LibraryPoint Blog

    Oliver Olson’s problem is over-protective parents.  When his third grade teacher opens a space unit by asking, “How many of you would like to walk on the moon?”, Oliver doesn’t raise his hand.  “Oliver’s parents would never let him walk on the moon.  The moon was too far away.  It was too cold.  It didn’t have enough gravity. The rocket might explode.”  And when his teacher announces that the whole class is invited to a space sleepover at school, he knows he won’t be allowed to go.  Ever since Oliver was a sickly preschooler, his parents have worried about him too much.

Today, Sesame Street turns 40 years old. As a child of the '70's, Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, and Grover became my very close pals. The music–from the uplifting "Sunny Days" intro theme to the swinging "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-tweeeelve" pinball disco song–became personal anthems. I learned phonics from the letter of the day and counting from...who else?...The Count.

Pope Benedict XVI recently invited disaffected “Anglican Catholics” to swim the Tiber, as they say -- to cut their old ties to the Anglican Communion and hook up with the Roman Catholic Church. This may be the biggest thing to hit the ecumenical movement in generations….

Who are these disaffected folks? Why did the Pope invite them, and how might they respond?

This interview airs beginning October 21.
Caring and curious about her ancestry and her extensive family's place in the history of White Oak, in Stafford County, Lou “Whitefeather” Silver has explored her genealogy on a journey back through 400 years and 16 generations. She shares her extensive knowledge and amazing memory.

Come vote for your favorite of the 3 pumpkins that library staff members decorated. There's "Some Pig," a tie in with Charlotte's Web, a Day of the Dead jack-o-lantern, and a howdy partner cowboy pumpkin. This is just one of the many fun things you can do @ your local library.

Whether they're Galas, Granny Smiths, Yorks, Winesaps, or Ginger Golds, apples are one of Virginia's loveliest and most useful crops and were much enjoyed by the early colonists and pioneers as well as today's families. Crisp, sweet apples-- harvested in the chilly days of October, can be part of your celebrations in November and December. Click here to learn more about local apple festivals, apple recipes, apple crafts, and apple books for young readers.

A daughter of union organizers, Mary grew up in Greenwich Village and while only a teenager sang backup for the legendary Pete Seeger. Today, her clear, warm vocals on songs written by Seeger and Bob Dylan remind us of the softer aspects of 1960s social struggle. "If I Had a Hammer," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and "Blowin' in the Wind" are still favorites for youth groups.

Students in grades K-12 and college-intro classes can get live homework help through the library's Web sites. Connect with real tutors online in sessions up to 20 minutes. Available 3 pm - 10 pm seven days a week. Spanish-speaking tutors are available 4 pm - 9 pm Sunday-Thursday. For minimum system requirements, click here.

To access Live Homework Help all you need is your 14-digit barcode (located on the back of your library card). If you don't have one, click here to fill out an application online.

Connect now!

With cooler weather just around the corner, now is the time to knit something to keep you or a loved one warm this winter. If you are not a knitter don’t worry, it’s easier than you think. Don’t let words like knit, purl, cast on, yarn over or decrease two fill you with anxiety. They are the terms used to guide you through your project and are explained in almost every knitting book or Web site. Read on for suggestions on how to get started in knitting.

Porter:
Friday, September 4 - Thursday, September 10 (Library closed Sunday, September 6, and Monday, September 7)
Friday, October 2 - Thursday, October 8

Salem Church:
Friday, September 18 – Thursday, September 24
Friday, October 16 – Thursday, October 22

Headquarters:
October 17–21, 2009: Fall BIG Book Sale

See more book sale dates.