The Brandon Library is Prepping for Santa!

Though it's a little more than twelve days before Christmas, Santa will be here at the Brandon Library even sooner! 

Join us on Thursday, December 6 at 6:00 pm for a chance to meet the reindeer wrangler himself. We'll have stories, snacks, and more for you to enjoy and get into the holiday spirit while you wait for your turn with Santa.

Don't forget your wish list (we know you made one)!

We can't wait to see you there.

Happy Holidays!

Traveling for the Holidays?

Every trip I take requires plenty of reading material to carry along. After all, you never know when you might get a chance to read and you certainly don’t want to be stuck reading labels, assembly instructions, and so forth. I like to take at least several books, an audio or two, and several magazines. Sometimes I need an extra bag just to tote all this necessary stuff. See?

With the advent of eBooks, eAudios, and eMagazines, I have to confess that I still prefer to put my hands on the book or the magazine. There’s just something about the experience of holding the book in your hands and turning the pages (sometimes quickly) that electronic devices just do not equal. A year or so ago, though, I had an “AHA” moment. I was traveling light and decided to try the CMRLS Axis 360 and Flipster apps for my reading/listening needs. I downloaded an audio and a book from the Magic Wall, then I went to Flipster and found a magazine to download. The great thing about this download was I could get all three items where I could read/listen while offline. Who knew you could have access without an Internet connection? Well, you can! The other great thing was IT WAS FREE.  Using my library card, there was no cost to borrow all these items.

So off I went on my trip with just my iPad as my reading buddy and guess what? I found happiness and joy reading on an electronic device plus my load was much lighter. Did my discovery cause me to abandon my old friend, the book? No. Never. But I have found a balance to the book vs. eBook question because sometimes it is just more convenient to have the electronic version of my current read. I’ve been known to have the book checked out and the eBook as well and trade back and forth. 

The holidays are coming up and many of us will be traveling to visit family and/or friends. If you haven’t tried any of our free electronic books, audios, or magazines, experiment on your next trip. Download an item or two and give them a whirl. You might find, like me, that it’s a wonderful complement to your reading pleasure. To access these items, all you need is your library card. Go to our website, www.cmrls.lib.ms.us and click on the “Digital Library” tab. You will see the link to the Magic Wall for eBooks and downloadable audios and Flipster for downloadable magazines.  Give it a try this holiday season…then let us know what you think. 

Family Night with Santa @ Richland Library

Crafts and Christmas

Crafts and Christmas seem to go together because the best gifts are those that are made with love. My family one year decided that we would make Christmas special by everyone making gifts for each other. When my mother passed away, one of her items I got back was something I had made her that Christmas. It has a special memory for me now.

Libraries love to have special crafting programs during Christmas time. Here at Raleigh we just had a painting class of a stocking door hanging, and will have a family craft next Monday making snowmen, penguins, and bears out of socks. These crafts can be turned into a special gift for someone on your special list.

I went on the CMRLS website calendar and checked just the art and DIY craft events
in the system for the month of December. There are so many different programs available. Find something you think would be fun, check with that library, and then make something special for someone special to you this Christmas.

December Programs at the Pearl Public Public Are the Recipe for a Great Holiday Season!

ATTENTION BAKERS!

Here's your chance to show off your culinary skills and compete to win the GOLDEN WHISK! Thurs. Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. at the Pearl Public Library! 

All are welcome to participate in the competition or to come taste test to vote for your favorite!

Sign up now through Mon. Dec. 3. Call or come by the library to sign up or go online at  

http://cmrls.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=8170&backTo=Calendar&startDate=2018/12/01

The program is free, so no reason to miss out!

You also don't want to miss the library's very special Country Christmas Family Night on Tues. Dec.  11 at 6 p.m. featuring Dancin' Dan the Banjo Man and Santa Claus!  Also a free program for the whole family to enjoy!

There's so much more going on in December at the Pearl Public Library. Visit www.cmrls.lib.ms.us and click on EVENTS to see all scheduled programs!

We'll see you there!

New Ways to Support the Brandon Library!

We at the Brandon Library are excited to announce that we are now affiliated with Amazon Smile!

Much like our Kroger Community Rewards Program, Amazon Smile allows patrons to support us with no cost and no effort! Go to smile.amazon.com and select "Friends of the Brandon Library" as your organization of choice. As long as you log in to Amazon via smile.amazon.com, .05% of your entire purchase total is donated to us each time you shop! This may not seem like a lot, but remember: every little bit helps.

(Besides, we're librarians! We're used to doing a lot with a little.)

Are you gearing up for a big virtual trip to Amazon this Black Friday? Want to get a head start on the Season of Giving? We have the perfect opportunity for you.

Click here or call the library at 601-825-2762 for details!

Santa Claus is Coming to Pelahatchie Public Library

We’re not sure if this has ever happened before - perhaps it did many years ago – but Santa Claus will be visiting the Pelahatchie Public Library at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 29.  It is just a short visit (5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) so make sure you mark your calendar. 

Santa Claus will start visiting with boys and girls starting at 5:30 p.m. Photographs of your little one with Santa are allowed.  If you would like us to take a picture, we will be happy to do so.  We will follow up by emailing you a digital copy of the photo, so please be prepared to provide us with your email address.

In addition to Santa, there will be cookies and hot chocolate for refreshments (Ooh, wouldn’t that taste good today!).  So make plans to stop by Thursday, November 29, at 5:30 p.m.  Hope to see you there!

November Events at the Morton Library

November officially kicks off the holiday season, and we are very excited! We have been decorating the library for fall, and all our November events will be centered around fall or Thanksgiving!

Preschool Story Time

We always have so much fun at story time, and this month are themes are fall and Thanksgiving! Bring your little ones, and join us for stories, music, dancing, and crafts! Story Time is held in the meeting room every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

This month's themes are:

 November 6th: Scarecrows

November 13th: Turkeys

November 20th: Happy Thanksgiving

November 27th: Fall

K-6^th Grade and Teen

We will be having a K-6^th grade Craft Night on November 15 at 5:00p.m. We will be making birdfeeders using pinecones.

We will also have a Teen Craft Night on November 29 at 5:00 p.m. We will be making our own fall bookmarks.

Friends of the Library Meeting

The Morton Friends of the Library will hold a meeting on November 20 at 12:00 p.m. in the Morton Library meeting room. If you wish to become a friend of the library please join in on this meeting or come to the library for more information.

We look forward to seeing you at all of our programs and hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Holidays from the Rez!

Are you ready for the holidays?! All the librarians are. We have been busy decorating and selecting books, movies, and many other library materials that we hope will help all our patrons pass the time as they gather with friends and family to celebrate the holidays.

Book Bubbles with Uno. Our library goldfish Uno has been very busy the past couple of weeks. What with reading his favorite books and working on his very own book he has had a lot on his plate lately.  He was taking a bubble blowing break the other day when he noticed the librarians here at the Reservoir putting up Halloween decorations. He asked us what they were for, and when we told him he jumped for joy knowing that it was the start of the holiday season! With that, he swam back into his sunken pirate ship home and got busy planning his holiday season! Like the rest of us, Uno cannot wait to see his family and friends during the holiday season.  He told me that his favorite time of the year was the Christmas season. It is during this time that he and his friends that live in the Reservoir gather together and exchange Christmas gifts with each other.  His plans for the holidays are to visit his friends and family in the South Pacific!

Veterans Day. On November 12, The Reservoir Library will be closed for the observation of Veterans Day. We will return to our regular business hours on Tuesday, November 13. We hope all our patrons have a safe and happy Veterans Day.  We would like to especially thank our veterans for their service to our country.

International Games Week. Let the games begin! Join us for International games week as we celebrate International Games week at the Northwest Point Reservoir Library. We will officially open the games on November 5th and end them on November 9th. We will have game for all patrons to play ranging from popular favorites such as chess and checkers to more modern favorites such as monopoly and Settlers of Catan! Patrons are also welcome to bring their own games to join in the fun!

Movie Matinee. Join us on November 14, at 11 am, for a trip back in time to the 1800s to experience an old-fashioned American Thanksgiving.  We will be showing the New Line Cinema production of An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving, which tells the story of a poor family torn apart by grief and loss. The only way for them to have a holiday is to enlist the help of their estranged wealthy grandmother to help bring them all together for an unforgettable holiday.  We will have free popcorn for all patrons while supplies last. All are welcome to come enjoy this timeless classic to start off the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving! We at the Northwest Point Reservoir Library would like to take a moment to wish all our patrons a blessed and happy Thanksgiving.  The Reservoir library will close at noon on Wednesday, November 21, and remain closed through Saturday, November 24, so that the librarians (and library goldfish Uno can enjoy the holiday with their family and friends. Normal business hours will resume on Monday, November 26. We are so thankful to all our supportive patrons without who this Library would not be here. Thank you for your continued support for the library and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Trivia Tuesday! The third Tuesday night of each month, at 6:30 pm, we will test our trivial knowledge skills as we battle with others to win a gift card for Mugshots great food. If you are a Trivia master, then join us for the ultimate battle for the title of trivia king! Free Rotel for all and as always lots of fun and friendship! The next game is December 18, at Mugshots of Flowood.

Pictures with Santa! On Wednesday, December 12, at 3:30 pm, bring your Christmas letters to Santa. The Jolly man himself will be taking a break from his busy holiday rush at the North Pole to come visit us! Be ready to take plenty of pictures and ask him lots of questions about his North Pole workshop.  Parents are encouraged to bring their own cameras to take pictures of their children as they visit with Santa.

  

The High Noon Book Club. December 13, at 12 pm, we will hold the second in a series of book club meetings. Bring your favorite book and a brown bag lunch for a fun-filled lunch hour of reading and friendly discussion as we dive into the world of fine dining and literature. Deserts will be provided! This month we are reading the Richard Grant book Dispatches from Pluto, which tells the story of a young couple from the Northern United States who on a whim decide to move down to the small Mississippi Delta community of Pluto to buy an old antebellum plantation home.  While living their new lives as Mississippians they meet a colorful community.

This past month we read the book A Man Called Ove which is written by Swiss author Fredrik Backman.  The consensus was that the book does have a curmudgeon with a heart of gold as the main character and that it was a great book to start off the book club.  Of the nine people that were in the first meeting only one person generally disliked the book.  I would suggest this book to any readers wanting to start a book club but don’t know exactly where to start.  A Man Called Ove is a very easy read of only 337 pages and each chapter is like a separate story. An enjoyable book!

Loose Knit Group. Join us every Tuesday, from 1pm to 3pm, for conversation and knitting! Bring your own projects to work on as we discuss the events of life and work on our knitting and crocheting together. All experience levels are welcome.

We have many fun and exciting events planned for all our patrons this holiday season! We hope that all of you enjoy these events free of charge and will please help us ring in the New year by providing their input to the staff of Northwest Point Reservoir Library. 

A Season of Blessing at the Pearl Library!

A Blessing Box Food Drive, sponsored by the recently formed Team Tungsten Robotics of Rankin County, will be underway on Tues. Nov. 6 and run through Fri. Dec. 21 at the Pearl Public Library.

Bring canned or boxed nonperishable food items or hygiene items. Each item you donate will allow you to enter into a drawing for a prize. The drawing will be held during the library's Family Night program featuring Zoe Brumfield, bagpipe player, starting at 6 p.m. 

The Blessing Box is a community outreach event the robotics students chose to hold to fulfill one of their requirements. There are five members of Team Tungsten Robotics, ages 11 and 12, who work together as a team to design a build a robot. Team members will be available to answer questions at the Family Night program.

Team Tungsten Robotics, started in August, is mentored by the Wait For It Robotics team of Pearl which won the World Championship robotics competition in Houston, TX last year. 

For more information you can call robotics' team coach and Pearl Library staffer, Holly Hardin at 601-932-2562. 

Come on by the Pearl Library and be a part of this wonderful community event. And, don't miss Family Night with Zoe Brumfield!

We'll see you there!

*Note:  Tungsten is a chemical element, with the atomic number 74 on the periodic table. Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal. It is used in alloys, such as steel, to give it great strength.