September is library card sign up month

September is Library Card Sign-up Month, and we want to make sure that your child has smartest card of all – a library card.

Studies show that children who are read to in the home and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

A library card has always been the most important school supply of all. Kids can come to the library to get homework help and check out books, but they can also check out DVDs and use the Internet .

A recent study by the American Library Association also showed that families use libraries to spend time together. Forty-four percent of survey respondents report taking their children to the library for this reason.

Florida weather

We are all interested in the weather...especially at this time of year and after we've just come through Tropical Storm Fay. Weather Information from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) is a good source of up-to-date weather information.

Florida Division of Emergency Management is another good source of emergency information and includes information on current conditions and preparing a plan for emergencies and disasters of all types.

Do you know Bulwer-Lytton?

It was a dark and stormy night....

These words start the book Paul Clifford (1830) by Edward George Bulwer-Lytton. Today would be writers compete to write the most awful first sentence in the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest.

The contest is run by the English department of San Jose State University. Entries are judged and the winner receives his 15 minutes of fame.

Take a look at some of the entries and winners..makes you appreciate all the good books that libraries have.

Olympics 2008

On this most auspicious day in Chinese culture (8/8/08), the 2008 Summer Olympics began.

There is much discussion and interest about the games...political discussion about China and interest in the athletes.

Here's the International Olympic website: http://www.olympic.org/ and the website of the Beijing Games.

If you like to read about the Olympics, the libraries have many books and videos on the games, the history of the Olympics, and biographies about Olympic athletes. Sports Illustrated magazine is also another good place to read about Olympic events.

Look in the sports section--nonfiction 796, or ask library staff to help you.

Onlline catalog

The library online catalog now has the enriched content to enhance the library catalog. You will see book cover images and book summaries and reviews for many library items. This enriched content should help you in selecting and finding library items that you need.

Take a look...we're excited about it.

New Look for the Online Catalog

We've changed our look....the online catalog has recently been upgraded for a new look and more information about library materials.

At this point we are almost done...still a few things to tweak. Soon you should be seeing book cover pictures, summaries and more information about each item.

Searching online for a book is very much the same. And you can still place a request for a book online or renew books online in the My Account area.

Thanks to the Florida State Legislature for a CLIC (Community Libraries in Caring) grant that paid for this upgrade to a more sophisticated library online catalog which we feel will improve your library experience.

Alligators in the Backyard

A new online photographic exhibit titled Alligators in the Backyard was added to the Florida Memory Project Web site.


'Gators' are a Florida icon; from team mascot to tourist attraction we are fascinated by the animal with which we share our state.

This online photo exhibit shows pictures of alligators as they are hunted, in nature, and as we see them as tourists and in popular culture.


A few of the photos show Ross Allen and alligators at Silver Springs. There is even a photo of an alligator climbing a stairway. There are many more photos on various alligator topics.

The Florida Memory Project documents events in Florida's history using photographs and original documents. It is part of the State Library and Archives of Florida.