Check Us Out!

Summer is almost over! But that doesn't mean that the fun has to stop! The library offers nonstop entertainment, education, and excitement! We have gotten lots of new books, DVD's, and audio books available for you to check out! Come by and visit us today!

Can't Wait For Summer?

Counting down the days until summer break? Need your summer fun fix now? Or just looking for ideas on how to spend all that free time? Well, whatever your predicament, the Library has what you need! Here are just a few of my current favorite summer fun books for the little ones:

‘Twas the Night Before Summer by Anne Margaret Lewis
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee
Harry by the Sea by Gene Zion
Curious George Goes Fishing by Margaret and H.A. Rey
Gaspard at the Seashore by Anne Gutman
Just Grandma and Me by Mercer Mayer
Harry Goes to Day Camp by Harriet Ziefert
Curious George Goes to the Beach by Margaret and H.A. Rey
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
Young Cam Jansen and the Double Beach Mystery by David Adler
Swim Like a Fish by Ellen Schecter
Cannonball Chris by Jean Marzollo
Princess Lulu Goes to Camp by Kathryn Cristaldi
Curious George Goes to the Aquarium by Margaret and H.A. Rey
Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
Mrs. Mack by Patricia Polacco
Hot Day on Abbott Avenue by Karen English
Gone Fishing by Earlene Long
Curious George Goes Camping by Margaret and H.A. Rey
P.J. Funnybunny Camps Out by Marilyn Sadler

AND…..


A Trip to the Library by Anne Rockwell

So, check us out!
Ms. Ryda

Spring Is In The Air!

If you haven't been able to tell from the high pollen count and the sudden showers, Spring is here! I thought I would celebrate by sharing some of my favorite spring children's books. Whether it's about the changing seasons, spring planting, or the many sights and sounds you will experience outside this time of year, these books are great for sharing with your little ones!

Birdsong by Audrey Wood
Red Rubber Boot Day by Mary Ray
I'm a Seed by Jean Marzollo
The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss
Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Birds by Kevin Henkes
Old Bear by Kevin Henkes
Spring: an Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur
Fluffy Grows a Garden by Kate McMullan
Spring Is Here! by Joan Holub
Manana Iguana by Ann Paul
Pie in the Sky by Lois Ehlert
It's Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (my all-time favorite!)
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

These books and more are available at your local library. Check out our display in the children's department for some added inspiration. And don't forget your umbrella!

Bloom where you grow!

We are happy to announce our elected officers for our Friends of the Library group. Our President is Mr. Ron Jordan, Vice-President is Miss Brandi Perry, Secretary is Miss Kim Lynn, and our Treasurer is Miss Brett Windham.

The next Friends of the Library meeting will be held Saturday, April 17th at 2 p.m. at the Columbia-Marion County Public Library. We will have Miss Freda Hartness from Clinton, Ms speaking about the next steps for our Friends group to bloom.

Speaking of flowers, if you have a young child, grade 3rd to 5th, who would like to be a "Rose" for the library...their first meeting will be this Friday, April 16th, from 3:30 to 4:15. They will be electing officers and talking about what they can do to support their library. Miss CJ Swayze will be heading up the meeting. If you have any questions, please call Miss Mona Swayze at the library (601) 736-5516.

Future Friends of the Library Meeting

Thursday, April 8th at 3 p.m.

Columbia-Marion County Public Library

900 Broad Street

(601) 736-5516

Calling all Future Friends of the Columbia-Marion County Public Library! We will be electing officers and discussing other issues to get the ball rolling as we spring into an official Friends group. Come one, come y'all.

DO YOU KNOW A CHILD WHO NEEDS HELP WITH READING?

FAMILY READING BONDS

What it is:
Family Reading Bonds is a program that helps children and families with literacy. It is sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council from Jackson, MS.
The program focuses on children ages 6 to 12, and a parent is required to attend the program along with participating children.

When is it:
The program starts Tuesday, April 13 at 5:30 p.m. and lasts about an hour an a half. It is a six-week program and continues the following Tuesdays: April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11, and May 18. There will be a small meal provided for the families.

Where is it: The program takes place here in the Auditorium at the Columbia-Marion County Public Library, 900 Broad Street.

How it works:
A storyteller and humanities scholar present reading and children's literature to the families. Reading-aloud and discussions techniques will be used in presenting these award winning children's books. Books have been selected to address ethical and values issues such as environmental responsibility, fairness, courage, coping and determination. Upon completing the program, the children and parents will receive a certificate and free books.

How to sign up: Fill out the registration form and return it to the library by Wednesday, March 31.
If you have any questions, please call the library at 601-736-5516
or visit http://www.mshumanities.org/pages/family.asp

Mississippi Poet speaking March 13

The Columbia-Marion County Public Library is excited to have Mississippi Poet Gary McGregor on Saturday, March 13 from 2 to 3 p.m.

Gary McGregor has had many fascinating careers and is an incredibly talented poet. He decided to publish his book of poems, Faces and Feelings, to have as keepsakes for his children but when Diane Sheperd, the owner of Main Street Books in Hattiesburg, saw his poems, she not only sold them but also had him as one of the authors at the Christmas Extravaganza this past December.

McGregor grew up in Hattiesburg and is married with four children and has several grandchildren. He has a BS degree in design from the University of Cincinnati, and has designed for both residential and commercial interiors. He has written poetry for years and is influenced by the poems of Billy Collins, Robert Frost and others who write to be easily understood by their readers. Having also written short stories and had articles published in magazines, he is a member of the Mississippi Writers Guild, and is a self published poet.
McGregor and his wife collect the folk art textiles of different cultures and enjoy traveling around the world. He also raises orchids and enjoys painting. The cover his book "Faces and Feelings" is a painting by McGregor. He is currently working on a new book which will have 50 new poems.

Refreshments will be provided by Second Street Bean of Columbia.

Katrina by Gary McGregor

She came in rising winds
clothed in veils of driven rain.
Screaming as she flung
the trees and gashed the earth.
Pushing tides before her,
land became the gulf,
obliterating all in furious flood.
years swept away in her frenzy.

Night rose from the ground
to hide the tortured landscape.
Stars blinked and closed their eyeswhile we slept in ignorance
of what the morning brought.

Now I cry too easily.

Celebrate Dr. Seuss's Birthday with a READ-IN!

Tuesday, March 2nd, 3 to 6 p.m.Celebrate Dr. Seuss's Birthday with a READ-IN! Read-Across-America After School Special For our wee readers ages 5 to 12 in our children's dept. Come read alone, with a parent, or a buddy for 15 minutes! Door prizes and snacks provided!!

TEEN GAME DAY!

South Mississippi Regional Library Check out Gaming Day Tuesday, March 23rd 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Auditorium...Wii, X-Box 360, and Playstation games will be ready for teens to have fun with!

TEEN BOOK CAFE

TEEN BOOK CAFE Monday, March 15th 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the conference room at the library. Bring what you are reading. Have some java...talk, discuss, enjoy.

Library OPEN today...Closed Monday

We are open today, Saturday, Feb. 13th, until 3 p.m., but we will be CLOSED on Monday, Feb. 15th for Presidents' Day. Thank you.

LIBRARY CLOSINGS

The library will be CLOSED Friday, Feb. 12, due to the weather. We may also be closed Saturday, Feb. 13, depending on the weather. Please listen to the radion stations, WFFF and WJDR, for further information.The library will also be CLOSED on Monday, Feb. 15th for President's Day.Thank you.

Come to the Library on your LUNCH BREAK TODAY!

Come by and meet Mississippi authors Ramona Bridges and Jean Davis Crockett today from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. These marvelous writers are will be taking questions and reading excerpts from their novels. Refreshments will be available so stop by on your lunch break...YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!!!

Staff Meeting

Columbia-Marion County Public Library will close at 12 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5th for a staff meeting. We will be open as usual on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Thank y'all.

February Meet the Authors will be a sweet treat for all!

Upcoming Events @ Your Library

"Meet the Author" for February will be held Tuesday, February 9th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Columbia-Marion County Public Library.
Come by and meet Mississippi authors Ramona Bridges and Jean Davis Crockett!
In Crockett's "To Love a Scoundrel," most women who live in the thirties are stay-at-home moms, but Nina Coulter, a beautiful, naive Southern girl wants to be more. She wants to become a nurse, and she wants to go to Hollywood with Curtis, her first love and a guitar-toting motorcyclist who wants to break into pictures.Nina sees her dreams crumble when there is no money for nurse training, and she and Curtis have a spat. Ignored by Curtis, she tries to find happiness by marrying other men, but throughout the marriages, she longs for Curtis.A murder in the community unexpectedly causes Nina’s attitude to change and affords new opportunities whereby she might, at last, find some measure of happiness. For more information visit www.JeanCrockett.com.
******
Set during a time when life itself was filled with strife and hardship, author Ramona Bridges weaves an unforgettable story about unfailing love, deceit, and forgiveness in her debut novel, "Sweet By and By." When the revealing of a horrible secret and the arrival of a dangerous criminal threatens to disrupt everything Addie's built and destroy her chance at true love, she's left with only one option: trust in her Savior to bring her safely to the other side. With a cast of characters that will capture your imagination and your heart, "Sweet By and By" celebrates God's promise of faith and hope amidst life's inevitable disappointments.
Copies of both books will be available for purchase during this event. Refreshments will be provided.
For more information, please visit the Columbia-Marion County Library, 900 Broad Street, or visit our web site at www.smrl.lib.ms.us.

Libraries in the area closing

Please read the following story from WLOX-TV about libraries in South Mississippi closing for a brief period because of the economy. This is what all libraries are facing - some sooner than others. If you think that your local library is a vital part of the community, please contact your local congressmen and legislators.


Budget woes close a dozen south Mississippi libraries
Posted: Jan 20, 2010 5:15 PM CST
Updated: Jan 20, 2010 7:11 PM CST

Stone Co. libraries closed because of budget cuts
2:02


STONE COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - Budget woes have closed the doors at a dozen of south Mississippi's libraries, at least for now. The Pine Forest Regional Library System, which includes Stone County, is in the middle of a two week shut down. Officials say it's because of state budget cuts.

Libraries are supposed to be quiet, but not silent. On a typical day, librarians say about 100 people patronized the McHenry Library. However, no one can check out a book or log onto the internet because the library is closed.

Teresa Forrester is Stone County Library Board President.

"The budget cut has been $38,0000 over the past year," Forrester said. "You can't have that kind of budget cut without it having major implications."

After this two week temporary closing, the McHenry and Wiggins branches will reopen, but for fewer days each week.

"If the library is closed, then the people cannot come to the library and use the computers to look for jobs and such and check out books," Forrester said.

Stone County Supervisor Wendell Patton said while money is tight, Governor Haley Barbour should know hurting education is not the answer.

"I hate to see it in education because that's the future of our young people coming up in the communities," said Patton. "They need to have all the hands on information they can get. He's got to cut it somewhere, but I wish it was somewhere else."

Stone County contributes $70,000 a year to the libraries. This week supervisors approved a request to make monthly payments instead of quarterly. The board also chipped in another $5,000 to prevent future shut downs.

Patton said, "We're going to do everything to keep it open because once something closes, it's hard to get it back open. We don't even want to think about that word 'closing.'"

Officials said all the libraries in Stone, Covington, Perry and Greene Counties are closed, and ill not reopen until next week. County officials are urging the public to contact state officials and push them to restore funding to the libraries.

Copyright 2010 WLOX. All rights reserved.

Hollywood Librarians

A postcard about a librarian documentary has come to my attention. It looks really interesting, and it gives me some motivation to create our own library story.

Prentiss Public Library Book Signing

The year 2010 is bring about many new activities at the Prentiss Public Library. One of them is monthly book signing. January 16 for 1:00 -- 3:00 p.m will be our first book signing. Author Alexander S. Brown will speak and sign copies of his horror anthology "Traumatized". If you are looking for something fun and free, come join us; guaranteed to keep you entralled and on the edge of your seat.

You can contact us at 601-792-5845 or come by and see us at 2229 Pearl Street. The red brick building with white columns on front. Can't wait to see you. Remember we are in the south, so we will have refreshments.

Local Female Authors are so worth your time this Saturday!

This Saturday, the Columbia-Marion County Public Library is inviting the public to attend its January "Meet the Authors," featuring Brandi Perry who wrote "Wayward Justice," and Tammy Ryals who penned "Meet the Challenge." After meeting both these ladies to write an article for the Marion County Informer, I have to say that the experience was very refreshing and enlightening.
I met Tammy first and she is a very sweet person. As a first time writer, long time teacher/mother, she has accomplished a great work with "Meet the Challenge" which chronicles her experiences raising her son who is severely disabled. She hopes the book is a source of guidance and hope for those who have experienced the same issues...which might be more relatable than one might think. She was a very nice person, and I hope folks will turn out to meet her and hear her speak about her first book. She is definitely worth your time!

I next met with Brandi Perry, who is a delightfully driven young lady. She was a fast talker, witty and ready to go. I enjoyed her candid sense of humor, and she has a little Oprah Book Club buzz going on already with her first book, "Wayward Justice." The premise of the story could happen in any small town, but imprint of the south is all over the page. A well-known character is murdered...but this is not a shut and close case of cold blood. There's many dirty secrets about to be aired for all to see...scandal, corruption, and justice. Ah, the truth will set you free. A very good read. Is it about Columbia? Could you possibly be one of the characters in the book? Check it out and see.

Both female authors have a lot in common and for more details on their writing process please visit http://www.marioncountyinformer.com/ to see the full article.

In short, I am very excited about these authors, and quite frankly, you should be too! Please take the time to support your library and come warm up this Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. and hear two courageous authors share moments from their first books! There will be zesty chili, sweet tea, and the fixings to also tempt you on over to 900 Broad Street. So put that DVD down. Tell your sister you will call her back later, and share in a experience that is worth your time.

Winter cold hits us down south!

The Library will be CLOSED all day today, Friday, Jan. 8th, 2010. Please bundle up and stay safe and warm! We are planning to be open tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 9th, as regularly scheduled...8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Getting Techie Down South

Well, today has put us on the facebook map. It's official SMRL is doing its best to join the library leagues of the future. Please check out our facebook page as well as our web site http://www.smrl.lib.ms.us/! We are open to suggestions/comments/hot tips to progress our information.



Our staff of library ladies (currently all of us at SMRL are female) strive to be polite and assist patrons at three branches in South Mississippi...Columbia, Prentiss and Bassfield.



We have some wonderful and exciting events planned for the upcoming months. Please visit our web site for more information.