Summer Reading Program

The Hartshorne Library is gearing up for an exciting Summer. In order to keep kids reading throughout the summer we are hosting Children's and Teen Summer Reading Programs. This year's theme is Catch the Reading Bug and Metamorphisis. Ages for the children's program are Preschool to 5th. Teens should be from 6th to 12th. There will be performers, prizes and plenty of fun. For the schedule click here.

Free Homework Help!!

Free Homework Help at the Hartshorne Public Library

Now Students can connect to Expert Tutors
via the Internet at the Hartshorne Public Library
Hartshorne, OK – April 1, 2008 - Children and teenagers in Hartshorne, OK never have to be stumped by a tough homework assignment again! Students from 4th grade to 12th grade, and in introductory-level college courses, can simply visit the Hartshorne Public Library or the library’s Web site, www.hartshorne.lib.ok.us to get on-demand, free help from qualified tutors. The Hartshorne Public Library now offers Live Homework Help™, an online tutoring service from Tutor.com™ that connects students to expert tutors (at no charge) in math, science, social studies, and English via the Internet. Spanish-speaking tutors are available to help students in math and science.
Free Help in Core Subjects
This free service allows students to connect to an expert tutor either from the Hartshorne Public Library or from their home PC or Mac with a library card, 7 days a week from 2pm to 9pm and receive homework help from a live tutor via the Internet. Live Homework Help is easy to use. Children and teens simply go to the library’s Web site, click on the Live Homework Help link and then enter their grade level and the subject they need help in. In just a few minutes, students are connected to a tutor in an Online Classroom for one-to-one help in math (elementary, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus), science (elementary, earth science, biology, chemistry, physics), social studies (American history, world history, political science), and English (spelling, grammar, essay writing, book reports).
“We believe that Live Homework Help will have a significant positive impact on the success of our young people, and will remind them to turn to the library as a learning and research resource for years to come.”
Learn from Expert Tutors in an Online Classroom
Students and tutors can review specific homework questions, as well as subject-specific concepts using features such as controlled chat, an interactive white board and shared Web browsing in the Online Classroom. Tutors can type math equations using a special math tool, share educational Web sites and much more for a rewarding learning experience. All tutors are certified teachers, college professors, professional tutors, graduate, or under graduate school students from across the country. Tutor.com has more than 1,800 tutors available to work with kids when they need help most. Every tutor is certified by Tutor.com and has completed a third party background check.

New databases

We are proud to bring you 3 new databases. They are powered be Ebsco and brought to you by SEPLSO. They are "Home Improvement Reference Center", "Auto Repair Reference Center", and the "Small Engine Repair Reference Center", They are available on any SEPLSO public computer and remotely with your SEPLSO library card. You can access them from our database page on Hartshorne Library's website, www.hartshorne.lib.ok.us or the Seplso system's website, www.sepl.lib.ok.us. CHECK IT OUT!!

Playaways

Hartshorne Library is proud to announce that the first of our playaways are beginning to arrive. A Playaway is a MP3 player that is downloaded with a book. This book is unabridged. This is an appealing format for young people. Also walkers, joggers, and even drivers. This eliminates CD's and the need for bulky equipment. Please come in and check-it-out!!

What's New

We now have new tile in our library's meeting room. It looks really nice. Thanks to Barney Rosso for his hard work in getting the money and Chesapeake for their generousity. We painted the walls so it looks all fresh and new.

Painting

We painted our meeting room. It looks really good. We are getting some new tile installed soon. It will look great. I hope everyone gets to come and see it when it is done. We will have before and after pics when it's done.
Our New Year has not started out well, but we are ever hopeful. Cindy's father is home recuperating after his heart attack. Cindy is doing better after her bout with illness. I'm just living day to day. Amber is ever the optimist.

Oklahoma Author to visit Hartshorne Library

Friends of the Hartshorne Library, Inc. will host an author’s book signing on Saturday, December 8 at the Hartshorne Library from 11:30 until 2:30 with a reading by the author at approximately 1:00 p.m.
This year’s selected author is John Brooks of Oklahoma City, perhaps better known as the “Voice” of the University of Oklahoma Basketball and Football radio networks for 16 years and the “Voice” of the Oklahoma City Blazers and San Diego Gulls professional hockey teams for 28 seasons.
Brooks’ children’s book is titles “Bobby Bright’s Greatest Christmas Ever” and is the story of a talking Christmas tree light bulb. Being a storyteller by nature and a sportscaster by profession, Brooks’ creative skills took over and Bobby bright emerged.
Bobby and his light family speak their own special language called Bulbese. At the factory, Bobby received a special power that also enabled him to understand humans. It became his role to translate for all the other lights on the tree. For nine years Bobby and his family were relegated to the back side of a family’s Christmas tree. On the tenth year, through a set of circumstances, they were placed on the front of aa tree and magical things begin to happen.
In addition to the brightly colored cover, the 126-page book features nine pieces of art. Five of the artists who worked on the book are all former animated illustrators with either Walt Disney, Hannah Barbera or Warner Brothers.

Ready for Halloween

Amber and Cathy ready for the ghost and goblins. Trick or treat.

Hard Times Day

Last Saturday was Hard Times Day in Hartshorne. There were games, booths, a quilt display, even a band. It seemed like the old days with everyone downtown. Our Friends group held a big book sale that was a great success. We thank all the people that helped run the sale and those that donated books for it. A special thanks to Jim Kurilko and Una Angleli. Also, thank you to Virginia Barlow.

The Hartshorne Garden Club decorated our meeting room with old depression items and flowers. They served refreshments. We always appreciate them using our meeting room for all there meetings and displays.

Clyde Wooldridge visits library

The Friends of the Library had a general meeting Sunday. The keynote speaker was Clyde Wooldridge, local historian. He spoke of the coal mining in the area. He is writing a book on the subject. It is very interesting to here him speak of events and people of that era. He told stories about the correlation between the coal mines and the railroad. He told how at one time this area was a booming metropolis. He told stories of McAlester, Haileyville, Hartshorne, Gowen and Wilburton. I would like to thank him for his donation of the book "McAlester: The Capital of Little Dixie" to the library. And again we would like to thank him for coming to our meeting and hope that he will consider coming again sometime.

Vandalism at the library

Sometime over the weekend the Hartshorne Library was vandalized. Someone threw rocks at the windows at the back of the library putting two large holes in a couple of the windows. There are a couple of nicks in other windows. As of now we do not know who it was, although I have a couple of suspects. I think that it is a shame that someone would do something like that. We don't know if it was retaliation or just meaness. More than likely we will never know, but it makes me sad.

Landscaping

Some much needed Landscaping was done to the Library. After we weeded and cleaned the beds out we planted some new plants, bought with donations. We trimmed up the other plants and mulched the beds. This was a job long overdue. Hopefully this will help to cut down on people using the beds as trash cans. Also, it will make it easier to clean. We are right on main street and it had become an eyesore.

Books, Books, Books!!

I am weeding our Fiction Section so we have lots of books for sale. The hardbacks are selling for 1.00 and the paperbacks .50. If you are looking for a good read please come and support the library.

Literary Reference Center

A New database has been added to our Ebsco subcription. The Literary Reference Center (LRC) is a highly graphical interface intended for public, academic and high school libraries. The primary goal of LRC is to assist high school and undergraduate English and Humanities students with homework and research assignments of a literary nature. We are proud to have this new database. It is available only in the library. If you need help finding it please ask the librarian.

New Geneaology Database

Heritage Quest is our new geneaology database. This is in addition to our Ancestry Plus Library edition. Those that are interested in finding their roots or just intersted in the past need to checkk out both of these databases. While you are on the database page take a look at all the online resources that the library has to offer.
Also on the Kids' page and the Teen Page there are databases geared towards them. We offer Sirs Discoverer, Kids Search as well as Tumble books.

Centennial Committee to meet again.

The Oklahoma Centennial Planning Committee will meet at the Library on Sunday the 25th at 2:00 p. m. Hope to see everyone there.

New Antique Database

We have added a new database on our website. It is P4A. It can be accessed through the library only. This site has resources to find almost any type of antiques you may be looking for, or the value of something you may already have. Ninety percent of their database records come from "live" sales for a better marketing environment. Come in and check it out!

Centennial Celebration Planning Session

Representatives of local civic organizations and members of the general public interested in celebrating Oklahoma's 100th birthday and recognizing Hartshorne's 110th year are invited to attend a meeting that will be held at the Hartshorne Public Library on Sunday March 18th at 2:00 pm. For information contact Virginia Barlow at 297.3432

Library Supporters Asked To Contact Legislators

Oklahoma library supporters have launched an effort to get increased state aid for the state's libraries. Flyers asking "What would you buy with $2.50?" are being distributed. The flyers note that increased state aid of $2.50 per person per year amounts to either a "cafe latte" at the local coffee shop, or better library services for all of Oklahoma.State aid to public libraries has averaged 50 cents per person for the past 20 years, the group notes, while the cost of materials and services has skyrocketed. No new taxes are required to increase the state aid to $2.50 per capita; funding can come from existing state revenues that have increased this year.State aid is used to meet particular needs of each library and community. Some libraries use the funds to purchase materials, while others upgrade computers, begin wireless services or provide more educational programs for children.Those who support the move for increased state library aid are being asked to call or email their legislators. The Oklahoma lawmakers can be reached at 405-521-2711 or 1-800-522-8506. The website is here.

Welcome new Amber Dalpaos

Hartshorne Library is happy to welcome our new part time employee, Amber Dalpaos. We hope that she will enjoy working here for a long time. Please, say hi to her when you visit the library.