Notary Services License Renewed

Notary services have been available at the Flowood Library for over two years. This service is offered 9-5 p.m. Monday–Wednesday, and Friday; 12-8 p.m. on Thursday which are better than banker's hours. Additional times are available by appointment. The cost for the service is $3.00. I could probably charge more, especially for divorce cases, but $3.00 is just about right for this kind of service.

For four years I've been a public notary. I must confess I had no idea what I was getting into. It has been an experience unlike any other. I've notarized documents in a variety of legal categories. Just when I think I've seen it all, I find myself faced with a new problem or document I have not seen before. No formal certification is required in the State of Mississippi to be a notary. I would find myself receiving on the job training free of charge. 

Should we continue to offer notary services to our patrons and the community at the public library in the future? What can I say? There is a definite need for this kind of service and the investment in time, money and effort pays for itself within the first year.

Several months ago I submitted the paperwork to get my notary commission renewed. I also requested a few additional items, a few extra bells and whistles to enhance my understanding of the notary field. I wanted to know more than just the basics.

I recently received a new Notary Stamp, a Hand-Held Embossing Seal, and a Notary Plaque (to advertise my services). In the packet there was also an American Notary Study Course, a membership in the American Society of Notaries, and a certificate from the Notary Public Commission signed by the Governor of Mississippi.

All proceeds go to the Flowood Friends of the Library.

Each Year It's One Of The Inevitables!

You guessed it! 

TAXES!

As you think about acquiring tax forms, remember that the Pearl Public Library is there to fill your tax form needs. Well, at least for Federal Forms 1040 and 1040-SR right now; however, other types of Federal Forms will continue to arrive in batches. The library also has State Of Mississippi tax forms. 

Please feel free to stop in or call the Pearl Library at 601-932-2562. Helpful staffers will tell you exactly what forms are available at any given time.

Please remember one thing though. Library staffers are prohibited from answering any tax questions or giving tax advice. That means the staff cannot tell you what form you need to use, advise you on various deductions, etc.

But, do come by! The Pearl Library staff always LOVES serving their patrons!

That's right! LOVES!

We can prove it too!

How?  Glad you asked!

Coming up in just a couple of weeks, the Pearl Public Library, will shower their patrons with amazing LOVE! Been doing it for years!

And, Mmm mmm! How sweet it is!

February is Library Lover's Month. This month actually is for folks out there that like to show their library some appreciation and love!

But, hey! The Pearl Library likes to give that right back! And, in the yearly Library Lover's Month celebration called Come in From the Cold With a Good Book,  library staff and  Friends of the Pearl Library members serve up FREE donuts, cookies and coffee all donated by local businesses! This twelfth annual program will be held on Tues. Feb. 11 and Wed. Feb. 12 from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. each day.

A huge thanks to Community Coffee, Sam's Club of Pearl, Dunkin Donuts, The Donut Factory, Walmart of Pearl, Simply Southern Cafe and Grill of Flowood and That Special Touch Cakes for their yearly support!

It's the Library's way of saying WE LOVE YOU!  They do ya know?

Come in From the Cold With a Good Book also serves as a Friends of the Pearl Library membership drive. New Friends’ memberships and donations will be accepted during the two-day event.

The Friends’ group supports the library by purchasing books and equipment and by sponsoring programs for all ages at the library. They would LOVE to have you be a part of the team!

Don't miss out!

We'll see you there!

Morton Happenings For February

The month of February is Library Lovers Month! Come check out your favorite Romantic movie or book. We would also love to know why you Love our Library. Come in and fill out a heart to decorate our windows. 

Our events for February are February 6 at 5 p.m. We will be having Valentine's Day Family Story Time! Come join us and listen to stories and make a cute craft. It is fun for the whole family.

February 13 at 3:30 p.m. We will be having a teen Yu-Gi-Oh Tournament! There will be no card trading. Just bring your cards to come and have a good time.

February 20. We will be having a Morton Library Cook-Off!

It is for the whole family, just bring your favorite dish or dessert and we will hand out tickets to all

the patrons that come in and they can sample the foods and pick which one they think is best. The person with the most tickets at the end of the day will win the GoldenWisk Award!  

Please contact me Kelly Brown for more details 601-732-6288. 

On February 27 at 5p.m., for K-6. We will be having a beginner How to Draw class.

Every Friday morning, 10 to 11:00 a.m., we have Adult Coffee. Please come join us. This is a good opportunity to get out of the house and have coffee and board games.

Brandon's Birds Get an Extreme Home Makeover!

Seven and a half years ago, branch manager Linda Wolfe, with the financial support of The Friends of the Brandon Public Library, established a bird feeding and nesting area outside the west windows of the children’s area. It turned a weedy patch of unused lawn into a lively area where over 50 species of birds could drink, bathe, eat, and feed their young. The nest boxes have housed over 50 Eastern Bluebirds, as well as Carolina wrens and even flying squirrels. A patron built a set of indoor steps where children and parents can observe the avian visitors with binoculars generously provided by Bass Pro Shop, and identify the birds using donated field guides and a completely illustrated binder of every species reported at the viewing area.

As Linda’s retirement at the end of March approaches, a group of local Master Gardeners, led by Chris Purser, have organized a plan to dramatically landscape the feeding and surrounding areas with a variety of native seed- and fruit-bearing flowers, shrubs, and trees to provide essential food, shelter, and nesting areas for the birds. The project should begin in February and be completed well before the spring nesting season, so keep checking on their progress. If you haven’t seen the birding area yet make a point of it on your next visit to the library.

Stop in to wish Linda Wolfe a happy retirement after 17 years at the Brandon Public Library and 9 years as manager. If you think, like the staff does, that she is the reason our branch is the best and most welcoming branch in the Central Mississippi Regional Library System, then let her know!

Feburary Happenings at the Rez

February Greetings!

We are well on our way to getting the New Year started as we enter the month of February! We have many fun programs planned at the Reservoir for this month. We hope that all of our patrons have had a great start to the year 2020 and are ready to get the next month started!

Valentines at the Library

Come by the library on Valentines Day for some Valentines Candy and share your love of the Library.

Library Lovers Month 

Stop by the library during the month of February for a special Library Lovers Month drawing! Come write down why you love your local library to enter to to win a secret prize!

ALA Youth Media Awards

Come by the library during the month of February to see our display of the 2019 ALA Youth Media Awards winners.



Blind Date with a Book

Come the Library from Monday, February 10th through Friday, February 14th for a special Blind Date with a Book event! Books will be wrapped up for you to take on a literary date! Remember no peaking!

Holiday Closure  
The library will be closed Monday, February 17th in observance of the Presidents Day Holiday.  We appreciate your patients and look forward to serving you when we reopen Tuesday, February 18th. 




High Noon Book Club

Join us at the library Thursday, February 20th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. as the High Noon Book Club has its February meeting. We will be reading The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware.  All patrons are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch or a desert. Desert will be provided by the Friends of the Library


Loose Knit

Are you a master knitter who is looking to pass on your knowledge to a new generation of knitters? Are you a beginner who is looking to learn from master knitters? Come by the Northwest Point Reservoir library every Tuesday from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.  All experience levels are welcome as we work on our own projects.

We have lots of fun and exciting events planned for the month of February! We hope that all of our patrons can attend our events and we also hope that they have a great winter.

Taxes, Tea, and Sensory!

Rather than spending hundreds of dollars this tax season, make an appointment to meet with a trained AARP Tax Aide volunteer at the Brandon Public Library.  Starting Tuesday, January 21, you can call 601-825-2672 to schedule an appointment to have your 2019 taxes prepared.  Tax preparation will begin Saturday, February 8, and occur each Friday, February 14 – April 10.  Remember, tax preparation is by appointment only, and there are a limited number of spots.  Don’t wait to get on the list!

Family Night is right around the corner!  Thursday, January 23, at 6:00 p.m., come and help us celebrate Lewis Carroll's birthday at our Mad Hatter Tea Party! Along with refreshments, we will have music, a craft, and games. Either dress as your favorite Alice in Wonderland character or just let your clothes go MAD!

Finally, come create with us at the Makery!  In this casual come-and-go setting, we provide space and supplies for a different making activity each week. On Tuesday, January 21 participants will create Sensory Bottles.  All ages welcome!

Third Thursday Always Entertaining at the Pearl Public Library.

You wanna know why?

Glad you asked!

Because it's MOVIE NIGHT, and Ben knows how to pick a big winner!

Third Thursday Flicks for January is Hoosiers showing Thurs. Jan. 16 at 5:45 p.m. on a big screen.  Enjoy light refreshments too!

In this 1986 movie Hoosiers, failed basketball Coach Norman Dale played by Gene Hackman finds himself in this tiny town of Hickory, Indiana and with a chance at redemption.  

Hoosiers is a great story about a high school basketball team's long-shot attempt to win the state championship. The film is inspired by the true story of the 1954 Indiana state champions, Milan High School.

Nominated for two Oscars Hoosiers, also starring famed actors Dennis Hopper and Barbara Hershey, was hailed as one of the best sports movies of all time.

Come on in and be totally entertained with this big winner!

While we are talking about winning, don't forget about the January How-To Tuesday on Tues. Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. You'll get a change to learn about the City of Pearl while playing Pearl-Opoly!

What a wonderful chance to just have some good ol' fun while visiting with friends!

OMG! Visiting with friends! That reminds me! 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

The Pearl Library's February Library Lover's Month star event is coming soon!  

The 12th Annual Come in From the Cold With a Good Book, a huge patron favorite - when the library serves up FREE coffee, cookies and donuts to their patrons - is Tues. Feb. 11 and Wed. Feb. 12 from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. All the delicious goodies are donated by local businesses thanks to Community Coffee, Sam's Club of Pearl, Dunkin Donuts, The Donut Factory, Walmart of Pearl, Simply Southern Cafe and Grill of Flowood and That Special Touch Cakes.

WOW! Lot of great stuff going on at the Pearl Library! 

Do not miss out!

We'll see you there!

Welcome to the Makery at Brandon!

Here at the Brandon Library, we're heading into 2020 with a mind for making. Introducing THE MAKERY, a casual, come-and-go space for Makerspace activities every Tuesday from 1:00 pm -5:00 pm!

Project themes for January include fake snow/snowmen, sensory bottles, and free reign with our button maker.

What is a Makerspace, exactly? You've probably heard the term before even if you're not sure what it means. The dictionary defines it as, "a place in which people with shared interests, especially in computing or technology, can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment, and knowledge."

Sounds pretty cool, right? 

In honor of the roll-out of The Makery, we've also set up a whole new display full of books on Makerspace tools and projects. Learn about the history of Makerspaces and how to build one as well as ideas and projects for kids and adults! 

Be sure to check out our Makerspace board in front of the circulation desk for some awesome take-and-make projects, including moon sand, sci-fi goggles, rock candy, and about a billion different kinds of slime.

Upload them to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and use #CMRLSBrandon so we can see what you've made!

A Time of Reflection. A Time of Change. A Time of Growth.

Isn't that what the start of the new year is really all about? 

Of course!

The beauty of a new year is getting another chance to get it right! Right? Right!

So, uh, what ya got in mind? 

Is it to lose weight?
Exercise more?
Quit a bad, unhealthy habit? 
Drink more water?
Think good thoughts?
Learn to be at peace?
Stop worrying?
Read more?
Socialize more?
Build stronger relationships with others?
Build a stronger relationship with yourself?
Make more friends?
Be kinder?
Learn how to cook or bake great dishes?
Work more?
Work less?
Save money?
Spend money?...probably not LOL!

Remember you can always come to the Pearl Public Library and check out material that can help you accomplish any of the above mentioned goals and many others! That's right!

The library has tons of books on diets and healthful cooking, health, fitness, finance, inspiration and so much more. And, don't forget that the library offers a nice variety of FIT KITS available for check out. 

Yeah! Get that workout started!

Hey, the library staff would love to hear what your New Year's resolution is. Stop by during the month of January and share your dream for the NEW YEAR! NEW YOU!

We'll see you there!

January Happenings at the Rez

New Years Greetings from the Rez!

Happy New Year to all our patrons from the librarians at the Northwest Point Reservoir Library! We are so excited to welcome in a new year of reading and using the many resources that the library has to offer. We hope that all our patrons have had a safe and happy holiday season and are ready to have another exciting year!


Winter Reading Challenge 

Join us on the Beanstack app for a special program during January! When you register with the Beanstack app your fines are forgiven and you can read to enter a chance to win a $50 Walmart gift card.  

New Year’s Resolution Drawing

Happy New Year! Time for new beginnings, new challenges and the library’s annual New Year’s Resolution Drawing! Come by the library from January 1^st through 31st to write down your New Year’s Resolutions to enter a drawing for a gift card.

Mugshots Family Trivia

Are you a trivia master looking for their next exciting game? Are you new to trivia and looking to get more involved? Come to Mugshots in Flowood Tuesday, January 21^st from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., for another exciting game of family friendly trivia! The winners will receive gift cards courtesy of Mugshots of Flowood and Friends of the Reservoir Library. We regret to inform our loyal trivia patrons that, after January, we will be taking some time off from Mugshots Trivia for a few months to revamp the program. We want to thank Mugshots of Flowood and all our loyal patrons for their support. We hope to see you back soon for more exciting trivia!

High Noon Book Club

Join us at the Thursday, January 16^th, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., as the High Noon Book Club has its first meeting of the year 2020! We will start the New Year off right with an uplifting story of remembering past good times and looking forward to a new year of new beginnings was we read The New Year’s Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini. All patrons are welcome to attend and encouraged to bring their own lunch and dessert if they wish. A dessert will be provided.

 Closures

CMRLS Libraries will be closed in observance of the New Year’s Holiday. Regular Library Hours will resume on Thursday, January 2, 2020.

CMRLS Libraries will be closed in observance of the birthdays of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert E Lee Monday, January 20^th. Regular library hours will resume on Tuesday January 21^st.

Loose Knit

 Are you a master knitter who is looking to pass on your knowledge to a new generation of knitters? Are you a beginner who is looking to learn more about knitting? Come to the library every Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. All experience levels are welcome as we work on our own projects

We hope that all our patrons are ready to get this new year started and ready for the fun and new events that we have planned at the library this year. 

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.