Fine Wine and Amazing Deserts – Friday at 7pm
The Annual Wine Tasting & Pie and Cake Auction is this Friday from 7-9:30pm at the Holiday Inn Express. We hope you’ll join us for a wonderful time and some incredible pies and cakes made by the talented chefs here in our community. Tickets are $35/person and are on sale at the Library. Come hide from the wind with a glass of wine tomorrow! After all, it’s for the benefit of the Seward Community Library Association (and that makes dessert calorie-free!).
Follow the Iditarod Race at Your Library!
Once again, the Seward Community Library has registered as an Iditarod Insider. This means that from a library computer, you’ll have access to videos, daily updates and real-time GPS tracking of the teams as they make their way to Nome. Just stop by and ask a staff member to log you into the site and away you go!
p.s. – As of early Thursday morning, Seward’s own Dallas Seavey had claimed the halfway prize by being the first to reach the Cripple checkpoint! Go Dallas!!
Teen Tech Week, March 7-13
Filed under: Announcement, City of Seward, Event, Technology
Date: 3-4-10 Contact: Amy Carney, Seward Community Library, 224-4010
Learn Create Share @ Your Library® during Teen Tech Week 2010
Local teens will be tuning in at the library as Seward Community Library celebrates the third annual Teen Tech Week March 7-13, 2010. They join thousands of other libraries and schools across the country who are celebrating this year’s theme, “Learn Create Share @ Your Library®.” Teen Tech Week is a national initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries’ non-print resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology.
Patty Linville, our director, feels that “Getting teens into libraries is essential. Offering a variety of technologies and providing top notch education about these resources is key in getting them in the door. Once they’re in the door, anything is possible.”
Recent studies from Pew Internet & American Life Project show that, on average, 8-18 year olds spend more than6 hours per day using technology including TV, DVDs, video games, audio media, and computers. “Teen Tech Week is a way for librarians and educators to collaborate with and educate teens about technology,” says Linville. “Over the last several years the library’s role in increasing technology literacy has become more and more important, equal to that of reading literacy.”
Teens are encouraged to celebrate Teen Tech Week. Linville hopes to attract a wide variety of teenagers and increase teen technology literacy locally by offering a series of programs including:
▪ book discussion blog (http://readthisyabook.blogspot.com)
▪ movie short competition
▪ online scavenger hunt
Call 224-4010 or email acarney@cityofseward.net for more details.
Teen Tech Week is held annually the second week of March. For the American Library Association’s information site, visit http://www.ala.org/teentechweek.
Varied hours at the library this weekend
The Seward Community Library staff will be attending a library conference in Anchorage throughout this weekend. We’ll need to cut back a few hours Friday and Saturday in order to keep the library open. Friday (3/5) we will be open from 11 am to 4 pm. Saturday (3/6) our hours will be 1 – 6 pm. Sunday we resume normal hours. Thank you for you patience during this rare occurrence.
Seward Library Hosts Community Discourse
Filed under: Alaska, City of Seward, Economics, Event
Friday night was dark, slick and rainy in Seward. In spite of the weather, nine brave souls came to the library eager to discuss their concerns about America’s Economy. Bill Hall from University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension and June Pinnell-Stephens from the Alaska Library Association led the discussion based on a National Issues Forum workbook Regaining American Prosperity: Building an Economy That Works for Everyone. Three ‘approaches’ were explored in the workbook. They included the Enterprise Society: Rewarding ambition and innovation, Shrink the Wealth Gap: Restoring fairness to the system and An Equal Start: Education is a critical part of prosperity. The workbook is intended to lay a foundation for items to consider and is used only to spark discussion.
After laying the ground rules or agreements as Hall prefers to refer to the etiquette of civil discourse, the group was given twenty minutes per approach to express their opinions and listen to those of others. Free markets, tax rates, illegal immigration, government regulation, corporate morals, and education’s effect on the economy were just a few of the subjects touched on. In recapping the discussion, most agreed it was too daunting to tackle the economic problems of the nation and felt it more productive for individuals to address local concerns.
This meeting was as much about form as content. Attendees agreed that having a neutral place to discuss issues, great and small, is a good idea for Seward. With that encouragement, the Seward Community Library staff will continue to partner with the Alaska Library Association and UAF Cooperative Extension and Alaska Common Ground to become trained facilitators and offer more opportunities for Seward citizens to talk to each other, in any weather.
Patty Linville, Library Director
Seward Community Library
Library Closed on Monday
The Seward Community Library will be closed on Monday, February 15th in honor of President’s Day, also known as Washington’s Birthday. Come by this weekend to select your movies to get an extra day of checkout. We’ll see you the following Tuesday during normal hours.
What Does it Mean to be Human? Book Discussion continues with Antigone
Join us at 6:30pm this Thursday when we discuss Sophocles’ Antigone at the Seward Community Library. The discussion will take place downstairs and snacks and refreshments will be served. Also, check out the blog for this discussion at http://sewak2010bktk.blogspot.com/
We Would Like Your Participation…
Seward Community Library Museum Schematic Design Presentation
Join Jae Shin with ECI/Hyer Architects and Kent Crandall with RISE Alaska for a community presentation of 35% of schematic design for the new Seward Community Library Museum project. Jae and Kent will host the presentation on Thursday, February 11th, 5:00 to 6:00 pm in the Library Basement.
Please join us; we need your feedback as we:
• Review and comment on the schematic design to date
• Examine building form and finishes
• Review building energy performance
City of Seward Community Development Department 234 4th Avenue Seward, AK 99664
For more information, contact: Patty Linville, Library Director 907.224.4082 plinville@cityofseward.net
Library hosts Community Discussion: Regaining American Prosperity – 2/12 from 6:30-9:30
Regaining American Prosperity: Building an Economy that Works for Everyone
The Seward Community Library Museum invites you to participate in a National Issues Forums, Community Discussion about the economy on Friday, February 12th at 6:30pm. At a time when the mere mention of the words federal deficit, or the acronyms GDP or TARP can incite anger and resentment amongst our friends and neighbors, let’s get together and talk about it.
This discussion will be facilitated by Bill Hall from the UAF Cooperative Extension and Alaska Common Ground.
Prior to attending the discussion, stop by the Library or call to register at 224-4082. You will need to pick up a workbook that will help guide us through the discussion on ‘Regaining American Prosperity.’ Booklets can also be downloaded here: http://www.hofstra.edu/pdf/Academics/Colleges/HCLAS/cce/cce_regaining_american.pdf
About NIF Forums:
National Issues Forums (NIF) is a nonpartisan, nationwide network of locally sponsored public forums for the consideration of public policy issues. It is rooted in the simple notion that people need to come together to reason and talk – to deliberate about common problems. Indeed, democracy requires an ongoing deliberative public dialogue.
These forums, organized by a variety of organizations, groups, and individuals, offer citizens the opportunity to join together to deliberate, to make choices with others about ways to approach difficult issues and to work toward creating reasoned public judgment. Forums range from small or large group gatherings similar to town hall meetings, to study circles held in public places or in people’s homes on an ongoing basis. www.nifi.org
For more information, please contact: Patty Linville, Library Director at 224-4008, or, plinville@cityofseward.net – or – Bill Hall, UAF Cooperative Extension 907-786-6345 – or – awhall@alaska.edu
Library Book Discussion Series this Thursday 1/28
A reminder that this Thursday will mark the beginning of the Book Discussion Series led by Doug Capra, ‘What Does it Mean to be Human?’. We’ll be meeting at 6:30pm in the library basement to discuss the powerful book, Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan. We hope you’ll join us.
For those of you already signed up, or for anyone interested in the Library’s upcoming Book Talk series with Doug Capra, we encourage you to check out the blog at http://sewak2010bktk.blogspot.com. From there, you can keep up to date on the current book discussions and share your thoughts and questions with Doug who will be moderating the blog. In fact, with this blog, you can be an active participant in the Book Talk from the comfort of home if you’re not able to make it to the Library meetings. So please, if you haven’t already, click on the link above, then click ‘FOLLOW’ on the Blog page.
For questions please contact Doug Capra: 224-3763
Below are the five books we’ll be reading followed by the related film and the date of each discussion. Our meetings will be on Thursdays in the basement of the Seward Community Library from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
January 28th — Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas)
February 11th — Antigone by Sophocles (A film version of Antigone)
February 25th — I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (Bicentennial Man)
March 11th — Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (Artificial Intelligence)
March 18th — The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb (Bowling for Columbine)
‘What Does it Mean to be Human?’ Library Book Talk has a Blog
For those of you already signed up, or for anyone interested in the Library’s upcoming Book Talk series with Doug Capra, we encourage you to check out the blog at http://sewak2010bktk.blogspot.com. From there, you can keep up to date on the current book discussions and share your thoughts and questions with Doug who will be moderating the blog. In fact, with this blog, you can be an active participant in the Book Talk from the comfort of home if you’re not able to make it to the Library meetings. So please, if you haven’t already, click on the link above, then click ‘FOLLOW’ on the Blog page.
For questions please contact Doug Capra: 224-3763
Below are the five books we’ll be reading followed by the related film and the date of each discussion. Our meetings will be on Thursdays in the basement of the Seward Community Library from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
January 28th — Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas)
February 11th — Antigone by Sophocles (A film version of Antigone)
February 25th — I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (Bicentennial Man)
March 11th — Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (Artificial Intelligence)
March 18th — The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb (Bowling for Columbine)
Wish Tree at the Library is Still Up
It’s not too late to sponsor a book on the Wish Tree at the Library. There are still about 20 books left that need sponsors. Come in before Friday evening, and take a look before we take the tree down on Saturday, January 9th. Each book is only $15, which buys a children’s or young adult book for our library.
A big THANK YOU goes out to those of you who have already sponsored a book. We appreciate your support! It is always exciting this time of year to see a ne
w shipment of books come in to add to our shelves.
Varied hours at the Library this week
The library will be closing early on Wednesday, January 6th at 5 pm due to a scheduled staff meeting. Also, the next day, Thursday, January 7th, the library will not open until 1 pm because of staff training in the morning.
Christmas Wish Tree at Library
The Children’s Christmas Wish Tree at the Seward Community Library is now in place. The Wish Tree is decorated with cards describing highly rated books for children and young adults that would be great additions to the library. Individuals and organizations are invited to select a card or cards from the tree, and to sponsor the purchase of the item. The library will order the item selected, and will put a bookplate in the book with a dedication of the sponsor’s choosing.
This will be the 17th year of the Christmas Wish Tree program. Many enjoyable and worthwhile books have been added to the library with the community’s support. Let’s make this year another great success!
Library Book Sale Open Saturday – One Day Only! 12-5pm
When it comes to Christmas presents, there are two general schools of thought. While there are those people who truly appreciate a unique and quality gift, there are others who simply hope that the biggest present under the tree has their name on it. If you have one of the latter that will be snooping around your house over the next couple of weeks, why not come on down to the Library book sale this Saturday and return home with 30-40lbs of holiday fun? In addition to back-breaking sets of excellent encyclopedias, there are thousands of other quality reads that would love to pile into the largest cardboard box you can find, ready to delight or devastate your present goblins, and the prices can’t be beat!
That’s this Saturday, 12/5 from 12-5 in the Library basement. The next chance for book sale browsing won’t be until the Polar Bear Jump so come on down!
New Library Discussion Series: What Does it Mean to Be Human?
‘What does it mean to be human?’ is the topic of discussion as Doug Capra leads another thoroughly enjoyable series at the Seward Community Library in February/March. This book and film discussion series will feature a total of 5 books and 5 movies, each focusing on how we perceive, affect and interact with the world around us as human beings. The series will last a total of 10 weeks.
A ‘Gathering of the Books’ will be held on December 10th from 6-7:00pm at the Library. Please come by to pick up your books and get excited for another great series!
Books to be read: The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb; I, Robot by Isaac Asimov; Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan; Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi; and The Three Theban Plays by Sophocles (focusing on Antigone and Oedipus at Colonus).
Movies: Antigone, Artificial Intelligence, Bicentennial Man, Bowling for Columbine and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
Please call the Library at 224-4082 for more information.
Seward Community Library Closed Wed. – Sat.
The Library will be closed from Wednesday 11/25 – Saturday 11/28. Normal hours will resume on Sunday, opening at 1pm. So, if Thanksgiving just won’t be Thanksgiving without John Candy or a favorite book, make sure to stop by tonight before 8pm. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Library Closed This Saturday
The library will be closed all day on Saturday, Nov. 7th due to staff training. Thanks for your patience and understanding! We hope to return the following Sunday with more ideas about how to serve our community better.
Closed for Alaska Day
Just a reminder:
The library will be closed all day on Monday, October 19th in honor of Alaska Day. We’ll see you again during our usual hours the following Tuesday.
Learn Cool Card Tricks, Round 2!
Steve had so much fun teaching the kids card tricks at the library on Saturday that he promised to return on Sunday (Oct. 18th) at 3 pm again! If you missed the first round, or want to practice what you learned, you have your chance on Sunday! All ages welcome as long as they can hold a deck of cards. For details, call Seward Library at 224-4082.
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