It’s a Wrap!

The Library elves will be wrapping gifts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 23rd.  The elves will be available for demonstrations and assistance of wrapping gifts.  In addition, elves will be available to wrap customers’ gifts in exchange for a donation to the Library!  We will enjoy each others’ company, provide hot chocolate, and play Christmas music to prepare for Christmas.  Whether you would like to learn more about wrapping gifts or would like to have some elves wrap your gifts for you-this program is for you! 

For more information about these and other programs, please call the Library at 234-6313, or visit us online: www.enid.org/library

Like the House of Night Series?

High school is hard enough-let alone if you’re a mortal vampire Moroi princess with a half-human best friend trying to stay away from the evil undead.

The first in the series Vampire Academy  is a darker-than-average YA novel that is sure to please those that liked Twilight and the increasingly popular House of Night series.

Fill in your family tree!

LIBRARY HELPS WITH TRACING FAMILY TREES

New Internet resource lets Enid citizens discover their roots

     The Public Library of Enid & Garfield County has a new resource that uses technology to make tracing family trees easier. Ancestry® Library Edition, a Web-based reference tool from ProQuest, will allow Enid residents to start exploring their roots by searching a surname. Ancestry Library Edition stores millions of records online and checks them instantly for the name, revealing such details as military, birth and death records, past addresses, and even immigration information.

     The library is responding to a growing interest in family history that’s captured not only Garfield County but America as a whole. A recent nationwide survey shows 73% of Americans want to learn more about their roots, up from 60% in 2000. Twenty-five percent of those surveyed became interested after searching for a family surname online, pointing to the increasing popularity of Internet-based genealogy. “More and more of our patrons want to explore their past and Ancestry® Library Edition makes it easy… even for beginners,” said Michelle Mears, Library Director. “We expect this to be one of our most popular services.”

     Ancestry® Library Edition is available on the library’s public workstations only, not from home. To get the most out of the experience, come prepared with a list of ancestors to research. Once connected to Ancestry® Library Edition, patrons will find a friendly opening screen that asks for the name of the person to be searched. Users can key in the name, click on “Search” and Ancestry® Library Edition scans its vast selection of U.S. census data, birth, marriage, and death records, military information, Social Security death records, and immigration lists. It also includes an extensive collection of information from the U.K., including images from English and Welsh census records, and civil registrations. Additionally, probate records dating back to the 1500s are included from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Various information that patrons locate can be a valuable key to their past.

     “Genealogy is a wonderful hobby for anyone who wants to know more about their ancestors and heritage” says Mears, “and Ancestry® Library Edition is simple enough for beginners, yet it provides deep and broad content sets that will help veteran genealogists advance their research.”

     The Public Library of Enid & Garfield County is located at 120 W. Maine in Enid. The library is open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more information call 580-234-613 or visit on the Web at www.enid.org/library.

After Twilight

Want to know what to read after the ‘Twilight’ series?

New on the shelves is Carrie Jones’  Need.

If you like urban fantasy, you might be interested in the story of Zara (whose name means ‘princess’) who moves away from her mother & finds herself in a supernatural Maine town. 

There’s no vampires in this one, but there are werewolves & pixies!

Check out Need today!

It’s December!

All Aboard the Polar Express @ Your Library!

To welcome in the holiday season, the Public Library of Enid & Garfield County will be having a First Friday Polar Express Party!  Stop by the Library on December 4^th from 6-9 p.m. for Christmas carols sung by McKinley and Taft Elementary choirs, cookie decorating, ornament making, and more for the whole family!  Includes a visit from Jolly Ol’ St. Nick himself. 

 

Friends of the Library BOOK SALE

The Friends are having a holiday book sale in the Great Plains Room on December 3-5, 2009.  Thursday night from 6-8:30 is Preview Night for members only.  Membership is $10.00.  Friday the sale is open from 10-8, so you can shop while also attending our First Friday event that evening.  Saturday is All You Can Fit in a Grocery Sack for $1.00 from 10-4.

 

Craft Corner

Stop by the Library on Wednesday, December 9th @ 7:00 p.m. for a class in Holiday Fascinators & Feathers.  What’s a fascinator?  It’s a festive hair ornament that’s more than barrette, and a little less than a hat.  They’re back in style, and we’re showing you how to make one to wear for holiday party-going!  We are also offering a Basic Jewelry Making: Earrings class on Thursday, December 10th at 6:30 p.m. Learn a few new skills & make a beautiful pair of handmade earrings!  All of the supplies are provided for you to create a small piece of wearable art.

 

The Case for Santa Claus—MAD SCIENTIST

The Mad Scientist will be at the Cherokee Strip Conference Center on Monday December 21st at 3:30 p.m.  Mark your calendars for this free program. Learn how reindeers fly, how Santa comes down the chimney, and see many more fun experiments as he explains the scientific mysteries of Santa and makes the case for Santa Claus.  For children of all ages.

 

For more information about these and other programs, please call the Library at 234-6313, or visit us online: www.enid.org/library

All Aboard!

 

Join us for our First Friday ‘Polar Express Party’! 

 We’re staying open extra hours for First Friday & invite you and your family to join in the adventure! 

We’ll have games & treats…

Prizes & cocoa…

Put on your pajamas and stop in for a few minutes-or stay a while!

(We’ll even have a visit from an extra special guest!)

We’re proud to offer our programs to you FREE!  Please call the library @ 234-6313 for more information, or visit us online www.enid.org/library .

Makeover Design Meeting

I haven’t posted in a while, but our makeover is still in the planning stages.  There are a lot of steps to go through, including working with the Engineering Department and making sure we follow state laws about projects and bidding requirements.  Today we are meeting with the designer, Brett Brinkley, and Judy from ODL and the Engineering Department to go over the project timeline and estimated costs.  Hopefully this means that we will be able to move forward more quickly with the painting and flooring.  We have already started painting the outer walls…come on in and check out the deep red color in the future Library Lounge area.

Spelling Bee Fundraiser @ The Library

The Friends of the Library of Enid, OK, in partnership with the Enid Community Foundation and the Public Library of Enid & Garfield County, invite you to show off your spelling skills in the inaugural Bee Our Friend Adult Spelling Bee fundraiser. 

Get a team of three together, come up with a creative team name, crazy costumes, and show up with your most enthusiastic cheerleaders on Friday, February 5, 2010.  There will be a little pre-competition fun, and the challenge will begin at 7:00 p.m. sharp!

Event coordinator, Katie Carmack says the focus will be more on fun than on spelling prowess.  “We definitely want wild and creative costumes.  Have your cheerleaders ready with pom-poms.  Audience participation could give you an extra chance if you misspell a word!”

The Friends of the Library have planned the event as a fundraiser and membership drive.  Dedicated to making the Public Library of Enid & Garfield County the best library possible, the Friends rely solely on volunteers and donations in their efforts to help support the library.  Because membership has slowly declined over recent years, the spelling bee is also a way to reinvigorate the organization and draw in new members.  

Team sponsorship levels start at $50 for a three person team and include a t-shirt for each team member.  Corporate sponsorship is also welcome, and program ads are available at the $100 and $150 team levels.  Team registration is limited to the first 20 teams and is due by December 31, 2009.  Once registered, a team can also send Al P. Habet, the resident bee, to issue a challenge to anyone!  Pick up a registration form from the Library’s front desk, or download a copy: bee our friend brochure.  Registered teams will receive an information packet with study words in early January.

For more information, please contact Carmack by calling the library at 234-6313, email kcarmack@enid.org, or visit the Library’s website at www.enid.org/library .

Pajama Storytime!

Wear your pajamas and join us at the Library on Monday, November 16th at 6:15pm for pajama storytime. Turkey tales, songs, and flannel board stories will be told. Children who attend story sessions learn to sit, build listening skills, and increase vocabulary. The session lasts thirty minutes and then you can enjoy time to browse our many new books in the children’s area.

For more information about these and other programs, please call the Library at 234-6313, or visit us online: www.enid.org/library

Get Your Game On!

Saturday, November 14th is National Gaming Day!

Libraries all over are setting out games, setting up their Wii, and inviting patrons to come game.

PLEGC is playing along!

Stop in on Saturday & we’ll have the Wii set up, board games set out & chess pieces waiting to be toppled!