Keep Track of Your Reading History

Those of you who log on to the ccls.org website to manage your account might have noticed a new feature: a button on the right side of your account page that says "My Reading History". This nifty feature will log every item you check out, so you can keep track of which titles you've already read/seen/heard. The library goddesses recommend it for lots of reasons: find that favorite author whose name is on the tip of your tongue, check to see if you've read that familiar-sounding book, or simply see how many books you read this summer.

Why did it take so long to add this feature? Because librarians are concerned about patron privacy and don't like the idea of a system tracking patrons' borrowing history (this is one of the reasons that our system doesn't store a list titles you've checked out after they're returned). To help safeguard your privacy, the My Reading History program is protected by a password that you create. No one else - not even library staff - will know your password or be able to see your history, though we can reset the password if you forget it.

To get started, follow this link and log in to your library account. The reading history will begin with today's date and continue until you deactivate it.

Families scatttered around the block on a Photo Scavenger Hunt. Some of the items they had to find? A sign, a wall, a piece of litter, something blue, part of a car, something alive, a good place to build a nest. This was not a race; the young photographers were charged with using their creative eyes to see common things in a new way. Digital photos were downloaded to a slide show that can be viewed in the Children's Department. Here are a few of their shots.

[Late] Friday Feature - Art and Writing Workshops

Calling teens! This is our week for special guests.

Do you like to draw? Do you want to learn how to draw?

Sign up for
"Drawing on your Creativity" workshop with Jay Piscopo.
July 7th, 2009
3 PM to 4 PM
Ages 13-18

Calling all writers!
Sign up for our Ellen Jensen Abbott Writing Workshop today!
July 8th, 2009
2 PM to 4 PM
Ages 13-18

Tell your friends and bring them along! Lots of fun!

Friday Feature - Gaming at the Library

Teens: Are you looking for something to do? We have a program tonight:

Guitar Hero Video Game and Board Game Free Play Night
TONIGHT, June 26, 2009
7 PM to 10 PM
Ages 13-18
(Must be enrolled in secondary school or home schooled)

We'll have a variety of Board Games, Guitar Hero Games to choose from, PIZZA, and other little goodies for tonight's program (we have new video games that participants coming to the program tonight will see first!).

There's still space so drop by and join in the fun!

Where To Get Your Reptiles

Ever since Otto has been in the library countless mothers have asked where he came from and where the best place to get a pet reptile of any sort would be.

The first thing you should know about buying a reptile that as a general rule 99% of reptile keepers stay as far away from pet stores as possible. Not only are the reptiles and the supplies WAY over priced (for example 50-100 mealworms cost around $3 at most pet stores but if you buy them from a supplier it's around $8 for 1000. A normal leopard gecko in a pet store is usually priced between 55-95 dollars and you can get a baby from a breeder for $15) but they also tend to be unhealthy. Pet stores often keep reptile in the wrong conditions and give wrong care information.

The best place to get a reptile is at a reptile expo. There are several in our area but the largest is
The Northwestern Berks Reptile Expo : http://www.pythons.com/hamburg/
This is the largest reptile expo in the east coast and many breeders travel over 8 hours to sell their animals. It is also a great place to get any supplies you may need for your future pet at a lower cost.
There is also a newer smaller show near Allentown PA : http://www.garexpo.com/

You can also go to websites such as kingsnake.com and search through breeder adds to select an animal or you can google breeders. Reptiles can be shipped overnight to your door! Kingsnake.com also lists all reptile expo's in the country and the date they are on.

Always remember to discuss your reptiles exclosure with the breeder to make sure you have everything just right! Be sure to look over your new pet carefully and notice if there are any missing limbs, bites, stuck sheds, or wounds.

Friday Feature - Another reason Ray Bradbury is AWESOME

You may know him as the author who wrote the infamous Fahrenheit 451, or many, many short stories, or the author of Something Wicked This Way Comes (which is on a few reading lists this year), but here is another reason to think of Ray Bradbury:

A Literary Legend Fights for a Local Library (That's by way of Neil Gaiman's Twitter, an article in NYTimes, and the library is in California).

Read the article.

PA Libraries still need your support. For talking points and addresses visit this Early Friday Feature.

(Sorry for the late Feature. The library was BUSY on Friday. Help us stay that way!)

Aren't babies cute? From the National Zoo.

And, one very cool library car-park....

That's all for a busy, rainy Thursday from your library!

Friday Feature - SUMMER READING KICKOFF!

The library has been a wild and busy place this past week as we gear up for the big event of the summer: Summer Reading Kickoff!

One of us fair Library Goddesses posted about the Kickoff a while back, but I thought I'd remind you that TOMORROW is the kick off! Here is the lineup again:

Kickoff Day
Saturday, June 13th
10:00am - 2:00pm

This year, we're gearing up to have one of the best Kickoff Day celebrations ever. Aside from registering for the Summer Reading Club (ages 8+ will do online registration), you can enjoy felicitous amusements such as:

• Free balloons
• Summer reading info, tote bags, bookmarks, and calendars
  
• A make-&-take craft
• A free "tattoo" parlor
• The Usborne Book Fair: the books you buy earn money for the library!
• Pei-Jun Hung, giving a sneak preview of the "Chinese Boogie" program of July 16th

And...(drumroll)...

• "Special guests" from the barnyard of Spring Brook Farm - here from 10:00-12:00, weather permitting

But what if you miss Kickoff Day? Not to worry, you can still register for the club at any time through June or July, and the Usborne Book Fair will be here through Tuesday, June 16th. There is also a whole calendar of fun summer events available at the children's desk for your perusal.

Hope to see you there!!