National Parents Day

Happy National Parents Day everyone! National Parents Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of July and is similar to a combination of Father’s Day and Mother’s Day. It was officially established as a national holiday in 1994 and is a day to honor one’s parents, show appreciation to them, and to celebrate family.

So in honor of National Parents Day, here are a few books to check out celebrating parents and family:

tales from the dad sideTales from the dad side : misadventures in fatherhood
By Steve Doocy

From the book description

“What you’re holding in your hands is a very funny and sometimes remarkably poignant look at fathers, not from the mother’s point of view or the child’s, but from the dad’s side. Which is why it’s called Tales from the Dad Side…Over the course of raising three children, I have learned with my wife that fathers are different from mothers. That could be the greatest understatement since Noah turned on the Weather Channel and found out that the next forty days called for a 20 percent chance of light rain.”

sippy cupsSippy cups are not for chardonnay, and other things I had to learn as a new mom
By Stefanie Wilder-Taylor Stefanie

From the book description

“In busy Mom-friendly short essays, Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay delivers the empathetic straight dirt on parenting, tackling everything from Mommy & Me classes (“Your baby doesn’t need to be making friends at three months old-you do! But not with people you’ll meet at Mommy & Me”) to attachment parenting (“If you’re holding your baby 24/7, that’s not a baby, that’s a tumor”).

Stefanie Wilder-Taylor combines practical tips with sidesplitting humor and refreshing honesty, assuring women that they can be good mothers and responsibly make their own choices. “

sweet potato queens guide childrenThe Sweet Potato Queens’ guide to raising children for fun and profit
by Jill Conner Browne
From the book description

“When does 1 + 1 = 3 (or more)? When you’ve got a baby on the way.
The Sweet Potato Queens’ Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit is a hilarious (though not scientifically tested) wink at the time-honored mysteries of parenting, because anybody who has ever had a kid or has ever known one knows that the experience is neither fun nor profitable—so you might as well laugh!”

no wonder my parents drankNo wonder my parents drank : tales from a stand-up dad
by Jay Mohr

From the book description

“You’ll never sleep in this town again
From Saturday Night Live to stand-up, from a blockbuster film career to the star of CBS’s hit television show Gary Unmarried, Jay Mohr is one of the funniest people in comedy today. Now, in this down and dirty tale of modern fatherhood, Mohr shares his stories as a first-time parent.”

motherhood come naturally

Motherhood comes naturally (and other vicious lies)
By Jill Smokler Jill

From the book description

“Newly pregnant and scared out of her mind, Jill Smokler lay on her gynecologist’s examination table and was told the biggest lie she’d ever heard in her life: “Motherhood is the most natural thing in the world.”

Instead of quelling her nerves like that well intentioned nurse hoped to, Jill was instead set up for future of questioning exactly what DNA strand she was missing that made the whole motherhood experience feel less than natural to her. Wonderful? Yes. Miraculous? Of course. Worthwhile? Without a doubt. But natural? Not so much.”

Be a Friend of the Library

building-smudged

Membership Form

Contact Us
Friends of the Library
c/o Liberal Memorial Library
519 N Kansas Ave
Liberal KS 67901

One of the fun things about my first year of being director here at the Liberal Memorial Library is watching the rebirth of our Friends of the Liberal Memorial Library group.   Established long ago, the group had dwindled in membership, and as with most groups you lose a couple of key people and it gets hard to keep things together.

Friends groups are an excellent way for community members who want to volunteer or give back to the library to participate in the energy that the library generates. Friends are wonderful advocates for what is going on at the library and spreading the message about what the current library has to offer. As advocates they are essential. As I am oft to say, as employees we get paid to make sure the library is an awesome place, as trustees we are appointed to make sure the library is awesome place, but friends volunteer to make the library an awesome place. They give of their time and money to bring about enhancements and to fund special projects that are not always in our budget.

In my first meeting with the Library Board it became a topic of discussion that we would like to see the Friends group up and going. So we set about the task of making it happen. Luckily even without a club being active, the previous director had kept the group’s tax status in place and the group still had an active savings account. Now just to find the people!

We sent out invitations, printed up brochures, and began pounding the pavement looking for members. Within a few short months we had a small nucleus of people willing to put the time and effort into getting the group off the ground. A big thanks to Sheila Wells and Amy Thompson for their effort in this regards. With their help and enthusiasm our friends group is now up to about 50 members.

With the Friends group in place it was decided that what we needed was a project that would help the community. The first project that the Friends of the Liberal Memorial Library has taken on is called “A Baby’s Bookshelf.” The idea behinds A Baby’s Bookshelf is that parents who have recently had a child can come into the library every two months for two years and pick up a free book for their child. At the end of the two years they would theoretically have 12 books. Studies show that having physical contact with books and reading materials greatly increase the chances that a child will learn to read at an early age. The books that we purchase through money generated by the activities of the Friends touch on the different aspects of pre-literacy skills that positively position children to learn how to read.

The Friends group has two avenues of generating income to fund these special projects. The first is through membership dues. At $5.00 for individuals and $10.00 for families this is a pretty good deal. Just one individual membership in the Friends group helps to purchase two books for the baby’s bookshelf project. Our second big fund raiser is our Annual Book Sale in April. This takes place each year during National Library Week. The benefit of being a Friend during the book sale is you get to shop the night before everyone else.

That is just a sampling of who the friends are, what we do, and the ways they enrich the community. If you are interested in being a Friend of the Liberal Memorial Library, please stop by the library and ask for Royce, or go online at our website www.lmlibrary.org and click on the Friends tab, or follow us on Facebook at: Friends of the Liberal Memorial Library.

The End of Summer Reading

Whew! We did it! Or more importantly you did it. 2015 Summer Reading is officially in the books.  The library hasn’t quite yet put all the numbers together, but it looks like we had another record breaking year in terms of program attendance and the number of finished reading logs turned in.

I want to take a quick minute and say thank you to our staff that put together an awesome childrens and young adults line-up. We left no stone unturned in providing what was a great summer reading gauging by the smiles on the faces of our participants. Library staff did an awesome job of improvising on the spot and doing what needed to be done to make sure things went off as planned. A good example of this is when a performer failed to show up and our Assistant Director Tammy gave an impromptu program on dog training.

This summer reading season also saw the library being a site for the Summer Food Program through the USDA and USD 480. Not only were we able to nourish kids minds but their stomachs as well. For the library it also meant a chance to reach more patrons and to tell people about library programs and services. The program continues through July 24th. An important thing to remember about the Summer Food Program is that the emphasis is on providing a child with a nutritious lunch. It is not dependent on income level or qualifying for any particular program. You come in, get a lunch, and eat up. That’s it.

Southern-Pioneer-Electric-Van-030 In a month of highlights it is hard to pick out just a few moments to talk about but there are a few that stand out. My personal favorite was the Southern Pioneer Power Van.

Usually when you see someone working on a utility pole you understand how dangerous it is, but aren’t really aware of just how dangerous. Watching the people from Southern Pioneer show us electrical arcing on a dummy drove the point home. If the crackling of the high voltage wasn’t enough to scare the wits out of you, the hot dogs they fried with that energy was a good lesson. Leave those power cables alone.

 

Southern-Pioneer-Electric-Van-041

Another favorite moment was when Darth Vader once again visited the library. I mean. C’mon. How cool is it that Darth Vader has been in the library twice this year so far? The young adults were treated to a chance to sit down with a gentleman who portrays Darth Vader for local functions and at conventions around the area. He talked about making his own custom costume and what it takes to immerse oneself in the role. Plus, for those who stuck around they got to make light sabers.

In this moment of reflection, I want to take a moment and thank our Friends of the Library. They provided gift certificates and prizes for our summer reading programs and it was much appreciated. My favorite part was calling people to let them know they had won something. The Friends of the Library do a lot for the library and they make programs like Summer Reading even more exciting.

Last but not least, I want to thank you the library patron and community member. Part of what makes a successfully summer reading program is people taking the time out of a busy summer to attend programs at the library. Just as important is people in the community realizing we have such a program and sending their summer visitors over to participate. We have quite a few kids from out of town whose grandparents brought them down to the library during June.

Once again thanks. We take a bit of a rest in July, but not by much. We will return to our regular storytimes and will also be offering programs and don’t forget our Friday Movies at 2pm the rest of the summer.

See you at your library.

Hidden Gems at the library

rise to greatness playawaySummer Reading has wound down at the library, and hopefully everyone in the community will have a chance to take a break this month. And while you’re either sitting in a slightly far-off place, or at home in the air conditioning, the library has plenty of materials to help you pass the time.

Our DVD collection gets a good workout, and so do our new books and bestsellers. But we have some hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Our Playaway collection has recently grown, and is waiting for anyone who enjoys audio books to pick up a book or two. What in the world are these precious gems? They are MP3 players that contain only the book you wish to listen to. You don’t need to download anything from the state library, you don’t need to change audio CDs in your car or home CD player, you just plug in earphones, hit the power button, then play. The end.

I like to listen to books on Playaway when I am doing things with my hands that also require moving around, like cleaning, yard work, or crafting. I can pause and hold my place for several days, then press play and continue on with the story, or I can speed up the playback. This is a nice feature that does not alter the voice of the narrator, it just increases the speed at which I can listen to the story.

Right now, I am working on Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America’s Most Perilous Year by David Von Drehle. I’m a military history buff, and it’s great to get in some reading while I am doing important summer chores like watching my dog sniff every plant in the yard before doing her business.

Next, I may move on to some of the young adult or children’s Playaway audios, so I can sneak in a few more books while driving or walking, in addition to what I read on my Kindle or in paper book form before bed.

Audiobooks and Playaways aren’t just great for getting an extra story or two in  while doing other things. Listening to books engages our language centers differently than reading books. Both are valuable and keep our minds fresh. Audiobooks are great for reluctant readers and children in general. They don’t just give us wonderful stories, being read aloud to teaches us the pronunciation of words, their context, the rhythm of language, and the shape of dramatic prose. A good narrator can give dramatic rise and fall to even something as distant and strange as union general McClellan’s consistent over-estimation of the size of Confederate forces. You can hear Lincoln’s frustration and the politics that made potentially firing McClellan an incendiary issue.

Being read-to is a long tradition in the history of literacy that has been replaced by the television and cat videos. Granted, if they made a television show about a vampire kitten detective, I would never miss an episode. But I still like to squeeze in a little reading between mainlining Daredevil and Once Upon a Time.

So give it a try! Sneak one into a teen’s pocket, keep a child engaged and out of trouble on a long car ride, or give it a go on a long walk on a summer evening.

Library eResources and Coming Events

basic eslThe library has recently added a few links to the eResources menu on our webpage.

Basic ESL

Practice your basic English as a second language skills for free by following the Basic ESL link on our website. It includes help with learning English from twenty different languages, including Spanish, Somali, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Mango Languages

Mango_color

For those of us who are trying to learn a second language, if you follow the Foreign Language Learning link on the library’s website, you will find Mango Languages. Mango is an excellent resource for learning over sixty different languages and is made available to Kansans by the State Library of Kansas.

For both websites, you can use the site as a guest or you can create a login and password to keep track of your progress.

Driving Test Help

If you’re studying to take your driving test and want to practice taking the written test, you can follow the link on our webpage for Driving Test Help. The link, http://lmlibrary.driving-tests.org/kansas/ will take you to free 2015 Kansas DMV permit practice tests, including car practice tests, motorcycle practice tests, CDL practice tests, online handbooks, and a frequently asked question section.

Coming Events this week

Summer Reading will come to an end in the first week of July, so come in and enjoy it while it lasts.

Recipe swap – Monday, June 29th at 6:30 p.m.

This month’s recipe swap will be all about picnic foods. So join us and share your favorite recipe with others who share your passion for cooking.

Healthy fun night – Tuesday, June 30th at 6:00 p.m.

On Tuesday, Leslie Bissell from the Southwest Guidance Center will come talk to us about Stress Management. This will be second half of our Healthy fun program for adults, a chance to come learn about health and healthy living.

Self-defense for kids – Wednesday, July 1st at 2:00 p.m.

Learn how to get out of a scary situation.  Join the Liberal Police Department with this program on self-defense. This program is open to all and is for kids ages 8 and over.

Adult summer reading wrap up party – Thursday, July 2nd at 6:00 p.m.

Adults bring in your Summer Reading passport and get a chance to win the $100 Amazon Gift Card.

Summer Reading Movies – Friday, July 3rd at 2:00 p.m.

We will have the last of our Summer Reading movies on Friday at 2:00. It’s fun and free.  Popcorn and lemonade will be served, so bring your friends because the more the merrier. All movies are rated G or PG.

Saturday, July 4th

The Library will be closed Saturday, July 4th for Independence Day.

Summer Reading Week 4

super-whyAs we find the Library coming into the last turn of Summer Reading, we find the activities at the library hitting full speed. We have been amazed by the number of people who have shown up at activities and programs. There have been a few mishaps along the way, but we have persevered with smiles intact. There are two more weeks left of summer reading and if you haven’t had a chance to participate in some way now is your chance.

For the fourth week of Summer Reading we will have the following special programs:

For kids we will have:

  • Rattlesnake Andy, Tuesday at 2pm.—Cobra has nothing on Rattlesnake Andy! Come and see some snakes. (We promise there won’t be any live rattlesnakes.) Open to children of all ages.
  • Hometown Heroes, Tuesday at 6pm.—Cops and Robbers with the Kansas Highway Patrol. Come by the library and meet a hometown hero and here all about the job of a highway patrolman.
  • Strong and Strength, Wednesday at 2pm. –Superheroes can stretch, bend, and have huge muscles. Test your agility and strength by joining us for an afternoon workout. Open to children 8 and older.
  • Super Why, Friday at 1:30pm.—Super Why is stopping by the library. Join Wyatt, Red, and the Princess for fun. Stick around for the movie at 2pm.
  • Movie Day, Friday at 2:00pm.—We can’t tell you what the movie will be, but we can say that there will be popcorn and that the movie will feature a theme related to heroes.

roll playing diceFor young adults we will have:

  • YA Super Tournament! Monday from 4pm-5:30pm: Mecha, Anime, Battle of Heroes, Stone Cold Crafts, and Games, Games, Games!
  • YA Hawkeye Day! Thursday from 2pm-3:30pm: Hawkeye is awesome: Discuss. Archery practice, make your own bow and arrow. Manga fresh from Japan.
  • YA All Ages-Game Time! Saturday starting at 11am: Board games for all ages, D20 role playing game demonstration. There will plenty of RPGs for you to choose from. Also featuring Nintendo Streetpass.

into thin airFor Adults we will have:

  • Nonfiction Bookclub, Tuesday at 6:30pm: We will wrap up our discussion of “Into thin Air” and hand out copies of the next book club book. See you there. This is a perfect time to join the club.
  • Healthy Fun Night, Thursday at 6pm: Amy Thompson from the Kansas State Extension office will be here at the library to talk about Nutrition. A perfect opportunity to be part of a small group discussion and ask questions.
  • Prize Day, Friday at Noon: Each Friday we will draw for our weekly prizes. Get those reading slips in!

Teens and Pre-teens

caution teenagersI have a special place in my heart for teens and pre-teens. I know a lot of adults don’t. But I think that’s just because we’ve forgotten what it is like to be that age. Whether it’s like the pain of childbirth, where new mothers forget as soon as they look into their children’s faces, or if it is a self-preservation tactic, I don’t know. We walk through the world, just as generations before us, bemoaning the antics of “those teenagers today,” and declaring that that was not how things were in our day, and we’d never have behaved that way.

Every generation does it to the next, and one after. There is some universal rule about this. Adults who were children in the fifties talk about how today’s kids are out of control and running wild. But how many songs play on the oldies station about teenagers disobeying parents and dating Johnny, that biker lad, or, heaven forbid, getting the T-Bird taken away? If you want more assurance of this habit, read opinion columns from 1920s newspapers, where adults brought up at the end of the Victorian era despair over flappers and the underground drinking clubs that prohibition had encouraged. Those byproducts of a more reserved time seemed to forget that everything vaguely associated with vice was available in red light districts or in back parlor rooms, just out of sight, and therefore away from scrutiny.

Shakespeare himself had a teenage shotgun wedding after impregnating his (older) girlfriend, Anne Hathaway (yes, that’s really her name). In fact, during that period of English history, one third of marriages were  due to pregnancy. So much for a more civilized time.

And if you want to preserve your sensibilities, please don’t go looking for texts from the medieval period in European history. The vibrant inks of illuminated texts have provided stylized views of religion and the learned individuals of the time. They pop up in calendars and artbooks until this day. They are true works of art. Just don’t look in the margins of those books where you will see vulgar images involving fat men and dragons, women plucking penises like pears from a tree, and scribblings ranging from cheeky to disturbing. Somewhere, fifteen hundred years ago, a young scribe was cuffed around the ears for drawing a monk with a giant phallus in a book about herbal remedies. Somehow, I don’t think that teenagers had a better work ethic at any point in history than they do today, either.

In a quote attributed to Cicero, who lived in the century before Christ, he is said to bemoan how children don’t listen to parents and how everyone is now writing a book. There is nothing new under the sun.

Teens running around the library and making noise aren’t new. We just hush them less. I remember being terrified of the librarians (and even the library aids) at the large marble palace of knowledge that was The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. It kept me from asking them questions, or having anything resembling a relationship with them that would let me bother them about stuff I was just curious about. If I couldn’t find it, I obviously didn’t need it, because man, those librarians were terrifying. And I remember myself being a fairly good teenager. Which may or may not have been true. We all look at ourselves and our pasts through rose colored glasses.

And when these young adults come back in fifteen or twenty years with their own children, they will marvel at how the books have gotten more ‘adult’ in subject matter, how I let them get away with everything just shy of running, shouting, and actual murder. Their grandparents will shake their heads and and tell their own adult children that they were much better behaved than the children of today. They would have never been allowed to get away with it, you see.

I’ll nod, then. I’ll pretend like I don’t know the secret no one talks about: we were all rowdy and emotionally confused. That when we were that age, our amygdalas, that control our primal impulses, were more more matured than our frontal lobes, the place where sound judgement resides. We were all physiologically predisposed to making poor decisions. I’ll tell the truth, though: the kids of today have their acts together far better than I did. I couldn’t remember a pencil for class from seventh through twelfth grade (and well into college) and if I had one, I couldn’t hold onto it from one class to the next. I had a dozen other “issues” that made me less than the ideal child and at home. If a kid is asking me for a pencil to finish their homework, they are far ahead of me, when I was their age. And I think I have turned into a moderately respectable adult.

Just don’t come into my office  and see the enormous toy collection I’m hoarding there; your opinion of me will quickly change.

And a friendly reminder: summer reading runs through July 3rd, including activities for young adults, like our Fandom Free-For-All next Saturday, and our big RP/board/video gaming day. Walk fast, don’t run.

Summer Reading Week 2

Escape the Ordinary_K copySummer Reading at the Library is in full swing. Our first week is in the books and we are now moving on to our second week. Thanks to all who signed up and attended events the first week.

Last Monday we had Boot Camp with the National Guard, Medusa’s Funky Hair, and multiple programs for Young Adults in the Learning Center. For Adults we had Recipe Swap (my new favorite program), Nonfiction Book Club, and Trivia Night.

For the second week of Summer Reading we will have the following special programs:

For kids we will have:

truckTruck Day, Tuesday 2pm-4pm.

The parking lot will be host to all kinds of different trucks and work vehicles. Rough, tough, and heavy duty. Get up close and personal with the vehicles! Have all of your questions asked by the people who drive them.

Hometown Heroes, Tuesday at 6pm.–Seward County EMS is going to be on the scene. Come check out these Hometown Heroes and learn more about the work they do in our community.

Smoky Hills TV, Wednesday at 2pm. –Smoky Hills TV is coming back to the Liberal Memorial Library. This program is aimed at children 8 and under.

Mad scientistMad Science, Thursday at 4pm. –Mad Science is showing off superhero science at the library. You’ll see if superheroes really can fly and maybe see a few super powers demonstrated. Free and Fun for Children of all ages.

For young adults we will have:

YA Fanfic and War, Monday from 4pm-5:30pm: Feature such topics as Shojo Anime, Halo, Fanfic: the good, the bad, the ugly; and the Watchful Owl.

YA We All Wear Masks, and Thursday from 2pm-3:30pm: Features Fanfic Redux, Is the hero the man or the mask? What is your mask? And Manga fresh from Japan.

YA Ask Darth Vader, Saturday starting at 11am: Meet the men behind comicon’s Stormtrooper and Darth Vader! Ask about how they made their awesome costumes, the 501st Legion and More!

For Adults we will have Adult Crafts on Monday at 6pm, Library and Lunch on Tuesday at Noon, and Healthy Fun Night with Kay Burtzloff on Thursday at 6pm.

In addition to these special events we also have events every day for children.

And I hope that the adults in our community do not feel left out. For them we have Adult Summer Reading. You can participate in the June program, or just stop by to fill out drawing slips with a book you have read. We will draw for prizes each Friday. Currently prizes include a $25 Amazon Gift Card, Summer Reading Shirt, and more.

It is not too late to stop into the library and take advantage of these awesome programs and opportunities. All programs are free and a lot of them also offer snacks.

See you there!

Summer Fun for Kids at Liberal Memorial Library

Sign up is still going on for the Summer Reading Program at Liberal Memorial Library. There are programs for all ages (kids, teens and adults). You can sign up online or at the library.   Parents know that reading to their kids is important, so signing your children up for the Summer Reading Program is one way to reward them for reading (and it’s free for you).Omalley_laughing

Here’s how the program works – parents sign their children up at the Library and set a reading goal of at least ten hours. Read throughout the month of June. By July 8th, bring that log back to the library and get a free t-shirt for your child. It’s that easy!

There is more to summer reading than just reading. Kids (and families) can come to all of the programming that we have going on at the library throughout the next five weeks. All of the programming is free, you don’t have to register and if you haven’t signed up for the reading part of the program, that’s ok (although I will probably ask you to join).

Here’s what we have going on in June for kids in Liberal. For more information, contact the library at 626-0180.

Hometown Heroes: Tuesdays in June @ 6:00 Come and meet some of Liberal’s Hometown Heroes! Bring a blanket or lawn chair, because if the weather is good, we will be on the front lawn of the library! Each week is something new! Open to all ages.

Movie Fridays @ 2:00 Bring your friends to beat the heat and watch a movie. We’ll have five different movies on Fridays during the month of June and on July 3rd. All movies are rated PG or G. Fresh popcorn and ice cold lemonade will be served, so bring your friends.

Medusa’s Funky Hair – June 3rd @ 2:00. Superheroes need disguises, right? Learn new hairstyles, get a funky do or even get your hair colored temporarily with chalk! It’s free and fun for girls and boys of all ages.

Truck Day – June 9th from 2:00 to 4:00. The parking lot is being taken over by rough and tough trucks. See some of the heavy duty trucks you see driving down the road up close and personal. Have all your questions answered by the people who drive them. Come any time between 2:00 and 4:00! Open to children of all ages.

Smoky Hills Public TV – June 10th @ 2:00. Smoky Hills Public TV is coming back to Liberal Memorial Library! This program is aimed at children 8 and under.

Mad Science – June 11th @ 4:00. Mad Science is showing off superhero science at the library. You’ll see if superheroes really can fly and maybe see a few super powers demonstrated. Free and fun for children of all ages.

Beejays – June 16th @ 2:00. The Liberal Beejays are coming to the library to show off their baseball skills. Bring your glove and your questions! Open to children of all ages.

Southern Pioneer Electric Power Van – June 17th @ 2:00 and 3:00. Electro isn’t the only one who can throw bolts of lightning! Join us to see electricity in action. Southern Pioneer is coming to the library for two presentations that will have you seeing flashes of lightning. You may even learn a bit about electricity! At 2:00, the program is inside and is aimed at smaller children. At 3:00 the action begins outside and is geared towards older children and teens, including what happens if you touch a power line (hot dogs are involved). These programs are free and open to children of all ages.

Rattlesnake Andy – June 23rd @ 2:00. Cobra has nothing on Rattlesnake Andy! Come and see some live snakes (we promise there won’t be any live rattlesnakes!) Open to children of all ages.

Strong and Stretch – June 24th @ 2:00. Superheroes can stretch, bend, and have huge muscles. Test your superhero agility and strength by joining us for an afternoon workout. Open to children 8 and older.

Super Why – June 26th @ 1:30. Super Why is stopping by the Library. Join Whyatt, Red, and Princess Pea and then stay for the Friday movie at 2:00! Open to children of all ages.

Self Defense – July 1st @ 2:00. Learn how to get out of a scary situation! Join the Liberal PD with this program on self-defense for kids ages 8+.

 

Kicking off the Summer at Liberal Memorial Library

ZinioZinio for Libraries

If you’re gearing up for a Summer vacation this year, why not take along a few eMagazines for a little light reading. It’s easy to do if you have a mobile device that you like to use. Zinio for Libraries has new apps for iPad®, iPhone®, AndroidTM, and Kindle FireTM HD/HDX.

Did you know that Zinio also has instant streaming on PC and Mac computers? You can check out a magazine and start reading immediately on your computer.

Liberal Memorial Library, as part of a consortium of Southwest Kansas Libraries, is offering free online magazine checkout to our patrons through Zinio. You can use your Liberal Memorial Library card number to sign up for the service. Come by, call, or visit us online at http://lmlibrary.org/how-do-i/zinio/ to learn more about setting up an account.

Some of our most popular titles available for checkout include:

  • Country Living
  • Do It Yourself
  • Us Weekly
  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • Food Network Magazine
  • OK! Magazine
  • Family Circle
  • Family Handyman
  • HGTV Magazine.

“mental_floss” is the newest addition to our online magazine offerings.

Memorial Day

The Library will be closed tomorrow, Monday 25th for Memorial Day. Memorial Day originated after the Civil war as a way of remembering soldiers who died in the war. Here are a few of our newest books involving soldiers who also deserve to be remembered.

It’s what I do : a photographer’s life of love and war
by Addario, Lynsey

Book Description – War photographer Lynsey Addario’s memoir It’s What I Do is the story of how the relentless pursuit of truth, in virtually every major theater of war in the twenty-first century, has shaped her life.

legendLegend
by Eric Blehm

Book Description – The unforgettable account and courageous actions of the U.S. Army’s 240th Assault Helicopter Company and Green Beret Staff Sergeant Roy Benavidez, who risked everything to rescue a Special Forces team trapped behind enemy lines.

Soldier girls : the battles of three women at home and at war
by Helen Thorpe

Book Description – In Soldier Girls, Helen Thorpe follows the lives of three women over twelve years on their paths to the military, overseas to combat, and back home…These women, who are quite different in every way, become friends, and we watch their interaction and also what happens when they are separated.

Summer Reading Kick Off Party

Poppa D ClownSummer Reading is kicking off a little early this Tuesday with Poppa D Clown! The Kick Off party will be at 6:00 p.m., on the lawn at the Library and it is free for everyone. There will be games, snacks, and crafts to get you ready for Summer Reading. And of course Poppa D Clown will be there to entertain us all.

It’s still not too late to sign up for Summer Reading. You can come into the library or just visit our website. Visit the Kids, Teens, or Adults area on our website, http://lmlibrary.org, to find out more about Summer Reading.