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!

National Library Week!

National Library Week is April 13-19! Check the calendar for great programs at your library and celebrate the library in your community.

LookyBook

Take a look at LookyBook, a great website with children's picture books that you can read online. I think my favorite is Bad Kitty, by Nick Bruel. I hope you enjoy it!