Mesa County Libraries » Blog

One Book 4 CO

kidspage — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:22:21 +0000

Hi all,

Do you know a four-year-old who has not yet received his or her free One Book 4 Colorado? There is still time to pick up the book at any of our branch locations. Mesa County Libraries will be handing out them until May 20.

If you’re not familiar with One Book 4 Colorado, it’s a state-wide initiative to provide every four-year-old in Colorado the same, age-appropriate book, with the goal of promoting the love of reading in young children. Lt. Governor Joe Garcia, the Colorado State Library, and numerous sponsors have coordinated their efforts to provide this wonderful early literacy awareness program.

Below is a picture of Ms. Cheryl promoting One Book 4 Colorado at a recent storytime, as the children pretend to be ducks.

Mesa County Central Library to be closed June 1-19 for move to Fifth and Grand

Bob — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:29:04 +0000

The Mesa County Central Library in Grand Junction will be closed June 1-19 while library materials, shelves, furnishings, and equipment are moved to the newly expanded building at Fifth Street and Grand Avenue.

The library, which is temporarily located at 655 N. 1st St., will close at 6 p.m. Friday, May 31, and the move will take place during the first weeks of June. A Grand Reopening Celebration is planned for Thursday, June 20, at the Fifth and Grand location.

During the closure, library patrons are encouraged to use the library’s branch locations: Orchard Mesa, Fruita, Clifton, Palisade, De Beque, Collbran, and Gateway. Branches will continue to operate on their regular schedules. E-resources will remain available at mesacountylibraries.org.

Books checked out from the Central Library during the rest of May will be due in July. Book drops where patrons can return materials are available at branches. The Book Drop at the temporary Central Library on First Street also will remain available after the rest of the library is closed.

Participants in the 2013 Summer Reading Program are urged to check out reading materials before the Central Library closes May 31. Patrons may check out as many as 40 items, which should give most readers a good head start on reaching their Summer Reading Program goals.

The move back to Fifth and Grand marks the final stage of an almost year-long project to expand and improve the Central Library. The project has added approximately 9,000 square feet of space to the building and has improved the existing facility from top to bottom. Features include more natural light inside, a new fiction area, a new Regional History Room, a large community room for programs and events, several new small-group study rooms, outdoor patios for adults and children, and a creation studio for audio and video production.

For complete information about branch hours, locations, and services, please visit mesacountylibraries.org. Anyone with questions about the Central Library’s closure and move may call Mesa County Libraries at 970-243-4442.

Booklist's Top 10 SF/Fantasy Titles 2013

Book Lush — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:39:37 +0000

Booklist Online has a new top 10 list for SF/Fantasy readers, and they want everyone else to know that the genre has more to it than spaceships and unicorns. There are books by the well-known authors in the field, as well as impressive debuts. Check it out and find some new picks for the summer.

Also, take a peek at the lists on the left side under “Web Exclusives.” I was intrigued by “Ladies in Waiting: 5 Authors Who Would Kill to be Ruth Rendell” and “Trapped! 7 Thrillers That Are a Claustrophobic’s Nightmare.’”

Hillbilly Noir

Book Lush — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:22:57 +0000

Gives Us a Kiss, by Daniel Woodrell, starts with, “I had a family errand to run, that’s all, but I decided to take a pistol.” Former Ozarks bad-boy, Doyle Redmond, goes back to his old home in West Table, Mo. to tell his big brother, Smoke, to turn himself into the Kansas City law, an errand he doesn’t expect to succeed at. Doyle has just one problem of his own, a bench warrant from California for stealing his ex-wife’s car. Small stuff, by Redmond standards. Smoke has big plans that need Doyle’s help: guarding his weed crop from the larcenous-and-worse Dolly family. Things go along in a light-hearted way, with Woodrell’s dry, ironic and convoluted style a pleasure to read. Eventually, though, it all goes south when a Dolly turns up accidentally dead, and more Dollys show up in a casually menacing scene that ends in a stomp down, with the promise of worse to come.

Daniel Woodrell also wrote Winter’s Bone, from which an excellent movie was made. That’s my next stop.

Sign up for summer reading now!

kidspage — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:51:45 +0000

…

Get creative this summer-craft with your kids

Book Lush — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:40:14 +0000

With school almost out, it’s time to get creative at home. If a couch-spud-free summer sounds good to you, we have lots of fun craft ideas on our Just for Kids Pinterest page and the Crafts and Hobbies libguide on the website. There are tons of play ideas, science experiments, and cool things to make. They’ll stay busy and engaged and the couch will get a rest, too.

photo credit:: http://funartsandcraftsguide.com/crafting-ideas-for-children-keep-it-simple/

Looking for a bargain? Library Friends Spring Book Sale happens this week

Bob — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:25:29 +0000

An annual spring rite for readers and book enthusiasts throughout Mesa County begins this Thursday, May 16.

The Friends of the Mesa County Libraries Spring Book Sale starts Thursday and lasts through Saturday, offering bargain prices on thousands of books, DVDs, and CDs. Most books will sell for $1 or $2, and they include offerings in science fiction, romance, biography, Western, children’s books, and a multitude of other categories. All proceeds from the sale will support programming and projects at Mesa County Libraries.

The Spring Book Sale opens with the Members-Only Sale from 3-7 p.m. Thursday, May 16 (anyone can join Friends at the door for $10). The Public Sale takes place 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, May 17, and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the First Congregational Church, 1425 N. 5th St., across from Grand Junction High School.

Friends of the Mesa County Libraries is a nonproﬁt organization that has provided support for programs at Mesa County Libraries for nearly 50 years. These programs include the Summer Reading Program; One Book, One Mesa County; Poetry Night; Literacy; and many others. Friends also provided money for various projects at the new Fruita and Palisade branch libraries and pledged monies for the current Central Library Expansion and Improvement Project.

Friends also raises money through book sales at the Novel Idea Bookstore in the Central Library.

Summer Reading Program for Teens!

Shanna — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:33:12 +0000

Who: Teens ages 12-18 or grades 6-12. This also includes teens who have just finished the 5th grade!

What: The Summer Reading Program encourages teens to read throughout the summer months. The teen theme is “Beneath the Surface,” so prizes and programs will reflect the topic of underground culture, music, art, and literature.

Prizes:

1st- Tote Bag (600 pts) 2nd- New Book (600 pts) 3rd- Event Bracelet and 10 dollars to Gamerz Planet Grand Prize Drawings- Nook HD and Certificates to Local Businesses

Programs:

Author Ellen Hopkins Visit- She will visit on Monday, June 24th and provide a Teen Writing Workshop from 10am-2pm (free pizza lunch included). This session is for teens only and requires registration. Go to http://mesacountylibraries.libcal.com/event.php?id=301623 for registration. Additionally, Ellen will speak at a larger venue at Colorado Mesa University in the evening. It will take place in the Moss Performing Arts building in room 112 at 6pm on June 24th as well. Teens and adults are both invited, and there is no registration. Teen Henna Workshop: Henna, or mehndi, is a natural dye commonly found in the Middle East, Africa, and India. This dye produces a reddish-brown, temporary stain for the hair and skin. This summer program teaches teens about the art of henna and provides a hand drawn tattoo. No registration required and this program will take place at every branch throughout the summer. Check the events calendar for dates, times, and locations. Learn How to DJ with DJ Goe: Learn how to mix music like your favorite DJs using the new Traktor DJ app for iPad. You will be a certified party starter, kicking out jams in a matter of minutes with this hands-on tutorial. Local radio and club DJ David “GoeGoe” Goe will cover the basics of mixing and mashing multiple styles of music together, giving you a jump start on your DJ education. No experience required, bring your headphones if you’ve got ‘em! This program will take place at all of our branches throughout the summer, so register and find dates, times, and locations on the calendar at http://mesacountylibraries.libcal.com/events#!/month/2013/06. Guitar Pick Art: Create mobiles, earrings and bracelets out of guitar picks. It is a super funky way to accessorize! No registration required, but check the events calendar for dates, times, and locations. Street Art with Chalk: Express yourself with chalk art on the library’s sidewalk! No registration required, but check the events calendar for dates, times, and locations. Graphic Novel Club Suminagashi- The Graphic Novel Club will create suminagashi art, a.k.a. ink marbling, on July 5th at the Central Library Teen Center.

When: You can begin registering for the reading portion of the program on May 13th online at https://readingrecord.mesacountylibraries.org/. The program officially runs from June 1st to July 29th. Keep in mind that due to the closure of the Central Library from June 1st-20th, you may pick up your reading log and prizes at any of our branches.

Where: This program takes place at all library branches and anywhere that you choose to read!

Why: You SHOULD be reading in the summer to keep your literacy skills in top form, so you might as well earn prizes for it!!! Plus, there are tons of cool things to do (see programs and prizes above).

Summer is just around the corner, so register soon!

Shanna

~Teen Librarian

A fetching new novel from a Colorado author

Book Lush — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:53:42 +0000

Stacey (“don’t call me that”) “Shakespeare” (aka Shakes) Williams just wanted to give his cat a decent burial. Deciding that Denver was an unsuitable location, he goes east to his father’s farm on the eastern Colorado prairie and finds his senile father in a bigger shambles than usual. The decomposing body of the housekeeper, who dropped dead in the locked bathroom, is only the start. This may not sound like a promising set-up for a book, but East of Denver, by Gregory Hill, is a super new book. When Stacey quits his job in Denver and moves back home to straighten out his father’s life, he finds that a conniving bank manager has bilked his father and plans to foreclose on the farm. The only solution that comes to mind is robbing the bank, with the help of an old high school friend who’s a teller at the bank. Will they go through with it? This book is tender-hearted but unsentimental, darkly funny but never grim.

Poetry Contest Winners!

Cari — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:17:33 +0000

Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2nd annual poetry contest in honor of National Poetry Month!

The winners are:

1st place: “Iowa Soldiers, Entrenched World War I” by Barbara Meeker ($20 downtown GJ gift card)

2nd place: “Hollow Man” by Steve Hight ($10 downtown GJ gift card)

3rd place: “Benediction” by Patrick G. Metoyer ($5 downtown GJ gift card)

Congratulations! Your prizes are waiting for you at the Information Desk at the Central Library. Also, a big thanks to Dr. Lopez for being our judge again

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1st Place: “Iowa Soldiers, Entrenched World War I” by Barbara Meeker

Soldiers marching

Darkness falls

Trenches hide them

Muddy walls

Urination

Lie face down

With backs to wall

Sleep unsound

Branches crackle

Boots step light

Germans–approach

Past midnight

Hand to shoulder

Word is passed

Silence darkens

No light cast

Each dons helmet

Seizes gun

Ammunition

Night undone

On toes in trench

Ears to ground

Scudding noises

Circle ‘round

Grenades strike trench

Piercing screams

Men blown apart

Most, young teens

Soldiers scramble

Some take aim

Some throw dirt on

Hell’s own flames

Germans escape

By fire’s light

My uncle’s fate

Sealed that night

Body retrieved

Stick stands tall

Wearing his tags

For morning’s call

2nd place: “Hollow Man” by Steve Hight

The laughter from his mouth

rings as false as the other sounds

that emanate from it,

the pained look that furrows

his practiced brow,

the quizzical incomprehension

that follows from the pain of others,

the tiny doses of almost-concern

that he measures out when necessary,

and the fragile words of self-aggrandizement

so easily shattered they tinkle

like broken ornaments

to be swept into a pan and discarded

3rd place: “Benediction” by Patrick G. Metoyer

Ilya Kaminsky

blesses his deafness

praises sparkling

syllables

words

stories

hammered

on dancing anvils

of his inner ears

lauds the lord who

stripped stirrups

silenced drums

yet did not dampen

Kaminsky’s Muses

Erato’s bellows

a wordsmith’s decibels

forged

‘roun’ the world

Benedicite Deo!