The (Fun) Library Place

by Mary O. Fumento
February 2010

“If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good.” - Dr. Seuss

Beyond books and reading, libraries are community gathering places meant to be used and enjoyed. Your county library system strives to achieve the maximum use and enjoyment of our patrons, and you are one of them.  Here is what we are doing, and hopefully you will join us.

March 2 is the National Education Association’s Read across America reading motivation and awareness program, as well as the birthday of American writer Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. The library system will be celebrating these events in Worland by having Game Day from 2-4 p.m.  Please join us for this event, and bring children grades K-8. 

We will have Sorry, Clue, Jeopardy, Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Battleship, Spill the Beans, Ants in Your Pants, Monopoly, chess, checkers, and many other fun activities.  There may even be a new electronic game or two.  During the last Game Day, we had over 60 attendees stay, play and learn new ways to use their brains and share good sportsmanship.  Local business Sandy Candy will offer candy sales during the festivities on March 2 with proceeds benefiting the library system, and other refreshments will be served as well.  If nothing else, watch the library staff get tied up in knots while playing Twister. 

Speaking of staff the new, smiling face you may have seen behind the Worland library desk belongs to Heidi Snider. We welcome her and are happy to have her enthusiasm. Between Ten Sleep and Worland, we are a team, and our photos are now hanging in the libraries to help you get to know us.

Big Bad Wolf and All

Did you ever find the library a scary place? We intentionally try to make it so, but only for occasional amusement.  For instance, a particular semi-fierce wolf and three very clever pigs showed up as puppets at the Worland library on Tuesday evening to encourage reading, thanks to Even Start’s talented people.  There was singing, dancing and laughter…all in the library!

The library system joins with Raising Readers in Wyoming to teach families to read and spend quality time together.  Join us on March 9 for our follow-up shenanigans as we convince you that reading is, indeed, a terrific family activity and we can all learn along the way. 

 Book Discussion Extension

The Ten Sleep book discussion group has had such a great time sharing books that another title has been added to the continued program.  The group will read Crow Lake and discuss it at Ten Sleep on March 15.  Contact the Ten Sleep library staff for more information. The Worland book discussion group starts on March 29 with River Song, and you can pick up copies at the front desk at your convenience.

Learning Language

Do you know Spanish speakers wishing to learn or improve their English?  Volunteer Claire James is willing to do just that.  Come to the Worland library to sign up for tutoring.

Information Online

Using the Internet can be intimidating, but library web resources are being honed to be easier and more useful to you.  For instance, check out our online library catalog at http://www.washakiecountylibrary.org/catalog.html.  The state library has been working to enhance your search capabilities by linking straight from the catalog to downloadable audiobooks (via Netlibrary) and other free online resources.  Netlibrary recently made it possible for library users to increase the total number of audiobook checkouts, and you can borrow up to 20 electronic titles per cardholder.

The state library has also recently negotiated access to some new Gale databases, and you can learn more about these at http://www.galesupport.com/wyoming/.  Some of the new collections include Culinary Arts, Home Improvement, Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. 
If you would like assistance using our electronic resources, please don’t hesitate to call or stop by the library system and let us help you. 

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