. Space is limited so sign up now!

We have recently acquired a new addition to our library family in the form of a new pet! It’ll be in a different spot around the library every day. Come in, say hi, and give us a suggestion for our pet's name!

The new story on the story walk in the park is up so go check it out!  Since Mississippi does not get much snow (if any at all) we thought you might like to at least read about it. 

Libraries to CLOSE

Hurricane Isaac

All CMRLS Libraries will be closed by 6:00 p.m. this evening, Tuesday, August 28. The Libraries will remain closed Wednesday, August 29, due to anticipated severe weather. Library programs are cancelled.

Libraries will open with regular business hours on Thursday, August 30, weather permitting.

For further information on weather closings pertaining to CMRLS Libraries, watch this blog or visit Facebook, Twitter.

Stay safe and informed! News, weather, and government information can be found HERE.

October Programs for Florence Public Library

 Florence Public Library would like to invite you to join in the activities this October. We have a little something for everyone and all programs are free to the public. If you can't find a program to fit your interest at the Florence Library, please feel free to check out the CMRLS webpage calendar to see what is Happening at the CMRLS libraries near you.

http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us/calendar.html

October Schedule

Preschool Story Time is held each Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Come join us for stories, music and more…For the little ones.

Crochet Club will meet on October 3 and 17 at 11:00 a.m. Share the joy of Crocheting with others. Bring your own materials.

Friends of the Florence Library will have their regular meeting on October  6, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.  Membership fee is $5.00 yearly. Be more than a patron… Be a FRIEND.

Adult Book Club will meet on October 12 , 2011 at 11:00 a.m. special guest will be author Joe Lee he  will have a book talk and signing.

Fall Family Fest is on October 27, 2011 at 4:30 p.m. Join the library for food, fun, games and more….FREE for all ages. (feel free to dress in costume - no scary ones please)

 Adult Computer Classes  are on  Wednesday at 11:30- 12:30, space is limited and registration is required.

October 5- Advanced Microsoft Word, Learn to create tables: add borders and shading to your documents with Word 2003.

October 12- Introduction to computers. Learn the basics.

October 19- Introduction to the Internet. Learn to  search basic Search Engines on the Internet.

October 26- Introduction to E-mail. Learn to search and receive email.

Library Closing

The Flowood Library WILL be OPEN Saturday, Jan. 22. The maintenance is moving along quickly! Library hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. See you there!

Library Closing

The G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood will be closed Friday, Jan. 21 and Saturday, Jan. 22 for maintenance. Materials may be returned at any of the other CMRLS Libraries.

Libraries Closing for Holiday

All CMRLS Libraries will be closed Monday, January 17, in observance of the birthdays of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert E. Lee.

Libraries with Saturday hours in Rankin County are: Flowood, Pearl, Brandon, Puckett, Florence, Reservoir, and Richland. Forest Library, in Scott County is open on Saturday; Magee, Mendenhall and Harrisville Libraries in Simpson County and Taylorsville Library in Smith County. Click HERE for a map and hours of operation.

Libraries Closed Today

CMRLS Libraries will not open today, Monday, Jan. 10. The Libraries will be open regular business hours on Tuesday, Jan. 11. We regret any inconvenience this may cause. Please be careful if you must be on the roads this afternoon.

Flowood Library Open House

DECEMBER 9, 2010

7:00 PM

The Flowood Library invites you to our annual Holiday Open House. Kick off the holidays with us and the Mississippi Swing Band! Sit back and enjoy the music. Library staff will provide a small buffet of finger foods, beverages, and dessert. This event is free to all Flowood residents.

For more information, please call the library at (601) 919-1911 ext 15.

We look forward to seeing you here!

Scott County Sports Stars to Visit

Scott County Sports Stars from the NFL and NBA, and others, will be at the Forest Public Library on Wednesday, October 27, from 4:30 until 6:30 p.m. The Forest Public Library, having just moved into a new building in August is welcoming these Stars home for a visit to see the new Library!

Scott County Sports Stars scheduled to be in attendance are Marlo Perry, formerly of the Buffalo Bills; Todd Pinkston, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles; Deuce McAllister, formerly of the New Orleans Saints; Rashard Anderson, formerly of the Carolina Panthers; and Willie Richardson, also a Mississippian, formerly of the Baltimore Colts.

The group will be bringing pictures, pencils, and balls to give away. They will be autographing these items or personal sports mementos for the public. All sports fans and Scott Countians will enjoy this afternoon of hometown appreciation. For more information, call the Forest Public Library at 601-469-1481.

Interest in Writing?

Are you interested in writing? There are several opportunities during the month in CMRLS Libraries to help you follow your interest, whether it is a group to discuss critiquing and publishing or meeting a published author.

Beginning today:

• 10/7, 5:00 p.m., Raleigh Library - Author John Floyd discusses and signs newest book, Clockwork
• 10/7, 5:30 p.m., Pearl Library - Author Renee Allen McCoy, new book Kiss of Judas
• 10/8, 12:00 noon, Flowood Library - Southern Writers Group meets
• 10/8, 1:30 p.m., Flowood Library - Red Dog Writers Workshop
• 10/9, 9:00 a.m., Flowood Library - Poets Anonymous meets
• 10/11, 6:00 p.m., Richland Library - Richland Writers meets
• 10/16, 10:00 a.m., Flowood Library - Magnolia State Romance Writers meets
• 10/16, 1:00 p.m., Flowood Library - Author John Floyd discusses and signs newest book, Clockwork
• 10/22, 12:00 noon, Pearl Library - Author John Floyd discusses and signs newest book, Clockwork
• 10/28, 6:30 p.m., Flowood Library - Southern Writers Group meets

Ask at your local Library about these and other programs.

Get the Smartest Card!

Does the student in your life have a Library card?

Start their school year off right with the best school supply you can get, the smartest card - a CMRLS Library Card. It's FREE, and it gives your student access to over 360,000 items in 20 Libraries, all with computers and Internet access. The staff at each Library will help your student find just what they need for their projects and assignments. We want to help you and your student have a successful school year!

It's not all about homework, either; there are video games, DVDs, book MP3s and music CDs, graphic novels, programs...and so much more at CMRLS Libraries!

If your student doesn't have a Library card, get them one now! Start the school year off with the SMARTEST CARD, a CMRLS Library Card! Let the Libraries help make this a successful school year, for you and your student!

Tombstone Tuesday?

Did anyone reading this know that in the genealogy blogosphere it is Tombstone Tuesday? Gen-bloggers use this as the subject for Tuesday entries!

And, this the week of Flag Day, what better than Arlington National Cemetery to feature. Did you know that Glenn Miller, the big band leader, arranger, composer, and trombonist has a memorial marker at the Arlington National Cemetery? Miller, known at the time as Maj. Alton Glenn Miller, of the U.S. Army Air Corps has been missing in action since Dec. 15, 1944. Miller was eligible for a memorial headstone in Arlington National Cemetery as a service member who died on active duty whose remains were not recoverable. At his daughter's request, a stone was placed in Memorial Section H, Number 464-A on Wilson Drive in Arlington National Cemetery in April 1992.



If genealogy interests you, Brandon Public Library has three genealogy programs during the month of July. They are July 1, 8, and 15th. The workshops on July 8 and 15 are on Ancestry.com, so you must call ahead to reserve a spot. Space is limited!

Google "Tombstone Tuesday" to find thousands of entries on genealogy blogs. You may even find some new blogs that interest you!

"Friends" Meet to Help!

Many Friends of the Library groups will meet this summer to discuss helping their libraries during this time of economic uncertainty, while others have postponed meeting until fall when everyone has returned from their vacations. Please, consider joining the group associated with the library nearest you. In most cases, membership is just $5 per person. No one, or in this case -- no library can have too many Friends!

Those meeting this summer are:

• Pearl Library Friends will meet June 11 & July 9 at 10:30 a.m.
• Brandon Library Friends will meet June 15 at 6:00 p.m.
• Florence Library Friends will meet July 1 at 6:00 p.m.
• Taylorsville Library Friends will meet July 12, 3:00 p.m.
• Raleigh Library Friends will meet July 13, 5:00 p.m.
• Forest Library Friends will meet July 15, 4:30 p.m.

If your library isn't listed here, contact the staff for information about becoming a FRIEND!
Become more than a patron, become a FRIEND of your Library!

It's JUNE!

Summer Reading Programs have begun at the Libraries of Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith counties. You might just see Inky the Clown or Terry Vandeventer, aka "The Snakeman" at the library nearest you! They do seem to be two of the kids favorite Summer Reading Programs!

Take time to check out the CMRLS Online CALENDAR this summer. It can be sorted for the library nearest you, by age group, or by interest. Ask your library staff to walk you through it if you have problems, but its a straightforward search application in the near upper left-hand corner of the calendar page. Find a program you are interested in and click on the title. This links to a window with the address of the Library, hours of operation, and information regarding the program. It's an easy way to find FREE things to do this summer!

All CMRLS Libraries will be CLOSED Monday, April 26, for the State holiday -- Confederate Memorial Day.

There are books on your libraries' shelves that tell of life during the time of the American Civil War or about Mississippi and the South during that time if you would like to delve into some history.

CMRLS Libraries will open Tuesday, April 27 with regular hours.

Communities Thrive @ your Library!

All CMRLS branches are getting ready for National Library Week, April 12-18, 2010. Check out the online calendar for great programs and even a couple of open houses and receptions. There will be cookies and punch at many of the Libraries during the week! You will want to join the Library staff and Friends of the Library in celebrating the importance of Libraries in our communities.

Friends of the Libraries support CMRLS Libraries all year and take this time each year to remind everyone the importance of Libraries and the importance of supporting them. A big "Thank you" goes out to each of the Boards of Supervisors, Mayors, and Alderman of Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith Counties for the support they show CMRLS Libraries in meeting the needs of our customers. Everyone is aware of shortfalls and financial difficulties this year and yet these elected officials understand the importance of Libraries to their communities. Again, Thank You!

Central Mississippi Regional Library System, Staff, and Friends of the Library know OUR Communities Thrive @ your Library! Celebrate National Library Week with us!

Library Closings

All CMRLS Libraries will close

by 6:00 p.m. on Wed., Dec. 23 and

all day Thurs., Dec. 24,

Fri., Dec. 25, and Sat., Dec. 26,

for the Christmas Holiday!

~

The Libraries will also close

all day Thurs., Dec. 31 & Fri., Jan. 1,

for the New Year's Holiday.

~

Libraries will close all day Mon., Jan. 19

for the celebrated birthdays of

Martin luther King, Jr. & Robert E. Lee.

~

The CMRLS staff wishes you a

happy and safe holiday season!

FRIENDS' Support Libraries!

While you are out and about on one of these pretty fall weekends, stop at one of these Libraries to look at the books, videos, magazines, and more for sale and to support the Friends of the Library!

Oct. 16 & 17 - Brandon Public Library

Oct. 31 - Sebastopol Public Library (@ Sebastopolooza)

Nov. 14 - Puckett Public Library

The money raised by these FRIENDS' groups will go to support programming or even to purchase books at their Libraries. Any one of these groups would be glad for you to join them for a small annual membership fee and all the money goes back into the Library!

Many of the CMRLS Libraries have on-going FRIENDS' Book Sales. Call your local Library to see if they have one, and "be more than a patron, be a FRIEND." Support your Library!

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!

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.