Wednesday, October 26, 2022

November "A Reading Season" Blog

 

November is here and with it we come to the end of another year’s Adult Reading Challenge. We appreciate everyone who signed up and read with us this year. If you signed up, but didn’t read as many books as you thought you would, or fill in as many clues on the Reading Log as you wanted to, please consider turning in your reading log anyway. We use the statistics and feedback to plan and produce the next year’s challenge. The final day to turn in the logs is Wednesday, November 30th, by 6:00pm. The finale party and awards will be held Sunday, December 11th, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. You must have turned in your Reading Log to attend the finale.

The last Thursday book club will be held Thursday, November 3rd, from 12 noon until 2:00 pm in the Community Room. There will also be a program Thursday night. Author Walter Green, will be here  to discuss his book The Nashville and Decatur in the Civil War: History of an Embattled Railroad at 6:00 pm. He will be selling and signing books starting at 5:30 pm. Please make plans to join us.

National Novel Writing Month is a non-profit organization that encourages people to write and finish a novel of 50,000 words during the month of November. Several books you will find on our library shelves started life as  NaNoWriMo works, such as Water for Elephants, The Night Circus, Fangirl, and Cinder. The last task for this year’s challenge is to read a novel. It doesn’t have to be one that was written during the month of November-any novel/work of fiction-will do. So, if you have that one book you read and loved, but couldn’t find a place to use it on the Challenge; this is your chance.

Happy Reading!


Friday, September 30, 2022

October "A Reading Season" Blog

 

October is a great time to visit Decatur Public Library. This year we host our 41st Annual Quilt Show from Monday, October 3rd, to Friday, October 28th. We invite everyone to come in and vote for your favorite quilt in this year’s show by Thursday, October 20th. We will pin the ribbons on the winning quilts Friday, October 21st, at 2:00pm. Enjoy the colorful artistry of local quilters inside the library this month, while Mother Nature shows off her best seasonal colors outside.

DPL Outreach will be out of the building several times this month participating in Fall events around town. Join us Saturday, October 1st,  from 9:00am til 2:00pm at the Touch-A-Truck event at Ascend Performance Materials. We will be at the DYS Fall Festival at 1404 6th Street, NW on Thursday, October 6th, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Visit with us at 3rd Friday Downtown on Friday, October 21st, from 4:30pm to 7:30pm in front of Casa Grande Park.  On Sunday, October 30th, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm we will be in Delano Park for their Spooktacular Afternoon in Delano Park.

We will also host a poetry reading and discussion with Harry Moore and Nancy  Owen Nelson on Thursday, October 20th. The authors will be available starting at 5:30pm to sell books and meet patrons; the program will begin at 6:00pm.

And if that’s not enough bookish fun, join us in the Library on Monday, October 31st, for our 2nd Annual Gothic Gala. This year’s theme is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The fun will kick off with Story Time at 10:00am for the little ones with a Trick-or-Treat Parade around the library immediately after the story. There will be a costume contest for school-age through adult at 4:00pm and lots of activities, puzzles and crafts throughout the day.

We hope you can join us for one or all of the fun events DPL is hosting or attending this month!

The Adult Reading Challenge task for this month is to read a book with a school teacher to celebrate World Teachers’ Day (October 5th) . The purpose of this international day is to appreciate, assess and improve the educators of the world. So read a book about a teacher who helps shape the next generation this month.

Happy Reading!


Thursday, September 1, 2022

September "A Reading Season" Blog

 

We are excited to send out the call for quilts for Decatur Public Library’s 41st Annual Quilt Show. If you have a hand- or machine-stitched quilt you would like to enter into the show call 256-340-5780 to reserve your space. Once you have reserved your space, we will set up a time to drop off your quilt to the library. We will accept quilts through Friday, September 23rd at 5pm. There is a limit of 2 quilt entries per person. Complete guidelines available at www.myDPL.org/quilts.

Besides accepting quilts for the Annual Quilt Show in October, we have two authors appearing this month at DPL to discuss their latest books. On September 15th at 6pm, Robert Bailey will be here to talk about Rich Blood. This will be the first book in a new series. Set in Guntersville, it’s “a compelling legal thriller about a lawyer who takes on his sister’s case - and confronts small-town secrets and family skeletons.” 

On September 29th at 6pm, Georgina Cross will be here to talk about her new book, The Niece. Set in Decatur, it is “a  gripping psychological thriller”. This will be the first time she has done a program at DPL.

September is National Sewing Month and since we will be working with quilts and quilters all month to get ready for the 41st Annual Quilt Show, the September task for the Adult Reading Challenge is to read a book that is about  a seamstress or a quilter.

Happy Reading!

 


Wednesday, August 3, 2022

August “ A Reading Season” Blog

 

School starts soon, do you have all the supplies you need? If you answered yes, we hope that means you have a library card for every student in your household. With a DPL library card, you not only have access to physical books, but to all of our online resources as well. E-books and E-Audiobooks on the Libby and hoopla apps, newspaper and magazine articles on NewsBank and Newspaper Archives, and homework help on Homework Alabama. We also provide access to online tutorials, practice tests and more on EBSCOLearning Express. All free with your DPL library card. Don’t start school without it!

And if you’re looking for a quiet spot to study with access to free Wi-Fi, look no farther than Decatur Public Library. Our Wi-Fi is available from the parking lot even when the library is closed. Let us help you get great grades this year.

All of this talk of back to school reminds us that we need a vacation now that Summer Reads is over. The perfect place to take a book vacation is Hawaii, and now is the perfect time to do it. Hawaii was annexed by the United States of America in 1898. Sixty-one years later on August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state in the United States of America. The Adult Reading Challenge August task is to read a book set in Hawaii.

Happy Reading!

 


Friday, July 1, 2022

July "A Reading Season" Blog

 

July in Alabama is hot! It is also the month for cookouts, baseball, swimming and fireworks. All things that tend to happen outdoors, in the heat. DPL does not have food, baseball games, a pool, or fireworks this summer, but we do have a cool place to stock up on books to read while you recuperate from playing in the sun. It’s not too late to sign up for the Summer Reads program on the READsquared app and earn some digital badges as you are reading. You are also invited to our Summer Reads Finale on Friday, July 22nd from 10:00am until 4:00pm. Come by the library and join us indoors and out to have piratical fun, no matter your age. There will be a story time with O’Malley, the Pirate (appears courtesy of Magical Memories AL) in the Youth Services department at 10:00am. The Crewe O’ Ye Crooked Goat will be on the Cherry Street side of the library from 10:00am until 2:00pm, and they will have their pirate ship with them. They will do story times, have giveaways and pose for pictures with kids and adults. There will be sea creature sidewalk chalk on the sidewalks, a Famous Pirate Walk and a Pirate Joke Walk. Then you can come back inside to cool off and do activities in the Youth Services department and in the Community Room. Piratical fun for everyone and it’s all free!

While you are here, having piratical fun, be sure to check out a paperback book from our collection. July 30,  1835 is the date Penguin Publishing Company, in London, England first began publishing paperback books. Up until this  time, books were bound in hardback and were often out of the price range of most people. Using paper made books more accessible to the general public. In just the first twelve months, they produced three million paperback books. For those taking the Adult Reading Challenge, the July task is to read a paperback book.  This means eBooks and audio books cannot be counted for this task. It must be a physical book that has a soft paper cover. While you’re reading a paperback book in the cool, listen to the Beatles sing Paperback Writer.

Happy Reading!


Wednesday, June 1, 2022

June "A Reading Season" Blog

 

Check any library calendar during the month of June and you will find programs and events aimed at keeping kids reading during the summer months. Public libraries in Alabama this year are using the slogan “Oceans of Possibilities” and programs and events that tie into the theme of oceanography. Here at DPL we are starting our summer with a kick-off program on Friday, June 3rd, from 10am until 2:00pm on the Cherry Street side of the Library. We are hosting a drive-up program using the circular drive to hand out goody bags for kids aged 12 and under.   The best and most unique thing about this year’s Summer Reads program at DPL is that we are giving the prizes away at the kick-off event!  The prize for kids aged 12 and under is a hardback children’s encyclopedia on the Ocean, and it’s in the kick-off bag along with other goodies!

When you bring kids through the drive-through to get their goody bag, you’ll also receive information on downloading the READsquared app to track reading progress. There will be activities, games, read-alongs with Ms. Anna, digital badges and more on the app. Mark your calendar and bring your 12 and under kids to Decatur Public Library’s drive-up kick-off this Friday from 10:00am until 2:00pm. Bags will be available while supplies last; after 2:00pm you can come into the Youth Services department to sign up and get a goody bag.

For adults and teens this month we will be hosting Writing Workshops with the Heart of Dixie Fiction Writers. If you are interested in learning to set a scene, create characters, or publish what you write, join us Saturday, June 11, 2022 from 12noon until 2:00pm to learn from the professionals. The classes are free and taught by best-selling and award-winning authors. Space is available on a first come, first served basis. Some of the authors in Heart of Dixie Fiction Writers will also set up for a Meet and Greet in the main area. If you’ve met any of the authors before, you know they are always a lot of fun, so don’t miss this opportunity to spend time with these friendly storytellers.

The June task for the Adult Reading Challenge is to read a book where you learn at least one fact you didn’t know about the ocean, sea, or any other large body of saltwater. It could be non-fiction about the ocean or marine life, or a fictional book that features or is set on – or in – the ocean. As long as the book imparts a fact you didn’t know about the ocean before you read the book, it doesn’t matter if it’s fiction or non-fiction!

Happy Reading!


Wednesday, May 4, 2022

May "A Reading Season" Blog

 

May is here and finally so is Adult programming at DPL. We kick-off Thursday, May 5th, with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Archibald. His book, Shaking the Gates of Hell: A Search for Family and Truth in the Wake of the Civil Rights Revolution, is partially set in Decatur, Alabama. DPL is mentioned when his Mother needs to self-educate herself on a topic; she turns to the public library for books. He also told us he learned to ride his bike in the parking lot when the current library building was new. We hope you will be able to join us for more stories about his experiences growing up in Decatur during the era of Civil Rights.

The next program for adults will be held Thursday, May 19th, at 6pm. This program is for What a Day! Short Stories by Southern Authors. The Anthology is put out by the Heart of Dixie Fiction Writers, who meet monthly at Decatur Public Library. Eleven authors have stories in the book and nine of them are confirmed to be at the program so far. We will post the full list of authors next week with more details about the book.

May is International Short Story Month, so the task this month is to read a book of short stories. The What a Day! program will let you learn about a book of short stories that might be of interest to you and let you meet some of the short story writers. As Seneca said: “As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.”

Happy Reading!

Monday, April 4, 2022

April “A Reading Season” Blog

 


April is National Poetry Month and DPL is celebrating with interactive displays. Come in and try your hand at Paint Chip Poetry, check out some poetry books, pick up a poem for your pocket and vote on your favorite poet and poem. The display cases will have information about poetry and be a work in progress for the paint chip poetry display. If you don’t feel creatively inclined to write a poem, fill out our survey to help us find the favorite poets and poems of our patrons. April 29th is Poem in Your Pocket Day, but we will have our annual poem postcards available to pick up and share by the middle of the month.

We have reinstated Story Time and Book Babies in the Youth Services room, so if you have small ones be sure to check out the early literacy programs on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. This month we will also partner with Magical Memories, AL for a special Story Time and Easter Egg hunt at Delano Park on Tuesday, April 12th at 10am.

If you are taking the Challenge this year or want to learn more about it, the Book Club will meet on Thursday, April 7th from 12noon to 2pm in the Community Room at DPL. Come find out about the Challenge and what other people are reading for the clues and tasks. We would love to see you and hear about what you are reading.

On the Hebrew calendar, the 27th of Nisan (April 27th) is Yom HaShoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day, in Israel. Nisan is the first month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar; on the Gregorian calendar it usually falls in March-April. The day was set aside to commemorate the approximately six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust by Nazi Germany and its collaborators, and for the Jewish resistance in that period. The April Task is to read a book about the Holocaust or Jewish resistance. Survivors of the Holocaust have repeatedly asked that the world not forget the victims or survivors of this painful part of history. Read a book to remember those who were lost and those who survived, to honor the memory of both.




Wednesday, March 2, 2022

March “A Reading Season” Blog

 

In Reading Challenge terms, March 1st  kicks off a new season: Spring. We don’t know about you, but we’re ready for Spring right now. We’d like an end to the wet and cold and to move straight to warm and sunny weather going forward from now until summer.

No matter what the temperature outside, come visit us at DPL and check out the “Military Service: A History in Postcards” and “Honoring Military Service: Morgan County and Beyond”. These two displays are on view through Monday, March 28th during Library hours: Monday through Thursday 10am until 6pm, Friday 10am until 5pm, and Saturday 10am until 4pm. The “Military Service: A History in Postcards” is displayed in the main sitting area and is on loan from Troy University Libraries Humanities Project which is supported by a grant from the Alabama Humanities Foundation. The “Honoring Military Service: Morgan County and Beyond” is displayed in the glass cases in the main area and was provided by courtesy of the Kennedy-Nicholas-Ragland Collection.  Be sure to fill out a postcard while you are here and let us know your thoughts on the displays. There is a box on the front plug in bar to turn in comment  cards.

The March task for the ARC is to read a book set in Boston, Massachusetts. Are you wondering why Boston for the month of March? It’s because Boston has a lot of ties to the month of March and the Irish. There is a thriving Irish community in Boston, so much so they have an Irish Heritage walking tour year-round, not just in March which is Irish Heritage month. March 5, 1770, was the date of the “Boston Massacre”. Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17th)  is an unofficial city holiday, as it falls on Evacuation Day-the day the British were expelled from the city after a successful siege by Patriots in the American Revolution. The city throws one of the best Saint Patrick’s Day parades in the United States. So, if you can’t get to Boston in person this month, make the trip through the pages of a good book set in Beantown.

Happy Reading!

 


Friday, February 4, 2022

February “A Reading Season” Blog

 

The 10th Annual Adult Reading Challenge follows the seasons during a calendar year. If you’ve already signed up we appreciate it and if you haven’t signed up but are curious, please come by the Marketing and Outreach office to talk to us. Our job takes us out of the building, so call or email to make sure what days/hours we will be available to talk with you.

There are 2 book displays in the Library right now that will help you with 3 of the clues on the Reading Log. One is in the Young Adult section and contains 2 displays: one for fairy tale retellings and the other for Black History month. 


The other display is in the kiosk and it has Romance paperbacks.

                                                                                       
     

February 1, 2022 was the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year is determined by the Lunar calendar and so is a different date each year. This year is also known as the year of the Tiger. To celebrate, the February task is to read a book by or about a Chinese or Chinese-American person.

Happy Reading!