Youth Art on Display at the Library

No need to travel anywhere to see great art; just visit your local library! The young talent of Zionsville is exhibited now on our shelves and among our collections!

Throughout March, the library is collaborating with art teachers from the Zionsville Community Schools (ZCS) to support Youth Art Month (YAM). YAM is a nationwide program that began in 1961 to emphasize the value of art and art education for children. Students from grades K-12 are represented with displays of their artwork on both floors of the library.

In addition, art classes for children K-12 will be offered by local and ZCS art teachers on four different Saturdays in March. See the Events calendar to sign up; spots are filling up quickly.

Children receive so many benefits from a quality art program:

• enhances problem-solving and critical thinking
• teaches sensitivity to beauty, order, and other expressive qualities
• promotes multicultural awareness and understanding
• offers another dimension to what students are already learning in other subject areas. 

Please support your local art educators and students!

encourage support for quality school art programs. YAM provides a forum for acknowledging skills that are fostered through experience in the visual arts that are not possible in other subjects offered in the curriculum. - See more at: http://www.arteducators.org/news/yam#sthash.GeBH7QGe.dpuf

encourage support for quality school art programs. YAM provides a forum for acknowledging skills that are fostered through experience in the visual arts that are not possible in other subjects offered in the curriculum. - See more at: http://www.arteducators.org/news/yam#sthash.GeBH7QGe.dpuf

encourage support for quality school art programs. YAM provides a forum for acknowledging skills that are fostered through experience in the visual arts that are not possible in other subjects offered in the curriculum. - See more at: http://www.arteducators.org/news/yam#sthash.GeBH7QGe.dpuf

Explore your Ancestry.com

In this digital age, an inquiry posted to a website, social media or otherwise, can be deluged with responses in a matter of minutes. Ask a question, and answers are offered, stories shared, and conversations started. The asker of the question may be rewarded immediately with the information they sought or inundated with a flurry of answers that take patience to sift through. Through digital connections that occur faster than the blink of an eye, faded friendships are shined to new luster, extinguished romances rekindled, lost pets found, and, sometimes, criminals identified. All thanks to the Internet and a curious and informed, if information-saturated (but that's another blog entirely) public who can connect with one another across continents with the flip of a switch and click of a mouse.

Last week, a Library visitor excitedly told me about a growing band of relatives that she recently discovered through a "Why not?" venture into Ancestry.com. She had only one name of an ancestor from a few generations back to work with, but within moments had found an image in Ancestry.com of that person's signature in an Ellis Island passenger arrival record. A subsequent post to a social media account asking if anyone knew how to pronounce the name led to an answer and a journey to Scotland to explore the land, her heritage, and get to know her newly-found family members.

Why not you? Come to the Library and access Ancestry.com to start putting together your own family puzzle pieces. We offer introductory and advanced Ancestry.com classes taught by a certified genealogist at no charge to you. Space is limited and registration is required, so reserve your seat today for Introduction to Ancestry.com on March 4th and follow it up with Advanced Ancestry.com on April 1st. We offer these classes on an ongoing basis at the Library, so if you don't get a spot this time, keep your eyes on our newsletter and online calendar for upcoming class dates. We've got it all at the Library: a perfect blend of past, present and future. Explore yours today.

Soap that Smells Like Bacon: It Could Be Yours!

It does not sound quite right, but there is such a thing as bacon soap.  Yes, you could have the delicious smell of bacon emerging from your bathroom.  While it all sounds very wrong, the smell of bacon is dead on.  One whiff and you would mistake soap for actual bacon in a tiny metal tin.  How do you own this soap?  It's easy!

1. Be a student currently in grades 6-12 or in college.
2. Stop by the Teen and Adult Reference Desk and pick up a Challenge Sheet.
3. Tell us what you are reading and return your Challenge Sheet to the Reference Desk by Friday, February 28th.  

It's that simple!  For teens, there are four fantastic themed prizes to win, including mustaches, Angry Birds, and what our teen librarian refers to as a "geek" prize since it has a Batman ice cube tray.  If you haven't already, stop by and fill out a Challenge Sheet.  No matter if you are reading for pleasure or just reading your homework, you are still reading and our teen librarian thinks that is pretty awesome.  Already doing another reading challenge?  Do two!  Count what you are reading for the other place or group and count those same materials for the library also. 

If you are a little bit sad because you are an adult or are in grade 5 or under, there are still awesome prizes to win.  Just check with an adult or youth services librarian and they will get you up to speed and entered for your chance to win awesome prizes.

STEAM Up for Family Science Night on February 17th, 2014

 

Do you love Science?

 

S.T.E.A.M  Family Science Night at the Library
***Cancelled***
(Sleet & Snow expected at the time of our event )
Mon., Feb. 17

Families with children 3-12 years old

How do you get kids interested in science?

Check out the following  statement by astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, where he answers the question.

The Coolest Scientist In America Has Some Terrific Advice For Parents

Join us for hands on science at the Library!  

On Monday, February 17th sign up for STEAM! Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math night at the Library.  We have very special guests returning, Dow AgroSciences Ambassadors, 500 Earth Science Club, and new a guest from the Munce Art Center. 

Station activities 5:00 PM - 7PM :

• Learn about your genes: Make your own DNA wristband- Dow AgroSciences Ambassadors
• Learn about Healthy Oils: Participate Popcorn Taste Test and Build a healthy fat molecule- Dow AgroSciences Ambassadors
• Extract DNA from strawberries: Learn about DNA's function in living organisms- Dow AgroSciences Ambassadors
• Learn chemistry principles by participating in a number of fun activities- Dow AgroSciences Ambassadors
• Learn about the Diversity of insect species, importance of honey bees and hold a live Madagascar hissing cockroach - Dow AgroSciences Ambassadors
• Observe fossils and minerals with the 500 Earth Science Club- Brian Mercer
• Art Activity with the Munce Art Center
• What do Engineers do?: Explore display and guess what engineers do
• Let’s Communicate: As an engineer you will explain a design to your partner (builder).
• Tumbler Tower:  How to build a tower taller
• Inspired by Nature Display:   Discover ideas engineers have come up with by observing nature.
• Make it Loud:  How can an engineer turn up the sound?

Looking for science books to check out? 

Top 10 Science and Health Books for Children 2013 
This is a list of science and health books reviewed by Booklist
 
Science in Children's Literature
Combination of Easy books, Beginning Chapter Books, and non-fiction to introduce science concepts. Not all inclusive!

Protagonist In Search Of . . .

Before online dating, newspaper personal ads helped people find compatible partners.  In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, then, I've put together a few sample personals from the pages of classic books.

Self-made millionaire and party guy seeks “beautiful little fool” to share his American dream.

Titled landowner seeks red-blooded female who enjoys romantic, moonlit walks and juicy conversation.

Charming runt of the litter seeks clever companion to save his bacon.

For some lighthearted fun this Valentine's Day, try writing a personal ad for your own favorite character.  (Feel free to share your results.)

And then pick up The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.  It's a delightful novel about love in the modern age.  Don Tillman is a socially challenged professor of genetics who believes there's a partner for everyone, statistically speaking.  Using a unique 16-page questionnaire, Tillman sets out to find the love of his life.  Amazon named The Rosie Project one of the Best Books of October 2013.  

Answers: Jay Gatsby (James Gatz), The Great Gatsby; Count Dracula, Dracula; Wilbur, Charlotte's Web.

We're Upgrading to Better Serve You!

The Library’s Evergreen Indiana catalog will receive a makeover this weekend that will bring new features to our online catalog.

To complete the upgrade, our online catalog, self-check stations, and all personal online Library accounts will be unavailable between 5 PM Friday, February 14 and Monday, February 17.

The Library will remain open during our three-day upgrade. All materials may be checked out in-person at either of our Circulation Desks Saturday, February 15; Sunday, February 16; and Monday, February 17. Holds will also be available for pickup.

Our downloadable audio book and eBook service will continue without interruption during this time. If you haven't tried this online feature yet, now might be the time to log-in and explore our digital collection!

Items returned during our upgrade time may not be checked in until Tuesday, February 18, but our staff will treat everything as if they were returned Friday, February 14. A small bonus!

Thank you for your understanding during this short break in our Evergreen Indiana online service.

We look forward to providing you with a better Library experience!

Book List: Inspirational Literature for Kids

The Charlotte Mecklenberg County Public Library in Charlotte, North Carolina defines "Inspirational Literature" as 

"...books [that] highlight people overcoming adversity or reaching new levels of understanding. Whether they pull themselves up by their own bootstraps or have help from a higher power, these books will uplift and entertain you."

Parents and kids looking for wholesome, uplifting stories often request direction toward titles that are available. If that is your situation, look no further: click here to get a listing of juvenile titles for our library.

Enjoy, and be inspired!

REUSE Heart & Sole -- Give Your Shoes a New Pair of Feet!

For the second year in a row, in support of the REUSE Heart & Sole project sponsored by the Boone County Solid Waste Management District, the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library is a drop-off site for used or new shoes from Monday, February 10th through Monday, February 17th.  There will be a white mesh bag near the main entrance on each floor into which donated shoes may be placed. Donations should have laces tied together as a pair or be rubber-banded together if there are no laces.  Rubber bands will be provided.

There are some types of shoes that are NOT acceptable, so please DO NOT donate these:  slippers, inline skates, ice skates, winter boots, shoes with higher than a 2-inch heel or heavily soiled shoes.   Donations will be given to needy men, women and children all over the world so that they can be comfortable at work and play.

So, as you sort through your wardrobe and look at the shoes you have, if you have some that just don't match the clothes you got over the holidays or some that you've outgrown or just don't care for anymore, bring them to the Library the week of Feb. 10th - 17th.  REUSE Heart & Sole will make sure they have new life for someone who will be extremely grateful!

Read the book . . . catch the show!

It should come as no surprise—good books make winning movies, witness this year's Academy Award nominees.  Four of the 9 nominees for Best Picture are based on books:  Captain Phillips (A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips); Philomena (The Lost Child of Philomena Lee: A Mother, Her Son and a Fifty-Year Search  by Martin Sixsmith); 12 Years a Slave (Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup); and The Wolf of Wall Street (The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort).

What books are coming to the big screen in 2014?  For starters, Labor Day, based on Joyce Maynard's domestic drama about a lonely adolescent, his fragile mom, and the convict who changes their lives, just opened in local theaters.

Next, The Monuments Men, starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Bill Murray arrives in theaters Friday.  Based loosely on Robert M. Edsel’s book, the film depicts a coterie of middle-aged soldiers, culled from the unlikely ranks of curators, art historians, conservators, and museum directors, who undertake the daunting task of saving Europe’s priceless paintings, sculptures, and tapestries from Nazi looting. The picture on the left, taken in 1945, shows Dale V. Ford and Harry Ettlinger with a Self Portrait by Rembrandt in Heilbronn, Germany.  Watch the trailer at IMDb.com.

Expect more book-based blockbusters later in the year: Divergent opens March 14.  The Fault in Our Stars, a moving story about two teens with cancer, by Indianapolis author, John Green, arrives in June.  (Warning: the trailer may make you cry.)  A recent USA Today article talks about Esther Earl, nerdfighter, posthumous author, and Green's online friend, who died four years ago from cancer.  Esther's story, told in her own words through e-mails, diary entries, and online video posts, was just published as This Star Won't Go Out.  And then in August, Hollywood's version of The Giver, Lois Lowry's classic dystopian novel, is slated for release.

And did I mention that Gillian Flynn’s bestselling psychological thriller Gone Girl is being made into a movie starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck?  Look for it in October.

Read more about these and other upcoming movie-based flicks at BuzzFeed Books.