Got a Talented Kid?

Looking for a great way to help your teens spread their artistic wings and really fly? The Junior Duck Stamp is a national art contest administered by the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program. The first place national winner of the art contest graces that year's JDS and is sold by the U.S. Postal Service and Amplex Corporation for $5!

So what do you do? Students from around the United States submit drawings to their state, territory or district competition. Winners from these competitions, called the "Best of Show," are then submitted to the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest. One image from the 53 Best of Show entries will become the next Junior Duck Stamp.

K-12 students attending public, private, or home schools in the United States and the U.S. Territories are eligible to enter, as long as they are U.S. Citizens, resident aliens, or nationals. U.S. Citizens attending schools abroad may enter through their legal state of residence.

The contest ends March 15, 2011. So grab your pens, pencils, acrylics, paints and crayons and get to work!

For more general information and contest eligibility go to http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/ArtContest.htm#GeneralInformation.

Write Your Own Movie: Teen Screenwriting Program

Everyone has a movie within them. Now it's time to set yours free. Screenwriter extraordinaire Andria Tieman will show teens how to get that feature film out of your head, onto paper and into the hands of movie producers.

The group will meet for 5 Thursday night sessions: January 13^th, January 20^th, February 3^rd, February 17^th and March 3^rd. Each workshop will begin at 6pm and run 90 minutes. Participants must be between the ages of 12-18 years old.

The program is FREE! Light refreshments will be provided.

For more info or to reserve a space email ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com or call (401) 846-1573.

Start the School Year Off on the Right Foot!

Required summer reading can seem like a drag. It doesn’t have to be. Middletown Public Library is turning your school obligation into a celebration! We’re hosting a book club/pizza party aimed at discussing the summer reading selection “Sarah’s Key” by Tatiana de Rosnay.

We are offering 3 sessions. Pick one and be prepared for food, fun and fiercely brilliant literature.

It’s FREE, but space is limited. To reserve your spot email ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com (please indicate preferred session).

DATES

Thursday, August 19th at 5:00pm

Tuesday, August 24th at 6:00pm

Monday, August 30th at 10:00am*

*In lieu of pizza we'll have breakfast goodies!

HOW I BECAME THE NEXT J.K. ROWLING
...or the Summer I Wrote a Totally Awesome Book and Got It Published!

Have you ever dreamed of becoming the next Stephenie Meyer or J.K. Rowling? Now’s your chance! Author J. Michael Squatritro (“The Overlords” series) will be at Middletown Public Library for an exclusive 5 week program teaching tweens and teens how to write a book. The group will meet every Tuesday night @6PM from July 6th until August 3rd. Stories and artwork developed in this workshop will be bound and sold at the library. Participants will receive a free copy!

The event is FREE! Food and drink will be provided.

SIGN UP NOW! SPACE IS LIMITED!

For more info or to reserve a space email ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com or call 401 846-1573

Just the facts, Ma'am

DATE/TIME: Every Tuesday from July 6th until August 3rd @ 6pm

LOCATION: Middletown Public Library, 700 West Main Road, Middletown

PHONE FOR PUBLIC: 401 846-1573 CONTACT: Christina Wolfskehl (Young Adult Librarian) or Theresa Coish (Library Director), 846-1573

SPONSOR: Middletown Public Library, Screencraft Tileworks, and the Friends of the Library

ADMISSION: Free

Meet the Author with Ann Hood

On Saturday, May 29th @ 3PM MPL continues the “Meet the Author” series with critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author Ann Hood. Hood will be here to discuss and sign her latest novel, "The Read Thread."

In China there’s a belief that people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. After the death of her daughter, Maya opens the Red Thread, an adoption agency that specializes in placing baby girls from China with American families. Brilliantly braiding together the stories of the Chinese birth mothers who give up their daughters and the American families desperate for a child, Hood writes a moving and beautifully told novel of fate and the red thread that binds these characters lives. Elle Magazine calls the book a "wisely woven novel" about loss and reconnection.

The event is FREE and all are welcome! Light refreshments and drink will be provided.

For more information about Ann Hood or “The Red Thread” go to: http://www.annhood.us/

Public Forum on Saturday, May 15th!

Remember that community service survey I talked about a few months back? That survey is helping us plan our future. And now we want to talk to YOU about it!

On Saturday, May 15th @ 2PM, MPL will hold an open public forum to discuss the Library's 2010-2015 long range plan. Patrons are invited to share their needs and concerns.

The Library Board of Trustees and staff will explain the reasons for undertaking the long range plan, its goals and objectives, and the planning process.

For more info please contact Library Director Theresa Coish @ 846-1573 or tcoish@middletownri.com.

And it's not too late to be heard. Click here and fill out the online community survey. YOUR VOICE COUNTS!!!

Underage Drinking in Newport County

Did you know underage drinking cost the citizens of Rhode Island $218 million in 2007?

To combat this problem Middletown & Newport have teamed up to create "Working Together Against Underage Drinking." This task force aims at educating teens and adults about the dangers and consequences of underage drinking.

During the past two years they have been attacking the problem through a combination of media (e.g., newspaper ads and stories, moving billboards, banners, posters), enforcement (e.g., party patrols, checks of bars and liquor stores), and policy (e.g., underage drinking ordinances, training of liquor servers, school policies).

How effective have their efforts been? That is where you come in. Please take the survey. It's only 5 minutes long and confidential. Also the information gathered will help the task force as they move towards reducing this $218 million problem.

Meet the Poets & Open Poetry Mic!

This is one of the coolest happenings MPL has had the radical distinction to host, daddy-o. In honor of National Poetry Month we are turning our popular "Meet the Author" series into "Meet the Poets". Celebrated local poets Aaron J. Hampton and Jean Michelle will be here to read their outstanding work and talk to us about life as a poet. They'll even give us tips on how to go from unpublished genius to critically acclaimed sensation!

And due to popular demand, we've just added an Open Poetry Mic to immediately follow. So for all you cool cats willing to share your words, come on down and gift us with your flow, daddy-o!

Online Educational Videos

This is too cool not to pass along.

Providence Public Library has created 3 educational videos as part of a grant from the Rhode Island College Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities.

These videos are a MUST WATCH for anyone who works with children, teens or adults with special needs. The programs are aimed at teachers and librarians, but the tips and techniques discussed can be used by everyone!

Video 1: "Hands On Literacy" Wendy Kirchner of Meeting St. School presents this workshop to teach librarians how to effectively include children with special needs in library group activities.

Video 2: "Serving Diverse Populations in Library Programming" A panel of experts discuss how librarians and others who coordinate programs for the public can more seamlessly include those with disabilities.

Video 3: "Understanding the Patron with Mental Illness" This workshop presented by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, RI Chapter helps us explore the myths and misconceptions of people living with mental illness and mood disorders. Specifics include a discussion of effective communication strategies with both adults and children and techniques for de-escalation.

Should anyone wish to have copies of any of the handouts referenced in the presentations, just notify kbullard@provlib.org and she will forward them.

Financial Workshops @ MPL!

Money is on everyone's mind these days. You can't open a paper, turn on the tv or go online without seeing or hearing about it. In order to make ends meet we are all tightening our belts. But what if you didn't have to pull that belt so tight?

Starting in May MPL will host a series of FREE financial workshops on a variety of topics, including Making Sense of Retirement, A Smart Start to Mutual Funds, AND MORE!!! Financial advisor David MacDonald (or as we like to call him "that money smart fellas from Edward Jones") will lead the workshops and help you make the most of your hard-earned money!

Up first is:
TOPIC: Paying for Education
TIME: May 11th @ 6:30PM
SUMMARY: The seminar is designed to provide participants with information so that they may understand the value and importance of planning for their children's or grandchildren's future education costs.

And don't worry about the dinner; refreshments and light snacks will be served! (A free seminar and food? That sounds like a financially savvy move to me!)

Resources for Victims of the 2010 Flood

The Providence Business News and the Providence Journal have great articles which list all available resources for victims of the 2010 flood.

Flood victims are also encouraged to call United Way of RI: Simply dial 2-1-1 and you'll be connected to someone who can help.

Are you looking to help others in need? Serve Rhode Island coordinates volunteers statewide. Register as a volunteer at (401) 331-2298 or online at www.ServeRhodeIsland.org.

If these articles don't have the information you need call us at (401) 846-1573.

Remember: you are not alone!

Safe Travels!

Yes we are indeed open today and we would love to see you -- that is if you aren't busy sump-pumping your basement. For those looking to get to us and do not own one of those nifty Duck Tour buses (I'm asking Santa for one this year), here's a link to the RI Department of Transportation's website. They have a list of flooded/closed streets in RI.

SAFE TRAVELS MPL'ers!

Computers Down THIS Thursday, April 1st

Well...I got good news and I got bad news. Which do you want first? Okay bad news it is.

BAD NEWS: All public computers will be unavailable this Thursday, April 1st until 3PM.
GOOD NEWS: We’ll be uploading, updating and upping their awesomeness.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Meet Fantasty Writer J. Michael Squatrito!

Middletown Public Library continues the “Meet the Author” series with local writer J. Michael Squatrito. He will be here to discuss his fantasy/adventure series “The Overlords” including unreleased details about the next book! He’ll also talk about how he successfully bypassed publishers to create this popular book series with a strong Rhody following.

The event is FREE and all are welcome! Food and drink will be provided.

For more information about J. Michael Squatrito or “The Overlords” series go to: http://www.the-overlords.com/

For more information on "Meet the Author" call (401) 846-1573 or email ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com.

Get Your Geek On!

Meet Cecil Adams, author and self-anointed "world's smartest human." His syndicated weekly column, The Straight Dope, appears in over 30 newspapers throughout the US and Canada, and now you can find him online!

Armed with a high IQ, extensive research and an abrasive sense of humor (his tag line is "Fighting Ignorance Since 1973. It's taking longer than we thought"), Cecil aims to answer off-beat questions from a very curious public. Have you ever wondered if you ate too many carrots, would you turn orange? What "dangers of disease" do hot-air hand dryers prevent? And if you're on a deserted island, how can you tell which plans are poisonous? Cecil's got the answers for you!

The site is fun and pretty easy to navigate. Users can search the archives, post to the message board and even ask Cecil a question! It's simple. It's fun. It's educational. So grab your mouse and get ready to laugh and learn!

Tell Us What You Think

MPL is always looking to improve the services we provide our wonderful patrons! We want to know what you think about the job we are doing: what do you like? What needs improvement? What new services do you want to see?


Please help us by participating in our our annual community service survey. You can do it online or fill one out in our library. It's quick. It's easy. So get online and get heard!

And We're Back!

Our website is back up and running! And boy are we so excited for you to see it! We've still got links to your favorites (online book requests, amazing electronic resources, etc.) PLUS we've added a ton of new stuff: Children's Page, Teen Corner, even a section on Upcoming Events happening at our library.

So grab a cup of coffee and check out the awesomeness! And if you've got time, take our online survey.