Earthquake in Indiana! Did you feel it?

We had staff on the third floor of the library hear and feel the seismic activity just before 8 AM this morning. The staff on the first floor did not notice a thing. We checked the building and everything has held in it's place.

Rumbling into a new year!

Let us know if you heard or felt the earthquake this morning.

Happy Holidays!

Happy holiday wishes from the Youth Services Department! The busy little Librarian Elves are hard at work planning a great program line up for 2011. We want to thank all of our patrons for the sweet treats that have been keeping us going-yum, yum!


If you’re looking for some last minute gift ideas for your young reader, here are a few of Miss Julie’s favorite chapter books…

The Tale of Despereaux, Kate DiCamillo
Mysterious Benedict Society, Trenton Lee Stewart
The name of this book is secret, Pseudonymous Bosch
Percy Jackson Series, Rick Riordan
39 Clues Series, Various Authors
Holes, Louis Sachar
Tales of a fourth Grade nothing, Judy Blume
Sideways School Stories, Louis Sachar

NERDS, Michael Buckley

Sisters Grimm Series, Michael Buckley

If they can handle a little bit of dark humor…
A series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snickets
Edgar and Ellen series, Charles Ogden
The Spiderwick Chronicles, Tony DiTerlizzi

For the Girly types…
The Penderwicks, Jeanne Birdsall
Allie Finkle Series, Meg Cabot
Judy Moody Series, Megan McDonald
Clover Twig and the magical cottage, Kaye Umansky

Can you share any book titles that your child just couldn't put down?

Thinking about a Kindle? Think again.

I hope I'm not too late in telling you this: Think twice before buying a Kindle for Christmas.

I was just thinking about getting an ebook reader as a Christmas present for my mom. Maybe a Kindle? I realized that would be a bad choice. Mom borrows books from the Brownsburg Public Library. You can't use a Kindle to read an ebook from that library. In general, you cannot use a Kindle to read an ebook borrowed from any library, including our favorite library.

Ebook and audiobook downloads offered by Hussey-Mayfield come from a company called OverDrive. OverDrive and Amazon (the source of the Kindle) haven't agreed on terms that would permit OverDrive to offer Kindle-compatible ebooks.

Fortunately, there are many e-reader devices -- including the iPad, iPhone and Android devices -- that you can use to read ebooks from libraries.

Or save your money and keep life simple by reading your ebooks on your PC. I use my 4-year-old IBM Lenovo laptop to read ebooks from Hussey-Mayfield AND ebooks from Amazon. Kindle-formatted ebooks from amazon.com will work on almost any PC. You just need the free Kindle for PC software, which you download from amazon.com. To read Hussey-Mayfield ebooks on your PC, you just need free software from OverDrive. I use them both.

Have a merry Christmas and a New Year full of happy e-reading!

Mrs. Claus and the Musical Elves

Lots of little elves helped us jingle through a rousing good time last week!


Elfin Julie, Laura, and Kelli led us in some fun songs and Elfin Jazzy Matt spiced things up with his awesome drumming. We hammered toys, donned reindeer noses, and shook our Christmas bells while Mrs. Claus knitted by the fire and passed out special treats and holiday cheer. What a fun time!

From all of us to you...Happy Holidays!!!

And the Mock Newbery Goes to...

...Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper!!!

Our Mock Newbery Committee met Sunday, December 12 for our first Mock Newbery Election. Eleven students, led by our own celebrity reader/blogger Laura Rodgers, reviewed the award and its rules, and discussed and voted for their choice recipient of the 2011 Newbery Award. Also, a fair amount of snacks were enjoyed!

The group also chose three Honor books: Keeper by Kathi Appelt, One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, and The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan.

We anxiously await the results of the official Newbery winner, which will be announced on January 10 at 7:45am to see if the official committee agrees with our choice!

What a cool experience!

We're Open!

Goodmorning! We want to let you know that the library is open. Since we are unable to reschedule our programs slotted for today, the Royal Balls will be going forward as scheduled. Our sincere apologies if this means that you are not able to attend due to the weather.

IF it is safe for you to travel, though, know that we are open if you need a wintry escape.

Happy Birthday, Jane!

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. “ Sound familiar? It’s the opening sentence in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice; and, according to The Bedside, Bathtub, & Armchair Companion to Jane Austen, a clever compendium of Austen trivia by Carol Adams, it's possibly the most imitated sentence in English literature.

Fans of the English novelist, and there are many of us, (the Wall Street Journal reports that Ms. Austen counts roughly 89,000 fans on Facebook), will want to celebrate December 16, which marks Austen’s 235^th birthday. The Library has Austen’s six major novels: Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey, in print and film adaptations, as well as an early novella-in-letters, Lady Susan. For those interested in the domestic details of Austen’s life, I recommend Jane Austen’s Letters, edited by Deirdre Le Faye. And for those desiring a peek at Austen’s romantic side, the Library has the movie, Becoming Jane (2007) starring Anne Hathaway.

And now, a question for all devoted Janeites: who’s your favorite contemporary author, writing sequels to Austen’s novels?

Summer Reading in November?

As we round out 2010, the Teen Council has been thinking about 2011 Summer Reading since before the 2010 program even started? Why? Well, not only is this a massive program to plan, but the kids in Teen Council put their own spin on the program by making all the decisions. For the past several years, the group has decided to apply for a Youth as Resources Grant. This is a grant that funds up to $1200 of a project, but the key is that the grant must be filled out by completely by those under the age of 18. So for months I could be found biting my nails as the teens planned and plotted the 2011 Teen Summer Reading Program and even filmed and edited the movie that will be shown at the schools next May. Seven teens stood proud and presented their project to a group of teens and adults who serve on the Youth as Resources board. As you can see, their hard work paid off. Thanks to the work of more than 20 teens on the Teen Council, the Library has been awarded $1,199.58! Teens in grades seven and up are invited to attend Teen Council meetings. Starting in January 2011, teens will meet the second Tuesday of each month from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

If you can’t wait for Summer Reading, join us December 18th for our first ever Winter Reading Kickoff Party!

Margaret Atwood, Internet app developer

Re-posting stuff you read elsewhere is not the mark of a creative blog writer. I know that. But I can't resist today referring again to Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac.

November 18 is author Margaret Atwood's birthday. Keillor has posted a capsule biography of her that I can't get out of my mind, so I'm sharing it with you.

You probably know Atwood has written many novels, including The Handmaid's Tale, The Robber Bride, and The Blind Assassin, which won the Booker Prize in 2000. But did you know that she invented an Internet-based device and application? Me neither.

According to Keillor, Atwood got so sick and tired of going on tours to promote her books that she figured out a way to be present to fans in a distant bookstore without physically leaving her home in Toronto. At the age of 66, she invented the LongPen.

It's ingenious, really: Say there's a book-signing event at a bookstore, where fans of Atwood come to talk with the author and, of course, have their books signed. Atwood is at home, connected to the bookstore by live, 2-way video chat via the Internet.

Also at the bookstore is the LongPen, which is basically a small robotic device holding a ballpoint pen and sitting on a tabletop. The fan approaches the table and places Atwood's book under the robot's pen. Atwood chats with the fan and then writes an inscription and her signature onto a touchpad, like the one you use when buying by credit card at a store. The touchpad controls the LongPen device via the Internet. What Atwood writes on her touchpad is immediately written by the robot onto the open page of the fan's book.

How cool is that! And it came about because one of the great authors of our time got fed up with business travel. How many of us can identify with that?

However, as impressive as her LongPen is, Atwood's true achievements are her books. See for yourself by checking out any of her 21 works available at your and my favorite library.

Hope for Heroes!

Since the beginning of November, our Heroes’ Tree has been bright with ornaments displaying military Heroes. The Heroes’ Tree recognizes the sacrifices of military members, whether they are currently serving, a veteran, or deceased. Our tree currently has ten heroes, but if you are interested in making a handmade ornament for a veteran you admire come to the Library! You can use materials from home or you can use Library materials to make an ornament. Feel free to share a story about your hero through your ornament. Last year we had beautiful hand-carved wooden ornaments; there is no limit on how much love and creativity you can put into your ornament!

This year, the Library is also a drop-off point for HOPE for HEROES. From now until December 22, we are collecting donations for United States Veterans in the greater Indianapolis area who are homeless.

Items requested: stocking caps, long underwear, gloves, heavy socks, underwear undershirts, hand/foot warmers, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, disposable razors, shaving cream (all items should be new)

You can drop off any donations near the Heroes’ Tree on the first floor.

Harry Potter Movie Anticipation

Muggles for Harry Potter! If you are not aware of the terms used in J.K. Rowling’s incredibly popular Harry Potter books, a muggle is someone who is not a witch or a wizard and thus cannot do magic. So, I am a muggle and so are you. Today we stand just days before the highly anticipated release of the first part of book seven in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Since the book is so massive and contains so much information, the movie corresponding to the book has been split into two parts. I do love Harry Potter, but I also love throwing parties. Some months ago I put my little brain to work and started thinking what teen-aged Harry Potter fans would want to do to celebrate a movie release. This weekend, the Library did something it had never done before. At 6:00 p.m. on a Friday night, the Library opened its doors to more than 40 teens and transformed itself from a place of learning to a magical place known to children and adults alike all across the world. Dressed as wizards and muggles, the teens grazed three areas of the Library as they completed a Horcrux Hunt, made magic wands, created enchanted pendants, and even read their tea leaves. I was greatly saddened when 8:00 p.m. approached, and it was time for all the muggle parents to pick up their teens and take them home. Not only am I happy to report that the event was a HUGE success, but wheels are already turning on creating an event for all ages to celebrate the release of the final Harry Potter movie on July 15, 2011. If you were unable to attend the celebration this time around, mark your calendars for next July, and remember that when it comes to Harry Potter, no place celebrates better than the Library.

Creative "Trees" Bring Artists to "Life"

"Creature-Critters" by Susan Fletcher Conaway

Do you like the art of Edgar Degas, Lois Ehlert, Eric Carle, or Arthur Rackham? Then you'll love the imaginative and beautiful interpretations of their art by local artists on display now at the library. These artistic "tree" installations are decorating our Youth Services area throughout the November and December holidays.

You can take home these beauties by entering bids in our Silent Auction to be held at our Holiday Stroll on Sunday, December 5th. Proceeds benefit Friends of the Library.

"A Tribute to the 4 Seasons" by Janet Cohen

"Ballerina" by Cynthia Leavesly

"Amethyst" by Nan Tesser

Come in and see for yourselves!

The Track is Back!

After noticing that we had a crack in our train track, these darling girls donated a piece of track from their own set to replace our broken piece.

We had the new piece installed, and our track is now in complete working order.

It is so wonderful to be a part of such a caring community.

Thank you, girls, for being so thoughtful!

Mock Newbery Committee Visits Author via Skype!

We blog, we tweet, we offer downloadable audio books, e-books--we sure are jumping into technology these days! One more cool way that we can use technology is to connect with authors over the internet--Wow!

The Mock Newbery Committee met with Kathi Appelt, author of Keeper, via Skype, and she didn't even have to leave Texas, which is where she lives. The live stream video chat allowed us to see and talk to her and vice versa. This was an amazing opportunity for our Library and our Mock Newbery Committee--we had a great conversation about her life and her writing. She was very inspiring to young authors with her advice to, "write like your fingers are on fire!"

A very special thanks goes out to Kathi Appelt for generously donating her time to meet with the committee, and we are so glad she did! If you are interested in reading some of her books, she has a variety available, just check out our catalog.

You can still become a part of our Mock Newbery Committee; feel free to join us at our next book discussion on Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine, which is scheduled from 4:30-5:15 on November 2.

Zombies in the Library!

Being the month of October, you come across all kinds of weird things. For example, adults thinking endlessly about costumes to wear for a single evening. And then, there’s the urge, and the want, to be afraid. People of all ages venture into haunted houses and haunted mazes. If this isn’t enough fun, folks even venture to the Library to be transformed into zombies. No, you did not misread the last part, we actually did invite the living and in mere minutes transformed them into the unsightly undead. The gentleman who came in to make the transformation complete is known for his decapitated heads. I can’t make this stuff up. It was more than an hour of fun as teens learned some tricks of the trade from David Schlatter, who was sent to us from Landes Costumes By Rachel. I could talk more about the gross things that the teens learned at the Library on a Saturday morning, but I truly think the picture speaks for itself. Rachel Godollei-Johnson, from Landes Costumes By Rachel, was awesome enough to leave more than just a mark on a few Zionsville teens, she left her own DVD showing anyone how to transform themselves from normal to the undead. So, if you happen to notice anyone who looks extra awesome this Halloween, they may have learned it at the Library.

Check out one of our awesome upcoming programs in November. On Wednesday, November 17, turn your favorite book cover art into an awesome bag, using duct tape! Registration is required.

October 15 -- what a day for the births of authors!

I'm a huge fan of The Writer's Almanac, a daily blog and email written by a group led by Garrison Keillor, host of public radio's A Prairie Home Companion.

Each issue includes a poem and capsule biographies of authors born on the issue's publication date. I just read the October 15 issue and was struck by the stature and variety of authors born on that date. They include P. G. Wodehouse, creator of the books about Jeeves and his employer, Bertie Wooster; the Roman poet Virgil; novelist Mario Puzo, who wrote The Godfather; Italo Calvino, whom I don't know but I envy for his lyrical name, and the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, whose works I've never read but is referred to more than once in Mel Brooks's movie, Blazing Saddles, which I found hilarious when I was an undergraduate long ago.

There she blows! An alternative to Lorem ipsum

If you thought my recent blog post about Lorem ipsum was geeky, check this out: Jason B. Jones, a writer of the ProfHacker blog on the website of The Chronicle of Higher Education, has come across a meaningful -- literally -- alternative to Lorem ipsum. It's called Fillerati and was created by a website designer named Michael, who says, "I made Fillerati because I grew tired of reading 'Lorem ipsum...' on every new design I was working on."

In 48 hours, he claims, this guy designed and built an interactive website that generates filler text from actual works of literature. Instead of the nonsensical Latin of Lorem ipsum, you can fill the white space of your Web pages-in-progress with random excerpts from novels by Herman Melville, Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs, H. G. Wells, or L. Frank Baum.

Of course, the works of each of those authors are worth reading in a non-random fashion. You can do so by starting with a search on an author's name in the Hussey-Mayfield online catalog. Just go to the library's home page, click on the little down arrowhead next to "Keyword" at the top of the page, and select "Author." In the "catalog search" box, type the name of an author. Then click the Search button.

Like Melville's Captain Ahab, you could end up looking at the awesome Moby Dick.

Mock Newbery Youth Committee

The Mock Newbery Youth Committee is well on its way! The Committee will read five books that meet the criteria to win a Newbery Medal. The Committee will then meet in December to discuss the books and vote on the one that we think might actually win the 2011 Newbery Award.

Laura Rodgers has been busy reading books published in 2010, and has narrowed our list down to five, which are...

One Crazy Summer by Rita William
Out of My Mind by Sharon M Draper
Keeper by Kathi Appelt
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan

We have already had two informal book discussions on One Crazy Summer and Out of My Mind. The next informal discussion will be for Keeper on Tuesday, October 19.

We are excited to announce that Kathi Appelt, the author of Keeper, will be joining in our book discussion through the use of modern technology! Using Skype, we will be able to talk to the author and have a chance to ask questions. If you are interested in joining us on October 19, please sign up here.

Also, it is not too late to sign up for the Mock Newbery Election! If you want to be a part of this awesome Committee all you need to do is read at least three of the five books from the above list, then make an appearance at the Mock Newbery Election, which will be held on December 12 (sign up here). You can really make your vote count!

The next informal discussions are scheduled for October 19, November 2 and December 7. The discussions are optional; you can still participate in the Election even if you did not attend the discussions.

Happy Reading!

Find your favorite library on Facebook and Twitter

Want to follow your Zionsville Public Library on Facebook and Twitter, but not sure how to do that? This is all you have to do:

Click on Zionsville Public Library on Facebook to visit the library's Facebook page. Like everyone else who belongs to Facebook, the library has its own "Wall." That's where you'll find the library’s latest announcements and news, basic information such as hours of operation and the (mostly) smiling faces of people who have indicated they like the page.

If you want to open your own Facebook account, just click on the green "sign-up" button at the top of the library's Facebook page. Or, if you want some helpful instructions, go here first.

The library’s Twitter page is here. There you will see the "tweets" posted on the page by the library staff. If you want to open a Twitter account, click on the gold "sign up" button at the top of the ZPLinfo page. Or you can first visit this page for instructions on opening a Twitter account.

The best way to learn about the features of Facebook and Twitter is to just click on any links that intrigue you. If you lose your way, you’ll always find links for Help and Home on every page of both sites.

If you want to learn more about Facebook, Twitter or social media, just go to the Evergreen Indiana online catalog and search on any or all of those key words.

Download audiobooks & eBooks for free - 24/7

What do you do when you’re desperate for a book and the Library’s closed? Or, you just plain don’t feel like getting out of your bathrobe? Well, starting Monday, October 11, HMMPL card holders will be able to download a variety of free eBooks and audio books from the eIndiana Digital Consortium. All you’ll need to access items from home is a Library card, Internet access, and a home computer. All the necessary software is provided online (again free) by the eIndiana Digital Consortium. You can read or listen to materials on your computer or transfer them to a variety of portable devices. No home computer, no problem. Just stop by the kiosk on the 2nd floor of the Library to download/transfer items to your own portable device.

I’m not a “techie,” but I AM a huge fan of convenience—and BOOKS, so I’m looking forward to the new service. Of course, as with many new ventures, the Library’s starting small with a limited number of titles, but look for more in the future. The best way to see what’s available is to browse the eIndiana Digital Consortium catalogue. (Just click on the link on the HMMPL homepage.) And while you’re on the Digital Consortium site, check out the Quick Start Guide on the left for any technical questions you have.

Borrowing is simple. You can check out eBooks and audio books for 7 or 14 days—it’s up to you. Check out up to 3 books at a time, and there are no late fees! (Access to titles automatically expires when your borrowing period is up.) And of course, if a digital title has already been checked out, you can place a hold on it, just as you would with non-digital items. For specific information on borrowing, ask a reference librarian--the kiosk to download titles is just steps away.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with eReaders, stop by the 2nd Floor Reference desk and visit our “petting zoo” of devices: Barnes & Noble Nook, Sony Pocket Reader, and iPod Touch (for audio books) that were purchased by the Friends of the Library to help customers get acquainted with the new digital service. (Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad are not currently supported for eBooks, although audios can be played on many Apple devices.) Again, check the left hand column of the eIndiana Digital Consortium site for links to compatible devices and FAQs.

Enjoy!

Tween Takeover!

Fourth and fifth graders have officially taken over the Library! Not really, but a new program created just for fourth and fifth graders has officially kicked off. It’s called Tween Scene, and it takes place on the first Saturday of the month from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Because I’m the teen librarian and I’m loud and I like to do things differently, these kids got a real taste of what it’s like to be a teen. We started off the morning by getting to know each other by pelting our newest friends with pieces of paper which contained tidbits of information about ourselves. We then opened the papers and very successfully guessed who wrote down what information. Donuts very quickly became the center of attention (I did tell you I like to feed people, right?) as we chowed down and discovered what great activity awaited those in attendance… chocolate spider clusters! We braved the potential of what could be a chocolate meltdown and walked away with clean hands and t-shirts, not to mention a yummy treat! We wrapped up the morning with a look at ten awesomely scary titles that can be found in the Library as well as what great activity awaits everyone in November.

Anyone in grades four or five is welcome to join Tween Scene. All you have to do is head to our website and sign up, or call, or stop in, and ask a reference librarian to sign you up. October’s program was a blast, and I am totally looking forward to seeing you in November!

Hobbit Recovery

For those who could not make it to the Hobbit Birthday Party on Saturday, September 18^th, you truly did miss a good time. Luckily for you, our friends at the Indianapolis Star attended and took some great photos. Teens put on their imaginary hobbit hats for a lesson in writing their names in Elvish and then received a hobbit manicure and pedicure giving them “hairy” hands and feet. This was just the start of a good time as teens ventured throughout the Library looking for photos of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, as well as an employee wearing a ring. Good times were had by all in attendance, especially when the party came to an end and the teens enjoyed a nine and a half pound chocolate cake filled with chocolate mousse. The fun was nearly over, but the teens were not permitted to leave until they learned how hobbits celebrate their birthdays: by not receiving gifts, but by giving gifts to their friends and loved ones. With full bellies and a small birthday present wrapped in brown paper, each teen left knowing a little more about hobbits than they did when they previously ventured into the Library.

The next big teen event is the Harry Potter Movie Release Party on Friday, November 12^th, just a week before the movie’s much anticipated release. Registration is required for the Harry Potter program.

Friends of the Library Book Sale This Weekend!

That nip in the air this week is a clue that fall is here and winter is just around the corner! And the holidays are coming up in just a couple of months! The Friends of the Hussey-Mayfield Library are holding their fall book sale in the Lora Hussey Room this upcoming weekend, and what a perfect time to puruse and purchase some used books, movies, audiobooks and music for yourself or a friend -- and support the Friends of the Library at the same time.

The book sale dates are Friday through Sunday, October 1st - 3rd. Friday evening, Oct. 1st, from 5 to 7 PM is the preview night. Be one of the first to see everything the Friends are selling for a $5 cover charge. Children age 11 and younger are just $2.50.

Return on Saturday, Oct. 2nd from 9:30 AM - 5 PM to shop some more. Between 3 - 5 PM, fill a brown paper grocery bag full of items for just $10 a bag! And for the best bargain of the weekend, come to the final 4 hours of the book sale on Sunday, Oct. 3rd from 1 - 5 PM, where you can fill a brown paper grocery bag for just $5!

The Friends will also be selling Discover Indy coupon books for $25 at the sale. What an incredible deal that will pay for itself the first 2 or 3 times you use a coupon! Buy one for yourself and several for friends and family -- your holiday shopping can all be taken care of in one stop!

If great prices on used items isn't enough to bring you in to the Friends of the Library book sale, then perhaps knowing that more than 95% of what the Friends earn at their book sales goes right back to the Library to support programs and services will tempt you to shop -- what better reason than that to come to the book sale?

See you at the Library this weekend in the Lora Hussey Room at the Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale!

Summer Reading Prize Room 2010

Summer Reading Prize Room 2010
Originally uploaded by HMMPL YOUTH

Over 1,564 Children recorded over 47,000 hours of reading during June and July 2010!

Each age group recorded the following average TOTAL number of hours read during the eight week 2010 Summer Reading Program:






Birth-Preschoolers (414) read an average of 21 total hours or 23 minutes/day
Kindergartners (123) read an average of 24 total hours or 26 minutes/day
1st Grade (212) read an average of 29 total hours or 31 minutes/day
2nd Grade (222) read an average of 29 total hours or 31 minutes/day
3rd Grade (201) read an average of 33 total hours or 35 minutes/day
4th Grade (196) read an average of 42 total hours or 45 minutes/day
5th Grade (196) read an average of 41 total hours or 44 minutes/day


We are collecting responses from our Summer Reading Survey until the end of September. Included in those responses are tips from parents to promote reading at home. Here are a few tips from our Summer Readers.

"We set aside reading time as if we were having a nap for a young child. It is quiet time for Mom and relaxing on a hot afternoon for the kids. We also keep the reading logs in a folder in the kitchen where a sibling can easily see how his sister is doing and vise versa. A little friendly competition helps."

"Let them see YOU read!"

"When it is reading time...parents TRY to put aside chores and sit down and read WITH the kiddos. Nothing is more motivating than your children seeing you read at the same time. It could be the paper, a cookbook, book or other medium...but somehow if everyone slows down and reads at the same time, good things happen!"

"We began reading to our children as babies. Make it fun and comfortable. Don't force it if they aren't in the mood. Let the children see you read, too."

"Reading out loud together as kids are moving into chapter books, I think, makes the transition less intimidating."

"Make it a nightly ritual. Sit outdoors with them as you read."

"Make it a habit, a part of everyday life. Have accessible books in the home the children can read."

"Have just a few books at eye level for the kids to choose, and change the titles often. Too many books to choose from (ie, an entire bookshelf) can be overwhelming for preschoolers.
Just sit with them with books and read at whatever pace they want, tell them everything they are seeing on the page, and let them munch on them!"

"We read for quiet time in the afternoon, evening and bedtime. We took a tape player on car trips and listened to books on tape."

"Buy child a 'bookmark timer'"

"Our kids see us reading, and since they often want to emulate us they have picked it up since they were babies. We also let them take turns picking books to read after nap time. It becomes a prize to see who gets to pick the story.

"Audiobooks also count for reading time and if you're in the car a lot, it counts!"

"We regularly read before bed, both naps and nighttime. That way, it never gets skipped, no matter how busy our day is. We also use Tumblebooks online instead of TV and we use lots of books on tape/cd."


We know that great parents, teachers, and child care providers walk through our doors at the Hussey-Mayfield Library and  choose baskets and bags of reading materials each week. They motivate us to insure quality programming and materials to check out.  The reading and circulation  statistics support  this.  If you would like to add to the 2010 Summer Reading Survey follow this link below.

2010 Summer Reading Survey- Click Here!

Bring on the ebooks!

Ebooks are coming to Hussey-Mayfield, and I'm glad. Many people prefer the characteristics of a physical book over reading text on a screen, but not I. For years, nearly all my reading has been on a laptop computer. Fiction has been the only exception.

Even that started to change after I made two discoveries. The first was that I could buy a lot of ebook titles on the Web for about $10 each. The second was that Amazon would give me for free a PC version of their Kindle e-reader software. Now I can read ebooks on my laptop computer – which is with me most of every day -- without having to buy a piece of hardware that can be used only to read ebooks. It was just a matter of downloading the Kindle for PC software from Amazon. (By the way, Hussey-Mayfield's coming download service will use different software, not Kindle. The library will provide complete information about what you will need to use the new download service.)

Since reaching a certain age (you youngsters will know it when you get there), the size and legibility of text have become more important to me. With an ebook, I can adjust the size of the typeface and the width of the text to whatever is easiest to read. There’s no such adjustment on a physical book.

When I started grad school last January, I began looking for ebook versions of the assigned textbooks. I succeeded with about half the books that I needed.

Those e-textbooks are much easier to read than a physical book when you want to take notes on what you're reading. I just launch the ebook in one window and open a new document in my word processing program in another window. I size the window of the ebook to fit in half or two-thirds of my computer screen, and I size the document window to take up the rest of the screen. Now I can read and type notes without moving my eyes from my screen, or even from the text I’m reading if I don’t care about typos in my note-taking. When I have to take notes while reading a physical book, I’m constantly shifting my attention from the book to my pen and paper and back again.

I’m sold on ebooks. What has been your experience with them? Like me, are you looking forward to borrowing an ebook online from your favorite library?

Hobbit Birthday Party

Leave it to a librarian to find what most people consider a normal day and turn it into a celebration complete with cake (because I really like cake). September 22 may be a regular day to most people, but to J.R.R. Tolkien fans it is the day the two most popular hobbits in history, Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, celebrate their birthdays. For those of you who do not know, Frodo and Bilbo Baggins are main characters of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was made into a set of pretty awesome movies nearly a decade ago.

If your mind works anything like mine, you are probably still wondering about the cake I mentioned earlier. Our Hobbit Birthday Party is Saturday, September 18th at 11:00 a.m. Teens in grades six and up are invited to munch on ring shaped food (donuts and the like) as you learn how to write your name in Elvish before having your hands on a number of hobbit-sized activities, including hobbit bowling and orc archery. And at the end (I know you’re still wondering where the cake comes in) we will join so many other J.R.R. Tolkien fans around the country by raising our glasses for the 2010 Birthday Toast. And of course, there will be birthday cake because I love any excuse to give teens cake. There is still room to join in the festivities, but registration is required and dressing in hobbit gear is encouraged.

Where to find all the lorem ipsum you can take

This post is pretty geeky, I admit, but I just couldn't resist the topic. If you don't care about writing, publishing, typesetting, printing, graphic design, Medieval history, Roman philosophers, Latin or the Web, you should just move on now.

I love the Web for a million different reasons. Here is just one more: The American Library Association's online newsletter points readers to a website that explains what lorem ipsum is. You've probably seen the phrase before. "Lorem ipsum" are the first two faux words in a block of dummy text frequently used in laying out the pages of books and publications. According to American Libraries Direct, "Lorem Ipsum is dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. It has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s when an unknown printer took a galley of Latin type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book."

Not only that, but "the text actually comes from a garbled version of sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of De finibus bonorum et malorum (On the Ends of Good and Evil) by [Marcus Tullius] Cicero, written in 45 B.C." The ALA newsletter editors know this, presumably, because they found a website that describes the history of lorem ipsum.

But wait, there's more! The website -- yes, it is called "Lorem Ipsum" -- will actually give you as much lorem ipsum dummy text as you can take. When it comes to lorem ipsum, the site says it is "the first true generator on the Internet. It uses a dictionary of over 200 Latin words, combined with a handful of model sentence structures, to generate Lorem Ipsum which looks reasonable. The generated Lorem Ipsum is therefore always free from repetition, injected humor, or non-characteristic words."

Thank goodness there's now a reliable online source of reasonable-looking lorem ipsum free of that bothersome injected humor!

Yes, it rained...but not on our parade!

The Fall Festival weekend started off a bit damp, but we didn't let that ruin our parade.

How could we when Batman decided to join forces with the Library?!? Library Staff--Directors, Librarians, and even a Board Member--gathered around the BATMOBILE to work some of that Mayfield Mayhem out in the community.

We marched all the way through Main Street with Batman behind the wheel. Batman knows that you must have knowledge, wisdom, and intellect to outwit a villain and the Library is a great place to learn new skills, gain knowledge and collect information!

If you need to outwit a villain, or are just looking for some entertainment, visit the Library!

And if it is Superheroes you want, we have Batman books, Spiderman books, Superman books; but we believe that EVERY BOOK HAS A HERO, so we will help you find the perfect one!

Kids! Every Story Has A Hero -- Show Us Yours at the Parade Tomorrow!

Watch for Super Heroes marching down the street with a little beat!

Guess who your friendly librarians will be. Show us one of your super heroes while we pass you on the parade route. We will try to give our library friends some extra candy.

Find your Hugo winner at the library

They announced this year's winners of the Hugo Awards for science fiction and fantasy literature the other day at Aussiecon 4, the 68th World Science Fiction Convention, in Melbourne, Australia (I guess they move the announcement site around). The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi tied with The City & The City by China Mieville for Best Novel of the year. I just checked the catalog in Evergreen, and there are several copies of The Windup Girl available at the library. Now would be the time to check it out before the other sci-fi fans start liniing up for it.

Wow! Cool Shoes!

I thought my shoes were cool -- Converse One Stars covered with silver sequins. You may have heard me brag: “They sparkle, just like Edward.” (For those of you not familiar with the popular Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, in her books, vampires cannot go out in the sun because they sparkle and become irresistible.) While I still think my sparkly shoes are pretty awesome, I will admit that my shoes fall a close second to those of Zionsville seventh grader, Lukas Janavicius. It all started last spring, here in the Library, when I found Lukas in one of our Duct Tape Days programs.

Using duct tape that is every color of the rainbow, teens made wallets and boxes. We even took the scraps and packed them into a duct tape ball. Little did I know that as I was showing and explaining to teens how to make duct tape fabric. Lukas’ mind was twirling with ideas.

“Thirty minutes after I got home, I’d made my first pair of shoes,” Lukas says.

There was more than just the one pair. Lukas worked hard to make these actual functioning pieces of his wardrobe. He added foam padding for comfort and reinforced the eyelets so the shoelaces would stay in place.

Like everyone who has an awesome new piece of gear, Lukas proudly wore his new kicks to school and it wasn’t long before kids began asking Lukas for their own custom pair of duct tape shoes. That’s right; Lukas was taking orders for duct tape shoes! So check out those feet walking down the middle school halls, they might be wearing shoes made out of duct tape. And, just think, the whole idea stemmed from a one-hour program at the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library.

Don’t feel left out, you too can find inspiration at the Library! Our next Duct Tape Days event, for Teens in grades six and up, is planned for Wednesday, September 8 from 4-5 PM. Plan on making your school supplies waterproof and virtually indestructible by covering them in duct tape. You may bring your own, but items will be supplied at the program. Registration is required, so register here today!

Weekend Downtime

Upgrades to the Library’s online catalog
will be installed this weekend!

That means our customers will not be able to access the catalog, or their personal Library accounts, during the process. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope you will stop by next week to enjoy our upgraded Evergreen Indiana system!
We will be offline from 7 PM Saturday, September 4 until 8 AM Tuesday, September 7. We encourage you to access your Library Account any time before Saturday night to check your due dates and renew items.
Customers will still have access to the Library homepage and the free online databases you can find there, such as Chilton's Automotive Repair Guides and World Book.

Don’t forget, the Library will be closed Sunday, September 5 and Monday, September 6 in honor of Labor Day. Materials returned to the Library Sunday and Monday will be checked in by our Circulation staff to reflect a return date of Saturday, September 4.
Thanks for using the Library and we’ll see you Tuesday!

Are you overdue for a Library Card?

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month and in the spirit of educational access for all, the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library and a number of Zionsville merchants are teaming up to provide prizes for visitors who register for a new Library Card by September 30.

Those in possession of a Zionsville Library Card not only have access to all of the Zionsville Library’s collections and services, but also to the materials of more than 70 other Indiana libraries. Students are able to use a number of research databases through the Library’s website as well as any number of reference books, educational films, and audio books.

Register for a new Evergreen Library Card and spin the “Wheel of Fortune” to win a prize. Bring your driver’s license, Indiana State Identification Card, or government-issued Photo I.D. showing your current address. Additional documentation, such as a utility bill, is required when the current address is not on the presented identification.

Register today to read tonight!

Library love

I love libraries and librarians. I have for decades, since my first visit to the Brownsburg Public Library and my introduction to Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Sharp (whom I could never refer to as Lois and Jean, even as an adult). Those wonderful ladies have passed on, but the library building is still there on Main Street, though mysteriously much, much smaller than the first time I entered it. Brownsburg's current library is housed in a much more modern and appropriate building. I'm sure the librarians there are as smart and helpful as Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Sharp.

The smart and helpful librarians I've come to know lately are at Hussey-Mayfield, the Zionsville Public Library. I'm grateful to them and to Jake Speer, the library's new director, for letting me write an occasional post on the library's blog site.

After a career in corporate marketing and communications, mostly at IBM in the New York City area, I'm now studying at IUPUI to become a librarian. This blog is an opportunity for me to share what I'm learning about the library world in general and the Zionsville Public Library in particular. More than that, I hope the blog will also be an opportunity for me to learn from you, the library's customers.

Libraries, including this one, are constantly changing to meet the needs of the communities who depend on them. I'm eager to know from you what you like about your library, what you'd like to see improved, and what you want from your library in the future. So please find the "Post a comment" box on this page and tell me what you think. (If you don’t see where to post a comment, just click on the headline of my blog post and you’ll be taken to a version of this blog page that does have a comment box at the bottom of the page.)

Meanwhile, I get to do what the Hussey-Mayfield librarians are too modest to do: Urge you to nominate your favorite librarian(s) for an I Love My Librarian Award. The Carnegie Corporation of New York and The New York Times are inviting "library users nationwide to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college, and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their community. Nominations are being accepted online at ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian through Sept. 20," according to the press release.

Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Sharp, if you're still keeping an eye on me, I'll tell you that you both would be my nominees.