National Library Week

This year, for National Library Week, we are polling the community. Indulge us by answering the following questions. Reply here or post it on our Facebook page.

What's you favorite childhood book?

What's your all-time favorite book?

What's your favorite song?

What's the most recent book of magazine you've read? 

The theme this year is 'Libraries Transform.' We think it's more likely that you have been transformed by a book or song. So share that with us. We've been asking around and will be posting responses on our Facebook page.

Virginia Women of Merit

Virginians of merit have been honored with a statue at Capitol Square in Richmond since 1858. In that year, an equestrian statue of George Washington, native son and first president of the nation, was unveiled. Other prominent Virginians honored include a doctor, a general, and a poet.

Since it's Women's History Month, do you know how many women are honored with a statue in Capitol Square? Well...there are women represented on the Civil Rights Monument. That's about it. But change is in the air.

Voices from the Garden, the Virginia Women's Monument, will have 12 statues cast in bronze of women representing over 400 years of Virginia history. These women were selected to represent various spheres of interest and geographic areas of the state.
The monument will have a glass panel on one side that is etched with the names of other noteworthy Virginia women.  A  bench, listing milestones in Virginia women’s history, will make up the other side.

Visit the Virginia Women’s Monument Commission to learn which two women from Southwest Virginia are honored with a statue. Nominations are being accepted for names of noteworthy Virginia women who's names will be etched in the glass wall. Who will you nominate?

You can also visit to the Virginia Capitol website to see pictures of the many statues and monuments in the square and even in the Capitol itself.

The monument is being paid for by private donations, so the Virginia Women's Monument Commission is happy to accept donations, too!

Identity Theft...Computer Security...oh my!

There is a day to 'celebrate' or 'recognize' everything now. Today is national Computer Security Day 2016. And as we approach the holidays with all the buying and traveling so many of us do, it is a good time to review some of the best practices to keep the holidays safe and secure, at least digitally.

1. Change your password. Hackers will try 123456 first. Using the first or last letter of each word in a sentence is more secure. Take the sentence "my dog is so cute." First letters are m-d-i-s-c; now add a number and some symbol on the keyboard. That can make your password mdB!14isc (my dog Buster is so cute--hint: you got Buster in 2014.) Make sense?

 2. Don't use the same password for everything. Yes, different accounts should have different passwords. You can use a similar sentence for different accounts. My cat or kid instead of dog. The number can be the year you established the account. Just make it simple enough to remember and individual enough that even your spouse might have trouble figuring it out.

3. Update your software. Update all your software, but especially any that deals with security, viruses, malware, or spyware. Do this on all your devices--laptop, tablet, phone, etc. Don't forget the kids' devices or your parents'.

4. Back up your files. Back them up on another device (portable hard drive or USB drive) or to the cloud (online web services available from companies like Google.) Encrypt them if you want real security. 

5. Be careful where & when you click.  Lots of nasty software is buried in enticing looking stories and 'great deals.' Spyware may be in the ads on reputable sites and many bogus sites closely mimic reputable sites. 

More information can be found on reputable sites like PC Magazine and Stay Safe Online

Summertime!

As the parent of any preschooler knows, kids are always learning. They watch you and model the behaviors they see and hear. That's why we learn to eliminate certain words from our vocabulary--so we won't hear them come out of the mouth of a toddler!

The same is true for older kids, teens, and adults. So this summer, help your kids keep learning.

Come to the library!

This summer, RCPL has plans to keep kids, teens, and adults healthy and active. The summer reading program theme is Read for the Win so we are stressing healthy activities--any activity that gets you moving! We'll have a few healthy eating programs, and programs to introduce you to activities you may have heard about and not tried, like yoga and zumba.

For all ages, there will be bingo-like sheets available with ideas on keeping your mind and body active this summer. 

Keep moving, learning, and having fun this summer. We'll help!

Libraries Transform

It’s National Library Week and the theme this year is Libraries Transform. And libraries do transform lives and people in so many ways.

If you aren’t a library user-–wait… 

You are reading this and you aren’t a library user? Really? Well, clearly you need to remedy that and come visit! Get up now and just do it! If the library isn’t open, explore our website (http://russell.lib.va.us).

How do libraries transform? Children explore the things they love at libraries, things like dinosaurs and Junie B. Jones. They design and build things (Legos), perform simple science experiments, and create art in many media. The silent one is now comfortable talking about a personal creation; the chatter-box goes suddenly quiet in concentration.

For teens, the library can be the third place…it’s neutral territory where they can just be. They read, create, and organize programs for themselves.

Adults use the library to apply for a job and create a resume. They may also find a recipe or a set of plans for a new creation. They may also be taking an online test for a college course. They may just be checking their email, Facebook, and the news.

Music, movie, magazine, or book…all are available for borrowing. Look online for a calendar of library events or pick up a printed copy at the front desk in either branch library.

Spend time in your library. Your view of a library may just be what's transformed.