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 Selections
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The newsletter of the Sarasota County Library System |
~ May 2010 ~ Volume 5, Issue 2 | |
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Read Selections online each month or sign up here to have it delivered to you by email.
If you have difficulty reading the newsletter in your email, read this issue here. |
In this Issue:
This month's issue
is brought to you by the
Youth Services staff
to highlight this year's
Summer Reading Program.
Staff Picks:
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Book Club in a Bag
Looking for something to keep you or your kids busy over the summer? How about a book discussion group?
Sarasota County Libraries owns over 100 Book Club Bags. Each kit contains 10 copies of a single title that can be checked out for eight weeks. Gather a group of friends together to read and discuss the books.
Titles for children and teens include “The Lightning Thief,” “Stone Fox,” and “Hoot.” Titles for adults include: “No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency,” “West of Then,” and “ “Kite Runner.”
Learn more about
Book Club Bags at sclibs.net/bookclubbags.aspx.
May's Literary Birthdays
May 15 – L. Frank Baum
May 22 – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
May 23 – Margaret Wise Brown
May 27 – Rachel Carson | |
Events:
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2010 Summer Reading Program:
"Make a Splash – READ!"
& "Make Waves @ Your Library!"
 
An exciting summer is planned for preschool and school age children that include story programs, guest speakers, art workshops, theater performances, storytellers and more!
Program information will be available at your community library, or check the library calendar at sclibs.net for summer events, activities and programs during June, July and August.
Older children and teens are invited to participate in the "Make Waves @ Your Library Summer Reading Program"--a great lineup of programs, and workshops are planned.
Younger readers will set their reading goals and complete a reading log in the "Make a Splash--READ!" program. There will be lots of story programs, craft programs, special guests, performances and much, much more!
The State of Florida provides planning tools and resources for the Florida Library Youth Program through a federal grant. Once again, this year we are participating in the Collaborative Summer Reading Program. Participating libraries all over the United States will be using the "Make a Splash–READ!" and "Make Waves @ Your Library" themes. So, if you are traveling around the country this summer, you will find many other children and teens involved in similar programs.
The Benefits of Summer Reading for Children and Teens
Summer is a time to enjoy reading, when children and teens can catch up on all of their favorite books and authors. Younger children who participate in the library’s summer reading programs are provided reading logs so they can track the number of days they spend reading and also record the titles of the books they have read or listened to.
Experts agree that those who read during the summer while school is not in session gain valuable reading skills. According to studies, those who do not stay mentally active during the summer risk losing what they learned during the previous school year.
The goals of the summer reading programs are to create lifelong readers and library users. The value of the public library and the services that are offered are emphasized. It is an opportunity for children to explore the wealth of information and fun that is waiting in a friendly, encouraging atmosphere. The programs will help to expand young readers’ knowledge of the world, while enhancing literacy skills.
For more information about the value and benefits of summer reading programs, click here. |
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Second Sunday Family Programs
Sarasota County Libraries are listening!
You asked for activities to do with your child at the library on weekends, not just weekdays.
We are excited to announce that a family program of stories and activities will be offered on the 2nd Sunday of every month at 2 p.m. at Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Public Library, 4143 Woodmere Park Boulevard. The May program will be May 9, which is Mother’s Day. All are welcome and no registration is required.
For more information about the Second Sunday Family program, call 941-861-1260. | |
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National Library News:
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Children’s Book Week 2010: May 10–16
“A Great Nation is a Reading Nation”
Children’s Book Week (CBW) is May 10-16, 2010. According to the Children’s Book Council, CBW is "a celebration of the written word, Children's Book Week introduces young people to new authors and ideas in schools, libraries, homes and bookstores. Through Children's Book Week, the Children's Book Council encourages young people and their caregivers to discover the complexity of the world beyond their own experience through books."
Since 1919, CBW has celebrated children’s books and the love of reading. Franklin K. Mathiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, first proposed a Children’s Book Week in 1913 to promote higher standards in children’s books. He worked with Frederic G. Melcher, a visionary editor of Publisher’s Weekly, and Anne Carroll Moore, from New York Public Library, and sponsored a Good Book Week in 1916. In 1944, the Children’s Book Council was established and assumed responsibility for administering CBW. In 2008, responsibility for planning events and creating original materials was transferred to Every Child a Reader, the philanthropic arm of the children’s publishing industry.
If you'd like to celebrate CBW, the Children’s Book Week website has bookmarks you can download and activities for children and teens. | |
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Local Library News
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Wham! Zot! Ka-POW! Free Comic Book Day Returns!
For the fourth year running, the Sarasota County Library System will be participating in the annual Free Comic Book Day. This exciting event started off as a modest collaboration between North Sarasota library and a small local business,and has since expanded to become a popular system-wide happening that introduces kids of all ages to the comic book art form.
Free Comic Book Day started as an independent promotional event in 2002 at a California comic shop. In the years that have followed, the event has spread nationwide. These days, several major and indie comic publishers (including Marvel, DC, Bongo, and Dark Horse) have jumped on board to create dozens of special giveaway issues that are handed out by the armload on the first Saturday in May. The event is often tied to the release of a summer comic-themed movie, such as this year’s "Iron Man II."
Educators and libraries sometimes partner with a local business to spread the fun even more. Our partnership started with Pop Comics and Games, which has sadly gone out of business. The collaboration continues, however, with our enthusiastic new partner, The Dark Side Comics.
We all know how important graphic novels have become in the publishing industry. Lists of the best comics and manga are regularly featured in "Library Journal" and "Publishers Weekly," while superhero-themed movies have become annual blockbuster events.
Free Comic Book Day continues the excitement, bringing in kids and parents on the first Saturday in May for a great time and a bag of free books!
The schedule for Free Comic Book Day at Sarasota County Libraries is available here.
Elect to Read!
Sarasota County’s “One Book, One Community” program is back and now YOU get to pick the book! Make your voice heard by voting for a classic or contemporary book at ballot boxes in any Sarasota County Library, Borders Bookstore or online at onebooksarasota.com.
Voting started on April 15 and will continue until May 22. You may choose from any of the following titles: “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, “The Book Thief” by Marcus Zusak, “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, and “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich.
Vote now for your choice!
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Community Connection:
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Teaching Character Education with Picture Books
Youth services staff from Elsie Quirk Library, Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Library, North Port Library and Venice Library cooperatively planned and presented a workshop entitled “Teaching Character Education with Picture Books” at Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Library on February 23, 2010.
Eighteen preschool teachers and directors attended the workshop, as well as youth services staff and library managers. The workshop provided ideas and resources for using picture books to teach children about bullying, caring, cooperation, kindness, respect and sharing. The group learned new songs, finger plays, and action rhymes, and also went home with patterns for related crafts.
The Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County partnered with libraries and assisted in facilitating the workshop. Continuing education credits were available to those who attended. Thank you to the Windsor of Venice for providing a free boxed dinner for all participants.
After discussion at the workshop, groups selected their favorite character trait picture books:
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Featured Internet Sites:
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Florida Memory Project
http://www.floridamemory.com
The State of Florida is required to keep a collection of archives that includes photographs, original documents, private manuscripts and other materials that pertain to the history of Florida. These primary source documents are available online at the Florida Memory Project website. You can see photographs, film and videos, listen to folk music or take an interactive tour of the history of Florida.
Mothers
Create a unique gift for someone special (Mother’s Day is May 9) or make a sign for an upcoming event at www.wordle.com. This unique site lets you create a word cloud that can be printed. A lot of fun for all ages. Try it! You will be hooked.
Are you making a presentation for Mother’s Day? Try these sites for background information or quotes about mothers:
Need ideas for making a special gift, an electronic card to send or a mother’s day poem? Visit holidays.kaboose.com/
mothers-day. The Kaboose site is a great place to find great ideas, crafts, games and activities throughout the year. A great site for parents, grandparents, caregivers and teachers.
Featured Databases:
Picture Book Index
A new search tool--the Picture Book Index--is now available from SUNCAT, the online catalog. This is a great tool for parents, teachers and caregivers who are looking for picture books related to a subject or theme. Select a subject to search from an alphabetical list, and you will be linked to the tiles available in the Sarasota County Library System.
Give it a try!
Mango Languages
If you would like to keep up on your foreign language skills, are taking a trip to another country and want to brush up on basic language skills, or if you are new to the United States and want to improve your English, the library has a wonderful new resource for you to use. Mango Languages is available on the library computers and from your PC at home with your Sarasota County Library card. This is an online resource for learning basic and complete languages. Languages available include Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Greek, Russian, Hebrew, Irish, and more!
To access the program go to the Sarasota County Website at sclibs.net, and click on Electronic Information Resources. Scroll down or choose M for Mango, and click on Mango Languages.
If you plan on taking a course it is a good idea to create an account, but you can just enter by skipping the login procedure. Choose a language course and you’re on your way.
Have you tried these other new databases that can be accessed from the library or from home?
Tutor.com: Get an online tutor. Find a resource 24/7. Free academic and career resources and tutoring for students and adults. K-12 and College age students can get help with homework, studying, projects, essay writing and test prep in every subject, including algebra, statistics, chemistry, physics, social studies and English. Adults can get help with resume writing, GED prep, and academic support. All sessions are online and one-to-one with a live tutor.
Chilton Library: Photographs, diagnostics, and step-by-step repair procedures for cars, trucks and more.
Learning Express Library: Practice tests, exercises, skill-building courses and information you need to succeed.
Newsbank: Search local newspapers including the Sarasota Herald Tribune, Venice Gondolier and the Englewood Sun Herald.
Find these databases and others on the library's Electronic Information Resources page: sclibs.net/resources.aspx
Movies About Mothers
“Joy Luck Club”
"Parenthood”
“Dumbo”
“Mr. Mom”
“Mother”
“Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead”
“My Mother’s Castle” | |
Featured Stories:
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Llamas on Leashes at the Library
Over 300 people attended Fruitville Public Library's Celebrate Nature! event on Saturday, April 10, 2010, featuring garden exhibits and activities and live farm animals. The Sarasota County 4-H Club, the Friends of the Fruitville Public Library and the Sarasota Master Gardeners hosted the outdoor program in the library's Reading Garden and adjacent field.
Children and their families were delighted to meet friendly pet therapy llamas, ride horses, and see sheep, goats, a cow, a blue-tongued lizard, and a bunny, all raised by area 4-H families. Inside the library's Reading Garden there were displays on gardening, vermiculture and butterflies as well as on marine, animal and water conservation.
Sporting signs--"It's not just about the animals"--4-H girls who designed their own wardrobes gave informative fashion shows. For the youngest children attending, a nature storytime was also held in the Reading Garden cottage.
The Friends of the Fruitville Public Library provided free popcorn to the appreciative crowd and distributed information on the many ways they support the library's programs.
This popular outdoor event kicked off National Library Week in the Sarasota County Library System. The theme of this year's celebration of libraries was "Communities Thrive @ Your Library."
Get Caught Reading Month
May is Get Caught Reading Month, a nationwide campaign to remind people of all ages how much fun it is to read. Will you Get Caught Reading?
Research indicates that early language experience stimulates a child's brain to grow and that reading to children gives them a huge advantage when they start school.
The Association of American Publishers promotes the campaign with some of these well-known figures: Former First Lady Laura Bush, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Donald Duck, Whoopi Goldberg, Derek Jeter, Dolly Parton, The Rugrats, Sammy Sosa, and Spider Man. They have all been "caught reading" their favorite books and magazines. Look for the celebrity posters @ the Get Caught Reading website at getcaughtreading.org.
Fantasy Book Club for Tweens
Last spring, as a result of a community partnership with a home schooling group, Jacaranda Public Library began a book club for tweens. Eight to ten regular members eagerly read and returned each week for discussions.
At the meetings, excerpts from books are read aloud, discussed and compared to movie versions when available. So far books discussed include: “Midnight for Charlie Bone” by Jenny Nimmo, “Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” by C.S. Lewis, “Inkheart” by Cornelia Funke and several more books. The group went on a field trip to see “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and took the online quiz to compare the book to movie. The members also contributed to the Sarasota County web site by submitting journal entries on Planet Teen.
This summer the book club will read and discuss “Magyk” by Angie Sage, “Dragon Rider” by Cornelia Funke, “Time Travelers” by Linda Buckley-Archer, and “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeline L’engle, to name but a few. Another field trip to see the new Harry Potter movie is planned, as well as a bowling party.
Art Club at Gulf Gate Library
The Gulf Gate Library Youth Department just finished its first year of the art club. The classes were taught by Michelle Moss of Sheldon Arts who taught at Gulf Gate and other libraries last summer. The club met one Saturday per month with 4 sessions on per day, each for a different age group from 4 to 18. There were around 25 children per session.
The art club was underwritten by the Friends of Gulf Gate Library so the program was free to the participants. The purpose of the club was to explore different techniques used by artists to portray their world. All age groups explored the same techniques with different degrees of complexity. The club has studied techniques ranging from the yarn pictures of the Huichol Indians of Mexico to plant material as stencils for wrapping paper.
To end the school year and in honor of Earth Day, the art club members were introduced to Recycle Art. They used Styrofoam and leftovers from prior classes such as paper plates, pipe cleaners, straws and yarn to make their own sculptures. There were dragon and robots as well as birds and fish going out of the door. No matter the age of the student or the technique explored, everyone had fun at each meeting! |
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Reference Question of the Month:
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I just read a book about the Titanic. Is it still the biggest passenger ship in the world?
The Titanic, operated by the White Star Lines, was launched May 31, 1911, completed on March 31, 1912, and made its maiden voyage on April 10, 1912. The ship sank on April 15, 1912, after hitting an iceberg off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Canada. At the time it was the largest ship in the world. It was 882 feet and 9 inches in length, the height was 175 feet, tonnage was 46,328 tons and had 9 decks.
Today, the Oasis of the Seas, built in 2009, makes the Titanic look like a dingy! The Oasis is 1,181 feet, has a tonnage of 225,282 tons, the height is 236 feet and has 16 decks. It is operated by Royal Caribbean International. Currently, under construction is a sister ship called the Allure of the Seas which will be the same size as the Oasis, also operated by Royal Caribbean.
To find out more about The Titanic and other ships, visit your library's nonfiction shelves at call number 910.916 and 623.8.
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Your Feedback:
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What is your favorite fiction genre?
Do you like mysteries, romance, science fiction or something else entirely?
We'd like to know what you like to read!
Send email* to librarywebmaster@scgov.net (write "Selections" in the
subject line)
or
submit your favorite genre using the "Your Comments" page on the library website.
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| ** Important Notice Regarding privacy and e-mail.SB 80 effective July 1, 2006: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead contact this office by phone or in writing. | |
Your Sarasota County Libraries are on Facebook and Twitter.
 
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Volunteer Spotlight:
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Elsie Quirk Star Award
The Friends of Elsie Quirk Library recently held their annual volunteer appreciation luncheon during which an announcement of the “Star Award” winner was made. The award is given each year to a library board or staff member, or a library volunteer. The winner for 2010 was volunteer art instructor Carolyn Johnston, who offers a basic art instruction class for children once a month at the library. Johnston is a retired educator who taught art classes for 30 years in Sarasota. Her dedication, expertise, gentle compassion and desire to let children create and express themselves are the reasons she was selected for the award. A framed photo of Carolyn will be placed on the “Star Award” wall in the newly renovated Friends of the Library bookstore.
Volunteers and the Library:
A Mutually Beneficial Relationship
Again, we emit a cry for help- we need more volunteers! From processing to shelving books and movies, volunteers help us immensely. Other tasks include preparing craft materials for children’s programs and assisting patrons on the computer. Angela Falsey, a Sarasota County Library employee who works closely with our volunteers, had this to say about our volunteer needs: “Our library could not operate without our volunteers. Our volunteers help us maintain a level of service to our patrons that we could not otherwise offer. These days we have more need for our services in the community and less resources to provide those services, and volunteers bridge the gap.”
Of course, we are the ones who benefit from others’ free time and service. But, how does it benefit volunteers? Well, for one thing, there are opportunities for all at every stage of life. Teens can work volunteer time into a busy school schedule, while seniors have enough free time to give back to the community that has served them all of their years. Best of all, both groups enjoy this work immensely.
Let’s start with the teens. Does your teen need to learn workplace responsibility but does not have enough time for a part time job? Then volunteering would be great. Your teen can volunteer as little as a few hours a week, and we are willing to work out a flexible schedule. Volunteers need to be at least 14 to help at the library. Local Sarasota high schools require students to serve a number of volunteer hours in order to graduate. In addition to this, students seeking the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship are also required to volunteer a number of hours. Students must go their high school guidance counselor for more information.
As stated before, volunteering is beneficial for older folks. One of the main reasons that workers age 50-plus volunteer is that they can give back to their communities. They also find it fulfilling and see it as a great way to stay active. Seniors must already be on to the reasons volunteer work is so welcome an outlet. In a 1996 Gallup study, researchers found that 71% of men and women, age 55 to 64, did volunteer work (Retire & Thrive). They are the most active group, averaging close to five hours per week. Also, one third of those who are 65-plus volunteer 3.6 hours a week (Retire & Thrive).
Ages aside, there’s no denying volunteerism helps build job skills. A Wall Street Journal article entitled “The Laid-Off Can Do Well Doing Good” has recently trumpeted the pros of becoming a volunteer while unemployed (Mattioli). It cited several examples of how volunteerism has enhanced people’s lives, like doing “some good in the world”, having a chance to socialize and get out of the house, and, again, building job skills.
Lastly, we would like to say how pleasantly surprised we are by the selflessness of those serving us. When some of our staff openly express concern to our volunteers about possibly taking advantage of their time, the volunteers’ overwhelming response has been that they wouldn’t have come if they didn’t want to be here. They say they derive a great deal of personal satisfaction from their volunteer duties.
Please click on this link to see who you can contact to start volunteering: sclibs.net/Volunteers/VolunteerContact.aspx. And, to all those who already volunteer, thank you for your concern and commitment.
“Chapter 4: volunteerism: more than a workplace substitute.” Retire and Thrive. Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc., 1999. 85+. General OneFile. Web. 26 Apr. 2010.
Mattioli, Dana. “The Laid-Off Can Do Well Doing Good.” The Wall Street Journal 17 Mar. 2009, natl. ed.: D1. |
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A great library contains the diary of the human race. ~George Mercer Dawson |
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