Fall in Love with a Book (and Your Library) This Month

By KATHY McGILBERRY

You’ll find so much to love this month at McAlester Public Library you’ll want to come back again and again, like a besotted suitor. Or a stalker. We’re not judging.

In fact, we’ll even help you make a blind date this month. More than one blind date, if you want. More about that in a moment, but first here’s a quick look at some of February’s highlights.

We have a full roster of Black History Month films and programs, culminating with the local premiere of a new documentary about the Oklahoma City lunch counter sit-ins of the 1950s, and a live Q and A with the Oklahoma-born director. We have a few educational extras, like information on the Affordable Care Act and a Legal Aid class on how to make your own will. You’ll find all our regular programs, movies and book clubs for children, teens and adults. You can be a part of our new Digital Photography Group, and create photos and videos in our regular monthly “maker space.” There’s a writing contest for teens. The kids’ book club is reading “As Small as an Elephant.” History at High Noon begins February 20 and continues for six weeks, with free lunch and local history programs on a variety of subjects. You can pick up a set of four books for the spring Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma discussions, and for this series, the books are yours to keep. You can celebrate Chinese New Year with the teen group.

And then, you can go on that aforementioned library-created blind date. We are wantonly promoting “Blind Date with a Book” in February as a way to match you with a new reading experience. When you come to the library and visit the new books section, you’ll find books all wrapped up in pretty papers, disguised like Romeo and Juliet at the masquerade ball. You’ll be tantalized by a brief description on the cover. Once you get your Blind Date Book home, you can rip off the wrapping and get down to business. Return the book to the library, and let us know how you rated your date on a special “Blind Date with a Book” form. We’ll choose a prize winner from completed forms at the end of the month. The prize? Well…chocolates, of course, and maybe something extra.

Doesn’t that make your heart beat just a little bit faster?

Here’s a month’s worth of free public events, with a bit extra about the documentary premiere:

Tues., Feb. 3—Lap Sit story time, ages 3 and under, 10 and 11 a.m. (on this and every Tuesday morning); Craft Explosion for teens, 3:45 p.m.; Movie Time, ages 9-12, 3:30 p.m.

Wed., Feb. 4—Affordable Care Act info with Tabitha Bradford, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Story Time, ages 3 and up, 10 a.m. (on this and every Wednesday morning); Ellen with all the library news on KNED’s Party Line with Megan Waters, 11 a.m.

Thurs., Feb. 5—Bookies book club, discussing “Blood and Beauty” by Sarah Dunant, 1 p.m.; Game Time, ages 9-12, 3:30 p.m.; Teen Game Time, 3:45 p.m. (on this and every Thursday afternoon); Black History Month documentary, 6:30 p.m., gives historical perspective on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mon., Feb. 9—Arthouse Theater, 6 p.m., showing a 2014 indie film by writer-director Justin Simien. You might have seen the trailer for this college satire in a local theater. Rated R.

Tues., Feb. 10—Polish up those fingers and toes with Teen Lacqueristas and Lacqueristos, 3:45 p.m.; Children’s Crafts to make and take, 3:45 p.m.; Enjoy the filmed version of the Night Readers February book selection, with a Black History Month movie starring Halle Berry, 5:30 p.m.

Wed., Feb. 11—Creative Crafts for adults, making faux tin tiles, 1:30 p.m. (must register); Sci-Fi with Clout book group, discussing “The Time Machine” by H.G. Wells, 6 p.m.

Thurs., Feb. 12—Black History Month movie, 6 p.m. Jamie Foxx produced this documentary about the famed music teacher at Houston’s Kashmere High.

Sat., Feb. 14—Second Saturday Cinema, 2 p.m. Steve Carrell and Jennifer Garner are the parents in this tale of Alexander’s not-so-hot day. Rated PG.

Mon., Feb. 16—Light Readers, discussing “The Widow’s War” by Sally Cabot Gunning, 6 p.m.

Tues., Feb. 17—Friends of the Library, noon luncheon; Cooking Class, ages 9-12, 3:45 p.m.; Night Readers, discussing “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston, 6:30 p.m.

Wed., Feb. 18—Teen Cooking Class, making Oreo Balls and Savory Spinach Bites, 3:45 p.m.; SteamPunk group movie, 6 p.m. Matt Damon and Heath Ledger star as brothers who tell grim fairy tales. Rated PG-13.

Thurs., Feb. 19—Chinese New Year Celebration for teens, 3:45 p.m.

Fri., Feb. 20—History at High Noon. Miller Newman kicks off the six-week local history series with a look at “Black History of Pittsburg County.” The longtime local NAACP and community leader will share stories told to him by old-timers. Have lunch with us and learn local history.

Mon., Feb. 23—Digital Photography Group, regular meeting, 6 p.m. with a Basic Photo Tips presentation, and more. Attend and help us name this new group!

Tues., Feb. 24—Socrates Café, which usually meets on the last Tuesday of each month, is on hiatus until June 30; Great Escape book club for 4^th-5^th graders, discussing “As Small as an Elephant” by Jennifer Jacobson, 3:45 p.m.; Teen Yu-Gi-Oh group, 3:45 p.m.; Free Community Legal Education by Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, 6 p.m., with “How to Make Your Own Will.” More Legal Aid classes coming on the last Tuesday of March and April.

Wed., Feb. 25—SteamPunk book group, discussing “The Anubis Gates” by Tim Powers.

Fri., Feb. 27—History at High Noon. Retired police officer Patricia Bannister presents “The Story of Neely Factory,” the U.S. Deputy Marshal who rode with Bass Reeves. Factory is Bannister’s ancestor, and has many descendants in the area.

Sat., Feb. 28—Documentary Matinee, 2 p.m. Join us for “W.E.B. DuBois: A Biography in Four Voices.” We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again–this is one of the best documentaries you’ll ever see.

Sun., March 1—Our new photography group will be gathering on the first Sunday afternoon of every month to create photos and videos. Join us each first Sunday from 1:30-5:00 p.m.

Don’t forget, we always have free popcorn at all our movies. If you don’t see your interests represented in our lineup of activities, let us know. And be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday, March 7, when our Black History Month events spill over, just a bit, into the next month.

Film director Julia Clifford, an Ardmore native now living in Washington, is bringing her new documentary “Children of the Civil Rights” to McAlester Public Library for a free screening. Look for more details as we get closer to the event, as well as links and information on our Facebook page and Twitter feed.

Clifford will screen the documentary about the 1950s lunch counter sit-ins in Oklahoma City spurred by civil rights pioneer Clara Luper. Everything begins at 1 p.m. in the library’s Whiteacre Room. Following the film, she will answer questions about the making of the movie. Then she’s off to Tulsa’s Circle Theater for the premiere there.

As always, we hope to see you at the library.

 

 

 

 

Looking for What’s New at the Library? It’s Right Here

NEW MATERIALS AT McALESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY

JANUARY, 2015

FICTION

A Common Virtue, James A. Hawkins; 1636: The Viennese Waltz, Eric Flint, Paula Goodlett and Gorg Huff; Into a Raging Blaze, Andreas Norman; Secrets of the Dead, Simon Clark; All My Puny Sorrows, Miriam Toews; West to Bravo, Eric H. Heisner; Let Me Be Frank With You, Richard Ford; Undercover Princess, Suzanne Brockmann; Missing Reels, Farran Smith Nehme; Knot Guilty, Betty Hechtman; Dreamer’s Pool, Juliet Marillier; Bad Country, C.B. McKenzie; Murder of Harriet Krohn, Karin Fossum; Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, Rita Mae Brown; The Final Recollections of Charles Dickens, Thomas Hauser; Bed of Nails, Antonin Varenne; The Ties That Bind, Jayne Ann Krentz; Star Wars: Tarkin, James Luceno; Wink of an Eye, Lynn Chandler Willis; The Fatal Tree, Stephen R. Lawhead; Close to the Bone, Lisa Black; Sins of Our Fathers, Shawn Lawrence Otto; The Siege, Arturo Perez-Reverte; Proxima, Stephen Baxter; L.E. Modesitt, Jr., Heritage of Cyador; Safari, Parnell Hall; The Frozen Dead, Bernard Minier; Symbiont, Mira Grant; Dead But Not Forgotten, Ed. by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner; The Laughing Monsters, Denis Johnson; The Turning Season, Sharon Shinn; The Chocolate Clown Corpse, JoAnna Carl; Hope to Die: The Return of Alex Cross, James Patterson; The Skin Collector, Jeffery Deaver; Fear City: Repairman Jack, the Early Years, F. Paul Wilson; In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon, Ed. by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger; Thomas Kinkade’s Cape Light: All Is Bright, Katherine Spencer; The Paris Winter, Imogen Robertson; The Escape, David Baldacci; For Love or Liberty, Jennifer Hudson Taylor; For Love or Country, Jennifer Hudson Taylor; Emma, Mr. Knightley and Chili-Slaw Dogs, Mary Jane Hathaway; Severed Trust, Margaret Daley; Falling In, Lydia Michaels; Forty Days Without Shadow, Olivier Truc; Forever With You, Robin Jones Gunn; Emma Blooms at Last, Naomi King; The Cross-Country Quilters, Jennifer Chiaverini; Carolina Reckoning, Lisa Carter; The Preacher’s Wife, Brandi Boddie; Captivated by You, Sylvia Day; Wings of Riches, Al and Joanna Lacy; The Patmos Deception, Davis Bunn; Stealing Home, Sherryl Woods; A Name of Her Own, Jane Kirkpatrick; Beneath a Navajo Moon, Lisa Carter; Duchess, Susan May Warren; God Has Spoken, Theresa A. Campbell; Wild: The Ivy Chronicles, Sophie Jordan; False Memory, Dean Koontz; Obsidian Butterfly, Laurell K. Hamilton; Narcissus in Chains, Laurell K. Hamilton; The Morcai Battalion, Diana Palmer; Robert B. Parker’s The Bridge, Robert Knott; Vanessa and Her Sister, Priya Parmar; A Nip of Murder, Carol Miller; Moriarty, Anthony Horowitz; Rain on the Dead, Jack Higgins; The Warded Man, Peter V. Brett; The Man from Bar-20 and Johnny Nelson, Clarence E. Mulford; Aloha Rose, Lisa Carter; Call for the Dead, A Murder of Quality and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, John Le Carre;

Fire in the Blood, Erin M. Evans; Hawk, Ronie Kendig; Hush, Karen Robards; Charade, Lori Foster; Law at Angel’s Landing, Wayne D. Overholser; An Amish Second Christmas, Beth Wiseman, et al; Together for Christmas, Debbie Macomber, et al; Marble Range, Robert J. Horton; The Morcai Battalion: The Recruit, Diana Palmer; Soulminder, Timothy Zahn; The Time Roads, Beth Bernobich; Outlaws of the Brasada, Les Savage, Jr.; Warriors and Wizardry, Ed. by Sean Wallace; The Mammoth Book of Steampunk Adventures, Ed. by Sean Wallace; The Collected Stories of Frank Herbert; The King’s Deryni, Katherine Kurtz; No Fortunate Son, Brad Taylor; Saving Grace, Jane Green; A Robertson Family Christmas, Miss Kay Robertson; Industrial Magic, Kelley Armstrong; In the Cards, Jamie Beck; Lady Elect, Nikita Lynnette Nichols; The Bishop’s Wife, Mette Ivie Harrison; Woman with a Gun, Philip Margolin; The Boston Girl, Anita Diamant; Big Cherry Holler, Adriana Trigiani; Sweet Damage, Rebecca James; A Second Bite at the Apple, Dana Bate; Thief, Mark Sullivan; Lady Elect 2, Lady Arykah Reigns; The Doll’s House, Tania Carver; Go and Bury Your Dead, Bill Brooks; The Skeleton Road, Val McDermid; Blood Rubies, Jane K. Cleland; The Color Purple, Alice Walker; The Surrender Trilogy: Coming Home, Lydia Michaels; Dance with the Devil: The Devil’s Own, Book No. 1, J.D. March; The Devil in Montmartre, Gary Inbinder; Enter Pale Death, Barbara Cleverly; The Masseuse, Sierra Kincade; Jason, Laurell K. Hamilton; Anno Dracula, Kim Newman; Carbide Tipped Pens, Ed. by Ben Bova; The Strange Library, Haruki Murakami; Masterpiece Marriage, Gina Welborn; Ladies Night, Christian Keyes; Speak of the Devil, Lacha M. Scott; Plain Proposal, Beth Wiseman; The Wishing Season, Denise Hunter; The Big Finish, James W. Hall; A Song to Die For, Mike Blakely; Fifty Mice, Daniel Pyne; Rizzoli & Isles: Die Again, Tess Gerritsen; The Iris Fan, Laura Joh Rowland; Love Unexpected, Jody Hedlund; Perfect Sins, Jo Bannister; Irene, Pierre Lemaitre; Bryant & May and the Bleeding Heart, Christopher Fowler; Scorched Eggs, Laura Childs; Saint Odd, Dean Koontz; The Assassination Option, W.E.B. Griffin; Death and the Courtesan, Pamela Christie; The Preacher’s Bride Collection, DiAnn Mills, et al; The Outlaw Demon Wails, Kim Harrison; Last Days in Shanghai, Casey Walker; The Secret of Pembrooke Park; Bird Box, Josh Malerman; Betrayed, Lisa Scottoline; The Rosie Effect, Graeme Simsion; I’m Doin’ Me, Anna Black; Heart of the Sea, Nora Roberts; This Present Darkness, Frank E. Peretti; Sustenance, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro; The Job, Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg; The Cinderella Murder, Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke; White Witch, Black Curse, Kim Harrison; You Know Who Killed Me, Loren D. Estleman; The Cruiser, David Poyer; Spirit of the Wolves, Dorothy Hearst; Home of Our Hearts, Robin Jones Gunn; Collision, Mercedes Lackey, et al; Spell Bound, Kelley Armstrong; The Convert’s Song, Sebastian Rotella; Genocide of One, Kazuaki Takano; Fiendish Schemes, K.W. Jeter; The Immortals, Meluha Amish; Disclosures, Bill James; Death and the Cyprian Society, Pamela Christie

LARGE PRINT

The Lost Night, Jayne Castle; Only Enchanting, Mary Balogh; Deception Cove, Jayne Ann Krentz

GRAPHIC NOVELS

Haunted Horror, Ed. by Craig Yoe, et al; The Dresden Files: War Cry, Jim Butcher; Grandville Noel: A Detective Inspector Lebrock of Scotland Yard Scientific-Romance Thriller, Bryan Talbot; Blacksad Amarillo, Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido; Grandville Bete Noire: A Detective Inspector Lebrock of Scotland Yard Scientific-Romance Thriller, Bryan Talbot

NONFICTION; Foxcatcher: The True Story of My Brother’s Murder, John du Pont’s Madness, and the Quest for Olympic Gold, Mark Schultz with David Thomas; So, Anyway…, John Cleese; Hope, Richard Zoglin; True Love, Jennifer Lopez; The Phantom Killer: Unlocking the Mystery of the Texarkana Serial Murders, the Story of a Town in Terror, James Presley; Pay Any Price: Greed, Power, and Endless War, James Risen; Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon; California, Fodor’s Travel; American Titan: Searching for John Wayne, Marc Eliot; 41: A Portrait of My Father, George W. Bush; Top Dog: The Story of Marine Hero Lucca, Maria Goodavage; The Future of God, Deepak Chopra; Rocks: My Life In an Out of Aerosmith, Joe Perry with David Ritz; Naming Jack the Ripper: New Crime Scene Evidence, a Stunning Forensic Breakthrough, the Killer Revealed, Russell Edwards; Did She Kill Him? A Torrid True Story of Adultery, Arsenic, and Murder in Victorian England, Kate Colquhoun; The Skinnytaste Cookbook: Light on Calories, Big on Flavor, Gina Homolka with Heather K. Kones; The Complete Peanuts: 1993 to 1994, Charles M. Schulz; It’s Not About the Shark: How to Solve Unsolvable Problems, David Niven; Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future, Peter Thiel with Blake Masters; Native Americans in the American Revolution: How the War Divided, Devastated, and Transformed the Early American Indian World, Ethan A. Schmidt; The Nazis Next Door: How America Became a Safe Haven for Hitler’s Men, Eric Lichtblau; Gil Scott-Heron: Pieces of a Man, Marcus Baram; A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience, Emerson W. Baker; Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: My Life, Sophia Loren; Blue Horses: Poems, Mary Oliver; Clean Eating Freezer Meals, Tiffany McCauley; Fire Tablets: Teach Yourself Visually, Elaine Marmel; Go Add Value Someplace Else, Scott Adams; American Indians in U.S. History, Roger L. Nichols; Exploring Christian Theology: Revelation, Scripture and the Triune God, Ed. by Nathan D. Holsteen and Michael J. Svigel; The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case: Race, Law, and Justice in the Reconstruction Era, Michael A. Ross; Pin Action: Small-Time Gangsters, High-Stakes Gambling, and the Teenage Hustler Who Became a Bowling Champion, Gianmarc Manzione; Barron’s Accounting Handbook, Jae K. Shim, et al; Cat Encyclopedia: The Definitive Visual Guide, DK Publishing; Human Anatomy: The Definitive Visual Guide, DK Publishing; The Complete Book of Classic Ford F-Series Pickups: Every Model from 1948-1976, Daniel Sanchez; The New Censorship: Inside the Global Battle for Media Freedom, Joel Simon; Mandela: My Prisoner, My Friend, Christo Brand with Barbara Jones; A Royal Experiment: The Private Life of King George III, Janice Harlow; A History of War in 100 Battles, Richard Overy; The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21^st Century! Steven Pinker; The Grain-Free Family Table: 125 Delicious Recipes for Fresh, Healthy Eating Every Day, Carrie Vitt; The Lego Mindstorms EV3 Idea Book: 181 Simple Machines and Clever Contraptions, Yoshihito Isogawa; Haunted Highway: The Spirits of Route 66, Ellen Robson and Dianne Freeman; Archie: A Life Celebrated, Paul Kupperberg; Archie: The Married Life, Two Worlds, Two Loves, Two Destinies, Paul Kupperberg; Men, Laura Kipnis; Stop the Coming Civil War: My Savage Truth, Michael Savage; The Diabetes Solution: How to Control Type 2 Diabetes and Reverse Prediabetes Using Simple Diet and Lifestyle Changes, Jorge E. Rodriguez and Susan Wyler; You Can’t Make This Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Televison, Al Michaels with L. Jon Wertheim; The Deluge: The Great War, America and the Remaking of the Global Order, 1916-1931, Adam Tooze;

The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year, Andy Cohen; Citizens of the Green Room: Profiles in Courge and Self-Delusion, Mark Leibovich; Top 10 of Everything 2015, Paul Terry; Have a Happy Family by Friday: How to Improve Communication, Respect and Teamwork in Five Days, Dr. Kevin Leman; Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle, Douglas J. Emlen; Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, Nir Eyal with Ryan Hoover; Imagining Geronimo: An Apache Icon in Popular Culture, William M. Clements; The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell You, Mike Dooley; Why We Lost: A General’s Inside Account of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, Daniel P. Bolger; 49 Myths About China: Marte Kjaer Galtung and Stig Stenslie; Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble; Speed Limits: Where Time Went and Why We Have So Little Left, Mark C. Taylor; The Ethical Vision of the Bible: Learning Good from Knowing God, Peter W. Gosnell; The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League, Jeff Hobbs; Charlie Chaplin, Peter Ackroyd; Vanished: The Sixty-Year Search for the Missing Men of World War II, Wil S. Hylton; Teenagers 101: What a Top Teacher Wishes You Knew About Helping Your Kid Succeed, Rebecca Deurlein; ASVAB Premier 2015 With 6 Practice Tests, Kaplan Publishing; The Lego Book, Daniel Lipkowitz; Long-Term Care: How to Plan & Pay for It, Joseph L. Matthews; Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War, Karen Abbott; Fort Marion Prisoners and the Trauma of Native Education, Diane Glancy; Austin, San Antonio and the Hill Country, Justin Marley; Our Great Big American God: A Short History of Our Ever-Growing Deity, Matthew Paul Turner; The Handy Biology Answer book, Patricia Barnes-Svarney and Thomas E. Svarney;  China A to Z: Everything You Need to Know to Understand Chinese Customs and Culture, May-Lee Chai and Winberg Chai; Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power, Dan Hurley; The Edge of Extinction: Travels with Enduring People in Vanishing Lands, Jules Pretty; The Burn: Drop Up to 3 in 3, 5 in 5, or 10 in 10! Haylie Pomroy; Fully Alive: Discovering What Matters Most, Timothy Shriver; Super Storm: Nine Days Inside Hurricane Sandy, Kathryn Miles; Eureka! Discovering Your Inner Scientist, Chad Orzel; The Art of Asking or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help, Amanda Palmer; God’ll Cut You Down: The Tangled Tale of a White Supremacist, a Black Hustler, A Murder, and How I Lost a Year in Mississippi, John Safran; Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II, Douglas A. Blackmon; Your Guide to the Jewish Holidays: From Shofar to Seder, Cantor Matt Axelrod; Lying in Wait and Other True Cases, Ann Rule; Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How They Can Change Your Life, Eric Metaxas; Crocheter’s Skill-Building Workshop, Dora Ohrenstein; Quicken 2015 for Dummies, Stephen L. Nelson; The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition: Simple Steps You Can Take to Eat Well, Reduce Stress, and Improve Your Health, Jill Weisenberger; Soul Mind Body Science System: Grand Unification Theory and Practice for Healing, Rejuvenation, Longevity, and Immortality, Zhi Gang Sha and Rulin Xiu; Supermarket Healthy: Recipes and Know-How for Eating Well Without Spending a Lot, Melissa D’Arabian; The Kind Mama: A Simple Guide to Supercharged Fertility, a Radiant Pregnancy, a Sweeter Burth, and a Healthier, More Beautiful Beginning, Alicia Silverstone;

The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope, Austen Ivereigh; The Hot Belly Diet: A 30-Day Ayervedic Plan to Reset Your Metabolism, Lose Weight, and Restore Your Body’s Natural Balance to Heal Itself, Dr. Suhas G. Kshirsagar with Kristin Loberg; @War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex, Shane Harris; A Woman’s Guide to Diabetes: A Path to Wellness, Brandy Barnes and Natalie Strand; One-Star Reviews: The Very Best Reviews of the Very Worst Products, C. Coville; Invincible: The 10 Lies You Learn Growing Up with Domestic Violence, and the Truths to Set You Free, Brian F. Martin; Your Water Footprint: The Shocking Facts About How Much Water We Use to Make Everyday Products, Stephen Leahy; The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet, Alicia Silverstone; The Italian Americans: A History, Maria Laurino; Nolo’s Essential Guide to Child Custody and Support, Emily Doskow; Fabulous Jewelry from Findings: Chic Designs Using Spacers, Caps, Clasps, and More, Mylene Hillam; Stonewalled: My Fight for Truth Against the Forces of Obstruction, Intimidation, and Harrassment in Obama’s Washington, Sharyl Attkisson; Indians, Alcohol, and the Roads to Taos and Santa Fe, William E. Unrau; Zebulon Pike, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West, Ed. by Matthew L. Harris and Jay H. Buckley; The Illustrated Handbook of Fossils: A Practical Directory and Identification Aid to More Than 300 Plant and Animal Fossils, Steve Parker; 2015 Crafter’s Market: How to Sell Your Crafts and Make a Living, Ed. by Kelly M. Biscopink; Dear Jay, Love, Dad: Bud Wilkinson’s Letters to His Son, Jay Wilkinson; Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David, Lawrence Wright; You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: Life-Changing Lessons from Heaven, Theresa Caputo; You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes, Photographs from the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield; The Spice and Herb Bible, Ian Hemphill and Kate Hemphill; Tribal Television: Viewing Native People in Sitcoms, Dustin Tahmahkera; The Hundred Years War: A People’s History, David Green; When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II, Molly Guptill Manning; 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harkin; Money Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom, Tony Robbins; North American Railyards, Michael Rhodes; Transcendental Meditation: The Classic Text Revised and Updated, Jack Forem; Basic Illustrated Medicinal Plants, Jim Meuninck; The Pleasures of Reading: A Booklover’s Alphabet, Catherine Sheldrick Ross; The Happy Sleeper: The Science-Backed Guide to Helping Your Baby Get a Good Night’s Sleep—Newborn to School Age, Heather Turgeon and Julie Wright; The Altruistic Brain: How We Are Naturally Good, Donald W. Pfaff; The Colder War: How the Global Energy Trade Slipped from America’s Grasp, Marin Katusa; Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, Jon Meacham; Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Floyd Gottfredson; Pogo: Evidence to the Contrary: The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips, Vol. 3, Walt Kelly; For Love of Country: What Our Veterans Can Teach Us About Citizenship, Heroism, and Sacrifice, Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran; The Wedding A to Z: Everything You Need to Know and Stuff You Never Thought to Ask, Linda Hampshire and Karima El-Hakkaoui; Idiot’s Guides: Puppies, Connie Swaim and Deb Eldredge; Secrets of Ancient America: Archaeoastronomy and the Legacy of the Phoenicians, Celts, and Other Forgotten Explorers, Carl Lehrburger; The Triangle: A Year on the Ground with New York’s Bloods and Crips, Kevin Deutsch; Unagoraphobic: Overcome Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Agoraphobia for Good, Hal Mathew; Sewing to Sell: The Beginner’s guide to Starting a Craft Business, Virginia Lindsay; Epic Tomatoes: How to Select and Grow the Best Varieties of All Time, Craig LeHoullier; The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, Marie Kondo; Food: A Love Story, Jim Gaffigan

Legal Aid Plans Three Months of DIY Classes

People who want information about creating their own wills, power of attorney forms, advance directives and other legal documents should attend three free classes at McAlester Public Library in February, March and April.

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma will present free classes to the public on the final Tuesday of each month. Each class is from 6-7 p.m. in the library’s Whiteacre Room, and will be open to everyone. No advance registration is necessary.

The schedule is: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 6 p.m.—Making Your Own Will; Tuesday, March 31, 6 p.m.—Power of Attorney and Advance Directives; and Tuesday, April 28, 6 p.m.—Expungement: A Clean Record.

 

Teen Short Story Contest Opens; Nook Reader Is Prize

McAlester Public Library is sponsoring a short story contest for teens, with a Nook e-reader as grand prize.

The contest opened January 6, and deadline for entries is February 27. A winner will be announced Monday, March 23.

“Starting February 19, 2015 will be the Year of the Sheep,” noted Teen Librarian Sarah Standish. “On that day, the teen group will have a combination Game Time and Chinese New Year celebration.

“So Chinese New Year is our theme for this writing contest. Writers should incorporate it somehow into their stories.”

Chinese New Year, sometimes also known as Lunar New Year, is not limited to the country of China or people of Chinese descent, Standish said. It is celebrated in China—including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau—and by people in Vietnam, Singapore, South Korea and North Korea.

To be eligible for the contest, writers must be in 6^th-12^th grades. Employees of the Southeastern Public Library System of Oklahoma and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.

Submissions should be typewritten, double-spaced, on 8½ x 11 inch paper or submitted in comparable electronic format. Entrant’s name, mailing address and telephone number should be included on a separate page. Entries should be between four and eight pages. They must be accompanied by a signed publication release form, available at the library on the entry forms.

Entries may be dropped off at the front desk of the library, 401 N. 2^nd, or brought directly to the Teen Librarian’s desk. They may be emailed to teenlib@oklibrary.net.

Judges will come from the adult book groups at the library. Entries will be judged by how well they incorporate the theme, and on creativity, spelling and grammar.

For more information on this or any other library program, call 918-426-0930.

Free Tax Assistance at Library Begins January 26

Volunteers from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) will once again be at McAlester Public Library to offer free income tax filing assistance to area people beginning in late January.

Tax preparers will be on hand from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. every Monday beginning January 26 and continuing to April 13, except on Monday, March 16, when the library will be closed.

Three tables for tax preparers will be set up in the library’s Whiteacre Room, and one volunteer will do intake sheets at the door. All services are on the first-come, first-serve basis.

A limited number of tax forms are now available at the library, 401 N. 2^nd Street. Information Services Librarian Christopher Elliott cautions that instruction booklets and tax schedules are no longer being provided by the Internal Revenue Service due to budget constraints.

Tax filers may call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 for assistance, or call 1-800-829-3676 to request tax instructions and schedules through the mail. Forms may also be downloaded and printed from the IRS website: http://irs.gov.

For assistance with Oklahoma state taxes, or to request forms and instructions, call 1-800-522-8165 or 405-521-3160. The Oklahoma Tax Commission website is http://www.tax.ok.gov.

The Kibois Community Action agency, 609 East Peoria, will also be offering free tax assistance beginning January 23. Tax filers must make an appointment with that agency by calling 918-423-3525.

The following documents should be brought to any tax filing site:

• Government issued identification
• Last year’s tax return
• Social Security cards or other official documentation for yourself and all dependents
• Checkbook or pre-printed direct deposit information for your reloadable prepaid card showing routing number and direct deposit account number if you want to do a direct deposit of any refund(s).

Income

• W-2 from each employer
• Unemployment compensation statements
• SSA-1099 form showing the total Social Security benefits paid to you for the year, or Form RRB-1099, Tier 1 Railroad Retirement benefits
• 1099 forms reporting interest (1099-INT), dividends (1099-DIV), proceeds from sales (1099-B), as well as documentation showing the original purchase price of your sold assets
• 1099-R form if you received a pension or annuity, especially if you had a portion withheld for income tax purposes
• 1099-MISC form showing any miscellaneous income

Payments You will need to bring all forms and canceled checks indicating federal and state income tax paid (including quarterly estimated tax payments).

Deductions Most taxpayers have a choice of taking either a standard deduction or itemizing their deductions. If you have a substantial amount of deductions, you may want to itemize. You will need to bring the following information:

• 1098 form showing any home mortgage interest
• Receipts or canceled checks for medical/dental expenses (including doctor and hospital bills and medical insurance premiums), receipts for prescription medicines, costs of assisted living services and bills for home improvements, such as ramps and railings for people with disabilities
• Receipts for contributions to charity
• Receipts or canceled checks for all tax income and property taxes you paid, as well as records of tax refunds

Credits

• Dependent care provider information (name, employer ID or Social Security number)
• Receipts, canceled checks or 1099 forms related to continuing education

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Information

Be sure to bring relevant documents with you to prove you are in compliance with the ACA. You will need one of the following:

• Documentation proving health care coverage for you, your spouse and all your dependents
• Information indicating that you were covered for at least nine months of the year
• Form 1095-A (which you will receive by Jan. 31, 2015) if you purchased insurance through the Marketplace/Exchange
• Documentation of a Health Care Exemption received from the IRS or the Marketplace/Exchange

 

 

Spring Book Series Focuses on Rights vs. Society

Spring ‘Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma’ Series

Will Examine Individual Rights vs. Social Needs

Inalienable rights. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Since Thomas Jefferson wrote those words in the Declaration of Independence, their meaning has been subject to conflicting interpretations, and even violent disagreement, as Americans seek to create a more perfect society.

Readers who participate in the Spring 2015 reading and discussion series Individual Rights and Community in America at McAlester Public Library will get the chance to reconsider and refine their own interpretations of those famous phrases by studying and discussing four books that illustrate the theme.

Beginning in March with a look at Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America and continuing until April, the latest Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma (LTAIO) series will examine historical record, Shakespearean drama, philosophy and American fiction in an attempt to better illustrate the conflicts between individual rights and society’s demands.

All sessions are from 6-8 p.m. in the library’s Whiteacre Room.

The books, schedule and presenters will be:

*Thursday, March 12—Dr. Rex Morrell of Tishomingo will present Tocqueville’s magnum opus.

*Thursday, March 26—Dr. Kenneth Hada of East Central University in Ada will present the Shakespearean drama Coriolanus.

*Thursday, April 9—Dr. William Hagen of Shawnee will present The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

*Thursday, April 23—Dr. Lewis Parkhill of Tishomingo will present The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Books, services and other materials for this series are provided by LTAIO, a project of the Oklahoma Humanities Council, with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Funding for this series was provided by grants from the Inasmuch Foundation and Kirkpatrick Family Fund.

Local funding for the twice-yearly LTAIO programs is provided by McAlester Friends of the Library. For the book events, each evening begins with a scholarly presentation by a visiting professor, followed by a light supper and group discussion.

“Already, over 20 sets of books have been taken by members of the community,” said Assistant Librarian Kathy McGilberry, LTAIO project director. “But we have quite a few additional sets of books ready to go. For this series only, participants may keep the books, courtesy of the library and the OHC.”

In addition to book discussions, participants may attend four documentary and movie screenings that further amplify the series theme. The film schedule will be:

*Thursday, March 5—A documentary by French philosopher Alain de Botton examines modern nations and their social hierarchies. The film, created as a companion piece to Botton’s book Status Anxiety, quotes liberally from Democracy in America. For this film only, start time is 5:30 p.m. All other films begin at 6 p.m. in the library’s Whiteacre Room, and free popcorn is available.

*Thursday, March 19—Ralph Fiennes was both star and director for the 2011 film that retells the Shakespearean play Coriolanus. Gerard Butler also stars.

*Thursday, April 9—A 2009 documentary uses the voices of typical Americans as they consider the challenges of modern society. This film was selected to illustrate some of the concepts in Rousseau’s The Social Contract.

*Thursday, April 23—The 1934 movie version of Hawthorne’s classic tale of social ostracism and community morality stars Colleen Moore as Hester Prynne.

“Our Let’s Talk group has been praised by visiting scholars as one of the most active and engaged in the state,” McGilberry said. “This group in recent years has brought its attention and expertise to similar themes on the American and French Revolutions. I’m certain this series will be another challenging and rewarding experience for all who participate.”

Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of OHC or NEH.

To pick up a free set of books to read and keep, visit the library at 401 N. 2^nd. Brochures and supplemental information sheets from visiting scholars are also available. For more information on this or any other library program, call 918-426-0930.

 

 

New Books, New Books, New Books! (New Movies, Too)

NEW MATERIALS ADDED AT McALESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY IN DECEMBER, 2104

FICTION

War Comes to Big Bend, Zane Grey; Jingo Street, Sharon Ervin; Born at Dawn, Nigeria Lockley; Flawbulous, Shana Burton; The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga; Willful Child, Steven Erikson; The Laws of Murder, Charles Finch; With This Ring, Allison Hobbs; Raptor 6, Ronie Kendig; One Night Promised, Jody Ellen Malpas; Magic Rises, Ilona Andrews; Breaking Out, Lydia Michaels; Motherless, Erin Healy; Annie’s People, Beverly Lewis; A Play of Shadow, Julie E. Czerneda; Magic Bleeds, Ilona Andrews; Magic Strikes, Ilona Andrews; A Windswept Promise, Brandi Boddie; The Phantom Coach, Michael Sims; Mermaids in Paradise, Lydia Millet; The Job, Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg; Mount Misery, Angelo Peluso; Put a Ring on It, Allison Hobbs; The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, Hilary Mantel; The Secrets of Silk, Allison Hobbs; The Girl Next Door, Ruth Rendell; Far as the Eye Can See, Robert Bausch; Sweet Sunday, John Lawton; A New York Christmas, Anne Perry; Bared to You, Sylvia Day; A Dream of Home, Amy Clipston; Blue Labyrinth, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child; The Mistletoe Promise, Richard Paul Evans; The Forgers, Bradford Morrow; Citizens Creek, Lalita Tademy; Little Altars Everywhere, Rebecca Wells; At Bluebonnet Lake, Amanda Cabot; Family Furnishings: Selected Stories, 1995-2014, Alice Munro; Revival, Stephen King; One Night Denied, Jodi Ellen Malpas; Coming Home, Jack McDevitt

NONFICTION

Ghosts and the Spirit World: True Cases of Hauntings and Visitations from the Earliest Records to the Present Day, Paul Roland; The Practical Preppers Complete Guide to Disaster Preparedness, Scott Hunt; The Essential Guide to Cultivating Mushrooms, Stephen Russell; The Last Dust Storm, Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel; India, Eyewitness Travel; Make: Rockets, Mike Westerfield; Judaism: A Very Short Introduction, Norman Solomon; Los Angeles, with Disneyland and Orange County, Fodor’s Travel; Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl, Albert Marrin; The Ultimate Guide to Deer Hunting: Skills, Tactics and Techniques, Ed. by Jay Cassell; The Fortunes of Africa: A 5,000-Year History of Wealth, Greed, and Endeavor, Martin Meredith; Leaning on a Legacy: The WPA in Oklahoma, Marjorie Barton; Asperger Syndrome: The Oasis Guide, Advice, Inspiration, Insight, and Hope, from Early Intervention to Adulthood, Patricia Romanowski Bashe; The Prepper’s Workbook: Checklists, Worksheets and Home Projects to Protect Your Family from Any Disaster, Scott B. Williams and Scott Finazzo; Motherhood Smotherhood: Fighting Back Against the Lactivists, Mompetitions, Germophobes, and So-Called Experts Who Are Driving Us Crazy, J.J. Keith; American Conspiracy Theories, Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent; The Complete Joy of Home Brewing, Charlie Papazian; The Devils’ Alliance: Hitler’s Pact with Stalin, 1939-1941, Roger Moorhouse; The Woman I Wanted to Be, Diane von Furstenberg; 101 Things That Fly: Tons of Projects for All Day Fun, Popular Mechanics; U.S. Army Survival Manual, Revised & Updated by Col. Peter T. Underwood, USMC Ret.; Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks, Dick Cavett; Possibilities, Herbie Hancock with Lisa Dickey; Sky Loom: Native American Myth, Story and Song, Ed. by Brian Swann; Apps for Librarians: Using the Best Mobile Technology to Educate, Create and Engage, Nicole Hennig; Bugs, Bogs, Bats, and Books: Sharing Nature with Children Through Reading, Kathleen T. Isaacs; Science…for HER! Megan Amram; Disney During World War II: How the Walt Disney Studio Contributed to Victory in the War, John Baxter; Raspberry Pi User Guide, Eben Upton and Gareth Halfacree; The Supplement Handbook: A Trusted Expert’s Guide to What Works and What’s Worthless for More Than 100 Conditions, Mark Moyad with Janet Lee; The Everything Investing in Your 20s and 30s Book, Joe Durate; Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, Timothy Keller; The Everything Parent’s Guide to Teenage Addiction: A Comprehensive and Supportive Reference to Help Your Child Recover from Addiction, Edward Lynam and Ellen Bowers; Marco Polo: The Journey That Changed the World, John Man; The Mystery of the Shemitah: The 3000-Year-Old Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future, the World’s Future…and Your Future! Jonathan Cahn; The History of Rock ‘N’ Roll in Ten Songs, Greil Marcus; Harry Harrison! Harry Harrison1 A Memoir, Harry Harrison; The Lives of Chang and Eng: Siam’s Twins in Nineteenth-Century America, Joseph Andrew Orser; Mayo Clinic’s Going Gluten-Free: Essential Guide to Managing Celiac Disease and Related Conditions, Joseph A. Murray; Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace, Anne Lamott; Shackleton: By Endurance We Conquer, Michael Smith; First Seals: The Untold Story of the Forging of America’s Most Elite Unit, Patrick K. O’Donnell; Self-Hypnosis, Synthia Andrews; Jason and the Argonauts, Apollonius of Rhodes; Jamaica, Paul Clammer; Captive Paradise: A History of Hawaii, James L. Haley; Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard on You? George Clifton with Ben Greenman; Tote-Ally Amazing Bags: 30 Quick and Easy Bags to Make for All Occasions, Helen Angharad Henley; Seventeen Ultimate Guide to College: Everything You Need to Know to Walk Onto Campus and Own It! Ann Shoket and the Editors of Seventeen; The Wild Cat Book, Fiona Sunquist and Mel Sunquist; Berkeley Breathed’s Outland: The Complete Library, Sunday Comics 1989-1995; Berkeley Breathed’s Opus: The Complete Library, Sunday Comics 2003-2008; Not My Father’s Son: A Memoir, Alan Cuming; Oklahoma’s Indian New Deal, Jon S. Blackman; Until You Are Dead Dead Dead: The Hanging of Albert Edwin Batson, Jim Bradshaw and Danielle Miller; A Child Called “It:” One Child’s Courage to Survive, Dave Pelzer; The American Cardinal: The Biography of Cardinal timothy Dolan, Christina Boyle; Culture and Customs of the Choctaw Indians, Donna L. Akers; The End of Suffering, Joseph F. Girzone; Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East, Gerard Russell; As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, Cary Elwes with Joe Layden; Digging for Richard III: The Search for the Lost King, Thames & Hudson; Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans, Gary Krist; 33 Artists in 3 Acts, Sarah Thornton; No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy Seal, Mark Owen; Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, Bryan Stevenson; Shake Puppies, Carli Davidson; Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5, Steven P. Shelov and Tanya Remer Altmann; Jeter Unfiltered, Derek Jeter and Christopher Anderson; Wiring a House, Rex Cauldwell; Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual, Reader’s Digest; The Doctor’s Diet Cookbook: Tasty Meals for a Lifetime of Vibrant Health and Weight Loss Maintenance, Travis Stork and Leda Scheintaub; Frontier Fare: Recipes and Lore from the Old West, Sherry Monahan; Knock ‘em Dead Resumes, Martin Yate; Daily Painting: Paint Small and Often to Become a More Creative, Productive, and Successful Artist, Carol Marine; Ready to Write! 100 Tips & Strategies for Developing Fine-Motor Skills to Help Young Students Build a Strong Foundation for Handwriting, Scholastic Books; The Mini Farming Bible: The Complete Guide to Self-Sufficiency on ¼ Acre, Brett L. Markham

 

AUDIO BOOKS

Lookout Hill, Ralph Cotton, Read by George Guidall; Bloody Sunday, William H. Johnstone with J.A. Johnstone, Read by Jack Garrett; Wildfire, Zane Grey, Read by Pete Bradbury; Valley of Fire, Johnny D. Boggs, Read by Tom Stechschulte; Brimstone Trail, Marcus Galloway, Read by Kevin Orton; The Family Jensen/Massacre Canyon, William A. Johnstone with J.A. Johnstone, Read by Jack Garrett; Dead but Not Forgotten: Stories from the World of Sookie Stackhouse Ed. by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner, Read by Johanna Parker and Charlaine Harris; The Escape, David Baldacci, Read by Ron McLarty with Orlagh Cassidy; Flesh and Blood, Patricia Cornwell, Read by Lorelai King; Mr. Bones, Paul Theroux, Read by Garrick Hagon, Tim Flavin Jennifer Woodward and Vince Pirillo; Valley of Outlaws, Max Brand, Read by Steven Menasche; Utah Blaine, Louis L’Amour, Read by Craig Klein; Tucker, Louis L’Amour, Read by Michael Crouch; The Last of the Plainsmen, Zane Grey, Read by Jim Roberts; Crossfire Trail, Louis L’Amour, Read by Jason Culp

 

DVD MOVIES, DOCUMENTARIES, TV SHOWS

Corey Holcomb: Your Way Ain’t Working!; Bionic Woman: Season 2; Mrs. Doubtfire; Marty; The Gravedancers; The Warriors; Land Girls, Series 2; A Dennis the Menace Christmas; It’s Better to Jump

Lake Mungo; Happy Days, Fourth Season; H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer; Windrunner: A Spirited Journey; The Sign of the Beaver; The Legend of Tillamook’s Gold; Burning the Future: Coal in America; The Six Wives of Henry VII; Frozen World: The Story of the Ice Age; First Christmas: Musical Adventures in Space; The Emergence of Modern America: The Gilded Age; Spirit Bear; Black Sunday; Midnight Express; Great Indian Leaders & Nations; Just Walk: 5 Mega Miles; Jeepers Creepers; The American President; Bicentennial Man; Doctor Who: Warriors of the Deep, the Peter Davidson Years 1982-1984; Red Planet; Angela’s Ashes; Alone for Christmas; You, Me and Them, Series 1; The Scalphunters; Cimarron Strip, the Complete Series; The Paradise; Sacagawea: Heronie of the Lewis and Clark Journey; The Andy Griffith Show, the Complete Second Season; The Last Legion; Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss