Sundaes on Sunday!

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month (informally known as NLCSUM), and here at Missoula Public Library we have a few traditions associated with this month-long celebration of all things library. Certainly the most delicious among them is Sundaes on Sunday, an afternoon of ice cream and music. This year Ben, our blogmeister and local music guru, has arranged for Tater Pig to come and shake the walls with their sound. The fun starts at 2:00pm tomorrow with free tunes for all, and a suggested donation of $1 to enjoy one of our delicious Sundaes on Sunday!

Word Woman

Welcome to another mind-boggling episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! Expand your vocabulary and keep your mind in good working order with the Word of the Week:

Annus mirabilis: A wonderful year. It now means any year which the speaker regards as especially outstanding, notable. But, in England particularly, the term refers to the year 1666, the year that marked two notable events: a victory over the Dutch fleet and, in September, the great London fire in which a large part of the city was destroyed. Both events were commemorated in a poem by John Dryden having the title "Annus Mirabilis". -- "Horsefeathers and Other Curious Words", Charles E. Funke, Harper & Brothers, 1958.


Example: The troubled economy, paired with our high-profile presidential election, leave one wondering if 2008 will go down in American history as an annus mirabilis.

Teachers' Pet

This morning members of our staff had a chance to connect with area school librarians when we hosted a Teachers' Tour. We had a chance to show off our brand new Young Adult room, plus all the other changes that are taking place here in the library, and feast on some super tasty breakfast treats. It turns out, even early in the morning, when librarians get together things can get rowdy! It was a great time and we're looking forward to working with the schools all year long.

Books, Sometimes They Work.

And in other news, please help us in welcoming our public relations specialist and newly minted blogger Joyce to the MPL blog world! She'll be weighing in from time to time to promote library programs, or weigh in on general Missoula Public Library doings. Please be kind to her, and feel free to heap comments, good or bad, on her posts.

I suppose you could also leave comments on the existing MPL bloggers, but don't feel like there's any presure.

Breakfast of Champions

A big thanks to the Grant Creek Kiwanis for inviting the library to visit at their meeting this morning. The Kiwanis do a lot of wonderful community service around Missoula, Montana, and the world. I went there to share information on all the amazing changes taking place here at the library, and left with a new respect for what the Kiwanis do. (And breakfast, too!)

On the same note, the library is available to visit your community group. With our physical changes, new programs, and online resources, we sure have a lot to share! Or we would love to give your group a tour of the building. Call me at 258-3851 or email jdoyle@missoula.lib.mt.us and we'll make plans. And don't worry, breakfast isn't a prerequisite.

Leaning Tower of AV

Ever wonder why, when you drop off a couple of videos at the library and check your account a couple hours later and it looks like you still have them checked out? This may be the reason:

With the rainy weather it seems that everyone is enjoying Entertainment Central more than usual. We're just trying to keep up!

Word Woman

Welcome to another mind-bending installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! Your brain is meant to last a lifetime, so keep it in good working order with life-long learning. Now, let's warm up those memory cells with the Word of the Week:

Anagram: (ann-a-gram) [noun] The rearrangement of the letters of a word or sentence to form a new word, as ward from draw or stare down from don't swear. -- "The New York Times Everyday Reader's Dictionary of Misunderstood, Misused, Mispronounced Words", Laurence Urdang, Ed., New York Times Book Company, 1972.

Example: I am a librarian is an anagram for I am a brain (liar!). Hmmm, I wonder if that's significant?

New Cards

Repeat with me, "Change is good." The purple cards are no more.

Our spiffy new black cards with our great new logo are finally going out to the public. It couldn't have come at a better time, this being National Library Card Sign Up Month and all. Unfortunately, we can't give current card holders new cards for free, but if you like these cards as much as I do, you could tell us you "lost" your purple card and buy one of the black ones for a buck, which is exactly what I did.

Bonus points to anyone who takes a picture of themselves destroying one of our old cards in order to get a new one. Any takers?

Food for Fines

Fines are like cavities. Nobody likes to talk about them much, but most people get them from time to time. Fortunately, we have a cure for that here at the Missoula Public Library. It's called Food for Fines and it comes around about twice a year or so. The good news is, it's coming around again at the end of September. So, if you have one you need to take care of, just bring some non-perishable food items to the Library during the week of September 21st-28th and we'll waive your fees. Please be sure to check the expiration dates first, though, as the Food Bank does not accept items which are past their date. Also, just a reminder that Food for Fines applies only to overdue fees, not to damage or replacement charges. And remember, it's all for a good cause, because all donations go to stock the shelves of the Missoula Food Bank.

Word Woman

Welcome to another exciting episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! Keep your brain in great shape with mental exercises like sudoku, cryptoquotes, crossword puzzles and (my personal favorite) learning new words. Now, let's get those neurons firing on all cylinders with the Word of the Week:

Eating drag dust:
1. To ride behind a herd (an inferior and uncomfortable position)
2. To be humiliated (Weseen 1934; Ramon Adams 1944)
-- "A Dictionary of the Old West", Peter Watts, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1977.

Example: Bob's lightning-fast serves and vicious backhand left Larry eating drag dust on the tennis court.

Word Woman

Welcome to another mind-boggling installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! With the election now only about two months away, political issues are a hot topic of conversation just about everywhere you go. In recognition of that fact, here is another political term for your edification:

October surprise: (noun) The release of important news in the month before election, in hopes of affecting the outcome, especially by an incumbent. -- "Hatchet Jobs and Hardball: The Oxford Dictionary of American Political Slang", Grant Barrett, ed., Oxford University Press, 2004.

Example: Even with a lame duck president, the media are watching for an October surprise from either party in this contentious election.

National Library Card Sign-Up Month

I hope all of you had a great Labor Day and are rested up for September. School's starting up, baseball is starting to wind down and you have to wear a jacket after dinner. I don't know about you, but it feels like fall to me already. In case you're interested, the fall solstice takes place on September 22nd at 3:44 in the afternoon.

Speaking of baseball winding down, our very own reference librarian Molly was able to throw out the first pitch at one of the last regular season Osprey games.

September for the library means National Library Card Sign Up Month. Here in Missoula, we'll be giving out gift bags to the first 100 new patrons who sign up for cards, having a adult gaming night, giving out sundaes in our annual Sundaes on Sunday event (music act still TBA), having an open house for teachers and school librarians (call us for details), and much, much more.

So we're here for you if you need to do research for school, or just need to getaway and forget about school. See you in the library this September.