Boscobel Library Online

Blackout- Protest SOPA/PIPA Internet Censorship

2012-01-18T06:43:00.000-06:00

Many websites are blacked out today to protest proposed U.S. legislation that threatens internet freedom: the Stop Internet Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). From personal blogs to giants like WordPress and Wikipedia, sites all over the web, including this one, asking you to help stop this dangerous legislation from being passed. To learn how this legislation will affect internet freedom, go here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16590585 and here http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/join-our-censorship-protest/ , then take action here: http://americancensorship.org/ America is built on the principles of freedom of speech and of inquiry, it's time to defend them.

New Year, New Resolutions@ Your Library

2012-01-07T14:23:00.001-06:00

Welcome to 2012, a brand New Year that promises to be filled with creative changes at your library.

Off the bat we have our new, community based strategic plan, "Envision the Future: Planning for Results 2012-2015" in place. The plan gives us a powerful tool to for bringing our community the best services and programming possible to meet your information, educational and entertainment needs, and to introduce you to the rich and continuously growing free online content NOW AVAILABLE at your library, including Overdrive e-books, music and movies downloads, MANGO, the online language learning center, and NOVELIST to help you or your children find your next great reads.

You'll be hearing a lot more about the Strategic Plan and a copy will soon be available for download from this web page. One outcome of the planning process was a mandate to enhance library services in support of Early Childhood Literacy. As one of our first steps, we are proud to introduce children and families to the AWE Early Literacy Station, brand new and waiting now in our Children's Library to take your child on an early learning adventure.

The touchscreen station is self-contained and is set up to provide pre-k through 5th grade children with intuitive, grade-leveled interactive learning experiences in science, math, languages, geography, the arts and problem solving skills. AWE makes learning fun! Parents and small children can enjoy the station together, and kids age 8 or older may go exploring safely on their own, without the worries associated with Internet-based sites. Stop by for an AWEsome experience today!

Movie Nights at your library begin in February! Join us in the downstairs clubroom for popcorn and movies ranging from classic favorites to new releases based on bestselling books like The Help and Sarah's Key. The library will be offering both a movie series for adults, and family series of child-friendly movies. Dates and times will be posted here and at the library later this month.

Greenfire Movie Showing Dec. 1st, 7:00 PM

2011-11-18T14:24:00.001-06:00

Join us at the Boscobel Public Library for a screening of Green Fire!
See the first full-length, high-definition documentary film ever made about legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold and his environmental legacy! Green Fire shares highlights from his extraordinary career, explaining how he shaped conservation and the modern environmental movement. It also illustrates how Leopold's vision of a community that cares about both people and land continues to inform and inspire people across the country and around the world, highlighting modern projects that put Leopold’s land ethic in action in a multitude of ways.
The Soldiers Grove and Boscobel public libraries are co-sponsoring this screening of Green Fire for the community. Join us!
DATE: Thursday, December 1st
TIME: 7pm
LOCATION: Boscobel Public Library
ADDRESS: 1033 Wisconsin Ave, Boscobel, WI. 53805
Admission: Free will donation
MORE INFORMATION: http://www.greenfiremovie.com/
The Aldo Leopold Foundation, based in Baraboo, Wisconsin is distributing the film to community screeners. The foundation’s mission is to inspire an ethical relationship between people and land through the legacy of Aldo Leopold. Leopold regarded a land ethic as a product of social evolution. “Nothing so important as an ethic is ever ‘written,’” he explained. “It evolves ‘in the minds of a thinking community.’” Learn more about the Aldo Leopold Foundation and the Green Fire movie at http://www.aldoleopold.org/.

New Books For You

2011-11-08T11:19:00.003-06:00

A quick look at some of the great new books on our shelves now: Steve Jobs biography, The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Feat Day of Fools by James Lee Burke, Into the Silence, the Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest and more.

Being shipped to us now: Dragon's Oath, P.C. Cast, Stephen King's 11-22-63, American Pickers' Guide to Picking and Inheritance, the long-awaited conclusion to Christopher Paolini's Inheritence Cycle!

New books arrive almost every day, DVD movies too, so take a break and drop on by your library to find out what we have just for you!

Happening Now, @ Your Library

2011-11-06T10:28:00.001-06:00

Don't miss Fall pre-k Storytime every Wednesday morning from 10:00 - 10:30 AM. Stories, activities, music, books and crafts make this a fun and educational time for children and parents alike.

November Coming Soon: Greenfire, the Life of Aldo Leopold. Movie night at the library and chat afterwards about the life and work of Wisconsin native Leopold, the "father" of wild lands conservation.

December: Visit our Holiday Open House: library tours, treats and give-a-ways to say thanks to all of our patrons, fans, friends and supporters for another great year @ your library.

"World Change Starts with Educated Children"

2011-11-06T09:04:00.000-06:00

The Carnegie Library model providing books and the opportunity of education for poor and working class people has been reinvented, "Room to Read is one of America’s fastest-growing charities and is now opening new libraries at an astonishing clip of six a day. In contrast, McDonald’s opens one new outlet every 1.08 days." Here is a great example of an ex-Microsoft exec paying forward the wealth he's gained from a corporate career so that children and families worldwide have a gateway to education and the tools for success. Read the article at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/opinion/sunday/kristof-his-libraries-12000-so-far-change-lives.html

2011-08-08T11:47:00.005-05:00

One World, Many Stories
The 2011 Boscobel Summer Library program was a smash hit with children and parents alike. Volunteers who brought in their collections and tales from exotic places around the globe, guest performers and local businesses who donated great gifts and prizes ensured that our kids had fun reading and learning all summer long at the library. We're taking a short break over the next few weeks to gear up for Fall pre-K storytime, which will begin October 12th.

In the meantime, don't forget to take a look at photos and memories from the summer program. The "One World" slideshow and photos will be on display at the library in the coming weeks and are available online at the library's facebook fan page BoscobelPublicLibrary.

For tweens, teens and adults the library's Traveling Trolls will continue to adventure through the end of August. Astro, Helga, Captain Jack and the rest of the gang are still available to go on a late summer vacation with you! Stop by the library to read all about their exploits- our trolls have gone everywhere from Norway to North Carolina! Don't forget to check out their incredible travel blog at http://havetrollwilltravel.tumblr.com/ and remember to vote for your favorite troll vacation adventure. The family that brings back the most popular troll adventure story will win tickets to an awesome destination at the end of the month!

Vesuvius the Jet Pack Bat
Stay Tuned, Vesuvius the Jet Pack Bat will be coming to our library this week! Join us on Friday, August 12th at 10:00AM for a reading of a brand-new children's book, Vesuvius the Jet Pack Bat by author and illustrator Chad Jacobs. Poor Vesuvius, he's a vampire bat whose wings are too short! Find out how he invents a way to fly as fast as any bat, anywhere. All adults and children are welcome, come join us for a "fang-tastic" time!

Adult Bookclub
The library's adult bookclub meets Tuesday, August 16th, at 7:00 PM. This month's read is The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett. The true story of "a thief, a detective and a world of literary obsession". do you ever fear that ebooks will replace print? This month's read reveals why that will never come to pass, and much more about the intricate world of antiquarian books, collectors and their passion for the printed word. The monthly library book club is open to all adults to come and join in the discussion or just to listen. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the library.

Parents, read to your children, early and often.

2011-06-28T09:23:00.003-05:00

I've taken the quotation below from a recent review of a controversial children's book.

The value of that particular book may be questionable, but the review speaks words to truth about the importance of reading to our children early and often, and the consequences of not doing so. Reading is love in action, and a vital, playful means of developing young children's thinking and language skills.

"Parents often don't act in the way storybooks depict either. Putting kids to bed can be a challenge, and it may be an even bigger problem for this generation of parents because the sacred bedtime ritual of reading to children has gone away.

"I think it's pretty important to note that most kids in this country do not get read to at all when they go to sleep," Arredondo says.

That lack of interaction between parent and child troubles him.

"It's a big problem" he says. "There is nothing in the cosmos, nothing known to man, that comes remotely close to the complexity and the elegance of the architect of every child's brain as it is developing. Neglect of a developing child's brain is a terrible thing."

We hex our children when we fail to read to them, he says; a child's developing brain makes connections at the rate of 1,000 per second. That's why children require copious amount of attention and stimulation. When they are denied that, they suffer."

Here at our library we have thousands of children's books for families to share and enjoy with their children and grandchilden. don't forget the neighbor kids too. Every Wednesday morning at 10:00 am , and again in the afternoon at 5:00 pm, your library brings books alive for kids during our Summer Library Reading Program. Come join in the fun. Let's all work together to give our children the best possible start in life. Your family. Your library. Friends for Life!

To read the rest of the original article, go to http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/27/zacharias.kid.book/index.html?iref=NS1

Internet Access at your Library is Threatened. You Can Help.

2011-06-10T13:03:00.003-05:00

WiscNet – A Key Partner for Schools and Libraries
Internet Access at your Library is Threatened. You Can Help.

What is WiscNet?
WiscNet is a non-profit agency that has been providing high-speed Internet access to Wisconsin’s research and education community since 1991. WiscNet has grown to include 450 members, including 75% of our public school systems and 95% of our public libraries. All of the UW-System campuses are members, and many other institutions of higher education are also members.
Why is WiscNet in Danger?
Last week the Joint Finance Committee of the State Legislature met to discuss efforts to keep the UW System intact, retaining the UW-Madison campus within the state system. As part of that legislation, the committee added language in sections 23-26 of that bill that has nothing to do with keeping the system together. Instead, it essentially destroys a healthy collaboration that provides Internet access to our universities, schools, and libraries.
How will this Impact Boscobel Public Library?
As a collaborative group, WiscNet has been able to provide high-speed access and support to the Internet for its members at an affordable rate. If the Southwest Wisconsin Library System to which our library belongs was not a member of WiscNet and had to pay the going rate from a provider such as AT&T or Norlight, the cost would likely be an additional $20,360 to $50,300 per year (figures based on Department of Public Instruction projections). That money has to come from somewhere and will affect services at our library and throughout the state.

Patrons could expect the following:
• Slower Internet connection and longer lines for computers
• Slower library catalog access and access to other online resources
• 30 – 100 fewer new DVDs in the library collection
• 60 – 120 fewer new books in the library collection
• A standstill in developing new technology services for patrons, such as ebooks and an overall decrease in children’s and adult programming

WiscNet is a great example of public entities working together to provide superior service while keeping costs under control. Eliminating such a program would greatly increase costs for WiscNet members, and will result in fewer services as each entity would be forced to pay higher fees. The bottom line is that there is nothing wrong with WiscNet - it is a great program. It works. Why terminate a program that will only benefit large corporations and hurt public agencies such as schools, libraries, and universities?

What Can You Do?
The Joint Finance Committee proposal will not benefit the education community. Instead, it will lead to diminished services and increased costs. They will assemble to vote on this bill on Tuesday, June 14.
Please help us educate our elected representatives and tell them to delete sections 23-26 of the University of Wisconsin System – Omnibus Motion.
Read the Omnibus Motion in its entirety. {Thank you to Hedberg Public Library for templating this information}

Summer Booksale Volunteers Needed, July 7 -9th

2011-06-07T14:28:00.004-05:00

Our annual booksale is fast approaching and the library storage area is PACKED with books, videos, magazines and other donated items. We'll need adult volunteers to help us set up the sale, assist with checkouts during the sale days and then help us clean up after the party's over!If you can spare an hour or a day, please stop by the library today to sign up as a booksale volunteer. Whether its an hour or the entire weekend, your help is gratefully appreciated. Your Library. Your Community. Friends for Life!

Get Ready for Summer- Art Attack!

2011-04-19T12:54:00.008-05:00

Are you: between the ages of 12-18? Love to draw, doodle, design, journal or craft?
Get ready for "Art Attacks" @ Your Library!
When: Every Saturday from June 18th throught August 6th, Noon - 1PM
Where: Library basement clubroom
What: Hang out, talk and sketch, paint, draw,craft,and create journals with a professional artist as ringleader. Each week we'll share art and objects from a different world culture and our guest artist will talk about & demonstrate techniques for"doing" art: how to make colors work, drawing faces, graphics and comics, perspective and landscapes, abstract art, etc., etc!
How: The library will supply artist quality sketching and watercolor paper, watercolors, pastels, colored pencils, pens and other media. We'll also put up a "grafitti wall" for everyone to decorate. You come and create.
What Else: drinks, snacks, popcorn, movie? Tell us your ideas, email: bwstaff@swls.org

Turn Off Your TV and Go Stargazing!

2011-04-19T11:52:00.001-05:00

Happy "Turn off Your TV Week"! To celebrate, we're going "Stargazing with Binoculars" at your library on Thursday, April 21st, starting at 7:15 PM. Kids, families and adults are welcome to join us for fun evening sharing stories and heading outside to discover stars and constellations that we can learn about and identify. In case of uncooperative weather, we have a backup indoor program planned as well!

The program will begin at the library at 7:15 PM with a storytime reading and activities for the littlest stargazers. At @ 7:40 guest speaker Jean Napp, President of the Starsplitters Astronomy Club at Wyalusing State Park will take us on a tour of the stars and explain astronomy basics and how to get started stargazing. (Learn more about the club and the Wyalusing Astronomy Center at http://www.wyalusing.org/starsplit.html.)

Afterwards, weather permitting, we'll gather up our supplies and head down to Saunder's Creek, next to the Community Garden on Bluff Street where we should have a clear view of the sky. Participants are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs and binoculars and flashlights (for reading our star maps) if you have them. the library will also provide some binoculars and flashlights as well as star maps, activity sheets and of course, stargazing books.

Some of the books we'll be sharing include: Out of This World Astronomy by Joe Rhatigan, Binocular Highlights by Gary Seronik, Binocular Stargazing by Mike Reynolds, Stargazing Basics by Paul Kinzer, A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky by Michael Driscoll, Fancy Nancy Sees Stars! and DK Readers Starry Sky. These and other books will be available for checkout after the program.

Did you know that on average, people spend 35 hours per week parked in front of the TV? That's like having a second job as a couch potato! And it's time not spent getting physical activity, being outside in the fresh air or talking and playing face to face with your family. So turn off the tube and join us for a fun evening with friends in the great outdoors. The sky's the limit! (the library is looking for volunteers and others willing to loan binoculars or simple telescopes for this event. If you can help out, please give us a call. thank you!)

Gaming Visionary Creates ARG For New York Public Library

2011-04-02T21:13:00.000-05:00

Gaming Visionary Creates ARG For New York Public Library

A New Year brings a brand new Library Catalog!

2011-01-24T11:21:00.005-06:00

The migration to our new library catalog and request system is underway!

We look forward to introducing you to new, user friendly features of our Autographics Illuminar system. Interactive graphic search features,book lists, book reviews, emailed notices and a special children's catalog make this new system a pleasure to use.

Please bear with us while the migration is taking place: the library will be closed Tuesday, January 25 for staff training. Beginning Wednesday the 26th, the new system should be online. The library will be scheduling training & demonstration sessions for interested patrons to learn about the new system and the great features it offers.

Teaching History Resources

2011-01-02T12:16:00.003-06:00

In 2011 the Boscobel Library will begin participating in the Library of Congress' Veteran's History Project. We'll be using community volunteers and gather the stories and recollections of local veterans to be added to a national archive in Washington. Our history defines us as a nation, people and community. Personal recollections of historic times and events represent a "living" history that textbook accounts can't duplicate. Simple events, bits of history otherwise overlooked, vivid details,personal feelings all build a historical portrait for future generations to consult. We'll be adding more information here as our library's project moves along.

In the mean time we're assembling resources that our library and community can use to think about history. The Teaching History website is an interesting place to begin learning more about the importance of history, how it is written and taught and some of the things that we might consider when searching for or creating our own stories. We all participate in history!

Your library staff & friend @ Wisconsin Library Association 2010 Annual Conference Kalahari Resort

2010-11-03T21:42:00.001-05:00

Celebrate Banned Books Week, "Think for yourselves and let others do the same!"

2010-09-28T09:45:00.008-05:00

Celebrate Banned Books Week 2010 @ your library.This year's theme is "Think for yourselves and let others do the same!" Stop by the library and visit our "book jail" (see photo). All of the inmates have been challenged with censorship at various times, including the dictionary which was accused of "containing inappropriate language". Post "bail" for your favorite book by checking it out!

Learn more about the freedom to read and its importance to a free and democratic society, and about the work your libraries do to ensure fair and equal access to information for all people. Visit the links below for additional information about censorship, book challenges and this week's celebration, and enjoy the "freadom to read".

American Library Association website, "About Banned Books": http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/aboutbannedbooks/index.cfm

Map of Book Censorship in the US 2007 - 2010:
http://bannedbooksweek.org/Mapofbookcensorship.html

Banned books week video:

Lend a hand, Stop Bullying Now!

2010-08-21T09:07:00.008-05:00

Just in time for parents and kids heading back to school, Rx for online bullies in today's New York Times:Thwarting An Online Bully

If you're interested in learning more about this subject leave a comment on this post. If we get six of more comments we'll organize a program at the library to talk about bullying and demonstrate the online tools available to make kids safer and show parents how to help.

Bullying is always ugly and our library is dedicated to prevention and education. Visit Stop Bullying NOW!

Boscobel Library Makin' A Splash Island Beach Party!

2010-08-14T15:51:00.007-05:00

Our library kids, parents, volunteers and staff closed out our Summer 2010 Make a Splash at Your Library reading program last Wednesday with a tropical Island Beach Party. The kids were awarded prizes for completing the programs and their summer reading lists; we played games, demolished a pinata, munched some yummy snacks and dunked our library director in a tank swimming with pirate ducks!Thaks to everyone who participated and helped us to make this summer's program a lot of fun. If you missed the party, here are some splish splash photos to enjoy:

Making a Splash @ Boscobel Public Library this Summer

2010-08-08T13:30:00.007-05:00

We've had a busy summer Making a Splash@ our library! We've been entertained by knights in shining armor from Medieval Times, pirates and teachers, fishermen, artists and actors from the Heartland Arts Theater. Teens have been hunting all over Boscobel for the Pirate Bulldog, hoping to find the key to his treasure chest full of prizes. Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers and parents who've helped make this summer a big success for our library!

We'll be wrapping up eight weeks of great summer programs with a "Island Beach Party" this week on August 11th, but we're already planning for Fall fun, pre-k storytime, adult computer skills seminars, book club and (we hope) a Veteran's stories oral history project. We've added lots of new books, audiobooks and movies to the library's collection and hope to surprise you with upgraded technology services in the very near future. Keep an eye on this page and the Boscobel Dial for more details and announcements.

Here are a few of the images we're putting together for our SLP 2010 Memory Scrapbook:

"Get Caught Reading" Photo Contest

2010-05-12T17:48:00.000-05:00

May is “Get Caught Reading Month”. Your library is hosting a fun photo contest to celebrate, and everyone is invited to join in. Between now and May 30th, take a picture of someone you “catch” reading (or have someone take a picture of you!) and bring or email it in to the library (email bwstaff@swls.org). Be sure to write your name on the back. Your photo will be posted on the “Caught Reading” bulletin board in the front hallway. Then you, your friends and everyone else who comes to the library can vote for their favorite picture. You might want to vote for the lady reading the book, “Nibbled to Death by Ducks!”, or for the Giant Reading Squirrel discovered in the Paul Brandt School forest last month… At the end of the May, the three photos with the most votes will win some great prizes including gift certificates from local businesses or the book of your choice from Amazon. Also in April we’re celebrating Wisconsin history month with a state history trivia contest and special display of books all about Wisconsin and its many treasures. Stop by the library today and check out all the great programs and services we have to offer.

The Future of Publishing - created by DK (UK) Be sure to watch this all the way through or you'll miss the best part!

2010-04-24T10:01:00.001-05:00

Celebrate National Library Week

2010-04-12T08:49:00.000-05:00

Happy National Library Week! We're celebrating with a library trivia contest and "food for fines" drive. For every non-perishable food item you bring in, you'll get $1.00 credit good to pay off any current or future fines. Donations benefit Boscobel Food Pantry and help to feed hungry families in our communities. http:...//www.ilovelibraries.org/nationallibraryweek/

WISCONSIN TO TURN OUT FOR WWF’s EARTH HOUR 2010 | My Earth Hour

2010-03-27T10:18:00.001-05:00

WISCONSIN TO TURN OUT FOR WWF’s EARTH HOUR 2010 | My Earth Hour

"Earth Hour is an event in which millions of Americans will turn out their lights for one hour in support of action on climate change and toward creating a cleaner, safer and more secure future. 2010 marks the third year of the event, which attracted more than 80 million participants in the U.S. last year, and nearly a billion people around the world, as lights dimmed on such global icons as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sydney’s Opera House, the Great Pyramids of Gaza and New York’s Empire State Building.
'Every day we follow good energy saving practices, like shutting off any lights that are not essential and keeping the thermostats down at the State Capitol,” Governor Doyle said. “We are happy to join the World Wildlife Fund to celebrate Earth Hour and remind people how important energy-saving practices are to reducing pollution, strengthening the local economy, and helping us move forward on our goals for energy independence.'”

What's News @ Your Library This Week

2010-03-16T09:14:00.002-05:00

Spring is just around the corner and your library is gearing up for a busy summer. But first, spring cleaning! You may have noticed that the wrought iron railings that accent the front of the library building are missing. Thanks to a generous donation in 2009 from the estate of Marian McCloskey (which also enabled us to clean the building’s façade last summer) the railings will soon undergo restoration. Years of accumulated rust and grime will be sand blasted off the decorative ironwork, which will then be sealed, repainted and reinstalled. By the time Boscobel’s summer celebrations are getting underway, Boscobel’s historic library building should be all shined up and ready for the festivities. If you have an interest in the history, restoration or maintenance needs of our Claude and Starke designed Carnegie library, please stop by or call the library, we’d be happy to tell you more about our grand old building.

Helen Mears Awards
Students, parents, teachers and community friends enjoyed the 53rd annual Helen Mears Art Exhibition opening and awards ceremony at the library on March 5th. Award recipients in this year’s contest were:

7th Grade Sculptures:
• Honorable Mention: Brandon Wetter, Mysterious Pumpkin
• Third Place: Keeley Foley, Beeterfly
• Second Place: Shaedon Carlin, Vase of Flowers
• First Place: Nolan Robinson, She’s Back!

8th Grade Paintings and Drawings:
• Honorable Mention: Ashtyn Alice Miles, Coming from the Darkness
• Third Place: Kristin Chandler, A Million Voices Running Through My Head
• Second Place: Dillon Klahn, Air Jordan
• First Place: Alyssa Teynor, Black Horse (Wauzeka-Steuben School District)
•
GFWC Boscobel Woman’s Club sponsors this annual contest and winning artwork will be eligible to participate in the GFWC state district contest, which takes place later this month. Congratulations to our student artists and thanks again to everyone who assisted in making this year’s contest a success.

Computer Basics II Course Offered
In conjunction with the Grant County Literacy program, Free Computer Basics II course will be offered at the library beginning Thursday, March 25th. Classes will take place in the lower level Club Room on Thursdays from 1 to 2:30. This class is for people who have spent a little time on the computer, know a few things, and would like to know more as well as have some time practicing the skills necessary to create letters, documents, newsletters, posters, and other projects of interest. There is no charge to attend this class and laptops will be provided for your use..Come and join us on March 25th , you can register then on site during the first day of the class. For more information, please call the literacy office at 375-5873 or contact library staff.

Book Review, This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

We’ve had some requests for more book reviews in this column, so we’ve invited a few of our library’s “frequent flyers” to share their thoughts about favorite recent reads. This week’s guest reviewer is Cynthia Smith.

Jonathan Tropper’s “This Is Where I Leave You” is all I need from a book- and more; pure pleasure. If you’ve never read his work, head for your library.

Tropper’s characters are lifelike. The gist of this book is about adult siblings who never get along but must when they’re called home at the death of their dad from cancer. They are to sit Shiva in the house where they grew up and comfort their mom ( a published author of child rearing books). Relatives and neighbors convene, and comforting widowers see a love interest in mom!

Wildly funny characters develop as the siblings return home. If you like this book, check out his others, three of which are opted for movies: “Everything Changes”; “How to Talk to a Widower”; “Plan B”; “The book of Joe”.

2010-02-19T11:45:00.001-06:00

A ground swell of interest in establishing a local food cooperative is rising in Boscobel. Your library supports this interest in sustainable, community-based farming, bioregional planning and conservation and the “eat local’ movement. We’re happy to offer a collection of resources related to these subjects and welcome your suggestions for additional titles. Some books now available at the library include: The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Second Nature by Michal Pollan (also available in a young reader’s edition), A Nation of Farmers by Sharon Astyk, The Transition Handbook by Rob Hopkins, The Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin, Nature’s Second Chance by Steven Apfelbaum, The Good Life and Our Solar Heated Greenhouse by Helen and Scott Nearing, Trauma Farm, A Rebel History of Rural Life by Brian Brett, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and several other books about small scale organic gardening and animal husbandry. The DVDs “Food Inc”, “Sicko” and “An Inconvenient Truth” can also be checked out. These and many more resources are available through your library, including downloadable e-Books and audiobooks, all free of charge. If you haven’t stopped by lately, drop by and check out our new collections and services today.

Now through March 31st, join in the fun @ your library every week as we host 2010 Spring Storytime. Pre-k children and their families or caregivers are invited to join us at the library each Wednesday morning from 10- 10:30 for an enjoyable program of storytelling, make believe, sing-alongs, crafts and other educational activities designed to stimulate your child’s creativity and learning. Each week features a different theme and books related to that theme, which will be available for check out. Next week’s theme is “Look Who’s Baking”, when we take a look at those community helpers who make us yummy treats! For more information, contact our children’s program coordinator Gina or any staff member. Complete schedules may be picked up at the library.

Book Discussion Group meets the third Tuesday of every month. Next meeting, March 16th, 7:00 PM in the downstairs meeting room. The book for March is Gap Creek, “At turns poetic and gritty, Robert Morgan's Gap Creek is a stunning follow-up to his critically acclaimed novel, The Truest Pleasure. Widely regarded as the poet laureate of Appalachia, Morgan captures the spirit of this wilderness territory he knows so well…A must for fans of Cold Mountain…His stripped-down and almost primitive sentences burn with the raw, lonesome pathos of Hank Williams' best songs.” Copies of the book are available for checkout at the library. Everyone is welcome to join in the discussion or to just sit back and listen!

For more information about any of these programs or other events and services, please stop by or call the library at 375-5723 or text message “boscopl” to 41-411 to receive updates via your cel phone. We are also on Facebook. Search for the Boscobel Library Fan Page or friend “George Hildebrand”.Find us on Twitter as "BoscoLibrary". TTFN

Welcome to 2010 @ Your Library

2010-01-19T10:51:00.003-06:00

Welcome to 2010 @ Your Library. We have many exciting changes and programs planned for this year. We’re currently working to upgrade our wireless Internet connection speed and replace network equipment that has finally kicked the bucket after being damaged by water last July. Thanks to a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation we will soon begin upgrading our public access computers as well. All this will enable us to better serve you, and to offer improved access to the wide collection of online resources now available at your library. Beginning January 27th and continuing every Wednesday from 2:00 – 2:30 thru the end of February, we will be offering a 30 minute “tour” of several of these resources. Upcoming tours include the Heritage Quest Online Genealogy research site, Consumer Health Complete, The Auto Repair Reference Center and Novelist Readers’ Advisory service for fiction lovers. Keep in mind that these websites can be accessed free of charge either at the library or from the comfort of your own home. All you need is a library card!

February also brings our 2010 Spring Storytime for young children. Beginning Feb 10th , with “Sweetheart Day!”we’ll meet with the kids every Wednesday morning from 10- 10:30 for a fun filled program of storytelling, make believe, sing-alongs, crafts and other educational activities designed to stimulate your child’s creativity and learning. Each week features a different theme and books related to that theme, which can be checked out. All families, caregivers and daycare are welcome to join us. For more information, contact our children’s program coordinator Gina or any staff member at the library or stop by to pick up a complete schedule.

Book Discussion Group meets the third Tuesday of every month. Next meeting, February 16th, 7:00 PM in the downstairs meeting room. The book for February is The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the library. Everyone is welcome to join in the discussion or to just listen!.

The Boscobel High School student mural project at the library is now in living color and adding details every week. Mr. Johnson and all students grades 7-12 are invited to join in on Saturday mornings from 9:00 AM onward. Paint, brushes, instructions and treats are provided. Everyone is welcome to stop by and check on the mural's progress as it rolls down the wall in the rear entryway. To join in the fun or learn more about the project, check with Mr Johnson at BHS or ask at the library front desk.

For more information about any of these programs or other events and services, please stop by or call the library at 375-5723 or bookmark this blog. You can also text message “boscopl” to 41-411. We are on Facebook and Twitter too. On FB Search for the Boscobel Library Fan Page or friend “George Hildebrand”. TTFN.

2010 Upcoming Events

2009-12-30T08:56:00.003-06:00

Among the events planned for 2010 we're including a "tour" of the many new online services offered by the library. Each week we'll explore a different service and the information it can offer- we'll be taking a look at the HeritageQuest genealogy research site for family history, Learning Express and Net Library and The Southwest Wisconsin Jobs Emporium, all valuable resources for students and job seekers of all ages. We'll also dig into Badgerlink , Wisconsin's own collection of information rich databases including The Auto Repair Reference Center- think 6000 Chilton's Manuals gathered into one convenient location-- , Consumer Health Complete- a trustworthy source for up to date health and medical information-- and Novelist, a reader's advisory service that helps readers find our more about their favorite authors, other writers like them and descriptions of books and book series. Complete schedule for these events will be available in the library beginning in January, and will be posted to this site as well. We hope to see you on the tour!

2009-11-19T10:41:00.000-06:00

Just in time for the holidays: an art and craft blog with dozens of great ideas for inexpensive gifts, decorations and fun projects for the kids.
We'll be using some of these ideas here at the library. Take a look and enjoy: Art Projects for Kids

2009-10-04T19:46:00.001-05:00

Test mobile

Senator Dale Schultz @ Boscobel Library Monday Nov. 5th 10:30 AM

2009-10-04T13:05:00.006-05:00

State Senator Dale Schultz will be at Boscobel Public Library on morning, 10/5 @ 10:30 am for a public listening session. Come share your point of view and bend the senator's ear. This is your opportunity to share your concerns and get answers to your questions about jobs, the economy, health-care, rural Internet access and other issues of that affect people here in Grant County and elsewhere in SW Wisconsin.

This event is free and open to everyone. For more information, visit the Senator Schultz's website

Teen's Top Ten: Vote Now

2009-09-16T00:30:00.005-05:00

Teens : Vote for your favorite books of 2009

We'll have these on special display for teen read week October 18-24th and will pick a couple of your nominations to talk about at the book club. Come and join in talking about your favorite books. Click to go to the page to vote for your book.

Please vote for up to three titles. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Truancy by Isamu Fukui

Truancy: Origins by Isamu Fukui

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Paper Towns by John Green

Runemarks by Joanne Harris

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott

Wake by Lisa McMann

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Bloodline by Katy Moran

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Geek Charming by Robin Palmer

Melting Stones by Tamora Pierce

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee

2009-08-23T14:02:00.001-05:00

Library Job Search & Career Resources

2009-08-13T11:52:00.003-05:00

Jobseekers can now take advantage of the library's new job resources center and book collection. Information about local job service centers, career skills, social security benefits and online resources such as the Job Center of Wisconsin and Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Services is available in the library reading room. Specialized information and support for farm families is available courtesy of the Wisconsin Farm Center.

We have new books to help with developing career skills, writing resumes, finding the right job, mastering interview anxiety and coping with the stresses of the current job market.

We can also help you access a wealth of online resources through the Southwest Wisconsin Jobs webpage provided by our library system. Use the library's public computers to submit online resumes, search for jobs, brush up your skills, prepare for tests and apply for benefits. We have all this and more to assist you, stop by today to learn more.

2009-07-29T18:02:00.002-05:00

Due to extensive damage from flooding as a result of a waterline break, the Boscobel Public Library will be closed until Monday, August 3rd. Books and other items may be returned to the blue, outdoor book drop at the library's rear entrance. The library will not be able to checkout any items or handle other requests until regular hours resume on Monday. Patrons who need to renew items already checked out can do so online by going to this link: online library catalog. Click on "Boscobel" and sign into your account with the 14 digit number on the back of your library card. Or call the library and leave a phone message requesting renewal. Please include your name and phone number.

We are hoping to resume all other library services and programs by 8/3 and appreciate your patience while we are cleaning up. Additional information, updates and photos for the curious will be posted to this blog, as well as at the library entrances.

Soaking Wet @ Your Library

LibraryFlood

Summer Fun at the Library

2009-07-23T10:27:00.003-05:00

Here's a look at some of the fun we've been having during our "Be Creative" @ Your Library Summer Program. Thanks to all of our kids, parents, guests and volunteers for your energy and help. SLP Reading Fun!

SCA Warriors and Warlords visiting Boscobel

2009-07-10T13:45:00.008-05:00

Who are those ladies and gentlemen camped out in Boscobel's Kronshage Park whose various & beautiful garments make them look as if they stepped out of the pages of 1001 Arabian Nights, Beowulf or the Legend of King Arthur? They are members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (meaning a thing taken out of its usual time period), an international group devoted to the study and re-creation of life during the Middle Ages (@ 300 - 1600 AD). The event in the park is Warriors and Warlords XVI, and is sponsored by the Baronies of Nordskogen (Twin Cities area, MN) and Jararvellir (Madison area, WI). If you'd like to learn more, stop by the library and have a look at our display of SCA literature or visit their website's newcomers page at http://www.sca.org/officers/chatelain/newcomers.html .

Free tours of the festival for interested visitors in street clothes will be given at 1 pm on Friday and Saturday, starting from the entry gate. Those wishing to spend more time exploring the festival on their own and fully participating may obtain period garb and information at the festival Information Point right across from the entrance gate. Full participants will need to pay an entry fee and minors must be accompanied by adults. Fee schedule

Kindest Thanks to festival Chatelain Rosanore of Redthorn for her invaluable assistance in teaching us about SCA and for providing the kids in our Boscobel Summer Library Program with an exciting storytime reading. Fare thee well!

2009-06-12T15:18:00.006-05:00

SLP At Boscobel Public Library :: MUSIC & SONGS

Robin & Gina’s Express Yourself! Infinite Playlist Challenge

In the book Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, lots of songs are mentioned as a kind of “background” music for the scenes in the book. The songs from the book make up a playlist that captures the book’s characters[‘ moods and the feeling of various scenes. The N&N playlist looks something like this ( for the full list go to: http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/nickandnorah/home.php )

Artist / Name
The Ramones / I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
Green Day / Chump
Stevie Wonder / Living For The City
Norah Jones / Ruler of My Heart
Aretha Franklin / Something He Can Feel
The Cure / Pictures of You
Tony! Toni! Toné! / Let’s Get Down
Sound of Music soundtrack / Edelweiss
Morrissey / You’re The One For Me, Fatty
Backstreet Boys / I Want It That Way
Césaria Évora Flôr / Di Nha Esperanca
Ani DiFranco / 32 Flavors
ABBA / Take a Chance on Me

SO, here’s how our contest will work:
Pick your favorite book and create a playlist for it. You can either write out the names of the songs on the back of this sheet of paper and turn that in OR

Even better & more fun, create a real playlist: We’ve set up a group playlist (thanks Heather!) at http://www.playlist.com/playlist/16672531211 . Once you get your book’s playlist written up, you can go to this page, search for the actual songs and add them to the group playlist or to a personal playlist you create. The steps to do this are E-Z:
~Follow the link above to Playlist.com
~Take 60 seconds and create an account of your own.
~Search for the songs on your playlist and either add them to the library’s “Express Yourself Infinite Playlist” (be sure to leave a comment and name the songs you added and the book they represent) OR
Create your own playlist ( Name it after the title of your book) and save it. Then follow "BoscoLibrary" to share your list with us.

Afterwards, drop off your written playlist at the library front desk. We’ll post all the playlists we get in the library’s teen reading section.

People can see, listen to and vote on their favorite playlist. The books / lists with the most votes win prize prize prizes and will be added to the library’s blog. Fame awaits!

If you’re not sure how to get something to work, just ask, we like to help.

Summer Sampler: Steampunk

2009-06-10T14:23:00.010-05:00

Courtesy of
Library Journal Online
Neal Wyatt -- Library Journal, 6/8/2009 8:30:00 AM

Wyatt's World: Summer Reading: Steampunk

The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling (Spectra)
The Affinity Bridge by George Mann (Tor)
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville (Del Rey)
Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti (Juno)
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson, Spectra
Neal Wyatt is a collection development and readers' advisory librarian in Virginia

Wolfram Alpha and the Future of Knowledge: Teaching Tools

2009-05-15T08:09:00.000-05:00

Teaching, learning and knowledge generating tools are being created at a mind-boggling pace. Trying to keep up? Take a deep breath, things are about the change again!

What to say about Wolfram Alpha and its "New Kind of Science"? This computational knowledge engine, which launches this evening May 15th 7:00 PM CDT, could be the equivalent of a "Big Bang" in the way we generate, think about, model and store knowledge. WA's capabilities are straight out of Star Trek. It will add a Proton Phaser to every teacher's toolkit, but also raises the bar on how we'll teach kids to "do the math" and learn the skills and reasoning before they reach for a calculator or online shortcut. Links to the project include:

A video that demonstrates how WA works
The Project Website: Introducing Wolfram Alpha
Latest developments from the Project Blog
Join in this evening's launch here.

For even more information take a look at Wolfram Science. Be sure to visit the music and ringtone generator. Everyone ready for the tele-transporter?

Another intriguing resources we came across this morning:
The Fischbowl an online staff development blog for Colorado teachers that contains some valuable information links and thinking thru of teaching challenges. A link to the daily feed from Fisch's blog is included in our blog roll to the right of this page.

2009-05-11T08:47:00.000-05:00

Teachers and parents take a look at The Story of Stuff , a video to teach our children (and ourselves) about the impacts of excessive consumption in our consumer society "The video is a cheerful but brutal assessment of how much Americans waste, and it has its detractors. But it has been embraced by teachers eager to supplement textbooks that lag behind scientific findings on climate change and pollution." ( NYTimes online edition)

2009-05-09T09:19:00.001-05:00

Mobile test

Library Mural Project- You're Invited!

2009-05-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

BOSCOBEL PUBLIC LIBRARY MURAL PROJECT INVITATION

WHAT: TO DESIGN AND PAINT A MURAL (A VERY BIG PAINTING) ON THE WALL AT THE LIBRARY’S BACK ENTRANCE:

We want to go from this (boring) to -------------------------------- WOW!!!

[[ your imagination goes here ]]

Check out the pictures below of murals done by youth in other cities.

WHO: STUDENTS FROM 6TH-12TH GRADE, local ARTISTS & DESIGNERS, Mr Johnston and other VOLUNTEERS

WHEN: THIS SUMMER, 2009

WHY: TO MAKE THE LIBRARY ENTRANCE LOOK AMAZING, SHOW OFF OUR TALENT, GIVE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY (PRIDE!), PRACTICE AND LEARN ABOUT A FANTASTIC ART FORM & SHARE A GOOD TIME (drawing & painting, listening to music, eating pizza and earning awards & prizes)

WHERE: BOSCOBEL PUBLIC LIBRARY , 1033 WISCONSIN AVE.

FOR INFO OR TO SIGN UP: Stop by the library; call 375-5723 ; EMAIL rorlandi@swls.org; visit http://boscolibrary.blogspot.com/; or Twitter direct message d BoscoLibrary

BOSCOBEL
???
IMAGINE
THIS
SUMMER...
images courtesy of http://home.att.net/~rpmurals/list.html

Library of Congress Cultural History Resources

2009-04-26T03:46:00.000-05:00

Monday April 27th will find us in Eau Claire at the UW sponsored Wisconsin Oral History Day. This is part of our preparation for a library project to conduct oral history interviews here in Boscobel and gather peoples' stories about going to school in a One Room School House.

Collecting oral histories has provided Americans with countless portraits of each other and our communities. The WPA writer's projects in the 1930's engrained these kinds of stories as part of our American tradition and captured powerful recollections about everyday life in our culture.

There are many, many resources available online to learn more about this, among them the Library of Congress "American Memory" project is one of the most interesting. Have a look at the American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project 1936- 1940. To quote the website,

"These life histories were compiled and transcribed by the staff of the Folklore Project of the Federal Writers' Project for the U.S. Works Progress (later Work Projects) Administration (WPA) from 1936-1940. The Library of Congress collection includes 2,900 documents representing the work of over 300 writers from 24 states".

The Voices from the Thirties: An Introduction to the WPA Life Histories Collection is a good introduction to the kind of work and vivid portraints these projects are capable of producing. For other resources, click on the Delicious tag link at the very bottom of this page that looks like this: oral_history

If this grabs your interest and you'd like to get involved with our library's oral history project or if you know someone with memories to share about going to a one room school house, by all means stop by the library or call us at 375-5723. We'd love to hear your story.

2009-04-24T11:50:00.000-05:00

Infosoup has put together a rich resource page to help everyone get through this struggling economy. For job searching, unemployment assistance, career resources and other economic help take a look at http://info.infosoup.org/jobs.asp Thanks to the folks at OWLSNet library consortium in Northeast Wisconsin for this terrific resource!

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T14:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Earth Day! See our feed links above for related events, how to articles and web sites, blogs, etc. Hot topic: track energy usage in your home and broadcast the results on Twitter- eco-social networking!

Project Recovery Puppet Theater @ Library 4/20, 6:30 PM

2009-04-17T17:24:00.000-05:00

CELEBRATE NATIONAL
“TURN OFF YOUR TV WEEK”

Bring your kids, friends and family to

BOSCOBEL PUBLIC LIBRARY

MONDAY APRIL 20TH, 6:30 pm
For
PROJECT RECOVERY PUPPET THEATER

Presenting
“SHELL SHOCK”

AND

“SLIP AND SLIDE”

PUPPET SHOWS THAT HELP YOU SMILE!

Everyone welcome, Free admission

Project Recovery is a community based program designed to help children and families learn how to cope with challenges during natural disasters and other stressful times and help support each other with friendship and laughter.

This project made possible by the WI Department of Health and Family Services, FEMA, The Wisconsin Farm Center and Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan Inc.

Your Library: The Original Search Engine

2009-04-01T07:48:00.000-05:00

Yes, we have computers, give advice, offer computer training and can help you find just about anything! In this battered economy libraries still make loans and don't charge for our services.
Any wonder more and more people are rediscovering their public libraries as a resource to turn to for help, job searches, education, entertainment and information as the economy tanks? Read all about it: "Job Seekers Turn to the Library".

Generation Diva- Tweens Pay the Price Of A Cultural Obsession

2009-03-31T11:56:00.000-05:00

Why has it become increasingly common for children as young as five to demand beauty products and treatments to "improve" their appearance?

"A combination of new technology and the Web, is responsible—at least in part—for this transformation in attitudes. Ads for the latest fashions, makeup tips and grooming products are circulated with a speed and fury unique to this millennium—on millions of ads, message boards and Facebook pages... It's been estimated that girls 11 to 14 are subjected to some 500 advertisements a day—the majority of them nipped, tucked and airbrushed to perfection. And, according to a University of Minnesota study, staring at those airbrushed images from just one to three minutes can have a negative impact on girls' self-esteem." None of this existed when most of today's parents were growing up and the impacts on our children's self-worth and body image as they grow into adulthood have yet to be measured.
Read "Generation Diva" in this week's Newsweek magazine to learn more about this destructive trend and what parents can do to help their children develop a healthy self-images and understand the downside of a culture of self-indulgence.

Grant County Cemetery Records

2009-03-30T16:13:00.000-05:00

For geneology researchers, records for the Boscobel Cemetery and others in Grant County can be located online at Access Geneology. Records are alphabetical by family last name. This site also includes links to images of some headstones, although the images are not well indexed at this time.

Counting on the Cloud

2009-03-28T08:37:00.000-05:00

Cloud computing means we live our lives online, saving email, photos and texts (like this blog)to computers located somewhere on the Internet, run by people and companies familiar to us primarily as websites or entities we read about in the news.

Young adults, "digital natives" share the details of their lives online with hardly a second thought about personal privacy or where everything saved to the cloud will eventually wind up, or how long it will persist, or how visible it will be in the future. The over 30 crowd may be more wary but depend no less on the convenience of such cloud software as Gmail, Flickr,LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to manage and share their work and personal lives.

How will this impact our cultural views on civil rights, personal privacy and First Amendment issues in the future? Read Counting On The Cloud To Drive Computing's Future

Poetry in the Air

2009-03-26T11:49:00.001-05:00

The Boscobel Library now hosts an active Poets' and Writers' Workgroup, hosted by Heidi Campbell. Meetings are held every other Thursday starting at 6:30 pm in the library reading room. The group is open to all writers; everyone is asked to bring a piece to share. For additional information, stop by or call the library today, 375-5723. Writers' works will be appearing here, stay tuned!

In Spring
We seek seed to stoke the sun &
blaze a green streak across this marled earth,
winter shivered
Sprung with slivered leaves creeping
Out to greet the sky’s weeping
joy
At things to come.

A slideshow of the Helen Mears Art Contest Reception

2009-03-23T10:01:00.000-05:00

52nd Annual Helen Mears Art Contest

2009-03-16T08:54:00.000-05:00

We've added some photos from the reception and awards ceremony that took place March 11th at the library, as part of the 52nd annual Helen F Mears Art Contest. This annual contest sponsored by the GFWC Boscobel Woman's Club is designed to encourage artistic talent and creativity among our youth and the honor the memory of Wisconsin sculptor Helen Farnesworth Mears

An empire for the Poor and Struggling

2009-03-07T11:08:00.000-06:00

For the poor and struggling everywhere, an example of how one woman with a will found a way to help others survive and grow An Empire For Poor Struggling Women.

Although these are hard & worrisome times for so many people in the US & around the world, it's important to remember that in times of need we also have an opportunity to find a wealth of support and friendship in each other. Your library has a world or resources and connections to offer to you and to our community, free of charge, so that we can all work together to sustain ourselves and rebuild our futures. In the memorable words of Ma Joad, the heroine of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath , a gut wrenching novel about displaced Midwestern farmers migrating to pick fruit in California during the Great Depression, "We are the people, we go on." And so we will, together.

52nd Helen Mears Art Show & Awards Ceremony at the Library March 11th, 6 PM

2009-03-05T14:50:00.000-06:00

Next week the Boscobel Library will host the 52nd annual Helen Farnsworth Mears Art Contest awards ceremony and reception. Sponsored by the GFWC Boscobel Woman’s Club, this statewide contest for 7th and 8th grade students is designed to inspire and encourage artistic development and expression in our youth, and to honor the memory of noted Wisconsin sculptor Helen Mears. Mear’s work was commission for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and her statue, “Genius of Wisconsin” is on permanent display in the Wisconsin state capitol.

Students whose work wins an award in Boscobel will be entered in the Woman’s Club Rolling Hills District contest in April and from there, may advance to the state contest. Winners at the state level will have their works displayed at the Oshkosh Public Museum as part of the 2009 summer exhibit. This year’s Boscobel contest judges will be Sandy Lippett, artist and owner of the Carriage House Galley in Boscobel and artist and craftsman Jeff Adams. Works by both artists may be seen in the library’s current collection

Students’ work will be on display in the library children’s room beginning March 6th and running thru the end of the month. A public reception and awards ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, March 11th at 6:00 PM. Everyone is encouraged to stop by and enjoy the students’ creations and to join us for the reception. For more information, please call the library at 375-5723

Summer Library Program Challenge at Flickr Commons

2009-03-03T08:52:00.001-06:00

Take a look at this incredible collection of historic photos being compiled by various universities, museums, private collections and other cultural institutions in conjunction with the Library Of Congress The Commons. A mother lode of fine material and inspiration here for artists, researchers, writers and anyone else seeking inspiration.

Here's a Summer Library 2009 Program Challenge (begins June 15th, 2009):
Pick any photo out of this collection and react to it creatively in a song, painting, story, poem or any other medium of your choosing. Include a link to or print out of the original image with your submission. Turn in your work at the library checkout desk or submit it to us via email.

All of the entries we receive will be posted online and/or displayed in the library throughout the summer. At the end of the Summer Library Program in August, four will be chosen to receive prizes. Have fun and Be Creative @ Your Library! (this project is open to adults and children from age 6 and up; awards will be subdivided by age groups: adults, teens, "big kids" and "little kids")

MindMapping Tools

2009-03-03T07:56:00.000-06:00

Mind Mapping tools are a useful way to think through ideas, project and other types of planning. Mind maps can be used to take class notes, outline creative projects, brainstorm and visualize just about any pattern of thinking about a subject. Programmers are familiar with a flavor of logic mapping, UML.

There are a lot of Mind Mapping websites and map creation tools available online, as well as numerous books written about the subject. Mind mapping is purported to increase cognitive abilities and creativity; maps can be drawn by hand or by using mapping tools. At the very least they are fun to make and often reveal surprising links or parallels within the topic being mapped.
Take a look at MindMapSwitch for tips on mapping Internet content,or bookmap to mind map your book. A good general introduction with links can be found at Wikipedia

More on this topic in the future, maybe even a mindmap of library projects we are contemplating.

Digging Digsby- Online Accounts Aggregator

2009-03-01T12:59:00.000-06:00

Here's a free application that can help you organize all of your social networking accounts, chat clients and email in one simple desktop widget that provides live feeds from all of your online accounts. And unlike web based aggregators such as Meebo, it doesn't take up a ton of real estate or log off if you close a browser window.

Learn more about Digsby at http://www.digsby.com/ and never again miss a Blog Tweetfeed on Facebook while you're IM-ing about your Flickr collection. Whew!

New Gabcast Now Available

2009-02-28T21:01:00.000-06:00

2/28: Check out the latest podcast we've added and hear information about upcoming events taking place at your library this Spring. Interested in podcasting? We can teach you how to take advantage of this free service to promote your business or just for creative fun. You can also find our podcast and other online resources at the library's Wiki BoscoLibraryWiki page. We've started our spring cleaning, so if you notice something out of date, broken link, etc, please post a comment here and let us know. See you soon @your library.

Boscobel Library Blog 2009

2009-02-28T16:17:00.000-06:00

the library's getting so busy with different groups - youth, poets and writers, new moms, book club-- that we thought we'd better put together a better way to communicate with all of you, our friends, supporters and patrons. Read our news here and post your responses and suggestions. We hope that everything going on at your library finds its way to this page and makes you feel at home. Welcome to virtual Boscobel PL