Kim Sherwood became our Children’s Librarian, at Fayette County Public Library, in February 2013.   But, she’s been around a little longer.  Kim actually began working with the library in 2001 as a part time employee.  She became a full time Library Assistant in 2002.  Prior to coming to the library, she was supervisory teacher for grades K-2 and classroom teacher for grades 1 & 2 at Danville Christian Academy in Danville, IL.

Kim graduated from Pike Central High School, Petersburg, IN.  She obtained an Associate degree in Religion from Kentucky Mountain Bible College, Vancleve, KY in 1979 and a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Olivet Nazarene University in 1983.

Kim’s family life is very important to her.  She married in 1981 and has three married children and three granddaughters.  Her husband is Senior Pastor at First Church of the Nazarene here in Connersville.

Her hobbies include reading, counted cross stitch and playing piano.  A little known fact about Kim is that she played clarinet while attending school and won several medals at various contests.

She loves to spend time with her children and grandchildren, plays miniature golf and enjoys baking.  She has also served as a member of the United Way’s Educational Advisory Committee.

I have seen Kim in action.  She does a great job of entertaining the kids who come to our programs.  You can tell she really enjoys it.  She also manages the Children’s Room programs and services, under the direction of Melissa, our Assistant Director.  I am very  pleased to have Kim as a member of our staff.

 

—Anne Marie, Library Director

 

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Honestly, Melissa has worked at Fayette County Public Library for fifteen years.  So, it really can’t be said that she’s “new”.  But, I would like you to know more about FCPL’s Assistant Director.  Melissa assumed that job, and title, on February 12, 2013.

Melissa is from Westport, Indiana.  She graduated from South Decatur Jr-Sr High School.  She holds a Bachelor of Science, in School Media Services, from Ball State University.  Her Master of Library Science degree is from Indiana University (IUPUI).

Before coming to FCPL, Melissa worked for Jac-Cen-Del School Jr-Sr High School as Media Specialist.  She started at FCPL in September 1997 as Audio-Visual Librarian and Technology Coordinator.  She later became the Teen Librarian and Technology Coordinator.

She is married with two children (lovely daughters).  Her hobbies are NASCAR, Reading, and Cross stitch.  Her favorite thing to do is to spend time with her children.

One of her most memorable experiences was with NASCAR. She says, “I spent four days taking photos in the pits and garage area for Racing Communications at Martinsville, Virginia.  I received the honor of having photos published on NASCAR.com (Jeff Gordon) and on Robby Gordon Racing.”

She loves to read, especially Teen and Tween books.  Her favorites:  Delirium  series by Lauren Oliver, Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, Divergent series by Veronica Roth.  Melissa also likes books written by Rick Riordan.  Favorite music genre: Country

I am pleased to have the opportunity to work closely with Melissa.  She is a talented and dedicated staff member.  She has been an active participant on the Bicentennial Planning and Bicentennial Book committees.   She is also a member of the Kiwanis.  We’re lucky to have her as an employee!

 

—Anne Marie, Library Director

 

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On April 13, Kim and I attended FCSC Kindergarten Roundup.  We got to meet a lot of new kids and visit with some familiar faces excited about kindergarten next year. One of those kids will be mine. So that got me thinking?  What would be some great books for parents to read to their excited (and maybe a little scared) soon to be kindergartener.

JE YUM – Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten
JE SLATE – Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten
JE VERNICK – Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten

These are just to name a few of the books for your kindergartener.

 

 

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Wow!  That’s really all I can say about my first three months at Fayette County Public Library.  I’ve had a chance to get to know all of the staff members, the Board Members, and many community members.  I have rarely felt so welcome.  I truly appreciate it.

I was born and raised in Richmond, Indiana so working in Fayette County is a bit like coming home.   I graduated from Herron School of Art (quite a while ago) and I continue to paint, often teaching classes, so I am definitely looking forward to collaborating with the Whitewater Valley Arts Association on projects.  After graduating from Herron School of Art, while working on my Master’s Degree (first in Education and finally in Library Science) I eventually started working as the Librarian in the Rauh Memorial Library at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum.  I had always enjoyed going to the library and I really fell in love with librarianship.

Since my first library job, at Herron, as a library aide, I have worked in almost every job available in a library.  I have been a library clerk, a reference librarian, a cataloger, a children’s librarian, a library department head, and I’ve been a library director a few times.  I’ve worked at a small library (Rushville  Public Library), a medium-sized library, and a large library.  Altogether, I have more than twenty-five years of experience.

Recently, we’ve had some truly once in a lifetime events taking place in Connersville The library is a wonderful resource for community members.   How lucky most of us are to have all of the wonderful resources available to us for so little cost!  It’s easy to take it for granted.

I’m so happy that I arrived as the Library Director just in time to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Connersville.  Because of the Bicentennial, in recent weeks our community has had the opportunity to celebrate some truly once in a lifetime events, such as the Bicentennial Birthday Party which included a visit from John Conner and the opening of the time capsule.  I’m thrilled that the library was able to host the Birthday Party and will be participating in more events this summer.  There will be events taking place downtown during the entire celebration week  from Friday, June 28 – Sunday, July 7, 2013.

This summer we will be celebrating “Dig Into Reading”.  Our Summer Reading Program is always a special event with programs and other fun activities, plus the chance to earn incentives for reading.  It’s for all ages.  Each registrant will receive a bag of “goodies” and will have the opportunity to share book reviews with other readers.

The purpose of the Summer Reading Program is to encourage people to read and to take advantage of the services of the public library throughout the summer. Moreover, study after study has shown that summer reading helps students maintain (and even improve) their reading skills and school performance while on break from school.  Make sure you register!

–Anne Marie

 

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On Monday, March 4, 2013, Connersville, Indiana, will celebrate its official 200th
birthday.

To celebrate this auspicious occasion the Connersville Bicentennial Committee and the Fayette County Public Library have collaborated to celebrate and host an impressive birthday party starting at 3:30 P.M. at the Fayette County Public Library.  This promises to be an exciting event on a very important occasion.

This Bicentennial event will begin with a welcome and remarks by John Conner (portrayed by Daniel Phelps of FCPL), followed by remarks from Mike Sparks, Chairman of the Bicentennial Committee, and also by Anne Marie Short, new library director, and Melissa Scott, Assist.  Library Director.  A special Bicentennial Invocation will be given.  Mayor Leonard Urban will make a few remarks and read a Bicentennial Proclamation
marking this memorable occasion.

At 4:00 P.M., Ron Wood, Ed Herrell, and CHS Students who are members of the “Team Lead” project (sponsored by The Link), will open a time capsule that was part of the August 15, 1998, 100th birthday celebration of the former Rex Buggy Company.  Ford/Visteon employees made a custom, stainless steel time capsule/receptacle to hold historic material related to the past 100 years of the company.

Around 4:30 P.M. Stan Howard will premier his own especially-written song for the
Bicentennial, and he plans to sing “Thank you, Connersville” by Tom T. Hall.
John Conner, Mike Sparks, and Mayor Urban will present Bicentennial Birthday Certificates to local citizens celebrating birthdays on March 4.  Stan Howard will lead the audience in the singing of “Happy Birthday” followed by the serving of birthday cake, lemonade, popcorn, and fellowship, especially fellowship with John Conner.  There will be special activities available for children in the Children’s Department of the library.  Adults may be interested in visiting the“Indiana Room” while at the library.  Library staff  members will be on hand to assist visitors. Attendees are invited to dress in period clothes for this special festive event.

Any resident of Fayette County who will be celebrating a birthday on March 4 and
who plans to attend the celebration should contact the Fayette County Public Library at 827-0883, leaving his/her name and the spelling of the name in order to be recognized and to receive a special Bicentennial  Birthday Certificate that day.

Anyone with questions or needing further information may call the library and talk to
Anne Marie Herold-Short or Melissa Scott.

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OnMonday, March 4, 2013, Connersville, Indiana, will celebrate its official 200th
birthday.

To celebrate this auspicious occasion the Connersville Bicentennial Committee and the Fayette County Public Library have collaborated to celebrate and host an impressive birthday party starting at 3:30 P.M. at the Fayette County Public Library.  This promises to be an exciting event on a very important occasion.

This Bicentennial event will begin with a welcome and remarks by John Conner (portrayed by Daniel Phelps of FCPL), followed by remarks from Mike Sparks, Chairman of the Bicentennial Committee, and also by Anne Marie Short, new library director, and Melissa Scott, Assist.  Library Director.  A special Bicentennial Invocation will be given.  Mayor Leonard Urban will make a few remarks and read a Bicentennial Proclamation
marking this memorable occasion.

At 4:00 P.M., Ron Wood, Ed Herrell, and CHS Students who are members of the “Team Lead” project (sponsored by The Link), will open a time capsule that was part of the August 15, 1998, 100th birthday celebration of the former Rex Buggy Company.  Ford/Visteon employees made a custom, stainless steel time capsule/receptacle to hold historic material related to the past 100 years of the company.

Around 4:30 P.M. Stan Howard will premier his own especially-written song for the
Bicentennial, and he plans to sing “Thank you, Connersville” by Tom T. Hall.
John Conner, Mike Sparks, and Mayor Urban will present Bicentennial Birthday Certificates to local citizens celebrating birthdays on March 4.  Stan Howard will lead the audience in the singing of “Happy Birthday” followed by the serving of birthday cake, lemonade, popcorn, and fellowship, especially fellowship with John Conner.  There will be special activities available for children in the Children’s Department of the library.  Adults may be interested in visiting the“Indiana Room” while at the library.  Library staff  members will be on hand to assist visitors. Attendees are invited to dress in period clothes for this special festive event.

 Any resident of Fayette County who will be celebrating a birthday on March 4 and
who plans to attend the celebration should contact the Fayette County Public Library at 827-0883, leaving his/her name and the spelling of the name in order to be recognized and to receive a special Bicentennial  Birthday Certificate that day.

Anyone with questions or needing further information may call the library and talk to
Anne Marie Herold-Short or Melissa Scott.

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Well we are well into tax season.  We wanted to let everyone know that AARP Tax-Aide will be at the library on Friday’s from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm to assist filling out taxes.  It is first come, first serve.

If you are looking for tax forms many of them are available online.

Federal – www.irs.gov

State -www.in.gov/dor

 

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Morningstar Investment Research Center is available online now.  If you are into checking your Investment Portfolio this may be the sight to you.  If you are new to Investments there are resources are the site to help get you started.

As of December 31, 2012, Morningstar will cease publishing it’s print edition.  To access please use one of the following sites:

In the Library – http://library.morningstar.com

Remotely – http://library.morningstar.com/Membership/authenticate.html?stat=2&Name=Fayette%20County

 

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I’ve been struggling on my favorite books for 2012.  There are too many to choose from…..

1.  Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Hey, its a two for one deal)

2.  Ashfall and Ashen Winter  by Mike Mullin.  (Another two for one deal – can’t beat that)

3.  Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

4.  Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick

5.  Girl in the Wall  by Daphne Bender-Grab

Books to look out for in 2013

1.  Yet to be named book 3 in the Divergent Series.  I’m so excited!!!!!!

2.  The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson – I’ve already read this and it is a sequel to The Name of the Star

3. Requiem by Lauren Oliver – loved the first two in the series.

Check other books expected in 2013 at http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7362.YA_Novels_of_2013

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2012 is winding down and soon we will be ringing in 2013.  With the holiday’s approaching the library will be closed on the following days:

December 24 – Closed Christmas Eve
December 25 – Closed Christmas Day
December 31 – Close at 1:00 PM
January 1 – Closed New Years Day

In the event of a weather closing it will be noted on WIFE/WCNB, Kicks96, Channel 3, Facebook, and Channel 8.  If it is Fayette County is under a no travel emergency then the library will be close to comply with the law.  If in doubt call 827-0883 before traveling.  Any materials due on a closed day will be due on the next open day.  We are concerned about all of our patrons safety.

Thank you,

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2012 is winding down and soon we will be ringing in 2013.  With the holiday’s approaching the library will be closed on the following days:

December 24 – Closed Christmas Eve
December 25 – Closed Christmas Day
December 31 – Close at 1:00 PM
January 1 – Closed New Years Day

In the event of a weather closing it will be noted on WIFE/WCNB, Kicks96, Channel 3, Facebook, and Channel 8.  If it is Fayette County is under a no travel emergency then the library will be close to comply with the law.  If in doubt call 827-0883 before traveling.  Any materials due on a closed day will be due on the next open day.  We are concerned about all of our patrons safety.

Thank you,

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Alex and Darla are tired of sitting around waiting for Alex’s parents to show up.  After six months, of being cooped up and helping Alex’s uncle they decide it is time for them hit the road and begin a search for Alex’s parents.  Along the way they meet perils that will test their strength and Alex must find a way to push through.

The author shares a lot of knowledge and you can tell his research was well done.  New key characters show up that become an important part of the book.  It is action packed, although at times you think it is too hollywood.  There is no way a person would survive everything Alex survives, but you root for him to pull through.

A great read for someone who likes a lot of action! I’m happy to say there is no Zombies in the series.  There are the more believable cannibals in the series. I enjoyed every minute it and look forward to reading the third book when it is released next year.

Sidenote: Mr. Mullin is from Indianapolis, Indiana.  It is great to see a fellow Hoosier with such great success.

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With the explosion of eBook usage, it is not unusual to see a Kindle Fire in someones hands.  USA Today has created a list of the top 25 Apps to use on your Kindle Fire.  Some of these Apps are also available on your Android phone and iOS devices too!

Just a few of the Apps mentioned:
Netflix
Pandora Radio
HBO on the Go
Angry Birds
GoodReads
Pinterest

Check out the complete article here:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2012/10/06/kindle-fire-apps/1615091/

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Channel One News is a news network written and produced for teens.  Watch each day’s videos online at www.channelone.com

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A reminder that Tuesday is Election Day is probably unnecessary as they are plastered all over televison, social media and print.  However, did you know that you can find a copy of your ballot at www.indianavoters.com

 

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Ethan Chase just wants to avoid Them – the Fey.  All they
bring is misery and destruction.  Being
the half-brother of the Iron Queen herself does not help.  After all he has already been made a pawn of
their game when he was kidnapped years earlier.

The problem is he sees them and they know he sees them. Even
moving to another school after being expelled does not seem to help.  Trouble seems to find him the high school
star quarterback to the bully magnet – half human/half Phouka.

Ethan wants to maintain his bad boy persona, but it is a
really a deception to keep people from getting too close.  To save himself and his classmate he returns
to a place he promised he would never go back.

For fans of the Iron Fey series it is a natural progression
of the storyline.  Ms. Kagawa keeps her
readers entranced.  You never know what
you will find around the next corner.
One thing you can trust is that you cannot trust the fey.  Returning favorites (Ethan, Puck, Ash,
Grimalkin, Meghan) and new favorites (Kenzie and Keirran) meld together in
harmony.  Looking forward to see where
the story continues in The Traitor Son in
Fall 2013.

*Review of The
Lost Price
is from Galley.  Title and
release of second book is from Goodreads.com*

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Recently on  http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/25-most-popular-passwords-2012-164015152.html the top 25 passwords have been released:

1. password (Unchanged)
2, 123456 (Unchanged)
3. 12345678 (Unchanged)
4. abc123 (Up 1)
5. qwerty (Down 1)
6. monkey (Unchanged)
7. letmein (Up 1)
8. dragon (Up 2)
9. 111111 (Up 3)
10. baseball (Up 1)
11. iloveyou (Up 2)
12. trustno1 (Down 3)
13. 1234567 (Down 6)
14. sunshine (Up 1)
15. master (Down 1)
16. 123123 (Up 4)
17. welcome (New)
18. shadow (Up 1)
19. ashley (Down 3)
20. football (Up 5)
21. jesus (New)
22. michael (Up 2)
23. ninja     (New)
24. mustang (New)
25. password1 (New)

Are any of these favorites on your password list?  If so, users are encouraged to change them. Keep the hackers at bay and create a crazy password that you will remember.  The article has some ideas.

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Okay, so this post is not really about technology.  It’s about this weeks upcoming Friends of the Library Book Sale.  (Which some of proceeds end up helping the library buy things we could not out of our regular budget.  Thanks Friends!)

The Book Sale will be the following days:

Tuesday, October 23, 5:00-7:00 pm (Friends Members Only.  Become a member today!)

Wednesday, October 24, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Thursday, October 25, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Friday, October 26, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday, October 27, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

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The Book Sale will be the following days:

Tuesday, October 23, 5:00-7:00 pm (Friends Members Only.  Become a member today!)

Wednesday, October 24, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Thursday, October 25, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Friday, October 26, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday, October 27, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

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Every year Young Adult Library Services Association announces the top ten favorite books chosen by teens like you.  Here is this year’s list!

Divergent – Veronica Roth
The Fault in Our Stars – John Green
Legend – Lu Marie
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs
What Happened to Goodbye – Sarah Dessen
Across the Universe – Beth Revis
Cinder – Marissa Meyer
The Scorpio Races – Maggie Stiefvater
Where She Went – Gayle Forman
Abandon – Meg Cabot

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The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series, the Mark of Athena does not disappoint.  Annabeth is reunited with her love, Percy, at Camp Jupiter and the reunion is anything but simple.  Anything dealing with the Gods is rarely simple.  Now that the Gods are torn shifting back and forth between the Greek and Roman persona’s it is even more difficult.  And when children of the Greek and Roman Gods are put together it is inevitable that it will become a combustible situation.

The prophesied team of seven demigods must leave in a hurry, as things suddenly go haywire when one of its’ members (under the influence of spirits) fire upon the camp.  Not only does the team of seven have to fulfill the prophecy before I is too late, they must take on other challenges.  Without the successful completion of these missions, the Quest to defeat Gaea itself will not be a success.

This page turner leaves you wanting more.  Book four is scheduled to be released in Fall 2013.

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It’s Teen Read Week! Grab a book and have a seat.  Let your journey begin!  Let us know what you have been reading!

 

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OverDrive along with Barnes and Noble recently released the OverDrive Media Console App for the NOOK HD, NOOK HD+, NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color. To download go to the Nook App Store to get it for your Nook. The Nook App will allow users to download eBooks and Audio wirelessly to their device.

Happy reading!

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