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.