Saturday, March 16

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!

Thursday, March 14

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

Monday, March 4

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.

Wednesday, February 20

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.

Tuesday, February 19

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.

Monday, February 11

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.

Saturday, February 9

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

Tuesday, February 5

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.

Tuesday, January 29

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!

Thursday, January 24

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.

Wednesday, January 23

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!

Wednesday, December 12

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!

Monday, December 10

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!


Friday, November 30

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. 

Thursday, November 29

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.

Tuesday, November 20

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!

Wednesday, November 14

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.

Tuesday, November 13

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!

Thursday, November 8

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.