GCL Wishes You a Hard Boiled New Year

The Garland County Library will be closed Saturday, January 1st. Hopefully, you will have recovered from New Year's festivities in three weeks' time, so make a resolution to attend our Dashiell Hammett Extravaganza at noon on Saturday, January 22nd as a part of the Murder of the Month Club series. The event will feature a book discussion, film screenings, snacks, drinks, and prize give-aways.

Dashiell Hammett (1894 – 1961) was an American author of hard boiled detective novels and short stories, best known as the creator of characters such as Sam Spade from “The Maltese Falcon” (1929) and Nick and Nora Charles from “The Thin Man”(1934).

Dr. Clinton Atchley will lead a discussion. Atchley is an Associate Professor of English at Henderson State University, where he also serves as Director of the Masters of Liberal Arts program. Although he specializes in Medieval literature, hard boiled detective fiction is a passion.

“I’m happy to speak on Hammett any chance I get,” Atchley said. “I’ve loved his writing since I was a kid, and although he only wrote five novels, he has to be one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. He single handedly created the hard boiled detective genre.”

“We’re really excited about this event,” Karen Covey of the Garland County Library said. “Even though most people are probably familiar with Hammett’s work through the movies, I hope that our extravaganza will encourage people to read or re-read his books as well. Both ‘The Maltese Falcon’ and ‘The Thin Man’ are great examples of hard boiled fiction, or just fiction in general, and we hope to revive that spirit of moxie for one day at least.”

“We’ll pretend that our auditorium is an old time speakeasy and that we’re all fast talking dicks and dames,” Covey continued. “We will have drinks, but they will be non-alcoholic. We’re still under Prohibition at the library. I hope lots of people will come. It would be a crime to miss it.”

For more information or to register for the event, call the Garland County Library at 623-4161 or 922-4483. Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays from the Garland County Library

image courtesy of AbhijeetRane- Flickr CC

Season's greetings, everyone! During this time of holiday merriment, the library will be closed starting Thursday, December 23rd at 5:30 pm and we will re-open on Monday, December 27th at 9 am.

Charting New Territory

Image from Library of Congress

When it comes to technology and exploration, the week of December 12-18 has been an exciting one in history. In just over one hundred years the world’s views on the boundaries of human exploration and achievement were shattered. Ingenious risk takers have pushed the borders of what is achievable in science.

On December 17, 1903 the Wright brothers achieved the first successful heavier-than-air powered flight at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Wilbur and Orville Wright had been working since the late 1890s to achieve flight on both gliders and engine-powered airplanes. Although neither of them obtained high school diplomas, the bicycle manufacturers by trade were finally able to reach their goal aboard the Flyer early in the twentieth century. The library has a few books about both the lives of these extraordinary men; there are many more on the early days of flight as well as more recent flight history.

Just eleven years later, on December 14, 1911, a Norwegian team of explorers led by Roald Amundsen was the first to successfully reach the South Pole. The group was able to survive the expedition through Amundsen's Arctic and Antarctic experience; they beat a rival British expedition by over a month. While the Norwegian team returned safely—Amundsen was later among the first group that was arguably the first to reach the North Pole—the British team's attempt ended in disaster. We have a few items here at the library on the South Pole explorations as well as polar exploration in general.

The most recent moonwalk occurred this week in 1972. Between December 11 and 15, Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt trekked across the moon's surface in the Lunar Rover, collected over one hundred pounds of lunar samples, and safely returned to Earth. Although the library has limited resources on NASA and the space race, Google does offer Google Moon so that anybody can see where the Apollo moon landings occurred.

Science is not a static area of study, the stuff of rote memorization of elements, taxa, and planets. It is an active and flourishing area of study. Even now scientists are breaking barriers of what is known. Researchers at CERN in Switzerland have recently captured antimatter atoms for the first time. A bacteria was discovered this year that may have successfully used normally toxic arsenic to build its most basic parts. Exploration is hardly dead just because humans have found the ends of the earth and counted the stars. Our view of the world may be changed yet again through new technology and a pioneering spirit.

Christmas Closing Hours/Santa's Little Shelvers

photo courtesy commons.wikimedia.com

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.

The GCL will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and the day after Christmas. We will also be closing early (at 5:30) on Thursday, December 23rd.

We wish you a safe and memorable holiday and hope that all good things come your way.

***

Speaking of good things, Santa's Little Shelvers, comprised of GCL employees, performed at the Hot Springs Christmas Parade and wowed the crowd with their cart-spinning routine. They were easily one of the more entertaining and interesting parts of the parade. They practiced very hard on their moves and the crowd was very impressed.

Here are a few snapshots of SLS in action:

GCL Invites You to Holiday Open House and Parade Debut

Public Domain image from Wikimedia.

Holiday Open House

The Garland County Library will host a holiday open house on Sunday, December 5^th from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Local jazz vocalist Shirley Chauvin Miller and Friends will provide live music. Representatives from the Friends of the Library and the Garland County Historical Society will attend and offer holiday gift suggestions, including resale books from the Friends’ book sale room and the Historical Society’s numerous publications.

“It’s a very casual event,” Library Director John Wells said. “We hope that people will bring their children, have some punch and a bite to eat, listen to some great music and enjoy an afternoon at the library. This is our way of saying thanks to our community for all their support throughout the year and of wishing everyone a very happy holiday season.”

Santa's Little Shelvers to Debut at Christmas Parade

Santa's Little Shelvers, Garland County Library's book cart drill team, will debut their signature moves, including the inimitable "Fancy Hands" and "Sassy Feet," at this year's downtown Christmas parade, Monday, December 6th. Come check out these book cart Astaires and give them a hearty holiday cheer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

image courtesy of Wikimedia commons

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! This week marks our country's great holiday of giving thanks and eating too much. Of all the American holidays, this is one of the more tradition rich: the turkey, stuffing and dressing, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Detroit Lions losing to someone, the National Dog Show, and falling asleep in the recliner.

The staff of the Garland County Library will be honoring these traditions by closing early on Wednesday, November 24th at 5:30 pm and closing all of Thanksgiving Day and the day after. We will resume normal hours of operation on Saturday, November 25th at 9 am. As always, we are thankful for you, the patron. You're the ones who make this place such a success.
-Adam

NaNoWriMo and I Love to Write Day

Image courtesy Chapendra, Creative Commons

November is National Novel Writing Month. For anybody who says “I could have written that, and better too!” upon finishing the latest crime thriller or romance, this is your month. NaNoWriMo, as it is more frequently called, is the Ironman Triathlon of writing challenges. A contest available to anybody, the ultimate goal of NaNoWriMo is to complete a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. No part of the novel can be written before November 1, but participants can have detailed outlines and notes of a novel-to-be. It is the ultimate example of writing for the sake of writing.

This event is highly anticipated among those who enjoy the written word. Although the only prize is a sense of accomplishment, anyone who pens 50,000 words or more during November is deemed a NaNoWriMo winner. According to the NaNoWriMo website, over 1.4 billion words have been contributed to the cause this year by writers around the world. It is mid-November now, but that gives anyone interested a year of planning for next year.

For those who understandably do not have the time to pump out a novel in a month, there is always I Love to Write Day. Created in 2001 by a freelance author, November 15 has been set aside for those of all ages to take a day to write. It can be creative like a poem or short story or expository such as an article for a newspaper short essay on your favorite book. It can go in a blog or on Goodreads.com; you can show it to your friends or keep it to yourself. What matters is that you put a pen to paper or fingers to a keyboard. More information is available at ilovetowriteday.org.

Writing is not the daunting task it is often made out to be. People who enjoy writing can use the Garland County Library’s numerous writing resources. From improving writing and English skills to honing your novel in progress or children’s book, the library is chock full of books available for the successful test taker, author, poet, and playwright.

On a final note, employees of the library have formed the Santa's Little Shelvers library drill team and will be performing at the Hot Springs Christmas Parade. The parade is scheduled for Monday, December 6 at 6:30 pm with a rain date of December 8. Santa's Little Shelvers have been practicing hard for the past several weeks and are expected to perform a routine in the vein of similar performances available on sites such as YouTube.

GCL Presents Murder of the Month

Robert Blake from the trailer for In Cold Blood. Public domain image from Wikimedia.

The Garland County Library is presenting a book and film discussion of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood at 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 14^th.

In Cold Blood, published in 1966, relates the true story of the brutal murders of Herbert Clutter, a wealthy farmer from Holcomb, Kansas, and his wife and two of their children in 1959. It studies the complex relationship between two ex-convicts, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, who commit the murders. Capote's book also explores the lives of the victims and the effects of the crime on the small town where they lived. In Cold Blood is regarded by critics as a pioneering text of true crime literature.

“In Cold Blood is a fascinating book on several levels,” Greg Gibson, a member of the English Department at Henderson State University, said. Gibson, whose primary interest is in American Literature of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, will lead the library’s discussion of the book.

“Aside from the story it tells so skillfully of the murders and their consequences, the story of the writing and researching of the book is intriguing as well. I can’t think of another book that has had not only one, but two movies made about the writing of it,” Gibson said, referring to Capote(2005) and Infamous (2006).

This presentation is the first of a series that the library is calling “Murder of the Month Club.” According to Karen Covey, who is helping to coordinate the series, the name is “catchy, but a little bit of a misnomer, because we won’t necessarily meet every month. However, when we do meet, it will be a chance to explore and discuss the literature of crime.”

“In addition to true crimes like In Cold Blood and Helter Skelter, we’ll also look at some fictional works,” Covey continued. “ In January, for example, we’ll talk about Dashiell Hammett, who wrote two of the most popular detective stories of the 20^th century, The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man. The focus is on great crime writing, whether it’s about Sam Spade, Nick and Nora Charles or the Mary Lee Orsini case that rocked Arkansas thirty years ago.”

Covey thinks that local residents are eager for a chance to share their views on great books. “Our To Kill a Mockingbird event last month was very successful and many people commented that they wish we had more book discussions. This one may not be quite as elaborate in terms of set design,” Covey said, referring to the library’s 50^th anniversary celebration of Harper Lee’s book, “but I’m sure people will enjoy it because it’s such an enthralling story.”

“It’s really the classic that started the true crime genre,” Covey said. “I think the title says it all. The killings were so senseless and cruel. Part of what makes it so frightening is the way Capote describes the small Kansas town where the murders took place. It could really be any small town. It could happen to any family. It’s a wonderful book, though, and if you read it alone at night, I guarantee you’ll get up every few pages to make sure your doors are locked.”

The film In Cold Blood is rated R, so no one under 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian. Registration is required. Visit the library at 1427 Malvern Ave. or call 623-4161 or 922-4483 for more information.

There are many great online resources for people interested in learning more about the Clutter killings. The Garden City, Kansas Police Department has a page detailing the history of the case with some very interesting photos. Click here to see them.

For thought provoking discussion questions on Capote's book, have a look at the Kansas Reads page, here.

National Gaming Day @ Your Library November 13th

November 13th at 1 pm will find the Garland County Library once again participating in National Gaming Day @ Your Library. The Garland County Library has been a part of this annual event, put on by the American Library Association, since its inception four years ago. The day is set aside to promote how games are a positive influence in people's lives and how they fit in with the mission of the library.

Everyone plays games: that is a simple truth. From folks in the nursing home playing dominoes to young children putting together simple puzzles, everyone plays games. It is one of the largest uses of free time among Americans, especially video games. Video games, as of last year, became the dominant form of digital media in the US, surpassing Hollywood's receipts for ticket sales, home dvd and Blu Ray sales, and merchandising combined. A study done last year by the PEW Research Center found that 95 percent of teenagers and 65% of adults reported having played video games the week of the study.

Past events have included board game discussions and play, open video gaming, and participation in a national Super Smash Brothers tournament. Patrons are likely to see video games like Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart,and NBA Jam being played along with a variety of board games and game crafts thrown in the mix. This program has always been well attended, so we are doing registration this year to help give us a sense of how many people we need to prepare for. Registration is required, so sign up today!

Teen Read Week and Friends of the Library Appreciation Week

image by sanjoselibrary on flickr

School is in full gear and students are knee deep in required reading for English class. For middle and high school age students who do not think curling up with a copy of “Heart of Darkness” and a cup of cocoa is fun, try Teen Read Week.

Teen Read Week was developed by the American Library Association to promote reading for pleasure among teenagers. It is celebrated every year during the third week in October; this year it falls during the week of October 17. Young adults are encouraged to pick up books, graphic novels, music, and audiobooks relevant to their interests. This includes popular series such as Twilight and The Hunger Games, books to improve your grades such as “Hot X: Algebra Exposed”, and funny graphic novels and manga like “Scott Pilgrim” and “Yotsuba&!”.

It is easy to get behind in school reading. The material can be daunting, especially when paired with large class workloads, school commitments, and part-time jobs. However, the ALA says “teens who read for fun have better test scores and are more likely to succeed in the workforce”. Also, reading on your own terms—choosing whatever you want versus what is handed to you—can get you interested in something you may not learn in school. With such significant benefits, reading for fun is truly worth the time.

In addition, this week is Friends of the Library Appreciation Week. The Friends, also called FOL, work closely with the Garland County Library to provide invaluable services which benefit the library. The library accepts books, magazines, movies, and other items year round for the FOL to price and organize for the book sale room. In addition, the FOL is responsible for the annual book sale every May. The Garland County Library is very fortunate to have such a dedicated volunteer group. In recognition of their expert services, the library is hosting a cookie cook off on October 20.

Discover Arkansas' Haunted Sites

Photo by Bettina Woolbright

On Monday, October 25th at 4:00 p.m. in the new Multi-Purpose Room, the Library will be holding a special presentation in the spirit of Halloween.

Sponsored by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Discover Arkansas' Haunted Historic Sites is a great way to get in the ghostly "spirit" and learn about the eerie places in our state that are said to be haunted.

Arkansas' Haunted Historic Sites program showcases hotels, theaters, homes, and other supposedly haunted locations listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Just in time for Halloween, enjoy folklore and hear spooky tales about some of Arkansas' most chilling and mysterious places.

Registration is required and space is limited, so please sign up quickly!

Photo courtesy arkansas.com

TKAM Recap, Upcoming Book Talks

Thanks to everyone who made our 50th anniversary celebration of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird so memorable: our speakers Nannette Crane-Post and Wayne Bryan; Erin McKenzie, Rayna Mackie and Loren Fraize for their art work; the Friends of the Library for sponsoring the event; Brittany Hennessee and Karen Covey for the magnificent tri-folds; Jill Dryden for taking these great pictures; and most of all, everyone who attended.

If you enjoyed this event, we have another one coming up Sunday, November 14th at 1 p.m. We're discussing Truman Capote's In Cold Blood with Greg Gibson of Henderson State University.

Coming up next year, we'll be looking at the works of Dashiell Hammett in January, and in May we'll celebrate the 75th anniversary of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. If you start reading it now, you might have it finished by then. We'll also celebrate the 60th Anniversary of J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye next year, so get out your red hunting cap and watch out for phonies.

If you have a copy of Catcher or Gone with the Wind you've been using as a door stop, please let us use it for a display we're cooking up. Drop it off at the library. After being displayed, it will be sold by the Friends of the Library.

For more information on any of these events, please call the library at 623-4161 or 922-4483.

The Lost Boys of Sudan Discussion

One of the Garland County Library's goals is to inform the citizens of Garland County on social and cultural issues on a local, national and global scale. With that in mind, the Library is excited to announce a "Lost Boys of Sudan" discussion on Sunday, October 10th at 5 pm. The discussion will feature Joan Hecht, author of "The Journey of the Lost Boys" and Atem Da'Hajcock, a survivor of the ongoing Sudan conflict.

Atem's life is a harrowing and sobering story. From his bio:
"Atem was approximately 6 years old when he became separated from his family following an attack on his village by Sudanese militia. He and children of similar fate banded together from various tribes and regions and began walking across Southern Sudan towards Ethiopia in search of safe refuge. It was a journey that led them across deserts and crocodile infested rivers- one in which over half of the 30,000 children would die along the way due to starvation, disease and attacks by wild animals and enemy soldiers. In all, Atem walked over a thousand miles, living in refugee camps in three different countries and experiencing horrors and suffering beyond human imagination."

Registration is required for this special event. For more information or to register, call the Garland County Library at (501)623-4161 or (501)922-4483. Space is limited.

Library Card Sign-up Month

Summer is winding down at the Garland County Library. June Jamboree and most of the children’s programs and exercise classes may be over but the library still has great events happening all year long. Movie and art showings, as well as traveling displays, are available throughout the year. The majority of what the library offers—including DVD checkout, free internet access, and Wi-Fi—is easier or necessary to access with a library card.

The American Library Association has designated September as Library Card Sign-up Month. This makes sense as students are returning to schools; a library card is the most useful item that never appears on a school supply list. A library card is ideal for teenagers because it allows access to ACT study guides as well as entertaining CDs and young adult novels. At our library there are thousands of nonfiction topics for lifelong learning and fun including language books, travel guides, sports, and crafts. We also have extensive large print and audiobook collections available for checkout for those with library cards.

It is easy to get a card here at the Garland County Library. Garland and Saline County residents may get one for free if they follow the application requirements listed on the library website. Children age five and above can get a library card when accompanied by their parent. People without Garland or Saline County residence may apply for a Gateway card from their home county library if it is affiliated with the Gateway program: it waives the $30 nonresident fee and allows its holder to apply for our library card.

The American Library Association calls a library card the smartest card in your wallet. With the entire world at your fingertips at the library, the ALA is absolutely right. You can discover all the information and services the library offers by coming to the library and getting a library card.

GCL to Celebrate 50 Years of To Kill a Mockingbird

Join the Celebration! Read more about the 50th Anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird

The Garland County Library is observing the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird with a celebration on Sunday, September 26th at 1 p.m.
Harper Lee’s coming-of-age tale, set in a South poisoned by prejudice, is one of the most popular novels of the twentieth century. It has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country.

Nannette Crane-Post, who received her MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a faculty member in the Communication/Arts Department at NPCC, where she teaches English and Creative Writing, will help lead a discussion as part of the celebration. She thinks that the novel’s popularity can be attributed to the universal nature of the stories it tells.

“It’s ageless,” Crane-Post said. “Most of us experience or encounter a loss of innocence, friendship, social injustice, and have both a fear and attraction to the unknown. We see our own lives within the pages of To Kill a Mockingbird. I really look forward to hearing what other people think about the book because everyone has a different reaction to it. Even a question as simple as whether you think the main character is Atticus Finch or his daughter Scout will make
you have to reevaluate your reading of the book. The great thing is that there are no wrong answers, just different perspectives.”

Wayne Bryan, who writes the “All About Tri-Lakes” column for the Tri-Lakes supplement to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, calls To Kill a Mockingbird his “favorite book in the world.” Bryan will also attend the celebration and share thoughts on the book which made for a memorable recent column. Bryan said that he has returned to the book during every decade of his life and that it bears re-reading because the book evolves as the reader does.

“We really want to make the celebration a fun experience for everyone,” Karen Covey, Circulation Supervisor at the library, said. “It’s a book that really moves people deeply, so I think we’ll have plenty to talk about. We’ve already got a few people lined up to read short passages aloud, so if anyone else would like to, please bring along your dog-eared copy and share what you love about the book.”

A flier with information on the book and the author, along with some discussion questions, is available at the library. “We’ve also thrown in some trivia questions, just for fun,” Covey said. “There are so many rich details in the novel that it makes it fun to come up with questions. People really need to read the book again so that it’s fresh in their minds. We’ve got some great prizes to give away for our To Kill a Mockingbird trivia game.”

The event will take place at the Gordonelle Williams Hall at the library. However, Covey hopes that at least for the afternoon of September 26th, the room will stand in for fictional Depression era small town of Maycomb, Alabama that Lee evokes so vividly in her novel.

“The way Lee describes Maycomb and all its residents really makes it sound like it could be any small town in the south. For those of us who have lived in one, it’s a very realistic depiction. One of our employees, Erin McKenzie, is a wonderful artist who has done some set design in the past and we’ve put her to work turning our auditorium into a mini-Maycomb,” Covey said. “She’s had some great ideas, and I can’t wait to see the finished product.”

The setting will also be evoked in the snacks selected for the celebration. “We did some research on what snack foods were popular in the 1930’s,” Covey said, “And we found out that many of them are still around. There’s a restaurant in the book called the ‘O.K. Café,’ so we’re going to have our own ‘O.K. Café’ and stock it with the types of snacks Scout and Jem might have eaten at the time.”

Since the book appeals to such a wide range of readers, from children today to those who were children or had children when it was published, Covey hopes that families might attend the event together.

“We’ve sent out letters to all the local schools and we hope that we can get a lot of young people involved. Even if they haven’t read the book yet, this would be a great chance for them to become familiar with it. And of course, we’ll watch the movie and talk about it as well,” Covey said, referring to the Academy Award winning 1962 adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.
Covey hopes the book and the celebration will spark fond memories for those who attend. “Remember sultry summer nights, rocking on the front porch swing, swatting flies and fixing the world’s problems,” she said. “Sip an ice cold R.C. Cola while we watch one of the best movies ever made. We invite everyone to find out why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

The celebration is free and open to the public. Registration is required. For more information, visit the library at 1427 Malvern Avenue, call 623-4161 or 922-4483, or go to the library’s website at http://www.garland.lib.ar.us/ .

Darfur Traveling Photojournalism Exhibit @ the Garland County Library 9/10/10-10/10/10

As part of our mission to expand the knowledge of culture and society the the residents of Garland County, The Garland County Library will host the traveling exhibit "Darfur: Photojournalists Respond" from September 10th to October 10th. The exhibit, based on the book "Darfur: Twenty Years of War and Genocide in Sudan" is a collection of photographs and panels revealing the tragedy of the crisis in Darfur.

The Darfur region, which is situated in western Sudan, has been in turmoil since 2003, but the country has been embroiled in civil war almost constantly since the 1950's. The current crisis has displaced millions and caused the deaths of between 200,000 and 400,000.

The exhibit is on loan from the Holocaust Museum Houston. It is sponsored by the Garland County Library, the Sisterhood of Congregation House of Israel, and the Rosenweig Fund for Inter-Faith Activities.

Audiobook Appreciation Month

image by Jeff Daly (dalydose), Creative Commons

August is an unusual month. It contains no significant American holidays, and there is only one major American event: VJ Day or Victory in the Pacific Day, which effectively ended World War II. This month is host to several not well known events such as National Goat Cheese Month, National Catfish Month, and Neurosurgery Outreach Month. At the library, though, the most relevant monthlong event in August is Audiobook Appreciation Month.

Audiobooks are a popular way to come across books both new and old. Here at the library, many books that are popular in their hardcover format are likewise often checked out as audiobooks. There are even audiobook versions of novels, nonfiction, lectures, and radio programs that are no longer carried or do not exist as a paper version.

The Garland County Library has recently added a downloadable audiobook collection. This can be accessed from the library’s website. You will need your up to date Garland County Library card available to check out downloadable material, and checkouts for these items work identically to audiobooks and traditional books. After three weeks downloaded items will be automatically returned for others to enjoy.

The library also carries audiobooks on the playaway format. Playaways are mp3 players with preloaded audiobooks. These are especially convenient for book lovers because they are smaller than a deck of playing cards, require only a set of headphones, can be stopped and restarted at any point in the reading, and the speed of the narrator’s voice can be altered to the listener’s preference. There are hundreds of titles on playaway, from children’s books to popular mysteries.

Patrons and library employees alike enjoy audiobooks for a variety of reasons. Among those on the other side of the circulation desk, reasons for checking out novels and nonfiction on audio include convenience, usefulness to pass time during long trips, and realistic narration; they were also mentioned as funnier when performed rather than read. A few preferred audiobooks read by the author, as they could better relate to the content and the author could inflect important parts exactly as he or she intended. Another enjoyed the variety of voices a reader would provide so that the listener could tell the characters apart.

Although the library is much better known as a place to check out the latest James Patterson or Janet Evanovich hardcover, it also holds great alternative ways to enjoy literature and be entertained. Despite being a more recent addition to libraries, audiobooks have become a staple of the modern library offering. They are a practical medium that will continue to increase in popularity.

Hood Stories by Black Male

Local Hot Springs author Black Male recently sat down and discussed his new book, Hood Stories. This book is available for checkout at the Library, and can be purchased from 25,000 websites, including amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

GCL Invites You to Shake a Leg

Contra Dancing photo public domain.

The Garland County Library is presenting a series of exercise and dance related programs, including Family Exercise Dance, Contra Dancing, and Yoga. While the library may be traditionally associated with sedentary activities like reading, Library Director John Wells feels that the library should be a center for physical as well as intellectual activity. “We recently hosted some belly dance lessons and they went over so well that we’ve decided to try some more,” he said. “The summer months have been so hot that it’s hard, and even dangerous, for people to get outside and exercise, so we’ll crank up the A.C. and let them get their hearts racing here at the library.”

Family Exercise Dance will draw on a number of dance styles, including Zumba, belly dance, and Latin dances. Instructor Amy Barranco has 35 years of dance experience, is an AFAA certified fitness instructor, and teaches aerobic dance, Zumba, yoga, and Pilates at Hot Springs Health and Fitness. The class is designed to be family oriented and is suitable for parents, kids, grandparents, or singles. The first class will be Wednesday, August 25^th from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. and will continue on Wednesday evenings through October 13^th. The classes require a one time $5.00 registration fee, but are free for anyone aged eight (the minimum age) to sixteen.

“We’re hoping that this is something families will enjoy doing together,” Wells said. “ I know a lot of people who would like to attend classes like this at a gym, but either can’t afford to join or don’t want to make that kind of commitment, so this is a way to offer them a chance to spend some time doing something as a family, have fun, and get fit without breaking the bank.”

For more traditional dancing, the library is offering a series of Contra Dances. This form of folk dance, similar to square dancing, was very popular in the nineteenth century and is making a resurgence. The dances will include Circle Dances, Folk Dances like the Virginia Reel, English Country Dances, and Circle Waltzes. The sessions will be taught by Cynthia Henderson of Russellville, a member of the Arkansas Country Dance Society. Henderson is passionate about traditional dancing and is looking forward to bringing these steps to Garland County. “I’ll do anything I can to help you get people dancing,” she said. “Once people try it, many of them are hooked for life.”

Henderson hopes that people will make dancing a family affair. The minimum age for this program is eight years old and teenagers are especially encouraged to give it a try. “Teens are great and they love it,” Henderson said.

Singles are also welcome. “You don’t need a partner to come,” Henderson said. “You are supposed to get a new partner for each dance and you dance with everyone on the floor during the dance, so it doesn’t matter who your partner is. Women can dance with women. We start with dances where gender doesn’t really matter.”

The Contra Dances will be held on Saturdays at 2 p.m. on the following dates: August 28, September 11, September 25, and October 9. The dances are free, but registration is required.

To help celebrate National Yoga Month in September, the library is offering an introductory course on using yoga and meditation to manage stress. The course will be taught by Uma Rao, owner of the Amrita Yoga Center in Hot Springs. Rao has studied and practiced yoga for over 20 years, is a member of the Yoga Alliance, and has EYRT500 certification.

“I’ve talked to so many people lately who are suffering from stress related illnesses,” Rao said. “What I hope to do in this class is to introduce people to ways that they might manage their stress and live a healthier life. Since September is the month in which the Yoga Health Foundation tries to raise awareness of the health benefits of yoga, it seems like a perfect time for people who may be curious about yoga to come down to the library and give it a try. ”

The yoga class is free and open to people of all fitness levels. Those with physical problems may sit in chairs. Participants should wear loose clothing and bring beach towels or yoga mats. Registration is required.

To register or for more information about any of these programs, call 623-4161 or 922-4483 or visit the library at 1427 Malvern Avenue.

Adult and Young Adult Summer Reading Program Winners!

-image by geckoam: flickr creative commons

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages: here are your 2010 adult and YA summer reading program winners drawn randomly from the 368 review forms that were filled out and returned according to the contest rules.

YOUNG ADULT SUMMER READING
PROGRAM WINNERS!!

-Playaway - Layla Henson
-YA Fiction - Mahiya Momota
-Fiction - Aaron Vines
-Non-Fiction - Taylor Yoak
-Music CD - Emily Gentles
-Movie - Jennifer Brockett
-YA Non-Fiction - Katy Yoak
-Graphic Novel/Manga - Nicholas Youngblood
-and the Grand Prize winner of the iPod Nano for YA is...............Kayla Mechel Miles

ADULT SUMMER READING
PROGRAM WINNERS!!
-Fiction - Cheryl Essley
-Audiobook - Peggy Brockett
-Biography - LJ Hines
-Movie - Patricia Boling
-Music CD - Brandy Weidema
-Mystery - Gail Avi
-Dealer's Choice - Brianna Hett
-Non-Fiction - Lian MacKenzie

-and the Grand Prize winner of the iPod Nano for the adult section is.........................Mohammed Hossain!

Congratulations to all of our winners and thanks to everyone for making the summer reading program a success.

Get Crafty This Summer

Between summer rain and temperatures spiking in the high 90s, something can be said for beating the heat and staying inside during this time of the year. There is no reason to feel cooped up, though. There are plenty of new crafts to pick up during the summer.

Arts and crafts generally get the bad reputation of being the stuff of pipe cleaner animals and paint-by-number art. It is so much more than that. Many crafts are an inexpensive hobby, providing hours of entertainment to enthusiasts of all ages. Crafting is a skill that guarantees totally unique, personalized items for friends and family.

The library has volumes of books on arts and crafts of all sorts. We have books on crafts ranging from origami--which requires nothing more than square paper and imagination--to macramé, the art of knotted string. There are also how-to guides and patterns for needlepoint and cross stitch. The library has nearly one hundred books on knitting, as well as dozens of books on crochet. Wire jewelry, beadwork, quilting, and scrapbooking would not normally come to mind when thinking of crafts but they certainly qualify as such.

A group of crochet and knitting fans meets regularly at the library. Hooks and Needles meets from 1 to 2:30 pm every Wednesday in Room B of the library; feel free to stop by and ask questions. Also, library staff will teach a knitting class for teenagers on July 22 and 23. Interested people between the ages of 12 and 17 may reserve their seat and free knitting supplies by coming in to or calling the library. We would love to see you there!

New Parking Lot Under Construction

The library is currently undergoing construction for a new parking lot. The new lot will hold 36 spaces, which will greatly help those who have a difficult time finding a spot during times of heavy business (tax season, large groups and programs, etc.). No longer should you need to park at the Health Department or on the side-streets that surround the library. If you've ever had the misfortune of parking at these areas, you will definitely appreciate the short walk and extra room, especially in times of bad weather.


The new lot will be located directly across the front doors on the short hill between the Library and Banks Street. It will be accessible from Banks Street on the north end of the Library.


We hope you'll appreciate the new space we're creating. Those who have parked a great distance away to get to the library (employees included!) will no doubt find this addition a godsend.

GCL Wodehouse Society?

While looking into online resources on P.G. Wodehouse, the beloved British author of the Jeeves books, for a forthcoming review in the Sentinel Record's Senior Scene supplement, I ran across a startling statistic. Not only does Arkansas regularly place near the bottom in surveys of literacy, education and health, it does not have a single chapter of the Wodehouse Society.

The U.S. branch of the society was founded in 1979 by the late Captain William Blood, who retired from the U.S. Army to Pennsylvania. It has grown over the years to include over 700 members.

According to its constitution, the Wodehouse Society is "an association of agreeable human beings who share an admiration of Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse and the rich products of his imagination. Our members include everyone from lifelong fans to people who have only recently discovered Wodehouse's works, from serious rare-book collectors to academic scholars of literature, and from those who go around warbling his songs to folks who didn't even know he was involved in musical theatre. The only generalization we can make is that people who appreciate Plum tend to have a genial outlook on life and a high fizziness of spirit, which leads to quite a bit of fun whenever and wherever they congregate."

Plum, by the way, was Wodehouse's nickname.

There are currently two chapters in Texas (it is a large state, after all). I think the least we can do to reverse this downward spiral is to start one here at the Garland County Library. Do we not have a genial outlook on life and fizziness of spirit here in the Spa City?

By far the most impressive Wodehouse Society, at least to judge by its website, is, surprisingly, the Russian one. It's a treasure house of Wodehouse information, e-texts, photos, bibliographies, book cover scans, and much more. I read once that Wodehouse was very popular in Soviet Russia because his work was so far removed from the Socialist Realism mandated by the state. In what ways is the Jeeves/Wooster relationship emblematic of the Marxist power struggle? Ah, we'll leave that one to the Wodehouse Society to discuss. I realize that the Cold War is over, but at least on the Wodehouse front, the Russians seem to have won.

If you're interested in the Wodehouse cause, leave a comment below and we'll get to work on a local chapter. It will be the fizziest.

Happy 4th of July!

Your Garland County Library will be closed on the fourth and fifth of July in observance of our nation's 234th birthday.

Whatever your planning, we've got the information to make your Independence Day celebration a success. Looking for books on grilling? Check out our non-fiction section under 641.5784. Planning on going out on the lake? We've got books on sailing (797.1), kayaking (797.122), and water safety (363.14). If you're anything like me, (accident prone yet still planning on setting off some of those near weapons-grade fireworks) it might be a good idea to check out 616.0252 to see what we have in the first aid category.

If you've got a long weekend, you might want to read up on some American history or one of our founding fathers. From the major figures like Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to the more obscure like Button Gwinnett and Elbridge Gerry, the library has something for everybody. In addition to books, the library has a veritable smorgasbord of dvd and video documentaries about the Revolutionary War and early American history.

So be safe, have fun, and we'll see you all on the 6th.

Father's Day

It's that time of year again. Charcoal grills are stoked for barbecues. Commercials promote power tools and flatscreen televisions. It is an unofficial mark of the beginning of summer, as it often occurs within days of the summer solstice. Father's Day is June 20.

Father's Day is not the Hallmark holiday it is made out to be. Interestingly enough, the holiday was first envisioned by an Arkansan. Sonora Louise Smart was born in Sebastian County, Arkansas to a Civil War veteran who single handedly raised Sonora and her brothers when their mother died. Ms. Smart was touched by the recently celebrated Mother's Day and wanted a similar holiday to honor and celebrate men such as her father.

The holiday was held informally in June starting in 1910--making this year the centennial of its celebration--but its adoption as a national holiday received little enthusiasm. It was derided as an unnecessary invention. Despite this, Father's Day celebrations were held in high esteem by American presidents. Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and Lyndon Johnson supported turning the grassroots event into a national holiday before Richard Nixon did so in 1972.

The library has resources to find ways to celebrate Father's Day beyond the ubiquitous tie and mass produced card. There are hundreds of craft books children and adults alike can use to create something special for the holiday. These include homemade cards, customized clothing, and festive decorations for the day. There are dozens of books on grilling, and you can use the holiday to brush up on your father's favorite sports such as football, baseball, golf, and fishing. You can also check out fatherhood.gov for creative ideas on how to spend time with your father.