Friday, September 21, 2012

Hedgehogs, Pajamas, and Climate Change

The Wells Public Library will be closing out September with a wide variety of programs for all ages and interests.

First, on Tuesday, September 25th at 1:15 we will kick off our new Afternoon Book Discussion Group.  This group is in addition to our popular evening group, and is designed especially for those unable to attend in the evenings.  Our selection this month is The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.  I still have about 100 pages left, and must admit that it's been a bit of a struggle at times, but am  enjoying it.  If you're interested in joining this group, call me or email me: cschilling@wellstown.org, or 646-8181 ext. 206.  We promise to end our discussion by 2:45, so if you need to pick up your child from the elementary school you'll have plenty of time to do so.

Later that evening, you may want to put the kids in their pj's, grab a stuffed animal and come to the library for our Pajama Storytime at 6:30 p.m.  Devin will have great stories and songs to get everyone ready for a good night's sleep.

For our last program of the month, join us on Wednesday, September 26th at 6:30 for a program on "Climate Change and You."   Wells resident Joe Hardy, an environmental educator, will give an overview of the issues involved , and will share tips on things we can do to reduce the impact of climate change.  I'm looking forward to hearing what Joe has to say on this topic.

Of course, these programs are in addition to our regular weekly programs:Mother Goose Storytime on Mondays at 10:30, Toddler Time on Wednesdays at 10:30, Stories and More on Wednesdays at 1:00, and our Knitting and Crochet Group on Fridays at 10:30.

 All these programs are free of charge; for more information please contact the library at 646-8181.  

 Have a great weekend, and we hope to see you at the library.
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Thursday, September 13, 2012

Wii Night

On Tuesday, September 18th at 6:00 the Wells Public Library will be hosting a Wii Family Game Night. Bring your friends, parents, and siblings to participate in Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resorts. In addition, two Nintendo 3DSs  will be available that evening for cooperative Mario Kart play. 

 Many of you may not be aware of this, but the library currently owns two Nintendo 3DS devices.  They may be checked out with a valid Wells Public Library card for 1/2 hour of in-library use.  We also have a small collection of Nintendo DS games that may be checked out for a 1 week loan period.

You may ask why the library offers these programs and services, since they don't seem to be related to traditional library services. Much research has been done over the past several years to determine the value or damage caused by video games, and most of the results have been positive.  It has been demonstrated that video games help promote problem solving, how to follow directions, how to creatively attack a problem without fear of failure, and to learn from your mistakes.

 As Jane McGonigal, author of Reality is Broken : Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World wrote in  The Huffington Post;
 "When we play a good game, we get to practice being the best version of ourselves: We become more optimistic, more creative, more focused, more likely to set ambitious goals, and more resilient in the face of failure. And when we play multiplayer games, we become more collaborative and more likely to help others. In fact, we like and trust each other more after we play a game together -- even if we lose! And more importantly, playing a game with someone is an incredibly effective way to get to know their strengths and weaknesses--as well as what motivates them. This is exactly the kind of social knowledge we need to be able to cooperate and collaborate with people to tackle real-world challenges."

 If you want to learn more about this topic, McGonigal's book is available through the MINERVA online catalog.  For more information, you can always contact Devin Burritt, our Youth Services Librarian. He may be reached at dburritt@wellstown.org, 646-8181, ext. 202, or just stop by the Youth Services desk and talk to him in person.

Also, feel free to stop at the Check Out desk and check out one of our devices for yourself.  In addition to all the positive qualities listed above, they're just plain fun.
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Friday, September 7, 2012

Storytimes!

For most of the country, Labor Day means back to school.  Here at the Wells Public Library it also means that our regular Storytimes resume.  Devin and Kayla are busily planning stories, songs, and crafts to entertain our youngest members.

Our Mother Goose Storytime on Mondays at 10:30 is for the very youngest children - ages 0 through 2 years and a caregiver.  This lapsit storytime features very simple books, rhymes, and bouncing songs.  

Toddler Time is designed for children ages 2 - 3 and their caregivers, and meets on Wednesday mornings at 10:30.  In addition to listening to great stories, children will sing songs, learn new rhymes and sing and move to lively music.

Stories and More meets on Wednesday afternoons at 1:00.  Children will hear stories, learn  songs and  rhymes, and complete a craft.  

In addition to these weekly events, we will also be adding a monthly Family Pajama Storytime for children birth to 5 years.  The first of these events will be on Tuesday, September 25th from 6:30-7:00.  Children are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animals and come in their PJs for songs and stories.

Storytimes are a great way to introduce your child to reading and literacy through books, rhyme and music.  It's also a good opportunity to meet other families and children in the community. 

These programs are all free of charge and registration is not required.  For more information contact the library at 646-8181.  

 
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Friday, August 31, 2012

Goodbye, Summer

Today is the Friday before Labor Day.  If you check a book out of the library today, the due date is September 21, the last day of summer. To librarians, it seems time is always flying; today it's still a warm August day with flip flops and iced coffee,  but by the time you finish your book and bring it back, we'll be wearing sweaters and drinking apple cider.

Here at the Wells Public Library, we're starting to catch our breath after a busy summer.  We enjoyed seeing everyone come in to the library to pick up the latest best-sellers, use the internet and wi-fi, attend a great program for adults and children,  or take part in the Summer Reading Program.  

Some of the highlights for me were the Fancy Nancy program featuring 30 young ladies in their fanciest outfits; the Friday afternoon Lego Club; our tribute to long-time Friend Norman Wilkinson; and the August Book Discussion of The Great Gatsby, complete with costumes and  a Roaring Twenties party. 

Another special part of this summer was our Teen Volunteer program. Twelve junior and senior high students were an invaluable part of the summer reading program as they helped prepare crafts, assisted with programs, and handed out prizes to the Summer Reading participants.  All of the teens who participated were  enthusiastic and helpful, and we enjoyed getting to know them better.

More than 300 children and teens, and 141 adults participated in our Summer Reading Program this year.  Thanks to those local businesses whose donations made summer extra special for some of our children and adults: Mike’s Clam Shack, Maine Diner, Joshua’s, Subway, Scoop Deck, Dairy Queen, Wells Beach Resort Campground, Wells House of Pizza, Wonder Mountain and Aw-Comon-In. 

We would also like to especially thank the Friends of the Wells Public Library for sponsoring the performers who enriched our summer and for providing incentives for our young readers.

Now that the end of summer is only 3 weeks away, we're starting to put together our fall programs. We'll have more on that later; for now, feel free to check our website to see a little of what we have planned.

Have a great weekend; we hope to see you soon.

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Monday, June 18, 2012

Summer Reading

Summer has always been a special time at libraries.  With the kids out of school we try our best to keep them reading during vacation to help them maintain their literacy skills.  That's why most libraries offer some sort of summer reading program - it's a way to add a little bit of fun while encouraging them to continue reading.  Our Summer Reading Clubs have started, and Devin and Kayla have a lot of fun activities planned for our children and teens. 

We also thought that this summer we would give adults a chance to have bit of fun while reading this summer, so we're offering a summer reading program for them as well. And because we know life doesn't always slow down for adults during the summer, we've made it as simple as possible.  Here's what you do:
  • The next time you're in the library, stop by the check-out desk and pick up a "Between the Covers" Reading Log. 
  • Take it home, read 5 books between now and August 16th, and record the titles and authors on the log, along with a rating of 1 to 5 stars. 
  •  Return the log to the library, and you'll be entered into a drawing to be held at the end of the summer. 
  • Prizes include gift cards from Maine Diner, Mike's Clam Shack, Joshua's, and more.
  • Only one entry per person, please.
As reading logs are returned, we'll create a list of the summer's 5 star books.

Don't know what to read?  Check out one of the Suggested Reading Lists at the library, visit one of the sites listed  on our website, check out one of the Summer Reading lists here, or as always, ask a librarian.

Have a great summer, and we'll see you at the library.

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Monday, June 4, 2012

Calling Invisible Women

Note: This is the first of what we hope will be regular book reviews from Library Staff members.


Calling Invisible Women by Jeanne Ray tells the story of Clover Hobart, a middle-aged wife, mother, and journalist, who wakes up one morning to discover she's become invisible. And I don't mean invisible in the metaphorical sense, but actually, clothes-floating-in-space invisible. While her best friend notices right away that Clover's appearance has changed, Clover's own family doesn't notice that anything is different.

Her new condition, along with her family's indifference sends Clover into a state of depression, until the day she reads a notice in the local paper calling all invisible women to meet at the Sheraton Hotel.  There, Clover discovers a support group for other invisible women who eventually decide to take action - to use their invisibility kind of like a super power- to right wrongs, including taking on the big pharmaceutical company  believed to be responsible for their invisibility.

When I read the review of this in Library Journal, I was intrigued, but skeptical.  I'm not a fan of fantasy and thought this might be too fantastic for my taste.  But, I was surprised. Despite its premise, it was grounded in realism, and Ray obviously spent a lot of time thinking about the problems that invisibility would cause, and how to overcome them. The characters are likable, and Ray manages to inject humor into the situation.  And even though Clover's invisibility was an actual physical manifestation, the author does cause the reader to think about invisibility in the larger, metaphorical sense. I found Calling Invisible Women to be a light, enjoyable way to spend a summer afternoon.


This book is not yet available at the Wells Public Library but may be requested from another library through the MINERVA online catalog.
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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Summer Reading Lists

It's almost summer, and time for lazy days in the sun with a cool drink and a good book.  If you're looking for a few ideas of what to read, the State Library has posted a list of Summer Reading Suggestions from various websites. Remember that if there's a book here that you want to read and we don't have it in our collection, we are happy to help you to request it from another library through our MINERVA catalog. And, as always, if you need more suggestions feel free to ask a librarian.  We're always happy to help you find just the right book.

Here they are.  Enjoy!

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