'Twas the day before the day before Christmas...

Okay, because of Christmas Day falling on a Saturday this year, we're not open on Christmas Eve Day. Therefore, we've had to edit Laura's famous 'Twas the Day Before Christmas @ Your Library poem.

'Twas the day before (the day before) Christmas and all through the stacks,
People were looking for trade paperbacks.

And books on CD to help pass the time
during holiday travel or waiting in line

To buy that last gift, it had been a long haul
And they needed a way to escape from it all.

So off to the library they wandered in quest
Of a good book to read that stood out from the rest

Or maybe a holiday music CD
To play while they finished trimming the tree

Or even a kids' Christmas book to be read
To help restless children get settled in bed.

Then up to the checkout, arms full, they did dash
Where friendly staff helped them check out in a flash,

They packed their selections and went on their way
With a wave and a smile and a "Happy Holiday!"

As they left the building, I heard them all say:
"We're so glad you're open the day before Christmas Eve Day!"

We close at 9pm tonight, December 23rd and will be closed on Friday, December 24th and Saturday, December 25th. Enjoy the wonderment of the season!

We will reopen at 1pm on Sunday, December 26th.

Merry Christmas to you and yours from the staff at Missoula Public Library!

Library Closed

The library will be closed on Thursday, November 11th in observance of Veterans Day.

Have a safe and happy holiday; we will re-open at 10am on Friday, November 12th.

Most importantly, a big thank you to those brave veterans, past and present, who have served our country.

I Resolve To...

Happy New Year everyone. The stroke of midnight means it's time to sing that New Year Classic "Auld Lang Syne." A little research tells me this is a Scottish song translating to "times gone by." You can enjoy a few different renditions of this classic New Year song online with our Smithsonian Global Sound subscription.

Of course, the New Year isn't just a time to look back, but a time to make plans for the year ahead. I have no idea what my New Year's resolution should be. I see too many possibilities every time I walk through the library. Should I resolve to keep up on the world better with our collection of newspapers and magazines? Or I could resolve to watch a foreign film each month (an easy task if you come to World Wide Cinema). How about resolving to revisit some of my favorite childhood books?

Choosing a resolution is serious business. It can determine the course of your entire new year! Luckily, I found some help on ehow.com. According to them, there are some very simple factors to keep in mind - make your resolution realistic, be specific, break a large goal into smaller ones.

So what's your New Year's resolution? I'm looking for suggestions - something creative & fun. Send in your ideas by adding a comment here.

Gnome for the Holidays

A very merry Christmas to everyone. The library is closed, and while the staff is out with their friends and family, the gnomes are having their own tiny celebration in their Gnome House today. Looks like Santa left a few presents under their tree! Enjoy your holiday and we'll see you tomorrow.

Christmas Eve Day at the library

Back by popular demand, here's a holiday favorite composed by our very own staff member, Laura, originally posted last year at this time...

'Twas the day before Christmas and all through the stacks,
People were looking for trade paperbacks.

And books on CD to help pass the time
during holiday travel or waiting in line

To buy that last gift, it had been a long haul
And they needed a way to escape from it all.

So off to the library they wandered in quest
Of a good book to read that stood out from the rest

Or maybe a holiday music CD
To play while they finished trimming the tree

Or even a kids' Christmas book to be read
To help restless children get settled in bed.

Then up to the checkout, arms full, they did dash
Where friendly staff helped them check out in a flash,

They packed their selections and went on their way
With a wave and a smile and a "Happy Holiday!"

As they left the building, I heard them all say:
"We're so glad you're open on Christmas Eve Day!"

The library is open until 6 p.m. today. We're closed Dec. 25, but reopen at 10 a.m. on Dec. 26.
Happy Holidays from the staff at Missoula Public Library!

12 Reads of Christmas

Even librarians get into the spirit. Wish I could take credit for this fun page, but I can't. What I can do it share it with you...

The Twelve Days of Christmas, Teen Book Style

It also happens to be a fun spot for finding reviews on teen lit.

Have you read any of these? Tell us what you thought, leave us a comment today!

Cookies & Crafts

Cookies and crafts are 2 holiday classics, so we combined them for today's program. Families can decorating sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles, then stay to create an ornament, candy cane holder, or holiday art. And, of course, you get to take it all home when you're done. Here are some creative geniuses at work:

We're still decorating until 3 p.m. today in the large meeting room on the lower level, so stop by for a sweet treat. More pics on our Flickr page.

A tree, a tree

The library's holiday tree is boasting some fantastic, colorful ornaments, thanks to Lolo Brownie Troop 3568. The Brownies stormed the lobby last night to share their hand-made ornaments with the rest of the Missoula community. If you feel like getting into the spirit of the season, you should stop by and enjoy the beautiful sight. And the cinnamon ornaments make it smell good, too. Thanks girls!

We have some more photos on our Flickr stream.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! We're closed today, but we'll be back tomorrow!

(Original photo by Flickr user tajai. Some Rights Reserved.)

Holiday Library Pets

Hopefully you guys all had a great Thanksgiving and have enough leftovers to make a nice sandwich for lunch today. My personal favorite? A Turkey sandwich with warm mashed potatoes, lettuce and cranberry sauce. And lots of salt and pepper.

And since Thanksgiving is over, the Christmas season can now begin. Here's the first in a series of librarian pets dressed up for the holidays. The inaugural selection comes from Paulette in Tech Services and her two cats Kenna and Jax respectively visiting "Santa Paws."


Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We'll be closed Tomorrow and Friday to celebrate. See you all on Saturday. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from all of us here at the library. Especially from Tove, Paulette, Caroline and Karen who all came to work today with true Halloween spirit. (Paula also dressed up as a member of the FBI or Federal Book Inspectors, but she was AWOL when the picture was taken.) We'll have some candy tonight at our circulation desk and in our computer lab for any little ones who might stop by. Be safe tonight and have a Happy Halloween!


EDIT - Paula was located doing "official" Federal Book Inspector business and was out tracking an overdue book at the time of the initial picture.

Every day is a holiday

The beginning of July marks an action-packed week at Missoula Public Library. Not only do we have Science Woman at 2pm on July 3rd, but we also close at 6pm that day in honor of Independence Day on July 4th (we are closed all day 7/4). Then on July 5th we're showing Harriet the Spy at 2pm.

But according to Holidays on the Net, every day is a holiday. Here are all the things we have to celebrate this first week of July 2007.

July 1--Anniversary of zip codes inaugurated
July 2--Halfway point of 2007 and I Forgot Day
July 3--Compliment Your Mirror Day
July 4--Independence from Meat Day
July 5--Anniversary of the Bikini
July 6--George W.'s birthday and Earth at Aphelion (furthest from the sun)
July 7--Father and Daughter Take a Walk Day

So enjoy this first week of July and all of its celebrations!!!