Book Sale Next Week!

The FRIENDS of Lancaster Public Library are hosting one of their annual book sales, this time at the Overlook Activities Center, located at 2042 Lititz Pike here in Lancaster.

The sale runs:

Monday, May 1st 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 2nd: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 3rd: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Over 200,000 books, in 39 different categories are available to browse and purchase as part of the event. Wednesday, a bag sale and some discounts on remaining merchandise will be available.

Be a part of this Lancaster tradition, now in it's 52nd year, and support the library through the book sale!

Find a fall favorite...

I know, I know, that summer isn't even here yet. But, you can pick now to find a new favorite book for fall.

Every year, as part of the American Library Association's "Teen Read Week" in October, they nominate 25 new teen books for the annual "Teens Top Ten" list. Teens from around the country vote to pick the winner.

If you want to start reading today and cast your vote, go to http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/teenstopten/Nominations2006TTT.pdf to get a peek at the list!

Millersville and Mindstorms...

In the last couple of days, a few of our library patrons have asked for more books and information on the LEGO Mindstorms line, which allows it's users to take the typically one dimensional building blocks and use robotics and other forms of computer machinery to develop new and exciting twists on an old standard. We've heard your request, and are actively searching for new material to order on the subject.

But did you know that Mindstorms fans have an opportunity to experiment and explore with them this summer? As part of Millersville University's "Technology Camp" program, there are two LEGO-themed camps.

For information on these programs and the other "Technology Camp" offerings for the summer of 2006, check out this web site: http://www.millersville.edu/~techcamp

And, let us know if you'd be interested in the idea of a Mindstorms workshop here in the library this fall...

Check out...the North Museum

The Lancaster Public Library, along with all the libraries of the Library System of Lancaster County is inviting families to participate in a new partnership program with the North Museum. Through this partnership, families who visit Lancaster's libraries will have the opportunity to check out a pass that will allow up to six individuals admittance to the museum. For full details on the power of this pass, please see one of your Youth Services Librarians.

Free 'Fish'in!

The library has gotten several calls recently related to ticket information for our Memorial Day concert featuring "Trout Fishing in America" helping us to kick off the summer season.

The good news is that the library has no ticket information because there are no tickets! The event is free and open to the public on Memorial Day from Noon till 5:00 p.m.

We hope to see you there! For other questions about the event, give us a call at 394-2651 x 106!

Ben is back!

Tonight is the night of the FRIENDS Annual "Adopt-a-Book" fundraiser at the library. More details on the results of that next week...

Today, we invite you to join us next Thursday afternoon, when Ben Franklin will return to Pennsylvania and visit us! He will be here to talk about his 300 wonderful years of seeing changes in the world and more. And, everyone who attends this program will get a special treat! The fun starts at 4:00 p.m. in the Bates Auditorium.

Teen Book Group

The library is excited to announce the formation of a new Teen Book Group. We will begin meeting in the library on Monday, April 17 at 3:45, right after school! What are we reading first? Join us to find out...and to enjoy a bit of a movie too...does that give you any hints?

Reminders...

Today, we wanted to just remind you of a couple of events coming up at the library this week. Wednesday night, join the Youth Services Department for a musical-themed "Family Night" storytime program at 6:30 p.m.

The secrets behind coffee, tea, and other stimulants will be revealed as part of our lecture series on Thursday night at 7:00.

Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. is your chance to find some great book bargains at our Niche Book Sale in the Bates Auditorium.

And, don't forget to mark that calendar for our Summer Kickoff on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29th in Long's Park. For more information on the band and to hear samples of their music, head on over to www.troutmusic.com.

College Buzz

Last night, watching the news, there was word of an apparent error in scoring on one of the most important tests high schoolers face each year, the SATs. In a prepared statement on their website, http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/scores/oct_2005_sat.html, the folks behind the SAT admit the error and say it affected approximately 4,000 students. That led us to wonder if anyone in Lancaster County was affected. If you were, post a comment in reply to this post and let us know!

Did you know that while accessing the Internet or visiting the library, you can pull together information on college searches to make the right choice for you? At the same site, http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp, you can find a college finder with information on schools as well as a "College Matchmaker" that can guide you through a series of steps and criteria to find the right school for you based on your interests.

At http://www.petersons.com/, you can access some of the most respected and well known profiles of schools.

Once you find a school, if you need help paying for it, the Federal Government's Finanical Aid website, http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ provides all the applications and information you need to apply. PA residents are eligible for state help too through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Associaton, http://www.pheaa.org/.

To search for other grants and scholarships, a leading site full of information is http://www.fastweb.com/. Set up a profile, tell the service what you're looking for, and it will be out there hunting for information for you.

A web search can prove very rewarding too, as based on your unique set of circumstances and qualifications, there could be a unique grant or scholarship out there for you. Stopping in your high school's career center or visiting with a librarian, we'll be glad to help you wherever we can as you start your school search!

Cast your "Fishing" Poles

I sat down today and realized it has been a whole week since the library began it's new hours, and since I've added a new post to the blog.

This leads to the fact that sometimes a blog can be a challenge, trying to find new news every day to keep things fresh and exciting so that you hopefully will return on a regular basis to see what is happening here!

To make up for a week of no news, we've got a big flash this morning though! The band "Trout Fishing in America" is coming to Lancaster, thanks to the library!

To kick off the summer season, families from around the area are invited to a fun-filled afternoon in Long's Park on Memorial Day, Monday May the 29th. The concert kicks off at 2:00 p.m., but a full afternoon of family fun is being planned! We hope that you'll be part of this extra special day!

Many volunteers will be needed for the event, and so if you think you might be able to help, please email our event coordinator at skline@lancaster.lib.pa.us so that we can talk with you about how you can help us out!

Making News

Today, the library made news in many local outlets, as both newspapers and TV cameras were on hand as the library began our new restored hours of service to the public.

Beginning today, the library is open:

Monday-Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Friday & Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Look for us on TV tonight!

A call for volunteers!

During your visits to the Youth Services Department in the month of March, you'll be seeing requests and sign-up sheets seeking volunteers. The library is planning a special Summer kickoff in Long's Park on Memorial Day Monday and we're going to need help to pull off the special event! If you're interested in helping and will be available on Memorial Day, please see a member of the staff, or email us at youthservices@lancaster.lib.pa.us

Have a good weekend!

Book Sale!

For all of you who like to hunt for some of the best book bargains, the FRIENDS of Lancaster Public Library are coordinating the annual Niche Book Sale for Saturday, March the 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We hope you'll visit them in our Bates Auditorium and find yourself a few great book bargains!

More excitement for March, including "Deadly Victorians"

If you've been watching the blog and our program announcements, you may have noticed that more and more evening programs are being scheduled here at the library. This is due in large part to increased funding that has been made available which will allow the library to return to the following hours as of March 1st.

Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.--9:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday-- 9:00 a.m.--5:30 p.m.

We are excited about this opportunity to further serve you.

And today, head of the Reference Department here at the library, Sue Bowser, shares some information on one of these new evening programs, an exciting new book discussion group that you can join...

Do you think of Victorians as very prim and proper, the type of folks who were so easily embarrassed that they covered the legs of a piano? Explore the darker side of the era at the "Deadly Victorians" book discussion group at the Lancaster Public Library.
First up on March 23 is The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson. See the 1893 Chicago World Fair through the story of two very different men whose only common denominator was their total obsession. Architect Daniel H. Burnham was obsessed with designing the fair and making it the greatest event ever. Fake pharmacist H. H. Holmes was obsessed with becoming wealthy and committing an unknown number of murders on the way.

Titles have been selected for April and May as well. We'll post those here in the blog as the dates get closer. But these discussions begin at 7:30 p.m. in the library's Windolph Room, and are open to anyone interested in reading the work, with no pre-registration required. If you have any questions contact Sue at 239-2117 or e-mail her at sbowser@lancaster.lib.pa.us.

One other reminder today, and that is the library is CLOSED tomorrow (February 18) and Monday (February 20) for the long holiday weekend.

Graphic Novel News

One of the key areas of the library's teen and young adult collection are our graphic novels, which are collected stories featuring animated characters. (For example, 6 issues of a Spiderman comic may be issued together in a graphic novel format when the story is complete so that it can be read in one sitting.) Other graphic novels can be independently created.

The content of graphic novels is sometimes controversial, dealing with challenging and tough themes.

A post this morning on Yahoo! News shows that a new controversy may be brewing over a new graphic novel coming out soon featuring Batman. Read the article, and let us know what you think. Would you read this graphic novel? Why or why not?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060214/ts_alt_afp/afplifestyleusattacks_060214163702

March's Full Calendar

Beginning in March, the library will have three opportunities for storytimes!

Currently, the library has been holding pre-school storytimes on Thursday mornings at 10:30 a.m. These continue beginning March 2nd and running for five weeks.

Due to your requests, a "2s on Tuesday" storytime has been added! These storytimes are geared for the younger set, with more music, activities, and stories to share. This program begins on Tuesday March 7th and runs through April 11, again at 10:30 a.m.

For those families who work during the day, but still want to share in the experience of storytimes, we have an option for you too! Beginning on March 15, and running through the year on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, we will be presenting storytimes geared for the entire family!

Remember that for Youth Services programs, registration is required to allow for preparation of enough crafts and other materials.

In addition to the happenings in Youth Services during the month, there are two other great events planned! On Thursday, the 16th, two of our neighbors here on Duke Street downtown, Square One Coffee and Chop's Chocolate are co-sponsoring the March entry in the library's lecture series, talking about the role of coffee, tea, and chocolate as stimulants in society today! Our lecturer will be Dr. Jill Fort, from the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Anthropology.

And, on Wednesday, the 22nd, classical guitarist Peter Fletcher returns to Lancaster Public Library for a special return engagement!

There is a calendar of events link at the bottom of the library's website, http://www.lancaster.lib.pa.us that can point you to more details on upcoming programs.

Should you ever have a question about a YS program, email us at youthservices@lancaster.lib.pa.us. Questions about other programs can be directed to admin@lancaster.lib.pa.us

Registration Continues...

Just as a follow up to our post regarding Curious George from last week, there is still time to register to visit with him. This program can hold up to 30 children, so register today.

The visit of Curious George is provided to Lancaster Public Library thanks to the Library System of Lancaster County.

Before the end of the week, we'll fill you in on our full calendar for March, so please check back!

Blog on Blogs

Today, we thought we'd blog on blogs. As we continue to grow this blog as a place to find out information about the Lancaster Public Library and the exciting things happening here, there are a wide variety of other library-themed blogs out there.

We invite you to take a peek at one today, from the Teens of the Sellers Library in Upper Darby, PA. This is a site of fun and info put together by teens, for teens.

Do you or someone you know have an interest in being part of a teen advisory group at the library? If so, please see anyone on the Youth Services staff. We hope to have a teen board in place by September!

Meantime, see what's happening over at Sellers: http://www.sellerslibraryteens.blogspot.com/

Curious George Turns 65!

America's favorite monkey, Curious George, is turning 65 this year, and to celebrate, the library will be welcoming him here to LPL on Wednesday, February 15 at 10:30 a.m. If you haven't registered to come see him yet, do so now by calling us at 239-2106 or emailing youthservices@lancaster.lib.pa.us

As part of the birthday celebrations, Ron Howard and company have gotten their "Curious George" movie ready, and it will be released next Friday, February 10th.

Find out when you can see the movie locally by going to http://movies.yahoo.com and entering your zip code for showtimes.

To view movie trailers and more about the film, be sure to check out http://www.curiousgeorgemovie.com/

Or, for information on the history of the Curious George books and to find other cool activities, check out George's publisher's page at http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/cgsite/

Kudos to colleagues!

While this blog is officially listed as part of the Youth Services Department at the library, we hope to use this space to share thoughts, web links, and when the need arises, exciting library news as well.

Our colleagues in Mount Joy, PA, at the Milanof-Schock Library, were named as Library Journal's "Best Small Library in America" for 2006! We offer our warmest congratulations, and invite you to take a look at the article in it's online form.

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6299831.html