Freedom Regional Library: May 2009

Super Fun Library Outreach

Jessica from circulation.

Recently, the library had a team and raced in the Dragon Boat Race in the Asian Festival in Charlotte. Oh man it was fun!

Freedom Regional had a strong presence on the team. Jessica, Trilby and Devin were all there. Even though the team did not win, we still had a great time and rowed very well.

Trilby, our Branch Manager.

Devin (me) from reference.

Part of the library's presence was to promote outreach and hand out applications for library cards. We had a table with card applications and information about library events and summer programs.

Want to see more? Check out the whole set on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/libraryinaction/sets/72157618546895606/

Special thanks to Varanrat Torok from Outreach Services for taking these beautiful pictures and then giving me permission to post them here.

New Classes coming in July

As previously discussed, the library system has a great offering of free technology classes for adults.

In July, Freedom is going to be bringing back some classes that have been on the shelf for a litte while, and bringing in a new one.

July will see the usual suspects; Computers, Internet, Word, Resumes, but also classes in Excel Basics (July 14) and PowerPoint Presentations (July 15).

We will also be teaching an introduction class in RSS. I wrote the coarse pack for this one, so it is truly unique. The class will focus on identifying RSS feeds, how to subscribe and why that is useful.

Looking Ahead with Freedom 5/25 - 5/30

Monday

All branches closed in observance of Memorial Day.

Tuesday

"Daycare Storytime" 10- 10:30 am
- A little story for little children.

"Wii Got Game" 2:30- 4 pm

Wednesday

"Freedom Film Series" 6- 8 pm
- May is classic comedy duo month at Freedom. Rush Hour starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. Now, admittedly, Jackie Chan is not a comedian but still, funny movie.

Thursday

"Teen Finances" 4- 5 pm
- A short session on understanding credit and how to avoid unnecessary debt.

"Container Gardening for Seniors" 5:30- 7:30 pm
- How to grow great plants in a small place.

"Social Networking for Parents" 6- 7 pm
- How to keep your kids safe online.

Friday

"Poetry Club" 3- 4:30 pm

"Friday Cinema" 3- 4:30 pm

Big Bag of Awesome

Have you seen Wolfram Alpha? Dude.

So, wait, what?

Wolfram Alpha is not a search engine, and its not an encyclopedia. It is a base for computable knowledge. For instance, in the top search field, you can put in a day- May 22, 2009 for example.

W|A will then tell you computable, factual information about that day, such as any famous events, lunar cycle, and date format.

A search for "Charlotte, NC" will tell you the population, elevation and current time.

Wolfram Alpha launched May 15, 2009.

Remember, this is not Wikipedia, so W|A is not the place to look for info about the current season of My Name is Earl. Only computable information, like math. In fact, when you visit the site, give math a try. Put in a large number, and then something like " - (minus) 5%" Math!

wolframalpha.com/

New Library Phone Service

Sorry for the lateness, but this email is about a service that just launched.

PLCMC has a new phone service for patrons to call to renew library items. You can also get loan and card information.

Just dial 704-416-7363. (Actually, the last couple digits spell RENEW- well, kinda. Its 416-RENE(W). You don't really need to dial the W.)

Need to know more? Check this link out: http://plcmc.org/About_Us/policiesTelephone.asp

Although TeleCirc Dial Out may speak your name mention that you have items on hold or overdue, TeleCirc does not speak any title information. You have several options to find out the titles on hold or overdue.

Check your account thru the Online Catalog http://hip.plcmc.org
Calling a library location
Calling Telecirc (704) 416-7363. The service is available 24 hours, every day of the year.

Looking Ahead with Freedom 5/18 - 5/23

Monday

"Da' Circle" 3:30 - 5 pm
- A group for teen girls to sit together and discuss issues going on in their lives.

Tuesday

"Daycare Storytime" 10- 10:30 am
- A little story for little children.

"Container Gardening for Seniors" 10 am - 12 noon
- How to successfully plant and grow a garden in a small space.

Wednesday

"Freedom Film Series" 6- 8 pm
- May is classic comedy duo month at Freedom. Tommy Boy, starring Chris Farley and David Spade. Not to be confused with Black Sheep- or maybe that confusion is okay.

Thursday

"Computer Basics" 3- 5 pm
- Continual learning class for adults with limited or no experience using a computer.

"Cultural Exposure" 3- 5:30 pm
- Learn more about Hispanic Culture. We'll be watching the 2001 film Tortilla Soup and talk about related issues.

The most excited I have ever been about a book!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The library just got it yesterday. I was the first librarian in the system to check in a copy- and then the first patron to check the book out.

Don't worry, there are 5 other copies in the system. There are even 65 people in line for the book! Wow! That's 13 requests per copy. To put that in perspective, the library system has 196 copies of Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. With 51 requests for Twilight, that means there is roughly 1 request per .25 of a copy.

By my bad math, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is then 52 times more popular. (Again, bad math.) But Steve Harvey's Act Like a Lady, Think Like A Man still trumps all.

I have never in my life been so excited over a library book.

Act Like a Lady Booktalk

This is one popular book. The library system has 123 copies- and they're all out. Not a copy to be had. In fact, the wait line to check out a copy is more than 400 patrons long. The book was popular before this, but on March 23, Oprah featured the book on her show. Its popularity skyrocketed.

Because there are so many requests for the book, the team at Freedom Regional decided a good way to help out to have a book discussion. No, we won't have copies for everyone, but people who have read it, read part of it, or even just heard about it can gather and discuss.

If you've read it, please come. If you haven't read it, but want to, please come. If you saw it in the bookstore and didn't buy but read the back of it, please come. This event is free and open to all. We just want give our patrons a way to get more from such a popular and current book.

The booktalk will be this Saturday! May 16 starting 2 and lasting to 4:30. You don't necessarily have to stay the whole time, but you'll want to. We'll have two librarians leading the discussion.

May 16, 2:30 - 4 pm. Free.

Looking Ahead with Freedom 5/11 - 5/16

Tuesday

"Daycare Storytime" 10- 10:30 am
- A little story for little children.

"Wii Got Game" 2:30- 4 pm

Wednesday

"Anime Club" 3- 5 pm
- We'll watch some Anime and talk about our favorite shows and storylines.

"Freedom Film Series" 6- 8 pm
- May is classic comedy duo month at Freedom. Stir Crazy, staring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder is playing. Patrons under 17 will need parental supervision or permission.

Friday

"Friday Cinema" 3- 4 pm

Saturday

"Think College" 9 am - 1 pm
- Call Think College @ 416-4232 to get in on the action.

"Steve Harvey Book Discussion" 2- 5 pm
- One of the most popular books in the library today is Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. We'll be sitting down, talking about the book, impressions and what it really says. Call us for more information 704-416-4200.

Wolverine at the Library

Yesterday, on my day off, I went to see the new movie Wolverine. I'll be honest about it- it was better than I thought it would be. If you go see it, there's a small scene after all the credits. And I mean all the way to the end. There's a scene kind of in the credits, and a second, more different one after. (Also, apparently there are two different final scenes- but only one gets played per screening (like the movie Clue).)

But this isn't about the movie.

I recently checked in some new graphic novels, and several of them were about wolfie. One of which really caught my eye- its the one pictured above. I am by no means a comic book (graphic novel) connoisseur, but I liked the visual style I saw in "Worst Day Ever."

Like I said, we actually have many Wolverine graphic novels- and not just ones new to this week.

At the Freedom Library, we have a whole shelf devoted to manga and comic books, and a section for graphic novels upstairs. Graphic novels have the dewey decimal number 741.5. (In cataloging speak that means comic books are decorative art drawings that are classified as visual novels.)

When you walk in the front door, the graphic novel shelf is the first shelf you might see, and a little to the right. There, you will find a good many Wolverine comics and graphic novels.

"Wolverine: Worst Day Ever" is actually currently checked in. 8 other libraries have a copy, but they're all checked out. If you want one, FRL is the only place to go right now.

Classic Comedy Duo Month

The Freedom Film series is going strong in May.

We just finished a month of Mel Brooks comedy, and on those heels, we're rolling out Classic Comedy Duos.

May 6 we have Who Done It? (1942) starring Abbott and Costello.

May 13 Stir Crazy (1980) with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor will be playing. *

May 20 Chris Farley and David Spade star in Tommy Boy (1995).

May 27 we round out the cast with Rush Hour (1998) featuring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan.

If you don't come to these movies, you will be sad.

*All films rated R require parental guidance or permission for patrons under 17.

Looking Ahead with Freedom 5/4 - 5/9

Monday

"Script Frenzy" 3- 4 pm
- The final meeting for the Script Frenzy Club. We'll review our scripts, and through a party!

"Financial Freedom" 6- 7:30 pm
- Learn the secrets of balancing a checking account and keeping a good credit score. This program is specifically geared for teens.

"Resume Basics" 6- 8 pm
- Need a resume? This class will show you how to use templates in Microsoft Word to quickly create attractive and informative resumes. No registration required for this class. Call Devin at 704-416-4221 for more information.

Tuesday

"Unplugged Gaming" 2:30- 4 pm

"Word Basics" 2:30- 4 pm
- New to computers? Have you never used Word before, or need a refresher? This class is for you. No registration required, just be there on time.

Wednesday

"Freedom Film Series" 6- 8 pm
- May is classic comedy duo month at Freedom. Checkout the buddy comedy Who Done It, starring Abbott and Costello.

Thursday

"Honoring Veterans" 6- 9 pm
- Join us as we salute veterans who live in Mecklenburg County. This will be a small tribute to those who have served this country.

Friday

"Friday Cinema" 3- 4 pm

Saturday

"Think College" 9 am - 1 pm
- Call Think College @ 416-4232 to get in on the action.