National Library Week is April 14-20

Please help us celebrate! Did you know? ...

Our country is made up of individual communities, each with its own needs that can be as unique as the communities themselves. In the middle on all of these challenges, often in the very heart of our community, is a solution, a trusted institution that makes it its business to understand our needs: the library.

Librarians listen and respond to meet community needs. Libraries provide the space for diverse groups to come together for a common purpose, to tackle local issues. Librarians work with elected officials, small business owners, students, seniors and the public at large to discover what their communities needs are and to meet them.

The library helps foster all types of communities. We see this in our library firsthand, in ways big and small. New moms connect at storytime, genealogists conduct their ancestor searches, teens meet up to collaborate on projects and to hang out together after school, student can research topics then use the computers to write papers, visitors can keep in touch with home via wi-fi, the list goes on!

Service to the community has always been the focus of the library. While this aspect has never changed, libraries have grown and evolved in how they provide for the needs of every member of their community. Programs are just one way the library recognizes the changing needs. In addition to children's programming and teen programming, we offer monthly programming for adults. We are adding technology programming, as well.

This week, schools, campuses, and communities across the country celebrate National Library Week.  It is a time to remember that needs of our community matter to one of our most important institutions: our library.

Come visit your library today and find out for yourself what we have to offer!

Happy Holidays!

Spring is here! Or so the calendar says…I think Mother Nature is sleeping in late here in the Natchez area, but nonetheless, this is a time to celebrate life, fertility, abundance, and all things new. Trees are budding, flowers are breaking through the soil, and baby animals are taking their first breaths on this beautiful planet. This is a time of year to rejoice, as we awaken from the Winter.

Have you ever wondered why people choose to read books about holidays around the holiday?? I have. I think that it is just silly! It shouldn't matter if you read a Christmas themed book around the Fourth of July or a Easter book around Thanksgiving. All that matters is that you READ!!

So, to mix things up a little here are a few children's books that I picked out to enjoy around Easter along with your other book selections: Books about books, and books about the library!!

That Book Woman by Heather Henson. A moving tale that honors a special part of American history--the Pack Horse Librarians, who helped untold numbers of children see the stories amid the chicken scratch, and thus made them into lifelong readers.



I Know A Librarian Who Chewed on a Word by Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton. All librarians love books but have you ever met one who just ate them up...literally? Miss Devine does. In this adaption of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," one Dewey Decimal Diva has gone on a most unusual eating binge.

READING Makes You Feel Good by Todd Parr. Reading makes you feel good because...you can imagine you are a scary dinosaur or you can make someone feel better when they are sick and you can do it anywhere! Read this book and feel good!

The Return of the Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy. Miss Lotta Scales, a dragon also known as Miss Lotty the Librarian, wants to retire from taking care of the school's library but will not willingly stand by and see her beloved books replaced by computers.

I hope everyone enjoys the Easter holiday! And remember, no matter what type of book you read this weekend, the most important thing is that you read it!

New Books for March

FICTION

Calculated in Death by J D Robb. Lt Eve Dallas must crunch the numbers as she investigates the death of a successful accountant; by Nora Roberts, writing pseudonymously.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. A New Hampshire baker finds herself in the midst of two Holocaust stories: her grandmother's story of survival, and the confessions of an elderly German man, an SS officer.

Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson. While Alex Cross pursues a Washington serial killer (or killers?), someone is after him.

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy. This final book by Binchy, who died in 2012, is about guests at an inn by the sea on Ireland's west coast.

Red Velvet Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke. Hannah Swensen becomes a suspect when her romantic rival turns up dead; recipes included.

Guilt by Jonathan Kellerman. The Los Angeles psychologist detective Alex Delaware and the detective Milo Sturgis pursue the story of a beautiful nurse.

Touch and Go by Lisa Gardner. An investigator probing the disappearance of a seemingly perfect Boston family must dig beneath the surface.

Bad Blood by Dana Stabenow. Kate Shugak, an Aleut private investigator, must sort out murders motivated by revenge between two Alaska towns.

Private Berlin by James Patterson & Mark Sullivan. A superstar agent at the German headquarters of an investigation firm disappears.

NONFICTION

Coolidge by Amity Shlaes. This biography reclaims the 30th president as a conservative hero.

Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard. The host of The O'Reilly Factor recounts the events surrounding the assassination of  John F Kennedy.

Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard. The host of The O'Reilly Factor recounts the events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Remembering Whitney by Cissy Houston with Lisa Dickey. The gospel singer discusses her daughter Whitney's life.

TEENS

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson & Maxine Paestro. Tandy Angel is, along with her brothers, a suspect in their parents' murder but having grown up under Malcolm and Maud Angel's perfectionist demands, Tandy decides she must clear the family name no matter what.

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. When seventeen year old orphaned shapechanger Tessa Gray is kidnapped by the villainous Mortmain in his final bid for power, the London Institute rallies to save her, but is beset by betrayal at every turn.

The White Bicycle by Beverley Brenna. Taylor Jane Simon, an eighteen year old girl with Asperger's Syndrome, travels to France, as she struggles to become independent of her controlling mother and meets a new mentor.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sanez. Fifteen year old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before.

In Darkness by Nick Lake. In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, fifteen year old Shorty, a poor gang member from the slums of Site Soleil, is trapped in the rubble of a ruined hospital, and as he grows weaker, he has visions and memories of his life of violence, his lost twin sister, and of Toussaint L'Ouverture, who liberated Haiti from French rule in 1804.

CHILDREN

Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds. The carrots that grow in Crackenhopper Field are the fattest and crispiest around, and Jasper Rabbit cannot resist pulling some to eat each time he passes by, until he begins hearing creepy carrots wherever he goes.

Emeraldalicious by Victoria Kann. When Pinkalicious and Peter decide to visit their favorite park, they find that it's no longer their favorite place--the park is now filled with stinky trash!  So, Pinkalicious decides to make an extraspecial wand out of a stick and some flowers.

Skippyjon Jones Cirque de Ole' by Judy Schachner. Skippyjon Jones, the Siamese cat that thinks he is a Chihuahua dog, wants to perform his high wire act in the circus.

Pete the Cat: Pete's Big Lunch by James Dean. Pete the cat shares his big lunch with his friends.

Pete the Cat: Play Ball! by James Dean. Pete the cat is ready to play baseball!  Pete's team, the Rocks, is playing the Rolls.  But when the game doesn't go Pete's way, what will Pete do?

What Does a Reference Librarian Do?

In addition to being the Teen Services Librarian, I am also the Reference Librarian. You might be wondering just exactly what does a Reference Librarian do. Basically, I answer questions. They come from patrons, either in person, by phone, or through email.

It's always been satisfying helping high school and college students find materials needed to write their research and term papers, using books or through our huge database, MAGNOLIA.

I also answer simple questions, such as finding phone numbers and addresses, facts about states, how to spell or define an obscure word, etc. However, I do receive more challenging questions or requests for research from all over the country - especially from genealogists.

Since moving here from Ohio almost ten years ago, I have decided every person in the United States must have some kind of connection to Natchez. My cup runneth over with requests for obituaries, birth records, any mention of "my great-great grandfather who once owned a store downtown back in 1898." As I rattle my brain looking for informaion or go nearly blind reading old microfilm, I keep telling myself that this is job security.

Just when I want to throw my hands in the air from frustration, I get a gem of a question from one of my local patrons that puts a smile on my face. It reminds me that my job is different every day, and I'm always learning something new, whether I want to or not.

Here are a few questions that came across my desk or were asked of other librarians across the country.

• Do you have the book,  How to Kill a Mockingbird?
• Can you help me find a book I checked out several weeks ago? I can't remember the title but the book was blue with gold letters!
• Can you send me a list of all the local criminal lawyers in town? (Letter sent from inmate at local jail.)
• I need a photograph of Jesus. No, not a painting or picture, but a photograph!
• Don't you have any Shakspeare in real English?
• I'm trying to find the words to a song, if I hum the tune can you figure it out?

Never a dull moment. I love my job!

1863 to 1963 to 2013

When he established Negro History Week in 1926, Dr Carter Woodson realised the importance of providing a theme that would focus the attention of the public . The Association for the Study of African American Life and History designated the theme for the 2013 Black History Month as the celebration of the 150th and 50th anniversary of two African American turning points: the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington.

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that slaves in all confederate states then at war with the Union were "forever free" and made them eligible for paid military service in the Union Army. Although it did not end slavery in the nation, it did transform the character of the war. After the Proclamation was made, every advance of Federal troops expanded the domain of freedom, and black men were allowed to serve in the Union armed services. By the end of the war almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for freedom.

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place on August 28, 1963 in Washington, DC. More than 200,000 demonstrators took part in the walk. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr delivered his I Have a Dream speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, noting that the Emancipation Proclamation gave hope to black slaves. The following year Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a concrete step of fulfilling the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation.

A good way to celebrate Black History Month is to learn more about these two major events in our history - and especially to educate our young people about their significance. What better place to learn than your Library. Come in to see all that we have to offer and bring children with you.

It's Awards Time Again!

Yes, it's that time again! Awards are being aired practically every weekend for the next month. We have The Golden Globes, The Grammys, and The Oscars. Everyone in entertainment is getting ready to be recognized for their great performances in film and music. While all the TV hype has been going on, the lists for award winning young adult literature quietly arrived in my email box. Here are a few titles to tantalize my teen readers.

PRINTZ AWARD

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. On October 11, 1943, a British spy plane crashes in Nazi occupied France. When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution. As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she becomes friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane.

Dodger by Terry Pratchett. Seventeen year old Dodger may be a street urchin, but he makes his living from London's sewers, and he knows a jewel when he sees one. He's not about to let anything happen to the unknown girl, not even if her fate impacts the most powerful people in England. With Dodger's encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery.

YALSA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose (on order). In 1995, he received a black band on his lower right leg and an orange flag on his upper left, bearing the laser inscription B95. Scientists call him the Moonbird because, in the course of his astoundingly long life, this gritty, four ounce marathoner has flown the distance to the moon and half way back. B95 is a robin sized shorebird from the rufa species. Each February, he joins a flock that lifts off from Tierra del Fuego, headed for the breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic, nine thousand miles away. This species of bird has lost nearly 80% of its population because many of its ancient feeding stations along the migration circuit have been destroyed by human activity. Moonbird has been sighted as recently as November 2011, which makes him nearly twenty years old. Shaking their heads, scientists ask themselves: How can this one bird make it year after year when so many others fail?

Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin. A suspenseful combination of science and history, Sheinkin exposes the international race to develop an atomic weapon and bring an end to World War II. This true life spy thriller features an international cast of characters and will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Period photographs of key players and an abundance of primary sources bring this well researched story to life.

These are just a few of the winners and all can either be found on the shelves of the Teen Zone or they are in the process of being purchased. These books and their authors are being recognized for great writing, captivating stories, wonderful characters, and interesting research. Don't be afraid to expand your horizons, you may never know what great things you'll find. Ask the Teen Librarian for a full list of winners and finalists.

New Books for January

FICTION

A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. The 14th and final novel in the Wheel of Time fantasy series.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  A woman disappears on her fifth anniversary; is her husband a killer?

The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer.  Tracking an assassin who is recreating the crimes of the four men who murdered presidents, Beecher White discovers that they all were working together.

The Third Bullet by Stephen Hunter. The veteran sniper Bob Lee Swagger investigates the assassination fo John F. Kennedy.

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini. A novel about Elizabeth Kechkly, who was born a slave, earned her freedom through her dressmaking skill and became a friend to Mary Todd Lincoln; she is a character in the movie : Lincoln.

The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. Fifty-some years in teh life if ab African-American family whose matriarch arrives in Philadelphia in 1923.

Standing in Another Man's Grave by Ian Rankin. After retiring from the Edinburgh police force, John Rebus investigates the case of a young woman who disappeared in 1999.

Kinsey and Me by Sue Grafton. Stories about Grafton's character Kinsey Millhone as well as explorations of Grafton's own past.

The Forgotten by David Baldacci. The military investigator John Puller, the protagonist of "Zero Day," probes his aunt's mysterious death in Florida.

Collateral Damage by Stuart Woods.  Back in New York, the lawyer Stone Barrington joins his former partner Holly Barker in pursuing a dangerous case.

The Round House by Louise Ardrich. A native American family faces the ramifications of a vicious crime.

The Husband List by Janet Evanovich. In New York City in 1894, a wealthy young woman yearns for adventure and the love of an Irish-American with new money, rather than the titled Britons to whom her mother hopes to marry her off.

NONFICTION

Thomas Jefferson by Jon Meacham. The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer celebrates Jefferson's skills as a practical politician.

No Easy Day by Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer. An account by a former member of the Navy SEALS, written pseudonymously, of the mission that killed bin Laden.

TEENS

Ali's Pretty Little Lies: Pretty Little Secrets by Sara Shepard. In the weeks leading up to Ali's murder, Ali reveals her plots against Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer, as well as a dark secret that has the potential to destroy everything.

Bitter Blood by Rachel Caine. College student Claire Danvers struggles to remain neutral in the growing conflict between the vampiers and humans of Morganville, which is further complicated by the arrival of a ghost-seeking television production crew.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. Seventeen-year-old Karou, a lovely, enigmatic art student in a Prague boarding school, carries a sketchbook of hideous, frightening monsters--the chimaerae who form the only family she has ever know.

Blood Moon by Alyxandra Harvey. When the vampire tribes convene for the rare Blood Moon ceremonies, family secrets and forbidden magic put all of the Drakes in danger, and Nicholas is caught between saving his little sister Solange or his girlfriend Lucy.

CHILDREN

The Best Time to Read by Debbie Bertram. A boy who has just learned to read tries to find someone in his family who will listen to him read aloud.

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas James Dean. When Santa falls ill and Christmas may have to be canceled, Pete the cat comes to the rescue.