We're changing websites, everybody

After several years of posting on Blogger, we've decided to make a change: we're moving to Tumblr. We've been working on this switch for a while now, and it's been up for public viewing for a couple weeks (you might have noticed the new link on our official website), but this is our first time announcing it to our regular blog readers.

We hope you'll the like the new design and format. Please continue to follow us and we'll make sure to continue to provide you with posts about library events, books that come across our desks, obscure word definitions, and other interesting stuff to be found all around the internet and our weird and wonderful world.

You can visit our new website at missoulapubliclibrary.tumblr.com

Word Woman

Welcome to another wild and woolly episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! While you're out enjoying the summer weather, why not expand your mental horizons with a little life-long learning, such as improving your vocabulary? Here's the Word of the Week to get you started:

Nebulous:

1. of, related to, or resembling a nebula; nebular

2. indistinct, vague

from the latin nebulosus, misty, from nebula

-- "nebulous", http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nebulous , 6/4/2011.

Example: Carl's nebulous recollection of where he parked his car resulted in a leisurely twenty minute stroll up and down the lanes of the parking lot in the pouring rain.

Word Woman

Welcome to another mind-bending installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! It's time to stretch those neural pathways with a little bit of mental exercise, like learning a new word. Here's the Word of the Week to get you started:

Salubrious:

favorable to or promoting well-being


-- "salubrious", http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salubrious , 5/21/11


Example: The salubrious effects of eating grapefruit are not to be overlooked.

Word Woman

Welcome to another astonishing episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! School may be out for the summer, but don't forget to keep your brain in shape with a little mental exercise, like learning new words. Here's the Word of the Week to get you started:


Lugubrious:

1. mournful; especially : exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful lugubrious brooding — V. S. Pritchett>

2. dismal lugubrious landscape>


-- "lugubrious", http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lugubrious , 5/20/2011


Example: In spite of the lugubrious atmosphere of the restaurant, it was remarkably popular as a meeting place for business executives on their lunch breaks.

Word Woman

Welcome to another exciting installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! It's June at last, and officially time to get started with your summer reading. I hope that you've picked out a few good books to help turn your summer into an adventure in reading. Here's the Word of the Week, for those who are interested in being adventurous with their vocabulary:

Vituperative:

1. Uttering or giving censure

2. Containing or characterized by verbal abuse

"vituperative", http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vituperative?show=0&t=1305055598 , 5/19/2011.


Example: Because of the vituperative quality of his comments at the rehearsal dinner, Brad was excused from his duties as best man at the wedding.

Family Summer Reading Program starts today!

Children's Librarian Karen is prepared to hand out reading packets!

 

 

 

 

Our annual family Summer Reading Program kicks off today Wednesday, June 1. Whether you are a kid, a bigger kid, or even the biggest kid of all, we have a reading program for you!

One World, Many Stories (Children’s Reading Program) – Come to the children’s desk and pick up a reading folder. Keep track of the time you spend reading and return to the library to collect prizes, including treats from the Dairy Queen, Good Food Store, Del’s Place, and Carousel tokens. In addition, the library will be providing lots of programs. For school-age children (first grade and older) there will be activity programs every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. These programs range from craft activities, to visits with animals, to stories and, of course, a party to celebrate the reading program. The Tuesday activities begin June 14 and run through July 26. Pick up a complete schedule of activities at the library in June. In conjunction with the summer reading program the library will also show movies Thursday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. The movies will begin June 16 and last through July 28.

U R Here (Teen Reading Program) - Teens, come to the library this summer and join the fun while U R Here. It all starts on Wednesday, June 15 with our Welcome to Summer Party at 2:00 p.m. Throughout the summer participate in the library’s Digital Photo Scavenger Hunt. Your photos will be on display August 5 as part of First Friday festivities. To get you started in the right direction attend the Digital Photo Class on Wednesday, June 22 at 2:00 p.m. at the library. And don’t forget the Steampunk Jewelry activity on Wednesday, July 13 at 2:00 p.m.

Novel Destinations (Adult Reading Program) – Pick up a check-off sheet at the library’s reference desk where you will have the opportunity to pick ten books to read from categories relating to travel. Complete milestones along the way for prizes: read three books to win a free small beverage at Civitella Espresso Bar; read five books to get your name entered into a drawing for a prize basket.

Come to the library (including our branches at Big Sky and Frenchtown, as well as Lolo) for some summer reading fun for everyone in the family!

Word Woman

Welcome to another invigorating installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! Train your brain for the long run of life as well as your body and it will improve your quality of living. Here's the Word of the Week to get you started:

Anodyne:

1. Serving to alleviate pain

2. Not likely to offend or arouse tensions : innocuous

"anodyne", http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anodyne , 5/4/2011.

Example: The anodyne effect of copper bracelets on arthritic joints has yet to proven scientifically.

More Missoulians get caught reading!

We continue on our quest to recognize all the great readers that frequent our fine city of Missoula. We were out and about at the Clark Fork River Market on Saturday and snagged five new folks who were only too delighted to "get caught reading" for our special Missoula Public Library May promotion. And thanks to all who stopped by the library table at the market. Don't forget--we're giving out free library cards at the market and have a great supply of books you can check out right then and there!Your Missoula Public Library--always thinking more!

PICTURED: Kim Granath, Debbie Sullivan (with friend), Sheila Hurd, Emilee and Lindsey Maplethorpe, and Rebecca Wallace (who remembered the bookmobile with great fondness from her youth and was THRILLED to have her photo taken with it!).

Word Woman

Welcome to another spine-tingling episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! Your brain is meant to last a lifetime, so keep it in good working order by doing mental exercises like crossword puzzles, cryptograms and sudoku. Or you could expand your vocabulary by learning new words, like the Word of the Week:

Insouciance: (in-soo-see-ants) [noun]

lighthearted unconcern ; nonchalance

French, from in- + soucier to trouble, disturb, from Old French, from Latin sollicitare — more at solicit

First Known Use: 1799

-- "insouciance", http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insouciance , 4/28/11.

Example: Grant's persistent insouciance toward the editor's stated deadlines for copy resulted in his reassignment as foreign correspondent to Burkina Faso.

Looking for an uplifting read?

Flavorwire just released a list of uplifting books for lonely souls that contains some unexpected titles. Compiled by Kathleen Masara you may want to consider one of these titles for your next uplifting read whether your soul is lonely or not.
Still life with woodpecker by Tom Robbins on order
Vida by Patricia Engel call# ENGEL
High fidelity by Nick Hornby @ our partner libraries
The amazing adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon @ our partner libraries
A natural history of the senses by Diane Ackerman call# 612.8 ACKERMA
Me talk pretty one day by David Sedaris call# 814.54 SEDARIS
Bridget Jones' diary by Helen Fielding call# FIELDIN
Radio Free Dixie by Timothy B Tyson
The Alchemist by Paul Coelho call# COELHO
A people's history of the United States by Howard Zinn call# 973 ZINN
See the full article at flavorwire.com

Library Week Treasure State Treasure Hunt contest winners announced!

Back during National Library Week, April 10-16, Missoula Public Library staff encouraged our patrons to participate in the week with a unique celebration – a statewide online scavenger hunt, called "A Treasure Hunt for the Treasure State." Montanans from Alazada to Zortman played the game to try and win a prize at the end of the contest. We are pleased to announce that a Frenchtown Elementary School class won one of the prizes!


The "Treasure Hunt" questions were located on local library web sites and on http://mymontanalibrary.org. Participants had to use library electronic resources to find the answers. All answers had to be submitted electronically and were verified for correctness. There were four separate contest categories with questions of varying difficulty available for students K-5, middle school, high school, and adult age groups.
Winners were selected randomly and included:

• Patti O’Sullivan’s class at Frenchtown Elementary School in Frenchtown
• Celeste Jolley’s first grade class at Smith Elementary School in Helena
• Brad Holland, middle school category, whose library is the Drummond School Community Library in Drummond
• Julia Balcom, middle school category, whose library is the Parmly Billings Library in Billings
• Haley Walter, high school category, whose library is the Lewis & Clark Library in Helena
• Ryan Bowers, high school category, whose library is the Superior High School Library in Superior
• Patt Leikam, adult category, whose library is the Parmly Billings Library in Billings
• Diana Rogers, adult category, whose library is the Parmly Billings Library in Billings

Statewide prizes included six Apple iPods™, which were presented to two winners each in the middle school, high school, and adult categories by their local libraries. Two pizza parties were provided for the winning elementary school classrooms.

"We wanted to encourage all Montanans to try some of the many library resources we offer online that are available day and night – whether you’re in your local Montana library or at home," said Darlene Staffeldt, Montana State Librarian. "We felt that if we offered a scavenger hunt with fun prizes that some folks who have never tried using their online library might be more inclined to give it a shot." Thanks for participating Missoula Public Library patrons!

Word Woman

Welcome to another mind-bending installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! And what an amazing word we have for you this week, courtesy of one of my co-workers! Even Word Woman herself had never heard of this one before:


Lucubration: [noun] laborious or intensive study; also the product of such study - usually used in the plural.


-- "lucubration", http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lucubration , 4/19/2011.


Example: Sam's lucubrations on herbal remedies were a welcome addition to the group's project on alternative medicine.

And all that Jazz...

If you participated in the Jazz Festival at the end of last month and are ready for another shot of vintage music, join us for the Wednesday Movie Matinee today at 2:00 in the large meeting room. Doris Day gives one of her best performances in the bio-pic of Ruth Etting set in the 1920s. It's great drama with James Cagney and outstanding music.
Mark your calendar for every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at 2:00 and join us in the large meeting room for a classic movie. For titles, see our newsletter online at www.missoulapubliclibrary.org and click on the newsletter link.

May is Get Caught Reading Month in Missoula!

May is Get Caught Reading Month and Missoula Public Library staff are out and about looking for people who are reading in order to give them a free bag full of cool stuff. Bruce, Jane, Benjamin, and Launi above, were all smiles upon receiving their free stuff from the library. All for doing what we all love to do--READ! Be on the lookout for someone who says "I'm from Missoula Public Library and you've been caught reading!"

Word Woman

Welcome to another weird and wonderful installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! It's the time of the year for spring cleaning, so sweep those winter cobwebs out of your brain by learning a new word! Here's the Word of the Week to get you started:

Obstreperous:

1. marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness : clamorous

2. stubbornly resistant to control : unruly

-- http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obstreperous

Example: Steve's obstreperous behavior in class resulted in a visit to the principal's office.

Upgrade your computer skills

Need a refresher or do you regularly describe yourself as "computer illiterate"? Time to give our free computer classes a go. We will increasing our class offerings as of May to include our round of Basic courses normally taught on Monday evening to be repeated on Wednesday evenings at the same time/same station, 6-7 in the classroom.
If you would like to join us for classes in computer fundamentals, beginning word processing, email basics and internet searching give us a call and reserve a spot. We'd love to help increase your comfort level when it comes to computers... and it's all free.
See our website for a full listing of our classes at http://www.missoulapubliiclibrary.org/classes#Computer Classes

Word Woman

Welcome to another fun-filled episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! What can I say? It's almost May already! It hardly seems possible that this year is going by so quickly. And the last Word of the Week for April is:

Truculent: 1. feeling or displaying ferocity : cruel, savage 2. deadly, destructive 3. scathingly harsh : vitriolic 4. aggressively self-assertive : belligerent

-- "Truculent", http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truculent , 4/6/11.

Example: The truculent behavior of Tina's outdoor cat was of great concern to the neighbors who owned small dogs.

Become Someone Else

Some clever marketing from Mint Vinetu, a used bookstore in Lithuania.

You can check out a few more here.