We still have more Little Free Libraries to decorate before they go out into the community. Help us decorate two more libraries with old books, book covers, and mod podge. The library will provide all the necessary supplies, we just need your hands!
Join us Monday, September 9 from 6-7pm for a Little Free Library Decorating Party! No need to register, just head to the library.
In case you aren’t already familiar with LFLs (Little Free Libraries), check out this post.
Join us at the Library this Thursday (1/24) at 6:30 for a celebration of all things Star Wars! Dress up as your favorite character and mingle with other droids, stromtroopers, Jedi knights, and bounty hunters.
While I have your attention, Star Wars fans, I want to ask a question. What are your thoughts on watching the now expanded canon in this order: 4, 5, 2, 3, 6? The reasoning goes like this. Episode 1 adds next to nothing to the larger storyline. Watching the movies in episode order also spoils one of the greatest cinematic surprises of all time – Luke’s paternity. With the alternate order listed above, the saga becomes a more Luke Skywalker focused piece with a nice Anakin flashback midway through before the final episode (Return of the Jedi) ties the father/son redemption themes together. What do you think?
Pinterest! It’s all the rage lately, and we’re happy to finally be joining in the fun!
If you haven’t already stumbled into the Pinterest craze, let me fill you in: Pinterest is basically an online set of your own, personalized and organized bulletin boards. Think of it this way: do you tend to clip pictures and articles out of magazines, or recipes, or newspaper articles then save them to be lost forever in a drawer? Pinterest is a way to organize these things for yourself and to browse what others are clipping, or pinning.
The vast array of ideas people are finding are evident everywhere! Just this week someone asked me about some garlic monkey bread I brought to a potluck dinner. When asked where I found the recipe, I responded simply, “Pinterest.”
Now your favorite library (that’s us!) is on Pinterest, too! Find us at pinterest.com/pgtpl. We’ve got pin boards for movies, music, and books we love, as well as boards for money saving, John Green stuff, tech tips & tricks… the list goes on, and just keeps growing! We invite you to follow us and enjoy our pins, and we’ll follow you back so we can enjoy your favorite things, too 🙂
Check out a few of our pinteresting Pinterest boards…
One of the many passions I share with my mother, who is also a librarian, is knitting. I can remember her teaching me, just as her father taught her, how to knit as a child. Before learning to knit I would sit beside her and poke at the knitting needles as they bounced around, not realizing that by her not asking me to stop she was exhibiting quite a bit of patience…
I’m lucky to have learned how to knit so early and it’s a hobby I still turn to when I’m stressed out, in need of a creative outlet, or when I just want to make something for a friend or even myself. I love admiring yarn of all sorts; the colors, textures, and weights are appealing to both the eyes and the hands. One of my dreams is to be able to own my own yarn, coffee, and book store. Though it’s not feasible for me to live out this dream just yet, husband and wife team Dave Erica live this dream of their own! Nomad Yarns, located at 218 E. Main Street in Plainfield, is a somewhat new yarn shop for knitters, crocheters, and yarn-lovers on the west side of Indianapolis.
Lucky for us, Erica Kempf Broughton will be teaching some beginning knitting classes right here at the library in the upcoming months. Register online for this wonderful introduction to the addicting art of knitting. Though our November class is full we still have plenty of openings in December. Supplies will be provided; just bring yourself and an eager-to-learn spirit!
~Laura
By now you’ve heard the Mayans predicted that the world is coming to an end in 2012. Experts and prognosticators will try and explain what exactly will happen and what the world will look like afterwards. But fans of The Walking Dead already know exactly what the end looks like; a Zombie Apocalypse! Whether you are a fan of the original Graphic Novels or of the hit TV show, the apocalypse has never been so exciting.
Imagine waking up in the hospital. You have no idea why you are there. You gather your strength to call for help, but no one comes. Eventually you make it to your feet and unhook yourself from all the medical equipment. The hospital is abandoned. From the looks of it, it’s been empty for quite some time. You make your way down to the cafeteria which appears to contain some life. You pry open the double doors and are instantly met by the terrible sight and smell of a room full of zombies! You stumble backwards. Unfortunately every zombie in the room has smelled your presence and would enjoy eating your delicious flesh. Fortunately for you, the undead are not very agile and you burst out of the hospital and into the brisk fall air and safety.
Your relief quickly turns to despair as you take in the world around you. What has happened? This is your town, but where are all the people? Why are all the cars abandoned and most of the windows broken? You must find your family. You scramble home, avoiding the lurking zombies. Your family is not there. You just know they are alive. You can sense it. But where can they be? How do you even begin to look for them?
Ahead of the Season Three premiere of the TV series, the library is hosting a party on October 11th to celebrate all things ‘Walking Dead.’ Stop by to check out the latest graphic novels in the series, meet other fans, and test your knowledge of the show. There will also be themed prizes for the trivia winners and a raffle for ‘Walking Dead’ action figures.
All are welcome to join us for this special event, whether you are a super fan or just getting started watching Season One. If you haven’t started, time is running out. The zombies are coming! Check out the website if you would like more information or have any questions.
Thursday, October 11th 7-8:30 pm
Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library
1120 Stafford Road
317.838.3800
www.plainfieldlibrary.net
-Tim
BACK. TO. SCHOOL.
These three words mean many different things to many different people. For kids, it’s a mixed bag: some are excited, others hesitant, others filled with overwhelming rage. On the other hand, most parents are ready to drop their kids off in the morning on the first day, and then take themselves out for a celebratory breakfast, to congratulate each other for surviving another summer with their children. Teachers are polishing off the last of the summertime wine, and trudging back to the classroom to put up happy looking bulletin boards, whether they like it or not.
Back to school time means many different things to library staff as well. For people working at the front desk, there is a chance that they could be crushed by the amount of end-of-the-summer returned items. I don’t think a tower of toppling books ever crossed your mind as a work hazard, did it? The children’s staff looks forward to August and September, when they can take a bit of a breather from the Summer Reading madness, make sure the books are in order, and dust off the textbooks for the kids who left their math books in their lockers and have homework due yesterday.
In Area-T, the fabulous space for teens that we have created, the insanity is just beginning! Summertime in the teen room is fairly laid back. We have many well-attended programs, and many people stop by for books, but nothing compares to the swell of 13-18 year-olds that fill Area-T after school on a daily basis.
Last school year, there were upwards of 45-50 kids hanging out, using the computers, playing video games, reading, making crafts, playing board games, and goofing off on a regular basis…meaning Monday through Friday, from 2:35 until they have to leave for dinner.
During the renovation in September 2011, Area-T moved from the corner of the library to an enclosed area, so the kids can talk in normal voices, play games, have fun, but not disturb the other patrons. As seeing 50 kids in a closed-off room in the library can be exciting for some, the sight is intimidating to others…especially kids who are new library patrons, new to Plainfield, or even younger teens that are new to middle school. Most of the time I’m intimidated by seeing a million kids in there! However, after teens stop by and hang out once or twice, they have the opportunity to make friends that they wouldn’t normally make and have a blast. There is always a staff member at the Area-T desk after school, so teens can ask any questions that they have without even leaving the room!
Speaking on behalf of the teen staff, we want everyone to know that we want any teen in Plainfield, especially kids who are new 6th graders, to stop by and check out our space on Thursday, August 16th, from 3pm-8pm, for our Area-T Open House. We want to have the chance to show everyone our space, and give folks the lowdown on how much Area-T has to offer for the teens of Plainfield. There will be a quick craft to make, as well as free paperback books while they last! See you there!
~~Michelle
I grew up on the west end of Plainfield. It’s still weird for me to turn out of my parents’ driveway and see a stoplight in the distance and pass several subdivisions on US 40. When I was in school, kids used to ask me where the heck I lived, because they had never been past Dairy Queen before.
What I remember most about growing up out there is the soft orange glow of the lights during snowy nights from the Plainfield Correctional Facilities, and the sound of gunshots and squealing tires.
Wait, what?
Yep, that’s correct. I remember listening to the sounds of the Law Enforcement Academy. My overactive imagination didn’t allow me to think about the men and women who train there on a daily basis–keeping our streets safe by learning how to fire a gun, drive in an emergency, train and handle a K9 partner, among others.
I thought that they were learning how to bust a donut for fun in the police wagon on a hot summer day, as to squeal the tires so loud you can hear them two miles away.
I figured James Bond trained there, and ordered martinis at The Coachman afterward.
I hoped that no missiles would be fired into our living room. That would not be cool. Mom would not have been amused. Dad probably would have though, now that I think about it…
I assumed that with all the gunfire, that they were Civil War re-enactors practicing their firing techniques. Not sure why they would do that at a police academy, but remember: overactive imagination.
If you have ever wondered what goes on behind closed gates, here is your chance to find out! On Saturday, August 18th, PGTPL is having a field-trip to the Academy. Take a tour, and maybe even see some demonstrations of driving, physical tactics, or firearm use. Registration for each person is required, so sign up soon!
Just don’t tell me what really happens there. I’m sure it’s even more fantastic than I think it is.
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| Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, 1972. Courtesy of the Plainfield-Guilford Twp. Public Library Archives |
~~Michelle
It’s springtime and what better way to enjoy the weather than to enjoy time outside with your kids! They will soak up that Vitamin D and avoid sitting in front of the video game console for hours.
Here is your to do list:
Print off your to do list and get going! If it’s a rainy day or you have already completed these activities you could always come visit the library! There are a wide variety of programs for all ages so don’t forget to register or drop in!
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| Emily enjoying Hummel Park’s twister slide! |
~Emily