Book Signing: A Chance For Every Child

St. Margaret’s Center was El Paso’s first orphanage, established in 1919 and founded by the grandparents of City Representative Ann Morgan Lily. In 1928, a second orphanage, Southwestern Children’s Home was established by parishioners from Trinity Methodist Church and built by the McKee family. The orphanages later merged to form what is now the El Paso Center for Children.

The center celebrates 90 years of caring for El Paso’s orphaned, homeless, runaway, abused, and neglected children with a moving narrative of the children’s lives. Local authors Donna Munch, Shirley Fouts, and Sandy Rioux have come together to write A Chance for Every Child: A History of the El Paso Center for Children. The book chronicles El Paso history, and how laws and costs for the care and treatment of children have changed in the U.S.
Join us for this special book signing.

Saturday, March 14 @ 4 p.m.

Teen Tech Week begins March 10 with ArTech Fun

Every year, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) encourages libraries across the country to celebrate Teen Tech Week. Its purpose is to connect teens with technology through the library. YALSA teams up with Verizon to offer small cash grants to assist libraries with their celebrations. This year, we applied and won one of those mini grants! Encourage teens to participate in a fun and interactive program.

ArTech Fun combines art and technology through the use of Wacom’s Bamboo Fun Tablet. Two digital drawing tablets and a small collection of digital art books have been purchased to help teens take their art to the next level. Guest speakers will be invited to show teens how to use a digital drawing tablet and talk about their careers. Teens will then be able to reserve time slots to work on two projects. The first project is to create promotional art for the summer reading club and perhaps create an animated short. The second project is to create their own artwork to be showcased in an art show that they plan. Reserve your spot! For more info contact Lisa @ 875-0700 ext. 8518 or visit myspace.com/dvdteens

Tuesday, March 10 @ 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 14 @ 4 p.m.
Projects continue throughout March and April

Amnesty Week Feb. 23-Mar. 7, 2009

The El Paso Public Library is offering its patrons a period of amnesty beginning February 23 through March 7, 2009. During this time, anyone with overdue library materials may return them to the library without penalty. No fines will be charged during that week, provided that the library books and materials are returned in good condition.

The primary goals of the amnesty period are to encourage library patrons to return their materials AND to return to the library. “Some people amass so much in fines that they forfeit their borrowing privileges until they can afford to pay them,” says Library Director Carol Brey-Casiano. “What we are saying with this period of amnesty is we want our books and our customers back.” Those wishing to take advantage of the program should go to any public library branch, return their materials, and let the staff know that they would like amnesty.

The Library would like to encourage everyone to visit or call their nearest library branch to check on the status of their materials.

Saturday Movie Matinee

Join us this Saturday for a showing of The Secret Life of Bees. The movie is based on Sue Monk Kidd's best selling novel. It is rated PG-13 and is free to the public.

Saturday, February 21 @ 2 p.m.

February's Crafty Hour

It's not too late to sign up for this month's craft hour! Youth in grades 4th-8th are invited to learn all about quilling next Thursday. Quilling is the art of creating designs out of rolled narrow strips of paper. Pre-registration is required at the information desk. Sign up in person or give us a call.

Thursday, February 19th from 4-6 p.m.

Check out these quilling sites:

• Origami Resource Center
• Handmade Craft Ideas
• Martha Stewart
• Quilling Patch
• Whimsiquills site and blog

Music From the Heart

Whether you have a Valentine or not, stop by the library to listen to some sweet Baroque music for guitar. Internationally renowned classical guitarist, Peter Fletcher will be performing at both libraries on the Westside. The concert will feature selections from Fletcher's 2008 CD release on Tower Hill Records, Music of the Baroque.

Free and open to everyone!

Saturday, February 14th @ the Westside Branch
on 125 Belvidere @ 2 p.m.

Saturday, February 14th @ the Dorris Van Doren Branch
on 551 Redd Rd. @ 4 p.m.

Free E-Resources!

Did you know that the El Paso Public Library provides free access to electronic resources?

E-books are now available through the library's catalog courtesy of NetLibrary. Databases such as EBSCO, Heritage Quest, and Health and Wellness Resource Center can help you with homework, research, and more! Databases are directories of information from magazines, newspapers, and encyclopedias. They include articles, maps, pictures, and charts. You can search for current and historical information for all grade levels on all subjects that is safe and reliable.

To access them, go to elpasolibrary.org and click on the Texshare Databases icon, located on the lower left-hand corner. You can log in to the databases by using your library card number and four digit pin number. If you don't have a pin or have forgotten it, ask a staff member or give us a call.

Stop in the library to find out how you can access Consumer Reports and learn other great tips!