2011 Holiday Stroll "Holiday Greetings"

As Zionsville kicks off the holiday season during the first weekend of December, include the Holiday Stroll at the Library in your family traditions. The 2011 Holiday Stroll theme is “Holiday Greetings,” and the Library has again partnered with the Zionsville Merchants Association to provide free rides on the festive red trolley. The trolley will stop at Boone Village, downtown Zionsville, the SullivanMunce Cultural Center and the Fifth Street entrance of the Library approximately every twenty minutes from 11am-3pm on Saturday, December 3^rd, and from 1pm-3pm on Sunday, December 4^th. Take the trolley to the Library and visit our seven decorated trees –three downstairs and four upstairs- and do a corresponding free craft at each tree. Enter to win one of seven raffle baskets while you listen to the sounds of harpist Tom Duncan, the ZMS Strolling Strings, and the ZHS Chamber Choir. Check out the Holiday Stroll schedule for details.

The Friends of the Library will host their popular Holiday Boutique at the Holiday Stroll, with all proceeds going to Library programs, so you can shop for charming gifts and support the Library at the same time. Stop by the Holly Day Café in the Olive Hoffman Room on the first floor for free cookies and apple juice after you have a look at the model train display generously provided by Watts Trains. Stevens Puppets will perform two shows of “Beauty and the Beast” in the Lora Hussey Room on Saturday at 1pm and 3pm. The first 100 in line will be admitted and doors open 30 minutes before show times. On Sunday, magician Don Miller will perform in the Lora Hussey Room at 2pm. The first 100 in line will be admitted and doors open 30 minutes before show time.

The Library is pleased to be one of the Zionsville Merchants Association’s “Photo Opportunity Sites.” These are specially-decorated locations at the trolley stops and throughout town at which individuals and families may have a professional photograph taken and emailed to them for $10. The Photo Opportunity Site location at the Library is outside of the Fifth Street entrance. The Photo Opportunity Sites will be available throughout the month of December, but the professional photographers will only be at the sites on December 3rd and 4th. Look for more details on ZionsvilleChristmas.com.

There are openings for friendly and responsible Zionsville teens and adults to volunteer at the Holiday Stroll as greeters, craft assistants, and refreshment helpers. If you are interested in volunteering, choose a time that works for you on our Holiday Stroll Volunteer SignUp page.

Have a happy Thanksgiving and we’ll see you at the Stroll!

A Thankful Librarian

With Thanksgiving around the corner, it is hard to not get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Just as I was feeling overwhelmed with my list of things to do before Thursday, I remembered someone telling me about an astounding family tradition they have on Thanksgiving. Every time anyone takes a bite of Thanksgiving dinner, that person must say something they are thankful for; and seeing that we eat a lot on Thanksgiving, that turns out to be quite a bit of thanks!

I am extremely thankful for my job as a children’s librarian, I love going to work! With my job there are so many things to be thankful for, so I thought I might share a short list with you (that is in no particular order).

I am thankful for...
Kids
Their hearts are so big and they things they do and say are so sincere
(and often times very funny).
Volunteers
What would we do without them?
Great Community
The families we see are kind and supportive to each other and the to the Library.

Patrons
I love it when the Library is bustling!
Great Books
Even though you hear me say, “This is my favorite book,” almost every time you hear me read a book- I truly mean it!
Technology
Even though it is frustrating when it doesn’t work, it does make our lives so much easier.
Internet
What did we do without it?

Staff
HMMPL has the best work environment I have ever experienced.
Library Board
Board members are thoughtful and work hard to make our Library the wonderful place it is.
Facility

I am thankful to have the whole first floor as the youth department so kids can be kids.

Recycling
The Library began recycling this year, which will help us reduce our carbon footprint.
The Library also recycles old cell phones for Cell Phones for Soldiers, which allows military families to connect with each other.
The big windows in the library
So you can see outside even when you need to be inside .

If you are feeling overwhelmed take a minute to relax and think of some things you are thankful for—it is very calming, even if it is only a short list.

Feel free to share things that you are thankful for or perhaps you would like to share a special Thanksgiving tradition that you and your family share together.

Happy Thanksgiving!

1,520,717,240 and counting

That’s the total, collective word count logged to date during National Novel Writing Month, which runs today through November 30.

For those who haven’t heard of NaNoWriMo, it’s a writing marathon in which new and established authors attempt to compose an entire novel in 30 days. Sound crazy? Ask Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus, who has participated for seven years. (Check the Evergreen and eIndiana catalogs for availability of Morgenstern's best selling, debut novel about dueling magicians.) For more information, discussion forums, and pep talks visit NaNoWriMo.

And to all who are participating in this year's challenge: "Good luck and keep writing!"

Volunteer for Fun at the Holiday Stroll!

Don your holiday finest and spend a few hours helping at one of the Library's biggest events of the year -- our Annual Holiday Stroll on Saturday, December 3rd, 9:30 am to 5pm and Sunday, December 4th, 1 to 5 pm! 


The Library's participation in Zionsville's Christmas in the Village kick-off weekend promises to be another exciting celebration of the holiday season and our volunteers have as much fun as our visitors!


Our theme this year is "Holiday Greetings" and volunteers are needed in 2 - 3 hour shifts to help with greeting visitors, monitoring refreshments in the Holly Day Cafe and assisting with crafts at our 7 holiday trees: 

• Geek the Gold Tree in the Teen Area 
• Post Cards from Past Tree in the Adult Area 
• Pop-Up Greetings Tree in the Adult Area
• Candy Cane Tree in the Adult Area 
• International / Passport Tree in the Youth Area 
• Heroes' Tree in the Youth Area [bring in items for Vets, too!]
• Poinsettia / Shrinky Dink Tree  in the Youth Area

Many volunteers (age 14 and older) are needed and your volunteer time is great for fulfilling community service needs for honor societies, Scouts, and clubs.  Light refreshments will be available for volunteers.

Before or after you volunteer, enjoy exploring the Library, visiting the 7 trees with crafts, shopping at the Friends of the Library's Holiday BoutiqueFriends of the Library Holiday Boutique, listening to music and possibly taking in a puppet or magic show if you time it right!

 
Interested volunteers may sign up online at http://www1.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=holidaystroll2011 or call Mary Rueff at 873-3149, ext. 13002.

Come join us as we ring in the season at the Library's Holiday Stroll!

The early bird catches the Scholastic Book Sale!

Scholastic delivered our shipment early, so the book fair is already underway. Check behind the Youth Services reference desk and you can shop till you drop! You will find all kinds of awesome gifts (for yourself or for others) including books, pencils, bookmarks, posters, erasers, and much more.

The sale lasts now through November 19 and is open during Library hours. You can shop online anytime. Online orders will be ready for you to pick up after Thanksgiving.

We have quite a selection of books for all reading levels, we even have a small selection for the teen crowd.

If you have been anticipating the release of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever, we will have that available Tuesday, November 15—be sure to come in to get your copy!

Teen Tree Trimming Party

The Library is about to undergo a transformation. Don’t worry, it’s nothing too big, we’re getting geared up for the Holiday Stroll the first weekend in December. We will have seven trees, with an activity at every tree for you and your family to take part in. Plus, there will be a magic show, a puppet show and so much more! Parking will be tight, but the trolley will be making the Library one of their stops so you can hitch a ride to the Library without worrying about parking. To help get ready for the big event, teens are being asked to help transform the Teen Area. On Tuesday, November 15 from 5:00-7:00 p.m., teens are invited to decorate the tree in the Teen Area. Once that is done we will turn a plain wall into a giant I-Spy Wall. The I-Spy Wall will serve as an activity during the Holiday Stroll as well as give teens the opportunity to earn extra prizes all during the month of December. How does it work? Head to the Teen area for our “Geek the Gold” tree and then take a look around. You’ll find a wall filled with random items. Go to it and grab a ticket from on top of the magazine and game shelf. Then find the items on the ticket, put your name on the back and you are automatically entered to win! It’s easy to win and fun to play! We hope to see you at the Library on November 15 to help us get ready for the Holiday Stroll! Oh, did I mention there will be cookies and hot cocoa? Registration recommended, see you soon!

Chess: A brain game

Aaron Dean with Learning Through Games hosted a chess tournament at the Library on Saturday, which was extremely inspiring! Children, ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 12, were focused, motivated, and ready to win! Tensions were high, children and parents were going over moves the opponent made, teens were studying strategies; I had no idea chess tournaments were so taxing and exciting.

Though chess is only a game, it helps to develop important skills that can be used in real life. Chess helps to develop logical thinking skills, visual memory skills, discipline, and it improves attention span. In fact, studies show that children involved in chess score higher in both math and reading. The Library is hoping to offer a free chess club on Saturday mornings this winter, so be on the lookout!

Though there were about 65 kids in the tournament this weekend, only a handful were girls. We will want to increase the boy to girl ratio because ches
s is a great game for all ages and genders.

I think a chess set will be the perfect gift for a six year old. Now I just have to learn how to teach chess!

A couple of ideas I found online that I will definitely use are …
1. Don’t worry if the child hasn’t memorized everything yet. Start a game and at each turn show the possible moves and let the child decide where to move.
2. Switch sides in the middle of the game because it is frustrating if you never win.


Do you have any strategies on teaching beginners chess? If so, please share!

I Geek Rocks

I have been a rock geek since I was a child. I like to climb rocks, hike around them, buy them at rock and gem shows, and photograph them. If it is a rock, chances are good that I like it, and to me, the definition of “rock” spans the gamut from mountains to faceted gemstones. A local type of rock, Indiana limestone, which you can learn more about from the Indiana Geological Survey, is used at home and afar. Did you know that the Empire State Building in New York City was made with Indiana Limestone? So was the Flatiron Building, and let me tell you, if you have not seen either of those buildings in person, put it on your list of Things To Do. But what about here in Indiana? Take a quick trip to downtown Indianapolis to admire the Circle Tower, an Art Deco masterpiece in Indiana limestone. Of course, if you want to see another stunning work made with Indiana limestone, when you get to the circle, simply look up. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument, a memorial to the Civil War heroes of Indiana, is 285 feet of native limestone. There are plenty of examples of Indiana limestone all around us that you can learn to recognize, perhaps even your house was made with Indiana limestone.


If you like to hike as much as I do, there are thousands of places to visit in the world that offer spectacular views with rocks under your feet and miles above you. Rocky Mountain National Park can leave you breathless- literally. Be prepared for thinner air when hiking any mountain, take it slowly, and stay properly hydrated to avoid altitude sickness. Flying over the Rockies during a clear day provides incredible aerial views to make a rock geek like me swoon, but to get a quick fix when you are not in the air, check out the live images from the Pikes Peak webcam. Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs looks like a piece of Arizona dropped into Colorado, with its red rocks at the base of the lush green and snow-capped Pikes Peak. Speaking of red rocks, add Sedona, Arizona to your list. I took the above picture in Sedona while hiking with a friend. We hiked for over an hour up a mass of red rock, only to find ourselves facing a sheer rock wall next to a straight drop-off, so we turned around and happily retraced our steps back to the base.


Want something closer to home? The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is not too far of a drive from Indiana and is abundant with trails, waterfalls, wildlife and, you guessed it, rocks. After hiking through the Smokies, why not go underneath them? Forbidden Caverns is a fascinating excursion underground, filled with stalactites and stalagmites, but bring a jacket because it is chilly under the mountain. Luckily, my friend and I were wearing our matching custom airbrushed sweatshirts (hey, what can I say, it was the 1990s). For more underground rocks, pop over to Kentucky and check out Mammoth Cave, the longest known cave system in the world.



Some of my favorite rocks are minerals and gemstones. From lumpy, glittering crystals to cold squares of pyrite to sleekly cut precious stones, all of these catch my eye. I once spent hours in the Mineral Sciences Collections in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., captivated by the rocks, including a particularly famous rock called the Hope Diamond. The gallery has other gemstones, too, and if I would have been permitted to, I would have spent a month nonstop inside of the gallery.

To give you a head start in learning more about rocks, my “I geek rocks” display on the second floor at the top of the grand stairwell throughout November contains books about hiking, gems, caving, mountain climbing and all sorts of other things to do with rocks. Visit the display and borrow any of the books you see. If you are looking for something in particular, about rocks or anything else, just ask us and we will help you find it. After all, the library is the best place to find information about what you geek.

Game On @ Your Library

Libraries have books, everyone knows that; but today, libraries have even more to offer. We have movies, music, workout DVDs, programs, and even downloadable books and audiobooks, and downloadable music. In the Teen Area, we have Wii Gaming every Tuesday from 3:30-5:00 p.m. This is your chance to get really loud in the Library and get away with it. We offer games like Super Mario Smash Brawl and Beatles Rock Band. Now, if your parents are not convinced that you need to go to the Library to play games when you have games at home, just tell them that gaming allows you to make friends by interacting with diverse peers and sharing your gaming knowledge, as well as developing new strategies for gaming and learning (thanks American Library Association). National Gaming Day is Saturday, November 12, but we’re going to celebrate for two days. On Friday, November 11 starting at 3:00 p.m., we’ll have a number of gaming opportunities available in the Teen Area, including a large game of Apples to Apples, Jenga, and a life size game of Jenga! It will be an exciting time and snacks will be served (because I know food is your number one concern once school lets out). The fun lasts until 4:30 p.m. and registration is recommended. See you then!