Tuesday, November 30, 2010

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 5th 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.



Tuesday, November 23, 2010

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

Monday, November 15, 2010

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.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

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 14th.

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 19th and 20th 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 20th 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 50th 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.