Help the Library Plan -- Take our Survey!

The Library Board has contracted with Kimberly Bolan and Associates to facilitate the strategic planning process as the Library works on creating a new plan for 2016 and beyond.  Part of this process includes public input via completion of a survey, online or printed.  Please help us plan our services, collections and spaces to meet the needs of our community by letting us know what you think!  Take the survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HusseyMayfield or you can pick up a paper version at any public desk at the Library.   Thank you for helping us plan our future!

What’s Cooler than Being Cool?

What’s Cooler than Being Cool?  Having a Library Card!  Get Yours Today! 

Don’t have a Library Card? Sign up for one during September and receive a free Library Book Bag (limited to the first 100 new applicants)!  

Already have a Library Card?  Find a friend who does not have one and suggest they get one during September.  The new card holder fills out a raffle chance for you and them and both of you will be entered into a raffle to win a $25 AMC Movie gift card!  Maybe you can head to see the new Peanuts Movie coming out in November!  Who doesn’t love Peanuts and all of Charles Schulz’s wonderful characters?

New library card holders and all customers are welcome to attend our interesting and fun programs and activities for youth, teens and adults. The Library gives you access to computers and wireless, free computer classes, e-books, book clubs, prizes for reading during the summer and winter reading programs, and places in which you may study, read, and chat with your neighbors. 

Stop in during September and be Cooler than Cool! Our COOL Library Staff is ready for you!

Adult September Programs

Adult Programs in September:

   There's lots to learn in September. We once again will have an impressive list of basic

computer classes,including a course on iPhone photography. Amy Mullen returns to talk about gardening in the shade, and if you've ever wanted to learn cross-stich, we have a program for that too.

    Also, should you have an old vase or painting you've always been curious about, we have an antiques appraisal

event planned.  And If your head is already full of knowledge, Trivia Night at Greek's Pizzeria will return on Monday Sept.21.

 

See you at the Library!

So You Think Your Child Is Too Boisterous for Storytime? Think Again!

A librarian was recently introduced to a young mom who had two-year-old twins. Their conversation started like this:

Librarian: "Have you taken your girls to the library for storytime?"
Mom: "Goodness, no! They won't sit for anything. They would never be able to sit through a storytime. They are definitely not ready for THAT!"

Announcement: Storytime at the library rarely involves sitting for long periods time. Children are NOT expected to be perfect students, quietly sitting criss-cross applesauce with hands in their laps and patiently waiting their turn.

Here is what you CAN expect with the various ages (and their classes):

Infants through 11 Months (Books 'n Babies): There is a great deal of singing, lap bounces, and short activities. Children generally lie on the floor in front of you, sit in your lap, or are just beginning to crawl and walk. No craft.

Ones and Twos (Tales for Tots): Expect tons of movement and very little sitting still. Key activities involve body parts, animal sounds, playing with scarves, shakers, puppets, and bubbles. We might even squeeze in a few very short books. A simple craft (gluing, stickers, coloring).

Threes through Sixes (Preschool Pals): The stories get a wee bit longer and oftentimes have a plot line; however, we intentionally sprinkle large motor activities including music and dancing in between the stories so as to help the kids channel their energy. Puppets, scarves, and a variety of props continue to be used. Usually, there is a slightly more involved craft at the end.

Storytime at the library is one of the best things you can do with your child, no matter the age. For a detailed list of how storytimes benefit your child, check out this great blog.

To sign up for a storytime, here is our Events Calendar. Go to September 2015. In the week starting September 14, simply click the storytime underlined in blue you want to sign up for and register your child. (Please sign up for only one storytime per child.)

 

53rd Annual Birthday Party Carnival

 Friday, July 31 from 5:30-7:30 PM the library will be hosting the 53rd annual Birthday Party Carnival, complete with bounce houses (weather permitting), free carnival games, face painting, and food. 

 Whole Foods Market is donating goodies for the kids, and they are donating Whole Foods Market Gift Cards to raffle off for the parents-it's truly fun for everyone!   

Join us rain or shine…hopefully not rain!  Register your family today.

Lunch Bunch Summer Book Club

Kids ages 9-12 can enjoy pizza while discussing the book, I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011.  Book club books are available for checkout at the Youth Services Reference Desk, please read the book before we meet on Thursday, July 16 at 1:00PM.  This is a quick read, so there is still time to read it!

A big thanks goes to the Friends of the Library for providing lunch!

Drop Off Backpack Attack Donations at the Library

Backpack Attack is here again!  Along with the other two Boone County Public Libraries in Thorntown and Lebanon, and among 25+ locations, the Hussey-Mayfield Library is again a drop-off site for school supplies for the United Way of Central Indiana’s Backpack Attack.  Collection boxes are located near the main entrance on both public floors and school supplies may be dropped off between Thursday, June 18th and Monday, July 13th.  Students from all 10 elementary schools and 7 middle / high schools in Boone County will receive backpacks filled with school supplies to help them begin school this fall with some of the school supplies they need to be successful.

Backpacks have already been donated and it’s the fun stuff to put inside them that is needed now.  Priority items include:

•    Loose-leaf notebook paper
•    Spiral notebooks (no college-rule)
•    1” 3-ring binders
•    Dry-erase markers (black & blue)
•    #2 pencils
•    Scissors
•    Yellow highlighters




 

Also needed:

•    Colored pencils  (12-count)
•    Crayons (24-count)
•    Washable markers
•    Glue sticks
•    2-pocket folders
•    Plastic pencil boxes
•    Index cards

There are several opportunities to volunteer with the Boone County Backpack Attack in July and August.  Call Katie Hedge at (765) 894-1686 for more information or use the mysignupgenius website to sign up.







So, while you’re out shopping in the next few weeks, pick up some extra school supplies as outlined above and drop them off at the Hussey-Mayfield Library to be put in backpacks for kids who need them.  If you have questions about Backpack Attack, please contact Boone County Backpack Intern Katie Hedge at (765) 894-1686 or Katie.Hedge@uwci.org.

Inspiring Real Life Heroes for Children to Read About!

This summer, children might be interested in reading about ordinary people who have a big voice.  Whether it is the audacity to ask questions, the need to stand up for injustice, the courage to persist in impossible situations, or maybe it is the need to help someone-heroes take many different forms and often have an interesting story to share; the Summer Reading them is, after all, Every Hero has a Story!  Here are some real, high-interest stories you might like to share with your family.

Picture Books to share

Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand- This rhyming picture book tells the amazing story of a four year old child with cancer who decides to raise money to help herself and others.  This summer, your child might like to participate in Alex's Lemonade Days to fight childhood cancer one cup at a time!

On a Beam of Light- This simple biography about Albert Einstein teaches us that sometimes it is important to ask questions. You might also like to read about The Librarian who Measured the Earth; he certainly liked to ask questions, too!

Wangari Maathai appreciated the trees as she grew up in Africa and noticed as she got older that the trees were gone and the land was changing.  She started planting Trees of Peace, which created Seeds of Change across the land.

The Boy who Loved Math didn't know how to butter his own bread, but he was able to solve math problems that others couldn't, and he was certainly willing to share his gift of math knowledge with the world!



Who Says Women Can't be Doctors?  A lot of people did a long time ago until Elizabeth Blackwell paved the way for women.  She believed in herself, worked very hard and changed society.



For the Middle Grade Readers 
(Some of these books have topics that may be difficult for young readers to handle)

The Who Was? series is a great way to introduce children to biographies about interesting and important people.  They are high interest books and there are many to choose from. See which ones might be interesting for your family!  

Thinking Differently was frowned upon by Steve Jobs' teachers; he did not do well in school.  He had many failures in his life, but he did not succumb to failure, rather he turned those failures into great successes! 

Bill and Melinda Gates are also in the computer industry and they have donated at least 26.2 million dollars to education, libraries, and global development.  You might be interested in reading more about their philanthropy.  

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition) tells the story of one girl who wanted to go to school.  Her right to go to school was taken away by the Taliban, but she did not let this injustice destroy her belief in humanity. She stood up against the Taliban and spoke out for her right.  Her story of standing up for herself and for girls everywhere is a true inspiration; some topics you should be aware of that are in this book are war, violence, and terrorism.



Bethany Hamilton's story of survival is an inspiring one!  She has to face the challenges of losing an arm after a shark attack.  She does not give up on herself and she figures out how to overcome. 

Do You Want to Help Set a World Record?

Has it been your deepest desire to set a world record?  Or be part of a team that challenges a Guinness World Record?  If so, then the Hancock County Public Library in Greenfield, IN has an offer you don't want to miss!  HCPL is trying to set a new World Record for the most people balancing a book on their heads at the same time!  The current record is 998 people so they are looking for at least 999 people to help them break the record!  What a great goal for a public library – do you want to help them set a new World Record?

Join others at the Greenfield Central High School football field at 810 North Broadway in Greenfield on Saturday, May 30th at 10 AM and plan to stay a couple of hours as the attempt to break the record comes together.  Check out the flyer for details about registering and what to bring with you to help set a new World Record and be recorded in the next edition of the Guinness Book of Records!  

Youth Summer Reading explained to Parents!

Hours, Books, or days—what do I choose?  If your children have never participated in our youth summer reading program, or if you have ever felt overwhelmed by the choices, please join us Monday, June 1 at 10:30 AM or 6:30 PM and we would love to explain the program to you!  You will learn how to get the most out of the HMMPL Summer Reading Program for your child and a librarian will be available to answer all of your questions.  Children may attend with you, but this program is geared towards parents.  Please register!

Busy Bags - Thursday, May 21 from 6:30 to 8:30pm

Busy Bags are small, portable, manipulative activities for toddlers and/or preschoolers. Some help with fine motor skills, others teach pre-literacy skills, and others are just a fun and quiet distraction to help pass time. 

The Busy Bag program is an adult-only program; there is no childcare. This is because it takes almost two hours to assemble all the activity bags that you will take home with you at the end of the evening.

If you sign up for Busy Bags, you are asked to either be a member or become a member of the Friends of the Library (individual membership is $10/year; family membership is $20/year). This membership helps offset the cost of supplies for the Busy Bags and also allows you to be part of a great organization. Friends' dues go toward helping fund library programs and grants. Also, if you choose, you may volunteer to staff Friends events and/or voice opinions on how best to support the Library.  

Sign up here or by calling Youth Services at 873-8342. Registration is limited to 12 adults. (No children.)

National Pet Week Collection for TheraPets of Indiana

Sunday, May 3 through Saturday, May 9 is National Pet Week. To celebrate, bring in a donation for TheraPets of Indiana (www.therapetsofindiana.org). These pups faithfully visit our library every month for our PAWS to Read program and are very active at St. Vincent Hospitals. 

A collection box will be at the Youth Services Reference Desk. Suggested items include gift cards, dog toys, and Milk-Bone brand dog biscuits.

May Adult Programs

This May, take some time away from revving up the lawn mower and swimsuit shopping to join us at the Library for some great programs. First up, the Just the Facts Nonfiction Book Club still meets the first Tuesday of every month, and the Knitting Club still gathers on the second Saturday. Harley Sheets will be here on Saturday May 9 at 2 PM to talk about historic postcards, and will appraise any postcard collections customers have brought (many of Harley's Zionsville postcards are currently in the display windows at both entrances). Caleb Quick of Morgan Stanley will return to talk about securing your retirement via Social Security at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, May 12. For genealogy buffs, certified genealogist Betty Warren will demonstrate advanced research techniques in her Advanced Ancestry class on Tues., May 19 at 6 PM (this class is recommended for those who have taken Betty's previous class or at least know the basics of Ancestry.com). You can register for any of these events either by clicking on the hyperlinks or calling us at 873 8341.
See you at the Library!

My Library Card Expired?! Now What?

If you have received an email that says your Evergreen library card will expire soon, don't worry, this process is simple and routine.  Every two years we have to make sure your information in the Evergreen system is accurate and up-to-date.  Just like a routine check-up at the doctor's office, it is quick and painless, and you will likely even keep the same card.

To renew your account, just bring in your Evergreen library card, your I.D. with your current address listed, and yourself to one of the Circulation desks.  The friendly Circulation worker will ask to see your I.D. and to verify your phone number and e-mail address… That’s it, you are done!  Your account will be renewed for another two years.

Why should you renew your library account?  You are not able to renew library materials past your account’s expiration date, so you will want to make sure to update your account.  Also, if your account has expired, you will not be able to use library computers, access Overdrive, Freegal, Rocket Languages, or any of the other online databases that the library has to offer.  That’s why it is important that you don’t delay when the time comes to renew your library account.

Have questions about renewing your library account?  Contact the Circulation Department at circ@zionsvillelibrary.org or 317-873-8340.

We've Got Your Fitness Needs Covered

Your Library has a collection of over 400 fitness DVDs! 

We try our best to have a wide variety of choices.  From chair exercises to advanced (makes you sweat just to look at it), there's a DVD for your situation.  

How do you find just the right one for you?  Of course, the catalog is the most comprehensive resource.  But, if you want to browse, the Fitness DVD Collection binder is here to help.  The binder is located on top of the book case that holds the DVDs.  It has four sections.

• The first section has the DVDs listed in Dewey Decimal order, just as they're found on the shelf. 
• The second section is by title. Do you know the title of your favorite DVD?  Find its location in this section.
• The third section is by presenter.  Do you love Jari Love?  If you like a particular presenter, this section has all of their DVDs listed together. 
• The fourth section has them grouped by keyword.  Do you want to exercise with kettle bells?  Or what about step aerobics?  From abdominal exercises to vinyasa yoga, and every topic in between, we have something for you.

Our goal is to have the DVDs that fit your fitness needs.  If we don't have a particular DVD that you want, leave a suggestion in our box by the binder.

The Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Book Award

 

The first annual Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Book Award nominees have been announced!  The purpose of this award is to encourage parents, caregivers, and very young children to interact together with exceptional picture books.  These exceptional books promote at least three of the five early literacy skills: reading, writing, singing, talking and playing.

And the nominees are…
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett and Kevin Cornell
Don’t Push the Button by Bill Cotter
Tiptoe Joe by Ginger Foglesong Gibson
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
Pouch by David Ezra Stein
Let’s Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas
Mix it Up! By Herve Tullet

Children who are under age 6 as of May 10, 2015 may vote for the 2015 Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award. It is expected that most children will require help from a parent. Children should stop by the library to look at the books and circle their favorite Firefly Nominee on the ballot, then turn it into HMMPL's Youth Services Reference Desk. Children may vote one time.

The Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award is an initiative of the Indiana Center for the Book, which promotes interest in reading, writing, literacy, libraries, and Indiana's literary heritage by sponsoring events and serving as an information resource at the state and local level.

Put a Poem in Your Pocket!

Mark your calendars. Next Thursday, April 30, is Poem in Your Pocket Day, the lyrical finale of National Poetry Month.

How does it work? Easy. Just copy a poem and put it in your pocket. (The Library has a great collection of poetry books to choose from.) Or compose your own verse. On Thursday, April 30, slip the poem in your pocket. And then? Read it, speak it, tweet it (#pocketpoem), repeat it. Share it with your friends or your local librarian. (She/he will be proud of you!) Memorize it. Slam it, jam it. Own it. Love it.

Click here to read the poem I'm putting in my pocket.

To add poetry to your life EVERYDAY, register for Poem-A-Day at Poets.org.

Young poets (ages 8 - 12) should also mark their calendars for the Library's Poetry Reader'sTheater, a fun evening of drama and poetry, Monday, April 27, from 4 - 5:15 PM.

Money Smart Week

It's Money Smart Week at the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library. April 19 thru April 26, you can drop into the Library on the second floor to pick up some brochures full of money-saving tips, from managing debt to hiring a contractor.
    
We also have a couple of great programs on financial management coming up. On Tues., April 28 at 6:30 PM, Caleb Quick of Morgan Stanley will be here to advise on setting up a 529 college savings plan. He will return on Tues. May 12 at 6:30 to talk about securing your retirement via Social Security. Please register by clicking on the hyperlinks or calling us at 873-8341.  See you at the Library!

National Library Week

    April 12 - 18 is National Library Week! We are celebrating our love of libraries by giving patrons a chance to win great stuff. Adult patrons can enter a drawing for a chance to win a basket full of fun and/or delicious prizes. There is a separate basket for library users between grades 6 thru 12. Even better, you can fill out a different entry slip every day of the week, since NLW lasts for seven days. Our younger patrons can enter a "Guess How Many" contest, where they guess how many youth items we check-out in the month of April.

    Speaking of libraries, tomorrow, April 15 is National Bookmobile Day! The history of bookmobiles is more interesting than you might think. Click here.

Summer Volunteer Applications Available for Teens

For the past three months adults and teens alike have been asking when Teen Volunteer Corps applications will be available.  I am happy to say that applications are at the reference desks on the first and second floor.

For those of you unaware of this much-anticipated program, students currently in grade 6 and up pass out summer reading prizes, sign people up for summer reading, answer questions, as well as shelve materials and help keep the Library tidy.  Each student will be scheduled for one two-hour shift per week for eight weeks and will be required to attend a two-hour training session with a one hour focus on customer service skills.  

We understand families go out of town for vacations and camps and we think that's great! We are happy to work around scheduled vacations and camps.  We just ask that volunteers make up any missed shifts.  We will show students how to do this during training and can remind them at any time during the summer if needed.  Plus, each student gets a free shirt, which will get your child used to wearing a uniform.

Applications are due Friday, May 1st and are available on our website or in the library. 

Until All the Pieces Fit...

 
What do you think of when you see a puzzle piece?  For the legion of families dealing with autism, it means that all the pieces are not fitting together the way they should.  Thankfully we have come far from theories like "refrigerator mothers", but we have a long way to go.

April is Autism Awareness Month.  Many good people are working to find the cure to this disorder, and some have found their "cure".  The fact that each person does not fall in line with everyone else, is demonstrated by the name of Autism Spectrum disorder.  There are a wide variety of people with autism, and no two are alike.  This is what can make autism so baffling; what works for one person doesn't work for another.

One of the best-known people with autism is Temple Grandin.  She wrote "The Autistic Brain: Helping Different Kinds of Minds Succeed".  In this book she argues that "raising and educating kids on the autism spectrum must focus on their long-overlooked strengths to foster their unique contributions."  Her theory is that if all we do is focus on weaknesses, we overlook strengths that can be utilized to help individuals with autism lead productive lives.

From half a world away in Japan comes the book "The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a 13-year-old boy with Autism".  The author, Naoki Higashida is able to communicate through typing.  This book takes a question-and answer format, with the questions coming from his co-author, David Mitchell. Naoki communicates insights that are often unknown by family members of non-verbal autistic individuals.  Even those who can verbalize may not have the self-awareness that Naoki possesses.

Going from the topic of "what is autism" to "how can we make it better" brings us to the book "Autism Revolution: Whole-Body Strategies for Making Life All It Can Be" by Martha Herbert, MD, Phd.  Herbert is an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard.

Dr. Herbert believes that there are many treatments that can restore health to those with autism.  Although autism often reveals itself in stereotypical behaviors, it is at its root a physical disorder.  Autism comes about in a perfect storm of seemingly unrelated events, which she believes can be unraveled and improved through nutrition, reducing toxic exposures and limiting stress. 

Today there are more options available to improve the lives of those on the autism spectrum than any other time in history.  These individuals are stepping out of the shadows and into the light of lives lived to their fullest potential.

To find our collection of books on Autism, go to 616.85882 and look for the ducks pictured above.