Coming soon...Library Lovers Month!

Break out your pink and red clothing...February is just a few days away and that means that it's time for our month long celebration of National Library Lovers' Month at Socastee Library!

All month long be sure to enter our Library Lovers Gift Basket Drawing. Adults, each time you check out 3 books during February, you get a free entry to win the Gift Basket Drawing! Check out 6 books, get 2 free entries! Enter as many times as you can by close of February 28. The winner will be notified March 1.

On Friday, February 11, we will be hosting our Library Lovers' Appreciation Day. Join us for free coffee, snacks, music, and Bundles of Romance Book Sale, all starting at 10 a.m. Local classical guitarist, Dennis Sergent, will be performing from 10:30 a.m. until 12 noon. Don't miss out on the fun all month long as we give out hugs & kisses (of the Hershey's chocolate kind) at the Circulation Desk!

You can "love" your library by joining our Friends of the Socastee Library organization, donating your time to help keep our shelves clean and orderly, donating used books, or by advocating on behalf of your local library.

Be sure to check out our display of library and librarian themed books and add your comments about why you love your library to our famous Wall of Hearts!

See you then,

Kim

2011

Happy New Year!
This time last year (has it already been that long?) I wrote about getting organized, starting a new hobby, going back to school, or finding a job.
This year we have something new--you may have heard us talking about Universal Class before, but it's really a perfect tool for anyone looking to pick up a new skill, sharpen their mind, learn something out of the ordinary, or generally better themselves in the new year.
You can learn Accounting and Airbrush Tanning, Writing and Yoga (sorry, no "Z" classes!). See an A-Z list of all classes here.

To log on to Universal Class:

• Visit www.hcml.org and click "databases" in the middle of the screen
• Scroll down to "Universal Class" at the bottom of the page
• Enter your barcode and PIN if accessing from home
• Your first time in UC, create a new username and password. After that, log in to pick up where you left off.

Enjoy!

-Alan

This Just In

Thank you to everyone who made our book sale a success, from the Friends of Socastee Library volunteers who staffed the tables to the patrons who bought the books!

Speaking of books (how's that for a segue?), here are some highlights from our new non-fiction shelves:

• Southern Plate by Christy Jordan -- As someone trained to eat in the South, I can verify that these recipes are deliciously authentic. This book is unique in that it's divided into seasons: "summer days and family reunions," "the cooler days of fall," Christmas (its own eating season here), spring, and "family favorites."


• The Art of Comforting by Val Walker -- Practical, insightful advice on what to do and say during difficult times.


• Adam Smith: An Enlightened Life by Nicholas Phillipson -- According to Phillipson, Smith "saw himself as a philosopher rather than an economist and would never have predicted that the ideas for which he is now best known were his most important." A timely intellectual biography.


• Blur by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel -- Subtitle: "how to know what's true in the age of information overload." Required reading for anyone who reads websites, reads a newspaper, or watches TV.

Happy reading!

-Alan

Reminder: Patron Appreciation Day tomorrow!

...we can almost smell the delicious Cashua brewing, taste the succulent Benjamin's pastries, and hear Dennis Sergent's classical guitar.  

And what will our special, surprise book sale hold?  You'll have to come tomorrow to find out.  See you there! 

Patron Appreciation Day

Join us this Friday, December 10, for our annual Patron Appreciation Day. We will have treats from Benjamin's Bakery and coffee from Cashua Coffee all day, as well as a special book sale. In the morning we will have music from classical guitarist Dennis Sergent.

See you there!

Computer Classes Return!

I'm glad to say that computer classes are back on a regular schedule. If you or anyone you know need a course in the basics or just a refresher, join us Tuesday, December 7th, at 10:15AM for Computers for Beginners.
In this class we learn about the parts of a computer, practice using the mouse and keyboard, and learn about the Windows 7 operating system. No experience is necessary, but signup is required, so stop by the circulation desk or call today!

What's on the menu for Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. It has everything a holiday should, and nothing it shouldn't -- you get food, a day off, more food, time with family, and glorious leftovers without having to buy a single gift, send a card, or decorate. So I like it because it's probably the least-commercialized of the "major" holidays. But mainly the food.

That said, here are a few ways you can use your library to make the most of your Thanksgiving holiday:

• How to Cook a Turkey: and All the Other Trimmings -- Get the basics down first...
• The Healthy Hedonist Holidays -- ...unless you're doing something different. This is "a year of multicultural, vegetarian-friendly holiday feasts."
• Thanksgiving: the Biography of an American Holiday -- Get some background information about this uniquely American holiday's fascinating history.
• Thanksgiving: the True Story -- Don't forget something to read to the kids.
• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving -- Finally, get something to watch...
• I Love Coffee! -- while you enjoy your after-dinner coffee.
  

Click on any of the titles above to request a copy in our catalog. Happy reading/eating!
-Alan