Friends Newsletter, September 2013

Check out the September issue of the Friends of the Westside Branches Newsletter! Inside, you'll find information about the membership drive, book budget, excess book donations, and more!

You can become a member for only $5 a year. Your membership helps fund programs and book purchases for the libraries, and you get a 10% discount at The Bookmark Used Bookstore (7348 Remcon)! 

Friends Newsletter September 2013 by dorrisvandoren

End of Summer Reading Club 2013

We can't believe summer reading club is almost over! If you haven't turned in your reading logs or entered them online, make sure to do so by tomorrow (Saturday, July 20). If you didn't register online and we're closed, drop off your reading logs in the drive-thru book drop behind the library. Just make sure first and last names are legibly written on the logs.

We're still posting names, so don't worry yet if you don't see your children's names up on the board.

End of Summer Reading Club Parties:

Teen Summer Reading Wrap Up Party: Tuesday, July 23 from 4:30-6:30 pm

Ice Cream Social: Certificate & goody bag for those that completed the program. Ice cream for everyone :)

Children's Summer Reading Wrap Up Party: Wednesday, July 24

Pick up certificates and goody bags at either 3-4 pm or 5-6 pm

World Beat Drumming: Making Music Together with Karuna Richard Warren @ 4 pm 

Also, be sure to check out the amazing decorating job done by our staff!

Decorations by library staff

Window paintings by Lizzie Ochoa

TeenFest 2013

Our annual TeenFest event is only days away! Friday, June 28 is going to be filled with games, crafts, info booths, Free Hole Poetry Slam, artwork, refreshments and giveaways from 6-10 pm.

There's still time to register for the summer reading club, too. Register at TeenFest or online at this site.

Games:

• various board games
• Wii video games

Crafts:

• library card design contest
• stickers
• literary portraits
• hexagon explosion boxes
• chalk the walk

Info Booths:

• El Paso Community College
• Molina Healthcare
• Maximus
• Latinitas
• Safe Schools Texas
• YWCA

Summer Events June 17-22, 2013

Register for the summer reading club and keep track of your reading at elpasolibrarysr.evanced.info. Children, teens and adults can register with their library card number. Adults that register online will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad or a Kindle.

Here are the events for the week of June 17th:

Tuesday, June 18 from 4:30-6:30 pm
Tune in Tuesdays is part of the Teen Summer Reading Club. Listen to a half hour audiobook teaser while enjoying snacks. Play board and video games afterwards. This week's featured audiobook is Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross.

Wednesday, June 19 @ 4 pm
Our summer reading club children's programs are on Wednesdays at 4 pm. This week, the West Texas Regional Poison Center will teach us about the venomous critters of El Paso. All ages are welcome.

Thursday, June 20 @ 4:30 pm
Thursday Things is part of the teen summer reading club. Make a craft, play board or video games and enjoy snacks. This week we're making hexagon explosion boxes. Feel free to bring photos or other items you would like to decorate the box with.




Saturday, June 22 @ 2 pm
Don't forget to sign up before Friday for the Cook the Book Club potluck! Choose a recipe to make from this month's selection,The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, make it and bring it to Saturday's potluck.

Saturday, June 22 @ 3 pm
We'll be showing movies that were adapted from books as part of our adult summer reading club. All ages are welcome (movies are rated PG or PG-13). This week's movie is based on the novel One Shot by Lee Child.

Summer Events June 11-15, 2013

Summer Reading Club 2013 has begun! This year is especially exciting with the addition of the adult summer reading club and our new online registration. Visit elpasolibrarysr.evanced.info to register and keep track of your reading. Children, teens and adults can register with their library card number. Adults that register online will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad or a Kindle.

Here are the events for the week of June 10th:

Tuesday, June 11 from 4:30-6:30 pm
Tune in Tuesdays is part of the Teen Summer Reading Club. Listen to a half hour audiobook teaser while enjoying snacks. Play board and video games afterwards. This week's featured audiobook is John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.

Wednesday, June 12 @ 4 pm
Our summer reading club children's programs will be on Wednesdays at 4 pm. This week, the Asombro Institute will visit us and teach us about desert plants. All ages are welcome.

Thursday, June 13 @ 4:30 pm
Thursday Things is part of the teen summer reading club. Make a craft, play board or video games and enjoy snacks. This week we'll be making seed bombs.

Saturday, June 15 @ 3 pm
We'll be showing movies that were adapted from books as part of our adult summer reading club. All ages are welcome (movies are rated PG or PG-13). This week's movie is based on the novel by Isaac Marion.

Cook the Book Club returns this month! Don't forget to sign up for the potluck on Saturday, June 22 at 2 pm. This month's featured cookbook is The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.

BookMyne App Review

App: BookMyne

Platform: Android, iPhone & iPod touch

Cost: free
Key features: Access your library account, renew items, search catalog, request/place holds on items. Available in English, French, German, and Spanish languages. 

More info: http://www.sirsidynix.com/bookmyne

Last year, the El Paso Public Library System upgraded the software that handles our inventory, checking in/out materials, catalog, etc. With that upgrade came this handy app, BookMyne. Like any other app, it has its pros and cons, but has proven quite useful when you need to renew or request items on the go. Best of all, you'll only have to enter your library card and pin number once.

Pros: Search the catalog, renew (even if overdue) and request items. Under settings, you can change the number of days you want to be notified before your books are due. Suggested reading lists include award winners, popular best sellers (NY Times) and the ability to log into your Goodreads account (social).

Cons: Only available for Apple and Android. Some screens aren't very intuitive. I kept forgetting to use the arrow button at the top. Barcode scan search didn't work for me. I tried scanning the barcode of a book and nothing happened. The barcode scanning bug has been fixed & it now works! Just hit the search button after scanning.

Introductory and library info screenshots. 

View your account and see what items are checked out and when they're due. Renew them all or check only the ones that you want renewed by tapping the arrow at the top.

Search the catalog by keyword, title, subject or barcode. Tap the "availability" area to see which branches own a copy and if it's available (checked in).

Request items (place holds) by checking an item in the results list or tapping a title, and then tapping the arrow at the top. You'll be able to place a hold, email the item info to yourself or save to a list. When placing a hold you can change the location you want the item sent to.

View award lists and New York Times best selling lists under the Suggested Reading tab. You can also log into your Goodreads account. The Spin button will randomly choose a list for you. My Bookshelf will show the ebooks you currently have checked out through Overdrive. 

Dia De Los Ninos 2013

Back in 1996, El Paso-born author Pat Mora, proposed to create a Children's Day event celebrating children, literacy and bilingualism. A year later, with the assistance of REFORMA (National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos & the Spanish-Speaking), a new holiday was created: El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Day of the children/Day of the books). El Paso, along with Austin, Sante Fe and Tucson, were the first American cities to host celebrations. Now, over 300 libraries across the nation are planning activities that promote literacy and diversity.

El Paso's 17th annual celebration of literacy and health, to be held this Saturday, is changing its venue from Washington Park to three locations. The Main Library, Esperanza Moreno Branch and Dorris Van Doren Branch will have their own Dia festivals where children can receive a free book and enjoy games, activities and live entertainment.

Each year, we hope to encourage children and parents to become more physically active and to read more. Studies show that reading is one of the most important activities in which a child can take part and is one of the primary variables in the academic and career success of young people.

Children will have the opportunity to sign up for Club Rec and library cards. All events will be free and open to the public. In addition, all bus rides for kids will be free to and from the event all day courtesy of Sun Metro. For more information visit call 543-5480.

Here's what the Dorris Van Doren Branch will have scheduled Saturday, April 27, from 12-4 pm:

• Free book distribution
• Games and crafts for kids throughout the day
• A Teen Hangout area
• Jumping balloon 
• Booths represented by various organizations featuring family history, a bubble station, face painting and more.

Entertainment:

• 12:00 pm FM Junkies Band
• 12:30 pm Western Hills Chinese Cultural Program
• 2:00 pm Combo #5 Band
• 3:00 pm Movie Matinee
• 3:00 pm Theatrical Performance – Excerpt from Midsummer Night’s Dream

...and while you're here, check out our spring and poetry month decorations!

Our intern, Lizzie painting the Poetree onto the window.

The Poetree