This just in (but we knew it all along!)

US News and World Report has announced one of the best jobs of 2009 -- librarian!

Click on the picture on the right to read the full article --

Overview:
"Forget about that image of librarians as a mousy bookworms. More and more of today’s librarians must be clever interrogators, helping the patron to reframe their question more usefully. Librarians then become high-tech information sleuths, helping patrons plumb the oceans of information available in books and digital records, often starting with a clever Google search but frequently going well beyond. . . Most librarians love helping patrons solve their problems and, in the process, learning new things. Librarians may also go on shopping sprees, deciding which books and online resources to buy. They may even get to put on performances, like children's puppet shows, and run other programs, like book discussion groups for elders"

Happy New Year! It's all of you who make it such a fun, fun job!

Merry Christmas!

The library system will be closed for Christmas starting on December 24.

The Abbeville Library will be closed from December 24 through December 28 and will re-open Monday, December 29 at 9:00 am.

The Calhoun Falls Library will be closed from December 24 to December 28 and will re-open Monday, December 29 at 9:30 am.

The Donalds Library will be closed from December 24 to January 1 and will re-open Friday, January 2 at 2:00 pm.



We wish you and your loved ones a happy, happy holiday! Happy reading -- and we'll see you next week!

Christmas Storytime (with crafts and cookies!)

Monday night, the Abbeville Library hosted a Christmas Cookie Contest, with judging, crafts, and, of course, some great Christmas stories. Coordinated by 4-H, the evening was a big (and tasty) success. You can see from the photos what a great time we had!

In tough economic times, libraries are more needed than ever

Top 20 Things Librarians Wish Patrons Knew

The Seattle Books Examiner took an informal poll and asked librarians from around the country what they love about their jobs. What they found was no surprise to us: dealing with patrons is "the best part of a librarian's day. We all have our favorites, (just don't ask us to name names, it wouldn't be fair. But if you frequent your local library, it could be you). These are the patrons who make our job a little more enjoyable, who make us look forward to coming to work everyday to help people."

Then they asked these librarians what they wish patrons knew or did before they came into the library. Some of my favorite answers are below:

1. Use us! We might be in a recession, but don't let the current economic crisis keep you and your family from having fun. Attend library programs, check out new DVD's, CD's, and best sellers, and use the free computer access.

2. Let your librarian know what materials you'd like to see on the shelf. Librarians feed off patron recommendations. We really try to buy what you like to read, watch, and listen to. If you find that we don't have a particular title you need, don't be shy about asking us to purchase it. We don't always buy everything patrons ask for, but we do tend to buy most. If we can't buy it, we'll try to find you another copy or request it from Inter-Library Loan (ILL) from another library.

3. Tell us what you like. This goes for item #2, but also for items we've already bought for the library. If you like the puzzles or the new mystery books, or a particular program, tell us so that we can keep doing it. If you don't like something, tell us that too. It's the only way we can make changes.

4. Be respectful of other library patrons whether in line, at the computer stations, or during library programs.


5. Do not leave your child (or children) unattended -- for their safety. Please keep a close eye on your kids as you use the library.

6. Ask us what we read. It's in our job description to be avid readers. We're supposed to give recommendations to our patrons. Plus we love to talk about books. Please ask us what we're reading or what you should read next. Who knows, you could wind up with a new favorite author.

7. We support Intellectual Freedom. We believe that it is the parent's or guardian's responsibility to monitor what their children take out of the library.

And I'll add my own: Tell your local elected officials how the library helps you and why funding it is vital for our community. The is one of the best things you can do to keep the library system growing.


To see the full article, go to
http://www.examiner.com/x-1361-Seattle-Books-Examiner~y2008m11d18-Top-20-things-librarians-wish-patrons-knew-part-1

All I want for Christmas is a new book

The best place to shop this year? The Friends of the Library Booksale, of course! Join us this Saturday, December 6, from 10:00 til 1:00 in the basement of the Abbeville Library.

A bag of books is only $6.00 -- so come get the perfect stocking stuffer for that special someone (and a treat for yourself!)

Carrie Koerber has
completed her graduate work
and been awarded
the Master's Degree in Library and Information Science
from the University of South Carolina.
______________________________________

Come join us
as we celebrate
Carrie's achievement!

Drop-in at
The Abbeville Library
201 South Main Street
Abbeville, SC

November 19
6:00 - 7:00

Where would we be without our Friends?

What’s new with the Friends of the Abbeville County Libraries?:

This year, for the first time, the Friends provided stipends to library employees working on their Master's Degrees in Library Science. These stipends helped the staff pay for travel and textbooks.

This year, the Friends also gave their first scholarship to a high school senior. Students were judged on their applications and on an essay on the topic "What the library means to the community". This year's winner was Calhoun Falls High School valedictorian Brittany Rhodes. Brittany has just started her freshman year at Clemson University.

Upcoming Event:

Books by the Bag Sale on Dec. 6th in the basement of the Abbeville Library (located at 201 S. Main Street)

See you there!

Volunteer!
Like to volunteer some of your time for a Friends event or become a member of the executive board? They'd love to hear from you. Please contact President Beth Krumwiede at 459-5726 for volunteer opportunities.

Book Donations:
The Friends are always in need of used books for our book sales. We especially need children’s books. Please bring donations to the loading dock at the Abbeville Library.

A big thank you to the Friends of the Abbeville County Libraries for their many, many gifts in 2008:

*Tables and chairs for the teen section at the Abbeville Library

* A train table for the children's room at the Abbeville Library

* Office equipment for the Donalds Library

* Facility improvements at Calhoun Falls Library, including new landscaping and outdoor benches

* Supplies and refreshments for teen parties and workshops

* Numerous books and DVDs added to the collections at all three libraries

Thank you for your continued support of the Friends. Your financial contributions and volunteer efforts are always appreciated.

Tis the season . . . already!!

The department stores are doing it . . . the tv ads are doing it. . . goodness knows, the kids are doing it : They're all starting to talk about Christmas! To help get you in the mood (only 8 weeks left!), check out one of these holiday offerings by popular authors:

'Tis the Season by Lorna Landvik
A McKettrick Christmas by Linda Lael Miller
Under the Mistletoe by Linda Howard and Stephanie Bond
The Christmas Pearl by Dorothea Benton Frank
Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson
The Gift by Richard Paul Evans
Shirley, Goodness and Mercy by Debbie Macomber
A Christmas Beginning by Anne Perry
All Through the Night: A Troubleshooter Christmas by Suzanne Brockmann
and many, many more!

Elect a presidential novel

Get set to vote on November 4! And to get you in the mood, stop by the library for a novel bursting with the drama of a presidential election:

Deception Point by Dan Brown
Dewey Defeats Truman by Thomas Mallon
The Mammoth Cheese by Sheri Holman
Put a Lid on it by Donald E. Westlake
The Plot against America by Philip Roth

or check out some non-fiction:

The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Citizen McCain by Elizabeth Drew
Worth the Fighting for by John McCain with Mark Salter
The Case against Barack Obama by David Freddoso

What's playing in your ear?

Come check out some new tunes (there's a little something for everyone!):

This is the Life by Amy MacDonald
Around the Bend by Randy Travis
The Essential Barbara Streisand
How to Walk Away by Juliana Hatfield
Get Lifted by John Legend
Simply Grand by Irma Thomas
Don't Do Anything by Sam Phillips
Good Time by Alan Jackson
Same Old Man by John Hiatt
Stay Positive by The Hold Steady
All I Intended to Be by Emmylou Harris
Saints of Los Angeles by Motley Crue
Twice the Speed of Life by Sugarland
Troubadour by George Strait

Elect a Movie

Consider all the candidates, then make your vote:

Choose a presidential movie to take home today --

The American President
Chasing Liberty
Dave
JFK
My Fellow Americans
Thirteen Days
Wag the Dog
Warm Springs
Welcome to Mooseport
Air Force One

All available -- FREE -- from your local library!

Sorry -- No Cookies in the Library!!

Go Big or Go Home ---

Go Big or Go Home

It may mean different things in the sports arena, but at the library it can only mean one thing: large print!

Check out these new large print titles, available today for the first time:

The Art of Keeping Secrets by Patti Callahan Henry
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs
Iron Cowboy by Diana Palmer
Winter Study by Nevada Barr
Family Matters by Deborah Bedford
Mighty Old Bones by Mary Saums
Every Secret Thing by Ann Tatlock
Allison's Journey by Wanda Brunstetter

Hangin' out after hours

It was a good time all around when the Abbeville Library opened its doors last night just for teens ages 12-18. Check it out:






And a big THANK YOU to the Friends of the Abbeville County Libraries for providing pizza!

September is Library Card month!

September is Library Card Sign-up Month. Be sure that you (and all your friends and family!) have the smartest card of all -- a library card. Studies show that children who are read to in the home and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

"A library card has always been the most important school supply of all," says Director of the South Carolina State Library, David Goble.

So join the excitement -- and sign up for your library card today! Already a card holder? Great! Now be sure to tell others about this great resource!

Science Fiction lands at your local library

Bookmarks Magazine recently commented that "science fiction has never really broken away from its cliched reputation: only young men consigned to their parents' basements read the stuff.

That's a shame, because the genre has unrivaled power. It's not bound by the semirigid structures of good-guy-versus-bad-guy crime fiction. It's not even curtailed by reality: science fiction novels are some of the most flexible and adroit in addressing ideas, philosophy, culture, emotions, and people. They are strong on action and adventure, too -- and packaged with pop-culture savvy and an ear for the good hook.

If you don't think science fiction has enough reality for you -- if you don't think it's applicable to your life -- try out a few" of our newest SF additions:

The Peace War by Vernor Vinge
The New Space Opera edited by Gardner Dozois
The Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson
Thirteen by Richard K. Morgan
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card
Halting State by Charles Stross
Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson
Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick

New books in large print!

Stop by any of our libraries to check out these great new titles --
all in large print!


Adam by Ted Dekker
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
Dear to Me by Wanda E. Brunstetter
The Horsemaster's Daughter by Susan Wiggs
Into the Fire by Suzanne Brockmann
The Memory of Water by Karen White
My Heart Remembers by Kim Vogel Sawyer
The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher
Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan
Sweet Love by Sarah Strohmeyer
Surrender Bay by Denise Hunter
The Wedding Machine by Beth Webb Hart

and more!!

(and remember -- a blue dot on the spine means it's a large print book!)

Too hot to ---

It's too hot to go walking, too hot for cooking, too hot for . . . well, just about anything! So find yourself a good, air-conditioned spot and relax with one of our new films:

The Great Debaters
The Namesake
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Malcolm X
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
I Could Never Be Your Woman

And remember -- you can keep up to date with a glance. Look for the lists of new fiction, new DVDs, new CDs, and new audio books just to the right of your screen!

Breaking Dawn

Have you been swept up in the Twilight Saga? Eagerly awaiting the final installment in Stephenie Meyer's vampire series? Counting down the days until you could learn what happens to Bella, Edward, and Jacob?

Well -- wait no more!

Breaking Dawn, the final installment of the Twilight Saga, is now available from your local library!

(And if you haven't yet tried the series everyone's talking about -- come by and check out Twilight, the first book in the series)

See what Stephenie Meyer has to say about the series:

People are talking . . .

A new discussion thread on the Calhoun Falls Today website has lots to say about the good things happening at the Calhoun Falls library. Someone pointed out the thread to me yesterday, and I was pleased (though not surprised) to see all the good things people are saying about their local library. Here are some of the comments:

"It took me 17 years, but this summer I have been introduced to the wonderful world of the Calhoun Falls Library. I've been in several times now and am very impressed with this opportunity right here in our community. Ms. Lois Rhodes is a very knowledgeable, friendly and quite helpful librarian--and no, I'm not saying that because we have the same last name. I encourage everybody to take advantage and come visit. It's even free! If only they would put in a smoothie and cappuccino maker it would be the ultimate Internet cafe."

"I like how you think....I would live at the library if I could get my caffine too!!!!!"

"I totally agree with you about the CF library. Until last summer, when I began taking my son to story time every Wednesday, it had been many years since I had visited. [My son] enjoys the stories and crafts that Ms. Land shares with the kids each Wednesday. He also loves to "pay" Mrs. Lois for the books and dvds we check out each week and I love the fact that he thinks I'm "buying" him prizes!! I also love seeing our young people and teenagers taking advantage of the computers and other great services the library provides. Our library has a really great atmosphere and I'm thankful that it is a part of our community."

We're proud of Lois Rhodes and all the good things happening at this community-oriented library. And if you haven't been by the Calhoun Falls library lately, plan to stop in for a visit soon!

All quotes from the Calhoun Falls Today message board. See the entire thread at calhounfallstoday.com.

Hot off the Presses

Hot off the presses -- and ready to check out at the library!


Just published:

Tribute by Nora Roberts
Swan Peak by James Lee Burke
Palace Council by Stephen L. Carter
Silent Thunder by Iris Johansen

Other new titles:

My Sister, My Love by Joyce Carol Oates
Hit and Run by Lawrence Block
Sister's Choice by Emilie Richards
Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot
The Sand Castle by Rita Mae Brown

Check out some great movie tunes!

Every time we go to a movie, my husband says, "We should get that soundtrack". Then, of course, we forget. The library system, however, has just the soundtrack you're looking for:

Hairspray
The Phantom of the Opera
My Best Friend's Wedding
Top Gun
The King and I
Oklahoma!
Jerry Maguire
The Jazz Singer
Reality Bites
Bed of Roses
The Natural
Field of Dreams

and more!

Summer Reading is Here!

Catch the Reading Bug with this year's Summer Reading Program.

Kids from birth to 11 can sign up for our kids program, and those 12 to 18 can sign up for our teen program.

Read some great books --
Earn some great prizes --
Take part in great programs --

Come join the fun! You can sign up and get program schedules at the libraries in Abbeville, Calhoun Falls, and Donalds. See you there!

New books by popular authors

Robert B. Parker
Clive Cussler
Lee Child
David Guterson
W.E.B Griffin

What do they have in common? Well, they're all popular authors, obviously. What's more? They each have a new book coming out tomorrow! What's best? They'll all be available from the library system beginning tomorrow.

So, stop by the library, and celebrate June with one of your favorites!

Reference Questions to Make You Smile

We love reference questions, partly because we love to help patrons find what they need, and partly because, well, we just never know what you'll ask next! Librarians were recently polled for "the most unusual reference question you've been asked". Here are just a few of the answers:

"What does it mean when you dream of raw, bloody beef?"
"What's the word for when you go into the jungle and shoot an animal and then you feel really good about it?"
"I need a book on evil twins."
"I need a copy of Macbeth, in English."
"I need a Biblical remedy for boils."
"Who wrote The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin?"
"What does the Bible say about lettuce?"
"Does the library loan out empathy bellies?"
"Who was the first female singer?"
"How do you say 'serendipity' in Sanskrit?"
"I need poems about Raquel Welch."
"Do you have 8-10 inch chalice I can check out for our church?"
"I need the sheet music for the Lord's Prayer for xylophone."
"Is Bob Hope one word or two?"
"How do you say 'Tonya' in Hawaiian?"
"I need the phone number for the person in charge of comedy in Hollywood."
"What is the African word for goulash?"
"What century were the 1950s in?"
"What is Tweety-Pie's gender?"
"Does the library have any books on any prominent people?"
"I need the Pledge of Allegiance in Russian."
"I need to contact Barbra Streisand because I've been decapitated and I think she may want to do a movie about it."
"Do you have the sheet music for '99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall'?"
"What's the definition of the word 'kah-teer'?" Librarian: "How do you spell it?" Patron: "Like in 'mouseketeer'."
"I'd like the music for Taco Bell's Canon in D."
"Can cross-eyed people be hypnotized?"

Feeling the money crunch? Check this out!

What is your library worth to you? How much would you pay out-of-pocket for your library services?
Click on the link to the right, and see how much you (yes, you, personally) save by using your library system! It only takes a minute -- and you'll feel great about all the money you're saving!