Next Intrepid Readers April 9: Moloka’i

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Join the Douglas Library Intrepid Readers on April 9 to discuss Moloka’i by Alan Brennert.

This richly imagined novel, set in Hawai’i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place—and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.

Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka’i. Here her life is supposed to end—but instead she discovers it is only just beginning. -Goodreads

Call the Library 508-476-2695 for a copy of the book. New members always welcome. Homemade refreshments, inspired by the title being discussed, will be served.

Homeschool Curriculum Talk-Share-Swap

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Saturday, March 30
10:00am – 12:00pm
Let’s compare curricula! On Saturday morning, local area home educators are invited to the library for a morning devoted to connecting the curricu-curious to current users.
The primary goal here is for everyone to talk about opinions and experiences, compare notes, and walk away with a broader and more confident base of knowledge. But if you have material you are finished with and would like to give away or swap for something new, bring it!
We will definitely have people on hand who are familiar with Tapesty of Grace, Brave Writer, Saxon Math, Right-Start Math, Logic of English, All About Spelling, IEW, Cover Story, Times Tales, and A Year of Playing Skillfully.
Also up for discussion will be community resources and events and how to homeschool through high school in an environment that seems to favor resources for younger children.
Kids are welcome, so don’t let that deter you. For questions, please contact lori.colbert@charter.net (event co-organizer) or jsnook@cwmars.org (library director).

Greatest Book Club Ever

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If you are looking for a book club, you should try out our Greatest Book Club ever! If you aren’t looking for a book club, you should try out our Greatest Book Club Ever! The group meets on the first Thursday of every month at 6:30pm.

The next meeting is April 4 and the book is Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.

When her daughter Bee claims a family trip to Antarctica as a reward for perfect grades, Bernadette, a fiercely intelligent shut-in, throws herself into preparations for the trip. But worn down by years of trying to live the Seattle life she never wanted, Ms. Fox is on the brink of a meltdown. And after a school fundraiser goes disastrously awry at her hands, she disappears, leaving her family to pick up the pieces–which is exactly what Bee does, weaving together an elaborate web of emails, invoices, and school memos that reveals a secret past Bernadette has been hiding for decades. Where’d You Go Bernadette is an ingenious and unabashedly entertaining novel about a family coming to terms with who they are and the power of a daughter’s love for her mother.  -Goodreads

One Million Ebook Year!

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It was New Year’s Eve when James Keenan (the Library Applications Supervisor for CWMARS) ran a report and realized that, as a consortium, we were 925 circulations shy of having circulated 1 million items in Overdrive. It wasn’t a record we were really cognizant of until that point, but we immediately made it a goal to break that record. And we did! The final checkout talley for 2018 is in at 1,001,975 digital loans. 5,849 of those were borrowed right here in Douglas.

CWMARS started circulating ebooks and other e-material in Overdrive in July 2005. We hadn’t circulated a million items until the middle of 2014, so we circulated more items in 2018 than we did in the first 9 years of providing the service. The biggest jump in digital circulation came with the advent of the Kindle and other e-readers. In 2010, annual circulation was 52,277. In 2011, more than doubled to 108,645. Since then, the numbers do this:

2011      108,645
2012      238,537
2013      366,592
2014      544,860
2015      700,856
2016      781,281
2017      834,355
2018    1,001,975

Happy New Year!

Six Word Memoirs

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We have been collecting six-word memoirs on post-it notes at the library for a while to demonstrate that creativity doesn’t have to take up a lot of space or time. Here are some of our favorites:

  • Be who you want to be!
  • Love yourself and others will too!
  • Answers don’t come from other people.
  • Bob is nice. Be like bob.
  • Find grit within your own soul.
  • Find the grit within your CAT!!!
  • I want to get off now.
  • Don’t let the coffee get cold.
  • Love, live, learn. Forgive, forget, smile. 🙂
  • A Never-ending Series of Marvelous Misadventures.
  • Make choices and mistakes, then learn.
  • Be happy. Be kind. Be weird.
  • Don’t give up on yourself.
  • Be the change you want to be.
  • Sometimes bad jokes bring good laughs.

Winter Storytime

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Join Miss Debbie for stories, crafts, songs, and shenanigans during our Winter Storytime at the Simon Fairfield Public Library. Winter Storytime starts on January 7 and lasts until March 6.

Monday storytime is at 1pm and geared for ages 3 to 5.

Tuesday storytime is at 6pm and is geared for ages 4 to 7.

Wednesday storytime is at 10am and is geared to ages 18 months to 3.

Please call the library at 508-476-2695 or email dsoderman@cwmars.org to register or ask further questions. Sign-ups are necessary to ensure adequate supplies of snacks, crafts, energy drinks, and free puppies for the children.

Note: If school (in Douglas) is cancelled, there is no storytime. If they are delayed, there is no morning storytime. If they are released early, there is no afternoon storytime.

Digital Streaming is Here

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There’s a new blue button on the home page. Given the success of e-books and audio, we’re adding a streaming video service to our arsenal of literacy.

Kanopy is a streaming platform that you can use on your computer, or you can download the relevant app for IOS, Android, AppleTV, Chromecast, or Roku. Adults can enjoy award-winning documentaries, film festival favorites, indie films, classic films, and world cinema. Kids will find films and TV series thoughtfully curated to help develop empathy, mindfulness, and self-esteem.

To access Kanopy, either click the button on our homepage or go to mysfpl.kanopy.com. Douglas library card-holders are currently allotted 6 play credits per month, and we’ve set a monthly cost ceiling that applies to the entire community (basically it’ll shut down before it breaks the budget). Hopefully we don’t bump up against that ceiling and everyone who wants can use all 6 of their play credits.

Starting Off the School Year Well

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For the mom who is sending her child off to school for the first time or the dad who is hoping for a year of easier transitions and joyful experiences, Peaceful Life coach Janet Gonzalez will be offering a free workshop at the library on August 23 from 7-8pm. Some topics she will touch on are getting out the door in the mornings, welcoming your child home in the afternoon, and homework & bedtime in the evening.

Every Thursday is Mahjong Thursday

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A new weekly event is popping up at the library. A group of seasoned mahjong playing patrons will be meeting to play at the library every Thursday from 12:30 to 4pm and are inviting new players. If you already know how to play, come play with some delightful people! If you don’t, come anyway and they will teach you.