I know its been a while, but we’ve been hard at work!

On our new website!

Check out our new site here!

OMGosh. When did a new year begin?

Cathy from Chili here!
Apparently on January 1st. That’s news to me. Guess I should look at a calendar or something:) So what do you plan to do with your new year? Apparently I should plan on getting out my calendar!
My sister wants to train with me to run a HALF-MARATHON!! I’m petrified! Have you ever done anything that absolutely terrifies you?

So my questions for you are:
1. Do you have any new year’s resolutions? If so what are they?
2. Is there anything that absolutely terrifies you?

Second Annual Greater Rochester Teen Read with Linda Sue Park

Author Linda Sue Park will be visiting libraries throughout the area during Teen Read Week™ to celebrate the Second Annual Greater Rochester Teen Read. Linda Sue will speak with teens about her newest award winning book, A Long Walk to Water. Join Linda Sue on tour: a kickoff at Teen Central at Rochester Public Library, Monday, 10/17, 3:30pm-5:30pm; a westside stop at Seymour Memorial Library in Brockport, Wednesday, 10/19, 6:30pm-8:00pm; an eastside stop at Penfield Public Library, Thursday, 10/20, 7:00pm-8:30pm; and several visits to schools throughout the Greater Rochester area.
The entire Greater Rochester community is encouraged to read A Long Walk to Water together. A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the “lost boys” of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way. Based on the true story of Salva Dut, who later came to Rochester, A Long Walk to Water is powerful and inspirational and will have readers of all ages eager to talk with Linda Sue about the book and Salva’s organization, Water for Sudan. For more information about Linda Sue Park visit her website and for more information about Salva Dut and Water for Sudan visit the Water for Sudan site. Copies of A Long Walk to Water are available at all libraries in Monroe County Library System.

For more information about The Greater Rochester Teen Read, an annual all community read begun by teen services librarians in Monroe County, please Contact Stephanie Squicciarini, Teen Services Librarian, at 223-9091, or by email at Stephanie.Squicciarini@fairportlibrary.org. This event is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Fairport Public Library. Teen Read Week™ is the national adolescent literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association.

Banned Books Week

I don’t know about your library, but in Chili, I was totally behind the times and I completely dropped the ball on this one. Banned Books Week is concluding tomorrow. Bummer. It runs September 24−October 1. If you haven’t talked about banned books in your English class, I would take a look at the American Library Association’s website of Banned/Challenged classics. Its quite fascinating. You can also check out banned books by year. Have you read any challenged books recently?

Let’s celebrate Ray Bradbury’s birthday with a question

Ray Bradbury turned 91 last Monday.  The writer who says he was “raised in libraries” wrote a work of genius warning of a future in which books are so dangerous that they are  burned. Where did he write it? In a library, of course, at UCLA, working on a rented typewriter.”  (LA Times 8/25/11)

Reading this, I think that I received my first library card when I was five.  Ms. Borrie, the librarian, had to see that I could write my name.  She and the other librarians at the Highland Branch put up with my sisters and I going to the library daily for years and years. They gave us book recommendations, friendly smiles and wonderful programs. They encouraged and helped my sisters when we were in search of what to do with our lives. Two of us eventually became pages (shelving books) in high school and then clerks (checking out books) while we were in college. They were an integral part in helping us chose our careers. Librarians! I’m a teen librarian and my sister is an adult librarian. My youngest sister must have read books that were a lot more impressive than the ones her big sisters read because later in September she will be presenting her dissertation to her peers so that she can finally have her PhD in experimental Nuclear Physics. That’s right. Without libraries (and our parents) I don’t think that we could have ever gotten as far as we did.

Now it your turn! How about you guys?  Anyone feel like they’ve “raised in the library?” Anyone want to be raised in the library? What do you think your librarian should do that would help you and guide you along your way?

Let’s Visit Maplewood Branch!

Things are blooming at the Maplewood Branch! Let’s see what it is.
Here’s how you can get there.
And here’s when you’ll be able to get in there!

Plus check out this awesome grant that Maplewood is trying to get to help immigrants in their area. VOTE NOW!

Look at the bee-U-tiful flowers! What a great way to start our trip.

Thank goodness for you Monty Monkey! He’s going to show us how to get where we need to be.

Always a group favorite, the comic books!

Monty wanted to make sure everyone got some exercise before leaving.

Fhew! That was a workout!

Manga Drawing at Penfield Public Library

Artist Kevin Serwacki came to PPL last night to teach a

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class on manga drawing! Check out these pics!

Welcome to the Library of the Year… Henrietta Public Library!

Batty flew ahead to find out where the teen section was, but while we wait, why don’t you find your way here too?
Here’s how you can get there.
Here’s their hours and programs.

Batty! You found the teen section! Good for you!

These guys are a hoot. They didn’t have any trouble finding a book about one of their famous cousins.

Hey! Who pinned you poor guys to the wall? That wasn’t very nice of them! Oh you had something that they wanted? Well I can think of some better ways to get what you want.

Ah ha! So that’s what you guys wanted! Well, I guess I can’t blame you too much. I loved that book too.

What are you doing up there all by yourself? They want to play hide and go seek? Do you think its a good idea to run around and play games in the library? Oh the librarian let you, just this once? hmmm… I’m not so sure about that.

Guys, I don’t know if its a very good hide and seek game if you hide in the same place!

That game really tired you out, didn’t it? Oh, well don’t worry about it. Almost time to go anyway. Just rest a little here.

At the Monroe Branch, they didn’t have a hard time finding the teen area!

Not when the sign told them how to get there!
Here’s how you can get there.
And here’s when you’ll be able to get in there!

So this was why they didn’t have a hard time getting to the teen area. Here it is!

Even here they had to get up to no good. I think someone needs to teach them how to behave in a library! Are you supposed to climb up the bookshelves?

I think they need a time out.

Unfortunately, by the time they got out of time out, it was time to wait for the box to pick them up.

Welcome to Lincoln

Owly would like to introduce you to the Lincoln Branch, where he’s awfully fond of curling up with a good book and one of his many friends.
Here we are on the map.
And here’s when you can come and visit us.

Here’s a shot of my friend and I showing all the mascots our magazines. I like to perch here when I’m not interested in reading a long book. (Which isn’t very often).

Here my new friends can get a “bird’s eye view” of the whole library! They approve very much.