Library Program

Happy National Library Week!

ImageFounded in 1958 by the American Library Association, National Library Week grew out of a desire to encourage more Americans to read as a leisure activity and to promote the use of libraries. Those desires have remained constant over the years, but as Monroe County Public Library looks to the future and the role the library plays in our community, we see libraries as a place that nurtures reading - and so much more.

Our Mission: To enrich lives and strengthen our community by providing equitable access to information and opportunities to read, learn, discover, and create.

We offer some special events this week to help celebrate National Library Week, April 14-20:  Meet author Amy Krouse Rosenthal on Monday, or pick a night Monday through Thursday to attend the Vital Quiz Bowl which supports adults learners.

But you can come in any time to find fun materials to read, or view or listen to. You can even share your thoughts about what you’ve read by creating your own local review. Access our Research Tools to learn something new like how to make smart financial decisions with Morningstar, or learn a new language with Mango Languages. Check our calendar and discover opportunities to take part in special events and participate in community organizations at the library. Use our public computers to connect to Scratch and create your own interactive story.

These are just a few of the ways we strive to help Monroe County residents read, learn, discover and create. We have big plans for additional opportunities as we develop a Digital Creativity Center especially for teens, expand our meeting room facilities, and increase access to ebooks and other downloadable materials. These initiatives stem from expressed needs and desires of our community members.

Read more about our vision for the future, and MCPL's Strategic Plan to help us get there together. This week, and every week, we'd like to learn from you: How do you use the library to Read, Learn, Discover and Create? And what more would you like your library to be - and do for you?

Posted by Lisa C. on Apr 13, 2013
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April's Books Plus

National Poetry MonthIn April, as poets have for centuries, we’ll celebrate poetry. For our next Books Plus discussion program, we’ll be highlighting sonnets—one of the shortest and most versatile of poetric forms. Did you know what King James I, Prime Minister William Gladstone, American abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, President John Quincy Adams, and Edith Wharton all had in common? They loved to write sonnets!

Now you don’t need to compose any of your own, but if you have a favorite that you’d love to read aloud, please come and share. Or sit back and let language flow around you.  We’ll explore this little song’s history, discuss its variations, how contemporary poets have made it their own, and why a sonnet is still a sonnet even if it doesn’t rhyme.

We hope you can join us this coming Sunday, April 7 at 2:00 p.m. in discovering anew one of our best creations--the sonnet.  All are welcome and refreshments are provided. More information about this and upcoming Books Plus discussions below.

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Posted by Sarah B. on Apr 2, 2013
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March Books Plus

ImageOur March Books Plus will be special because Wendy Rubin will be leading a discussion on the book so many Bloomingtonians are reading, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.  Not only is it our 2013 One Book One Bloomington selection but it's a dystopian novel that focuses on the treatment of women.

This novel offers so many interesting questions to discuss, what makes a theocratic society, can women really be revered when they are policed by men, and how does dividing women into hierarchies based on their domestic tasks affect society. It's basically a book about good and evil. In one passage, Margaret Atwood said, "The moment of betrayal is the worst, the moment when you know beyond any doubt that you've been betrayed: that some other human being has wished you that much evil.” Read more »

Posted by Sarah B. on Feb 21, 2013
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Light and Shadow: Preschool Science and Math

Light and Shadow

Groundhog’s Day has come and gone, but the shadow of its promise of longer, warmer days lingers! For preschool science in February, we explored the world of light, reflection, and shadow. These activities are meant to promote lively discussions between children and their adult partners, which builds vocabulary and knowledge of the world.

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Posted by Christina J. on Feb 7, 2013
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February Books Plus

Silver Sparrow"My father, James Witherspoon, is a bigamist" is the shocking opening line of Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones. This memorable novel is set in Atlanta in the mid-80s and unwraps the themes of family, love and loyalty often with some painful results.  Two half-sisters are caught in the middle of the two families, one secret and one public. 

Books Plus has been on a mini-break over the holidays, but the first book discussion of the year will take place next Sunday. Please join us on February 3rd to discuss this raw and memorable novel.

 

Books Plus meets the first Sunday of each month. All are welcome. Join the discussion or simply come to listen.

No registration necessary. Drop in.

2 p.m., First Sundays Read more »

Posted by Sarah B. on Jan 28, 2013
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2013 One Book One Bloomington Announcement!

Handmaids TaleEarlier this week, the 2013 One Book, One Bloomington Community Read title was announced on WFHB's Interchange radio program.  All of the nominated books for 2013 have been banned or challenged.

This year, the community voted for The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

In this dark vision of a future United States, the handmaid Offred is defined solely by her biological function as a child-bearer. Forbidden even to read, she tries to survive in oppressive and dangerous circumstances. The novel explores themes of power, gender conflict, the individual in society, language and  storytelling.  Have you read this dystopian classic?

Please visit www.mcpl.info/onebook for upcoming information on public book discussions and a related film festival. Or listen to the announcement and interview with MCPL director Sara Laughlin and MCCSC North High School librarian Kathy Loser on the Interchange radio broadcast on the WFHB website.


Posted by Sarah B. on Jan 18, 2013
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Escape With the 2013 Winter Reading Program

WRP 2013Adult, high school and middle school readers are encouraged to participate in our annual Winter Reading Program. It's easy to enter - read a book, submit an entry. Every week, winning names will be drawn to receive prizes, and a final prize will be given at the end. The more books you read, the more chances you'll have to win.

Enter anytime between January 2 and February 25 at any library location - Main, Ellettsville or the Bookmobile - or online.

Need help finding a great winter read? If you haven't already, check out MCPL's online book lists. Whether you are craving contemporary British novels, non-fiction about cold places or for a little of everything try a book that library staff loved in 2012. Check out a book today and escape!

Posted by Sarah B. on Jan 3, 2013
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Family History Month is coming!

The Indiana Room is gearing up early for National Family History Month in October.

Be sure to mark your calendars now for these programs:

Dating Old Family Photos

From the Smithville News Digital Collection
 Image from the Smithville News Digital Collection

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 | 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Joan Hostetler from Heritage Photo Research will give clues on dating and identifying the person pictures or era of old photos. Participants are encouraged to bring mystery photos. You may email photos and questions in advance to Joan at heritagephotoservices [at] gmail [dot] com. Registration Required

Beginning Genealogy: Just the Basics

Wednesday, October 24, 2012 | 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

This class is designed for people interested in beginning research on their own family history. The basic resources will be reviewed including census records, marriage, birth and death records and obituaries. The class will also include a very brief review of Ancestry Library Edition and Family Search.org Registration Required

Posted by Christine F. on Sep 5, 2012
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Civil War "Rock Star" Ed Bearss Speaks on the 27th Indiana and the Battle of Antietam

 
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AP Photo/The Billings Gazette, David Grubbs
 
Civil War expert and popular battlefield tour guide Ed Bearss will talk about the Hoosier Soldiers who fought in the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. Bearss provided commentary for Ken Burns' PBS series, The Civil War, and has served as Chief Historian for the National Park Service. Presented in partnership with the Monroe County Civil War Roundtable; part of the David Wiley Lecture Series.

According to Adam Goodheart of the Smithsonian Magazine, Bearss is “nothing short of a rock star” in Civil War circles.

Don't miss this wonderful opportunity! Event is Tuesday, September 11th at 7pm in the Main Library's auditorium. Drop in.

 

Posted by Christine F. on Aug 29, 2012
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August Books Plus

SnobsWhether you’re inside enjoying the cool air or outside braving the weather at pool-side, consider that small country across the pond. Yes, England, and we’re not talking about the Olympics but a Downton-Abbey type novel set in contemporary times. Are the rich really different from you and me? Screenwriter, novelist, and actor, Julian Fellowes tackles this subject in Snobs, a novel about a middle-class woman named Edith who would love the wealth and title of the Earl, Charles Broughton, whom she’d love to marry. 

Fellowes knows about castles and big estates. He’s the son of a diplomat, and he visited many of the estates he writes about. He’s also known struggling actors who aren’t sure how they will pay next month’s rent. As New York Times reviewer, Jonathan Ames said, Snobs is a “field guide to the behavior of the English aristocracy.”  Ames also wrote, “When you read a book, you're lost in time. All the more reason to read Snobs.  It will distract you pleasantly. It's like a visit to an English country estate: breezy, beautiful and charming.”

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Posted by Sarah B. on Jul 27, 2012
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