March Madness Outreach at the Pearl Library

The Clock tower outside of Pearl City Hall

This month, I've been visiting the businesses of Pearl in a little initiative I have dubbed "March Madness," though it has nothing to do with basketball. In preparation for National Library Week's "Community Matters" theme, I'm trying to get out into the community to let owners, managers, and employees of Pearl businesses know the kind of services we offer at the Pearl Library. We've got everything from free story times and craft classes to free computer classes and meeting room facilities here. In the next month alone, we're going to have appearances from Marshall Ramsey, James Meredith, the MDAH (speaking about Eudora Welty), and MS Telco (who will do a program on smart savings plans)--and that's just for adults. We have a whole list of programs for children's events, which you can access on our website at http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us.

Last week, I visited Anytime Fitness, Dollar General, O! How Cute, Los Parrilleros, McAlister's, and Wendy's, and on Monday, I visited more businesses!

First, I stopped by Dunkin' Donuts, which is one of my favorite places to get coffee in Pearl. Furthermore, DD has partnered with us for several initiatives, like our Come in from the Cold program where we gave out free donuts and coffee in February. The manager, Willie, was in a meeting, so I talked to one of the cashiers and got a dee-licious cup of hot coffee to help me stay alert during the rest of my visits!

Next, I went to see Alana Robertson at MS Telco Federal Credit Union. Alana and the other people at MS Telco have been great supporters of our library; they donated all of the delicious food for our Youth Art Month Reception, and they're going to help us with our Money Smart Week programming in April. As always, Alana was beautifully coiffed and enthusiastic about working with the library. Thanks, Alana!

After MS Telco, I went to Tinseltown and met Mr. Keen, the manager. I've seen so many movies at Tinseltown, and it was  nice to be able to let him know about the services we have for him and his employees. While I was there, I also noticed that a recent movie featuring Jennifer Lawrence is still playing. I thought I had missed it, so I'll probably be in there in the next couple of weeks to see it!

The Mississippi Braves!

From Tinseltown, I headed into Braves territory. First, I stopped by the MS Braves office and talked to Miranda, Gene, and the new receptionist about the Pearl Library. Our reference librarian Cecelia and her husband are both avid Braves supporters, so I mentioned that for good measure. I can't wait for baseball season to begin! After going to the Braves office, I went to the Holiday Inn at Trustmark Park and talked to Brenda and Jessica. First, I have to say that that facility is just gorgeous. Also, Brenda and Jessica were a lot of fun to talk to, and I hope I can lure them in to some of our awesome programs here!

Speaking of lures, I went to the Bass Pro Shop next. While I'm not much of a sportsman (sportslady?), I did take my daughter to get her first Santa picture there, so there is quite a soft spot in my heart for that store! Also, we get lots of Bass Pro Shop employees in here, checking their schedules and using our computer lab. So I was happy to get to talk to Lisa, the manager, about our programs, and I hope we can see more partnerships with Bass Pro in the future!

Finally, I went to Sam's. Sam's has been such a great ally of our library--the team there has given us many donations over the years, and we love having their support. All of the managers were in a meeting, so I left some calendars and candy with the customer service cashier, and I've got big plans for making a phone call later on today to talk to the manager and advertise our services.

I know this post was long, but it is so important to us that the community members know how much we appreciate all that they do for us and all that they contribute to the City of Pearl. See you soon for my next installment of March Madness!!

Paper Flowers at Pearl Library's March Craft Night

We had a ball at Pearl Library's craft night last Tuesday! Once again pulling some inspiration from Pinterest, we made mountable paper flowers from paper bags. The Pinterest craft looked like this:

 

 

We got a little creative and painted some of our paper bags. We also used some colored paper, buttons, and glass beads in the middle of our flowers. Look how pretty they turned out:

 

 



 What fun! Notice that we got to have our craft night in the presence of a lot of great art made by students from the Pearl Public School District. It was inspiring to get to make some crafts in such an artistic environment!

We can't wait for next month, when our craft will be to make necklaces out of old t-shirts. If you're interested in attending, we'll meet on Tuesday, April 9th, at 5:30 p.m. Bring an old t-shirt (preferably without seams on the side) and get ready to turn it into something new!

Florence - Family Movie Night

Come and bring the family to enjoy a movie and popcorn! it's FREE, FUN for the entire family. We will be watching Brave. Brave is a production of Walt Disney Pics/ Pixar and is rated PG 

For more information contact Tina Clyburn: Youth Services

Florence Public Library
115 West Main Street
Florence, MS 39073
Phone: 601-845-6032

M & Th 9:30-7:00
Tu & W 9:30-5:00
F 1:00-5:00
Sa 9:00-12:30

Pearl Library Snuggle Up and Read! Winners

This January and February, the Pearl Library held a reading contest for Young Adult and Adult patrons. The goal was simple: read the most books and win a big prize! And we were so impressed with our patrons-those who turned in reading logs read almost 500 books! 

Here are some pictures of our most avid readers:

 

With a grand tally of 43 books read, Tabatha won the adult category. Here she is with me (Joy, the Reference Supervisor) and her gift, which included a back rest, a blanket, some coffee cups, a box of tea, a book light, some cozy socks, a cool candle, and a few other small prizes.Tabatha is one of our loyal patrons, and we're so excited that she read so many books and won this prize! Good job!

And here's a picture of Elizabeth, who read 128 books!!! That's amazing! Included in her prize were a back rest and a cozy blanket, along with socks, hot chocolate, a book light, a travel mug, a candle, and a cute notepad.Way to go, Elizabeth!

We hope everyone will stay tuned to hear about future programs we're doing here in Pearl! A special thanks goes to the Friends of the Pearl Library for helping us to fund these prizes and the other small prizes for entrants in this program.

Super Foods at Pearl Library's Brown Bag Luncheon, Friday, February 22

This Friday, the Pearl Library is having a different kind of Brown Bag Luncheon! We'll be having an in-house presentation on superfoods, and we'll be giving everyone a little something to try along with their lunches!

In this presentation, you'll learn the definition of "Super Food," you'll get to try some super foods like dark chocolate, kale, and green tea, and you'll get some information about what these foods can do for you!

Please join us in the Pearl Library Meeting Room at 12:00 on Friday, February 22nd. Bring a sack lunch. Light refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Pearl Library.

February Craft Night at the Pearl Library!

Last week's Craft Night at the Pearl Library was a double-header!

First, we decorated some coffee mugs using stencils and magic markers. We then baked the coffee mugs at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. This sets the magic marker. I got this idea from Pinterest, and everyone had such a nice time doing this craft!

Next, while we waited for our mugs to bake, we made some Valentine's Day cards using repurposed book paper from an old book, along with some stencils, more markers, and acrylic paints. Look at all the fun we had!

And I forgot to mentino that the whole night got started off by a little celebration of Annie's birthday. Happy birthday Annie, and Happy Valentine's Day to everyone else!

If you're interested in coming to our craft nights, please join us every second Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.! Also, you can follow CMRLSLibrary on Pinterest and get a sneak peak at some of the crafts we plan to do.

Marshall Ramsey, Speaker, Writer, Cartoonist to Visit the Florence Library

Marshall Ramsey, Speaker, Writer, Cartoonist to Visit Library
Need to laugh? Want to be inspired? Look no further than cartoonist/writer/speaker Marshall Ramsey. Ramsey brings his newest book to the library, Fried Chicken and Wine: Short stories inspired by Banjo the dog. He will be discussing and signing his newest book at the Florence Public Library on February 26 at 11: 30 

“The stories are very personal — and yet they aren’t about me,” says Ramsey about his newest book. “Most are set in this unique state we know as Mississippi, although New York City, The Smokies, San Diego, Washington D. C., and Atlanta all make cameos. Laughter, hope, and redemption are ingredients that make up the seasoning of the literary gumbo.”

Ramsey wrote in his blog (www.marshallramsey.com) while waiting for printing and delivery of the new title, “The stories vary. The Mustard Seed is a story of hope for a man struggling to reinvent himself after his career has been turned on end. It’s a story that has spread around the country on the internet during this crazy economy we’re surviving. If Sherman Attacked Atlanta Today is a funny story about if the Battle of Atlanta occurred today.  The Bottle Tree is a story about true love. Up in the Delta sky is also about love and the need to heal. The Final D-Day salutes a forgotten soldier. The Legend of Winston the Whitetail Deer features a local deer from Kosciusko (because I like saying Kosciusko) who saves Christmas. The Amazing Game tells the life of a father and son as a football game. And of course, there are several stories featuring Banjo the dog, my beloved Border Terrier who died this summer. Requiem for a Terrier is his obituary.”

Marshall Ramsey, 42, spent his first 18 years in Marietta, Georgia. He then uprooted and accepted a scholarship to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

While at the University of Tennessee, Ramsey served as the editorial cartoonist for The Daily Beacon, the University of Tennessee’s daily student newspaper. Ramsey also won  The John Locher Memorial Award, awarded to the top collegiate cartoonist in America. Since his graduation from UT  in 1991, Ramsey‘s cartoons have appeared in  USA Today, Newsweek,  U.S. News and World Report, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times and 450 other newspapers.  His work has also been seen on CNN and CSPAN. He is currently the staff cartoonist for The Clarion-Ledger and is syndicated nationally by Creators Syndicate. Ramsey was named a Pulitzer Finalist in 2002 and 2006.

Ramsey has also illustrated seven children’s books for his cousin, financial expert Dave Ramsey (five of which appeared in Chick-fil-a kid’s meals) and has illustrated Nobody’s Poet for chef and author Robert St. John. His first book Marshall Ramsey’s Greatest Hits sold out and 10! A Ten-Year Celebration is also a local best seller.

He is also a melanoma survivor and has been honored by the Melanoma Research Foundation (2003 Winds of Hope Award) and the American Cancer Society for his work with promoting skin cancer screening. He is co-founder of the Run from the Sun, a 5K race that raises money and awareness to cure melanoma.
Ramsey, his wife and three sons live in Mississippi, the greatest state for politics and raising a family.

Florence Public Library is part of Central Mississippi Regional Library System, which serves the public libraries of Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith Counties. For more information call 601-845-6032.

Florence - Adult Book Club

Florence Library's Adult Book Club meets Wednesday, Feb. 13, 11:00 a.m.- 12:00pm. This month author Jeana Campbell will join us to sign copies of her latest novel Spirit Woman. Come and enjoy coffee and light refreshments.


Spirit Woman
by Jeana Campbell

Book Description
Publication Date: September 12, 2012
Faced with an uncertain future after the death of her soldier husband, and the end of the Civil War, a young American Indian woman must come to grips with life when she returns home to her family, a man she once loved, and the legend that has been written for a lifetime.

Florence Public Library
115 West Main Street
Florence, MS 39073
Phone: 601-845-6032

M & Th 9:30-7:00
Tu & W 9:30-5:00
F 1:00-5:00
Sa 9:00-12:30

Flowood Library Wins Community Award

The G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, MS won a prestigious community service award on January 29, 2013.  The award, given to the 2013 service organization of the year, was presented to Branch Manager, Jennifer J. Meister, and Circulation Supervisor, Elizabeth C. Carter.


The description of the award, presented annually by the Chamber of Flowood, is as follows:
  
Service Organization of the Year: The Flowood service organization, non-profit, whose deeds and  actions have contributed to the betterment of the Flowood community. 

The awards were presented by Derrel Palmer, News & Sports Director of Pearl Municipal Broadcasting.  Mr. Palmer introduced the award as such:

“With the 91 nominations that were submitted to the office, you could say they were concerned about the fax machine burning up. Some of the comments from all the nominations include: 'amazing staff,' 'best story time for children,' and 'a welcoming, peaceful environment.' Congratulations and thank you for bettering our community.”

Flowood Branch Manager, 

Jennifer J. Meister, holding

the award.

The Friends of the Pearl Library Book Sale Kicks off Library Lovers Month!

It's that time of year again...

Love is in the air as February approaches! In library-land, February is Library Lovers Month, and at the Pearl Library, we're starting our Feburary off with a bang! The Friends of the Pearl Library will be holding its annual book sale THIS weekend!

The sale runs from 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. on Friday, February 1st and from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 2nd.

But wait! Doesn't our library usually close at 5:00 p.m. on Fridays? It does, but for this special occasion, we're keeping the big event room open until 6:00 p.m. so that anyone who wants to drop by and shop for books, DVDs, and more can do so on the way home from work on Friday!

Please stop by! We've got children's books, art books, inspirational books, paperbacks, DVDs, and all kinds of stuff for you to peruse and purchase. Support the Friends of the Library and the Pearl Library, and come on by! We'll have coffee waiting for you!

Dudley Sykes to speak at Pearl Library's Brown Bag Luncheon, January 25th

Books may be purchased in the library, or online at Amazon.com
or barnesandnoble.com

The Pearl Library is so excited that Dudley Sykes will be reading from and talking about his new novel, The Lynching of Malcolm Brown at this month's Brown Bag Luncheon on January 25th!

Sykes is a lifetime member of the Friends of the Pearl Library and has always been a huge supporter of this library. In his latest novel, he tells a fictionalized account of a lynching of a man in Jones County, Mississippi in 1941. Sykes wrote this novel in honor of his father, who stood up to a group of men who wanted him to lead a lynching mob. Sykes has already inspired several of our staff member to read this tale, and we hope that you'll come out to hear about it on Friday!

The Brown Bag Luncheon is on Friday at 12:00 p.m. in the Pearl Library meeting room. Bring a sack lunch, and the Friends of the Pearl Library will provide drinks and dessert. You may purchase The Lynching of Malcolm Brown for $16.99, and $2.00 will be donated to the Friends of the Library for each book purchased on this date.

Resume Workshops at The Pearl Library!

Image from http://www.distinctiveweb.com

Many patrons at the Pearl Library use our computers to search and apply for jobs and to write resumes. This process takes time and can often be frustrating and difficult. Luckily, as librarians, we have lots of resources at our fingertips, and we've decided to hold two resume workshops this month to help anyone who's currently in the process of looking for a job! We're partnering with the WIN Job Center of Pearl to offer the following classes:

Workshop 1: Thursday, January 24th, at 6:30 p.m. -- At this workshop, participants will get application building and resume writing skills, including how to search for jobs, how to target an application or resume for a particular job, and how to write functional or chronological resumes.

Workshop 2: Thusday, January 31st, at 6:30 p.m. -- At this workshop, a representative from the WIN Job Center will talk about interviewing skills. Participants will also have a chance to print out several copies of their resumes, free of charge.


These classes are free to the public, but we are asking for interested persons to register with us at the Reference Desk. Please call (601) 932-2562 and reserve your space today!

Craft night @ Pearl

It was a cold, dark night. The weather had suddenly dropped, forcing some people to stay in their homes. But not Annie, Paula, Shelly or Totsy. Oh no, they had visions of button wreath ornaments dancing in their heads! Here's what they looked like:

They were fairly easy to make, once we got the hang of it. They were made out of some adorable Christmas buttons, floral wire, and ribbon. If you like crafts, you can come by each 2nd Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome!

Simply Crafts @ Pearl

Keeping with the Christmas spirit, we've decided to make a button wreath ornament for craft night this Tuesday, Dec. 11 at the Pearl Library starting @ 6 p.m. The ornament will look very similar to the picture shown below:

 

This program is free to the public with all materials provided. Come hang out and make something with us... and bring a friend if you like! Everyone is welcome. See you soon!



Holiday Mail for Heroes Has Ended

The Flowood Library would like to thank everyone who participated in this year's "Holiday Mail for Heroes."  You contributed a total of 117 cards that will be sent to our service men and women!

Please remember that we are still collecting for "Toys for Tots."  We have extended the deadline due to the overwhelming support.  The last day to drop off items will be Friday, December 7th. 

Pearl Chapter 1 Book Club Honors Award Winning Author

Chapter 1 and the Friends of the Pearl Library are jointly honoring the Mississippi Poetry Society's 2012 Poet of the Year, Pearl's own Pat Jordan.  Pat and others will be reading from her new book The Tender Gift.  Everyone is invited to attend this tribute to Pat who battled cancer while writing this collection.  Her fight is ongoing which makes this event extra special to all who know her indomitable spirit.

 

The tribute and poetry readings will be followed by  reception and an opportunity to purchase The Tender Gift at only $10 each.

Autumn Book Harvest Winners

This fall, the Pearl Library ran an Autumn Book Harvest contest in which any adult patron who checked out at least three items from our adult fiction or adult nonfiction collections could enter to win one of two $50 gift cards to Kroger.

We're happy to announce that Amanda Greear and Melanie Theall are our two winners! We are so happy to have these ladies and their families as Pearl Library patrons, and we hope that they enjoy their gift cards just as much as they enjoyed checking items out from our collection. We also want to thank the Friends of the Pearl Library for making this contest possible.

Amanda Greear and her gift card!

Melanie Theall and her gift card (and adorable children)!

Craft night @ Pearl 11.13.12

It's amazing what you with Mod-Podge! We decoupaged some really pretty tissue paper to some taper candles for this month's craft night. Of course, they are for decorative purposes only. Although, the Mod-Podge label states that the glue is not flammable... If we get any reports of our crafters' houses on fire due to lighting these particular candles, we'll update you! We had lots of paper to choose from, and some new guests showed up! If you like doing crafts and enjoy great company, come by the Pearl Library every 2nd Tuesday. We'll see you soon!

Toys for Tots

 

The Flowood Library is an official drop off zone for Toys for Tots this year.  You can drop off your new, unopened toys at the Flowood Library throughout the month of November.  All toys will be distributed to needy children residing within the state of Mississippi. Please help place a smile on a child's face this holiday season.

Pearl Library's Brown Bag Luncheon, November 16th!

Join the Pearl Library this Friday, November 16th, for the monthly Brown Bag Luncheon! Judy Sikes, the ADA Coordinator of the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities will be giving a demonstration on disaster preparedness. In the wake of such national tragedies as Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, all of us need to learn how to be prepared in the event of an emergency.

This month's Brown Bag is a week early because of the Thanksgiving holidays, but it will be at 12:00 p.m., as always. And, as always, you should bring a sack lunch with you, and the Friends of the Pearl Library will provide drinks and a light dessert.

This program will last between an hour and an hour and a half. We hope to see you there!

Flowood Donations . . . Thank You!

     The G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood, MS would like to thank all of the patrons who donate items to the Flowood Library.  Your generous donations help to support the library in these troubled economic times.  Most people are anonymous donors, so we never get the opportunity to thank them personally. 

     

One of our most recent donations contained nearly 60 brand new copies of Writers and Their Works.  We don't know who donated the books, but we are very happy to have them.  They are going to make a perfect addition to our collection. 

     Again, the Flowood Library would like to say "THANK YOU" for your incredible generosity.

CMRLS Libraries Offer eBooks

Central Mississippi Regional Library System announces the newest service available to Library cardholders. Your Libraries are now offering eBooks for download to the Blio Reader app for Kindle Fire, iPhones, iPods, iPads, Android phones and tablets; or the ePub and pdf formats for Nook, Color Nook, Sony, or Kobo eReaders.

            The terminology and technology may be new to you; but eBooks are just one more format that books and information may be delivered to CMRLS Library cardholders. The eBooks are checked out and downloaded to your eReader any time of the day or night, and anywhere you have a WiFi connection. You have the book for seven days. And, there is never a late fee or charge for damages because the eBooks are returned to the Library without you leaving the comfort of your home or making time in your busy day to visit the Library!

            Patrons who have waited patiently for this service may have already begun searching for eBooks to read. A link on the CMRLS website takes you directly to the “Magic Wall,” where you can view the eBooks and read summaries; read reviews or write your own. A link on the Magic Wall takes you directly to Blio, a free app to be downloaded once…and that’s it! The most popular eBooks in the collection are shown on the Magic Wall when it opens, but there are ways to search for eBooks – by age group, subject, or title. If the title you are looking for is unavailable, you may place a hold so that you are the next in line, just like a print book. You can create a Wish List for titles you may wish to read later.

There is a HELP button on the Magic Wall and links to further help on the CMRLS website. Watch the CMRLS calendar and your local newspaper for announcements of classes for help with checking out eBooks on your eReader.

CMRLS is also launching a free Library app this week! BookMyne, a very useful application that allows you to search the CMRLS Library catalog, access your Library account; view Library contact information, business hours, and directions to the Library using Google Maps. Install this app on your phone and you can call or email your home Library with one click. This app will search for the nearest Library within 10-300 miles using your location, very handy if looking for a free WiFi connection while traveling.

“Suggested Reading” is a wonderful tool within the BookMyne app. Powered by the popular website Goodreads, this lists award winning titles and popular titles to search for in the CMRLS Library catalog. If the title is not in the catalog, ask Library staff for options.

Further information may be found on the CMRLS website, www.cmrls.lib.ms.us. CMRLS serves the public libraries of Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith Counties.

Special Senior Friday Flick

We have a special Senior Friday Flick at the Pearl Library this Friday, November 9th!

Senior adults who arrive at the Pearl Library will be treated to a tour of the library and a free chili and cornbread lunch from Western Sizzlin. The Friends of the Pearl Library are hosting this in order to welcome all senior adults to the library, show them the library's services, and entertain them (as always!).

The tour of the library starts at 11:30 a.m. Lunch will begin at 12, and our viewing of Snow White & the Huntsman (PG-13, Universal Pictures, 2012, 127 minutes showtime) will begin at 1:00 p.m. This event will take place in the Pearl Library meeting room.

Interested senior adults do not need a reservation to attend this program. We hope to see you on Friday!

Autumn Book Harvest

     It's the time for giving, and this Thanksgiving season, the Pearl Library wants to give a little something away to the adult patrons who use our library. We're having an Autumn Book Harvest, in which any adult patron who checks out at least three items from our adult fiction and adult nonfiction collections can enter to win one of two $50 gift cards to Kroger.

     We’ll be doing the drawing on Monday, November 19^th, just in time for Thanksgiving! There is no limit to how many times you can enter, so please come browse our adult fiction and nonfiction collection, take home something interesting, and enter to win!

*We'd like to thank the Friends of the Pearl Library for providing funding for this program.

Holiday Mail for Heroes

It's that time of year again!  The Flowood Library will be accepting cards for Holiday Mail for Heroes! 

     Each year the American Red Cross provides assistance to more than 2 million service members and many of our nation’s 24 million veterans. We support military families, military and veterans hospitals and provide emergency communications across the globe. And once a year, we get the joy of delivering holiday cards to veterans, military families and active-duty service members at hospitals and installations around the world. The cards and personal messages, sent by tens of thousands of Americans, provide a welcome “touch of home” for our troops during the holiday season.

-from the American Red Cross Website

http://www.redcross.org/support/get-involved/holiday-mail-for-heroes