Cafe Muse for Teens @ Kannapolis Library-4/30/09

The Kannapolis Library will be putting on Cafe Muse, an open mic poetry reading and "coffeehouse" for teens 12 and up on Thursday, April 30, at 6:30pm. Bring your own poem or recite one of your favorites! Refreshments will be provided. There will be a drawing for a Starbucks gift card. For more information, please call Jessica or Annie @ 704.920.1180.

Boom in Use of Library Services Everywhere

The puny economy has increased the usage of libraries seemingly everywhere. Check out this article about the libraries in Asheville and Buncome County, "Libraries Report Attendance Boom With Slow Economy": http://www2.independenttribune.com/content/2009/apr/25/libraries-report-attendance-boom-slow-economy/

Interesting statistic: In March 2008, patrons in the Buncome County system checked out 130,066 items. Last month, they checked out 148,311 items. A sign of the times.

Afterschool Storytime @ Concord Library-4/29/09

The Children's Room at the Concord Library will be having an afterschool storytime for children ages 3-8 on Wednesday, April 29, at 4pm. No registration is required. Please call them @ 704.920.2058 for more information.

Caterpillars and Butterflies Preschool Storytime @ Concord Library-4/29/09

The Children's Room at the Concord Library will be having a Preschool Storytime for 3-4 year olds on Wednesday, April 29, @ 10am. The theme is "Caterpillars and Butterflies." There will be caterpillar and butterfly stories and crafts, and the movie The Butterfly will be shown. Spaces are limited; please call the Children's Room @ 704.920.2058 to register and for more information.

Stretch Your Food Dollar Program @ Harrisburg Library-4/28/09

Pam Outen, Cabarrus County Home Extension agent, will be giving a presentation on Stretching your Food Dollar at the Harrisburg Library on Tuesday, April 28, @ 7pm. Outen will share many tips and strategies. This program is free and open to the public. Please call the Harrisburg Library @ 704.920.2080 for more information.

After School Program @ Harrisburg Library-4/28/09

The Harrisburg Library will be having an Afterschool "Click" program for children in grades 2-5 on Tuesday, April 28, @ 4pm. Reservations are required. Please call them @ 704.920.2080 to reserve a spot and for more information.

Storytime @ Mt. Pleasant Library-4/27/09

The Mt. Pleasant Library will be having Storytime for 2-5 year olds on Monday, April 27, @ 10:30am. The theme will be "Frog in a Fog." Please call them @ 704.436.2202 for more information.

Stamping for Kids @ Mt. Pleasant Library-4/25/09

The Mt. Pleasant Library will be hosting "Stamping for Kids" with Beverly Heintz on Saturday, April 25, at 10am. The participants will make a card. Please call them @ 704.436.2202 for more information.

Stories Under the Stars-Treasure Island @ Kannapolis Library-4/25/09

The Kannapolis Library will once again resume its tradition of hosting "Stories Under the Stars" on Saturday, April 25 @ 7pm. The Bright Star Children's Theater will be performing The Adventures of Treasure Island. The performance is free. Bring a lawnchair and a drink and popcorn will be provided. Please call the Kannapolis branch @ 704.920.1180 for more information.

The Current State of the Library

As many of you know, the library is not immune to the economic troubles facing the country. We have had to cut our budgets severely and subsequently the acquisitions budget has taken a direct hit. We will not be able to purchase new books until the next fiscal year begins in July, and even then funds will be limited. But there is a way to help. All of the libraries in the system have set up "giving trees" with "wish lists" of specific titles that you can chose to donate. Or, you can make a check out to the Friends of the Library and make a contribution that way. Please contact your local branch for more details. Thank you for your support and generosity.

Coming Soon! The Return of Dan Brown!

He's back! Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, will have new book coming out in September: The Lost Symbol. It features his character Robert Langdon and the action takes place during a 12 hour period. For more information, go to http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090420/ap_en_ot/books_dan_brown. In case you haven't heard, the movie version of Angels and Demons opens in May.

World Digital Library Up and Running

The World Digital Library, last mentioned in a post on April 12, is now up and running as of yesterday: http://www.wdl.org/en/. This is a joint project of UNESCO and the Library of Congress. More details are avaiable here from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/technology/21library.html?_r=1 and from the Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2009/09-082.html. Links to the World Digital Library and the LOC's "American Memory" (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html), a American forerunner to the WDL, have been added to the "Links" on the left-hand side of the blog. Check them out!

Another Library Video-LIBRARY: The Movie

Here's another library video from You Tube- LIBRARY: The Movie. It was shot by a movie and library fan for the Milo Free Public Library in Milo, ME.

Check Out This Video- The Library: Uncatalogued

Here is another interesting library video from You Tube (and yes, "interesting library video" is not an oxymoron): The Library: Uncatalogued. It is produced by the library staff from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN.

"New" Mark Twain Book Published Today

In reference to the post last Saturday about the "new" Mark Twain book, Who Is Mark Twain?, hits the stores today. This book is a collection of 24 unpublished stories and essays. The official notice from the publisher, including an excerpt read by John Lithgow, can be found here: http://theharperstudio.com/authorsandbooks/marktwain/. An interview with Bob Hirst, the general editor of the Mark Twain Papers and Project at UC-Berkeley, is avaiable at http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/04/21_twain.shtml

Laptime Storytime @ Harrisburg Library-4/23/09

The Harrisburg Library will be having a Laptime Storytime for babies and infants ages 9-30 months on Thursday, April 23, @ 10:30am. Please call them at 704.920.2080 for more information.

Elizabeth Strout-Local Pulitzer Prize Winner

Elizabeth Strout, an instructor in creative writing in the Master of Fine Arts' program at Queens University in Charlotte, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction yesterday. The official announcement from Queens is here: http://www.queens.edu/news_detail.asp?press_id=2792&section=queens. Congratulations to this fine author!

Pulitzer Prize Winners Announced

The Pulitzer Prize Winners were announced yesterday. There are a couple with local ties. Elizabeth Strout, who is on the faculty of the MFA Program in Queen's University in Charlotte, won the Pulitzer for Fiction for Olive Kitteridge. Orangeburg, SC native Eugene Robinson, a columnist for the Washington Post, won for Commentary. Other noteworthy winners were Jon Meacham (Biography) for American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House; Annette Gordon-Reed (History) for The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family; and Douglas A. Blackmon (General Nonfiction) for Slavery By Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II. Please contact your local library to check out or reserve these books.

Pulitzer Prizes Website: http://www.pulitzer.org/

Afterschool Storytime @ Concord Library-4/22/09

The Children's Room at the Concord Library will he hosting an afterschool storytime for 3-8 year olds on Wednesday, April 22, @ 4pm. Please call them at 704.920.2058 for more information.

Teddy Bear Tea @ Concord Library-4/22/09

The Children's Room will be hosting a Teddy Bear Tea Storytime for 3-4 year olds on Wednesday, April 22, at 10am. There will be a tea party, crafts, stories, and a movie: Corduroy. Bring your favorite stuffed animal. Space is limited, so please call the Children's Room @ 704.920.2058 to register and for more information.

The E-Book Revolution-Wall St.Journal Article

Here's an interseting article from today's Wall Street Jorunal, "How the E-Book Will Change the Way We Read and Write": http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123980920727621353.html
It's very provocative!

New Video: What Libraries Mean

Here is another library video from You Tube, What Libraries Mean, from the Austin Public Library in Ausitn, Tx. I tried posting it to the Video Bar, but sometimes it's there and sometimes it isn't. Well, here it is:

Lynn Salsi-Annual Author Event & Luncheon-4/22/09

Lynn Salsi, a North Carolina author, storyteller, teacher, historian, and playwright, will be speaking on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, at the Annual Author Event & Luncheon sponsored by the Kannapolis Friends of the Library from 11:45am-1pm at The Club at Irish Creek on 1196 Fairway Drive in Kannapolis. Salsi is the author of The North Carolina Imagination Box and of The Life and Times of Ray Hicks, which has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Tickets are $20 and includes a luncheon buffet. Tickets are avaiable from Friends of the Library Members or please call the Kannapolis Library @ 704.920.1180.

Lynn Salsi's Website: http://www.lsalsi.com/

Go Green Workshop @ Harrisburg Library-4/21/09

Just in time for Earth Day, the Harrisburg Library will be hosting a "Go Green" workshop on Tueday, April 21, @ 6:30pm. Mandy Smith Thompson, Environmental Educator for the City of Concord, and Pete Pasterz, Recycling Coordinator for Cabarrus County, will be making a presentation about environmetally-friendly cleaning and non-hazardous waste alternatives. This class is for adults and registration is required. Please call the Harrisburg branch @ 704.920.2080 to sign up and for more information.

Writing Workshop with John Bigelow @ Mt. Pleasant Library-4/21/09

The Mt. Pleasant Library will be hosting a Writing Workshop with John Bigelow, a local writer and minister, on Tuesday, April 21, @ 6:30pm. Please call them at 704.436.2202 for more information.

Teen Movie Night @ Concord Library-Harry Potter @ the Prisoner of Azkaban-4/21/09

The Concord Library will be showing Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on Tuesday, April 21, at 6pm as part of their Teen Movie Night. The movie will be shown in the auditorium and admission is FREE. Please call them @ 704.920.2050 for more information.

Afterschool Storytime @ Harrisburg Library-4/21/09

The Harrisburg Library will be having an afterschool storytime for 4-6 year olds on Tuesday, April 21, at 4pm. Please call them @ 704.920.2080 for more details.

New Mark Twain Book

Mark Twain has a new book coming out on Tuesday, which will be the 99th anniversary of his death. It's called Who is Mark Twain? and it is a collection of some of his unpublished essays and stories. Details are here from this article in today's Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124000246279630121.html

High School Book Club @ Harrisburg Library-4/20/09-Bleachers

The High School Book Club will be meeting at the Harrisburg Library on Monday, April 20, at 6pm. They will be discusssing John Grisham's Bleachers. Please call them at 704.920.2080 for more information.

Pre-K Storytime @ Harrisburg Library-4/20/09

The Harrisburg Library will be having a storytime for pre-K children ages 2 1/2 and up on Monday, April 20, at 10:30am. Please call them @ 704.920.2080 for more information.

Storytime @ Mt. Pleasant Library-4/20/09

The Mt. Pleasant Library will be having a storytime for 2-5 year olds on Monday, April 20, at 10:30am. They will be reading Dance the Night Away. Call them @ 704.436.2202 for more information.

Interview With Eudora Welty from You Tube

As a follow up to the post earlier this week about Eudora Welty centennial, here she is from a You Tube video, being interviewed by Beth Henley about her story "A Worn Path":

Video-Your Life Work: The Librarian

Check out this video from You Tube: Your Life Work: The Librarian. It dates from the 1940s, I think. How things have changed! Actually, some of it holds up.

Ask the Answer Man!

Do you have a reference or any other kind of question? Well, help is on the way! Your library blogmaster is also The Answer Man, who is ready at a moment's notice to track down the answer to your question. Contact this mug at jseury@cabarruscounty.us, and he'll search out your information! Go to the left hand side under the Blog Archive or scroll down to the bottom of the page and either click on the URL (if you have Outlook as your email) or paste it into your email provider, and the Answer Man will get right to work! Put "Answer Man" in the subject line to get the ball rolling! Watch out, questions, you've met your match!

Happy 50th Birthday, Strunk & White's Elements of Style

The indispensible writer's bible The Elements of Style turns 50 today. Details are here from NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103140512. Actually, it was written by Strunk in 1918. E.B. White sung its praises in a New Yorker article in 1957. White revised Strunk's work and it was republished 50 years ago today. Copies of Strunk's original version can be found from Bartleby (http://www.bartelby.com/141/index.html) and from Google Books (http://books.google.com/books?id=IAy6NCD0Iq0C&dq=elements+of+style&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=_rznSaLQCo-EtweBndjFBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5). In honor of Strunk and White's emphasis on concise expression, this post will end now.

Creative Pot Painting @ Harrisburg Library-4/18/09

The Harrisburg Library will be hosting a Creative Pot Painting project for adults only on Saturday, April 18, from 10:30am to 12pm. The participants are asked to bring a clean clay pot. Registration is required. Please call them @ 704.920.2080 to register and for more information.

Adult Stamp Club Meeting @ Mt. Pleasant Library-4/18/09

The Adult Stamp Club will be meeting at the Mt. Pleasant Library on Saturday, April 18, at 10am. Please call them @ 704.436.2202 for more information.

Talk About Your Overdue Fines!

Here's an article about a stolen book that was returned after 145 years!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/5158995/Library-book-stolen-during-US-Civil-War-returned-after-145-years.html

Better late than never, I suppose. I wonder how many people are on hold for it.

Blog Roll, Please

I have posted a virtual plethora of blogs for your perusal. They are library and book oriented. Not too many rants, I hope. They are updated in real time, so you can see what is being talked about as the conversation transpires. Check them out! I'll add more choices as time goes on.

Pre-K Storytime @ Harrisburg Library-4/16/09

The Harrisburg Library will be having a Pre-K storytime for children ages 2 1/2 and up on Thursday, April 16, at 10:30am. Please call them @ 704.920.2080 for more details.

Reading Choices for Tough Times

What are we reading in these rough economic times? According to the New York Times, we are turning to "escapist" literature, with romance, fantasy, and science fiction being the most popular offerings: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/books/08roma.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=motoko%20rich&st=cse

Eudora Welty Centennial

April 13, 2009, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of famed southern writer Eudora Welty. The Eudora Welty Society is sponsoring several conferences and commemorations: http://eudoraweltysociety.org/ The Southern Literary Trail is also hosting some special events: http://www.southernliterarytrail.org/eudora-welty-centennial.html Contact your local library or log onto our website to see what works of Welty's are available.

Afterschool Storytime @ the Concord Library-4/15/09

An afterschool storytime for children ages 3-8 will be held at the Concord Library on Wednesday, April 15, @ 4pm. No registration is required. Please call the Children's Room at 704.920.2058 for more information.

Going to the Circus Preschool Storytime @ Concord Library-4/15/09

A circus-themed Preschool Storytime, Going to the Circus, for 3-4 year olds will be held at the Concord Library on Wednesday, April 15, at 10am in the Children's Room at the Concord Library. There will be games and stories and the movie If I Ran the Circus will be shown. Space is limited, so please call the Children's Rooom @ 704.920.2058 to register and for more information.

Banned Books Week Founder Judith Krug, R.I.P.

Judith Krug, the head of the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom and the founder of Banned Books Week, died of cancer on Saturday, April 11. She was 69. Details about Krug and her accoplishments are avaiable from this artice from School Library Journal: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6651255.html?desc=topstory
She headed up the ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom since 1967 and she helped to institute Banned Books Week in 1982. She also led the ALA's Freedom to Read Foundation. She was a tireless champion of free speech and expresssion. A memorial from the ALA can be found here: http://www.ftrf.org/ala/newspresscenter/mediapresscenter/presskits/judithkrug/judithkrug.cfm

ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/index.cfm

Word Class @ Concord Library-4/16/09

The Concord Library will be having a class on Microsoft Word on Thursday, April 16, at 7pm. This class will introduce the students to word processing and will show them how to create documents. This class is currently full, but please call 704.920.2050 for information about future computer classses.

Excel Class @ Concord Library-4/15/09

The Concord Library will be having a class an introductory class in Micorsoft Excel on Wendesday, April 15, at 7 pm. This class will show the participants how to create and format spreadsheets. This class is currently full, but please call us @ 704.920.2050 for more information about future computer classes.

World Digital Library Coming April 21

UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural arm, in partnership with the Library of Congress and over 30 other cultural institutions, will launch the World Digital Library on April 21. Details are available from UNESCO: http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=28484&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html It will contain rare books, manuscripts, pictures, films, and other media free for public viewing. We will let you know when it is up and running.

Celebrate National Library Week! April 12-18, 2009

April 12-19, 2009 is National Library Week, an annual observance sponsored by the American Library Association. The theme for this year is : "Worlds connect @ your library." How better to celebrate it then by visiting one of the 4 branches of the Cabarrus County Public Library? For more information about National Library Week 2009, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/pio/natlibraryweek/nlw.cfm , or, better yet, your local library!

After School "Click" @ Harrisburg Library-4/14/09

The Harrisburg Library will be having a "Click" afterschool program foir children in Grades 2-5 on Tuesday, April 14, at 4pm. Spaces are limited, so please call them @ 704.920.2080 to register and for additional information.

Kannapolis Book Club-4/14/09 & 4/15/09-A Lesson Before Dying

The Bookends Book Club will be meeting at the Kannapolis Library on Tuesday, April 14, at 7pm. They will be discussing Ernest J. Gaines' A Lesson Before Dying. An additional session will be held on Wednesday, April 15, @ 10:30am.Please call them @ 704.920.1180 for more details and information.

Power Point Class @ Concord Library-4/14/09

There will be an Intoroduction to Power Point class offered at the Concord Library on Tuesday, April 14, at 7pm. Participants will learn how to create slides and presentations. All spaces for this class are filled, but please call us @ 704.920.2050 for information about future computer classes.

Internet Class @ Concord Library-4/13/09

There will be an Internet 101 class at the Concord Library on Monday, April 13, @ 7pm. This class will show how you can explore and search the Internet. All spaces are filled, but please call 704.920.2050 for information about future computer classes.

Middle School Book Club @ Harrisburg-Maniac Magee-4/13/09

The Middle School Book Club will be meeting at the Harrisburg Library on Monday, April 13, @ 6:30pm. They will be discussing Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. Please call them @ 704.920.2080 for more information.

Storytime@ Mt. Pleasant Library-4/13/09

The Mt. Pleasant Library will be having a Storytime for children ages 2-5 on Monday, April 13, @ 10:30am. The story "Repeat After Me" will be read. Please call them at 704.436.2202 for more information.

Linked Up

In an ever on-going effort to improve this blog, there are now links to various websites listed on the left side of the page, under the blog archive. For the most part, these links will be library, book, and information related. Besides, most of you already know how to get to Facebook and Ebay. If you know of a web page that should be included, please let me know and we'll look into adding it.

Holiday Closings-4/10/09 & 4/11/09

All four branches of the Cabarrus County Public Library will be closed on Good Friday, April 10, and on Saturday, April 11, for the Easter hoilday. They will reopen on Monday, April 13, at their regular hours. Your library blogmaster wishes everyone a Happy Easter!

Reader's Book Club @ the Harrisburg Library-4/9/09-Stay! Keeper's Story

The Reader's Book Club for grades 3-5 will be meeting @ the Harrisburg Library on Thursday, April 9, from 4:15pm to 5:15pm. They will be discussing Stay! Keeper's Story by Lois Lowry. Space is limited, so please call them at 704.920.2080 to register and for more details.