All posts by Angie

Communication, General

This Saturday: Author Signings at Great River Regional Library!

Take some time this coming Saturday between 2pm-4pm to celebrate the launch of the Axis 360 platform at the St. Cloud Public Library! Axis 360 is the new ebook and audiobook provider. There will be an author signing where you’ll have the chance to meet Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours, and Raghavan Iyer, author of Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked. Plus, there will be refreshments and giveaways! Sounds like  fun!

Find more information on the GRRL website.

“Two families, generations apart, are forever changed by a heartbreaking injustice in this poignant novel, inspired by a true story, for readers of Orphan Train and The Nightingale.
Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. ”

“Who knew a potato could ever taste so good? Raghavan Iyer, that’s who! A master teacher and beloved, award-winning cookbook author, Raghavan pays tribute to his favorite ingredient in a continent-by-continent celebration of the amazing potato.”

 

Books, Programs

Resources for the African-American Read In

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February is Black History Month, and we wanted to share this event with you since it is a great addition to the existing festivities! From February 1st – 28th, participate in the African-American Read In.  The goal of the African-American Read In is to “document readers making the celebration of African American literacy a traditional part of Black History Month activities.”

The celebration encourages places like schools, churches, libraries, professional organizations and citizens to get involved in making literacy “a significant part of Black History Month by hosting and coordinating community Read-Ins.”

To help you plan your event, check out these resources from Read Write Think.org that include links to classroom activities, a Library of Congress exhibit, and a host report card for you to record what happened at your own event.

Also visit NCTE’s site, which has this toolkit to help you prepare for your read in event. The toolkit has links to multiple booklists to help you with reading material selection.

Plus, on Tues. February 20th, CMLE will host our own African-American Read In at our headquarters location! Join us (and Office Dog Lady Grey) to celebrate African-American literature. We’ll have library books available to read and some light refreshments. Stay tuned for more information as the date approaches! 

Books

Book Suggestions: Doll Bones by Holly Black

We love to read books, and to talk about books. Check out our entire series here! Need more book chatting and suggestions in your life? Listen to our Books and Beverages podcast!It’s so fun to pick books from Overdrive, because it exposes you to titles you may never have normally seen! This book was one of those finds, and I’m just about finished with it.

Doll Bones by Holly Black has a freaky-looking doll on the cover, and the story is just as delightfully creepy. It’s middle grade fiction and about three friends dealing with some of the tough parts of being a young teenager – trying to  figure out where you “fit in,” strict guardians, mean siblings, separated parents, and of course, a quest to bury a potentially haunted doll.

The main character is Zach, who has a fantastic imagination and loves making up stories with his neighborhood friends Alice and Poppy. He is also a member of the basketball team and is struggling to accept his father back into his life.

The book has some very real descriptions of the expectations and definitions of masculinity and how parents and peers reinforce those expectations, particularly onto others that may not fit the traditional mold. There’s also a lot of humor in the story, including some great Lord of the Rings references. Plus, a Carnegie library and it’s pink-haired librarian play an important role! I’m definitely enjoying this book and recommend it to you!

From Goodreads: “Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice.

But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity . . . “

CMLE, Communication

Office Hours Tuesday, 1-30

We wanted to make sure members were aware that during the last week of January, we will be holding Office Hours on Tuesday, January 30th. CMLE staff (including Office Dog Lady Grey) will be available between 11am and 1pm, to answer library questions, help brainstorm project ideas, or just chat about anything library-related that may be on your mind!

If you miss Lady Grey in January, don’t worry! We will be holding Office Hours again in February, this time on Tuesdays from 11am-1pm. Those dates are February 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th. Office Hours take place at our headquarters location in the cmERDC building at 570 1st St. SE in St. Cloud, MN 56304.

We hope to see you soon, either at Office Hours, or maybe during a visit to your library! If you need to set up a time to get together, please email us at admin@cmle.org.

CMLE, Communication

Office Hours for February!

Did you miss seeing Lady Grey at our CMLE Office Hours this January? Don’t worry! We wanted to make sure everyone knows that she will be back next month, this time on Tuesdays.

We hold Office Hours at CMLE because we want to be easily available to our members, especially if you’d like to have a face-to-face conversation about any important (or fun!) library topics.

CMLE Office Hours will be held each Tuesday of the month, the 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th. Note: Lady Grey will NOT be available for library consultation on Feb. 13th. Office Hours are held from 11am to 1pm at our headquarters location in the cmERDC building at 570 1st St. SE in St. Cloud, MN 56304.

Of course, if you need to set up a time to chat (or if you’d like us to visit you) definitely email us at admin@cmle.org and we’ll work something out!