High temperature and humidity aside, summer is drawing to a close. Schools will be back in session this week and you can already tell that the days are getting slightly shorter. Here at the Library we are also beginning to make the transition to fall. The biggest change will of course be the students that will be coming to the Library after school to work on homework, science projects, and the inevitable term papers. We are looking forward to being able to provide assistance to our student patrons in our expanded facility. Several plans are in the formative stages for programming for the fall, but it might be a good time to pause and look back over the last few months.

The Summer Reading program, Get A Clue, was a resounding hit. It was evident that the children thoroughly enjoyed the programs that our intrepid Children’s Department staff provided for them. Kudos to Karen Edgar, Vickey Haynesworth, Janet Caldwell, Nipa Brown, Glenda Fulwood, and the entire staff as well as their tireless volunteers who worked so hard to make this year the success it was. And we can’t forget to thank the Friends of the Library who once again sponsored the programs – we couldn’t have done it without their support. Speaking of support and the Children’s Department, the Junior Welfare League of Sumter has once again supplied the Library with a generous donation to purchase books. Some of these have already arrived and will soon be making their way into the hands of eager young readers. The Kiwanis have also done much in the past and continue to provide books for the Children’s Department. These organizations are helping to foster the habit and joy of reading in young library users that will last them a lifetime.

Our movie nights have been a growing favorite, with just the right blend of contemporary and classic movies. One week our patrons have enjoyed Robin Williams in RV, another James Dean in the enduring Rebel Without A Cause. We’ve already worked up a slate of movies for the fall and details will be forthcoming shortly.

The Downtown Library was closed on Friday, August 17. We apologize for any inconvenience this caused our patrons, but the day was spent by the staff in honing their skills to better serve the Sumter community. We were very fortunate to have presentations in the morning from two staff members from the South Carolina State Library, which works tirelessly to support libraries across the state. Deborah Hotchkiss presented a customer service workshop that went against the grain of treating patrons as potential problems to be dealt with or managed. Instead, her focus was on how the attitude of the staff can make patrons feel welcome as soon as they walk through the doors. Amy Duernberger followed with a demonstration of the many tools available through the online databases of DISCUS, which is accessible at the Library and for home use as well. Contact the Library for any information on the incredible goldmine of information that can be obtained from the DISCUS databases. The morning lineup was perfect – the importance of good customer service followed by a great customer service tool. The afternoon session was headed by Joseph Tobiere, the longtime IT for the Library. From the moment the Internet made its first appearance at the Library when we had a grand total of three or four computers for public use, to the 35+ that are in our lab today, Joseph has been their every step of the way as the Sumter County Library has made its way along the information highway. If you ever drive by the Library late at night and see a light burning somewhere in the building, that’s probably Joseph or one of his techs responding to a cry for help from the library staff. Joseph gave a very informational talk on computer use in the library that was very appreciated by all those staff members that attended.

So, it’s been a pretty good summer and we look forward to many new and exciting ways to serve the Sumter community in the fall months ahead.

Robert

Book Review

One of our patrons, Beatrice Brown, is acting as guest blogger to give us her review of the new Harry Potter book by J. K. Rowling. Beatrice doesn't give away the plot (but beware of spoilers!) Hopefully, we will be able to offer reviews from more of our younger patrons in the near future.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was one book that I did not want to put down. As soon as I opened the first page, I was drawn into Harry's next adventure. J. K. Rowling holds a level of suspense through out every part of the book.

The first chapter, like many other Harry Potter novels, does not begin in Harry's point of view. As the story progresses, Harry comes into the picture. Harry, who is just about to turn 17, is trying to figure himself out. Since Dumbledore died and Voldemort came back, the wizard world has been in turmoil. Voldemort's death eaters are trying to hunt Harry down and they are killing everyone in their path.

Harry has to make the tough decision of going after Voldemort or staying and following Dumbledore's orders of destroying all of the Horcruxes. Ron, Hermonie, and Harry decide to follow Dumbledore's orders which eventually lead them to Voldemort.

In this Harry Potter adventure, many questions are answered and many events happen that change everything. There is even an epilogue that tells about what happens to Harry 19 years later. So, instead of reading this, why don't you go out and borrow the book from the library and start Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

Beatrice Brown

New at the Library

A book about a certain young wizard has dominated the publishing headlines for a while now, but since it's hit the shelves of bookstores and libraries everywhere, it might be a good time to look at some other titles that are new on the shelves of the Sumter County Library. The Berlin Wall stood for nearly thirty years as a symbol of oppression and totalitarianism before its fall. Author Frederick Taylor has written a book combining official history, archival materials and personal accounts in The Berlin Wall : a World Divided 1961-1989. He details the story of the Wall's rise and eventual fall, recounting the stories of those who risked their lives to scale the Wall to freedom and those who paid the ultimate price in attempting to do so.

The story goes that shortly after the Allied invasion of Italy in 1943, an Army Ranger on a beach in Salerno was asked by a staff officer where William Darby, one of the most successful officers of World War II, could be located. The Ranger replied, "You'll never find him this far back." Darby began the war as an artillery captain, but by 1945 had been promoted to colonel and had commanded Ranger battalions in twelve major battles. His story is told in Onward We Charge - the Heroic Story of Darby's Rangers in World War II by H. Paul Jeffers.

Continuing backwards on history's timeline, Amity Shales writes a reinterpretation of the Great Depression in The Forgotten Man - a New History of the Great Depression. She details the neglected stories of the individual Americans and their struggles during this time. And delving even further into the past, Privilege and Scandal - the Remarkable Life of Harriet Spencer, Sister of Georgiana tells the story of Lady Harriet Spencer, ancestor of Princess Diana. Janet Gleason pens the story of Harriet's life. Lady Spencer was an eyewitness of the French Revolution, traveled through Europe during the Napoleonic Wars, gambled excessively, and quarreled with Lord Byron when he pursued her younger daughter.

The Lincoln Highway : Coast to Coast From Times Square to the Golden Gate celebrates America's first transcontinental highway. The story begins in 1913 with a new highway that stretched across 3,389 miles and thirteen states. It lured newly motoring Americans to drive their Model Ts and explore a frontier that was even then beginning to fade away. After a period of decline, the Lincoln Highway has experienced a renewal of interest of late. Authors Michael Wallis and Michael S. Williamson report the finds that adventurous travelers can discover - from a portrait of Ronald Reagan made from 14,000 jelly beans in Illinois to the bends of the "Loneliest Road" in Nevada.

Finally, in Porch Talk - Stories of Decency, Common Sense, & Other Endangered Species, author and storyteller Philip Gulley reminds the reader of a time when life revolved around the front porch. Friends gathered, stories were told, and small moments took on large meanings.

You can find all these and much more at the Sumter County Library, so come and check us out.

Robert

Interactive Search Guide being Created at the Wesmark Branch

The Wesmark Branch is extremely excited to announce that we are in the very early stages of creating an interactive instructional guide for searching POLARIS – our online catalog. This guide will feature animations, graphics, and optional sound. It will be geared towards the young adult patron to the very mature patron. The purpose of the guide is to provide a fun but informative method for information gathering in an electronic environment. However, it will not replace the personal and professional service that the Wesmark Branch provides.

Keep blogging to learn about the progress of this project and the many other surprises that the Wesmark Branch has planned for our patrons.

Chris

Friday Night and Harry Potter (and Saturday morning, too!)

The Sumter County Library has a special program planned for Friday night and Saturday morning to celebrate the release of the latest (and last in the series) Harry Potter book. We will be closing Friday, July 20, at our regular time of 6:00 pm, and then reopening at 9:00 pm for a special showing beginning at 9:30 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The movie should conclude around midnight, and at 12:01 am, we will be holding a special drawing. Three lucky people will be the first ones able to check out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We will also be drawing for a set of the first six Harry Potter books and two DVDs, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - (special note: you must be present to win) This event will be taking place in our new Meeting Room. We'll be providing the popcorn and we'll also be on hand to give directions and lead everyone to the right place. The entire staff is very excited about this program. Our Children's Librarians, Assistants, and volunteers are hard at work to make this an occasion to remember - so please plan on joining us for this very special event.

He's here!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final installment in the series by J. K. Rowling arrived at the Library this morning. Of course, he is still in the box with strict instructions not to be released before 12:01 am, July 21, 2007. Stay tuned for further information.

Robert

"You don't have the book I want"

Just because we don't own a book, doesn't mean we can't get it for you! We borrow hundreds of books every year on InterLibrary loan (ILL). We cooperate regularly with our Polaris partners--Darlington, Chester, Dillon, Georgetown, Marion & Marlboro county libraries-- borrowing their books and loaning ours to them. We can get a book through the SC State Library--they loan items from their collection and USC's Thomas Cooper Library in Columbia. We also borrow regularly from the Richland County Public Library. Any library can ask to borrow items from any other library just by using the ALA (American Library Assoc) ILL form. Recently, one of our patrons borrowed microfilm for genealogy research from the Library of Virginia. Any Reference Librarian, at any branch can help you begin the process. It may take a week or two for your items to get here, but it's usually free of charge and very convenient. Questions, call Janet at 774-7123.