RCPL is Holiday Central!

Christmas books on display

Did you know that your local library is holiday central?

Want a new recipe to add to your annual holiday rotation? Check out our selection of cookbooks and cooking magazines. In addition to print, we have hundreds of digital titles available on Libby and Magzter. Listen to a holiday playlist from Freegal while you're in the kitchen to help set the festive mood.

Time to mix up your holiday decor? We have crafting and decorating books and magazines to inspire you. Bring that seasonal scrapbook paper hiding in a drawer and use the library's die-cut machine to make shapes to decorate your table or tree. Or, make a handmade present for a friend. You may still have time. Remember, there are twelve days of Christmas!

Your Russell County Public Library is the antidote to a commercial holiday. Grab a cozy holiday read - or a murder mystery set during the holidays - or a seasonal movie. From It's a Wonderful Life to Die Hard, we've got you covered. Hallmark Christmas movie addicts can get their fix with the Hallmark Movies Now BingePass on hoopla. Get seven days of unlimited access to all the feel-good movies you love.

You don't have to spend money to enjoy the holiday season. Attend a community event, like the Heart of Appalachia Community Orchestra's free concert, or wander through town looking at the lights and the trees. And stop by your local library. We're always here for you.

 

How Satisfied are You with Your Library?

Russell County Public Library aims to provide helpful and relevant resources and services. We are always looking for ways to improve our materials and services. How do we know what you want? We analyze data, like what books circulate, but the best way is to ask you, our patrons! RCPL wants to know if you are satisfied with our services. During September, RCPL will survey our regular patrons via email. The survey is online and has just six questions; we estimate it will take about 4 minutes to complete. We will ask patrons without an email address to complete the survey in the library online or in print.

Here's a chance to tell us what you want and need. Do you want more large print books? More science fiction? Should we offer more programs for adults? Do we need more or different library hours?

Each person who takes the survey will be entered in a drawing for a sweet treat and a free book from the Friends of the Library book sale.

In 2024, we'll ask you a few more questions. You can opt out of any survey in 2024 just by letting us know when you receive this satisfaction survey. Library patrons can watch their inboxes for a message from us.

All Together Now

Summer is a time for fun and sun, but it is also a time when many children lose much of the crucial learning that they have acquired during the school year. Summer slide may sound like something that is fun for kids though it really isn’t fun at all. Summer slide is defined as learning loss during the summer months. Studies have shown that reading 15-20 minutes a day, 3-4 days a week during the summer can help prevent that horrible “summer slide” and help students keep up their skills. Reading during the summer helps children to retain the skills they have learned and have them where they need to be when the new school year starts.

Russell County Public Library wants to help your student to stop that “summer slide.” Join us for one of our many summer programs where children and adults alike can have fun, meet new friends, and get introduced to new books at their local library. The summer reading theme this year is All Together Now, and focuses on friendship, acceptance, and love from around the globe or right in your own neighborhood. Stop by the library to sign up, or come to any program. We will have magician Matt Fore, Tampa Taiko Japanese Drumming, Rocking and Reading with Leonardo, friendship bracelets, and friendship rock painting. During summer reading you can win prizes for simply reading books and turning in your books lists. We also continue our monthly Pokemon and Lego Build programs during the summer. Our preschool programs include Mini Music on Mondays, and Storytime on Wednesdays and Fridays; bring your preschooler out to make new friends, listens to stories, sing, dance, and do a craft.

Aside from summer reading we have other programs for patrons of all ages. On Thursdays at the Lebanon Library, we have A Cup & Conversation; come in and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and a lite snack and get to know others in the community, play a card game, work a puzzle, etc. On Mondays at Lebanon we have Thread Up and on Fridays at Honaker Community Library we have Hooked on Crochet, whether you are experienced or a novice, or you simply want to sit and talk with those creating this beautiful form of art. We also have Connect with Crafts monthly on Mondays at Honaker and Tuesdays at Lebanon; each meeting we have a different type of craft suitable for adults or teens.

On Thursdays, we will have Teen Thursdays at our Lebanon branch to hang out with friends, do a craft, or simply learn a life skill.

The Summer Reads book club will meet on Tuesday evening, June 27^th, to talk about Remarkably Bright Creatures, which is suitable for adults and teens. This title is available in print, on the Libby app, and through hoopla.

You may call either library, 873-6600 or 889-8044, for more information. For a complete calendar of our events please see our website at https://russell.lib.va.us

There's More to the Story

 

 

April means spring, glorious spring! It's also when we celebrate National Poetry Month AND National Library Week.

National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities. This year's theme is "There's More to the Story."

Libraries are full of stories in various formats, from picture books to large print, audiobooks to ebooks, and more. But there's so much more to the story. Libraries of Things lend items like nature backpacks. Library programming brings communities together for entertainment, education, and connection through book clubs, storytimes, crafting classes, and lectures. Library infrastructure advances communities, providing internet and technology access, literacy skills, and support for businesses, job seekers, and entrepreneurs.

Why a National Library Week?

In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned that Americans were reading less, the ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee in 1954. The committee's goals were ambitious. They ranged from "encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time" to "improving incomes and health" and "developing strong and happy family life."

In 1957, the committee developed a plan for National Library Week based on the idea that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries. With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme "Wake Up and Read!" The 2023 celebration marks the 65th anniversary of the first event.

And yes, people are still worrying about how little Americans read. We'll let you in on a secret. Reading books and magazines on your phone is still reading. And you can still come to the library to grab a physical book, DVD, or magazine if you prefer.

Visit your library this month, and, to quote Paul Harvey, learn the "rest of the story." And be sure you participate in our Spinal Free Verse program, celebrating library and poetry month. You create a poem or short narrative out of book titles, April 25 & 26. No registration, just drop in!

 

Posted by Kelly McBride Delph

 

Where's the Book I Want?

Where is all the new material?!

Is the bestseller rack half full or half empty?

It's a common question, and the reasons are many. You've noticed the store shelves and heard about the supply chain issues. That affects ALL industries, including the book publishing industry and its associated vendors and suppliers.

Russell County Public Library (RCPL) has taken steps to alleviate some of the issues. Our book vendor now sends us most bestsellers automatically. We tell them what authors we want and how many copies and they appear like magic a few days before the release date.

We routinely have patrons come and request books or movies that haven't come out yet. If you see a book on Good Morning America or another widely syndicated morning show, we can probably get it. But if the movie is still in the theater, you may have to wait months!

We always try to get what patrons request. But we can't always do that. Sometimes folks ask for titles from a series published in the last century. Yep, those paperbacks from the 1970s or 1980s are not readily available and are often too expensive; if it's a cult classic, collectors may have driven the price sky-high.

RCPL has noticed another trend with films. They often go straight from the theater to streaming and are not automatically for sale as a DVD or Blu-ray. Many shows and movies are now only available on streaming services. If there is a physical release, instead of the usual $20, it may be $60-$100 each. That's just too expensive for us to do frequently.

One step we've taken to ease delays is subscribing to hoopla. Hoopla is always available--if they have the ebook, audiobook, movie, TV series, or comic book, it is always available. No waiting. If you don't have reliable Internet service, you can download your material at the library and stream it from your device at home later.

We have more options available for reading and viewing than ever before. Give a new one a try; stop in, and we'll show you how!

Contributed by Kelly McBride Delph

Reading Habits

The Reader's Bill of Rights

Have you ever found yourself unable to finish a book?  What was the book? When I asked the library staff that question, several of them replied they always finished a book. "Just too stubborn, I guess," one staffer offered. Share the book you never finished in the comments--no judgement!

Here's a selection of titles that the staff, book group members, and Friends said they couldn't finish. 

There There by Tommy Orange

When Women Were Birds by Terry Williams

Barefoot to Avalon by David Payne

Black Boy Joy by Kwame Mbalia

I started keeping track of what books I read--and want to read!-- more than 10 years ago. I use 'goodreads.' How do you keep track of what you read? An app or do you write them down!? I eventually made a list in goodreads of "Did Not Finish" books. Just to keep myself honest.

In the spirit of happy reading, here's the Reader's Bill of Rights. Keep reading--or not, see #1. Remember, your phone counts as reading! And visit your local public library today. We've got a something for almost everyone.

posted by Kelly McBride Delph

Summer: Oceans of Possibilities

As the long awaited months of summer have finally arrived and fun in the sun is what we are all thinking about, we also need to help encourage students to keep reading over the summer. Summer reading is critical, not only for helping children to maintain their learning while school is out, but also for fostering social-emotional development. Kids will discover joy in reading and will learn the importance of lifelong learning.  

Summer Reading Programs at your library can help develop this love of learning and reading in kids and adults alike. Russell County Public Library has a fun-filled summer reading program for all ages. Our Summer Reading kick-off starts on Tuesday, June 14th at the Lebanon branch with a Launch Party and Summer Reading sign-up. Honaker Summer Reading kick-off will be Friday, May 17th. Throughout the summer we will be enjoying activities such as an aquarium diorama, a bubble party, robotics, a theatrical production, magic show, assorted arts and crafts, and an end of summer bash.

Summer is a time of fun, and to prove the kids that reading is something fun and enjoyable, let them read whatever they want, whether it be a book below or above their reading level, comics, graphic novels, or to listen to audiobooks; it is all good for them and is something that may bring them enjoyment for a lifetime. Come out and join Russell County Library at Lebanon and Honaker for a summer full of fun from June 14-July 28, we can’t wait to see you!! 

Posted by Belinda Levy

RCPL's Most Checked Out Books of 2021

With 2021 now in the rearview mirror, we look back at the books our patrons checked out the most over the past year. How many have you read?

 

10. Cajun Justice - James Patterson & Tucker Axum

This new standalone thriller from the world's #1 bestselling author follows ex-Secret Service agent, Cain Lemaire, as he uncovers the dark secrets hidden beneath the Tokyo streets.

 

 

 9. The River Murders - James Patterson & James O. Born 

Sometimes figuring out the truth means going to the point of no return. For Mitchum, returning is not important. Read 3 exciting thrillers from the world's #1 bestselling writer!

 

 

8. A Time for Mercy - John Grisham

Court-appointed lawyer Jake Brigance puts his career and the safety of his family on the line to defend a 16-year-old murder suspect who is facing the death penalty.

7. The Burning Girls - C. J. Tudor

Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent with a fourteen-year-old daughter and a heavy conscience, arrives in the village hoping to make a fresh start and find some peace. Instead, Jack finds a town mired in secrecy and a strange welcome package: an old exorcism kit and a note quoting scripture. The more Jack and daughter Flo get acquainted with the town and its strange denizens, the deeper they are drawn into their rifts, mysteries, and suspicions. And when Flo is troubled by strange sightings in the old chapel, it becomes apparent that there are ghosts here that refuse to be laid to rest.

 

 

6. The Survivors - Jane Harper
Haunted by guilt for a reckless and consequential mistake in his youth, Kieran returns to his coastal hometown and his struggling fishing-industry parents, before the discovery of a body on the beach reveals long-held secrets.

 

 

5. The Four Winds - Kristin Hannah
A Depression-era woman confronts a wrenching choice between fighting for the Dust Bowl-ravaged land she loves in Texas or pursuing an uncertain future in California.

 

 

4. Walk the Wire - David Baldacci
The best-selling author of The Fix presents a highly charged thriller in which fan-favorite character Amos Decker embarks on an action-packed investigation that is complicated by Baldacci's signature twists and turns.

 

 

3. Fair Warning - Michael Connelly
When a woman with whom he shared a one-night stand is found brutally murdered, veteran reporter Jack McEvoy tracks a serial killer who has been operating under the radar.

 

 

2. Three Women Disappear - James Patterson & Shan Serafin
When three female suspects in the murder of an accountant, who was a master manipulator, go missing, Detective Sean Walsh, who has a personal connection to the case, discovers why the women have to stay hidden from both the law and each other.

 

 

1. The Stone Wall - Beverly Lewis
A Lancaster County tour guide researches her Alzheimer’s patient grandmother’s Plain heritage and the story behind a mysterious stone wall while confronting a difficult choice about her growing feelings for a handsome Mennonite and a young Amish widower.

 

 

 

All book covers and descriptions from NoveList Plus - a great way to find your next read!

 

A New Wizard in Town

A Wizard of Earthsea logo

Calling all Harry Potter fans! There's a new wizard in town and he's known as "Sparrowhawk," and he sprang from the mind of Ursula K. Le Guin. Russell County Public Library is pleased to join Lonesome Pine Regional Library for the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read focusing on A Wizard of Earthsea by Le Guin. 

We want as many people as possible reading this coming-of-age story, so we are giving away copies of A Wizard of Earthsea at the Lebanon and Honaker libraries. Follow Sparrowhawk as he learns rudimentary magic from his aunt, trains at the wizards' school where he gains his true name, and battles the shadow that he brought upon himself. 

Pick up a brochure at either library or check our online calendar. We will have book discussions at the libraries as well as at local restaurants and local schools. Listen to the "Fantasy Across the Disciplines" panel discussion in Wise, VA, on October 22.
Visit the Wizard Convention on Saturday, October 30, 10 am - 4 pm, at the Lebanon Library. You can wear your Halloween costume, make several crafts (a wand or staff?), and play an Earthsea board game.

We'll end our celebration of Earthsea with a concert by the Heart of Appalachia Community Orchestra on Sunday, November 7th. 

Don't forget to wish Ms. Le Guin a happy birthday on October 21!

 

 

 

Posted by Kelly McBride Delph

Making Life Easier - No Overdue Fines

Russell County Public Library wants to make using library resources easier for you, whether you like to read a good, old-fashioned printed book or magazine or you want to download and read anywhere. Here are some ways you can improve your library experience, plus an exciting announcement!

Let us set a PIN on your account so you can log into your account. See what you have checked out and when it's due. You can update your address, phone, and email. You can also change how we notify you. Want email notices? Or do you prefer a text message?

What if you want your arrived holds to come via text message but want all your other notifications, like overdue or account expiration notices, to go to your email account? Yes, you can do that! You can set how you want to receive each type of notice.

Your final overdue notice will always be mailed via the United States Postal Service. And that final notice will be a surprise for you. Since we are not charging overdue fines anymore, that final notice contains the charge for replacing the material you have not returned. Ouch! But as long as you return the material, even after we've sent the notice, we only charge you the service fee of $5. Just bring it back for the next patron, okay?

Are you still waiting for us to be clear about that 'no overdue fines?' We will no longer be charging overdue fines. In the digital age, so many materials circulate virtually, and there are no fines on ebooks or digital magazines. After the due date and all your renewals are used up, the material is just no longer available to you. Mailing overdue notices cost the library staff time and materials. It was no longer a good source of revenue. And it always felt a little weird having income that counted on you not returning your stuff on time.

You can read more about our fine-free policy on our website.

 

 

Posted by Kelly McBride Delph

 

 

 

 

Introducing Automatic Renewal

Wait, was that due today?

Life happens.

Family members get sick. Cars break down. And sometimes, you just plain forget to renew or return your library materials.

We get it, which is why we're introducing automatic renewal.

Starting June 14, 2021, library materials will automatically renew up to two times as long as there isn't a hold on them. We don't want anxiety over late materials to prevent you from accessing the invaluable free technology, literacy, and lifelong learning resources we offer.

You can also opt for text messages to inform you when material is available for you at the library and when it's due. The text message option is just right for our 24/7 world, just like our 24/7 pickup lockers at both locations. Just call or stop by the library and make sure your mobile phone number and carrier are correctly listed on your account.

So how does it work?

When material is automatically renewed, patrons receive notification of items renewed and new due date via email or text message. If material cannot be renewed (it has a hold, renewal limit met, etc.), patrons are notified, and an overdue notice is generated.

Every item checked out will still have a due date. Please remember that someone else may be waiting for an item, so try to bring it back on time. You will be receiving more frequent reminders about overdue materials. If someone else has placed a hold on an item, it will not be automatically renewed. 

Once your card reaches a total of 10 overdue items, or if any item has been out for more than six weeks, your library account will be blocked. When that happens, you will be unable to check out more items or access certain digital content until you return the overdue items. You will be billed for items after 90 days.

We want to remove barriers to library access. That includes the stress of overdue books and materials. So relax. You have enough to worry about.

Posted by Katie Gilmer

Explore Tails and Tales at Your Library

Russell County Public Library will kick-off Summer Reading 2021 on June 15th with a Scavenger Hunt at the Main Library in Lebanon, Virginia. Since last year’s Summer Reading had to go all-virtual because of Covid-19, we are super excited to welcome you back for a summer full of fun things to do at your library.

 The benefits to readers in a summer reading program include:

• Encouragement so that reading becomes a lifelong habit
• Reluctant readers can be drawn in by the activities
• Reading over the summer helps children keep their skills up
• The program can generate interest in the library and books

During our summer reading program, not only will you and your child be defeating the summer slide of learning loss, but you will also have the opportunity of so much family fun. We will kick-off Summer Reading at both branches with the Tails and Tales Scavenger Hunt where your child can win prizes and books, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. We will have Summer Story Time at both branches every Wednesday for six weeks starting June 16th. Pre-school, elementary and middle schoolers, teens, and adults will all be welcomed to multiple programs. The library will have something for everyone. Come check us out for a summer of fun. 

Schedule of Events

Kickoff & Scavenger Hunt

Lebanon: June 15 at 12 PM

Honaker: June 16 at 3 PM

Summer Storytime

For preschoolers

Lebanon: Wednesdays, June 16 – July 21 at 10:30 AM

Honaker: Wednesdays, June 16 – July 21 at 2 PM

Book Club

For middle schoolers & teens

Lebanon: June 17 and July 22 at 2 PM

Honaker: June 18 and July 23 at 2 PM

Picture Frame Craft

For teens

Lebanon: June 24 at 2 PM

Honaker: June 25 at 2 PM

Bubble Brigade

Lebanon: June 29 at 11 AM

Honaker: June 29 at 2 PM

Treasure Box Painting

For elementary & middle schoolers

Lebanon: July 6 at 2 PM

Honaker: July 7 at 3 PM

Journaling

For middle schoolers, teens, & adults

Lebanon: July 8 at 2 PM

Honaker: July 9 at 2 PM

Sand/Rock Jar Craft

For elementary & middle schoolers

Lebanon: July 13 at 2 PM

Honaker: July 14 at 3 PM

Magic Show by Matt Fore

Honaker Elementary School: July 20 at 10 AM

Lebanon: July 20 at 1 PM

Posted by Belinda Levy