Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Movie based on Book


The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she's sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters. "From the Hardcover edition." Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.
For Information on the movie please click on the link
City if Ember

Friday, September 26, 2008

Hard Time's Day


The Hartshorne Library is a very good place to visit on “Hard Times Day”. We have a lot material to check out and view about “The Great Depression”, in both adult and children’s books to videos and even music that was popular. Some books include the classic “Grapes of Wrath”, by John Steinbeck (also available on DVD) and ”Water for Elephants”, by Sara Gruin, a book about circuses in the 1930’s. In adult non-fiction available for check out are “Hard Times: an oral history of the Great Depression”, by Studs Terkel , “The Coming of the Third Reich”, by Richard Evans and “Rising in the West: the true story of an "Okie" family from the Great Depression through the Reagan years”, by Dan Morgan, to name just a few.
Children’s books include the award winning “Bud, not Buddy”, by Christopher Paul Curtis, “Potato: a tale of the Great Depression”, by Kate Leid, and Esperenza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan, a story about a young girl that immigrates with her Mother from Mexico during the Depression. There is also the American Girl Series about “Kit”, a girl growing up in the Depression. Oklahoma books include Hillback to Boggy”, by Jesse Willard Speer” A family struggles for survival, during the Great Depression, in a tent in the hills of Oklahoma and “Out of the Dust”, by Karen Hesse, a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression.
We also have the American “Cinderella Man” a great video selection.
In our reference materials there are many books on Hartshorne, dating back to before the depression, including the Hartshorne Sun on microfilm to a fine book “Dusky Diamond Fields” with pictures and stories. We have a DVD to view in the library, about a local artist, Linus Bailey, It is a homemade video with him showing paintings he drew from memory of his childhood in the 1930’s. This video is great, because not only do you get to see his paintings he tells stories about that time.
Our library also offers two on-line services to help anyone looking for their “roots”. These are free to use in the library, with a library card.
Come Check Us Out!!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Charlotte??


Never seen a spider like this one.
The spider species Argiope aurantia is commonly known as the Black and Yellow Garden Spider or Writing Spider. It is common to the lower 48 of the United States, southern Canada, Mexico, and Central America. They have distinctive yellow and black markings on their abdomens and a mostly white cephalothorax. Males range from 5 to 9 mm; females from 19 to 28 mm. Like other members of Argiope and almost all other spider species, they are considered harmless to humans.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Library Cats


We had some visitors the other morning. These cats live next door in a abandoned house. The decided to enjoy the cool weather. There are three kittens even though only two are visible. When they moved we saw a grey tabby. I have no idea where it is.

Leaky Roof


Water water everywhere!! Our roof finally started leaking seriously. It has some minor leaks, but this was a real gusher. I arrived and found a pool of water in the lobby. Several books, thankfully they were weeded books, were ruined. We also lost a few ceiling tiles. The city workers came and temporarily "fixed" the roof. Hopefully we will get a more long lasting "fix" soon. We decided to take advantage and watered a few plants. I guess some good comes out of everything.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Live Homework Help


Live Homework Help, a free service to all library patrons, has expanded grade levels

Hartshorne – June 26, 2008 – Hartshorne Library is pleased to announce that as of August 1, 2008, families with young children, and adults seeking to support their studies or improve their math or grammar skills, will all have experts waiting to help on the Library’s website.

Expanding one-to-one online tutoring and homework help to more students is a natural next step for the library as we continue to find new ways to serve everyone in the community. Parents are teaching younger children to use the computer, to learn and explore their world, just as adults turn to technology to help them with everything from GED preparation to resume writing.

Addition of K-3 Enhances Library Support of Early Learners
Parents who bring their young children to the library’s Live Homework Help service expose them to rich learning resources, increase the child’s ability to succeed in computer literacy and provide practice for fine motor skills.

The Library Supports Adult Learners Online
Adults have always come to the library for assistance with research, earning their GED and other Adult Continuing Education support—as well as grammar help with their resume or work-related writing. Now you may connect to a live expert online, either on the library’s computers during library hours, or from the privacy of your home computer until 9:00 p.m.

How it Works
Anyone with a library card may log-on to www.hartshorne.lib.ok.us , go to the Live Homework Help link, select a grade level from K – 12, College Intro, or Adult Learner, and pick from one of 12 subjects, depending on your grade level. You will then enter an Online Classroom where a certified subject expert tutor will work with you in a chat window, on a drawing board, and through website and file sharing, to resolve your educational challenge.

The service is available from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily. The library’s live, online service is provided by Tutor.com, the largest online tutoring company with more than 2,000 certified, background checked tutors. Tutor.com recently won a Parent’s Choice Gold Award, their highest honor. Hartshorne Library has been serving the community’s students with this award-winning resource since May, 2008 and we are pleased to now add early learners and adult learners to those benefitting from this excellent service.

To learn more, stop by Hartshorne Library, call us at 918.297.2113, or visit www.hartshorne.lib.ok.us


Contact:

Cathryn Tucker
tucker@sepl.lib.ok.us

Visitors to the Library

We had visitors this month. Olga Tarasova, editor and chief of the magazine entitled “Russian American Business”, from Norman, Ok and her husband and co-worker came to see the SS Cyril and Methodius Russian Orthodox Church. They had called a few days before and asked for contact information. They came down and toured the church, and then visited the library. We were very happy to have them in our library and were able to give a lot of information on the church.

Monday, June 09, 2008

Vandalism

More vandalism over the weekend at the libary. A group of kids? spray painted obscenities on the windows and doors. This is and embarressment to the community. We have had it cleaned up and it left no permenant damage, however it will leave a mistrust in us. We do not know who did it, but now we are suspicious of everyone. The library has gone out of its way to a safe and fun place for everyone. Yes, sometimes we have had to discipline, but that is a last resort when no other measures have been successful. Hopefully, the community will help in seeing that this does not become a ongoing problem. I am sad and disgusted.

Cathy
Librarian

Thursday, May 01, 2008

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.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

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.

Friday, March 14, 2008

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!!

Friday, February 15, 2008

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.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

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.

Monday, November 26, 2007

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.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Thursday, October 18, 2007

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.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

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.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

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.