Shutterbugs contest--The results are in!

But I'm not going to tell you what they are!  There's no way a blog or MySpace can demonstrate the talent and artistry of the 22 photographs that were entered in this year's contest, so get over to the Library and take a look in our Lobby Display Case.  (we may eventually have something on our website [www.joplinpubliclibrary.org], but it's not there yet)

This year, we had 5 categories for photographers to enter--People, Animals, Nature/Landscapes, Conceptual, and Altered States (digitally altered photos).  With so many amazing entries to consider, our 7 judges had a difficult task!  Your Teen Librarian (that's me) was not a judge and no judge knew the identities of the photographers while judging, so our process was bias free.  Woo!

Unless something goes horribly awry, we'll do this contest again next summer with the same categories. 

If you like contests, be on the lookout for our Poetry Contest in October/November. 

Currently reading : Right Behind You By Gail Giles

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Summer Reading has ended...

What a summer!  We were so crazy busy this summer that it just flew by!  Here are some cool stats:

214 teens registered for the Teen Summer Reading Club
We had 8 programs with an average of 43 people at each program
1,595 reading log entries were submitted for our weekly prize drawing
245 prizes were drawn from those entries
And since each entry represents two hours of reading, that means that 3,190 hours were read this summer!  Woo!

Please take a moment to thank our generous sponsors for this summer's program:
The Bridge
Chick-fil-A
Game Xchange
Joplin Parks Department
The Sunshine Lamp Trolley
McDonald's
Northstar 14
Paintball Ridge
United States Navy
Vintage Stock
Papa John's
Mazio's
Eureka Pizza
Domino's
Geppetto's Pizza
Pizza Inn

They're all so totally awesome.  Be sure to visit them and thank them for supporting their Library (and the teens)!

Currently reading : Chasing Vermeer By Blue Balliett

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Pizza Taste Test Results!

We had 41 teens at the Joplin Public Library's 4th annual Pizza Taste Test!  Here are the results:

Best Appearance: Eureka Pizza!
Best Crust: Eureka Pizza!
Best Sauce: Papa John's!
Best Cheese: Papa John's!
Best Overall: Papa John's!!

So, you guys really like Papa John's...

For more results (like who came in second), talk to me (Cari) in the Teen Dept.

See you at the Library!

Currently reading : The Missing Girl By Norma Fox Mazer Release date: 2008-02-05

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Mad Science and it’s amazing-ness!

We had our Mad Science Fire & Ice show yesterday.  It was super cool!  Proton (our Mad Scientist) made things explode, showered us with cloud-filled bubbles, and to quote a popular 80's song, totally "blinded us with Science!"  Of course, there was no actual blinding...

Next week is Game Day.  We'll have the PS2 set up so you can Dance Dance your heart out, we'll have a cool card game called "Mafia" going on, and we'll have some various board games set up.  Should be fun!

See you at the Library!

Currently reading : Hiroshima Dreams By Kelly Easton

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Three Stages of Matter transfroms to Fire and Ice Show!

So... yeah.  We've had a lot (and I do mean a LOT--we broke the 51 attendees by 9 last week!) of teens at our programs so far this summer.  It's so totally awesome that I do not have words. 

This week's program was going to be a workshop with the Mad Scientists about dry ice, but due to the large number of teens coming to all of the programs, your Teen Librarian made an executive decision to change the program from a workshop to a presentation. 

Kathy at Mad Science says she's seen the Fire and Ice presentation and it totally rocks!  So, be prepared for awesomeness tomorrow, but don't expect dry ice!

See you @ the Library!

Currently reading : Bleach, Volume 3

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Summer Reading So Far...

So far, our Metamorphosis @ Your Library Summer Reading program is going so well I can hardly believe it!

Here are some numbers to consider:

In the first 4 weeks of Summer Reading, 182 of your closest friends have signed up!  182!  That's a lot of teens!  (To put that number in perspective, last year, in all 9 weeks of Summer Reading, only 159 teens signed up.  Woot!)

So far this summer we've given away 107 fabulous prizes!  We've got more to give out, so keep on reading!

And yesterday 51 teens came to our Scavenger Hunt.  In as long as anyone who works here can remember, we've NEVER had 51 teens at a single program.  We broke records, people!  We're amazing!

I expect a lot of people at our program on Tuesday (at 3 pm) for super cool Duct Tape Construction!  Let's break another record!

Currently reading : Enter Three Witches By Caroline Cooney

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Tie-Dying: A complete and total success.

Today was my second time ever in my life to tie-dye shirts.  Last year we did indigo tie-dying which dyes the shirts blue using a plant based dye.  But this year, we did traditional tie-dying with red, yellow, blue, and black dyes.  It was most excellent.  Connie K, tie-dying guru, volunteers each year to put on the tie-dying program and she's pretty amazing.  She knows how to twist and turn and knot and rubberband shirst just *so* to make them look completely amazing.  (she's also got some cool classes coming up at the Spiva Arts Center.  Check out their website for details on Summer Classes: www.spivaarts.org)

Everything went off without a hitch except for one bit of drama... Picture this:

5 tables are set up in the front lawn of the library in front of the big picture windows that look in at the Circulation Desk.  Two tables on the end are covered in plastic and have cups of dye sitting on them waiting to be put in squeeze bottles.  Teens are lining up to receive their beaded safety pins so they know whose shirt is whose and everything is so well organized it's incredible.  Then, as if the Universe thought things were going too smoothly for your Teen Librarian, a HUGE gust of wind makes its merry way to the Library, lifts one of the plastic covered tables up off of it's legs and dumps it over towards the Library building.  The wind carries the spilled dyes the 7 feet to the Library's windows and cement wall and splatters it EVERYWHERE!!!  The windows washed, but we may be the only Library in Missouri with Blue and Red speckles on the wall... *sigh*

Next Week:  Hardware Jewelry in the Large Meeting Room where we make wearable, fashion-forward jewelry from items found in a toolbox!

Currently reading : Do Not Pass Go By Kirkpatrick Hill

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Summer Reading is Under Way!!

Can you believe it?!  Summer is here!  Woot!

Summer Reading (SR) has officially begun (registration started last Tuesday) and our very first SR program is today, yes TODAY, at 3pm.  We're going to be tie-dying with our good friend Connie.  Bring a 100% cotton t-shirt and you're all set.  I would recommend wearing something that's not beloved 'cause you may get dye on it... and, you know, it would defeat the purpose of tie-dying if the dyes were washable...

So far, 102 of your closest friends have already registered to get thier chances to win awesome prizes by reading this summer.  Have YOU registered yet?  Don't miss out on the fun!  Prizes will abound! 

All you have to do is fill out a form (to register), read for 2 hours, fill out the bottom of your reading log, tear it off, and put it in the fish tank (that looks surprisingly like an ant farm) that's sitting on the Reference Desk.  Done and Done.  You've successfully entered your name in our prize drawings that will happen after each Tuesday program.  There is no limit to the number of times you can enter, so if you read 100 hours this summer, enter 50 times.  It will be fabulous!

We have lots of prizes to give away (like books, graphic novels, t-shirts, patches, all-access passes to the Bridge, free paintball at Paintball Ridge, and free Chick-fil-A sandwiches), so don't miss out!!  With all the donations from our sponsors, we're able to give away 15-20 prizes each week!!

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Reigning Champs--Small Business of the Year, Non-Profit
Current mood: bouncy

Well, team, we did it!  At last night's Chamber of Commerce Banquet (which lasted FOR-EV-VER!) the Joplin Public Library was announced as Small Business of the Year in the Non-Profit category!!!!!  Wooo-Hoooo!!!!

Our plaque isn't up yet, but be sure to look for it next week when you come to the library!  It's pretty spiffy.  Also, for those of you who were in the video, I am in negotiations with Matt, the guy who filmed it, for a copy.  I think we should have it soon.

The banquet was interesting even if it was long.  They gave out a million and a half (it felt like) awards, but they were all pretty cool.  (The link below will take you to the Chamber's site that announces all the winners.)  Besides our award, the coolest award, I thought, was the "Golden Apple" award for outstanding teachers.  A lot of really cool teachers were nominated from both public and private schools.  If one of the winners is YOUR teacher, be sure to congratulate her/him!

Here's more info on all the winners last night:
http://www.joplincc.com/Templates/News.aspx?PostingID=1371&EditMode=False&ReturnUrl=

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Books, movies, crafts and gadgets... Check ’em out.
Current mood: amused

"Twilight" (the love story by Stephenie Meyer that has vampires and such in it) is being made into a movie.  It's not due out until December 12, 2008, but check out this sneak peak!  I can barely contain the excitement!
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/04/20/exclusive-new-twilight-footage-goes-behind-the-scenes-fulfills-dreams/?rsspartner=rssBloglines

Duct tape is awesome.  Duct tape has been awesome for a long time... check out how it saved an Apollo 17 moonbuggy:
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/21/duct-tape-saved-apol.html

To all my crocheters (and knitters--I'm sure we could figure out the pattern) out there who love Tetris:
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/04/tetris_baby_blanket.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954

This clock has more than 150 hands that spell out the hour.  I think it's the coolest gadget thing I've seen... ever. 
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/22/clock-sculpture-with.html

This cake reminds me of Calcifer in "Howl's Moving Castle."  Pretty awesome.  By the way, not only does the library own that awesome book, we own the movie too...
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/04/campfire_cake.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954

11:54 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment