Up on the Roof

A WORKER installs a new fiber optic cable on the roof of McAlester Public Library this week. The new line will mean faster internet speeds for the library.

Two Contests Underway for Teens

Following the successful completion of a contest for Teen Read Month in October, Teen Librarian Sarah DiLorenzo has launched two more contests for young library patrons.

A “Wrestlemania Reading Challenge” could net $2000 for the library and a trip to WrestleMania25 for a winning young adult in grades 5-12. The reading challenge ends January 12.

The other contest, a Manga/Anime Drawing Contest, will accept entries through Dec. 6, with winners getting free manga and anime drawing books.

Teen patron Allie won the October Teen Read Month challenge drawing. Her prizes were five Sequoyah Award nominee books and a bag of Halloween treats. The drawing was held on Halloween.

Flyers with all the details and rules of the two ongoing contests are available at the front desk or in the teen section.

Beautiful Things Come Out of Crafts Workshop

Five of the eight participants in a fall crafts workshop at McAlester Public Library show off the autumn wreaths that were created Wednesday afternoon. Another crafts workshop is planned for December. The date, time and project will be announced at the end of November. Pick up an events calendar at the front desk to stay up-to-date on library events, and of course, check this blog often. There’s always something going on at the library.

National Gaming Day, Other Events in November

National Gaming Day will be Saturday, Nov. 15 and McAlester Public Library will host a day of video, board and card games to mark the occasion, joining hundreds of libraries throughout the country for the first-time event, suitable for the whole family.

 During National Gaming Day, libraries will provide a social gaming experience not found elsewhere in the community. Many libraries will participate in two events: a national video game tournament and an attempt to establish a record for the largest number of library patrons playing the board game “Pictureka!” at the same time.

 “Libraries are becoming family destinations, and are continuously offering new formats and innovative programs and services that educate, entertain and expend interaction with their users,” said Sarah DiLorenzo, Teen Librarian. “Gaming is yet another example of how libraries are becoming more than just educational resources for the communities that they serve. They are also places where users of all ages are welcome to have fun together.”

 Saturday’s local activities will include four video game consoles set up in three different rooms, to be played all day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The video gaming will include a Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament beginning at 2 p.m. in the Whiteacre Room East.

There will also be 15 board games and three role-playing card games available.

National Gaming Day at the library is a national initiative supported by the American Library Association, with sponsorships from Hasbro, Top Trumps and Wizards of the Coast. For more information, visit www.ala.org, or the library at 401 N. 2nd.

Other November activities at the library include tonight’s Arthouse theater (on Monday, Nov. 10), when there will be a screening of an animated fantasy, rated PG, at 6:30 p.m. in the Whiteacre East.

On Nov. 11, the library will be closed for Veterans Day. Then on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 2:30 p.m., a free fall craft workshop will be held. Participants who signed up for the workshop will leave with a harvest wreath for their homes. 

The last of the “Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma” movies will be screened at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13.  The feature won the 2004 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, and tells the story of a girl who is disguised as a boy during the reign of the Taliban in Afghanistan. It’s rated PG-13.

 It’s a three-fer on Tuesday, Nov. 18, when the Friends of the Library meet for their noon luncheon; Children’s Librarian Anita Ross hosts Family Fun Night in the Whiteacre at 5:30 p.m.; and Night Readers meet at 6:30 in the Conference Room to discuss “The Uses of Enchantment” by Heidi Julavits. Plus, the group will be making final choices for January-June 2009 books.

Earlier this month, Bodacious Bookes met to select books for 2009. Among the choices were a Tony Hillerman mystery for January; “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire for February; “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult for March; and “Marley and Me” for April.

 The season’s final “Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma” will be Thursday, Nov. 20 from 6-8 p.m. and features audience favorite Lewis Parkhill and the book “Arabian Jazz” by Diane Abu-Jaber.  

“Ben X,” an independent film from Belgium, tells the story of an autistic teen who escapes bullies through his favorite video game. It’s the third offering in the new monthly independent film showcase, and it is set for 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24.  

Pick up a calendar at the front desk so you won’t forget a thing. Interested in the activities for teens? Check Teen Librarian Sarah DiLorenzo’s calendar, or the website.

 The library will be be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 27-28, then back for regular hours on Saturday. Happy Thanksgiving!