By Barbara Mellon
There was so much we were all grateful for as we prepared for Thanksgiving this year, not the least of which was that our region was spared major damage from Hurricane Sandy. Our neighbors to the south were not so lucky and we mourned their losses along with them. Thankfully, we were able to provide a bit of respite for a number of “refugees” who came to the Catskills to stay with family, friends or at second homes. Although the Andes Public Library can’t take credit for supplying the heat, warm showers and electric that they didn’t have downstate or in New Jersey, we were able to provide books, DVDs, internet access, and wireless connectivity that made these visitors feel more comfortable and connected. Our thoughts are with all of those who were affected by Sandy, and hope that the necessary rebuilding and repairing will take place as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Because spending time with friends and family is such an important part of the holidays, many of us find ourselves doing quite a bit of traveling this time of year. Listening to audiobooks can be a wonderful way to wile away the hours behind the wheel of a car. And it just so happens that we’ve received a new shipment of titles through the Four County Library System Audio Circuit program, including A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Odd Hours by Dean Koontz, Liberty Defined by Ron Paul, The Mercedes Coffin by Faye Kellerman and Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis. If you enjoy listening to books, or think you might like to try it, stop in to check out over 40 audio titles now available.
The ACS Halloween Parade stopped at the Library for some spooky storytelling
Once again, we were delighted when a group of students, teachers and parents from ACS dropped in on Halloween to hear some spooky stories and enjoy a few treats. It’s so much fun to hear the children tell us about their wonderful costumes. What imaginations!
Speaking of children, did you know that there are special online resources available to them at the Research Center, accessible with your library card? Kids Search is a state-of-the-art search engine for elementary and middle school students. Designed for their specific needs and search abilities, the powerful and fun-to-use feature is child-friendly and graphically rich. Using age-appropriate text, colorful graphics, projects and experiments, the New Book of Knowledge guides elementary school students through the research process. And Searchasaurus ®, an animated interface with a dinosaur theme, provides access to three popular elementary and middle school databases. Lexile limiters (reading level guides) assist students in targeting materials appropriate for their age and skill level. Check out these Children’s Resources and more by going to www.4cls.org and clicking on Research Center. If you have questions, give us a call at the library at 676-3333, or stop in for help. ~