Community Christmas Tree Lighting

Cumberland County Public Library is delighted to again host the annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting, which will take place Monday, December 7, at 6 p.m. The "Community of Light" choir will provide special music and lead the caroling; refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Library. We hope to see you there!

Technology Updates: Phones & more

As some of you may have noticed, there have been a couple of technology changes made recently. Here's a summary:

1. As a cost-saving measure, we are moving our phone line onto the public school's VoIP telephone network. While we had originally planned to make the change-over on December 4, Verizon actually changed the lines over today (Wednesday, November 25). This unexpected shift in date has caught us a bit off-guard, and there are a few technicalities we're still working out. Right now, if we call out, the receiving party's caller ID will show the school board's main number (492-4212). And, if an incoming call isn't answered (because we're closed, or don't get to the phone in time), the call will be sent to the school's voice-mail system, rather than to our own mailbox. Messages can be left for us by choosing voice mailbox 6799. Hopefully, both the caller ID and messages issues will be resolved by the end of next week.
   
   
2. We've upgraded to the latest version of Destiny! You've probably noticed the new "look" to the catalog -- Destiny Quest is now the default search interface. One of the nicest new features is that patrons can create their own passwords, and you can also do a bit of customizing, including selecting a different background. If you want to change an already-assigned password, just click on the "forgot password" link and follow the directions.

Hope everybody has a great Thanksgiving! Remember, the library will be closed Thursday through Saturday for the holiday. We'll open again Monday, November 30, at 9:00 a.m.

Cumberland Library's "County Gaming Day"

As previously announced, the American Library Association promotes a "National Gaming Day," encouraging all public libraries to host a Gaming Event for their community. National Gaming Day is usually on a Saturday, and this year it is no different, the date being designated is Nov. 14. HOWEVER, that date does not work particularly well for Cumberland County Public Library, and so our Gaming Day will be on Wednesday, November 25, from 2 - 5 p.m. As many of you know, Cumberland County Schools begin their Thanksgiving break on that day, and we hope to provide a fun, safe activity for young people (aged 10 or above if not accompanied by a responsible adult) and adults. We will have games for ALL AGES. The Friends of the Library will also be selling baked goods. Plan to join us -- and bring your favorite board game to share!

NEW HOURS NOV. 2

NEW!

Hours of Operation

effective Nov. 2, 2009

Mondays & Wednesdays:

9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Tuesdays, & Thursdays:

9:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Fridays:

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Saturdays:

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Computer Use Time Limits Increased

Several changes have been made recently in our technology resources, including changes to the filter. While not all of these changes please everyone, one good thing is that, based on observed daytime usage for the past two weeks, we are able to EXTEND the daytime (before 3:00 p.m.) computer-use allotment from 40 minutes to one hour. We hope this will give most people ample time to complete their tasks!

Book Club Meets Monday!

The Adult Book Club which began as a Summer Reading Program for adults is scheduled to meet this coming Monday, October 19th. All adults are welcome to attend -- bring a friend, and help this fledgling program fly!

Friends Potluck Next Wednesday!

Don't forget about the Friends Meeting on Wednesday, October 21, at 6 p.m. at Payne UMC Fellowship Hall. The potluck dinner will have a "Friends Cookbook Sampler" theme -- be sure to call Lauraetta at the library (492-5807) and let her know what dish you plan to bring!

We will also have a presentation on Internet Safety -- learn some tips to keep you and your loved ones safe on the world-wide web!

National Gaming Day

Saturday, November 14, is ALA's National Gaming Day @ your library. CCPL has nascent plans to host a computer-free gaming event. Details are still being worked out, so stay tuned!

Francis Wood's Book Talk

Remember -- local author Francis Wood will be giving a book talk at the Library on Wednesday, October 21, at 5 p.m. Francis will be discussing his newest book. Sunflower.

Archives Month in VA Book Talk

The Library of Virginia invites the public to attend a book talk with author Bruce Chadwick on Thursday, October 29, at 12 noon. Mr. Chadwick's recently published book, I Am Murdered: George Wythe, Thomas Jefferson, and the Killing That Shocked a New Nation (Wiley, Jan. 2009) is the bizarre true story of the murder of George Wythe, an original signer of the Declaration of Independence and close friend of Thomas Jefferson (who hailed him, as "the Father of American Jurisprudence"). Wythe was murdered by his grand-nephew George Wythe Sweeney. Mr. Chadwick conducted part of his research at the archives of the Library of Virginia and the Virginia Historical Society.

The book talk, part of the celebration of Archives Month in Virginia, will be followed by a book signing, light reception and "behind-the-scenes tours" of the LVA archives. The Library of Virginia is requiring reservations for the tours, which will run from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. The Library of Virginia is located at 800 East Broad Street in Richmond, where underground parking is available at no charge for library visitors. For more information about the book talk and tours, call (804) 271-2527.

Woman's Club Raffle

The Woman's Club of Cumberland has placed a display in the library's show case of items they are raffling . The red and grey afghan was made by Audrey Webb, the quilt was made by Chris Watts and the picture was painted by Gigi Rigsby . Lucia Whitlock will make the pound cake she is famous for. All of the above items would be a real prize for any home, a delight to admire and scrumptious treat to eat. Tickets are one dollar. They are available at the front desk of the library or through members of the Woman's Club. The drawing will be held in December 10th.

Trustees Meeting

The Board of Trustees of the Cumberland County Public Library will meet at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, October 5. All meetings are open to the public.

Book Club Meets Monday!

Just a reminder that the book club which began as the adult Summer Reading Program will meet this coming Monday, September 21, at 6:30 p.m. Any adults interested in joining are welcome to attend!

Francis Wood

Don't forget-------at 5 p.m. on October 21, 2009, Cumberland County Public Library will host Francis Wood, well known local author. He will be speaking about his book, coming out this fall, entitled Sunflower. Following this the yearly meeting of the Friends of the Library will be held at Payne Memorial Methodist Church. Hope to see you there!

Learning Express Library

Overcoming test-taking anxiety, raising test scores, and improving skills is possible with just the click of a mouse, courtesy of your local library!

Enjoy free, unlimited access to interactive skill-building courses in math, reading and writing as well as a broad range of practice tests based on official exams such as the ACT, SAT, GED, ASVAB, Firefighter, Police Officer, Paramedic, EMT Basic, U.S. Citizenship, Postal Worker, Cosmetology, Real Estate Agent & Broker Exams. This valuable service is available 24/7 from any internet-enabled computer—in your library and even from your home!

Follow the directions below to create your LearningExpress LibraryTM account and access over 700 of the most up-to-date test-preparation and skill-building resources. Both students and adults can prepare for a wide range of academic and career-oriented exams as well as improve basic skills in reading, writing, and math. In addition, job-skills tutorials are available to assist in creating a great resume, honing interviewing techniques, and improving business communications. Patrons also have the option of selecting from more than 130 e-book titles to help learners of all ages prepare for success. The innovative platform includes self-paced study, instant scoring and diagnostic feedback and can be accessed from any computer that has an Internet connection.

Here's how:

1. Go to LearningExpress Library (
   http://www.LearningExpressLibrary.com



2. Sign in as a NEW USER, click “Register.”
   
   Use 23040+your Cumberland County Public Library card=10 total numbers as the USERNAME. No spaces please!


3. Create and verify any password you are comfortable with.


4. You might see a list of libraries to choose from at this point. Please choose your library and UPDATE.

Whenever you log in after this, you will sign on as a RETURNING USER.

ENJOY!!!

I Love My Librarian!

Nominate your librarian today for the Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award!

Friends Annual Potluck & Meeting

The Friends of the Cumberland County Public Library will hold their annual meeting on Wednesday, October 21, at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Payne United Methodist Church. Details to come soon!

Labor Day

The Library will be closed on Monday, September 7, for Labor Day.

Book Club

What began as an adult program for the 2009 Summer Reading Program will continue as a Book Club for adults of all ages. The group will meet on the third Monday of every month beginning in September at 6:30 p.m. Regular participants will take turns choosing monthly topics/books/authors. Join us!

Banned Books Week

September 26 - October 3 is Banned Books Week! Among the list of challenged & banned books in 2008 are Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Series, Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Alice Walker's The Color Purple.

For a list of the most commonly challenged books in the USA, take a look at this article in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_commonly_challenged_books_in_the_U.S.

Friends Backyard Booksale

The Friends of the Library will have a huge booksale in the backyard/parking lot of the Library on Friday, August 28 & Saturday, August 29. Sale hours will be Friday from noon until 7:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. 'til 2 p.m. The books will be (at least partially) sorted by genre and grouped by author.

PRICES: paperbacks – 25¢ ea.
                 hardbacks – 75¢ ea.

Welcome to our Blog!

Hi! Cumberland County Public Library, in Cumberland, VA, has just started this blog. We hope it becomes a valuable source of information and forum for discussion for the entire community. Announcements of upcoming events, book reviews (also available in our catalog!) & discussions, and other Library-related news will all be posted here.