Explore and Discover
Let’s play: Indoor winter fun at the library
Posted on January 24, 2019 at 10:00 am
By Gwendolyn Haley The library is a great place to visit in the winter! No really, it’s true! Every week, we have Play & Learn Storytimes for families with children ages 0–5. For older kids, we have regularly scheduled LEGO Clubs, STEM programs, and other activities. And even when we don’t have a formal program […]
Tags: activities, blocks, building blocks, creativity, imagination, Imagination Playground, indoor play, kids, learning, LEGO, library, parents, play, play games, puzzles, scavenger hunt, STEM, storytime
The evolution of the legend of Arthur
Posted on January 22, 2019 at 6:00 am
By Caitlin Wheeler A young boy grows up poor, not looked after by his foster parents. Abused, neglected, and destitute, he expects little from life, and life expects little from him. Until one day, everything changes. The child in servant’s clothes now wears a crown, and his childhood among the people turns out to have […]
Tags: adults, adventure, Arthurian, books, Britton, Guinevere, heros, kids, King Arthur, knights, knights of the round table, Lancelot, legend, legend of Arthur, magic, Merlin, monsters, Morgaine, Morgan le Fay, Morgause, myth, Nimue, reading, round table, Saxon, tales, tweens, Welsh, YA
Independent spirit: Films that offer fresh perspectives
Posted on January 9, 2019 at 6:00 am
By Melissa Rhoades Independence is a major theme in the American consciousness. We’re taught from an early age to admire historic figures that bucked the system in order to forge new paths. Most of us like to consider ourselves independent, too. Yet most Americans don’t watch independent films. This is a shame since indie movies […]
Tags: DVDs, films, foreign films, hoopla, independent films, movies
A twist on the New Year’s resolution
Posted on January 3, 2019 at 6:00 am
by Dana Mannino “Do one thing every day that scares you.” I first met this quote on a refrigerator magnet. Since then, I’ve seen it online attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, Kurt Vonnegut, and several more historical figures. The website Quote Investigator says that it actually comes from a 1997 article by journalist Mary Schmich, but […]
Tags: fear, Gale, gale courses, karaoke, nature, New Year's resolutions, politics, reading, reading diversely, reading resolutions, resolutions, setting boundaries
Reduce your browsing vulnerability
Posted on December 27, 2018 at 6:00 am
By Patrick Hakes Along with the richness of the information available on the Internet are many opportunities for criminals to gain access to your computer and thus your personal information. Most of the methods used to gain access to your computer involve you as an active participant. Actions you can take to help malicious software […]
Tags: computers, criminals, cyber safety, cyberattack, digital devices, hackers, hacks, identity theft, malicious software, malware, online security, PC, safe computing, scammers, virus, Windows
Gifts of experience for less stress and more joy this holiday season
Posted on December 11, 2018 at 6:00 am
By Abra Cole The holiday season is here again! I love the smells of goodies baking in the oven, the peacefulness of the fluffy snow falling outside, and the excited sounds of kids clamoring to get the best spot by the Christmas tree and all the gifts. Usually at our house, that last one is […]
Tags: adults, adventure, books, classes, community, concerts, cooking, crafts, DIY, events, experiences, family gifts, food, games, gardening, gift of experience, gifts, hobbies, holiday gift guide, holiday gifts, holidays, kids, microadventure, microadventures, parents, sporting events, teens, travel, tweens
Cozy up to slow reading this winter
Posted on November 27, 2018 at 6:00 am
By Melissa Rhoades One specific morning in fourth grade still stands out in my memory. I arrived early to class, sat at my desk, and opened a novel I was midway through. I don’t remember now what book it was, but I do remember becoming completely engrossed, sinking into the world on the page. Which […]
Tags: authors, books, close reading, deep reading, diverse books, fiction, health, nonfiction, parents, patience, print books, reading, reading comprehension, reading diversely, reading resolutions, slow, slow reading, teens, tweens
Fanfiction primer: Reading and writing what you love
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 6:00 am
By Caitlin Wheeler THE DETECTIVE Tired of writing serial mysteries, Arthur Conan Doyle had just unceremoniously shoved Sherlock Holmes over a cliff mid-wrestling match with a never-before-mentioned arch nemesis. Fans were incensed, devastated, or both. Many of them turned to writing apocryphal works (writings of dubious authenticity), pastiches (im […]
Tags: adaptation, adults, apocrypha, authors, booklists, books, community, fan fiction, fandom, fanfiction, hobbies, homage, interpretation, movies, parody, pastiche, reading, teens, YA
Great digital reads for the whole family
Posted on November 6, 2018 at 6:00 am
By SHERI BOGGS November marks the time of year when families start drawing close together for the holidays and you know what that means—lots and lots of family time! The Library District has got you covered with several themed booklists available on our popular OverDrive digital platform. FOR KIDS We Are Family is a handpicked […]
Tags: adults, audiobooks, booklists, books, devices, digital collection, digital library, eBooks, family, fiction, kids, Libby app, mobile, mobile devices, nonfiction, overdrive, reading, science fiction, technology, teens, tweens, YA, young learners
A new voting ritual
Posted on October 30, 2018 at 6:00 am
By Dana Mannino When I was small, accompanying my parents to the poll was a family ritual. My parents would get shoes and coats on all of us, which was quite a feat, as there seemed to be an additional child with every presidential election cycle, and we would walk down the polling station. Some […]
Tags: ballot boxes, ballot measures, candidates, election, Election Day, elections, local elections, polling booths, propositions, voter's pamphlet, voting, voting ballot, voting party
