Summer Reading Volunteers, 'Utterances', TAB, Teen Tech Week

Hope everyone enjoyed their snow days last week (I know I did!) :)  We're adding prizes and commitments for prizes to our summer stash just about every day at this point--got over $300 in hair products from a local salon just a few hours ago!  We've also got workers and volunteers putting together our registration packets.  Speaking of volunteers--we're looking for a few good ones!  If you've volunteered with us before, Erika should have already called you to see if you're coming back (and tell you about our orientation--which I'll get to in a minute!).  If not, just give us a call--the number is 706-236-4625.  If you've never volunteered and are interested (and are at least 13 years old), come to the Children's Department and ask for an application.  We'll get back to you based on the times you can work and when we need workers--which leads me to to the aforementioned training......

So that all staff and volunteers are on the same page, we'll be doing a mandatory volunteer training for all volunteers this year, whether it's your first year working with us or your fifth.  You'll choose one of five sessions to come to (it will only last about an hour).  The dates are:

Monday, May 4th at 5

Tuesday, May 5th at 5

Wednesday, May 6th at 5

Thursday, May 7th at 3

Saturday, May 9th at 11

When you turn in your application, just let us know which one of these you plan to attend.  If for some reason you can't make any of them, just let us know, and we'll work with you to get you trained before opening day :)

'Utterances' creative writing workshop is tonight from 6:30-8 in the Coosa Room.  Future meetings will be:

Mar. 17

Mar. 31

Apr. 14

Apr. 28

Teen Advisory Board will be this Thursday at 5 PM in the Children's Department office.  We'll be making plans for Teen Tech Week next week, so bring your ideas and a snack to share :)  Just for future reference, our next two meetings will be April 2 and May 7, and we'll figure out whether we're going to meet over the summer and discuss fall meeting times (since several members are involved in activities that have late practices for a few months).  We'll also discuss the possibility of activities in the coming months, so bring your ideas :)

New email on blog

Hi again--I know I just posted, but then I decided to change the email affiliated with the blog to the new address I've just received for the library.  This will send your messages to the address I check most often, and bring questions and the like to my attention a little quicker.  I haven't quite figured out how to hyperlink the new email, but I'm working on it--and in case you can't access the sidebar for some reason, the new address is ldawson@shrls.org

Utterances Is Back!

Got an email from Bailey at Berry the other day--due to popular demand, some of the students are going to hold another 'Utterances' workshop this semester!  The first one will be next Tuesday (the 20th)--still from 6:30-8, still in the Coosa Room.  The meetings will be every other Tuesday after until the end of April (the last one will be on April 28th).    Here's the offical flyer:

Jeanne and I had a great time at the Performer's Showcase last Thursday--we've booked everything for Story Hour this summer--but didn't book any workshops for teens due to low participation the past few years.  There's always a chance that something local might come up before May 26th (aka Opening Day), and I'll keep you posted if it does.  But.......we tentatively have booked a Halloween horror show for teens in October--we'll let you know when it's finalized :)


Remember that TAB meets tomorrow (the 15th) at 7 in the Children's office, and that the library will be closed next Monday (the 19th) in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

TAB next week and Summer

Hi, hope everyone had a great holiday season (and break from school!) Our time before the break was dominated by moving everything (almost) out of the Children's Department so we could get new carpet and shift everything around.

Now that it's mostly taken care of (the big stuff anyway),  we're gearing up to start our preparations for the Summer Reading Program--the YA theme this year is 'Unmask!', and the general theme is heroes. We're getting our contact list ready for donation requests (how we get most of the prizes we give away in our weekly drawings!) and tomorrow Jeanne and I will be going to Fayetteville, GA for the South Metro Performer's Showcase--which is exactly what it sounds like--an opportunity to watch different performers that we might be able to get for shows this summer.  We usually try to book at least one or two for teens for afternoon shows--hopefully we'll be able to get some really good performers for all of you :)

Because the showcase is two hours away and starts so early, I'm making the executive decision to move TAB from this week until next week, the 15th, so that we'll have a chance to go through all the information we're given and get an idea of some of the performers that might work for teen shows.

Also, I'm considering changing the meeting time to something earlier, if it works for everyone.  Some of our members have marching band or sports practices in the fall, but at least for now, there's not as much going on after school.  If we could meet from 5-6, that would get everyone home sooner--which would be great since it's starting to get really cold!

Hope to see everyone who's available next Thursday for our meeting--bring your ideas for summer activities, Teen Read Week, or anything else you can think of :)

December Events and Book Review

Wow--didn't realize I haven't updated the blog in almost three weeks!

First of all, library business:  we'll close at 6 this Wednesday (November 26th) and then be closed Thursday the 27th for Thanksgiving.  We'll reopen Saturday at 10 with regular hours (until 5).  We'll also be closing at 6 next Tuesday (Dec. 2) for the Rome Christmas Parade--which leads to.....

"Utterances" (the teen creative writing workshop hosted by Berry College students).  The original date for the final workshop was Tuesday the 2nd--but since it doesn't start til 6:30, the library's closing at 6, and traffic downtown will be awful, we've rescheduled to Wednesday, December 3rd--still 6:30-8PM, still in the Coosa Room :)

The following day, Thursday, December 4th, will be our next TAB meeting--7PM in the Children's Department office.  We'll have some type of snack (I'm open to suggestions!) and do things like:

*Choose a logo design contest winner (if you want to enter, there's still time--just make sure your submission is in by closing on Saturday, November 29th).

*Finalize the plans for our Teen Christmas Party on Saturday, December 13th (from 2-4 PM in the Oostanaula Room).  So far we've got an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest, White Elephant gift exchange, and cookie decorating.  We were going to do classic Claymation cartoons in the background, but the screen and projector are in the Coosa Room, which is already booked.  At our last meeting, we also talked about doing cards for soldiers--I'll look into that and see what I can do :)  Any other ideas you have, bring them on!




Now for the book review--this one comes courtesy of Hailey, age 12.  Her review is on 'The Fault in Our Stars'.  She gave it 5 stars.

"The book was about a girl who had cancer and she meets a guy and they become best friends. I liked it because it had a lot of detail to it and it was sad at the same time."

I had to take a line out of her review because it's a huuuuuge spoiler--but she recommends it for a sixth grader :)


I hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving!

'Utterances' and TAB

The second 'Utterances' workshop is tomorrow, November 4th, from 6:30-8 in the Coosa Room.  If you didn't make it last week, no worries--come this time and join in the fun (and work toward your NaNoWriMo goals!)  Can't make it this week?  Next week's workshop will be next Thursday November 13th, since the library will be closed Tuesday the 11th for Veterans' Day and staff inservice day.  Same time, same place, different day of the week :)

Our next Teen Advisory Board meeting is this Thursday, November 6th, at 7PM in the Children's Department office.  We'll have a hot chocolate bar and make plans for a possible December activity, as well as an entry for the Summer Reading Program's nationwide video contest.  Come and bring a friend :)

1st 'Utterances' tomorrow!

The first 'Utterances' creative writing workshop presented by Berry College will be tomorrow from 6:30-8 in the Coosa Room.  It's for students in grades 9-12, and all materials are provided at no cost.  If you can't join tomorrow, no worries--it's a drop-in thing that you can come to once or as many times as you'd like.  The other meetings will be on November 4th (next Tuesday), November 13th (it's a Thursday, since we're closed on Tuesday the 11th for Veterans' Day/staff in-service).

To get to the Coosa Room, you can either a.) come to the Children's Department and cut through the theater or b.) take a left when you first come into the library--then another left and a right--the Coosa room is straight ahead and to the left.

In other news, our next Teen Advisory Board meeting is next Thursday, November 6th at 7PM in the Children's Department office.  We'll be judging entries for our logo design contest (if we have any by then) and possibly making plans for a national summer reading program organization's Teen Video Challenge--the theme is 'Unmask' (since the program theme is superheroes).  Bring your ideas and join us for a hot chocolate bar and other goodies!  

Teen Read Week celebrity endorsement!

Teen Read Week starts Monday!

Remember that next week (Mon. Oct. 13-Sat. Oct. 18th) is Teen Read Week--here's what we've got going on

*Candy for all teens who show their library card at the desk in the Children's Department

*A scavenger hunt throughout the library--I've decided to do it more like the reference/internet scavenger hunts we do during the summer, so grab your answer sheet on the bulletin board in YA, answer the questions, and put your name in our drawing for a prize of....food!  Okay, not actual food, but coupons and gift cards from places like LaScala, Bojangles, Chick-Fil-A, and Panera.

*Mystery book check-out--they'll be wrapped up with only the barcode showing, with just a few basic facts on the cover--check one out and then unwrap it for a fun surprise :)

Hope to see you all (and some new faces!) next week!

Berry writing workshop--Utterances!

The video didn't want to embed, so here's the link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqGDHIkAuQc&feature=youtu.be

The flyer at the end is blurry (and I couldn't get my PDF in a format that the blog platform would accept)--so here's what it says:

A workshop for young adults on finding your voice and
exploring the genres of creative writing.
9th-12th grades
Sara Hightower Regional Library – Coosa Room
6:30 – 8:00 pm
(Materials provided)
For more details go to:
www.facebook.com/utterancesworkshop
Utterances
A young writers workshop
Tuesday, October 28 --- Tuesday, November 4 --- Thursday, November 13
Tuesday, November 18 --- Tuesday, December 2
(Join us for one session or come to them all!)

All of the meetings are on Tuesday evenings, except November 13th, which is a Thursday (since the library will be closed on the 11th for Veterans' Day/staff in-service day).  I think their plan is to have a party and reading on the last day.  And we didn't plan it that way--but November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)--so it's a great opportunity to participate and get some feed back on your work!

Event Success, Design Contest, Teen Read Week

Our luncheon on Thursday was a huge success!  We had 25 participants at the pizza lunch, and 12 at the Teen Advisory Board Meeting!  We got some great ideas for future events sponsored by TAB, and several things to add to our Teen Read Week happenings--as well as something that starts right now!

That would be our Teen Advisory Board logo contest.  It starts today (Monday, Oct. 6) and will run through Saturday, November 1st.  I'll be sending the details out to all the high school middle and high school art teachers, and will put up posters at the library.  TAB members will vote on the winner at our meeting on November 6th, and we'll use the winning logo for TAB social media, print materials, and hopefully T-shirts at some point :)  The winner will also get a prize (I'll give the specifics when I know more.....)

As far as Teen Read Week, since this is such a busy time of year for sports, band, etc., we're not going to do any events at a set time.  Instead, we're doing a drop-in scavenger hunt that can be done at any time during the week (Oct. 13-18).  It's similar to our Summer Reading Program scavenger hunt in that we'll have clues that will lead you to different places--but they'll be around the library instead of around town. Everyone who participates will get a smallish prize, and be entered to win a yet-to-be determined bigger prize......

The Berry group didn't show on Thursday (most of them had classes at 2) to talk about their Creative Writing class, but my director is supposed to email me a flyer--and I'll post it here (and in the library) as soon as I have it :)

Activity on Thursday, more book reviews

For anyone who's not on Twitter or Facebook, the Teen Advisory Board is hosting a pizza lunch in the library garden (weather permitting) this Thursday, Oct. 2nd, at 12PM.  We'll eat, play games, and then have our monthly TAB meeting at 1:30--anyone 13 and up is welcome to join us and see what TAB is about :) The meeting will last until 2:30, and we'll be turning part of the second half over to some representatives from Berry College, who will be holding a Teen Creative Writing class that should start later in October.

Because we'll be limited on time at our meeting, here are the things we most need to discuss:

*Teen Read Week (starts Oct.13--theme is 'Turn Dreams Into Reality @ Your Library').  At our last meeting, we had a few ideas
             -Books about dreams as a display
             -Candy for young adults who bring their library card to the Children's Department desk
             - Some kind of riddle-based scavenger hunt
             -Covered books with only the barcode showing--so you check it out and get a surprise :)  I might try to pull some of these before the meeting so we can personalize them on Thursday.


*Improving our publicity methods

*Next event--what, when, etc.

*Ideas for our bulletin board

*****

Last but not least, I'm really behind on posting book reviews--so here are some recent ones :)


********************

Madilyn, age 13, had this to say about John Green's book (now also a movie!) The Fault in Our Stars:

"Hazel Grace Lancaster, a terminally ill teenager, thinks there is no hope for her anymore.  Until she meets Augustus Waters.  I liked everything about this book!  It's so raw, and it doesn't sugar-coat anything about what the characters go through."

She gives it 5/5 stars and recommends it to anyone.

********************

Jacob, age 15, reviewed Airman by Eoin Colfer:

"A young boy that loves flying, grows up to be an inventor, but is betrayed when he discovers a conspiracy against the King.  I pretty much liked everything about this book.  It has action, adventure, a dash of romance, and the story is just awesome.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone from 12-17.  It's a great read.

********************

TAB member Phoebe, who is 13, had great things to say about Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series:

"A twelve-year-old genius, criminal mastermind, millionaire that starts to mess with fairies.  But not Tinker Bell kind of faries, SWAT team kinda fairies.  Nuf said?  PLEASE don't get me started on how much I liked.  LOL.  The only thing I didn't like, was that there were only 8 books :)  I recommend the whole series, and ANYONE should read it."

No wonder she gave it 5 stars--I know this series is on my to-read list!

******************

Shannon, 16, another TAB member, gave 5 stars to P.C. Cast's House of the Night series.  It's about a vampire high priestess, and she liked everything about the plot, writer, and ending.  She recommends it to anyone who likes vampire fiction.

*****************

Lauren, 16, who--you guessed it--is also on our Teen Advisory Board--reviewed one of my favorite reads of the past couple of years, Divergent by Veronica Roth.  She gave it 5 stars and had this to say:

"Divergent is about a girl named Beatrice 'Tris' Prior, who lives in a dystopian Chicago. The city is composed of different factions, and after taking her required faction initiation test, Tris is in for some shocking news.  She must decide who she wants to be--while trying to survive.

I liked that this book was constantly exciting.  I also really liked the characters.  I enjoyed reading the entire trilogy, but Divergent was by far my favorite of the three books.

I definitely recommend this book!  If you like books such as The Hunger Games or the Matched series, then you would most definitely enjoy Divergent as well."

She encourages you to read the book before seeing the movie (which is out on DVD now)

***********

Chloe gave another 5-star review to Richelle Mead's book Shadow Kiss, the third  title in the Vampire Academy series

"It was about a world with the Moroi, an ancient vampire race that is not evil and does die, and Dhampirs who are half humand and Moroi and are guardians for the Moroi.  Lastly there are Strogoi, who are the unnatural product of either a Moroi killing when it feeds, or a Strogoi exchanging blood with a Moroi, vampire, or human.

I loved the writing style, but my absolute favorite thing about this book was the character development from Rose, Lissa, Dimitri, Christian and Adrian.  The ONLY thing I disliked about this book was that it was so short!  I wish it was just a tad more descriptive as well.

Of course I would recommend this book!  I don't really know what kind of reader would enjoy it, I only know that I loved it!"

************

16-year-old TAB member Aleya reviewed two books--here are her reviews:


City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (5 stars)

Clairy Fray, a sixteen-year-old New Yorker, has her life turned completely upside down when she finds out that her past and her self are not what thought.  Along the way, she meets potential love interest Jace Wayland and his adopted siblings, Isabelle and Alec Lightwood, when she is propelled into a world she never knew existed.

I loved everything, from the gripping plot to the amazing characters!  Equal parts action, romance, and humor, this book will not let you down!

I think anyone would enjoy this.  However, the series contains some mature content.  Also check out the prequel series, The Infernal Devices!"


The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (4 1/2 stars)

"Puck Connolly decides to enter a dangerous race involving 'water horses', a dangerous sea creature, and men.  There's just one problem:  she's a girl, and girls have long been excluded from the Scorpio Races--that is, until she meets Sean Kendrick.

It was so different from anything else I'd read!  Very original!  It also has quite a bit of romance thrown in with action!

Definitely, if you're into fantasy, read this!"

***********************

Want to add your own review?  We've got forms at the end of the Young Adult computer counter--just review your favorite book or series and we'll hang it up and add it to the blog!

2nd TAB on Thursday!

Join us at 7PM this Thursday (the 11th) for our next Teen Advisory Board meeting--we'll have snacks (if you have suggestions for this, let me know!) and exchange ideas about several upcoming events:

*Banned Books Week (week of Sept. 22)

*Possible activity the week of city/county Fall Break

*Teen Read Week (Week of Oct. 13--Teen Read Day is Thursday the 16th).  The theme for this year is "Turn Dreams Into Reality @ Your Library"

*Voting for award books

*Logo design contest

Hope to see you all then!

Thinking ahead

All folders and scavenger hunts are due today, and we'll do our final weekly drawing on Monday, to give everyone a chance to get their tickets in by 8:30 tonight.  It's been a great summer--we've already broken our number for last year, and there are always a few who come in at the end to register :)

Remember, our first Teen Advisory Board is Thursday, August 7th at 7PM in the YA department.  But, since I'm on vacation the first week in September, we'll have the meeting for that month the next week, on the 11th, same time.  Come and bring your ideas for teen programs, events, and materials--we'll do what we can to make them happen :)

Catching Fire, End of Summer, and TAB

Only one more day of Summer Reading after today!  Our movie today is Catching Fire--and it's free!  Drinks and popcorn are 50 cents each--come join us in the Coosa Room at 10am to watch Katniss battle it out in the Quarter Quell!

All folders and Scavenger Hunt clues (as well as the Internet and Reference scavenger hunts) are due tomorrow (Thursday the 17th)--make sure you get everything turned in before we close at 8:30!

Our first Teen Advisory Board meeting for this year is Thursday, August 7th at 7PM.  We'll meet in the Young Adult area and then have snacks afterwards. Come help us make plans for Hobbit Day, Teen Read Week, and Halloween!

Juggling Workshop and Library Closing

Can't believe we're already into week 6 of SPR--it's really flown by this year!

Our last scavenger hunt clue is out, and you have until July 17th to tell us all six in order to get your prize :)

The juggling workshop is Wednesday at 4PM--it's only $5.00, and should be a lot of fun.  We only have 15 available spaces, so the sooner you sign up, the better your chance of getting in!

We'll be closed this Thursday, July 3rd, in observance of Independence Day, but will be open regular hours (10-5) on Saturday, and then it's business as usual on Monday the 7th.


Hope everyone has a great week, and an enjoyable holiday weekend :)

YA stuff for summer

We're starting in on Week 4 of the Summer Reading Program, and things are going great.  We've already registered over 3,000, with about 500 of those being teens--and we're only halfway through the program!  If you haven't signed up, there's still plenty of time--we'll register until the last day of the program on July 17th.  You can keep up with your reading time on paper and just show it to us when you come in to register--anything you've kept track of since May 27th will count :)

We've still got several teen movies/programs going on--our movie this week is Ender's Game (rated PG-13).  Admission is free, and drinks and popcorn are 50 cents each.  Movies don't count on your time sheet, but they're a great way to beat the heat (the air conditioning actually works in the meeting rooms!)

We also have two teen workshops left that will be taking place the following two weeks.  Science Behind Cooking will be at 4pm on Wednesday, June 25th, and our juggling workshop with Todd Key (one of the Zucchini Brothers from the Georgia Renaissance Festival) will be the next Wednesday, July 2nd, also at 4pm.  Each workshop is $5.00 (no partial refund), and all you have to do to register is let a staff member know you're coming and pay.

Our movie for the last week of the program will be Catching Fire, the second in the Hunger Games series--we'll show it at 10am on Wednesday, July 16th, also in the Coosa Room.  Time sheets will be due the next day, July 17th, before closing at 8:30 pm.  Entries for the coloring contest, design contest, essay contest, and photo contest will be due on July 10th--the Scavenger Hunt and Guess How Many will go through the 17th.

We're excited at the prospect of beating our total for next year--we had 3,513, and are within 400 of beating that.  Come help us break our record, and get some goodies (and maybe even weekly drawing prizes) for reading you probably have to do anyway for school :).



  

Tonight's Meeting

Don't forget that our last TAB meeting for this school year will be tonight at 7PM--it should only last about 20 minutes, since we're just throwing around a few ideas for next year to think about over the summer.  Some things to consider:

*Hobbit Day is September 22

*Fall movies coming out (The Maze Runner, Mockingjay pt.1, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies)

*Random holidays listed here

If you can't make it tonight, our next meeting will be on Thursday, August 7th--time TBA :)

2014 Teens' Top Ten

YALSA has posted their Teens' Top Ten nominees here--check them out (and start reading) so you can vote for your favorites beginning in August!

"Reading for fun?  But I've got a summer reading list for school to do!"  you may say.  Never fear--so do we.  I spent part of yesterday and today going through the book lists for two of our area schools, figuring out which ones we have in the collection and writing their location on the sheets we'll keep in our Summer Reading List binder behind the circulation desk.  Some of them are repeats from years past that we have multiple copies of--others we might have to request from other libraries.  So far, I have the lists for Rome Middle and Darlington (all levels), and will update as I find out what's in store for everyone else.  The earlier you start requesting, the better--sometimes there are just a few copies in PINES, and if everyone in your grade needs to read it.....well, it could take awhile (and that's not even considering if other schools around the state are reading them as well).  We'll do everything we can to get you what you need--and of course, you can always count it on your time sheet and get some goodies (and enter our weekly drawings for even more!)

Last TAB for until August!

Our last TAB for the school year will be this Thursday, May 8, at 7PM.  Come help us make plans for next year--we'll take the summer off and start back in August, but it's always good to start planning ahead :)

Also, there's still time to let us know if you want to volunteer this summer--it looks great on college and job applications, and will help you to meet your requirements for groups like National Honor Society--just let us know your schedule (and when you might be on vacation) and we'll work with you :)

Speaking of summer--we've got our display stocked with prizes (for kids and teens), our schedule of movies and workshops is set, and we'll start signing up at 8:30 am on Tuesday, May 27th.  You can sign up anytime between then and the end of the program on July 17th--and if you're out of town during any time, just keep up with your reading time and redeem for prizes when you get back into town.  Here are some of the things you might enjoy:

*All of these will be held in the Coosa Room*

Presentations--free of charge, no registration needed

Thursday, June 5th @ 2PM:  Out{Cast}, a local anti-bullying group with teen performers, will present "Hear Me Roar"



Workshops--$5 per person, must sign up (we'll have a waiting list, and also call to confirm a day or two before)--may get a partial refund)

Wednesday, June 11th @ 2PM:  Laughter Yoga workshop for ages 5 and up--there will be younger kids in this one, but it'll be a good time to have some laughs and let off some steam :)

Wednesday, June 25th @4PM:  Science Behind Cooking workshop

Wednesday, July 2nd @ 4PM:  Juggling workshop with Todd Key



Movies--all are at 10am, drinks and popcorn will be 50 cents each 

Wednesday, June 18th:  Ender's Game

Wednesday, July 16th:  Catching Fire