Halloween Cuties @ the Library

Jada and Ashley enjoying the singing and the puppet show in their Halloween costumes at Storyhour, October 30th.

Baby & Me Storyhour for infants to 3 meets every Tuesday at 10:30 am. Call "Miss Travis" for details.

In the Swing...

Jean, Harriet & Therese
...celebrate Gatsby Gala at Gulf Beaches Public Library. Each year the National Endowment for the Arts selects a different novel to celebrate an event called the Big Red. This year it was
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Spring Newsletter 2007

Bravo to the Volunteers

Gulf Beaches Library enters the spring season with appreciation for all who have dedicated their time and effort to help make this library so wonderful.
Special thanks Charlie Oestreich for teaching two classes. His Photo-Shop class has received an enthusiastic response proving that digital photography has really come of age. The Word Processing class always fills a deep community need for learning computer skills. Cheers to Charlie for his service to the community.
(Picture of Jean Mehosky enjoying our new rocking chair donated by Barbara Millar.)
Applause to Beverly Bailey for her continuing support of the library. Her beautiful bookmarks have adorned the Circulation desk for years generating income for the library. Good job Bev.
Accolades to the people at AARP that dedicate their time and skill with free tax help here each year. Thank you AARP.
Salutations to Tim Dorsey, an acclaimed local author who has continued to speak at Gulf Beaches Library gratis. He continues to draw a large crowd that thoroughly enjoys his presentations. We are already looking forward to next year. Thank you, Mr. Dorsey.
We like to think that King Arthur himself would be proud of the “Round Table” of books at the library. Each month there’s a different theme. In celebration of St. Patrick’s day Irish authors fill the table. For the brave readers we have Ulysses by James Joyce. Romantics should try Maeve Binchy. Certainly, Ireland never lacked writers.

Thanks to the staff who make this a labor of love monthly and to all the
volunteers who give their time during the busy season putting books and movies away. Invaluable!
Thanks also to the homework tutors. A wonderful and most needed program.
And finally, thanks goes to the Friends of Gulf Beaches Library. Their dedication and support for the library is fully appreciated by all. AND, please don’t forget to support them by attending their March 24th Spring Book Sale! ~Stan Silverstein, Circulation Manager ~

AUTHORS @ YourLibrary

R. Wayne Ayers, the author of Florida’s Grand Hotels from the Gilded Age, will give a presentation March 28th at 4:00 pm. Ayers will focus on the lifestyles that tourists of the Gilded Age enjoyed at the hotels, featuring the grand hotels built by Henry M. Flagler and Henry B. Plant, and the magnificence of the hotels’ architecture. He will cover eight hotel buildings, six of which are still major tourist/historical venues.
Ayers’ presentation will wrap up the Author Series featuring local authors at Gulf Beaches Library. Tim Dorsey, a New York Times bestselling author and former Tampa Tribune reporter, kicked off the Series and his book tour for his new book Hurricane Punch on January 24th.
Marian Coe gave a lively presentation of her latest book, Between Us, on February 28th. Ms. Coe is the award-winning author of nine books and a former feature writer with the St. Petersburg Times.
Mystery writer, Diane Sawyer, will give a workshop, How to Write a Mystery Series, Wednesday, March 27th at 4:00 pm.
Join the growing number of patrons who are getting to know the authors!

~Harriet Thompkins, Reference Librarian ~

Audiobooks

Have you been walking right past the audiobooks on that spinner near the circulation desk? Well, here are some very good reasons to stop and maybe check one out:
· Spider Mountain by P. T. Deutermann will keep you from falling asleep at the wheel.
· Road rage a problem? Nothing but idiots on the road? Take your mind off the other drivers with an appealing reading of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir, by Bill Bryson.
· Kite Runner by Khaled Hossein, will open up another world to you. That drab Florida scenery suddenly won’t seem so drab anymore.
· Ruby Dee delivers Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God with the thick, rich dialect it deserves. Some words should be heard, not be imprisoned on a page.
· Did you read and love To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or White Fang by Jack London? Stick them in the player the next time you’re driving the kids to soccer, and you can all enjoy these classics together. Have the kids check out their own audiobooks from the Children’s Department.
Need a few more reasons to listen to an audiobook? Driving in your car. When there’s nothing on TV. You need your hands free to knit but you’re right in the middle of the latest Dean Koontz. It’s two o’clock in the morning…?
So...why not stop and give one a try? ~Travis Sherman, Reference Librarian ~


Annual Summer Children’s Program

Once again our library offers an exciting Summer Reading Program to entertain and delight elementary school age children during school vacation each year. The 2006 Summer Program was a big success with 505 visitors in attendance. If you missed all the fun last year, don’t worry. You can join us this summer!
This year, the programs will take place Tuesdays at 2:00 pm.
June 5 — Music & Singing with Allan Lieberman
June 12 — Florida Folktale Storytelling with Katie Adams
June 19 — Puppet Show with American Red Cross about Safety
June 26 — Magic Show with Mark the Balloon Guy
July 3 — Reading with Reptiles — Meet Banana Boy
July 10 — Mad Science: Spin, Pop, Boom Special Event
July 17 — Movie Day: Snacks & Drinks
July 24 — Amazing Balloon Hats. Registration is required for this last event only.

While here, don’t forget to check out the children’s magazines:
Click (for ages 3 to 7)
Spider (for ages 3 to 6)
Cricket (for ages 9 to 14)
Kids Discovery (6 to 14)

Homework ??

The after school program for elementary age children is now available five days per week from 3:30—5:00 pm. Carol Brady, Denise Adis, and Jan Macfarlane are all certified elementary school teachers, retired.

For more information call Crystal Mui, the Youth Services Librarian, at 391-2828 ext. 202.

A New Sign is Coming

Sometimes an idea can just pop into your head…. And it’s a good idea. Later you’ll wonder why you never had that thought before. This happens to me quite often, but for various reasons I can’t always follow through. This time, however, WE made it happen. A sign for the library! Yes, a sign to announce to all who pass that we are here. A sign large enough to read from across the street.
Of course, the words “Gulf Beaches Public Library” have always appeared in small black letters at the entrance and that’s good enough for patrons already headed this way. However, if you’re driving by, the library could easily go unnoticed. Each day there are new patrons who register for library cards that either reside on or visit the beaches and are unaware that this wonderful library is right in their back-yard.
And so the Friends of your Library have generously donated funds just for that reason. With their help we’ve commissioned an attractive sign to stand among the trees near the curb to welcome and lead future patrons through our glass doors. Watch for it!

~Jan Horah, Director ~


The FRIENDS
CORNER

The Friends of
Gulf Beaches Library will host their

Spring Book Sale

Saturday
March 28th
8AM to 3PM

Be sure to come early and get your pick of books, magazines,
paperbacks, puzzles, audio books and videos.


Gulf Beaches Public Library

Phone: (727) 391-2828
Friends Membership: New Application
or Renewal
Name
Street
City Zip
Phone Date
Annual Dues: Individual $10.00
Valued Patron/Family $20.00
Business/Sponsor $50.00
Lifetime Membership $100.00
Benefactor Donation $ Thank You!
Please make your check payable to:
Friends of Gulf Beaches Public Library
200 Municipal Dr., Madeira Beach FL 33708