NCHCPL Teen Blog

"Free People Read Freely"

2006-09-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

This week is Banned Books Week (September 23 - 30). Many books I have read and enjoyed are some of the most challenged books in the history of literature: Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher and The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. Celebrate your freedom to read and check out some of these links:

ALA Banned Books page

Explore banned books with Google

Top 100 Challenged Books 1990-1999

What's the difference between a challenge and a banning

New Look--New System Too

2006-09-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Blog! It's been one year since it's inception, and I thought it was time for transformation. Like the new look? I dig the darker background--it's much easier on the eyes. Bear with me as I migrate some of the old links onto the new blog. This also happens to coincide with the upcoming computer system migration currently happening at your library right now.

We will be offline and checking out manually on September 24th through the 27th. Make sure you bring in your library card--there is no way for us to look up your account with an ID. This will only be for 4 days; if you have any troubles, don't hesitate to email me: angelad [at] nchcpl.lib.in.us OR IM me--

AOL: nchcplangela
YAHOO: anewla
MSN: angelad [at] nchcpl.lib.in.us

We will be back up and running with our new computer system on September 28th.

Dance Dance Revolution

2006-08-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

Dance the night away on our Cobalt Flux dance pads with the PS2--DDR and Karaoke Revolution is on Thursday night from 6-8. Snacks provided, including plenty of water! Thanks to the Friends of the Library for providing these arcade-style pads. And remember the teen council meeting Friday at 4 pm in the Teenscape.

King Tut and Ancient Egypt

2006-08-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

"He could have won a Grammy -- buried in his 'jammies -- King Tut"
- the King Tut song, Steve Martin and the Toot Uncommons, Saturday Night Live 4/22/1978.

I got to see the King Tutankhamun exhibit at Chicago's Field museum recently, and it is an awesome sight. If you are able to make the trip up north to the windy city, I highly recommend it. Make sure and buy your tickets online in advance. If you can't make it, peruse the photos of the personal belongings and all those funerary articles here.

Of course, you can always transport yourself to ancient Egypt via movies and books, like in THE MUMMY. The library has older versions as well as the 1999 adventure we all know and love, featuring a librarian as one of the main characters (I had to put that one in). One book that may have slipped through the cracks is Gillian Bradshaw's THE DRAGON AND THE THIEF, where an unlucky guy meets a wealthy dragon and adventure ensues. And it has a dragon in it! You can't beat that, Eragon fans.

Grand Prize Winners!

2006-07-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our 3 grand prize winners in this year's Summer Reading Program:

Jordan Paul Scott won the iPod Nano
Sarah Jessee won the anime DVD boxed set (InuYasha)
Shane Toombs won the $50 Simon mall gift certificate

Thanks to everyone who participated!

And don't forget next week we've got 2 programs: our Teen Knit Night is Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. All skills welcome--just bring your own materials. Needles and yarn are always a good start--I'll have scissors, rubber bands and snacks, of course. Second, we have Amanda Bynes in her newest release SHE'S THE MAN - Thursday from 6:00 - 8:00 pm in the Teenscape. Online signup is through these links provided here. See you there.

Week 6 Winner

2006-07-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Shannon Hiday won movie theater tickets for this week's summer reading drawing! She's just finished the book The Pity Party: 8th Grade in the Life of Me, Cass by Alison Pollet, sequel to Nobody Was Here: 7th Grade in the Life of Me, Polly. Get to know Polly's best friend, Cassie, as she wonders why her English teacher is out to get her. Being an orphan and having to read ALL these books about orphans too! Join Cassie at an NYC private school and find out, as she misses old friends and makes new ones.

Week 5 Winner / Architect Studio

2006-07-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Kaitlyn Davis, our week 5 summer reading winner. Kaitlyn won a $10 Starbucks certificate. Even though she does not enjoy ballet, she liked the mystery book Dorian Cirrone's Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You which can be searched in our library catalog here. Our last weekly drawing is next week, so hurry in with all your book review cards!

TEEN TECH CAMP CONTINUES / LAN Party
Remember to come in at 2 pm today as our Teen Tech Camp continues with a look at Architect Studio. On this site, you can design a house, walk through it in 3D and share it with anyone if you like! Tomorrow at 2 pm is Job Drive and Friday same time is Video Game Design. And then stick around for the Call of Duty LAN party until 6 pm. Door prizes to be had, so come early! Sign up on library calendar here.

Week 4 Winner

2006-07-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Abby Grim for winning the weekly summer reading prize! [This post is late coming due to vacation time off.] Abby has won Kerasotes movie theater certificates totaling $10.
The last weekly drawing will be July 17th, and the final drawings for the iPod Nano, Inu Yasha DVD boxed set, and $50 Simon gift card is on Monday July 24th. Bring in those review cards to win!

Week 3 Winner and What She's Reading

2006-06-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

Our week 3 winner is Violet Corn! She won this week's Starbucks gift card. Violet loves to read fantasy, and she recently finished the new book The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima. She says that it was a fun, exciting read and she couldn't put it down. Interested in placing your hold? Log on to the library online catalog.

Teen Winner - Week 2 and What She Reads

2006-06-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

Jessica Morgan is our weekly winner for summer reading. Whoo-hoo! She's won $ 10 worth of movie certificates from Kerasotes. Kerasotes theaters are here in town, Muncie and Anderson, as well as other places nearby.

Jessica loves manga and she's currently reading Guru Guru Pon Chan series by Ikesawa.
The story goes that Ponta is a Labrador retriever puppy, the Koizumi family's pet. Ponta uses Grandpa's newest invention, the Guru Guru Bone, to turn into a human girl! Ponta meets and falls in love with Mirai Iwaki. When he realizes she's actually a dog, Mirai learns to overcome it. Whatta couple. This manga won the Kodansha manga of the year award [this year's listing here and the original Japanese site is here].

Our next drawing will be Monday morning. Until then, happy reading!

The Teen Weekly Winner / Manga & Anime

2006-06-12T05:31:00.000-07:00

Our first summer reading drawing was this morning and Hannah Thompson was the lucky winner of a $10 Starbucks gift certificate. Congratulations! The next drawing is Monday, June 19th.

Anime Screening and Manga Drawing - June 13th, 6-8 pm

Join us for some Anime watching (your choice! I'm hoping we'll have Naruto or Avatar on hand - I ordered it a few weeks back) in the teen room tomorrow night and we'll be sharing our manga-drawing skills. Tutorials available and beginners welcome; we'll have some sketch paper and pencils on hand, so no need to bring anything.

Summer Reading Program is Here / Teen Knit Night

2006-06-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

Summer Reading has begun! This year's prizes are as follows:

iPod Nano (Grand Prize)
DVD boxed set of InuYasha (2nd place)
$50 Simon mall gift card

So sign-up and start reading. Each time you fill out a book review card, turn it in for a small prize. It also counts as an entry for the weekly prize drawings (Starbucks gift cards, Kerasotes movie theater certificates) AND the grand prize drawings. The more you read, the more chances you have of winning!

And don't forget...

Teen Knit Night
6:30-8:30 in the Teenscape TONIGHT
Bring your own materials and get cozy! Food provided and all skills welcome.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

2006-05-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

Join us for the latest movie in the Harry Potter series at your library. The film will be shown downstairs in the auditorium on the big screen. It starts at 6 pm and won't end till around 8:45 pm. We'll have plenry of popcorn, candy and drinks while they last. See ya there.

Runescape at GameFest

2006-05-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

Runescape at GameFest
Originally uploaded by NC-HC Public Library.

Games, Gamers and Gaming

2006-05-08T06:31:00.000-07:00

If you love an intriguing story that will hook you from the beginning (just like your favorite Runescape or other game), here are 2 titles that you could escape with:

HEAD GAMES - Fredericks, Mariah

2 teenagers connect online in a role-playing game, one discovering that her online rival is actually her neighbor.

RANVAN: A WORTHY OPPONENT - Wieler, Diana

Rhan Van is a grandson and high-school student by day, but his greatest challenges lie in the rivalry of an online game, and lead him into to a battle of wit and skills set in both the real world and the virtual game world.

Long time, No post

2006-05-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

It's your teen librarian reporting to the blog after a long pause in posts. It's been a bit busy, but I promise to write more often about what's going on! Please feel free to give me a hard time in the comments.

So, I'm happy that Starbucks is here in little ole New Castle, Indiana...what about you? I think I've spent a little too much money there already. I'm all about the Green Tea Lattes or anything tea for that matter. I still brew my own coffee at my house though. Starbucks is for a treat.

Don't forget there's a Game Fest on Sunday from 1-5 pm. Feel free to bring extra controllers/paddles and games! And I'll be happy to bring out the DDR pads if someone wants to use them. Let me know. We've been signing up for 1/2 hour open play and it's gone pretty well, unless of course Halo 2 gets played, then we try to allow for a little extra time with regard to fairness for all (and getting the most kills in !!!). Nope, not me, though. I'm just a observer in this game...

TEEN EVENTS UPDATE

Check out the new teen events listings here. I've also updated the link on the right side.

So there's plenty to do here at the library this summer. Boredom is optional! And starting June 5th, sign up for the Summer Reading Program. Here's a list of our prizes:

Grand Prizes: 1st - iPod Nano
2nd- Anime DVD boxed set - InuYasha
3rd - $50 Simon Mall gift card

Weekly Prizes: Kerasotes theaters $10 gift cards
Starbucks $10 gift cards

Teen Spa Night - Rescheduled Makeup Date

2006-04-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

Remember that huge power outage on that very dark, Thursday night? I scheduled a Teen Spa Night then--on March 9th. Now the makeup-date is scheduled for Tuesday, April 18th from 6:30 - 7:30 pm in the Teenscape. Get rid of some dry, winter skin and refresh yourself. We'll be making soap, bath salts and lotion. You can make a gift box for yourself or someone you know. See you there.

Teen Art Contest Winners

2006-04-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS to the following art contest winners:

Tansa Harmonson
Nisa Sharp
Patricia Blake

Look for their art hanging in the Teen room in the near future. Thanks to everyone for submitting! Everyone had wonderful entries of manga and photos. Runners-up will have their art rotated onto the teen room walls in the coming months.

Harry and the Potters

2006-04-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's actually a band from Massachusettes. Have you heard of Harry and the Potters? Well, they look and sound great, and they've been touring libraries and schools around the country. I don't want to categorize them, but they do sound very indie-rock-like. I'm a librarian. I can't help but categorize. : ] Perhaps they'll come back around to New Castle one day. In the meantime, catch them at Ball State's Student Tally in Muncie Friday, April 7th--details at their MySpace profile here.

Sunday Game Fest...

2006-04-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

My apologies to all teens who'd come to Sunday's Game Fest--I'm sorry I had to cancel. My stepdaughter was very sick and her dad was gone for the day. I couldn't pass her onto her aunt or a babysitter while she was that sick.

In the meantime, don't miss DDR and pizza on Thursday at 6 pm in the auditorium! The next game fest is scheduled for Thursday, April 13th at 5 pm. See ya there.

Einstein

2006-03-31T06:10:00.000-08:00

Oh, I forgot to mention that if you want to make your own Einstein image, the link is here.
Go have fun.

[Thanks Librarian in Black]

Dance Dance Revolution / Spring Break at the Library

2006-03-31T05:55:00.000-08:00

Spring break time! Did ya think it would ever get here? We have lots going on a the library next week:

SUNDAY - Game Fest 1-5 pm - X-box and Madden (can anyone bring in PS2 controllers???)
THURSDAY - DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) and Pizza Taste-Off, 6-8 pm

We're ready to kick off DDR programs with new arcade-style dance pads! And see if you can guess which pizza is which. Prizes will be announced, and so will our Teenscape Art Contest Winners! It will be momentous.

Twinkie (you know who I'm talking about) says, with much chagrin, that he'll lose weight if his does this. Perhaps. : ] But where else can you do dance on Cobalt Flux dance pads without having to feed money into an arcade game? Right here! Sweet. See ya there.

Vote for Favorite Summer Reading Prize!

2006-03-28T10:09:00.000-08:00

I need your input! I'm looking into Summer Reading program prizes and I want to know what you like. I think Anime would be a great prize, especially the big series boxed sets. Out of these titles, what are your favorites? I need to know in a couple of weeks, so let your voices be heard! Thanks.

Ranma 1/2

Tenchi Muyo

InuYasha

Escaflowne

.hack//SIGN

Fruits Basket

Oh, and the grand prize for the Summer Reading program this year is an iPod Nano!

Anime Screening: Howl's Moving Castle

2006-03-22T05:25:00.000-08:00

Come watch the newly-released anime movie HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (Hauru no ugoku shiro) this Thursday night (that's tomorrow!) at 6 pm in the Teenscape. We'll be eating pizza and talking about the book too. Read it yet? It's not required. The movie is just around 2 hours, so we should be wrapping up a little after 8 pm.

I was hoping to read the book before I watched the film, but I didn't get the chance. There's been a lag in the blog due to my vacationing in Belize. Everyone needs a break, right? What a beautiful country with wonderful people. If you ever get the chance to go, take it. Visiting a third world country really makes you appreciate what you have living here--I'm excited to be able to drink tap water again!

Aquamarine (the Movie)

2006-03-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

Alice Hoffman's book AQUAMARINE is hitting the theaters today, and the paperback is on order at the library. The movie stars Emma Roberts of Nickelodean's Unfabulous fame.

[Thanks AADL]

LAN party

2006-02-21T14:07:00.000-08:00

LAN party 042
Originally uploaded by NC-HC Public Library.

Call of Duty rocked last Friday night at our lock-in. Thanks to all who made it a great night! See ya at the next Game Fest on March 2nd from 5-9 pm in the Teenscape.
l8er

The LAN is coming...Call of Duty!

2006-02-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

A LAN party is the best way to play PC games against one another, and not be instantly slaughtered at the online playing field. We've got networked computers with Call of Duty installed, ready for our the LAN showdown tomorrow (that's Friday) from 4-8. But, you think, the library is only open until 6 pm on Fridays, right? Well, we're keeping things open just for you. Plenty of snacks, candy and soda to consume too. [Call of Duty webpage link here]

Not into first-person shooter games, or just wanting to try something different? We've got Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, Need for Speed - Most Wanted, Harry Potter, and the Prince of Persia on PS2, and Madden 06 on X-box set up in the teen room from 4-8 too. Or have fun with karaoke - Karaoke Revolution Party - for the PS2. See ya there.

Oscar nominations

2006-02-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

The Oscar nominations were announced last week and I'm pumped to see all the great performances and movies honored. Maybe its a lot of hype and sometimes it gets downright political, but isn't it true for a lot of things? Anyway, I was pleased to see Keira Knightley nominated for best actress. When I saw she was going to play one of my favorite characters--Elizabeth Bennett--I wondered if she would do it justice. But she did and even added her own style to it. I was impressed. And now she has an Oscar nomination for it. Go Keira! I've already ordered the movie for the library, so make sure you check it out. And of course, we've got the book Pride and Prejudice too. It's a classic story about how first impressions may not always be right. And girls, there's plenty of romance too.

I had so many favorites, but I think the best ones are nominated for Best Animated Feature Film:

Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were Rabbit
Howl's Moving Castle (we'll be screening this anime film in the Teenscape in March)
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

I predict Wallace & Gromit will win, though I love all Tim Burton films! What do you think? What were some of your favorite movies this year?

Teenscape Art Contest

2006-02-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

We want your art on our walls! The library's Teenscape Art Contest will begin March 1 and you can enter anything that can be hung. Love drawing comics or manga, using watercolors or oils, or just like doing pencil drawings? Here's your chance to have your art displayed in our Teenscape room. Last date to enter is March 24th. Winners will be announced April 6th at 6 pm before the DDR/Pizza Tasteoff during National Library Week.

CATS - Council of Advisory Teens

2006-01-27T11:29:00.000-08:00

The birth of a new teen group at the library - CATS (Council of Advisory Teens). We'll be meeting every last Monday of the month. Next meeting: February 27th at 4 pm in the Teenscape. Bring and friend and be heard. Create new programs for teens, by teens. Special thanks to Todd for getting the library word out. Nice to see Tori, Patti, Jeff, Megan and Devon there too. More after the break...

Teen Advisory agenda - Meeting 1/26 @ 4 pm

2006-01-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

Come to the teenscape (new teen room--have you seen the furniture yet?) tomorrow afternoon at 4 pm. I'm thinking about moving these meetings to Monday at 4 instead. Any input? If you have some feedback, or just want to talk about music, books and movies, come eat some pizza with us. Following is our (loose) agenda:

Two Truths and a Lie
Survey of your music, books and movie tastes, favorite foods at meetings, etc.
Brainstorm name and purpose
Implement a program of your choice, or choose your own books, movies, music, etc.

Anyone who wants to have a say in what the library does for teens, stop in!

Gaming and Haven Kimmel

2006-01-18T10:12:00.000-08:00

Not together, of course (the gaming and Haven Kimmel). But what a hoot that would be.

Haven Kimmel, an Indiana author born and raised in Mooreland, has just released her second book She Got Up Off the Couch: and Other Heroic Acts from Mooreland, Indiana and we've got it at the library. If you haven't yet, make sure to check out her first book A Girl Named Zippy. Search for it in our online catalog link here, and be prepared to laugh it up. She writes the book from a child's perspective and you'll find yourself remembering that you felt exactly like her...or maybe not. Even so, Haven captures the life of a Midwestern kid with hilarity and wisdom.

GAME FEST CONTINUES!

Our next game fest is Thursday night from 5-9 pm. We'll have Madden '06, Shadow the Hedgehog on PS2 and Karaoke Revolution Party set-up for these 4 hours along with snacks and drinks. See you there.

Martin Luther King Day

2006-01-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." - Martin Luther King, Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, December 10, 1964.

[thanks to the Richard Bland College Library website for their wicked good bookmark PDFs of MLK quotes].

And here's a link to his best speech...it bulldozes me every time. Or you can watch the video through Encyclopedia Britannica Online [try the search results here] or through the library website online resources page. You may need to download Quicktime to view the video, which is free at the Apple website. Powerful.

No Game Fest - February 16th

2006-01-13T13:49:00.000-08:00

CANCELLATION: For all you who saw our Game Fest date on February 16th, I've had to cancel this due to our LAN party on the next night! So, we'll still having gaming every other Thursday, but just not on February 16th... l8

Madden on X-box

2006-01-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

Madden on X-box
Originally uploaded by NC-HC Public Library.

...and PS2 open play at our Game Fests. Yesterday's first fest went very well! I got some great suggestions for new games (Tony Hawk, Need for Speed), as well as others. What PS2 and X-Box games do you want to see here? Let me know.

Next Stop, Elsewhere

2006-01-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

Liz never imagined where that ship she was on was taking her, but she knew something just wasn't right. After arriving at her destination, she realizes that she is dead, and must learn to "live" in this dreamlike place called Elsewhere. Join Liz by checking out this wonderful book by Gabrielle Zevin.

Game Fest Begins (with Karaoke Revolution)

2006-01-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

Reminding you all to register online for open videogaming this Sunday for a first Game Fest (1-5 pm). You can sign up for 1/2 hour game slots on X-box (no, it's not the 360 - bummer,eh?) or a PS2 at the same time. Bring your own games and memory cards if ya like; we'll also have food and board games. And I'm hear to listen, so bring your ideas about future gaming. I want to know. A big plus - we have Karaoke Revolution Party for the PS2 for all you American Idols out there. Or maybe you just like to sing. Whatever your fancy, I'm sure you'll find it at our Game Fests.

Winter 2006 Events

2005-12-27T11:24:00.000-08:00

The Winter 2006 Teen Events are set and now online here. I've planned the events from January to April, and I'm pretty pleased with all that's going on. You can still register at the online library calendar as usual. I've created a link to both the calendar and the teen events page on the right side of this blog. Here are just a few things to do:

Game Fests - Our board game times have been ramped up and now include video games (PS2 and X-box), so be sure to sign up early! Food and board games will still be present. I welcome any of you to bring your own games too. The Game Fests will happen on the first Sundays of the month, and every other Thursday night.
Teen Movies
Spa Night
Teen Advisory Board - I want to know what you want. Ready to stage your own gaming tournament, or set up a chocolate workshop, or suggest new books? Bring your friends and a pizza craving.
LAN Party Lock-In - Duel it out on networked computers for PC play during Grand Opening week in February. Other PS2 and X-box gaming will be available. Hurry and sign up!
DDR & Pizza Taste-Off (Spring Break week)

Hoot - Take a Mysterious Trip to Florida

2005-12-22T17:56:00.000-08:00

The movie Hoot is coming out in Spring 2006. It looks to be a fun flick. Some of you might have seen the movie trailer already (like I did at The Chronicles of Narnia showing). Well, I'm hoping it's as good as the book upon which its based. If you're looking for a winter getaway (from your armchair, no doubt), a little mystery and some zaniness thrown in for good measure, look no furthur than Carl Hiaasen's book Hoot. We've got a few copies still in, and we also have it in CD format. And the companion book, Flush, just came out and is causing some buzz too. Carl Hiaasen sets all his books in his native Florida, and has written several novels for adults as well. Tell me what ya think!

Target in New Castle?

2005-12-22T17:10:00.000-08:00

RUMOR WARNING: A former library employee and witty blogger has indicated here that she's heard Target may be coming soon. Who else out there gets all giddy with glee when they see that red bullseye? Let's hope that such a fab store comes to this little metropolis of New Castle, Indiana and stays. Yippee!

King Kong

2005-12-16T05:13:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already, move your shape and get on down to the Castle theater to see KING KONG! It has something for everyone: horror, suspense, romance and amazing special effects and graphics. Movies have gotten so sophisticated with graphics, nothing is quite as spectacular as it used to be, but this will thrill you. I promise. It's like a summer blockbuster right in the dead of winter. Director Peter Jackson trys to outdo his Lord of the Rings trilogy and he does...and then some. Checkout the original RKO pictures release of the 1933 classic here at the library - you can see how it still remains one of Peter Jackson's favorites.

Lick the Cold, Read Something Bold

2005-12-15T14:18:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but that title makes me laugh...

Okay, but seriously...What is it... really? Well, basically if you visit the library 10 times and check out books and/or audiobooks, you get a prize. Next time you come in, grab a Winter Reading card and get it stamped by a staff person each time you visit. If you sign up in December, ya get candy. And the program runs until Grand Opening Week, February 18th. So you have plenty of time to make those 10 visits. But I know you'll come more often to get on the computers, right?

Let it WHAT? / IM at your Library!

2005-12-09T11:06:00.000-08:00

...Snow. Yup. It's been fun, folks, I'll have to say. Got out last night with my husband and his daughter and our dog, Libby, and slid around in the white stuff for awhile. It was quite windy!
But all the better to come in for hot chocolate.

And if the library had been open, we might have had a delay today... But, man, I had a big ole mug of snow ice cream last night and it was GOOD! I love it.

The library is getting there...it's almost here...in the meantime, check it out------

IM at your Library!

And speaking of getting there, you don't have to if you if you have a simple question over IM, say a movie you want or any library questions at all---yesiree, we have IM at the library.

My screenames follow, but all you have to do is look to the righthand side and see if I'm online.

Yahoo: anewla
AIM: nchcplangela
MSN: angelad@nchcpl.lib.in.us

More IM to come for the AV desk as well!

Library Closes for 2 Weeks

2005-11-22T17:26:00.000-08:00

Run in and check out those last books, movies and magazines you need! We will be closing for 2 weeks for the last move before the new building is complete. The New Castle-Henry County Public Library will be closed from Monday, November 28th to Sunday, December 11th. We will open our doors again on Monday, December 12th.

The good news: no late fees will be added during closing time. Very cool.

NCHCPL will also be closed on Thanksgiving - November 24th.
Enjoy the holiday and, in the meantime, here's a little Star Wars fun thanks to the Ann Arbor District Library blog:

Click on the link here to see a .gif version of Star Wars Episode IV.

Gamers: Cool Webpage for Free Online Game Searching

2005-11-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

Love to play free online games? This webpage is the perfect tool to search for these games: Millions of Games (or simply MOG) is a great for not only searching your favorite preferences--

[Jami likes games with blocks in them. We went to Millions of Games and looked at the
popular tag (keyword) cloud and saw the word 'block' in it, which linked to all the games that were labeled, or tagged, with the word 'block.']

...it also lets you tag them yourself! When you tag something on the Web, you are labeling that game (or any item, etc.) with your own keywords that describe it. How cool...I'm all about the tagging. On this webpage, tagging your games is called 'mogging.'

MOG also contains pre-set categories to search in (ex. arcade, puzzle, shooter, card, etc.).

Sure, you could go to Google and search for the games you want, but why would you when Millions of Games lets you browse by keywords that are created by the gamers themselves?

Teen Read Week results

2005-11-10T08:25:00.000-08:00

Have you read the results for teen read week voting yet? It's here at the American Library Association webpage. Nobody was surprised to see the latest Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series on the top of the list, were you?

It was cool to see an adult fiction writer like Jodi Picoult get voted on the Top Ten. It goes to show that you everyone reads from all over the place--sometimes it's not ALL about the YA books, right?

Feel free to comment on books that you thought should have made it to the top. I'd love to hear from ya.

Ever dreamt of starting over with a new identity...?

2005-10-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

Now you can experience it along with Grace Kincaid in Megan Shull's new book, Amazing Grace. (Click on the link to check our catalog for this title.) Grace Kincaid is tired of being America's "It" girl, and longs for the life of an average 15 year old. Laugh along with Grace as she starts her life over as Emily O'Brien, and finds the love, friendship, and most important of all, normalcy, she has always longed for.

Voting is now open for Teen Read Week

2005-10-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

Have you voted yet? Turn in your blue cards at the AV desk this week for a free prize. Vote for your favorite books here and also online at the Teens' Top Ten online poll by clicking on your favorite 3 books. Check back next week on the website and at your library to look at the final list. Teen Read Week ends Saturday, October 22nd.

How Rude!

2005-10-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

Those of you that missed out on Pam Mihankhah's visit to the library on Teen Etiquette, I have her handout I'm typing up for you right now. So, here is the Purdue Extension Office of Henry County's:

Ten Commandments for Good Manners

1. Thou Shall Be Thyself.
Good manners begin with a good sense of self.

2. Thou Shall Say "Thank You."
Thanking others is a way of praising them and is one of the keys to having good manners. Send thank-you notes, or express your gratitude on the phone. This simple act will be lasting relationships. When someone gives you a compliment, the best response is a simple "thank you." And don't forget "please," "excuse me," and "you're welcome," which are other marks of good manners.

3. Thou Shall Give Compliments.
A fundamental rule of good manners is to give. Think about what you can give to others, and remember that the most precious gifts cost nothing. When you meet someone, you can always think of a genuine compliment to give. A "Hello" or "How are you?" may not be enough. You can also give you undivided attention and interest to others. You can be generous with words of praise, warm greetings, sympathy, love and other good news.

4. Thou Shalt Not be Boastful, Arrogant or Loud.
5. Thou Shall Listen Before Speaking.
6. Thou Shall Speak with Kindness and Caution.
7. Thou Shall not Criticize or Complain.
8. Thou Shall be Punctual.
9. Thou Shalt Not Embarrass Others.
10. Thou Shall Act and Look your Best.

What do you think of Pam's Ten Commandments? Been slipping on your etiquette? Or are you the next Miss Manners? If you want more on manners, check out this book at the library catalog link here: How Rude! The Teenagers' Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior and Not Grossing People Out by Alex J. Packer. This book will send some Miss Manners types running! It features some hilarious gross-out stories. Check it out.

Exploring Podcasts

2005-10-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have caught a brief glimmer of podcasting and a chicklet/button to click on for iPodder --a "podcatcher" for downloads. Well, it's not happening for my blog quite yet, but I'm looking into it. As far as I can figure, Talkr is unable to turn my site feeds into podcasts. *Sigh* But I am trying to find a better way, so that you all an listen to this blog on your iPod or other mP3 players ASAP! But you can still have my blog content syndicated to you if you subscribe. The buttons under the SITE FEEDS section will help you with this fabulous feature.

UPDATE: I have since posted a Talkr button/chicklet link on the right-hand side of the page, and the blog posts are being turned into podcasts. Thanks to Talkr for commenting on this post and for helping me out! Now, anyone can listen to these blog postings via a podcast. A great way to listen on the go.

Teens' Top Ten--The Countdown is On for Teen Read Week!

2005-10-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

If you have visited the NCHCPL teen blog before, you might have noticed the link to the Teens' Top Ten on the right hand side. "What is this?," you may ask yourself...Well, The American Library Association has put together a book list of nominees created from teens across the country. During Teen Read Week, October 16th-22nd, you can vote at that ALA teen reading page and nominate your favorite books. So, check out the nominations, get your last-minute reading @ your library, and be prepared to vote during Teen Read Week!

Get Real @ your library during Teen Read Week

Don't forget to register online for all the Teen Read Week events: Tuesday, October 18th we'll be showing brand-new-to-video The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie, Thursday October 20th our local investigators will be "gettin' real" and talk about their latest lie detector testing, and Saturday is the makeup date for Mehndi (Henna Tattoos). You can get details on our calendar or call me at 765-529-0362 ext.313.

Don't Be Gross! Etiquette for Teens @ your Library

2005-10-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

When is it a bad time to be talking on a cell phone? Do you sometimes feel like you're the tacky one in the bunch? Or does someone else's rude behavior drive you bonkers? Pam Mihankhah is here next Thursday, October 13 at 7 pm to shed some light on this subject of etiquette and how it applies to your world. You can register right now on the web calendar. Come hone your manners, learn some social mores, and maybe just walk away feeling a little more comfortable in your own shoes.

Banned Books Week

2005-09-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

“[I]t’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers.”
—Judy Blume
(American Libraries Banned Books Week webpage)

Celebrate your right to read during Banned Books Week. Check out our display of teen books, help Fight for Potter! or go to more great links on intellectual freedom at the Young People's page of ALA.

Happy freedom to read!

Mehndi cancelled - Makeup date ready!

2005-09-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Mehndi has been cancelled for tomorrow, Thursday, September 29th. But, we've got a makeup date set on the calendar for Saturday, October 22nd, 12 noon. Come join us for snacks and bring your favorite designs to share! Check out information about Mehndi and henna tattooing here and here.

Posted are some pictures from our last Mehndi party during Summer Reading.

Teen events this week

2005-09-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

We'll be watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory this Wednesday at 4 pm. Come up to the Teen Room (second floor, by the AV department) for popcorn and drinks and candy, of course. Register online on our calendar. In the meantime, you might want to revisit some of your old friends on the Roald Dahl website. He's the author who wrote the book that started it all. One of my favorite books of his from my childhood is The Twits.

Have you seen the new movie yet? Is it as good as this cult classic? Show up and find out.

Also, we'll be discussing the newest Harry Potter book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Thursday night from 6-7 pm in the Teen Room. Are you still in denial as much as I am? Do you have questions that need answers? Or are you just wanting to talk about what happened? Maybe you can fill me in on some things that I've missed, or discuss predictions for the next book yet to be published. I can't wait...

Blogging Info - Mine and Yours

2005-08-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

This blog is brand spanking new, and we've just linked it to our library webpage so you all can know it truly exists out there in the blogosphere.
I will be posting some teen interests, websites, good reads, programs, and anything to note that’s teen-centric at your New Castle-Henry County Public Library.

JFTR – I welcome any comments, suggestions, opinions, requests on this blog. Just, please keep it real and keep it clean. And remember, as in real life, don’t post anything about your personal information to be safe! ATB.

Oh, you IMers may note my chat abbreviations: if you would like a list of good chat abbreviations, the best I’ve seen is from the book Blogging for Teens by John W. Gosney. It’s one of our new nonfiction books, and it’s also a great tool for making and keeping your own blog. Check it out.

Afternoon Teen Movie

2005-08-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

Check out Lindsey Lohan before she went totally platinum blonde. The movie will be playing in the future Teen Room by the Audiovisual department at 4 pm this Wednesday, August 17th.

OH yeah, the movie's based on the popular book of the same name--check it out and see if it compares. Let me know what you think.