Selections, v. 3 n. 5

  sun logo Selections

The newsletter of the Sarasota County Library System

 ~ September 2008 ~ Volume 3, Issue 5

Read Selections online each month or sign up here to have it delivered to you by email.


In this Issue:

This month's issue is brought
to you in honor of
Sarasota County's own
Sustainability Month,
National Hispanic Heritage Month
and Library Card Sign-up Month.

Hispanic Heritage Month logo

 

 

Local Library News:

Sarasota County Libraries Host Second Annual Sustainability Month

Do you know what Sustainability is? Sustainability, among many other things, is the responsible use, reuse and recycling of our natural resources. That includes not consuming them at a faster rate than they can be replaced.

The Sarasota County Library System is inviting residents and visitors to turn "green" intentions into positive actions during the numerous events to be held during the libraries’ annual SustainAbility Month in September. Experts from Sarasota County government agencies, academia, private businesses, environmental organizations and others will present practical tips to reduce negative environmental impacts on the planet and set a sustainable stage for future generations.

Several programs will be featured at the county’s eight libraries, including how-to sessions for building an inexpensive backyard compost box, stretching a food budget, properly applying fertilizer and more. A panel discussion with county planners will illustrate how people and places can create sustainable prosperity. Extension Services and Sustainable Sarasota will introduce “carbon footprint” concepts and distribute free EnergyStar fluorescent light bulbs.

Youth departments will feature a Save the Environment program for preschoolers and distribute a limited number of Florida native tree seedlings to families. New library card applicants will receive a sustainability start-up kit, including a car litterbag from Keep Sarasota County Beautiful filled with sustainability literature from various county agencies.

“The library is listening to the community and supporting its values of environmental preservation and sustained quality of life,” said Greg Carlson, manager of Jacaranda Public Library. “Sustainability Month was a great success last year and we expect it will continue to grow in future years.”

Home Depot and Publix Super Markets are providing support for SustainAbility Month programs and services.

For more information, visit the Libraries' Sustainability Month site, http://sclibs.net/sustainability.aspx,
and contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000
and ask about Sustainability Month at Sarasota County Libraries.


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Staff Picks:

This month's picks were made by Sarasota County staff and community members for Sustainability Month.

(Click the book covers to search the library catalog.)


Plan B 2.0:
Rescuing a Planet Under Stress
and a Civilization in Trouble
by Lester Brown


Where Once There Was a Wood
by Denise Fleming


Superbia!:
31 Ways to Create
Sustainable Neighborhoods
by Dan Chiras and Dave Wann


Just a Dream
by Chris Van Allsburg


Natural Capitalism:
Creating the
Next Industrial Revolution
by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins
and L. Hunter Lovins


Low Carbon Diet:
A 30-Day Program
to Lose 5,000 Pounds
by David Gershon


Natural Florida Landscaping
by Dan Walton and Laurel Schiller


Sustainable Living for Dummies
by Michael Grosvenor


Cradle to Cradle:
Remaking the Way
We Make Things
by William McDonough and
Michael Braungart

 

Read more about each title in this month's picks--including comments from the selectors--here.


 

National Library News:

Picture of Sarasota County Library card

Get the Smartest Card @ Your Library®

September is Library Card Sign-up Month, and the library wants to make sure that your child has the smartest card of all--a library card! 

Studies show that children who are read to in the home and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

A library card has always been the most important school supply of all. Children can come to the library to get homework help and check out books, but they can also check out free music, DVDs and use the Internet to make after school life a little more fun. There’s a lot happening at your local library.

A recent study by the American Library Association also showed that families use libraries to spend time together. Forty-four percent of survey respondents report taking their children to the library for this reason.

Library Card Sign–up Month began in 1987 to meet the challenge of then Secretary of Education William J. Bennett who said, "Let's have a national campaign...every child should obtain a library card--and use it." Since then, thousands of public and school libraries join each fall in a national effort to ensure every child does just that. 

For more information on how you can sign up for your library card, visit your local Sarasota County Library. See the library’s Web site at http://www.sclibs.net/Libraries/Hours.aspx for addresses, hours and phone numbers for all library locations.

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52 Ways to Use Your Library Card
(1 for each week of the year)

1. Get to know your librarian--the ultimate search engine @ your library.
2. Update your MySpace page.
3. Research new job opportunities.
4. Find a list of childcare centers in your area.
5. Learn about local candidates for office.
6. Pick up voter registration information.
7. Check out your favorite graphic novel.
8. Pick up a DVD.
9. Get wireless computer access.
10. Participate in a community forum. 
11. Find out how to navigate the Internet.
12. Prepare your resume.
13. Get new ideas for redecorating your house.
14. Get a list of community organizations.
15. Attend a lecture or workshop.
16. Hear a local author reading his/her latest novel.
17. Join a book discussion group.
18. Attend preschool story hour with your child.
19. Get homework help.
20. Look up all kinds of health information.
21. Research the purchase of a new car.
22. Trek to another planet in a Sci-Fi novel.
23. Call the reference desk if you have a question.
24. Research your term paper.
25. Learn about the history or your city or town.
26. Decide which computer to buy using a consumer guide.
27. Check your stock portfolio.
28. Borrow an audiobook for your next road trip or commute.
29. Use the library’s resources to start a small business.
30. See a new art exhibit.
31. Volunteer as a literacy tutor.
32. Find a new recipe.
33. Ask for a recommended reading list for your kids.
34. Make photocopies.
35. Get a book from interlibrary loan.
36. Enroll your child in a summer reading program.
37. Take a computer class.
38. Hear a poetry reading.
39. Read the latest fashion magazine.
40. Enjoy a concert.
41. Trace your family tree.
42. Check out a special collection of rare books.
43. Check out a legal question or issue.
44. Find out how to file a consumer complaint.
45. Learn about home improvement.
46. Borrow some sheet music.
47. Learn how to use a database or computerized catalog.
48. Find the latest romance paperback.
49. Pick up tax forms.
50. Connect with other people in the community.
51. Find a quiet spot: curl up with a book and enjoy.
52. Read a newspaper from another country or city.


How do you use your library card?

Let us know!: http://www.sclibs.net/comments.aspx

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Community Connection:

Photography Contest
for Teens and
Young Adults


Young Adults--11 to 18 years old--enter the Sustainability Month Teen Photography Contest until
Sept. 12, 2008!

More details are available on the Planet Teen website: http://www.sclibs.net/teens/
2008photocontest.aspx.

The photography contest encourages students to observe their local environment and the habits of humans within the community of Sarasota County. Teens are encouraged to make a statement about sustainability by taking a picture of one thing that is right about our environment and another picture of something people are doing wrong with the environment. 

Kids and teens are more in touch with current issues than adults often realize, and the environment is a top priority for America's youth right now. As our society is growing more focused on environmental sustainability issues, we are also coming to realize the significance of the visual and graphic arts. 

More research is being done regarding the influences of visual images on individuals and society, and researchers are finding that visual communication may be just as significant as verbal or written communication. By making impressions with images, these teens have the chance to speak out to their community.

Vote for your favorite contest photo entry from Sept. 13 through Sept. 18.

Winners will be posted
on Planet Teen on Sept. 19.

 

Events:


Sustainability Month Events at
Sarasota County Libraries

During September, Sarasota County libraries will host exhibits, events, lectures and movies about conserving resources and reducing our ecological footprint. A complete list of events can be found at the library's Sustainability Month website, http://sclibs.net/sustainability.aspx.

Sustainability experts from Sarasota County Extension, Sarasota County Environmental Services, Sarasota County Neighborhood Services and others will host presentations on environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Check out these great events happening at your local library!

People, Places and Planning for Prosperity
Three vital Sarasota County departments, Neighborhood Services, Health Department and Planning and Development Services come together to discuss elements of sustainable communities. Don’t miss this fascinating conversation with the folks who plan how we grow. Audience Q and A to follow presentation.

Compost 101
Learn how to build and benefit from your own compost box. Master Gardeners and Home Depot® will demonstrate this project using inexpensive materials. 

Measure Your Carbon Footprint
Measure your impact on global warming and join your neighbors in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Complete a carbon footprint survey, sign a pledge to take action and receive a free compact fluorescent bulb while supplies last. UF/IFAS Extension Services along with Nina Powers of Sustainable Sarasota will be your guides.

Stretch your Food Dollar
UF/IFAS Extension Services offers a smorgasbord of strategies and recommendations on how to reduce the amount of money you spend on food. Participants will receive a packet of best practices, including ‘stretch your food dollar’ recipes.

Save the Environment: Preschool Storytime
Children learn environmental awareness and conservation through interactive songs, puppet shows, crafts and games. Sarasota County Forestry has donated Florida native tree seedlings for distributing to attendees while supplies last.

Find more events on the library website:
search for events by library, by date and by name.

To learn more contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000 and ask about Sustainability Month at Sarasota County Libraries.

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Featured Stories:

Hispanic Heritage Month logo

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Your Library

In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage week.

In 1988, the celebration of the cultures and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean was expanded to last from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.

Críticas Magazine creates an annual list of top choices for books and videos for Hispanic Heritage Month.

See the entire list at Críticas 
or find these suggested titles at your Sarasota County Library:

For adults:

-- Ayude a sus hijos a triunfar en la escuela secundaria y llegar a la universidad (Help Your Children Succeed in High School and Go to College) by Mariela Dabbah

-- De cómo las muchachas Garcia perdieron el acento (How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent) by Julia Alvarez

--