Gardening at the Library

Gardening Books
If you planning to start a garden soon, check out our gardening book display.

rodale's-vegetable-garden-problem-solverRodale’s vegetable garden problem solver : the best and latest advice for beating pests, diseases, and weeds and staying a step ahead of trouble in the garden
by Fern Marshall Bradley.

From the book description
With the latest research, breakthroughs, and troubleshooting advice, Rodale’s Vegetable Garden Problem Solver features hundreds of organic and natural solutions for tackling disease, pest, and weed problems…No matter what challenge crops up in your vegetable garden, you’ll discover all the answers you need to find solutions fast and keep your crops on track.

waterwise-plantsWaterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens: 200 Drought-Tolerant Choices for all Climates
by Scott Ogden

From the book description
People everywhere are facing the realities of restricted water availability. Yet sustainable gardens and landscapes that use less water don’t have to be boring. The key to keeping your garden beautiful and water-wise is intelligent plant choice.

This practical and inspiring guide includes all kinds of plants from tree to succulents, from perennials to bulbs, selected for their wide adaptability and ornamental value.

small-space-vegetable-gardensSmall-Space Vegetable Gardens: Growing Great Edibles in Containers, Raised Beds, and Small Plots
by Andrea Bellamy

From the book description
Grow your own delicious food in any space—no matter how small. Andrea Bellamy, of the award-winning blog Heavy Petal, shares a wealth of knowledge from years of gardening small. Learn how to plan and build your garden—on balconies, in raised beds, up walls, across parking strips, and more—as well as how to sow, grow, and harvest an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables all season long.


ereader
eBooks

KSL digital book eLendingThere are four different apps you can use to checkout eBooks with your Kansas Library eCard. Each has different things to offer.

  • Total Boox is the newest. There are no holds and all the books are always available. Also, you can keep the books you checkout for as long as you like, your checkouts will never expire. This app only works on mobile devices. You will be able to read the eBooks on your tablet or phone, but not on your computer screen.
  • 3M Cloud Library is the best choice for new bestsellers and larger publishers. Checkout up to 5 books for 2 weeks. Place holds on books that are already checked out. The app works with most mobile devices and on Windows and Mac computers.
  • Enki Library includes independent publishers and shelf-published books. They have a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction books. Checkout up to 10 books for 3 weeks. Place holds on books that are already checked out.
  • Freading has a large collection that is always available. It includes books from small and medium sized publishers and a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction. Checkout up to 5 books per week for 2 weeks each.

If you prefer books you can listen to, OneClickdigital is the app you’ll use to checkout audiobooks through your Kansas Library eCard.

For more information about eBooks or audiobooks, visit http://kslib.info/128/Digital-Book-eLending. If you’re interested in getting a Kansas Library eCard, come in to our library or any other Kansas library to get one.

 

 

2016-srp-slogan-779Summer Reading Signup

Signup for Summer Reading starts next week, May 1st.

Poppa D. Clown will be at the library on May 23rd to help us kickoff Summer Reading. Other exciting Summer Reading events this year will include a Cosmosphere rocketry presentation, a puppet show, a visit from the people of Mad Science, and a program presented by Smoky Hills Public TV.

Come in to the library or visit our website, http://lmlibrary.org after May 1st, to get signed up and for more information.

Freading is Fundamental

If you’re interested in e-books, then the Liberal Memorial Library has what you’re looking for. All you have to do is go to our website at lmlibrary.org, look on the left hand side, click on the “Downloadable Audiobook, EBook and Magazine Help” link and you’ll be on your way.

There are a few sites that you can use to download books like 3M and Enki, but I’m going to talk about Freading because it works a little differently way than the other library eBook services. It is more of a rental/subscription model, but it’s free. You don’t have to buy anything. It works on a token system.

Each patron using the service is allotted five tokens per week. The State Library pays Freading based on how many tokens are used (we don’t pay for the tokens you do not use.) Freading then pays the publishers based on how many times each of their books were borrowed by patrons of all libraries using Freading.

Now here’s the real neat thing — all books on Freading are always available. There are no holds. If there’s a book that you want to read, provided that you have enough tokens, you can download it immediately.

When logged in, the number of tokens you have used is shown in the upper right side on the Freading website. Unused tokens roll over for four weeks (based on when you first logged in to Freading), then your account is reset to zero, and a new five tokens are issued.

Books “cost” different numbers of tokens (four, two, or one), usually based on the age of the book.   This is always shown on the cover of the book in the upper left corner. Each book is on loan for 14 days.

You may “spend” your tokens however you wish.  You could get as many as five books with your five tokens each week if you wish to read books that are no longer new.  And if you run out of time while reading a book, most renewals are free or cost one token.

Probably, the biggest drawback with this site is that the selection will be limited. While you may not find many of the major publishers and authors on this site, there should be something from smaller publishers and lesser authors that may pique your interest. The bottom line is that Freading gives you another alternative to eBooks.

For more information on Freading and how to get started, go to http://www.kslib.info/digitalbooks.html.

Here are some books currently on Freading:

Charlie Brown and Friends by Charles M. Schulz
First published in 1950, the classic Peanuts strip now appears in more than 2,200 newspapers in 75 countries in 25 languages. Phrases such as “security blanket” and “good grief,” which originated in the Peanuts world, are now part of the global vernacular, and images of Charles Schulz’s classic characters—Charlie Brown kicking the football, Lucy leaning over Schroeder’s piano—are now universally recognized.

Brody by Larry Matysik
Written by his best friend and widow, this compelling biography of international wrestling superstar Bruiser Brody provides an unparalleled look at his life and death. At six-foot-five and a muscular 320 pounds, Brody was a giant in the ring who evoked fear in his opponents and respect from the wrestling community. In the geographical segregated wrestling world of the 1970s and 1980s, where each area had its own stars, Brodys intensity made him one of the few recognized as celebrities across the country. Featuring candid discussions about the nature of wrestling during Brodys heyday as well as a frank description of his horrific murder and its aftermath, this revealing account illustrates why Brody continues to be one of the most beloved figures in wrestling.

Safe At Home by Willie May Aikens
An intimate portrait of a tortured player, this memoir culls interviews, letters, and the personal account of former Kansas City Royal Willie Mays Aikens. Touted from a young age as the next Reggie Jackson, Aikens’ promising career quickly turned disastrous when he fell into drug abuse and was ultimately sentenced to the longest prison time ever given to a professional athlete. Not only an exploration of baseball and culture in the 1980s, this book also delves into the United States justice and penal systems.

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Adult Summer Reading is still going on through the end of July with programs:

E-reader/Tablet workshop – Tuesday, July 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Jump into the electronic age and find out how to use your tablet/e-reader as your own personal library. Learn how to find and download, audiobooks, e-books and e-magazines.

Sustainable Agriculture – Tuesday, July 22 @ 6:30 p.m.
Interested in finding out what is “sustainable agriculture?” This program will give you some insight on the integration of farming, animals, ecology and the environment as well as their relationships with one another.

Writing Workshop – Thursday, July 24 @ 6:30 p.m.
Have you ever wanted to write the great American novel, but didn’t know where to start? This will be the program that will get you going. We’ll have local authors come down and share their tales of how they got started on their novels and publications. They’ll show what techniques they used and how they got their inspirations for their ideas.

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And don’t forget our monthly programming:

Book Chat – Thursday, July 18 @ 6:30 p.m.

Recipe Swap – Monday, July 28 @ 6:30 p.m.

This week’s library happenings

Summer reading events this week

* Legos at the library, Children’s Summer Reading Program – Tuesday, June 24th

We’ll be playing Legos at the Library. Build to your heart’s content. Each hour we’ll have a new group starting. Come at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 or 4:00 to begin building. Each group is limited to 24 builders.

* Smoky Hills Public Television, Children’s Summer Reading Program – Wednesday, June 25th at 2:00 p.m.

This program is aimed at kids from kindergarten to grade 3. We’ll be having fun with Smoky Hills Public Television. Space is limited, so be there early!

* Dan, Dan the Magic Man! – Friday, June 27th at 2:00 p.m.

Do you believe in magic? Come one, come all to see Dan, Dan, the magic man perform. This action packed show for all ages will guide kids into a world of science and illusion.

DB_Blue_GoldNew website design

The Kansas State Library website, where we can go to checkout downloadable audiobooks and ebooks among other things, has a new look. The site was down briefly during the upgrade. This may have caused some problems with checking out ebooks, but the transition is over and all of the problems have been sorted out.

You can get to it through our library’s webpage or directly by going to http://www.kslib.info/digitalbooks.

On the left of the page, you’ll find tutorials, links to software, and frequently asked questions. There is also a link where a patron can request that the library purchase a certain book for checkout.

Direct links to ebook and audiobook checkout are in the center of the page. These links include:

Audiobooks
OneClickdigital Audiobooks – Mostly fiction, some popular non-fiction. Registration via the Kansas Library eCard Login (http://kslc.org) is necessary to create your username/password.

Ebooks
3M Cloud Library – Bestsellers, predominantly fiction, a little non-fiction. Login with your Kansas Library eCard number.
Freading eBooks – No holds, smaller publishers, huge catalog with a wide variety of fiction & non-fiction. Access books via the Kansas Library eCard Login at http://kslc.org
Enki Library eBooks – Includes self-published authors, independent publishers, and a high variety of fiction & non-fiction. Login with your Kansas Library eCard number.
TumbleBooks Library – Animated talking picture books. No login, use directly online.
If you have problems logging in or have trouble downloading, there’s an email address and phone number, located on the upper right side of the page, where you can speak directly to knowledgeable people at the Kansas State Library. Below this there is also a news section, where you can find out if any problems you’re having might be widespread and if they are working to fix it.