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.

Brown Bag Lunch @ Pearl

Join us for Brown Bag!

The program will feature local master gardeners who will discuss container gardening.

Friday, September 24, from 12 Noon-1:00 P.M.

Bring a brown bag lunch. Desserts and drinks are provided by the Friends of the Library.

Southern Living Christmas 2010

Are you thinking about the holiday season? The new Southern Living Christmas 2010 has arrived in the libraries and is full of inspiration for decorations, gifts and food. Check it out along with back issues into the 1980's.

Chapter One Book Club

Join us at the Pearl Library, October 7 at 6:30 P.M.
for a discussion of The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

Special Guests will include two extras from the movie adaptation.

Long Lost by Harlen Coben

Patron Book Review:

"Harlan Coben is a prolific suspense writer. This novel doesn’t disappoint. It grabs your attention immediately and is a page turner until the very end. The characters are familiar from his Myron Bolitor series of books. Nevertheless, he does a great job of building their personalities so that this book is a stand alone if you’ve never read his others. The mystery is not unraveled until the end and I doubt that many are able to project the ending until they actually read it." Click here to see if it's available!

It's in the bag!

Are you in need of a way to transport your books to and from the Library? Would you like to support children's programming such as Summer Reading at your Library? Now, you can do both!

Your support is literally "in the bag!" Purchase the bag pictured - or any item - and the profits go toward helping your Library with children's programming.  Libraries offer everyone a lifetime of reading and knowledge; a gift to be treasured by all ages. You are sure to receive compliments on this unique tote as you proudly display your support of your Library and the children of your community!

You may also support your Library by joining your local Friends of the Library chapter. Contact staff at your Library for more information.

Be MORE than a patron, be a FRIEND and supporter of your Library!

Author Luther Knight Will Sign Copies of His Latest Book

Visit the Brandon Public Library this Thursday at Noon for this program, and find out what great author will be next!

Libraries to Close Sept. 6

ALL Central Mississippi Regional Library System Libraries will be CLOSED Monday, September 6, in recognition of Labor Day.

Your Library has resources to help you plan a great family Labor Day weekend. Look for a new potato salad or barbeque recipe, check out music, DVDs, videos, and video games to keep the kids (young and old) entertained, and look for outdoor games to play with the family or the whole neighborhood!

CMRLS wishes you a happy and safe Labor Day. Branches will open with normal hours Tuesday, September 7.

Simply Crafts!

Be sure to join us at the Pearl Library
on September 14, 6:00 P.M.

Featured Craft: Safety Pin Jewelry!

NEW Forest Public Library OPENS!

The NEW Forest Public Library will OPEN to the public for the first time Friday, August 27, 9:00 a.m.! This long awaited project has culminated in a beautiful and spacious building that will be enjoyed by all. Forest Public Library houses approximately 30,000 items and has a friendly and knowledgeable staff to assist with homework needs, personal and business information needs, life-long learning, or help to find that “good book” to read. The Library is the Scott County center of CMRLS for genealogical research; housing approximately 350 local and state titles, and many microfilm records, searchable CDs, and printed family histories. Regular preschool programming is held for the “read to me” age group, as well as various year-round programming for kids, teens, adults, and seniors!

You are invited

to attend the Opening Reception

tonight, Thursday, August 26, 5:00 p.m.

to view the NEW Library

with Friends, patrons, and supporters.

Brown Bag Lunch @ Pearl

Bring a brown bag lunch!

Cookies and drinks are provided by the Friends of the Library.

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!

Movies about Authors @ your Library!

Come see the movie, 84 Charing Cross Road, at the Brandon Library on Friday, July 30, 2:00 p.m. This is the last in the month long series of Movies about Authors hosted by the Library. Feel free to bring your own snacks...and a friend!

NETFLIX  describes 84 Charing Cross Road: When feisty New York City writer Helene Hanff (Anne Bancroft) mails a note to a small London bookshop asking for some rare English classics, reserved bookseller Frank Doel (Anthony Hopkins) answers her request, beginning a touching and humorous correspondence. Across two continents and over the course of 20 years, Frank and Helene come to rely on the extraordinary friendship stemming from their intimate missives. Judi Dench also stars.

• Starring: Anne Bancroft, Anthony Hopkins
• Director: David Hugh Jones
• Genre: Romance
• Awards: BAFTA® Winner ...
• Rated: PG

Variety.com's Review: An uncommonly and sweetly civilized adult romance between two transatlantic correspondents who never meet, 84 Charing Cross Road is an appealing film on several counts, one of the most notable being Anne Bancroft's fantastic performance in the leading role. Read more: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117790662.html?categoryid=31&cs=1#ixzz0v5b5ah9T

Look for future movie series @ your Library!

Out the backdoor @ Reservoir Library!

Out the backdoor @ Reservoir Library!,
originally uploaded by CMRLS Photos.

Have a seat on the deck at the Reservoir Library with your favorite book and this will the scene in front of you. Add a light breeze, a glass of lemonade, and wouldn't it be a great way to spend the afternoon @ your Library?

Brown Bag Lunch @ Pearl

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!

Water Your Mind @ the Pearl Library

"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!

Not Just for Kids..

The summer reading program is in full swing and libraries have tons of stuff for everyone to check out and do! Check out your local library for programs that can "Water Your Mind"! Here's the schedule for June programs for adults at the Pearl Public Library:

Tuesday, June 15, 3:00---Master Gardener
Topic concerns water and your plants!

Tuesday, June 22, 6:00--Oasis Salon and Spa
Get tips about relaxing, hair, nail and skin care!

Don't forget we have guessing jars for adults! Visit our summer reading registration table and make a numerical guess. The closest guess wins a prize! We'll have 6 winners!

Also, stop by any desk for book review forms! Read a book. Write a review on the form for one prize entry. There will be one winner each week! You could be the lucky one!

For more information--click on this link to our library system's calendar. Door prizes are compliments of the Friends of the Library, Sutherlands, Frisco Deli, Shoney's Restaurant, Wal-Mart, Revell Ace Hardware, Green Thumb Garden Center, Oasis Salon and Spa, Trustmark Bank.

Happy reading!!!

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!

National BBQ Month

Yummy! May is National BBQ Month! The library is a wonderful place to pick up some grilling tips! From Food Networks' The Neelys, Bobby Flay, Sandra Lee, Paula Deen to heavyweight champion George Forman, check out the CMRLS BBQ collection today! Get a head start on your recipes and dazzle at your next cookout!

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.

Brown Bag Lunch @ Pearl

Join us on Friday, April 23, 12 Noon-1:00

Jerry Mitchell, award winning investigative reporter,

with The Clarion Ledger, will be the featured guest.

Bring a sack lunch.

Drinks and dessert are provided by the

Friends of the Pearl Library.

Great Quotes for National Library Week!

Libraries will get you through times of NO money better than money will get you through times of NO Libraries. ~Anne Herbert, The Whole Earth Catalog

CUTS to Libraries during a recession are just like CUTS to hospitals during a plague! ~Eleanor Crumblehulme via Twitter

Whatever the cost of our Libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation. ~Walter Cronkite

The three most important documents a free society gives are a birth certificate, a passport, and a Library card. ~E. L. Doctorow, New York Times, March 27, 1994

A Library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert. ~Andrew Carnegie


The public Library is the only public agency which serves the minds of ALL of the population, one individual at a time. ~Unknown

We are the only planet, so far as we know, to have invented a communal memory stored neither in our genes or our brains. The warehouse of that memory is called a Library. ~Carl Sagan

More than a building that houses books and data, the Library has always been a window to a larger world–a place where we’ve always come to discover big ideas and profound concepts that help move the American story forward. . . . . Libraries remind us that truth isn’t about who yells the loudest, but who has the right information. Because even as we’re the most religious of people, America’s innovative genius has always been preserved because we also have a deep faith in facts. And so the moment we persuade a child, any child, to cross that threshold into a Library, we’ve changed their lives forever, and for the better. This is an enormous force for good. ~President-elect Barack Obama in a speech at the American Library Association annual conference in June 2005

Celebrate Libraries!
Communities Thrive @ your Library!

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!

Bank of Forest makes a donation!

Bank of Forest makes a donation!,
originally uploaded by CMRLS Photos.

Are you interested in writing or storytelling?

Who often READS, will sometime wish to WRITE.

~ George Crabbe, English poet & naturalist (1754-1832)

Magnolia State Romance Writers meets at the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, Feb. 20 & Mar. 20 at 10:00 a.m. Writers meet to discuss and share educational sessions for writers & aspiring writers of romance fiction. Occasional guests and speakers.

Richland Writers meets at the Richland Public Library in Richland, Feb. 8 & Mar.8, 6:00 p.m. Local writers discuss the craft of writing.

Pearl Public Library in Pearl, will hold an All Writers' Workshop, led by freelance writer Margie Culbertson on Feb. 9, 23,  & Mar. 9, 6:00 p.m. The focus will be on inspiration, tips, exercises, and member critique. Open to all writers-from newbies to published, 16-116 years old. Attendees should be actively writing and wish to improve their writing skills.

Poets Anonymous meets at the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, on Feb. 13 & Mar. 13, 9:00 a.m. Poets and aspiring poets meet to learn, discuss and share poetry and publishing.

Storyweavers meets at the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, on Feb. 23 & Mar. 23, 7:00 p.m. Local adult storytellers meet to share the oral tradition of storytelling, for a time of education and sharing.

Southern Writers Group meets at the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, on Feb. 12 & Mar. 12, 12 noon. Meet to discuss writing and publishing. Bring lunch; drinks provided.

Southern Writers Group meets at the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, on Feb. 25 & Mar. 25, 6:30 p.m. Writers and aspiring writers meet to discuss writing and publishing.

Will you be planning a wedding soon?

Love is in the air. Valentine's Day is just around the corner and many will be planning a wedding soon. Don't forget to begin your plans @ your Library. You'll find books at the library that take a couple from choosing a ring and planning the date to choosing the music, do it yourself decorating (even your own wedding cake), and planning the honeymoon! Then, when you get home and you really start feeling married -- you'll find help, again, @ your library!

Here are just a few of the latest titles available @ your library:

• How to buy a diamond : insider secrets for getting your money's worth, by Fred Cuellar
• Bridal bargains : secrets to throwing a fantastic wedding on a realistic budget, by Denise & Alan Fields
• Weddings : ideas & inspirations for celebrating in style, by Marie Proeller Hueston
• 101 ways to save money on your wedding, by Barbara Cameron
• The bride's survival guide : 150 mistakes you should avoid to ensure the perfect wedding, by Sharon Naylor
• Wedding chic : 1,001 ideas for every moment of your celebration, by Colin Cowie
• Wedding flowers, by Antonia Swinson
• The DIY bride : 40 fun projects for your ultimate one-of-a-kind wedding, by Khris Cochran
• Michelle Rago's weddings : creating a day uniquely your own, by Michelle Rago
• Crafting a dream wedding, by Susan Cousineau
• Something new : wedding etiquette for rule breakers, traditionalists, and everyone in between, by Elise Mac Adam
• Somebody is going to die if Lilly Beth doesn't catch that bouquet : the official southern ladies guide to hosting the perfect wedding, by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays
• Emily Post's wedding planner for moms, by Peggy Post
• Vows : the African-American couple's guide to designing a sacred ceremony, by Harriette Cole
• The Knot guide to wedding vows and traditions : readings, rituals, music, dances, speeches, and toasts, by Carley Roney & th editors of the Knot
• Happily ever laughter : inspirational stories, quotes, and quips about love and marriage, by Mary Hollingsworth, general editor
• Simple stunning wedding showers : festive ideas and inspiration for perfect pre-wedding parties, by Karen Bussen with photographs by William Geddes
• Wedding cakes you can make : designing, baking, and decorating the perfect wedding cake, by Dede Wilson
• The art of wedding photography : professional techniques with style, by Bambi Cantrell and Skip Cohen
• Wedding words : vows, by Jennifer Cegielski
• Scrapbooking your wedding : fresh ideas for stunning pages, by Memory Makers

 So, whether you are the nervous Bride...or Groom...trying to create your perfect day; the Mother of the Bride trying to "dot all the etiquette i's", or perhaps the Maid of Honor having to plan that memorable bridal shower, start @ your library!

Are You in the Mood to READ Romance?

Christmas holidays are over and Valentine's Day will be here, soon. Are you in the mood to read romance novels? Here are a couple of reader's tools to help you find a book to read.

Try the Next Good Book shelf link entitled "Trust Your Heart". You will find just a sampling of some newer romance titles and some older ones; some religious, funny, historical, or even mysterious! Sign up at Next Good Book and create your own 'book shelf' to share with friends or just to keep track of what you've read or want to read. You may comment on any of the books or just read what others have said about them. You may connect with numerous readers suggesting books or new authors that you may like to read!

You might also try the archived NextReads Romance newsletters found here. You will scroll through a year's worth of links to NextReads newsletters you may want to subscribe to but the Romance List is near the bottom of the page. Subscribe to one or all of these newsletters by following this link. Your email address will not be used for any other communication and we will not share your email address with anyone. No spam or ads! You will recieve monthly newsletters with suggestions for you to read and while you are on your computer reading through your email you may use the 'Library Catalog' link to go directly to your Library's catalog and request the book be held for you.

Both of these reader's tools are simple to navigate, but if you have questions just ask your Library staff for help. The Customer Service email form may also be used for help with these tools or any Library question you might have. If you would rather use your email server, the address is custsvc@cmrls.lib.ms.us

Happy New Year!

It's 2010 and a brand NEW year is ahead of us!
CMRLS wishes you and your family a very happy New Year!

Everyone is aware of State budget cuts, but you may not be aware that they directly affect your local Library and the services that are offered in your community. Your local CMRLS Library staff took a pay cut during the 2009 budget cuts so that local Library services would not be interrupted. More State budget cuts will certainly mean interrupted services, whether it is fewer hours your Library is open, fewer programs and books, or even fewer staff. This, coming at a time when personal budgets are causing families to cancel Internet access and cut back on many entertainment expenses.

Your Library, as part of CMRLS, offers your community

• more than 360,000 free books, Videos/DVDs, Audios/CDs, magazines, and newspapers
• free reference materials and services, many even accessible at your home, office, and school
• free public access computers
• free programming for all ages, including annual Summer Library Programs

So, this is the time when CMRLS Libraries must depend on you letting your state, county, and city officials know that your Library is important to YOU and your community. Let them know that your community needs and deserves the services that your Library offers to all the citizens in their districts. Cuts in services will mean that those citizens that need the free Library services, especially local and state newspapers, Internet access and job searching resources, will lose; and so will your community.

What else can I do to help MY Library? Join your local FRIENDS group! The Friends of the Library supports local libraries with a small annual membership fee, usually $5 per year. This helps with programming, books, or needed supplies. Just ask your local Library staff how you can join FRIENDS.  Your Library needs FRIENDS!

Central Mississippi Regional Library System serves the nearly 200,000 citizens and public Libraries of Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith counties.

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!

Holiday Stress Help from MAGNOLIA

Reducing holiday stress is the topic in Health Highlight found on MAGNOLIA's Consumer Health Complete database this month. The link goes to an article entitled Holiday Stress Can be Navigated, written by Robert Preidt for HealthDay Consumer News Service. You can find more articles like this in the Consumer Health Complete database search found HERE.

MAGNOLIA is the Mississippi Alliance for Gaining New Opportunities through Library Information Access and contains magazines, journals, newspapers, and books on many subjects. These subjects include medicine, health and alternative health, the sciences, literature and language, history and politics, the arts and social sciences, encyclopedias and dictionaries, biographies, photos, maps, videos and more (whew); a virtual library. The main link to MAGNOLIA can be found on the CMRLS home page.

MAGNOLIA is a statewide consortium funded by the Mississippi Legislature which provides online research databases for publicly funded K-12 schools, public libraries, community college libraries, and university libraries in Mississippi. MAGNOLIA began in 1997 as one of the first such endeavors in the country and continues to be funded by the Mississippi Legislature for free use by all Mississippians.

Contact your library if you have trouble accessing these links or would like more information on this database and others found in MAGNOLIA.

Great Titles @ your library!

Are you waiting for any of these?

• The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks
• Pursuit of Honor, by Vince Flynn
• Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger
• Under the Dome, by Stephen King
• The Scarpetta Factor, by Patricia cornwell
• Ford County: Stories, by John Grisham
• U is for Undertow, by Sue Grafton

These are just a few of the great new titles that will be coming to your library. Contact your library staff or go directly to the online catalog and get on the waiting list! You just need your Library card and your PIN (number).

If you want something to read while you are waiting, ask the library staff for something along the lines of your favorite book or someone who writes like your favorite author...OR you could wander around NoveList and find something all together new! Your library staff can help you maneuver through NoveList and the online catalog to help you find your next favorite book or author!

Ask the staff about NoveList, NextReads, the Online Book Clubs, and Next Good Book; all tools to help you find "something good to read!"

Ten Reasons to Visit a Library this Weekend!

10. Check out a DVD or VCR movie FREE for the kids (it's going to be raining)!
9. Pick up a book on CD, or tape, and listen to it while you drive home, again FREE.
8. Check out a CD of "Oldie Goldies", (FREE) whether that's the 90's for you, or the 40's!
7. Check out one of the newest Vampire novels, and learn why they're SO popular, and FREE!
6. Trek to another planet in a Sci-Fi (or SyFy) novel for FREE.
5. Sign up for Early Email Notification and let us remind you 3 days before books are due, again FREE!
4. Check out a video game for your PS 2 or 3, Nintendo DS or Wii, yep...FREE!
3. Learn to pinch a penny for FREE!
2. Find a new FREE recipe for chicken!
1. Talk to your librarian, anytime, for FREE.

Have a great weekend!

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!

Back to School!

It's that time...we are thinking about school supplies and clothes and uniforms. Remember that a Library Card is the BEST TOOL for SCHOOL that you can get for the money! It's FREE! Check out the after school programs, craft projects, book clubs, Internet, etc. The Library can be used more that just when you have a book report! Ask staff for help with research, homework help, and even helping you find a good book to read.

Here's hoping you have a very successful school year and that we can be of help!

Summer Reading 2009!

Be Creative!

Try this trial database

from EBSCO for the

next 30 days,

it's very creative!

Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center!

Watch the CMRLS blogs all summer
for new and creative website finds!

Feel free to leave your comments concerning
this resource.

Forest Library is OPEN!

Forest Public Library opened Monday, May 18 at the temporary location; and the patrons were ready! Having spoken to the staff yesterday, everyone seemed excited! The temporary address is 415 East Third Street. The hours of operation, telephone and FAX numbers are the same.

Watch this blog and the CMRLS website for updates and pictures of the progress of the NEW Forest Library.

Flu Season?

Here is a collection of links for information concerning the Swine Flu, Pandemic Flu, and how you can stay healthy!

PandemicFlu.gov - Official Health and Human Services site: A One-stop Access to U.S. Government Swine, Avian, and Pandemic Flu Information
Center for Disease Control (CDC): H1N1 Flu
World Health Organization (WHO): Swine Flu
WHO: Swine Flu Information in Spanish
MedlinePlus-National Library of Medicine: Swine Flu
American Red Cross: Preparing for a Potential Flu Pandemic
Medicare and Flu Information (link found here for Spanish also)
What is the Government Doing Now to Prepare for a Pandemic Flu Outbreak?
CDC: Recommendation for When to Close Schools
Flu History: The Great Pandemic of 1918, from PandemicFlu.gov

Also, use these link to find blog entries* through Google from across the web regarding Pandemic Flu; and through Ask.com or Yahoo! regarding swine flu.

If more information is needed, ask your librarian for help.
Librarians, the original search engines!

*Blog entries may be by news agencies, health organizations, or individuals just offering insights. Although this may be almost real-time information shared about different areas of the U.S. or the world, further research through trustworthy resources may be warranted.

A GREAT Statement for today!

National Library Week 2009 is almost at its close!

Worlds Connect @ your library, is a theme we can look at so many different ways. A world of people can obviously 'connect' @ your library, but better yet, the Peoples of the world can 'connect'. Anyone can go into the library and learn about any Peoples; their beliefs, their struggles, their accomplishents! Too deep? Maybe, but very true!

I found this quote attributed to Lady Bird Johnson in an email I received today. "Perhaps NO place in ANY community is so Totally democratic as the town Library. The only entrance requirement is Interest."

The couple of minutes that I spent Googling this quote did not give me the reason, date, or location of this statement by our late First Lady; and the quote sent to me was not emboldened or italicized as you see it quoted here. I just let my knowledge, however limited, of the First Lady's Southern drawl and my interpretation of the quote give it the emphasis I feel she must have meant! Forgive me, but I can see and hear it very clearly in the archived video that plays in my head. I'm sure that she most probably was speaking to a group standing in a garden outside a new building, maybe even a new library, and wearing a pastel outfit with a white handbag in the crook of her elbow, pine trees in the background...oh, sorry, probably too much information!

It is a great quote, and is really fitting for today when everyone thinks the word democratic can only be spelled with a "capitol D". It must have sounded grand in that drawl!

What's happening @ Forest Library?

Forest Library will be CLOSED beginning April 20 for move to a temporary location. Watch the Forest Library website and this blog for information regarding opening and availability. Watch this blog for pictures of the progress, also!

What's happening @ your Forest Library? A temporary location has been chosen. The boxes will be packed; the temporary location will be prepped; the boxes will be unloaded and the books put on the shelves. The temporary location will open and construction on the new library will begin soon!

To check out the closest CMRLS libraries, visit Morton Library, Lake Library, Pelahatchie Library, or Brandon Library for needed library resources. However, your CMRLS library card is good in all four counties, 20 libraries - Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith counties. Take a look at all CMRLS libraries, you may want to visit others!

Have a little patience, the Forest Library will be up and running very soon! We hope the excitement of watching the construction of the NEW LIBRARY will help everyone understand this temporary inconvenience.

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!

Look at Next Good Book!

Next Good Book is found on the CMRLS website and can be used with or without signing up for an account. You will find new book lists on the CMRLS Bookshelves for "Living on a Shoestring", "Resumes and Interviews", and "Looking for a Job or Career". These CMRLS Bookshelves contain lists of books found in your libraries. You can search for books by subject or check out the New York Times Bestseller lists or dozens of different awards lists. Click on "Catalog" in any of the lists and request that book be sent to your library. If CMRLS doesn't have the book, speak to your library staff about requesting the book through I-L-L.

By signing up for a FREE account with Next Good Book you can comment on books you've read, read comments by others, and even keep a list of books you've read or want to read (and decide if you want to share your list with friends). If you need help setting up an account, just ask your library staff! Happy reading!

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!

Reminders on Your Cell Phone!

The following are two ways to keep ahead of library items coming due. Each one of these will notify you so that you can return the items or renew them, if you wish.

Library Elf works with the CMRLS catalog to not only send you email when your items are due, you can have the reminders sent to your cell phone!

The CMRLS Early Email Notification will send you an email 3 days before you or anyone in your household or care has library material due!

For CMRLS Early Email Notification, just let your library staff know that you are interested and supply a valid email address. You can have everyone in your household linked to one email! For Library Elf, just follow the hyperlink and fill in the information. Library Elf works with the library catalog to notify you by email or cell phone!

Stay ahead in 2009!

Libraries' ToolBar

Have you looked at the link for the libraries' free personalized toolbar; it works with Internet Explorer and FireFox, Windows and Mac. There is even an uninstall, if you don't like it; and there is no SPAM, viruses, or junk mail that is linked to it. You get a one-click button to the libraries' website, online catalog, quick reference, news links, and our job notices...even a "search the library website" textbox! Check it out!

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.

Books and Holidays

Need some help choosing a book for a gift? Here are several websites that have wonderful lists:

Best Gift Books 2008 on NPR
Top 20 Holiday Gift Books for kids
Top Ten Gift Books for the 2008 Holidays
Book Passage: 2008 Holiday Gift Book Guide
Amazon.com Book Gift Ideas

Or, checkout some great books @ your library to make your holiday special:
Advent & Epipheny
Holiday cookery & Holiday decoration
Holiday stress
Books, CDs, DVDs on Christmas & More Christmas items
Spanish Language Christmas items
Kwanzaa & Kwanzaa decoration
Hanukkah kids books & Hanukkah/Jewish cookery
Hanukkah children's books
Ramadan
Handmade Gifts for any holiday

CMRLS Staff Member Receives Scholarship

Congratulations, Mara!

CMRLS' and Pearl Public Library's own Mara Villa recieved the 2008 Virgia Brocks-Shedd Scholarship, awarded by the Mississippi Library Association Black Caucus Roundtable in honor of the late Virgia Brocks-Shedd who devoted twenty-six years of outstanding service to the Humanities. This award is made annually to a minority library science student and was presented during the 2008 Mississippi Library Association Conference in Natchez, held Oct. 22-24.

Ms. Villa, pictured far left, is the Youth Services Supervisor of the Pearl Public Library. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Library Science from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Check us out on Twitter!

CMRLS can now be found on Twitter! You never know where you'll find a library!

Getting Ready for School

While your child is choosing which color notebook to use for which class, remember that the most valuable tool for school is a Central Mississippi Regional Library System (CMRLS) LIBRARY CARD. “The library card is FREE to anyone living, working, or attending school in Rankin, Scott, Simpson, or Smith counties,” said Kaileen Thieling, Director of CMRLS. Not only will the library card give your child access to more than 350,000 books, newspapers, and magazines to be checked out or used in the library; your child will have FREE online access to even more up-to-date books, newspapers, and magazines for those inevitable school projects. These may be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the library website, http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us/.

Think of needing an encyclopedia or magazine article late one evening when the library is not open! The article will be right at your fingertips from any online computer. “Most teachers do not accept sources such as Wikipedia™ or Yahoo Answers™ for school projects not because they are found on the Internet, but because the sources of the answers are not verified,” said Director Thieling. “The libraries’ online sources are reputable, peer reviewed journal articles, books, encyclopedias, maps, and videos in all the subjects needed by your elementary, middle or high school student.”

This year, CMRLS has added Internet Math™ to the homework help resources found online. Internet Math™ teaches and reviews math word problems for students in grades 1-8. Each problem is accompanied by a series of visual hints that teach the student how to solve the problem. Library staff will set up a FREE account for any student wanting to use this resource. Lessons are saved by using the student’s password, allowing students to return to the lessons as often as needed.

Students with library cards may also practice the 4th and 8th grade proficiency exams and study lessons on math, language, or computer skills on Learn A Test™, another online library resource. “Library staff will be glad to help students access any of these resources,” said the Director. “The libraries want to help make this a successful school year.”

Central Mississippi Regional Library System serves the public libraries in Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith counties. Further information may be found online at http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us/ or by visiting your local library.

Playing Games for Fun and Learning

Video games at your library? YES! Wii, Playstation 2 and 3, Xbox360, and Nintendo DS; at your library!
Central Mississippi Regional Library System (CMRLS) added more than 300 video games in five of the most popular game formats to its collection. The libraries are not choosing to offer video games rather than reading material to the young or the young-at-heart of the community. On the contrary, reading lists are available at the library for those wishing to read in the same genre in which they enjoy playing games. Science fiction and fantasy, military action, sports, adventure, and treasure seeking are popular themes of today’s video games, and of course, books for all ages. Slow or reluctant readers may learn to love books and become life-long learners from playing games and taking advantage of these age appropriate reading lists!
The video games are found at the Flowood Library in Rankin County, Forest Library in Scott County, Magee Library in Simpson County, and the Taylorsville Library in Smith County. However, the games may be checked out from any library in these counties for one week, by any library cardholder, 16 years of age or older. A list of the game titles in each format may be seen at http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us/ from the Basic Search window of Rosie’s Web, the online catalog. All games in the collection are rated E for everyone through T for teen, by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
Popular sports games such as SEGA Bass Fishing, Cabela’s Trophy Bucks, Madden NFL ’08, NASCAR ’08, FIFA Soccer ’08, Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour ’08, are among the many titles in this new collection. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hannah Montana: Music Jam, Bratz, Ironman, The Bee Movie, LOST Via Domus, and Lego Star Wars are just a few of the television and movie tie-in games available.
For the younger gamer, the collection includes Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids, Go Diego Go: Safari Rescue, Strawberry Shortcake Sweet Dreams, John Deere Harvest in the Heartland, and many, many more. Physically interactive games requiring additional controllers are loaned with the needed equipment, such as the Wii Mario Kart (with wheel), karaoke games such as American Idol Encore and Singstar (with microphone), and Scene It Movie Trivia (with 4 wireless controllers).
Many CMRLS libraries are busy planning gaming program opportunities for all ages, to be held at the library. These events will be announced through the media at future dates. An Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, administered by the Mississippi Library Commission this year, funded the CMRLS video game collection announced here. This is the first such collection in the state of Mississippi.
For information concerning this or other library materials, contact your local library or visit on the web at http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us/. Central Mississippi Regional Library System serves the public libraries of Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith counties.
-End-

Not Today's Music!

RatherGoWalking, originally uploaded by msulibrary1. (Viewed during a breakout workshop at the MSU Library 2.0 Summit, 2008)

This is one of many scans of 100 year old sheet music from the archives of Mississippi State University! Check out the rest of the collection on Flikr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/msstatelibraries/sets/72157605711536723/.

JUNE is Audio Book Month

Are you planning a family vacation this summer? Gonna' have to be stuck in a car for hours? Take along a family-friendly audio book! Your library has them on cassette tape, CD, even a "Playaway."

What's a Playaway, you ask? It's a MP3 player (pictured above) on which the book is loaded; you can listen through earphones (or an external speaker, just like you use for iPod or other players). This is battery operated and comes with the batteries needed to listen to the book, even the long ones! No CDs or tapes to lose under the car seat or forget where you last put them! Patrons are listening to these while exercising and doing chores around the house; its small enough to fit in your pocket or hang around your neck.

Check here for a list of books on tape @ your library, here for books on CD, and here for Playaway.

Have a GREAT summer listening to books!

NEW Library Card!

They are here!

The NEW plastic

CMRLS library cards

can be found at your

nearest CMRLS library.

Stop by your library with your current card and ask the staff to issue you one of the new plastic cards. You have the choice of a credit card sized library card or the convenient key tag library card. The key tag card easily slips on to your key ring just like your Kroger or CVS cards. You'll always have it with you!

The library staff will take your old paper library card and add it to the cards they have already collected. Make sure your signature is on the back, because your old card enters you into a drawing at the end of September! Each CMRLS branch will hold a drawing with prizes from local businesses.

While you are replacing your old paper card, you will want to tell the staff of any address, phone number, or email address changes that need to be made. EARLY EMAIL NOTIFICATION is available to those of you with email addresses. CMRLS will send you an email 3 days before any item you have checked out is due. This means NO late fees! Just tell your library staff to sign you up for EARLY EMAIL NOTIFICATION.

For branch location and hours of operation visit http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us/BRANCHES.htm, with a new interactive CMRLS service area map!

Celebrate 100 Years - Ian Fleming

May 28, 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ian Fleming who gave us that famous spy, James Bond! Check out his books and the movies @ your library. Take a look at the website Ian Fleming Centenary for a brief biography and news of the latest theatrical release coming in November. And, because of Fleming's Bond, not only do all of us expect spies to have great gadgets, we expect them to dress the part. Who would think of a spy not owning an x-ray vision camera pen and a tux, or two?

If you have enjoyed the Bond movies and haven't read the books, why not start with the latest release, Devil May Care, by Sebastian Faulks, writing as Ian Fleming. Just can't wait for your name to come up on the request list for Devil May Care? Try these series titles...

Hawke, by Ted Bell
Quiller bamboo, by Adam Hall
The spy who came in from the cold, by John Le Carre
Eye of the storm, by Jack Higgins

Still looking for something that reads like a James Bond novel? Ask your librarain!