Wow! What's Happening in the Teen Area?

When was the last time you browsed the teen area at Main?  If it’s been a while you might notice some changes since your last visit.  You might even say we’ve undergone a mini-makeover! 

First, you’ll notice a bright new look.  And I do mean bright…bright orange and purple!  We’ve got new purple cushions coming for the window seats, new orange and purple footstools, and some fresh paint. We've still got a couple things to freshen up, including the counter-tops and signs, but we think you'll like what we've done so far.

Plus we’ll be adding some fresh bookends, some of which could be designed by you!  A few years ago, teens participating in the library’s Express Yourself summer reading program had the opportunity to makeover some of our bookends.  Their creations varied in colors and designs but one thing was true for all of them, they brightened up the shelves of Young Adult books.  Now we’re giving a new set of teens the same opportunity.  If you’re in grades six through twelve, join us on Thursday, September 5^th at 3:00 for Teen Thursdays.  Everyone will get to decorate a bookend and leave their mark in our newly improved teen area.

And this make over isn’t just cosmetic, we’ve got more room too!  Thanks to a lot of hard work from our staff we have been able to expand the teen area.  We now have twice as much space for books! But, with the spreading out of the collection came a little bit of rearranging.  You’ll find YA fiction along the entire wall, on either side of the window seats, and on the shorter shelves facing the wall.  YA non-fiction and biographies are located on the other side of the shorter shelves.  Looking for something new?  Check the windows!  New books can be found in the windows on either side of the bench seat.  Our continually growing manga collection is now on the silver shelf near the start of YA fiction.  Browse current Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award Nominees or the Mustache You to Read Teen Book Club’s display of the month on the endcaps facing the yellow table. 

Did that description leave you feeling lost?  Our friendly staff is eager to help you find what you’re looking for.  Just ask!  Or stop by the teen area and browse around a little.  This is a great place to meet up with your friends, do some homework, pick up our wifi, read a magazine, or find a new book.  We hope you’ll stop by and check us (and a book) out!

And if you have a suggestion or comment about teen services at the Morgan County Public Library please feel free to reach out to our Teen Librarian, Cassie Jones.  

Summer Reading Wrap-Up

This year was a great year for our Summer Reading Program!  Our patrons and staff had a great time digging into reading, looking beneath the surface, and exploring groundbreaking reads.  Let's take a look back at our summer.

Early Literacy and Children's Summer Reading

Abigail is ready to rule the road!

This year, we had a total of 821 children participate in Summer Reading.  We had our first ever Early Literacy Summer Reading Program for ages birth to 4 years, with 150 children participating.  These little ones worked on activities to help them get ready to read!

There were 671 children in grades Kindergarten to 5 who participated in our Children's Summer Reading Program.  The children kept track of how many minutes they read this summer and could come to the library for a prize when they had completed 250, 500, 750, and 1000 minutes of reading.  They also earned entries for our grand prize, a new bicycle.  There were 176 children who completed 1000 minutes of reading; we also had 64 children read a total of 2000 minutes to earn extra entries for the grand prize drawing.  Here's our winner, Abigail, with her brand new bike!

Teen Summer Reading
It was also a big summer for Teens with 290 teens participating in Summer Reading.  Like the children, they kept track of how many minutes they read and came into the library to collect prizes along the way.  They were earning entries for the chance to win a Kindle Fire HD or a $100 gift certificate!  The grand prize winner, Blake, chose a Kindle Fire HD.

Blake and her prize

Emma and her gift card

Adult Summer Reading
This year we had 335 participants and 1718 books read!  This averages out to around 5 books read per adult.  The grand prize winner, Emma W. chose a $100 gift card as her prize.  Other prizes of a Starbuck’s gift card & reading mug went to Patti O., Pat S., Tammy S., Angel M., Sarah N., and Tamara B.

But We Didn't Just Read....

Down the Rabbit Hole to Summer Reading!

Summer Reading Kick-Off with Tom Sieling

Worm Composting with Carla Allen

Make Your Own Book Planters

Masquerade Ball

 

































































Thank you again to everyone who participated in Summer Reading.  We're already planning for next year and hope you'll join us again!

Keep Reading,
Alyssa

Happy and Sad

Part of my job as reference librarian is to answer questions about genealogy.  What is genealogy?  Quite simply it is the study of one's family history.  Often people want to know all about their ancestors.  Happily, there is much to be found in the genealogy area of the Morgan County Public Library's main location in Martinsville, Indiana.  We have family correspondence files, census records, obituaries*, cemetery records* and many wonderful books that have a wide variety of information about genealogy and local history.  Much of this wonderful information was pulled together and originally organized by a former library employee who, sadly, passed away on August 1, 2013.  Her name was Phyllis Walker and she worked at the library for many years.  If you remember using the bookmobile in years gone by, perhaps you remember her.  She was responsible for organizing that library service.  As for genealogy, she helped at least 7 families become DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) members.  At the library we have quite an extensive collection of materials in the genealogy area, thanks in no small part to Phyllis.  I see her handwriting almost every day as I help others research their family history.  Phyllis had already paved the way with her exhaustive research of family histories.  Her work makes my job easier.  Thank you, Phyllis, for leaving a solid foundation that helps others research their Morgan County family history.

submitted by Janice K
*The cemetery records and obituary indexes are thanks to the exhaustive work of volunteers, library administrators, and members of the Morgan County History and Genealogy Association.