Alpine Public Library News

During the month of June, the Alpine and Marathon Public Libraries will pardon all late materials. If you return your overdue library books, videos, CD’s or DVD’s in the month of June, your fines for those materials will be forgiven.

**********Contest**********

The individual who returns the most materials that were due prior to June 1, 2007 will receive a prize. There will be one winner in for the Alpine Public Library and one winner for the Marathon Public Library.

Visit the Circulation Desk for more details.

Hello and welcome from Chris Ruggia, webmaster and Board President of the Alpine Public Library!

You may have noticed that the “latest news” on the Library’s web site has tended to be a month old (at least) on the average. That’s my fault.

There is a LOT going on at your library every single day, and this Blog is our attempt to jump around the bottleneck of a webmaster without enough time, and get you the ACTUAL skinny on what’s happening here.

Our Library Director, Connie Roe, will be posting news, along with Anitra Clausen, our Circulation and Information Librarian. Hopefully very soon you’ll also be hearing from Carol Townsend, the very able and inspiring Librarian for our vivacious Marathon Branch. Even more voices may appear to try to give you the whole picture of this exciting and unique part of Alpine and the Big Bend region.

So please have a look around and post a comment or two! Tell us what you like about your Library, and what you’d like to see!

Thanks for visiting, and keep coming back,

Chris

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Anitra (Ah-nee-trah). I am the Circulation and Information Librarian at the Alpine Public Library. Since that is a mouthful, it will be shortened from here on out to Circ-Info Librarian.

Before I explain what I do, I will tell a little about myself. I have lived in Alpine for almost eight years. I have one husband, one dog and no children. My hobbies include cooking, writing and playing video games.

I began working at the Alpine Public Library part-time in November 2005. I received my County Librarian Certification in October 2006. I have enjoyed my responsibilities.

I will try to sum up being a Circ-Info Librarian in one sentence: I am here to help you. Not only am I here to check out materials to you, but to answer any questions you may have. Questions I have been asked in the past have ranged from: “Where can I find this book?” to “What is the telephone number for a watch repairman in Houston?” to “Can you help me track down information on an ancestor?” You will find me at the library from noon until closing on the weekdays and one to two Saturdays per month.

In the postings after this one, I will answer frequently asked questions. You will also find out more information about Circulation and other goings on at the library.

Has one of your children just learned to read? If you have a new reader in your family bring that reader to the Alpine Public Library this summer to join the “Summer Reading Club” where he or she will enjoy reading success with “Easy Readers” all summer long.
“Easy Readers” are easy picture books, that use a short list of familiar sight words and words that are easy to sound out. New readers read them easily and love the catchy stories, while enjoying the rewards of successful reading, “all by myself.”
Familiar “Easy Reader” titles include, Bears on Wheels, Days With Frog and Toad, Amelia Bedelia, and Hop on Pop. A more extensive list is available from Children’s Librarian, Vanessa Hinkson. Vanessa can help readers find their favorites, too.
Sign-up for the Summer Reading Club begins on Saturday, May 26 and will last all summer long.
Call the Alpine Public Library @ 837-2621 for more information.

Students from Alpine Elementary School have created an undersea world in the Children’s Room at the Alpine Public Library in anticipation of a summer packed with reading activities and adventures.  Volunteer library staffer, Mary Beth Garret, in collaboration with all of the elementary school teachers, has been sharing marine science learning experiences and stories with children at each grade level. They learned about the food chain as they handcrafted an expansive ocean teeming with seaweed, sea creatures, and even a school of anchovies.

Special activities at the Alpine Public Library in June

Marilyn and Martin Terry  entertained area school children this week, as an enticement to participate in summer reading activities at the Alpine and Marathon Public Libraries.

This year’s summer reading and program activities, called “Sail AwayWith Books,” are sponsored by the Texas State Libraries as well as area businesses and dedicated volunteers from each community.