Showing posts with label Event. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Event. Show all posts

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Digital Bookmobile National Tour

Mondays can be so very drab. Rainy weather. Kids not back in school just yet. On days like this does your brain scream out the eternal parental question: "What to do, what to do?!" Consider yourself saved thanks to the Cranston Public Library and the Digital Bookmobile!

LOCATION: Cranston Public Library: Upper Parking Lot
140 Sockanosset Cross Road, Cranston, RI
DATE: Monday, September 21, 2009
TIME: 10:00am - 4:00pm
PRICE: FREE

Cranston Public Library and Ocean State Libraries will host the Digital Bookmobile, an immersive download experience inside a 74-foot, high-tech tractor-trailer.

Readers of all ages are invited to engage digital downloading through interactive demonstrations and experience the library's audiobook, eBook, music, and video download service at this free event.

The Digital Bookmobile is housed inside an 18-wheel tractor-trailer. This 74-foot community outreach vehicle is a high-tech update of the traditional bookmobile that has served communities for decades. The vehicle is equipped with broadband Internet-connected PCs, high definition monitors, premium sound systems, and a variety of portable media players, all of which help visitors explore the library's download service. Interactive learning stations give visitors an opportunity to search the library’s digital media collection, use supported mobile devices, and sample eBooks, audiobooks, music, and video.

Come and learn about digital media and the latest gadgets and technology. There will be a raffle and other fun stuff!

All Ages are welcome. Registration is not required. The Digital Bookmobile is handicap accessible and will be parked in the upper parking lot of Cranston Public Library for this event.

The Digital Bookmobile is a service of Ocean State Libraries and the Cranston Public Library. The Digital Bookmobile is operated by OverDrive, Inc.

For more information call: (401) 943-9080 EXT6 or email: central@cranstonlibrary.org

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

"Hey, Stinky Feet" @ MPL!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to run a marathon, to get your feet all stinky? Well pull up a chair (and some medicated foot powder too!) and let me tell you about a cool thing we got happenin' at our very happenin' library.

On Wednesday, August 19th at 6:00PM the Middletown Public Library will welcome writer, martial artist and athlete extraordinaire Alexander Loudon! She be on site to give a FREE seminar called "Hey, Stinky Feet" (brilliant name, no?) based on her latest book. The seminar and book are aimed at helping you run your first marathon safely! She will take you from the couch to the finish line, giving you all the information you need to achieve your dream!

To learn more about Alexander, check out her very impressive biography.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

"I'm BORED!"

Now that summer is finally, truly here (ignore today's weather) are you looking for some memorable activities to do with the Short People*?

The Rhode Island Family Guide is a website and FREE guide book that gives families in RI listings of resources for fun, adventure and well-being here in the Ocean State.

The site and guide books offer sections on family fun destinations, activities, health care, safety & emergency, shopping, camping and MORE!

The 2009 guide books are available at many state institutions including this awesome library. So stop by our Circulation Desk and ask for your free copy.

*Definition of Short People: The adorable, sweet faced little people who live in your house and constantly announce their boredom despite having access to a room full of toys and a backyard the size of a wildlife preservation.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Be Creative @ Your Library


There are some really wonderful things happening RIGHT NOW at our library.

AWESOME PRIZES!

1. You can "Be Creative @ Your Library" by reading 5 books or more. For older kids, reading 100 pages counts as 1 book.

2. Write the title of every book that you read into your folder. Roll the dice to get your question number. When you've answered your question, put a color dot on your paint palette!

3. When you've got at least 5 colors, you qualify for a READING CERTIFICATE, a PAPERBACK BOOK and a BAG of PRIZES to boost your creativity!!

FREE PROGRAMS!
Tickets will be available beginning the Monday one week prior to each performance:

Monday 7/20 Keith Munslow, Artist/Musician
Friday 7/31 Great Baldini, Magician
Thursday 8/13 Creative "Mad Scientist"

All shows begin at 10:30am

FREE CRAFTS!
Limited enrollment! Sign up the week before each workshop.

Wednesday 7/22 "Be Creative" with Origami
Wednesday 7/29 "Be Creative" with Beads

All programs begin at 10:30am

Free Passes!
To Roger Williams Zoo, Providence Children's Museum, Green Animals, Casey and Watson Farms, Quonset Air Museum, Butterfly Zoo, South County Museum, Audubon Society of RI, Fort Adams, First Beach Carousel, McDonald's Restaurants and MORE!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Young Adult Summer Pen Pal Program

A very cool thing is happening in RI thanks to the amazing Aaron C., Young Adult librarian at Greenville Public Library. Aaron is putting together a YA summer pen pal program for teens 11-18 years old. And we are talking old school pen-pal'ing. Paper and pen! (Come on, you know you want to try it. See how old people did it way back in the 1980s.)

Here's the 411:

~Fill out an introductory letter form* and turn it in to the MPL Reference Department by July 3rd. (*Forms are available in the YA section or email ChristinaWolfskehl@yahoo.com for a copy.)

~Aaron C. (the YA librarian I mentioned above) will match you with someone your age who has the same interests. Your pen pal will be from another town or city in Rhode Island.

~Check back after July 14th to find out who your pen pal partner is.

~Write letters to your pen pal and turn them in at the Reference Desk. (Don't worry! The letters are only read by your snail-mail buddy. We just save you the postage when we forward them to your pen pal.)

~I will email/call when you receive a new letter from your pen pal.

So whaddaya say? Take a break from texting and try connecting with someone the old fashion way.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Reading Across Rhode Island

What if every person in Rhode Island read the same book? What would we learn about ourselves? What would we learn about each other? Reading Across Rhode Island is the state’s community read. The book selected for the 2009 project is Five Skies by Ron Carlson.

Five Skies tells of the friendship that develops among three men thrown together on a bizarre building project in the isolated canyons of Idaho. With a crisp description narrative, Carlson outlines not only the transformations that take place in the three men, but also develops the setting into a fourth character. Themes for discussion include relationship between men, the value of work, environmental issues and the beauty of nature.

Here are some upcoming programs and events scheduled to celebrate this book!
*A live videoconference with Ron Carlson for schools and libraries on May 8, 2009.
*The annual May Breakfast on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtucket in Cranston with Ron Carlson as the guest speaker.
For more information, call Louise Moulton at 455-8134

Thursday, February 5, 2009

February Vacation: Bubble Show for Kids!


The amazing Keith Michael Johnson is coming to our library! He'll be bringing his exciting show "The Secret World of Bubbles" to the Middletown Public Library on Wednesday, February 18th at 11am.

The show features bubble sculptures as big as bathtubs, bubbles that dance toward the ceiling, bubbles that act as boomerangs, and bubbles that create amazing tunnels around young volunteers. Want a sneak peek at the fun? Check out Mr. Johnson's wonderful and informative website.
Click here!

Mr. Johnson is trained as a clown and mine, and uses his theatrical talents to explain scientific principles such as matter, force, and pressure. He's also performed on Discovery TV as well as at schools, libraries and festivals throughout New England. The show is geared towards children in grades K-5.

Tickets are free, but get them NOW! Our last event SOLD OUT and we don't want you to miss this wonderful show! Please call 846-1573 to reserve your free tickets today!

Saturday, January 3, 2009

RI Teen Book Awards: Your Vote COUNTS!

Hey there my teenage readers! (I do have some teens reading this blog, right?) Looking for some great winter reads? Well the Rhode Island Teen Book Award Committee has just posted it's list of the 20 best teen titles published between 2006-2008, and now they are looking to you to vote on which book is truly deserving of the title Best Book!

Wait a second...who are these people? The Rhode Island Teen Book Award is a collaborative project of the Rhode Island Education Media Association (RIEMA) and the Rhode Island Library Association (RILA). The goal of the Rhode Island Teen Book Award is to promote quality literature for teens by highlighting well-written books that will be of interest to those between the ages of 12 and 18 years of age.

To vote simply come to the Library, pick up a form, fill it out and hand it to one of the Reference Librarians (that would be either Heather or yours truly, Christina). All votes must be in before February 13th.

AND THE NOMINEES ARE...

*Recommended for Middle School Students*

Darkwing by Kenneth Oppel
Set during a dynamic era of earth’s history and changing species, Dusk, the world's first bat, must lead his colony to safety and a new home after a massacre from carnivores.

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages
In 1943, Dewey moves to Los Alamos to live with her father, a scientist working on "the gadget"- the first atomic bomb.

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
Kek survives a war in the Sudan that claims the lives of both his father and brother but can he adapt to a new life in the US and still remain true to his own beliefs?

Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen
This is a touching and uplifting portrait of a young girl's struggle for survival on the streets and within herself, told through the words in her diary ... a diary she never wanted to use.

*Recommended for All Teens*

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
Twins Sophie and Josh are caught in a battle between two alchemists over an ancient book containing the secret of eternal life.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan
This wordless graphic novel blends historical imagery with science-fiction elements to depict the journey of an immigrant from his terror-beset homeland to a new, more peaceful home.

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell
With the help of a big secret, overachiever Vassar finds herself traipsing through the wilds of Southeast Asia with her free-living grandmother. How will it change her view of the world?

Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock
Meet DJ, a genuine home-grown cow-girl who wants not only to escape the drudgery of her farm but also to play football. Has she got what it takes to make it in the “real” world?

Devilish by Maureen Johnson
Jane Jarvis, a senior at a Catholic girls’ school in Providence, tries to save her best friend by making a pact with a demon in the form of a cupcake-eating, very friendly teenage girl.

Epic by Conor Kostick
On New Earth, a world based on a virtual role-playing game, Erik persuades his friends to help in order to save his father from exile and safeguard the futures of each of their families.

Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes
A group of unpopular students thrown together in detention form a band to play at a local school talent show and become a wildly popular local rock band.

Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell
After her home on the island of Shalott is destroyed forcing her to live in Arthur's army encampments, can Elaine, and the world she has always known, survive the birth of a kingdom?

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Five sisters who live with their merchant father in Transylvania use a hidden portal in their home to cross over into a magical world, the Wildwood.

*Recommended for High School Students*

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
After being bullied at his school on the reservation, Junior Spirit decides to attend an all-white school where he struggles with his identity and feelings about leaving the “rez".

Beige by Cecil Castelucci
Staying in Los Angeles for the summer with your punk rock legend father should be exciting. However, Katy and her estranged dad couldn't be more opposite.

Boot Camp by Todd Strasser
How bad can a boot camp really be? For Garrett, it's his worst nightmare come to life. Will he escape the never-ending behavior modifications of Lake Harmony.

Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready
When her alcoholic mother is missing, Claudine begins to spin out of control despite her attempts to impose order on every aspect of her life.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Annabelle plays the girl who has everything in a local TV ad, but nothing could be further from the truth. Could her unlikely friendship with outsider Owen help her to mend her life?

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
After a severe blow to the head, amnesiac Naomi faces startling and puzzling consequences while unraveling her past life.

Trigger by Susan Vaught
Jersey is released from rehab after suffering a gunshot wound to the head only to learn the injury was self-inflicted. Now, he must overcome his extensive brain damage to find out why.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

MAGIC SHOW!

Looking for something fun to do with your little ones during the holiday break? Why not take them to a MAGIC SHOW!

On Tuesday, December 30th at 10:30am MPL will host Magician Tommy James. With over 30 years of performing experience Mr. James has the show for you. His performance will amaze and amuse with a roller coaster ride of comedy and magic that is GUARANTEED to PLEASE! Click here to see his website!

Please call (401) 846-1573 for information and free tickets!