Thursday, May 29, 2014

Our apologies.................

We would like to apologize to our patrons for any inconvenience we may have caused during our air condition malfunction. For several days the temperatures in the library exceeded 90 degrees and as a result we closed early. The public area of the library frequently has a capacity of patrons and with 17 computers running the temperature rises quickly. Also the night time temperatures never got low enough to cool the building. Several people have wondered why we can’t open the windows - well they are sealed! We did run a fan behind the desk to no affect and the main library room is just too big to cool with fans.
So again, we would like to apologize for the inconvenience and hopefully as you are reading this we are back on our feet and running full steam ahead! Additionally. rest assured that no fines were charged during the time we were closed. That is our standard practice. If we are closed and your books are due, we will not charge a late fee. Also we would like to thank Mr. Brian Bradt and the crew of the Lee County Maintenance department for the quick turnaround time on this. They had to switch the entire system and that is no small project.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

A day at the Library........

There is a Greek word:  “Agora” which literally means “assembly’ or “gathering place” or “discussion place.”  If ever there was an appropriate word for the Lee County Library, agora is it.  This is especially true on Friday afternoons.  We have a rotating cast of characters who come in and the discussions are wide ranging and open.  As well as books, current events and top news stories are discussed.  All the debates are good natured and usually pretty funny.  Our Friday regulars really light and lighten up the day. 

Not long ago, a friend/patron returned a book and recommended it to me.  It was called “Still Life with Crows,” by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs.  I read it and loved it and recommended it to another friend/patron.  We all started recommending it and everyone loved it.  We are now having a run on Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs books that cannot be believed.  Once, we had an entire shelf of them and now at last count there were about three of them on the shelf.  Showing the power of word of mouth!!

These could be classified as mysteries, but they are way, way more.  The protagonist, Aloysius Penergast is an FBI agent with some really unusual abilities.  He also has a back story that is dribbled out with new twists in each book.  This is a book series but they can be read as standalone novels.  All the ones I have read are slightly eerie, maybe even scary, but they are definitely interesting.  This brings us back to the Lee County Library “agora.”  Last Friday there was a heated discussion on old Aloysius’ back story and each of us had something different to add.  We are ordering copies of the titles we don’t have from SCLends. 

The upstart of all of this is that the original friend/patron who recommended it to me came in Friday and couldn’t find any copies.  I think he was a little cranky!  But we all had a good laugh; since we are all reading the copies and the original recommender couldn’t find his.  

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

18th Annual Book Festival

After many telephone calls and lots of thought Brenda and I have put together what we thing is a great Summer Reading Program.  Sign up week will start on June 9th through June 14th.  Our first program will be on June 20th at the Lee State Park and featuring our partners at EdVenture in Columbia.  This program is funded by a special LSTA grant and awarded by the SC State Library.  The program will focus on the science of the natural world.  We are very excited about this program and I think our summer readers will love it and gain some insights into the natural world. 


We also will be offering a science themed magic show.  We will be hosting the play, “Rumpelstiltskin” Also holding two cooking classes and arts and crafts classes.  All and all it is going to be busy fun filled summer.  Bring your youngsters to the library to sign up the week of June 9th.