ATTENTION, LIBRARY NEWBIES!!

This post is for anyone who's considering getting a card at the Augusta Public Library. You should know that:

A) The library offers access to thousands of books, movies, and on-line resources, so you'll be REALLY glad you did

and

B) New patrons will be temporarily limited to checking out two items at a time and to placing two holds at a time.

While the library wholeheartedly welcomes its new patrons, it had to institute this policy to avoid situations in which new patrons check out numerous items, then fail to return them.

Don't worry, though; the limits are only in place for the first three months that a new card is active. After that, patrons can have 50 items checked out at a time, and they can place up to 50 holds.

So welcome to the library, Newbies, and spend your first three months making a list of all the wonderful things you're going to check out once the time limit has passed!

Young architects' ninth creation

Joe, Storm, and Turtle Dos

THE LIBRARY WANTS YOUR SOUL....

Just kidding. You can keep your soul, but the Augusta Public Library DOES want you to sign an updated Computer Use Policy.

The library has recently changed some of its computer use policies; in order to make sure that patrons are aware of the changes, anyone wishing to use a library computer will be required to sign a new form.

Most of the current policy has remained substantially the same, but one major change involves time limits. While users were previously limited to 30 minute sessions, the limit has been extended to one hour per day. Patrons who are using the computers for important and time-sensitive projects, such as job searches or school work, may have their time extended if no other patrons are waiting for the computers.

Please consult the Augusta Public Library's Policies and Stats page if you'd like to see a full copy of the new Computer Use Policy.

February Book Club Selection: The Sandcastle Girls

The Augusta Library Book Club met on Feb. 12 to discuss The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian. Despite the breezy-sounding title, this was a story of love, death, and family history that shifts between modern times and the early 20th century Armenian genocide. 

While the book couldn't really be described as "enjoyable" (its descriptions of horrible suffering on a massive scale were hardly fun to read), most Book Club members seemed to find it important and thought-provoking. 

The meeting began with a long discussion about the the history and geography of the regions described in the book, complete with maps courtesy of Duke. Some members then questioned  the author's use of a female narrator and time shifts, pointing out that they made the book a bit confusing. After a brief debate, however, the general consensus seemed to be that these devices captured the narrator's personal growth and deepening understanding of her family's history.

Several members found parallels between the narrator's grandparents' reluctance to talk about their ordeals and the reticence of real war survivors. They also found interesting comparisons and contrasts between the foreign aid depicted in the book and modern aid efforts. Some pointed out that instead of simply shipping large loads of supplies to an afflicted area, as the Friends of Armenia did in the book, many modern charities focus on helping people become self-sufficient. 

Most of the remaining conversation focused on the book's historical aspects: the parallels between the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust, genocides across time and nations, and factors that could drive people to commit atrocities. (There was even a brief detour into the extramarital affairs of several presidents.) 

Members did take time to discuss the plot and characters, though, especially since they wanted to end on a topic much less depressing than the ones that had been covered earlier in the meeting. They discussed the motivations of Elizabeth (one of the protagonists), and many were pleased with the love story and Hatoun's implied survival despite the odds against her. They also appreciated the narrator's deepened understanding of her family's history.

While these more optimistic topics lightened the mood for the meeting's end, Kathy's caramel corn cookies finished the mood-lightening process quite effectively. 

All told, the Book Club's February meeting was an educational (and ultimately nourishing) gathering. 

The Book Club's next meeting will be at the library on Wednesday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m. The group will be discussing The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. Copies have already been ordered for current Book Club members, but anyone interested in participating can request a copy on their personal accounts or inquire at the library's front desk if they would like help in obtaining one. 

Young architects' eighth creation

Storm and Joe reveal their latest masterwork, Turtle Uno

Love and Meatballs

Are you facing a Valentine's Day chock full of kids complaining that they're bored? If so, the Augusta Public Library is here to help.

The library will be hosting a Popcorn and a Movie night on Friday, Feb. 14. The movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, will start at 6:00 p.m.

This movie is free and open to the public. Children should be accompanied by parents or guardians, but no registration is required.

A movie featuring animated figures and giant chunks of food may not be ROMANTIC, exactly, but it WILL entertain the kids. And that may be the greatest Valentine's gift of all...

Please contact Samma Johnson at Johnson@augustalibrary.org or call the library at (715) 286-2070 if you'd like more information about the Popcorn and a Movie night.

Intellectuals populate the library

Behold--there's hope for the next generation! Here are three of our most frequent young library patrons playing chess and (gasp!) READING!!!  Good job, Storm, Joe, and Hunter!

Hunter reading
 

Storm and Joe contemplate their next move.

Joe takes action as Storm thinks hard.
 

Olympic Glory Among The Books

The Augusta Memorial Public Library is a great source for books, movie, and computer resources. Now, for one day only, it's also a source of Wii-style Olympic Glory.

On Saturday, Feb. 8, the library will have a Wii system set up and ready for play from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Game options will feature winter sports themes, and everyone is welcome to participate.

The Wii Olympic Games day is free, and no registration is required.

Please contact Samma Johnson at Johnson@augustalibrary.org or call the library at (715) 286-2070 if you'd like more information about this event.