What's New @ Your Memphis Public Library & Information Center

By: Marcey Evans

Homework doesn’t have to be a headache, but for some students it’s a daily hassle. Starting June 25 – August 22, 2013, the Memphis Public Library and Information Center will eliminate the headache with Homework Help Centers at five Library locations, and volunteer homework coaches are needed today!

“In doing research locally, we discovered that homework help for students is practically nonexistent. For Memphis, this help is minimal with only a few locations offering homework assistance,” noted Dean Moore, Frayser Library manager and one of the Homework Center organizers. “We want to provide a place where students, parents, and grandparents can come and say, ‘This is where we can go to get help!’”

Volunteer coaches will be trained to provide this extra help during one of the training sessions on Monday, June 17, 1 pm – 5 pm or Saturday, June 22, 10 am – 2 pm at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library (3030 Poplar Avenue). “Volunteers will learn how to speak to children, helping them ask the right questions, so we can provide the right answers,” said Damone Virgilio, staff development trainer who will teach volunteers.

Students in grades 3 – 5 will receive homework assistance in English, grammar, writing, and math. During this initial phase of the program, Homework Centers will be located at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, Frayser Library, Hollywood Library, Parkway Village Library, and Whitehaven Library.

By: Marcey Evans

Calling the best and brightest, the Memphis Public Library and Information Center issues a citywide challenge to all companies and businesses for a test of mental prowess. It’s the survival of the fittest, and only the strongest men and women will be left standing. Together, they will be called the “Smartest Company in Memphis”.

Corporate Knowledge Bowl 2013 will be held at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library (3030 Poplar Avenue) September 16 – 20, 2013 with a special event kickoff and happy hour on Friday, September 13 at 5:30 pm, also at Central Library. Now is the time for companies to register for this contest and Library fundraiser by calling (901) 415-2831. The deadline is Friday, August 2. Companies that sign up before the deadline will receive a discounted rate.

“This is the ultimate trivia contest,” said Diane Jalfon, executive director of the Memphis Library Foundation. “There are a lot of people to whom Corporate Knowledge Bowl is very competitive. This is an opportunity for people who work together to participate as a team.”

Only the strong-minded will survive this bracket-style trivia competition whose theme this year is Brain Matters. Proceeds from the event will help to support Library collections, programs, and departments such as Children’s, Humanities, Business and Sciences, and the History Department.

By: Marcey Evans

Take kids to school. Go to work. Cook dinner; do homework. Bedtime. Do it again and again. Adults can break the daily routine this summer with Summer Reading 2013. Not just for children and teens, Summer Reading offers adults a chance to escape into a book, magazine, e-book, article, or literature of their choice, while winning prizes.

Themed “Groundbreaking READS,” the fun starts at all Library locations on June 1 – July 27, 2013 for ages 18 and older. Adults can register for Summer Reading individually or in groups (i.e. book clubs) by completing an entry form at any Library location in the Memphis Public Library System or online at http://web.memphislibrary.org/adult-summer-reading-2013/entry-form.

The official Summer Reading Kick Off event for adults and the whole family will be held on Saturday, June 1, 2013, 1 pm – 3 pm at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library (3030 Poplar Avenue) in meeting rooms A – C. Author Ashton Lee will be on hand to help launch Summer Reading with a discussion of his book The Cherry Cola Book Club. Also during this informational session, adults will learn all about Summer Reading, along with details on the inaugural “Book Club of the Year” Contest.

By: Marcey Evans

An author’s signature adds a personal touch to a book, turning it from printed words on bound pages to its owner’s treasured possession.

“People develop strong feelings for their favorite authors and having a signed book means that the author actually held it long enough to sign it,” said Sherman Dixon, Friends of the Library volunteer.

Starting in June 2013, hundreds of these valued items will be available for sale during the first week of each month throughout the remainder of the year. For a limited time, signed book lovers can take advantage of this sale at the Second Editions Bookstore, located in the lobby of the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library (3030 Poplar Avenue).

Friends of the Library volunteers say shoppers will find racks of signed books on a variety of topics ranging from fiction to politics to sports and much more. “There will really be some nice (signed) books for the first week of each month,” said Friend of the Library volunteer Herm Markell. “This is a very unique opportunity for people to own a (signed) book whose author is meaningful to them.”

After years of collecting signed book donations, Friends of the Library volunteers say Second Edition’s customers can choose from a list of familiar names. “We have now accumulated enough signed copies to offer a wide and impressive selection that will appeal to a large number of customers,” Dixon said.

Summer Reading at Memphis Public Libraries Runs June 1 – July 28

School bells rang, dismissing students for the summer. And, there’s no better place to spend it than at Memphis Public Libraries for Summer Reading 2013. Children, tweens, and teens can join the fun at their local Library branch for the highly-anticipated Summer Reading Kick Off events taking place in early June throughout the Library system.

Summer Reading Kick Off Events for CHILDREN
Children’s 2013 Theme: Dig Into Reading!

Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library
Saturday, June 1, 2013, 1 pm
3030 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, Tennessee 38111

Cornelia Crenshaw Branch Library
Saturday, June 1, 2013, 12 pm–1 pm
531 Vance Avenue
Memphis, Tennessee 38126

Frayser Branch Library
Saturday, June 1, 2013, 11 am - 3 pm
3712 Argonne Street
Memphis, Tennessee 38127

Gaston Park Branch Library
Saturday, June 1, 2013, 12 pm–3 pm
1040 South Third Street
Memphis, Tennessee 38106

East Shelby Branch Library
Wednesday, June 5, 2013, 11 am
7200 East Shelby Drive
Memphis, Tennessee 38125

South Branch Library
Wednesday, June 5, 2013, 1 pm - 2 pm
1929 South Third Street
Memphis, Tennessee 38109

Randolph Branch Library
Thursday, June 6, 2013, 10 am
3752 Given Avenue
Memphis, Tennessee 38122

By: Marcey Evans

Join the club! Everyone is invited to join the Summer Reading Club 2013 at any Memphis Public Library location. From June 1 – July 27, children, teens, and adults can cash in on the benefits of reading.

“It’s free, it’s fun, and it’s easy,” said Mary Seratt, Library youth services coordinator and event organizer. “Participants can win prizes for doing something that’s free, fun, and easy!”

In addition to winning prizes, youthful readers can avoid the summer slump as they “Dig into Reading” – the children’s theme for this year’s event. “Non-readers can lose between two and three months of progress over the summer,” Seratt explained. “That means teachers have to spend time re-teaching skills students learned before the break, instead of covering new material.”

Humanities manager and teen coordinator Everna Andrews said teens can get “Beneath the Surface” during Summer Reading too. “Reading is empowering,” she said. It provides a three-in-one experience, allowing teens to be the student, the teacher, and the master by using their eyes and minds. Reading is like money in the bank and in your pockets too,” Andrews said.

The report "The City and its Libraries" is available as an Adobe Acrobat document.  The free reader is available here.

By: Marcey Evans

Across the Atlantic Ocean, a world away, lies the country of Sweden. To celebrate Memphis in May, teens (ages 12 – 16) can visit this distant country and experience its culture and customs first-hand without leaving Memphis.

SwedeFest will take place on Thursday, May 16, 2013, 3 pm, at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library (3030 Poplar Avenue) in meeting room L-56 on the first floor. From ABBA music and games to cultural food and fashion, teens will get a taste of what Sweden has to offer.

“We are going to show teens a side of Swedish culture that is both pop and contemporary,” said Humanities librarian Ashley Roach of the Central Library. “We will show several short Swedish films, images of Sweden’s famous ice hotels, and we’ll host a contest making ice hotels from sugar cubes!”

“It will be like taking a mini trip to Sweden,” added Humanities librarian Keshia Williams. “Teens can expect to learn about Sweden while having fun.”

A getaway without getting away, teens who attend SwedeFest will understand Swedish culture and the world in new ways. “We tend to get wrapped up into our own surroundings and neglect the world as a whole,” Williams said. “So, come ready to have fun!”

By: Marcey Evans

An author’s signature adds a personal touch to a book, turning it from printed words on bound pages to its owner’s treasured possession.

“People develop strong feelings for their favorite authors and having a signed book means that the author actually held it long enough to sign it,” said Sherman Dixon, Friends of the Library volunteer.

Starting in June 2013, hundreds of these valued items will be available for sale during the first week of each month throughout the remainder of the year. For a limited time, signed book lovers can take advantage of this sale at the Second Editions Bookstore, located in the lobby of the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library (3030 Poplar Avenue).

Friends of the Library volunteers say shoppers will find racks of signed books on a variety of topics ranging from fiction to politics to sports and much more. “There will really be some nice (signed) books for the first week of each month,” said Friend of the Library volunteer Herm Markell. “This is a very unique opportunity for people to own a (signed) book whose author is meaningful to them.”

After years of collecting signed book donations, Friends of the Library volunteers say Second Edition’s customers can choose from a list of familiar names. “We have now accumulated enough signed copies to offer a wide and impressive selection that will appeal to a large number of customers,” Dixon said.