Wednesday, December 30, 2009

New Year's Resolutions

New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want or need to make and resolve to follow through on those changes.

Yes, once again it’s time for me to pick a vice and try to turn it into a positive. I lay in bed last night thinking what should it be this year: smoking, weight loss, better organizational skills and give up procrastination? Hmm, there are just so many to choose from that it's hard to decide. Perhaps I’ll put them all on my resolution list and see which one really sticks.

Now that I have chosen my resolutions, I need help to succeed, and what does a librarian do? That’s right - I head for the self help collection at the library. Wow, there are hundreds of books on self help of all types. Here are a few of my choices:

  • A Woman’s Way: The Stop Smoking Book for Women by Mary Embree.
  • Simplify Your Work Life: Ways to Change the Way You Work So You Have More Time to Live by Elaine St James.
  • The Organized Parent: 365 Simple Solutions to Managing Your Home, Your Time, and Your Family’s Life by Christina Baglivi Tinglof.
  • Strong Women Eat Well by Miriam E Nelson, Ph.D.
  • The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Futness by Dave Ramsey
The books are now piled up on my desk just waiting for me to jump in wholeheartily with note pad at my side, ready to jot down every helpful hint I can find. I left plenty of books on the shelf so I invite all those who are making New Year's resolutions to come by the Library and check them out.

If you need some ideas, here is a list from Wikipedia. In the United States, the most popular goals include:

  • Pursue a satisfying and fulfilling career
  • Lose weight
  • Get out of debt
  • Become more organized
  • Maintain a diary
  • Save money
  • Improve grades
  • Get a better job
  • Get fit
  • Eat right
  • Get a better education
  • Drink less alcohol
  • Quit smoking
  • Reduce stress
  • Take a trip
  • Volunteer to help others
  • Be less grumpy
  • Be more independent
  • Learn something new (such as a foreign language or music)
  • Try to get up early in the morning
  • Time management
  • Help the poor
 However you decide to start the New Year, your Library is here to help you!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Christmas Books Recommended

Here are a few titles of Christmas stories for adults and children which we thought you might enjoy over the holidays:

ADULT:


The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans is a holiday classic that is as beloved in our time as A Christmas Carol was in Dickens's.

Finding Noel, a novel by Richard Paul Evans, is about how people come into our lives for a reason. It is a love story about Macy and Mark, two young people from different worlds.

The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.

A Christmas Promise by Thomas Kinkade takes you to the holiday season of the townspeople of Cape Light, and the village has a special guest.

The Christmas Thieft by Mary Higgins Clark creates an entertaining and suspenseful tale featuring two of her most beloved characters - Alvirah and Willy - who become embroiled in a Yuletide mystery in Manhattan when the Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Center disappears.

CHILDREN:




The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell. An earth-sick little angel newly arrived in the celestial kingdom finds his recent transition from boy to cherub a difficult one.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel. Why is the Grinch such a grouch? No one seems to know, until little Cindy Lou Who takes matters into her own hands and turns both Whoville and the Grinch's world upside down, inside out...and funny side up in her search for the true meaning of Christmas.

The Night before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore. An illustrated version of the classic poem about a visit from St. Nicholas.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future.

The Library Staff wishes you a Merry Christmas and hopes to see you over the holidays.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Most Popular Books of 2009

I’m always amused by the end of the year wrap ups from pundits and critics of the best and worst of everything during the year. I thought it would be fun to look back over the most circulated books here at the library – our greatest hits of 2009, so to speak.


The biggest splash, of course, was made by Greg Iles’ latest, The Devil’s Punchbowl, which not only stirred the literary pot in Natchez, but apparently the political pot as well.

Probably the most discussed and requested book was The Help by Kathryn Stockett, a narrative of 1960’s Mississippi family life from the viewpoint of – well – the help. Just about the time demand would die down a little, a new flurry of requests would start as a different group of readers discovered it. The most remarkable thing about this book is that it is Ms Stockett’s debut novel.

There were some new offerings by a number of authors not heard from for many years: Thomas Pynchon, John Irving, Pat Conroy, and E L Doctorow. Pat Conroy has a particularly loyal following in Natchez.

One book still causing a stir is The Shack by William P Young. I mean how many books claim to depict a weekend spent conversing with God in a shack?

Though originally published in 2004, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneger enjoyed great popularity last year among the book clubs and local readers in general. The release of the movie spurred another burst of interest. I found this book especially intriguing.

Dan Brown’s latest, The Lost Symbol, was highly anticipated and is still in demand.

Remember, one the new features of our online catalog is that patrons may request to receive an email when their favorite authors are about to release a new title.

I think overall 2009 was an exciting year for book lovers. We hope you will join us to see what 2010 has to offer.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

The Secrets of Mistletoe



Last weekend as I was decorating my house for the Christmas holidays, I was looking for just the right place to hang my fake mistletoe ball for maximum kisses and began to wonder about its place of tradition during the Christmas season. Being a reference librarian, the need to know sent me off to the stacks looking for holiday traditions, and this is some of what I found out.

We are all familiar with at least a portion of the mysterious mistletoe's story: namely, that a lot of kissing under the mistletoe has been going on for ages. Few, however, realize that mistletoe's botanical story earns it the classification of parasite. Fewer still are privy to the convoluted history behind the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe.

The kissing under the mistletoe myth comes from Norse mythology. Baldur’s mother, Frigga, Goddess of Beauty and Love, went to all plants and animals asking them to protect her son and cause him no harm, since he was the God of the Summer Sun. She overlooked one, mistletoe. Loki, God of Evil, found this out and got another to kill Baldur with a spear laced with mistletoe. Baldur was eventually brought back to life. Frigga cried tears of little white berries, like the ones found on mistletoe. Out of admiration, Frigga vowed to kiss anyone who walked under the mistletoe, so beginning the kissing under the mistletoe myth.

Washington Irving, in Christmas Eve, relates the typical festivities surrounding the Twelve Days of Christmas, including kissing under the mistletoe. Irving continues his Christmas passage with:
We have conveniently forgotten the part about plucking the berries (which, incidentally, are poisonous), and then desisting from kissing under the mistletoe when the berries run out!
“The mistletoe is still hung up in farm houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases.”
At Christmas time, a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons, and ornaments, cannot refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. If the girl remained unkissed, she cannot expect to marry the following year. In some parts of England, the Christmas mistletoe is burned on the twelfth night lest all the boys and girls who have kissed under it never marry. Whether we believe the myths or not, mistletoe always makes for fun and frolic at Christmas celebrations.

Along with the Christmas holly, laurel, rosemary, yews, boxwood bushes and, of course, the Christmas tree, mistletoe is an evergreen displayed during the Christmas season and symbolic of the eventual rebirth of vegetation that will occur in spring. But perhaps more than any other of the Christmas evergreens, it is a plant of which we are conscious only during the holidays. One day we're kissing under the mistletoe, and next day we've forgotten all about it (the plant, that is, not the kisses).

When the Christmas decorations come down, mistletoe fades from our minds for another year. Particularly in regions where the plant is not native (or is rare), most people do not even realize that mistletoe does not grow on the ground, but rather on trees as a parasitic shrub. That's right: as unromantic as it sounds, kissing under the mistletoe means embracing under a parasite. Most types of mistletoe are classified as hemi parasitical (i.e., partial parasites). They are not full parasites, since the plants are capable of photosynthesis. But these mistletoe plants are parasitic in the sense that they send a special kind of root system (called haustoria) down into their hosts, the trees upon which they grow, in order to extract nutrients from the trees.

Mistletoe’s popularity has not waned in present times, and its pretty leaves and berries are one of the most fun and endearing parts of our Christmas celebrations today.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

It's Reading Fair Time


The Mississippi Department of Education has announced their 12th Annual Reading Fair, and students all across the state are now working on their Reading Fair Projects. Local winners will be chosen in all the categories - and they may go on to District, Regional, and State level competitions.

It is important to remember that parental involvement in a child’s education can be a valuable part of student development. While completing a project together can be an enjoyable task for students and their parents or other adults, please remember, projects should be completed by the student. You do your children no favor by doing their work for them. The purpose of the Reading Fair is to develop reading skills and creativity in the children. Learning is more important than winning - and should be its own reward.

In helping your child pick a book. be sure to bring them to see us. What better place to get help than your public library! We have lots of fiction and nonfiction books in all age categories, and our librarians can help children to pick one that will be right for them.

For details and more information on the Reading Fair, go to the Mississippi Department of Education website or check with your children's school.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Thank You, Dr T! (1920 - 2009)

Dr Clifford Tillman, Chair of the Armstrong Library Board of Trustees and member for 46 years, died on Wednesday, November 11 at the age of 89. He will be sorely missed by all of us at the Library. (See article and obituary in the Natchez Democrat and the tribute on our website.)


Receiving a Resolution from the Mayor
on the occasion of his retirement from the Board.

No one in Natchez has had more of an impact on our Library than Dr Tillman. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't even have our building. Getting financing and approval for a new library in 1964 was a real political feat, and he took pride in his ability to pull it off. He was a visionary leader who steered the Library through good times and bad.

We are pleased that his family has asked that donations in his memory be made to the Friends of the Armstrong Library. If you wish to make a donation, you may bring it by the Library or mail it to 220 South Commerce Street, Natchez MS 39120. Contributors will be acknowledged on our website. These funds will be used for a special memorial yet to be determined.

We thought a good way to honor him would be to ask some members of the Library community for their memories of him. We hope you will also add your memories in the comment section.

Susan Cassagne, Director of the Library: "His dedication to the community was apparent in all of his activities. Even after he retired from the Board of Trustees, he asked about the Library each time he saw me. I'll always be grateful for his leadership and fairness - not mention his sense of humor. We'll miss him."

Lucy Miller, President of Friends of the Library: "He was a recognized and steadfast friend of literacy and the Armstrong Library. He will be missed by all of us in the Friends of the Library."

Beverly Aldridge, former Member of the Board of Trustees: "Dr Tillman was a dedicated member of the Board of Trustees from the time he was a young man. He firmly believed that information should be available to all and that our public library was one of Natchez' most important institutions."

Casey Hughes, Library Administrative Assistant: "I loved it when he would come into my office and tell me tales of the Library. He was so witty and had so many stories to tell."

Larry Buckley, newest Member of the Board of Trustees: "Even though I did not know Dr Tillman very well, I would always see him at Rotary. He was always a very cordial person and always asked how I was doing. He always spoke when I would see him out. He will be missed greatly."

Archie Hall, Library Clerk: "Dr Tillman was a very fun loving person with a great laugh and personality. He will be greatly missed throughout the community of Natchez and surrounding areas."

Genny Harrison, Member of the Board of Trustees: "One day I ran into Dr and Mrs Tillman at the UPS store, and Dr Tillman said to me that he understood that I was going to replace him on the Library Board of Trustees.....I immediately said, 'Dr Tillman, NOONE could ever replace you!!!' He just smiled and gave me a hug!! His love of Natchez, and most especially the Library, will always be an inspiration to me!!!"

Anne White, Assistant Director of the Library: "At Dr Tillman’s retirement reception last summer, he seemed delighted and not a little amused at all the attention he was getting. It was wonderful to see his obvious enjoyment as more and more people arrived to celebrate his years of service."

Janet Minor, Children's Librarian: "Dr Tillman was a very dedicated person to the Armstrong Library and the Community. He will be greatly missed."

Ella Young, Friends of the Library: "Dr. Clifford was always so very interested in our library and participated in so many of our events. His legacy will long remain."

Jacqulyn Williams, former Member of the Board of Trustees: "My respect and admiration is very deep for Dr Tillman, both as once being my personal physician and serving with him on the Library Board. He was a doctor that I could call on after office hours and was also an adamant supporter of the Armstrong library."

Marianne Raley: Reference Librarian: "Dr Tillman loved the library and was always inspiring us to do great things for the literacy of the Natchez community. He will be greatly missed."

Duncan McFarlane, Chair of the Board of Trustees: "Dr Tillman was my mother's doctor for about 50 years, and I went to him as a teenager. His dedication to the Armstrong Library was amazing; as a trustee, I hope I can continue the work that he started."

Delores Mullins, Library Clerk: "I have known Dr Clifford Tillman for forty years. He was a great person and doctor. He was always there for you anytime you needed him. He did a lot for our library. I sure am going to miss him."

Chris Shirey, Library Head of Technical Services: "I knew Dr Tillman before coming to Armstrong Library; he was my dad's doctor. So I got to see him as very good and caring doctor. After coming to the Library I also got to know the caring and concerned man that he was. He knew how important Armstrong Library is to the community and was behind everything that would help the library. He will be greatly missed by all."


More quotes are coming.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Fun and Interesting Random Facts

When it comes to random facts, not all of them are created equal. I have pulled just a few interesting facts that you might not know. See if there're at least a couple of random facts in the post that you did not know.

Do you know how to determine when Easter is? Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after March 21. Using this method, Easter can only occur between March 22 and April 25.

It is impossible to fold a dollar bill in half eight times, doubling it each time. In fact, it cannot be done even with a large piece of paper. Try it.

To keep a banana from ripening too quickly, keep it at a temperature of 57 degrees. A bunch of bananas is called a hand while a single banana is referred to as a finger.

Get out your five dollar bill. All 50 States are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.

The city of Los Angeles' full name is "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La REina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula." ("The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels on the River Porciuncula")

Dogs have no sense of "time" and are NOT 100% color blind.

4 of the 5 original designers of the Macintosh computer were left-handed.

Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil.

The average major league career of a baseball is 5 to 7 pitches.

Elvis had over 600 recorded songs, but never wrote any of them. He was the biggest tax payer in the US in 1973.

Hopefully you've learned at least one new thing by reading this fun post of interesting random facts. If you knew everything in this read, you should apply for Jeopardy!

You can find more interesting facts like these online, there are lots of different topics. It was fascinating to read some of them and there where so many I really had a hard time deciding what to post.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

One Can Never Have Too Many Friends



The Library is looking even better now that we have our new stands for the “card catalog” computers. For a long while now we have been needing replacements for the old ones which did not match our beautiful light colored Circulation and Information counters. Our warm thanks go out to our Friends of the Library for purchasing all seven of the stands.

Friends groups support libraries in very special ways. Public libraries are forbidden by law from fundraising, so the Friends are frequently true life savers. By raising funds through book sales and the annual Christmas House Tour, items are purchased which fill needs that are not part of regular Library budget expenditures. Sometimes it might be a special set of books, a display unit, or in this case a much needed upgrade to our fixtures.

Come by the Library and see some of the improvements our Friends group has provided us, including the cozy glider rocker in the Children’s Department. And if you would like to join the Friends of the Library, we can help you with that, too.

After all, one can never have too many Friends.

Don't forget the Friends Christmas Tour of Homes on December 6, 2 - 5 pm.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

It's Time for the Christmas Tour of Homes

On the first Sunday of every December, the Friends of the Library sponsor the Christmas Tour of Homes - an extremely popular event. Why is it so popular? You get to tour four homes that are not included in other tours. These homes are not necessarily the typical antebellum homes seen on other tours. Instead they are homes that are unusual or beautiful for any reason. These are homes owned and lived in by local Natchezians. And the best part is that they are gorgeously decorated for Christmas.

This year's Christmas Tour of Homes will be on December 6, 2 - 5 pm. Tickets are $15 for one ticket and $25 for two and can be purchased at the Armstrong Library or at any home on the day of the event. Four houses will be on the tour this year.



Riverview, 47 New Street
Home of John Miller
(Refreshment Center)



Hess House, 314 Linton Avenue
Home of Richard Hess



Coyle House, 207 Wall Street
Home of Marcia & Lem Adams



Benoist-Stier House, 410 South Union Street
Home of Ginny & Paul Benoist


Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Read to Your Child Everyday

One of the best gifts you can give to your children is the gift of reading. Reading to preschoolers helps lead to success in kindergarten and throughout life. The most important thing that influences reading is having someone read to children on a regular basis.

Set an example for your children by reading everyday. Children who see their parents reading tend to be better readers themselves. Being a good parent requires consistency, support, and the ability to set forth a good example for your children to follow. The best way to encourage your children to read is to show them that reading is important to you. Take a trip to the Library and pick out your favorite books together. The Children’s Librarian would be happy to show you the board books, beginner readers, picture books, and much more. If your children observe you enjoying reading, they will likely begin to imitate the act themselves. You may catch your children reading to their toys or friends. They may even pick up a book and make up a great story to read to you out loud. Encourage this type of activity. Your children are learning to read this way, even if they do not recognize the words.

Find ways to show your children that you value reading. Set aside a family reading time. Every member of the family should find something to read. After reading, share what you read. This encourages family discussion and togetherness. It also helps children increase their comprehension and summarizing skills. Also have story time with your children everyday or at night before going to bed. This will certainly help your children become successful readers.

Don’t forget preschoolers and kindergarteners may join us at the Armstrong Library every Wednesday, 10:00-10:30 am for story time in the Children’s Department.

Monday, October 12, 2009

You're Going to Love Our New Catalog!

The Natchez Adams Wilkinson Library Service will introduce a new library automation system (Polaris Library Systems), which is designed to help us improve services for library patrons.

The new system will make it easier for library patrons to search for items more easily. They will still be able to create an account, log on to the system, and do searches from their home computer (or anywhere else they have access to the Internet)! Two new features include the ability for a patron to create a ‘reading history’ of the books they’ve checked out, and to have an ‘alert’ set up so they can grab their favorite author’s newest work when it comes in. Patrons with visual impairments can enlarge the screen text with just a click of the mouse!

Patrons with email will be notified automatically when requests are available and when items are overdue and fines are owed (if they choose this option for notifications). Also, reminder emails will be sent when an item is close to being due.

Those patrons choosing "snail" mail will continue to have requests, overdue and fine notices mailed to them. As the cost of postage continues to increase, email is certainly an expense-saving option. There is also the benefit of instant notification!

The Polaris system is very easy to use. With their library card, a patron has access to their individual account, where they may make requests, renew borrowed items (however, some items may not be renewable!), update their record, and send the Library a message.

Because Polaris is web-based, library patrons will find the format is familiar and user-friendly, since it works like their computer at work or at home.

Come by and let us show you how easy it is to use the online catalog. Our new web page will also have useful links! It's coming soon.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Banned Books

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.


Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections.

The titles in bold represent just a few of the hundreds of banned or challenged books.
1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
3. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
6. Ulysses by James Joyce
7. Beloved by Toni Morrison
8. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
9. 1984 by George Orwell
10. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (taken off the banned/challanged list)

For more information on why these books were challenged, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/aboutbannedbooks/index.cfm


What's the difference between a challenge and a banning?
A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.

Why are books challenged?
Often challenges are motivated by a desire to protect children from “inappropriate” sexual content or “offensive” language. The following were the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom:

1. the material was considered to be "sexually explicit"
2. the material contained "offensive language"
3. the materials was "unsuited to any age group"


While these are certainly issues to consider, it is also important to remember an interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (ALA's basic policy concerning access to information) states that, “Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources.”


The above quote is really what it's all about from this librarian's perspective. I did my best as a mother to be involved in what my children were reading but I can't recall ever censoring what they read. I do remember reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" together as a family and having some lively conversations at the dinner table about race and individual rights. As the Teen Librarian, I try to provide a balanced collection of books, including classics and contemporary fiction, both secular and christian, and it's my hope parents take the time to get involved in their childen's reading habits.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Our New Automation System

Some patrons have asked us what we will be doing while the Library is closed October 1-6. A couple have even expressed great relief that we’re getting a new air conditioning unit! No, we’re not installing new air conditioning, although we are hopeful that will happen in the not too distant future. What we are installing is a new cataloging system. Our cataloging system keeps track of all the items in the Library, all our patron records, and what fees are owed. This represents a very large amount of data, and it will take several days to transfer all of it over into the new computer system.

During the change over, Library staff will be busy, even though we will not be checking items in or out. We will be training on the new system, and catching up on other projects in the Library.

Although there won’t be obvious differences in routine check ins and check outs, there will be many improvements in convenience for patrons. One big change is that patrons will be able to change their pin number and update other information in their own record. Also, patrons will have the option to keep a record of books they have read. Searching the system on a specific subject will be more convenient, also.

The Library’s goal in making this change is improved service to our patrons. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we move forward.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Attention All Library Criminals

Are you a library criminal? You are if you didn't return a library book, and you haven't been back in the library because you're afraid the fines are too high. Or if you have library books lying around your house that you never got around to returning.

Now's your big chance. We're offering unconditional amnesty for you. Any items returned between October 7 - 10 will be fine free! It doesn't matter when you checked them out - even if the book says it belongs to the Fiske Library (which was closed in 1967.)

Don't forget that your Library will be closed October 1 - 6, while our new automation system is installed. What's an automation system, you say? It's the computer software that keeps track of all our books and our patrons. If you check out a book today, it automatically figures out how long you can keep it and prints a receipt for you. If you're late returning that book, it sends you nice little reminders, and keeps track of your fines. It figures out how long you can stay on a library computer (so everyone has a chance to use it) and knows how much money you have in your account for printing. The software is very clever and costs bunches of money and will take several days to be installed. You'll get to see it at work after October 6, when you use our catalog in the Library or online from our website.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

September is Library Card Sign Up Month

Do you have a library card? Do your children have a library card? September is Library Card Sign Up Month, and your Library wants to make sure that all the local residents have the smartest card of all – a library card. It is very easy to get, and it will be the smartest card in your wallet.

Library cards are FREE to residents of Adams and Wilkinson counties. You must present a picture ID and something with your home address, for example: a bill, letter, checkbook, etc. If you are nonresident there is a $10 annual fee.

A child must be at least 5 years old to get a library card. A parent or legal guardian must present picture ID, fill out the application, and sign for any child that is under 18 years of age.

The American Library Association and libraries across the country are encouraging residents to get the smartest card. The children can come to the library to get homework help, check out books, as well as playing games, checking out movies and audio books, and using the computers. The best part about this is that it is all FREE to children and parents with a library card. The library is one of the only places that has something FREE for everyone in your family.

Your Library provides a safe and quiet environment for learning and access to books for children, teens, and adults. We provide free story time on Wednesdays, 10:00- 10:30 am for the PreK and Kindergarten children. The library plays an important role in education and the development of children. Studies show that children who are read to and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

Did you know a library card is the key to helping you live better for less? It’s all you need to get free books, movies, internet access, and much more. Bring your family to your Library and get your library cards today. You will be glad you did!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Back to School

Your library can help students get started on the right foot this school year. Your library has many resources, both print and electronic, to help students brush up on critical skills, conduct useful research, and develop outstanding creative projects projects.

For example, Contemporary Black Biography and Novels for Students are comprehensive reference materials that are ideal for high school and college students of all ages, and they're available in the Reference Room in your Library - along with other up to date resources. The Teen Zone nonfiction section of your Library also has many items useful to students, such as science experiments; decade books; biographies of musicians, actors, and sports figures; several books on peer pressure; and preparing for college and ACT/SAT prep manuals.

Many books listed on the local school reading lists and AR books are also available at your Library.

Working on Mississippi history projects? The Natchez Democrat on microfilm going back to 1800 is available, so students can find out what was going on in town during the time period they are studying.

In addition to outstanding collections, your Library offers many other conveniences for students. Comfortable study areas are scattered throughout your Library. Public computer areas feature Internet and Microsoft Office, with both color and black & white printers. Wireless Internet access is available throughout the building, public copiers are provided on each floor, and fax services are available at the circulation desk.

As much as we enjoy seeing you in your Library, students don’t have to visit the building to use many of our resources. Check out our research sources on the MAGNOLIA Database page of our website. We've got a great collection of books, periodicals, and more that you can access online from work, home, or school. Armed with your Library card and our website, you can practice for the GED, TOEFL, Nursing and Firefighter exams, and many other tests in the LearningExpress Library. LearningExpress Library not only provides online preparation materials for an extensive array of standardized tests, elementary through adult levels, but also offers skills improvement courses in math, reading and writing for elementary, middle school and high school.

Also available on our web site are customized subject guides created by our librarians, which feature recommended web sites, related databases, materials from our collection and local resources.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

The Story of a Book

Ever wonder the story behind how a book makes it to the library?

How is a book selected? Ideas for books to place in your Library come from many sources. The most obvious is that you and other patrons request or recommend a book. Also, the staff makes recommendations on what materials they think are needed based on their role in your Library. The national best seller lists give us ideas, and we also read book reviews from several sources. The Library Director makes the final decisions, which are of course affected by budgetary restraints.

How is a book ordered? Books and other materials are ordered from many different suppliers. Some books are sent to us automatically because they meet certain criteria. For example, we always order all Greg Iles's books since he is a Natchez author. Generally the primary consideration is price, although many booksellers provide additional services that may affect the decision. For example, our primary bookseller sends all books with a barcode already affixed and provides cataloging information through a website. In addition, some of our books are donated.

What happens when a book arrives? If the book is donated, a determination is made as to whether it is worth adding to the library collection. If the book was purchased, the first thing is to check to make certain the books in the package match what the invoice says is supposed to be there. Then the books have to go through several steps in the Library:
  1. Cataloging. This is a very important and often misunderstood step in placing a book in your Library. This is what makes it possible for you to quickly find the book that you want. Our cataloger uses several sources to make her decisions. First, materials are categorized by type of media: books, tapes, videos, magazines, newspapers, and microfilm. Books are then divided into categories according to the type of reader: Adult, Large Print, Young Adult, Juvenile, and Easy Readers. Next books are further divided into specific categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Biographies, and Reference. Fiction is ordered by author and Biographies by the person(s). Nonfiction and Reference are categorized according to the Dewey Decimal System, which has been used by libraries since 1876. In addition, all materials are coded with the appropriate subjects and keywords, to help patrons find materials. Finally, all this information must be entered into the computer so that patrons have access to the information. At this point, patrons will be able to find the book in our catalog, but it's status will be "in cataloging," and it can't be checked out yet.
  2. Processing. All items have a barcode label which is its unique identifier in the Library and also allows the book to be scanned for checkout and checkin. Books and other materials also have a label, called a spine label, that is easily visible from the shelf and that tells you where they are located in the library. All books must be covered with a special plastic cover, called a dust jacket, to protect it. Several pieces of information are stamped or written in each book: when it was received, which branch library it belongs to, and the warning for misuse. Plus all items are "hotted" which means it will set off an alarm if taken out of the library without being checked out.
  3. Circulation. The item's status is changed from "processing" to "checked in" and is then available to be checked out by patrons. New books are usually placed in the "New Books" section of the library for about 6 months, before they are placed in their permanent location.

Be-Friend your Library

It’s certainly true that one can never have too many friends. Did you know that Judge George Armstrong is on facebook and is ready and willing to confirm your friend requests?

Facebook has proved to be a useful networking tool ever since each of us on staff has gotten our own page. It does sometimes resemble a high school social circle with members competing to see who can accumulate the most friends, but it does have its benefits. I just returned from a week-long trip to New York and Boston, and I checked in on all my friends back home while I was wandering the northeast corridor.

One of my stops in New York was the grand New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue. Up on the third floor, where the beautifully painted cloud-filled ceiling soared above my head, the reading room was buzzing and vibrant. Row after row of public access computers were filled with folks doing just what I was doing – checking email and posting their status. Although it is strictly a research library, the pick up windows were bustling with patrons picking up requested books for in-house use.

Everywhere I went on my trip, from the riders on the Amtrak train to the New York City bus driver taking a break from her driving, I saw people reading. As a librarian, I found it very gratifying. I took the opportunity to finish reading The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. It was excellent and deserves all the book club and discussion group attention it has been receiving. I can only hope the movie is up to the book.

Judge George Armstrong is indeed on facebook. Look “him” up, and friend him. That way you will get important updates about the Library, such as the design process of our new web site. We would love input on that subject and on any programs our friends would like to see started.

We're also on Twitter as NatchezLibrary.

Be-friend your Library!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

We're Designing a New Website

We decided we needed a new website. Our address is www.naw.lib.ms.us. We're most interested in making it user friendly, and we would really appreciate some feedback from our patrons. Please send us an email answering any or all of these questions:

  • If you've never visited our website, please tell us why. We need to understand why people don't use it. Maybe you didn't even know we had a website. Maybe the address is too hard to remember.

  • If you have visited it, why did you come? What were you looking for? We also need to know what people want when they visit, so we can provide it and make it as easy as possible to find.

  • When you visit our website, did you ever have problems finding what you were looking for? It makes sense to us, but it may not to the public. So let us know about any difficulties you experienced.

  • One challenge in designing websites is its organization, which helps people find what they want. Would you organize our site differently? Would you add, delete, or change some of the sections we include? Or maybe you might use different words to describe them.

  • Is there something that you wanted that wasn't on the site? Please make any suggestions for additional information that you would like to see.

  • Of course, feel free to tell us what you like, too. We don't want to change something that's working well.

Our website is meant for the entire community to use - so we need your feedback to make sure it does its job well.

PS. Once we have the new design ready, we'll be needing some guinea pigs to test it out. If you're interested, let us know.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

So Many Books - So Little Money!

Selecting Library books and materials might be considered a boring job to some people. So many books, so little money! A boring job it is not! Librarians consider book and materials selection to be a “perk” of the job!

Remember, as a child, spending days going through the Sears or JC Penney Christmas catalogs? You wanted everything, but you knew your parents could not afford “everything”. And, if you had brothers and/or sisters, you also knew they had a right to want stuff, too, even though you might have thought their choices were stupid, silly, or gross, or that what you wanted was better than what they wanted. So, you would go through the catalogs and slowly, but surely, either scratch things off your list, or underline the things you really didn’t think you could live without! You knew your parents wanted to treat each of you equally and would do their best to give each of you what you wanted and needed. Then, if life was good, on Christmas morning, each and everyone would get exactly what they wanted.

Well, book selection (to a librarian) is kind of like Christmas all year ‘round. Each month catalogs full of beautiful, colorful, interesting-looking books are delivered to the Library. It is the librarians’ job to go through and select the ones that will be exactly what each and everyone wants, while understanding that each and everyone may want something entirely different from the other!

So, how do we do this? Well, like Santa, we rely on people to tell us what they want. No sense wasting money on something nobody wants! Some fiction authors are so popular, that people just want to read everything they write; they don’t care what the book is about. For those people, the Library participates in a plan called “Automatically Yours” and that includes over 700 authors. Librarians go through the list of authors and select the ones whose titles that would automatically be ordered. These author’s titles are delivered as they are published, without a need to manually order them. Other authors and titles are those found and recommended in peer reviewed Library journals.

Fiction books for children and teenagers are selected a bit differently, but with the same thought in mind. Award winners, of course, are ordered along with recommended authors and series.
Nonfiction is selected by subject, as would be expected. Generally, books with medical, science, and technology subjects are weeded (discarded) and replaced with books that provide up-to-date information. Sometimes (and this shocks everyone!), books on certain subjects are not returned, so we must replace them. If a patron requests a book on a subject that the Library does not have any (or current) information on, that book (or subject) is considered for purchase.

Obviously, not every book requested can be purchased, but if several people come in requesting a particular one, it certainly moves up the list of books under consideration.

Our Mission Statement states that “we are a resource for cultural, educational, informational, recreational, and technological needs for the citizens of the City of Natchez, Adams County, Centreville, Woodville, and Wilkinson County through a careful book selection process and technology planning, keeping in mind the heritage of the area and the right to free access to all citizens”. Our book selection process follows that statement. The challenge lies in choosing the right books that satisfy that criteria without going over our budget – just like parents at Christmas.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Be Creative @ Your LIbrary

Once again, the annual summer library program has come to a close with outstanding success! The total attendance for Pre-K through 6th grade alone was 2,394! This marks another banner year having broken our previous record of 1,981 participants in 2006. In addition, 465 children registered. Those that registered qualified to pull 1 prize for every 8 books read.

This year’s theme was “Be Creative @ Your Library”. NASA kicked off our summer program on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at the Natchez City Auditorium with 2 programs, 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. Mr. Dion Jones of the Marshall Space Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Ms. Vicki Bess of the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi and Ms. Eunice Lichtenstein also of the John C. Stennis Space Center stimulated children’s interest in math and science and encouraged students to do their very best. They also educated children about NASA, basic facts on space and on what it’s like to be an astronaut. Mr. Jones is a native of Natchez, Mississippi and former student of North Natchez High School.

We, here at the Judge George W. Armstrong Library, would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to parents, children, community partners, volunteers, local schools, child care centers, and churches that helped this year’s program be a success. We would also like to thank AmeriCorp and Project D.R.E.A.M. for participating in our program this year. We want to extend a special thank you to Mrs. Janet Jones (wife of Mr. Dion Jones), for providing the appropriate contacts at NASA and for volunteering her assistance during the kick-off program, and Ms. Tessa Quaze from John C. Stennis Space Center for helping us to organize the kick-off program.

The Community Partners included the following: Bluff City Veterinary Hospital, WTYJ 97.7 FM/ WMIS 1240 AM, Adams County Health Department, J R & K Tropical Treat Sno-Balls, Alderman Ricky Gray, Shoney’s Restaurant, Sonic Drive-In (Natchez), Bluff City Post Newspaper, Mr. David Dreyer, Cable One Inc., Kings Fisherman’s Bass Club, Sports Center, Natchez Collision Center, Zion Chapel AME Church, Natchez Regional Medical Center, Biscuits & Blues, Natchez Bank Association, Greater Faith Tabernacle, Greater Faith Child Care & Development Center, First Class Limo, The Markets, McDonalds of Natchez & Vidalia, Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Retired Education Personnel of Mississippi, Natchez Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Ja’Nels Flowers & Gifts, Concordia Bank & Trust Company, Natchez Building Inspection Department, Natchez Public Works Department, Uptown Grocery, Mr. Gene Battieste, Big Lots, Lehmann Cash & Carry, Natchez Firefighters Association, and Wal-Mart Supercenter.

This program has been an increasing success over the last several years, and I am convinced that it will continue to be successful with the help and support of everyone in the community.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Teens Express Themselves @ the Library

For the past six weeks teens have been coming to the library for the summer reading program and learning about all the neat ways they can express themselves. They used the Graffiti Wall in the downstairs foyer to express themselves through art and poetry, even the general public got into it and added their own thoughts. We toured the ArtNatchez Gallery, completed a scavenger hunt involving the various works at the gallery and later had a quick Manga (Japanese cartooning) lesson from one of our own local artist, Patricia Knight. The kids had a great time and loved spending time with Ms Knight.


Teens expressed themselves through crafts. They created their own bookmarks by melting crayon shavings on cardstock. They also made magnet marbles and painted suncatchers. They also learned how to create their own computer game with the help of our summer employee, Leonard Lucas.


The last day party consisted of pizza and cold drinks while challenging each other to games of baseball, tennis, and bowling on the Wii. Some of the girls got creative with Karaoke and music CDs.


All in all it was a great six weeks and the best part was the sixteen member group read 305 books total. Congratulations to them, and lets meet again next summer!


Be on the look out for information about Teen Read Week coming in October.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Yummy Culinary Mysteries

Culinary mysteries feature stories where food is a major ingredient. The sleuth is usually a nonprofessional crime fighter who works as a caterer or restaurateur. These mysteries often feature quaint or exotic settings. Here are some you can find right here in your Library.

Childs, Laura

The Tea Shop Mysteries feature amateur sleuth and tea shop owner Theodosia Browning. Set in quaint Charleston, these mysteries show that people in small towns often hide secrets that can lead to murder.


Crawford, Isis

When Berandette Simmons goes to work for her sister at Libby's catering business in New York, it's a recipe for disaster as the two find themselves in the midst of a murder mystery they can really sink their teeth into. Includes seven recipes.


Davidson, Diane Mott

Meet the caterer who whipped up the multimillion copy mystery series - as Goldy solves her first murder. Davidson's winning recipe of first class suspense and five star fare has won her - and caterer Goldy - raves and a regular place on major bestseller lists across the country.


Farmer, Jerrilyn

Jerrilyn Farmer's background as a comedy writer in Hollywood gives her award winning mysteries an insider's view of the Hollywood lifestyle. Party planner Madeline Bean caters fabulous parties with humor and verve, but somehow always ends up involved in murder.


Fluke, Joanne

When Hannah Swenson, amateur sleuth and owner of the Cookie Jar Bakery in Lake Eden Minnesota, gets on the trail of a murder, watch out. Off the wall characters along with great recipes make these mysteries delicious.


McKevett, G. A.

A very feisty Southern heroine, Detective Sergeant Savannah Reid, devours the most delectable-sounding cheesecakes and gooey sweet things while solving murder mysteries.


Myers, Tamar

In Tamar Myers' Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery with Recipes Series, narrator Magdalena Yoder, a mean-spirited innkeeper, exploits her Mennonite heritage to run the Penn Dutch Inn. Life is anything but dull at the Inn. You never know when murder and mayhem will be served with evening meals. Magdalena finds herself playing amateur sleuth time and time again in order to protect the reputation of her beloved inn.

Friday, June 26, 2009

The Next 100 Years

A thoughtful patron sent in the following review of a new book, and we hope more of you will do the same.



George Friedman is a an expert on international relationships, and in his book The Next 100 Years he has boiled down relations between countries to a good ole boy science. I say that because he lives in Austin and judging by his picture and his writing, he just looks and talks like a good ole boy to me.

He points out that only a few countries ever rise to the top, and they rise for basic strategic reasons. Paramount in being the most powerful are two things. One is a superior military (intelligence and conventional forces). Another is a superior location (on water).

Friedman goes to great extent to open the reader's thought to how things change over time. One hundred years ago Europe was the top of the heap. Two huge wars later and Europe was knocked out of the top spot. Because of that, the superior location shifted west when Pacific ocean trade surpassed Atlantic ocean trade. The U.S. being located on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, became the dominant power.

For the next hundred years, according to Friedman, the United States will remain the center of trade and therefore the dominant power.

I've read lots of books like this, but Freidman's book is one of the best. It is a concise, straight forward and thought provoking take on the future of international relations.

Larry Hardee

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Have You Met Leonard?


Leonard Lucas is our new summer employee. He comes to us courtesy of the Summer Youth Work Experience Program, an arm of the WIN Job Center.
If you've been in the Library since he started, then you probably know him. He's so outgoing and friendly. In fact we think he has a future as a stand up comedian. But his plans are quite different. He's majoring in software engineering and is a real computer wizard. And he said he's taught himself most of what he knows, since his high school didn't offer computer courses.
Leonard is a Natchez native and graduated from Cathedral in 2008. He then left for Mississippi State. Unfortunately, he got quite sick during his freshman year and had to come home. He's been attending CoLin since then but plans to return to Mississippi State in the spring.
When asked what he likes about working in the Library, he said he enjoys meeting all the people who come in here. And he said he loves the food. Food?? Apparently, several of the women are mothering him and bring in dishes for him to try. But what he really likes best is talking to Patrick, our IT guy. When those two get to talking, it sounds like they're speaking a foreign language.
If you see him, you'll not be surprised that he was a basketball player in high school and still plays for fun. He said he was inspired by Michael Jordan. He's a bit of a health nut and likes to stay in shape and eat right.
But his absolute favorite pastime is designing video games - and he plans to do it professionally. One day maybe he'll be rich and famous. Hope he remembers his friends from the Library.
Whatever he chooses to do with his life, he'll be a success - and the Library is so glad we got to enjoy him this summer.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Kids Are So Cute!


We wanted to share a picture with you. It was taken today at our regular storytelling time - every Wednesday at 10 am.
My office looks out over the Children's Section, and you have no idea how great it is to look out at all those precious kids every Wednesday morning.
This morning, the children had a special visitor - Curious George - and they were so excited.


Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Do You love Animals - and Mysteries?

These mysteries are unique in their portrayal of four-legged animal detectives that help their human friends solve crimes. Here is a list of authors with their series' names and a list of main characters, to get you started on your own animals adventures. All these books are available at your Library.

Marian Babson

In Nine Lives to Murder, Winstanley Fortescue, a Shakespearean actor, pairs up with theater cat Montmorency D Mousa "Monty" in a humorous journey to solve a theater murder.

Carol Lea Benjamin

Divorced, Jewish private investigator Rachel Alexander is an ex dog trainer who investigates suspicious circumstances in the Rachel Alexander and Dash Mystery Series.

Laurien Berenson

The Melanie Travis Mystery Series stars Melanie as the infectiously upbeat protagonist. A special education teacher and a mother of a 4 year old, she solves mysteries in the world of dog showing with the help of dog breeders Margaret "Aunt Peg" Turnbull, a 50-ish widower, and software designer Sam Driver.

Rita Mae Brown

The Mrs Murphy Series stars Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen, the human who untangles crimes with the help of Mrs Murphy, a female gray tiger cat, and Tee Tucker, a female Welsh corgi, in the town of Crozet, Virginia.

Lilian Jackson Braun

The novels in the Cat Who...Series all star Jim "Quill" Quilleran, a philanthropist and ex war correspondent in his 50's, who lives in Pickax City in the Midwest US. He solves mysteries aided by Koko and Yum Yum, two Siamese cats who are smarter than any humans, and his girlfriend, Polly the Librarian.

Susan Conant

Holly Winter is a dog trainer and columnist who investigates crimes aided by her two malamutes, Rowdy and Kimi. Conant's Holly Winter Mystery Series is set in New England.

Carole Nelson Douglas

Midnight Louie is a black tomcat and the star of the Midnight Louie Series. Aided by his investigative partner, redheaded publicist Temple Barr, Louie solves mysteries with Temple and her ex boyfriend, Magician Max Kinsela, and ex priest and hotline counselor Matt Devine.

Dick Francis

Horse racing figures prominently in Francis Horseracing Mystery Series! The main characters change in each book, but all are involved in some way with horse racing in Great Britain.

Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Tomcat Joe Grey and sidekick, Dulcie the library cat, are a feline detecting duo that hide their power of human speech from their owners, auto mechanic Clyde Damer and librarian Wilma Katz, in the Joe Grey Series of books.

William Murray

Called the American Dick Francis, Murray mysteries are based on horse racing and include wry narration, neat plotting, and colorful characters. They feature horseplayer Shifty Lou Anderson and illustrate Murray's love of horses and the beauty of horse racing.

Do You Like Paranormal Mysteries?

Then checkout some of these popular authors!

Andrews, Donna

In the Turning Hopper series, a sentient artificial intelligence personality helps her human friends solve the mystery.

Atherson, Nancy

The ghost of Aunt Dimity inspires and guides Lori Sheppard in solving the mysteries that seem to arise in her everyday life.

Ballard, Mignon F.

Guardian angel Augusta Goodnight, naturally bossy, loves colorful (sometimes just plain gaudy)clothing, doesn't actually solve the mystery, but with her practical guidance is always helpful in heading the protagonist in the right direction.

Davidson, Mary Janice

After being killed in a car accident, fashion savvy Betsy Taylor becomes one of the undead and with the help of her new found friends, the lure of designers shoes, and a sexy vampire, must destroy the dark enemy and fulfill her destiny as the prophesied vampire gueen.

Haines, Carolyn

In the Mississippi Delta mysteries, southern belle-turned private investigator, Sarah Booth Delaney, struggles to cope with her antebellum Delta estate's local ghost, Jitty, and to solve the murder cases that she is hired to work.

Hamilton, Laurell K.

Vampire hunter Anita Blake--known to the vampires she kills as The Executioner--is hired by the most powerful vampire in the city to find out who has been murdering innocent vampires.

Harris, Charlaine

Sookie Stackhouse, a cocktail waitress in rural Louisiana, who keeps to herself because of her ability to read minds, till she meets Bill, a dark and handsome vampire with ties to a elite underground society that enlist her telepathic talents to help solve mysteries in the vampire community and finds herself caught up in a dangerous web of murder and betrayal.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Love Your Library!

April 12-18th is National Library Week, being celebrated for the fifty-first time this year. Instead of just observing it as a typical gee-aren’t–libraries-swell yearly event, let’s take this opportunity to take a fresh look at your community Library.

What does having a strong community library mean to a city such as Natchez? Would anything really be different if it didn’t exist? Of course it would. Last year, the Armstrong Library served over 44,000 patrons with books, periodicals, archives, internet access, children’s services and so much more.

And yet there is a tendency to take the Library for granted. Not every community has a vital, functioning Library with a dedicated director, staff, and Friends group. We are fortunate in Natchez to have such a Library. Libraries need to be loved by the community which they serve.

What does it mean to love your library? A loved Library is a used Library. As a vital part of the community, Libraries provide a place to distribute important information, hold community discussions, celebrate accomplishments of young writers and readers, and host other activities and events. The traditional role of the Library is ever changing. More and more, Libraries are playing an important role in advancing community literacy, lifting everyone’s potential for achievement and advancement. Libraries have taken on an expanded role as resource centers during the current economic downturn, and will continue to provide information and resources as the economy recovers.

As technology has advanced, Libraries have kept pace, offering the latest in technologically assisted services. Libraries have reflected the times we live in, but are prepared to embrace the future in new and expanded roles.

So love your Library! If you have not used your library card in a while, come by to see what’s new. If you’ve been thinking of getting a Library card, come on in! We are your community Library, and we’re here for you.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

What's All This Hullabaloo About "Social Media"?

You know that "networking" is good for your business. You join organizations and go to receptions to meet people who might do business with you. But it's terribly time consuming, isn't it? What if you could meet and interact with thousands of people in two seconds? Well, you can. That's what "social media" does - and why it's becoming so popular. In fact, if you're not using it, you're losing business by the minute - because your competition is doing it.

What do we mean by "social media"? It's just online networking, where valuable business connections are made every day on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Online networking is where a community of people with common interests interact. Through these networks, you can give your business or nonprofit a personality, a brand awareness, and learn what people are saying about you.

Why do you need this? It's easy, doesn't cost anything, builds your business, and has big benefits and low risks.

Want to learn more? You're in luck. The Library hosts a monthly meeting of local folks who are using social media and other forms of emarketing - or want to. They share ideas and help each other learn. Everybody is welcome to attend - no matter their knowledge level or experience. The EMarketing Group meets the second Monday of every month at 6 pm at the Library. Since the Library closes at 6 pm, get there a couple of minutes early - or go to the side door and ring the doorbell. For more information, call the Library at 601.445.8862 or email.

Next meeting of the EMarketing Group is Monday, April 13 at 6 pm at the Library.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

LearningExpress Library - A Great Resource @ Your Library

LearningExpressLibrary™ is an amazing resource available for free from your Library. It is an online preparation service that really works. It can help prepare you for specific tests and for general skills. You can access it on the Library computers or from your home computer - but you must first contact your Library to get a username and password.

LearningExpress Library™ can help you:
  • Prepare for professional certification, licensing, and aptitude tests in health care, civil service/government, law enforcement, firefighting, EMS, cosmetology, military, and real estate, among others
  • Improve workplace skills such as resume building, interviewing techniques, job search and assessment, business writing, and core computer skills
  • Achieve higher scores on college entrance exams such as the ACT and SAT and improve performance on Advanced Placement (AP) exams
  • Prepare for graduate school admissions tests such as the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, and MCAT
  • Improve proficiency levels in reading, writing, and math for elementary, middle, and high school students as well as adult learners

LearningExpress Library has recently updated its website and expanded its offerings. Whatever your goal, these resources will help you succeed. Each of the Learning Centers offers the practice tests, exercises, skill building courses, and information you need to achieve the results you want; at school, at work, or in life.

There are 5 Learning Centers for students:

  • Elementary School
  • Middle School
  • High School
  • College Preparation
  • College Students

And 6 Learning Centers for adults:

  • Computer Skills
  • GED Preparation
  • Job Search and Workplace Skills
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Skill Building for Adults
  • US Citizenship

With today's global economy and emphasis on twenty-first century skills, LearningExpress Library™ helps patrons of all ages prepare for success in life by meeting a broad range of educational and career oriented needs. And your Library makes it available for free.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Grisham's Lastest Book Is Here

John Grisham's latest book, The Associate, is now available for checkout at your Library.

Three months after leaving Yale, Kyle McAvoy becomes an associate at the largest law firm in the world, where, in addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal, and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed.

To find out what happens to Kyle McAvoy come by to the library to checkout this new release.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

New Books from the New York Times Best Seller List

Fiction

1. PLUM SPOOKY, by Janet Evanovich. The bounty hunter Stephanie Plum hunts an evil genius and his sidekick, who are hiding in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens.
3. BLACK OPS, by W. E.B. Griffin. An Army officer and special presidential agent is targeted for death — but by whom?

4. SCARPETTA, by Patricia Cornwell. The forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta takes on a new assignment in New York.

6. CROSS COUNTRY, by James Patterson. Alex Cross chases the leader of a lethal teenage gang.

7. FIRE AND ICE, by Julie Garwood. A reporter and her bodyguard uncover a conspiracy in Alaska.

9. ECLIPSE, by Richard North Patterson. A San Francisco lawyer agrees to defend a Nigerian reformer whose wife he loved in college.

10. THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. A journalist travels to the island of Guernsey to meet residents who resisted the Nazi occupation.

11. FROM DEAD TO WORSE, by Charlaine Harris. Following a deadly explosion at a vampire summit, the cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse faces danger.

12. RUNNING HOT, by Jayne Ann Krentz. Two members of the Arcane Society, dedicated to paranormal research, encounter a group of criminal sensitives.

13. A MERCY, by Toni Morrison. In 17th-­century America, a slave mother urges a Northern farmer to buy her daughter so that she can have a better life.

15. DIVINE JUSTICE, by David Baldacci. Members of Washington’s Camel Club rally to save their leader, who is hiding out in the town of Divine, Va.

Nonfiction

4. AMERICAN LION, by Jon Meacham. Andrew Jackson in the White House, by Newsweek’s editor.

10. A BOLD FRESH PIECE OF HUMANITY, by Bill O'Reilly. The Fox News commentator on his upbringing and career.