@ your Library - March 2010

**New!**  March “Moon Day” Mondays:  Calling stargazers of all ages!  Join Andrea Howard for an hour exploring the wonders of the night sky.  If the sky is clear, we’ll meet on the library porch on Monday evenings in March at dusk (30 minutes after sunset).  Binoculars and telescopes welcome but not required.

Take a (March) Break at the Library:  Bring your kids & their friends to the Library during March Break - for a day trip without leaving the village!  The Library is setting up a “Fun Corner” for March Break - with board games, puzzles, a puppet theatre, and a do-it-yourself crafts table.  And, of course, there’s our regular great books & Internet access & our new DVD collection! 

March Break Activities: Please call 613-269-3326 to register for Juice Jam or Skulldiggery.

March Break Activities:

Juice Jam:   Join Polly Beach for Juice Jam on Sat., Mar. 13 at 10:00 am – a music program featuring simple songs, rhythm instruments, lots of audience participation, and a snack!   Juice Jam is fun for preschoolers & primary graders (& a parent).

Skulldiggery:  Join Andrea Howard (Teacher by Nature) on Tues., Mar. 16 at 1:00 pm for a fascinating look at skulls!  Examine the diversity of mammal skulls and discover the characteristics of local predators and their prey. Ages 6 and up (parental supervision appreciated for young enthusiasts).  Space is limited, registration required!  

Crafts:  Join Tia Lutes for crafts & games for kids (ages 4-10) on Thurs, Mar. 18 at 1:00 pm!   Make a space ship and an alien pal – plus Alphabet Bingo.  This is a drop-in program – no need to register.

The library would like to thank Polly, Andrea, and Tia for contributing their time to these programs, and to thank the Friends of the Library for providing supplies.

Book Clubs:  
The library’s new Non-Fiction Book Club is just starting up – and there’s a space for you!  Call the library (613-269-3326) to find out more.  Our 2 fiction book clubs continue to meet monthly.  The Merrickville Library Readers are reading The Man Who Lost Himself by June Callwood (meeting Mar. 9).   The Merrickville Bookworms are reading The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (meeting Mar. 29).  Contact the library for more information.

MPAC:
Concerned about your property assessment?  Come to the library for easy access to the MPAC “AboutMyProperty” website.  Just bring your assessment (which has your access code), and the librarian will be happy to help you get started.

Online Resource Spotlight - Career Cruising:
Career Cruising is a leading online career guidance and planning site used in schools and employment centres.   It features easy-to-use skill/interest assessment tools and hundreds of detailed career profiles with job descriptions, info on working conditions, earnings, education/training, related occupations, and interviews with people in the profession.  This is a great site whether you’re just starting out or thinking about a career change.  Contact the library to find out how to access this site from home!

StoryTime:
Our weekly StoryTime continues to be the most fun you can have on a Friday morning.  Join us for our March themes:  Pigs, Chickens & 2 weeks of Easter!  StoryTime is Friday mornings at 10:00(ish) for ages 6 and under (and a parent or caregiver), and includes stories, songs & rhymes, rhythm instruments, and a simple craft promoting pre-literacy skills.  If you haven’t been to StoryTime yet, give us a try – you’ll be glad you did!

New Books:
The new titles keep coming in from your favourite authors: GG Award Winner Kate Pullinger (The Mistress of Nothing), Barbara Delinsky, Kate Jacobs, Kristen Hannah, Tracy Chevalier, Pat Conroy and William Boyd.  Plus thrillers from James Patterson, Stuart Woods, Robert Crais, John Lescroart, M.C. Beaton, and Watchlist a serial novel by Jeffery Deaver & many other popular suspense authors.

We also have lots of great teen paranormal fiction in – from the Evermore and the Wake series, plus popular stand-alone titles.  Twilight fans should definitely drop by or check our Teen Blog to see what’s new.  We also have lots of new chapter books in for kids – just in time for March Break!

New non-fiction includes best-selling biographies: Going Rogue (Sarah Palin), Open (Andre Agassi), Committed (Eat Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert), plus Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth, and The Soloist, The Blue Zones, and the intriguing Born To Run.  

For more about our new titles – check “New Books - Just In” on our website www.merrickvillelibrary.ca!