A Book That Shaped Me!

Don't forget! There's still time to write an essay for the "A Book That Shaped Me" essay contest! Details below... 



About the Contest
The “A Book That Shaped Me” Summer Writing Contest encourages rising 5th & 6th graders to reflect on a book that has made a personal impact on their lives. The contest is administered through local public library systems in the Mid-Atlantic region, and top winners are honored at the Library of Congress National Book Festival in September on the National Mall.


When does the contest run? 
May 17, 2013 – August 12, 2013


Who can participate? 
Rising 5th & 6th Graders (students who will be entering 5th or 6th grade next fall).


How to enter?
Write a short essay on a book that has had a personal impact on your life.


Books have the power to shape us by changing the ways we think and feel. Think about a book that made a difference in your life. It could be your favorite book, one that you read at school or as part of this year’s summer reading program. How did it make you feel? Did it change the way you see yourself, your family or the world? Choose one book – it can be fiction or nonfiction – and write a short essay about how it had a personal impact on your life.

• Write a one-page essay.
• Use examples from the book to make your points.
• Your essay will be judged on content, structure (spelling and grammar) and creativity.
• Your essay may be typed or hand-written.

Submit your essay in-person by Monday, August 12, 2013 to a participating public library (that would be the Children's Department at Martinsburg Public Library!) in the Mid-Atlantic region, along with a completed contest entry form containing your parent or guardian’s signature.

(Information from http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/kids-teachers/booksthatshape/)

NBL Back to School Story Time

Join us at North Berkeley Library on Thursday, August 15, 2013 at 11:00 AM for a special BACK TO SCHOOL story time! 

This event is appropriate for children of all ages. Participants will take part in a craft where they will make a big pencil...but you can't write with it!

See you there!

Summer Reading THANK YOU and UPDATE

THANKS
Another exciting Summer Reading Program is winding down! We've had a ton of fun this summer and hope that you have too!

We really enjoyed seeing some old friends again. Thanks to Tony M. for singing with us, reading to us, and helping us make musical instruments!

We had so much fun building bridges last year that we decided to do it again. Thank you, Miss Dana, for teaching us about West Virginia bridges and helping us build suspension bridges! 

Our friends from the Apollo Civic Theatre came to sing for us again this summer, and we loved hearing selections from their performance of Annie. They also brought the dog playing Sandy to visit, and some of our R.E.A.D. dog buddies came, too!

We would also like to send out a big thank you to the Friends of Hedgesville Public Library for their generous donation!

To round off July, the Maryland Zoo visited again with some awesome wild animals.

This summer was all about West Virginia's Sesquicentennial, so we had some wonderful new activities and presenters to celebrate all things local! For West Virginia Day, the West Virginia Raptor Rehabilitation Center came to show us a bald eagle, an owl, and a turkey vulture. We loved seeing the traveling museum from Dinosaurs Rock, touching fossils, and digging for treasure! After we built our bridges with Miss Dana, we learned about West Virginia legends and made our own Mothmen. Since coal is so important in our state, we loved having author Stacie Hutton read her book, Shovelful of Sunshine, and help us with coal-related activities. 

WHAT'S NEXT
We still have a few more things in store! 

The Summer Reading book sale will run from August 1-18, 2013. Bring in your reading lists, get your tokens, and shop away! We will also have a for-cash sale set up at this time. 

Our final program, Smooth Moooves, is at 10:00 AM on August 8, 2013. This is our fourth Healthy Lifestyles program with Jill Speelman, and we have had so much fun with her this summer! You can also do any craft you missed on August 8. 

STORY TIMES
As always, S.O.S. with stories and crafts for all ages will be every Saturday at 10:30 for the rest of the summer. Rising 5th and 6th graders have until August 12 to enter the "Book that Shaped Me" contest, and kids of all ages can still get Magic Tree House Reading Passports.

Thanks to everyone who came to our programs, checked out our books, and helped us have such a fun summer!

Summer's End Book Sale

nplibrary.org

Summer's End Book Sale

August 1 - 18, 2013

Martinsburg Public Library (Main Floor)

Hardbacks  2/$1.00

Paperbacks  3/$1.00

Miscellaneous  2/$1.00   

August 2013: From the Director's Chair

Libraries and Lighthouses: Beacons of Light

On August 7, 1789, through an Act of Congress, the federal government took over the maintenance of our nation's lighthouses. Two-hundred years later on August 7, 1989, Congress designated this date as National Lighthouse Day. The day honors and commemorates these beacons of light which throughout history have guided sailors to a safe harbor, especially during times of inclement weather. As with many aspects of history, the role of the lighthouse has diminished with the growth of more modern technology; however, they remain an important part of maritime history.

Many people feel the same way about libraries: that their reason to exist has diminished in this age of instant messaging and news, constant streaming of videos, and smart phones, etc. Many people see libraries as old fashioned and as useless as horse and buggy whips.

What is forgotten in this technology vs. libraries discussion is the concept of guidance. Libraries and librarians have always played an important part in guiding people to information that is accurate, factual, and relevant. Librarians guide children to information that assists with school work or to topics which fascinate the child, thus instilling in them a lifelong love of reading.

"Libraries and librarians have always played an important part in guiding people to information that is accurate, factual, and relevant."

Libraries and librarians are more essential than ever in a world of unverified and sometimes deliberately misleading information. Attempting to navigate this world of conflicting ideas and data is as difficult as ships navigating the rocky shores during a thunderstorm. If a person does not possess the skills to navigate this world of information, they may lose job opportunities, limit educational prospects, and/or miss out on the joy of reading a book and expanding one's horizons. Librarians teach these necessary and important skills everyday!

"Libraries remain the universal symbol of free access to information."

Just as lighthouses remain the universal symbol of safe harbor to ships and the communities that rely on the sea, libraries remain the universal symbol of free access to information and materials which level playing fields and make everyone an ambassador of education and learning!

To read the entirety of this article, check it out in our monthly newsletter!