Christmas Ornament Workshop

Join the Circle of Crafters! The Crafting Circle will be making Christmas ornaments Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010, at 1 pm in the Lebanon Library. The Library will provide some supplies and ideas, including the use of our die cut machine, which produces the shapes at right. Cards can also be carfted with these supplies.

The Crafting Circle is a monthly program for crafters that meets the third Thursday of each month. Crafters are encouraged to come and bring whatever project they are working on, and enjoy time with other crafters. Each month someone will demonstrate a different craft so it's an opportunity to learn and explore crafts that are new to you!

Basketball Season

Since basketball season has arrived, we thought we'd share this bit of history. Stop by the Lebanon Library and you can probably find a picture of the 1959-1960 teams in the high school annuals.

The Local History Collection at the Lebanon Library has a fine collection of annuals (and accepts them as gifts!) The Local History Collection has many other gems. But the bulk of the collection is family history and records to aid family history and genealogy researchers. Other resources include topical files on Russell County, such as communities, churches, schools, women, and floods to name just a few.

The Honaker Community Library has a Local History Collection that is small, but growing.

Stop in one of your Russell County Public Libraries for a look back in time.

Calling All Quilters!

Quilters are encouraged to bring their latest project to the Lebanon Library for the Crafting Circle this Thursday, November 18, at 1 pm. If you have ever wanted to see quilters in action, stop by and see what's happening!

Quilting is a craft that we think of as quintessentially American, but it has a strong tradition in other countries. And modern quilting, with patchwork taken to the level of art, is popular in many countries.

A commemorative quilt recently returned home to Nebraska, thanks to the local public library. A Mystery in the Library tells the story of a historically interesting 'album' quilt that made its way home after more than 100 years. It's the 19th century equivalent of the woven afghans sold as fund raisers or the posters and cards with local high school football schedules and advertising on them; the supporting businesses and communities are featured to show their support...just like the quilt.

Other crafters are encouraged to bring their latest project to the Crafting Circle to share and spend an hour or two crafting and chatting. The coffee pot will be on, so stop by and sit a spell! Then you can take home a few quilting books and get started on your own quilted project.

The Crafting Circle meets the third Thursday at 1 pm at the Lebanon Library. In November the featured craft is quilting; in December (the 16th), it will be Christmas ornaments.

posted by Kelly

National Gaming Day is Next Saturday!

Saturday, November 13th will be National Gaming Day at libraries across the country. We here at RCPL have a variety of activities planned, including our first-ever Wii 'Carnival Games' event, new and classic board games like 'Wits & Wagers', Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit Jr. and much more. This is a family event, most games are intended for children 5 and over.

This event will be from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Registration is not required, so stop in and see what we have in store!

National Non-Fiction Day

Heads Up everyone! November 4th is National Non-Fiction Day. The celebration was "initiated by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups in partnership with Scholastic Children’s Books. It aims to celebrate all that is brilliant about non fiction and show that it’s not just fiction that can be read and enjoyed for pleasure.

You might argue that it's just a marketing ploy. But, hey, WE aren't selling anything. Though we do want to market the library to YOU.

Non-fiction can be fascinating as well as educational. It's just a matter of finding something that really interests you, whether it's interior decorating, engine tuning, or Civil War history. Stop by and pick up a title from our display of best-selling non-fiction. From "freakonomics" to political pundits, from biographies to Yankees, we are bound to have something to interest you.

posted by Kelly

Good bye, Miss Kim! Good Luck!!

Miss Kim, our children's story time lady, will be leaving the library to pursue new challenges.

Do you want to join the team at one of the most respected institutions in America—the public library?

We'll be looking for a Children’s Services Coordinator to manage children’s library programs and services including collection development, providing weekly story times and outreach; there are additional responsibilities in adult programming, acquisitions and circulation. A bachelor’s degree is required (and much more!) and regular evening and weekend work, but there are benefits. Check with the Virginia Employment Commission or our website for complete details.

Bon voyage, Miss Kim! We wish you well.

Leaders Are Readers

Our Leaders Are Readers reception and program October 19, 2010, at the Russell County Government Center was a great success. Our program featured local officials and dignitaries and regular library users speaking passionately about why the library and reading are important to them, their life and work, and our community.

The first speaker was Jon Bowerbank, known locally as a Russell County Supervisor and businessman, but who also serves on the board of the Library of Virginia. He brought a battered dictionary given to him by his father to illustrate his talk.

Other speakers included Dr. Hughes Melton, who talked about how doctors now encourage patients to participate in their care by learning about their health condition; he sees the public library and Internet access as essential to helping his patients and building a healthy community. Many others stepped up to talk about their take on the topic and the library's value.


And of course, no event is a success without food. There was a lovely array of tasty treats provided by the Library Board of Trustees, including cake embellished with the library logo! Library Board member Janice Busic is shown ready to to begin serving up the cake.

Read for the Record Day

Oct 7 is Read for the Record Day.

The whole world will be reading The Snowy Day!

Year after year, Jumpstart’s Read for the Record continues to break a world record for the most children reading the same book on the same day with an adult in their life. With a few clicks, you'll can be a part of the largest shared reading experience in history!

Jumpstart’s Read for the Record began in 2006 and over the past five years, America has joined in, reading classic stories such as The Little Engine That Could (2006), The Story of Ferdinand (2007), and Corduroy (2008). Last year, records were shattered when Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar was read aloud to children worldwide! 2,019,752 children joined together and shared in this joyous and important experience—raising awareness of the early literacy crisis and helping Jumpstart raise funds to serve children in need!

Go to http://www.readfortherecord.org/ and pledge to read The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats to a child on Oct. 7. Don't forget to go back to the website to be officially counted in the world record.

Crafting Circle at Lebanon Library

Everyone is invited to attend the first meeting of the Crafting Circle at the Lebanon Library on Thursday, August 19 at 1 pm. Meetings will be held on the third Thursday of each month. A different craft will be demonstrated each month followed by a time to share and work on individual projects. Demonstrations planned for the rest of the year are:
August 19 – Scrapbooking
September 16 – Knitting
October 21 – Weaving
November 18 – Quilting
December 16 – Christmas Ornaments

For more information contact the Lebanon Library at 889-8044.

Children's Activities

The summer has flown by and this is the last week of the summer reading program. To celebrate, we will have a SpongeBob party on Tuesday, August 3 at 1 pm. We will have stories about SpongeBob, watch a video, make a craft and enjoy refreshements. Weather permitting, we will have outdoor activities as well. Be sure to bring your reading logs to the library before August 13 to be included in the reading total and get your certificate.

We will be having Storytime in the Park on Tuesday, August 10. This will be at the playground next to the pool and starts at 11 am.

Children's Crafts Day will be on Saturday, August 21 at 11 am. There will be stations set up with different crafts. Choose the ones you want to do or make them all.

Library Eye Candy?

Old Spice guy plugs libraries...and provides eye candy for the ladies!

We are Proud!

We are proud to present our new logo. Part of our efforts to move into the 21st century was to update our image and have a presence on the web.

You'll see our logo on signs, staff shirts, the website and more as the months go by.

Do you like it ? Comment and let us know!

Matt Fore & Crooked Road Royalty @ libraries today!

Take a look at the exhibit Crooked Road Royalty. It features some of the early founders of country music, families like the Stonesmans, the Carters and the Stanleys. The exhibit ends in June to come by the library soon!. Most of the exhibit is in Lebanon, but a few panels are in Honaker.

Yep, Summer Reading Program is also here. TODAY...right now! (10:30 am) at Honaker Elementary School and 1 pm at Lebanon. Come see a great magic show!

Kelly

Hook A Book Summer Reading Program

This year's Summer Reading Program will begin on June 15 with Gyotaku Fish Print shirts at the Lebanon library. Bring a plain t-shirt and leave with a one of a kind piece of wearable art. If you are using a new shirt, it is best to wash it first.

The health department will be here talking about dental health. Weather permitting, we will have bubbles and other outdoor activities.

Children will be able to add a sea creature to our underwater mural by registering for the summer program. They will receive a book log to record minutes spend reading (or being read to). For each hour spent reading they will be able to add another sea creature to our mural. When you are at the library be sure to watch the mural fill with creatures over the summer.

By encouraging reading over the summer, we hope to minimize “summer reading loss” and promote a love of reading and life long learning.

Share the Memories and Save our History

Your memories ARE part of our history. The stories you've heard family tell, maybe about an old one-room or two-room schoolhouse that they attended? Please share those stories with the Russell County Public Library. This year the library is collecting history as part of the celebration of the Library’s 50th anniversary. (Your photographs are also welcome.) Later this year a library program will share the collected stories, history and photographs.

Church minutes, lists of school principals or preachers, sad or just plain funny stories are all welcome and may be added to the local history collection. Photos related to stories or photos of people and places in Russell County may also be added to the collection. Your stories and photos are wanted by the library because these stories make up our history--black history, women’s history, everyone’s history of Russell County. It’s been nearly half a century since a comprehensive book was written on Russell County and more than 20 years since the last Heritage book was published.

So if you still remember that story you heard in childhood that was told and retold around the counter of the country store, write it down and send it in. Set loose the Russell County history that’s trapped in your memory!

Send your stories and photos, memories and history to the attention of Jennifer Bundy at the Russell County Public Library (jbundy@russell.lib.va.us)

Upcoming Events at the Lebanon Library

Thursday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m - Bed Time Stories
Don't forget to wear your pajamas and join us for stories, music, crafts and FUN!

Sunday, April 25 at 2:30 p.m. - Fancy Nancy Party
Dress in your fanciest outfit and we will hear fancy stories, have a fancy tea party, learn some fancy words and be our fanciest!

Tuesday, April 27 from 2-5 p.m. (drop-in) - Make and Takes
Teachers and parents of preschoolers are invited to drop by the library on the last Tuesday of each month between the hours of 2 and 5 for make and takes. Each month we will complete 2 educational projects that will be ready to use with your students/children.

Friday, April 30 from 6-8 p.m. - Back to the 80s Party
Come relive the 80s as we continue celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Russell County Public Library.

Book Fair Diner: All You Can Read!

Friends of the Russell County Public Library in Lebanon will be hosting a Scholastic Book Fair Saturday, March 20 – Sunday, March 28, to raise funds for special projects including the Summer Reading Program. Families, teachers and the community are invited to attend. Books may be purchased with cash, checks or credit cards. The Book Fair will offer specially priced books and educational products, including new releases, award-winning titles, children’s classics, and current best sellers. Books make a great Easter gift or addition to an Easter basket!

Cleveland Story Time

Russell County Public Library will offer story times at the Cleveland Library Station (located at the Cleveland Town Hall) on Wednesday April 7th and Wednesday May 5th, at 10:30-11:00 am. A simple craft will follow the stories. All pre-school children are welcome.

Writing Women Back into History

"Writing Women Back into History" is the theme of the 30th annual National Women's History Month celebration. That dovetails nicely with the Russell County Women's Hall of Fame Essay Contest.

The essay contest judges recommend awards to the top two essays in every age division. The judges also recommend women they think should be included in the Russell County Women's Hall of Fame. The Hall of Famers are inscribed in a handmade book that is housed at the library. And the essays are included in the Local History Collection.

So write a short piece, just a paragraph or two, about a woman native to or resident of Russell County and send it to the library by noon on March 18. You can write a part of Russell County's history by "writing women back into history."

Call the library at 889-8044 for more details; and start writing Russell County history. It's a great way to celebrate women's history month and the library's 50th anniversary. And mark your calendar: new Hall of Fame inductees and essay contest winners will be announced March 25th at 4 pm in the Lebanon Library.

Kelly

Keep Watching...

Keep watching what?
Our library webpage. We will be bringing up a new website soon. New arrangement and new look. Next thing you know, we'll have a new logo.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

Kelly

Snowing ...and Reading

It's snowing...again.
A week without snow is like _________________ .
(You fill in the blank. It's been so long since we've had a week without snow that you may have to think awhile!)

Since for many of you, it's too nasty to get outside, you might as well read. Yes, you could watch TV but really, you can do that ANYTIME. Snuggle up with a warm cup and open up a book or magazine. Reread something. If you are reading this, you have Internet access; so you could download an audiobook. Just click on the "download audiobook" graphic on our library homepage.

Why read? Well, here's what 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson said:

There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry.
This Traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of Toll.
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears the Human soul
- Emily Dickinson

So...read and let your soul be born away on flights of fancy. No tolls or fees.
All @ your library.
Stop by when the snow clears!

Kelly

Party Like it's 1959!

...to steal a phrase from Prince, help us celebrate our 50 years serving Russell County with a....

Back to the 50s Weekend
Jan 29-31
Lebanon Library

Friday, Jan 29
'50s Party
6-9 pm
Dress up and listen to the music, try your hand at 50s facts in the friendly trivia contest, and hey, bring your favorite '50s appetizer. It will be potluck! Ladies: Pull out the saddle oxfords, the poodle skirt, etc? Guys?

Saturday, Jan 30
Movie Marathon
10 am - 2 pm
Watch well-known movies from the 1950s, such as Bridge Over the River Kwai and Rebel Without A Cause.

Sunday, Jan 31
Movie Marathon
2 - 5 pm
The movie marathon continues with titles like Invasion of the Body Snatchers.