World Laughter Day

This is a surprise...a World Laughter Day. Who knew?  It can't hurt.

To coordinate with this, the Florida Memory Project has gathered images from the state's historic records that show us laughing.  Take a look.

Earth Day

April 22 is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.                   

The EPA suggests you pick five things you can do.

Here are some suggestions:

• Dispose of waste properly. Practice reusing, recycling and buying products made from recycled materials.
• Buy the least-toxic product for cleaning or lawn care. Do "grasscycling," letting clippings fall on the lawn.
• Avoid products that have excessive packaging. Buy in larger quantities and save the trees and landfills.
• Look for water leaks in your home. Check the meter when no water is being used. After two hours, check it again. If the number has changed, there's a leak somewhere.
• Plant a tree. It will provide cooling shade and help to keep the air clean.
• Save energy. Turn off extra lights.
• Get a car with good mileage.
• Buy products made from recyclables, which uses less energy than creating the same products from new materials.

April is National Poetry Month

We use poetry year 'round, whether remembering a snippet from a long ago memorized poem, or recognizing the poetry in our favorite songs. 

But in April we take time  to especially  remember and recognize poetry.   Poets, libraries, schools, booksellers and others join together to celebrate poetry and its role in our culture.

A website to visit for a good selection of poetry, searchable by poet and poem is www. poets.org

If you'd like to read some poems, look in the 811 non-fiction section for American poetry.

National Library Week

It's National Library Week...a time to recognize and celebrate our nation's libraries and the communities they serve.

April 15 is National Bookmobile Day. Bookmobiles nationwide are traveling the highways bringing books and materials to those who are unable to visit a library building. Here's the schedule for local bookmobiles.

Keep on truckin'!

National Library Week

It's National Library Week, April 11-17, 2010.   It's a week to highlight libraries and the people who make them work.

April 13 is National Library Worker's Day:  Libraries work because we do.  Thank a library worker today.

National Library Week

April 11-17, 2010 is National Library Week,  an annual celebration that highlights the value of all types libraries,  librarians  and library workers to their communities.


See what's happening @ your library during National Library Week.  Check our Library Events listing for programs for children, computer classes  and programs for adults.  These activities happen year 'round not just during Library Week.

Florida gardening

Xeriscaping is a practice of landscaping with drought-tolerant plants, which conserve water and save maintenance time. The name comes from the Greek word zeros, which means dry.

Using this theme, you place plants that need more water closest to the house. Those that need little or no irrigation can be planted farther away or at the lot's farthest points.

Xeriscaping makes use of many plants you may already have, such as cactus, asparagus fern, camellias sasanquas, and Shumard oaks. A full list of drought tolerant plants for Florida can be found at  http://www.floridata.com/lists/drought_tolerant_plants.cfm

Container plantings and annuals need more water and should be planted closest to the house and the water source.

To xeriscape more of your property, consider increasing the size of a patio, creating a stone walkway, or turning one or more sections of your lawn into an area for attractive, drought--resistant bushes and plants.

Spring is the time to plant and we have books to help you. There are many books on gardening in Florida in the 635.9 nonfiction section of the library.

Hans Christian Andersen

April 2 is the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen. This Danish writer and poet was born in 1805. By the time of his death in 1875 he was known worldwide.

In the English-speaking world, stories such as Thumbelina, The Snow Queen, The Ugly Duckling , The Emperor’s New Clothes, and The Princess and the Pea remain popular and are widely read. "The emperor's new clothes" and "ugly duckling" have both passed into the English language as well-known expressions.

In the Copenhagen harbor there is a statue of The Little Mermaid placed in honor of Hans Christian Andersen.  April 2, Andersen's birthday, is celebrated as International Children's Book Day.