 What’s going on at the library? What isn’t going on at the library! Last Saturday we had our first comicon, which was incredibly successful by all standards. Three thousand people attended, and got to meet Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper from the 501st Legion (http://501st.com), talk about their favorite comics, and participate in a host of other activities, including more door prizes than I could count.
Am I making you envious that you didn’t attend? Good! Save the date. Next year’s One-Day Comicon will be on Free Comics Day, the first Saturday in May. Even better, we may be moving to a much bigger space, so there will more to see and do, and maybe some vendors from whom you can buy your all-important comic book memorabilia.
So, that’s it for all the stuff you missed. What about the things that are coming up?
Summer Reading! You knew I was going to drop that bomb, didn’t you? As usual, we’re having events and activities for adults, young adults and children. Our sign ups have begun, and run through the end of the month, and Summer Reading itself starts June 1st. I know the adults are going to have a nice time with the casual, social events planned, and as always, Casandra consistently schedules great performers and activities for the kids for the summer. I am sure that you will find out all about that in the coming weeks.
 Right now, I am here to make my pitch for Young Adult summer reading. Summer is a time when you should be able to read whatever you want, without the restrictions normally placed during the school year. It’s a time to read for fun, to satisfy curiosity, and to go down pathways of discovery. I think young adults are at a prime age for this–they have interests they love to delve into deeply, and unlike adults, they haven’t gained a fear of creating and being excited for their creations.
This summer, I will be your Discovery Dealer. And while discovery is addictive, it’s good for you and won’t cost a thing.
We have a brand new anime and manga on-demand service through CrunchyRoll, so that young adults can watch and read things the library doesn’t own, just about as quickly as they come out in Japan. There’s going to be gaming, an intro to spycraft and cryptography, and we’ll be delving into the world of Marvel’s archer-in-residence, Hawkeye (with free graphic novels for everyone who participates) and the sport (and life-skill) of archery. You will also have a chance to write and share fanfic, or just recommend your favorites to all of the rest of us.
One thing that the Young Adult program has going this year is that door prizes will be available at all YA events. We will also provide opportunities by going to events and doing extra activities to earn an extra prize not available to the children’s summer reading program.
Our Summer Reading Fire Up party for the Young Adults will be Monday, June 1 at 4pm. We can get excited together, and get ready to have fun!
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.
We may be heading into the home stretch of the summer reading program, but don’t worry. There are still plenty of activities ahead.
It’s true. We only have a week left on the Children’s and the Teen/Young Adult Summer Reading Program, but don’t worry. We’re going to end with a bang.
CHILDREN:
Rainbow Looming – Tuesday, July 1 @ 4 p.m.
Come make pretty stuff with your Rainbow Looms. You can give it your friends, your new teacher next year or keep it for yourself! We’ll figure out how to make new stuff and learn how, if you don’t already know. Bring your loom if you have one! We’ll have the bands and clips.
Movie – Thursday, July 3 @ 2 p.m.
A lowly Lego figure (voiced by Chris Pratt) joins a group intent on battling an evil force after a case of mistaken identity in this computer-generated comedy from the filmmakers behind Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and co-director Chris McKay (Robot Chicken). Will Arnett co-stars as the voice of Batman, who along with Superman, make appearances in the Warner Bros. picture. Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, and Alison Brie head up the rest of the voice cast.
TEEN:
Lava Lamps – Tuesday, July 1 @ 4 p.m.
Ever wonder how those groovy lava lamps work? We’ll show you how. And nope, we don’t have to find a volcano. You’ll be surprised how it simple and easy it is to make your very own lava lamp.
Firefighters: More than fighting fires – Tuesday, July 3 @ 4 p.m.
We all know that firefighters fights fire, but there are plenty of dangers besides battling blazing infernos. You’ll hear from firefighters on what other dangerous situations that they have to deal with.
And don’t forget to hand in your reading logs by Saturday, July 5!
While those summer reading programs are coming to an end, the adults still have an entire month left and that means a program-packed July.
Sherlock Holmes: It’s Elementary – Thursday, July 10 @ 6:30 p.m.
Learn everything you need to know about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective – Sherlock Homes. We’ll discuss the books, movies, television and his place in popular culture. Also did he really say, “Elementary, my Dear Watson?” We’ll find out!
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.
Also, don’t forget to join us for Recipe Swap on Monday, June 30 at 6:30 p.m. Hope you can make it!
If you haven’t signed up for summer reading at Liberal Memorial Library, then pop into the library or apply online at our website (www.lmlibrary.org). We’ve already had hundreds of children sign up already. The goal is to get more kids signed up, more kids to complete the program and more total hours read than last year. We will still accept applications for a little while longer (and since the program is free and fun, you have no excuse not to sign up). One of the best parts of the summer reading program is the weekly sessions that we have. This year, we have six different groups – the wee ones, toddlers, preschoolers, grade 1 & 2, grade 3 & 4 and grade 5 & 6. Since the theme of the summer reading program is Fizz, Boom, Read, each of the weekly programs is going to be a lot of fun, because we are going to have science experiments, stories, crafts, music and other activities.
Last year we had worms as a mascot for the summer reading program. Kids had a great time digging through the newspaper bedding to find the worms cowering in the bottom of the box. This year we are having another mascot – since the theme of summer reading is a science theme, what better animal to have at the library than a monkey? Well, since I would probably be fired for ordering a real monkey on the library’s credit card, we are going to discover the scientific importance of sea monkeys. In the first weekly session (which is this coming week), each group is going to try their hand at growing sea monkeys. I’ve dug out the magnifying glass, so we should be able to see something almost instantly. The sea monkeys will stay in the library until the end of the summer reading program so that each week the kids can see them grow.
While you are at the weekly programs, make sure to check out a few books. Right across from the circulation desk, we have a lot of books from the American Library Association’s summer reading list on display. This list has some great books for kids of all ages – from story books to chapter books. We’ll keep replenishing the display with books that are favorites with kids. Don’t worry, there won’t be any boring books on display.
We also have some great special programs lined up for the beginning of the month. Professor Popcorn from K-State Extension is going to come on June 4th. We’ll have two groups – one at 2:00 and one at 2:30. This program is limited to 20 participants from grade one to six in each group and is going to be an exploration of food science.
One June 11th at 2:00 we have a science show – Fizz, Boom, Pop, Science Rocks. Kids (and adults) are going to see the exciting side of science and what happens when things get mixed together. It’ll be fun for all ages. It’s free and open to as many people as we can squeeze in the library!
If you don’t have a library card, now is the time to get one. Kids of any age can get a library card with their parent’s permission. To get a first card, mom or dad needs a photo ID and a piece of mail that was sent to them (like a utility bill) so that we can verify an address. The card will be mailed to you and then you are ready to start checking things out.
Don’t forget to start reading and logging those minutes once you sign up for summer reading. Set aside time each night to read. Turn off the TV for a half an hour, and read as a family. Mom and dad can set a good example by signing up for the adult summer reading program and completing a bingo over the course of the summer.
Check out our website (www.lmlibrary.org), call (626-0180) or come into the library to find out what is going on each week. It’s an exciting summer at Liberal Memorial Library as we plan to Fizz, Boom, Read!
Sign up for swimming lessons – Check!
Sign up for summer reading at the library – Hmmm….
A lot of parents are good at signing their kids up for swimming lessons, sports and other camps, but
then forget to sign them up for the summer reading program at the library. Sign up for summer reading at Liberal Memorial Library begins tomorrow for everybody in the community. We often get asked a lot of questions about the program (and given a lot of bad excuses about why they didn’t participate once the program is over), so here is the information that you need to know.
1. Who is summer reading for? We have three different programs, one for kids from birth to grade 6, a teen program for kids from grade 7 to 12 and then an adult program for everybody else. While you are signing up you kids, make sure to sign up for the adult program! Each program has different special events all revolving around a theme. For example, the theme of the children’s program is Fizz, Boom Read, a science theme. Each week, we will be discovering a different aspect of science and technology.
2. Why would I sign up for summer reading? I won’t bore you with statistics that show that kids who don’t read during the summer lose some of what they’ve learned the previous year in school, which sets them back when school starts again in the fall. Summer reading isn’t just about the books, it is also about having fun. We have crafts, games, songs, science experiments, stories and more planned for the weekly sessions this year and some stellar special programs. Plus, all of it is free!
3. Isn’t summer vacation supposed to be fun? Summer reading is fun. This year, Dan, Dan the Magic Man is coming to perform a science/magic show. We have a mad science show – Fizz Boom Pop, Science Rocks! We have tons and tons of Legos coming over to the library from the Air and Space Museum. Professor Popcorn from K-State Extension is going to wow us with food science. Weekly movies will give us a chance to just veg out with friends (and with popcorn and lemonade). I promise, it is going to be fun for kids.
4. How does it work? It’s simple. Sign up at the library (or online at our webpage, lmlibrary.org). Choose a reading goal (at least ten hours to earn a t-shirt). Come to programs if you can. Keep reading at home. At the end of the program, return your logs to the library to get a t-shirt.
5. My kid doesn’t like to read books. You don’t have to read books in order for it to count for summer reading. You can read magazines, comic books, anything… We have books on nearly any subject at the library.
6. I live in Oklahoma- I can’t join. It doesn’t matter where you live, you can sign up for summer reading at the library. If your grandkids are visiting for the summer from Arkansas, sign them up too. (Insider tip, Oklahoma residents can get a library card from the library for free now, so you can check out books and participate in library programs.)
7. I work, so I can’t bring my kids to the programs. You can sign up for the reading part of summer reading even if you don’t plan on coming to any of the programs. And none of the programs have registration (although a few this summer do have limits to the number of participants), so you can be spontaneous!
Signing up for summer reading takes less than five minutes and is easy to do. It’s free and it’s one of the great things that the library has to offer. If you haven’t participated in summer reading before, now is your chance to get signed up! For more information, contact me at the library at 626-0180.
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Right now, I am here to make my pitch for Young Adult summer reading. Summer is a time when you should be able to read whatever you want, without the restrictions normally placed during the school year. It’s a time to read for fun, to satisfy curiosity, and to go down pathways of discovery. I think young adults are at a prime age for this–they have interests they love to delve into deeply, and unlike adults, they haven’t gained a fear of creating and being excited for their creations.