Ark Valley News - From the library

From the library
By Janice Sharp, director
Last Updated: September 17, 2015

Use your library card to read an E-book

September is Library Card Sign-up Month. If you don't have a library card, now is the perfect time to come to the library to get a card and see what the library has to offer for you. We will have a prize drawing Oct. 1 from all newly registered patrons during the month.

Sept. 18 is Read an E-book Day. This is your opportunity to check out an E-book through the Sunflower eLibrary with the use of your library card. If you have questions about setting up the account, bring your e-reader to the library for staff assistance.

The library will host a PJ Family Night Sept. 24 for a free viewing of "Hotel Transylvania 1" (PG) prior to the release of the new "Hotel Transylvania 2" Sept. 25. Crafts and activities will begin at 6 p.m., and the movie will begin at 6:20. Children can dress in their pajamas and bring their favorite stuffed animal to snuggle with; parents should bring lawn chairs. The library will provide free popcorn.

Fall Festival — Circus-Circus — will be Sept. 25 and 26. Bracelets are available at the library, as well as several other locations in town. Cost of the bracelets is $4 each with $1 from each sale benefiting the Friends of the library. The library will be closed Sept. 26 for Fall Festival.

The library is beginning the national program of 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. This program encourages reading aloud to young children before they begin to learn to read for themselves. We have a registration form to begin the process, along with a reading bag, reading log and bookmark. Children can color a circle on the log for each book read, and then receive a sticker and a coloring sheet to collect their stickers upon completing the first 100 books. A new log and sticker will be given each time 100 books are read. Once 500 books are read, parents will receive a browsing book bag. Upon reaching 1,000 books, your child will receive a certificate and a free book. This program, for children ages infant through pre-kindergarten, can be completed at the pace set by the parents. When someone reads three books a day to their child, they will have read 1,095 books in one year.

We have registration forms for the citywide garage sales Oct. 2 and 3. The registration fee is $10 per address with a deadline of Sept. 19 to be listed on the map. After the deadline, a sign can be purchased for $5 and your address will be advertised via Facebook. Participants can purchase a $5 boxed ad with The Ark Valley News with each registration. The garage sales are sponsored by the Valley Center Chamber of Commerce, The Ark Valley News and Valley Offset Printing.

We recently purchased two umbrella strollers for parents to use while in the library. In the past, we have had to request that parents leave strollers outside due to our lack of space. The strollers will make it easier for parents to shop for books for themselves and their children.

Banned Books Week is from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3. We will post five trivia questions daily, Monday thru Friday, through a link on our website valleycenterlibrary.org. The person with the most correct answers will win a prize. The American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom promotes awareness of challenges to library materials and celebrates freedom of speech during Banned Books Week.

The 10 most frequently challenged books of 2014 were: 1. "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian," by Sherman Alexie (reasons: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence and depictions of bullying); 2. "Persepolis," by Marjane Satrapi (reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint; politically, racially, and socially offensive and graphic depictions); 3. "And Tango Makes Three," by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (reasons: anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, promotes the homosexual agenda); 4. "The Bluest Eye," by Toni Morrison (reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, contains controversial issues); 5. "It's Perfectly Normal," by Robie Harris (reasons: nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, alleges child pornography); 6. "Saga," by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples (reasons: anti-family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group); 7. "The Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini (reasons: offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence); 8. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," by Stephen Chbosky (reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, date rape and masturbation); 9. "A Stolen Life," by Jaycee Dugard (reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group); 10. "Drama," by Raina Telgemeier (reasons: sexually explicit). The ALA reported 311 challenges by the Office for Intellectual Freedom in 2014. Information about banned books from previous years is available on ala.org.

Upcoming Events

Sept. 18 — Read an E-book Day

Sept. 19 — Talk like a Pirate Day

Sept. 21 — International Peace Day

Sept. 23 — Autumn begins

Sept. 25-26 — Fall Festival

Sept. 26 — Library closed

Sept. 27-Oct. 3 — Banned Books Week

Sept. 28 — SCKLS rotating books exchanged