The Fourth Tuesday Photography group met at the Bethel College Campus for a photo walk last Tuesday night. What fun!
The photographers who make up this group are a friendly, helpful, low-key bunch — a real pleasure to be around.
The group is open to all who are interested in improving their photography, or learning to use their digital camera equipment, whether the camera in question is a point-and-shoot or a high-end camera.
This photo was taken from the observation deck of the Science Center at sunset with my iPhone after the battery died on the library’s camera.
Another photo walk (preceded by a potluck, for those interested!) is planned for the June meeting, so contact the library to get on the e-mail list for details.
In reading over some of the resources for this summer’s reading programs that focus on nighttime, it occurred to me we humans really do have sleep issues throughout our lives.
When we’re very young, we want to stay up and be a part of the action until we’re past cranky. And so we have books to soothe us and get us lulled into a sleep state.
When we grow a little older, we like to touch the edges of the things that scare us. Scary things are much more real in the dark! And so we read books that scare us just enough, and then have a satisfactory ending, just to prove we can triumph over our fears.
Of course, books and movies about things that scare the wits out of us can be a part of what passes for entertainment into our adulthood, too.
But, as adults, we also begin to deal with insomnia and the anxieties that keep us awake and agitated, rolling from side to side and unable to quiet our brains. And so we’re back to reading to lull ourselves to sleep. And we check out books on ways to cope with our insomnia or to keep our anxieties in check – all those self-help books that help us deal with our lives.
The library, once again, is there waiting to provide us with ways to cope with our lives — whether providing entertainment, helpful advice or something just boring enough that we just can’t help nodding off!
Things are beginning to look a lot like Summer Reading Program time at NPL.
There are many reasons to read during the summer (the one I like is that it’s a heck of a lot of fun!). But a very compelling reason for school-age kids is to maintain reading skills. Scholastic reports, “Studies suggest that children who read as few as six books over the summer maintain the level of reading skills they achieved during the preceding school year. Reading more books leads to even greater success. When children are provided with 10 to 20 self-selected children's books at the end of the regular school year, as many as 50 percent not only maintain their skills, but actually make reading gains.”
This year, there are reading programs for all ages, based on a “nighttime” theme.
For kids, “Dream Big READ!” is the theme. Kids will have fun completing the reading activities on their weekly Dream Tickets for surprises and entries into the drawing to win a t-shirt at the end of the program.
Teens will “Own the Night,” beginning with a kick-off party at 6 p.m. on May 31. Root beer floats, sidewalk decorating, and signing up for Summer Reading will entertain those 10 years and up. Teens will log pages read – the more pages read, the more chances there are to win prizes. Special programs include weekly movies on Saturdays at 3 p.m., gaming and crafts on Monday afternoons at 3 p.m. and gaming on Thursdays at 6 p.m.
“Between the Covers” is the adult theme. Record minutes read each week for a chance at weekly prize drawings. Submitting book reviews will earn extra entries. Brian Stucky is coming to talk about his book “Hallowed Hardwood: Vintage Basketball Gyms of Kansas” at 7 p.m. June 28. And poet Sammie Simmons and photographer Duane Graham will present readings and images from their new book “Foundations Laid” at 7 p.m. July 26. The Mystery Lovers Book Club meets the first Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. And the Fiction Book Discussion group meets the Third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. The Library supplies copies of the books chosen for each month.
For families, FREE Family Time fun is offered Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. with puppet shows, jugglers, magicians, animals, and even the Yo-Yo Spinmaster.
The library will be a busy place this summer! All of the information and details about the summer programs can be found online at www.newtonplks.org, or by coming in to pick up a brochure and sign up for FREE summer fun at the Library. The reading fun begins on June 1.
Editor’s note: There also will be an article in the Kansan on Saturday about the summer reading program.
I sat down yesterday with some of the BFF of Newton Public Library. They were setting up for the Friends of Newton Public Library Annual Book Sale.
The Bessmer Room is full-to-bursting with books and other materials on every conceivable subject, waiting for customers to browse, find a great deal on something they’d like to own, and help out Newton Public Library with their money spent.
The money made by the Friends has been used to support Summer Reading Programs with items such as prizes and t-shirts for readers. These incentives keep children and teens reading in the summer months, keeping their skills sharp during their school break.
The money also supports databases that the Library provides patrons for doing research, reading magazines online, or downloading audio or digital books, videos, and music.
The Friends also provide treats for events such as Kansas Reads to Preschoolers and the Library Flower & Garden Tour. I sampled some treats brought for the volunteers who worked setting up the sale yesterday, and they were seriously good!
When I asked why these hardworking volunteers give their time to the Friends of Newton Public Library, Joan Hushka said, “The reason I do this is I want children to use the Library so they will learn to love to read, like I do.” Gail Gilchrist added, “They’re going to have to bury me with my book list!”
President of the Friends Carol Heinel pointed out an unexpected benefit of collecting and sorting the books for the sale: “Being at the Library introduces me to new authors.” And she added that just spending time at the Library, observing children, families and adults using the Library has confirmed the good results of her time spent volunteering.
If you’d like to join these BFFs of Newton Public Library, you can! The annual membership is just ten dollars. A lifetime membership is fifty dollars. Friends members get first crack at the items for sale (this would be TONIGHT from 6-8 p.m.!).
The sale for the public is 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. May 11, and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on May 12.
The computer access and help available at the library may be one of the most important contributions the library gives to the community. This might be a little bit of an overstatement, but daily those of us who work in the library see people using the free computer access at the library to apply for work, create a resume, check e-mail and do homework.
These days, nearly all jobs require online applications. And nearly all online applications require an e-mail address. And so, almost daily, the staff at Newton Public Library helps patrons sign up for and gain a rudimentary understanding of using e-mail.
For those who are completely new to computers, even using a mouse and managing the “touch” required for a double-click can be challenging. Those who are unfamiliar with the keyboard are faced with extra challenges in “hunting and pecking” at the keys.
The difference between computer software, the hard drive, and the Internet can be mind-blowing to the novice. Fear of “breaking something” is prevalent. So a listener willing to offer help is essential, and these are qualities those of us who work at the Library attempt to manifest.
The library offers classes for those beginning to learn about computers, eReaders, social media, and various software applications. The Library also provides computers and printing (at 10 cents a page), as well as support and help necessary when questions arise.
In this day and age when digital devices are becoming such an integral part of everyday life, where else can people go who are without resources or technology skills?
Readers at Newton Public Library enjoy having access to ebooks through the Sunflower eLibrary and Kansas EZ Library. Libraries are places to enjoy free access to books, whatever their format.
Publishers, however, are making it difficult for libraries to have access to ebooks. Of the big six publishing companies, some have denied access all together, while others have increased the cost by 300% or limited the number of checkouts allowed on a single title purchased.
Libraries and library patrons are the losers in this scenario.
A petition has been placed online for library patrons to sign. Once 10,000 signatures have been obtained, this petition will be shared with the publishers in an attempt to apply pressure for a reconsideration of their restrictive policies regarding ebook distribution to libraries.
If you are interested in having access to the most popular titles in an ebook format available to you as a patron of the library, consider signing this petition at: http://ebooksforlibraries.com/
May 1, 1931, was the day the Empire State Building was dedicated by President Herbert Hoover. With a symbolic flipping of a switch, the lights of the tallest building in the world at the time were turned on.
The building was a feat of human engineering and effort. Here are some interesting facts
* John Jakob Raskob of General Motors was the initiator of the project
* The architecture firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon Associates was hired to design the building
* The entire skyscraper was completed in just over a year, well ahead of schedule
* At the time the structure was completed, it was under budget at $40 million
* At times the building grew four-and-a-half stories per week
* The construction employed as many as 3,400 workers during the time of the Depression
Subjects that fire up the imagination often give inspiration for children’s books. That’s certainly the case with the materials on this subject at Newton Public Library.
Often times, adults discount materials written for a younger audience. I find them to be concisely written and appealing visually — a win-win!
Check them out!
I don’t know about you, but sometimes my reading time gets squeezed out of my busy schedule. Actually, this is probably not exactly true, because I do spend a lot of time reading things on my computer screen: I read my email, and I read facebook posts, and I read patron account screens, and then I check a few websites for current news and events, etc.
But I’m talking about “book” reading. But actually, the lines are pretty blurred here, too. Right before I go to bed at night and sometimes on the weekend, I read a physical book with pages that turn. However, I also always have an audio book going in my car to listen to when I’m out and about. I also usually have a Playaway (think of an entire book on a player the size of a deck of cards) or story loaded on an MP3 player for when I’m gardening or painting.
So far, I haven’t downloaded a book to my iPhone yet. I still prefer physical books for this. But when it comes time to travel, especially by air, I’ll be making use of this service, too.
Of course, the library offers all of these “reading” forms for free: books, audiobooks, and Playaways can be physically checked out with a free Library card. eBooks and audio books can be downloaded for free through the Library’s website from either the Sunflower eLibrary or the Kansas EZ Library (which requires a free Kansas library card). And, even the computer “reading” access is free at the Library!
Sometimes I have to remind myself that, while I may not sit and read a book as much as I’d like, I do squeeze quite a bit of “reading” into my day.
Anybody who’s ever talked to Andy Ortiz for any length of time would likely find out that Andy is passionate about Newton, Kan. And after talking with Andy about Newton, Kan., a person would be either a) really glad he or she lives here; or b) wondering whether maybe a move to Newton wouldn’t be a good idea!
Andy sees Newton’s potential. But he does more than that. He works with contagious enthusiasm to help Newton become the place he envisions. Andy’s business, Axon Displays, promotes Newton businesses and activities in prominent locations around town with digital displays.
Andy will be presenting to the next meeting of MPower at the library at noon on Wednesday. Be prepared for a whirlwind trip through the history of mass communications, from Gutenberg to the digital displays of today, and a glimpse into where we’re headed in the future. We can all be a little smarter about how to market our small town in a big way!
Anyone can attend this free event; just call the library (316-283-2890) to let us know you’re coming.
Free domputer classes are offered at Newton Public Library. Hands-on, one-session classes require registration as space is limited. Classes are free and open to all.
Upcoming classes include:
* Facebook for Beginners, 7 p.m. May 8
* Computer Guts – what’s inside?, 4 p.m. May 10
* Computer Basics, 2:30 p.m. May 15
* Online Security - includes input from Police Officer, 3 p.m. May 25
* Pinterest for Beginners, 7 p.m. May 29
Susan Bartel is the Supervisor of Special Services at Newton Public Library. She likes to say this means her job consists of "other duties as assigned". In reality, a large portion of what she does involves marketing and publicity, updating the website, facilitating various computer classes and interests groups (genealogy and photography in particular), managing overdue items, and quite an array of "other duties as assigned".
