Montgomery County Public Library, MD

Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Summer is Coming!

Gazebo No matter how chilly the weather feels, I know it is almost summer when our son returns from college and the authors return to the Gaithersburg Book Festival. On Saturday May 18, booklovers and authors will gather on the grounds of the Gaithersburg City Hall to to celebrate books, writers and literary excellence. In its forth year, the Festival features talks and book signings by authors, a story time tent, a coffee house with singers and poets/songwriters, and several panel discussions.

Download the one page Author Program Schedule, like the Festival on Facebook or follow them on Twitter, so you can plan your visit. It's a perfect time for kids,'teens and grown-ups to make a summer reading plan or to gather suggestions for a new or ongoing book group.To prepare for the Festival, look at the photos and videos from last year or read an entry from this year's short story contest for high school students.

MCPL can help booklovers prepare for the Festival, too. Let the Reader's Cafe guide your author presentation selection. Read or listen to a book by one of the featured authors. Fiction and mystery writers visitng the Festival include , Jane Green, Manil Suri and Phillip Margolin. Non-fiction writers include Mark Shriver, Kitty Kelley, Evan Thomas and Lynne Olson. MCPL offers many of these works as downloadable audio books or ebooks, too. MCPL is one of the event partners this year. The Gaithersburg Interim Branch at Lakeforest Mall is displaying authors'works throughout the month. Stop by, browse and take one home with you to enjoy.

Get the kids ready, too. Share a book or audio book. Children's and young adult authors appearing in the Jim Henson, Ogden Nash and Willa Cather Pavillions include Jon Scieska, Walter Dean Myers, Fred Bowen, Mac Barnett and Mary Quattlebaum. Try not to miss the free craft and other hands-on sessions for children at the IMAGINATION STATION are offered too.

Visit the library, then grab your sunscreen, a pen for autographs and get ready to collect ideas for summer reading!!

Barbara M.

CATEGORIES: Barbara M. , Reading , Books , Local Events , Festivals
POSTED: 4:25:00 PM |

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Welcoming Spring (or Is It Summer?)

Image provded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve probably noticed that we seem to have lost a season somewhere between fall and spring. And now it appears that we’re headed straight for summer, albeit about three months too soon. No matter what season we started on yesterday’s Vernal Equinox, your local MCPL branch can help you enjoy it or spend it productively.

On the productive side, spring is everyone’s favorite time to spruce up house and home. Check out the 648.5s for a selection of helpful reads on cleaning and organization. (Clutterbugs should check out the 648.8s.) For the digitally inclined, check out an electronic copy of titles such as The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Cleaning. EBSCOHost Masterfile is the place to look for Consumer Reports ratings of vacuums, cleaning products, and other related items. For those who would prefer to have others do their (ahem) dirty work for them, the Washington Consumers’ Checkbook online (in-branch use only) offers customer ratings for everything from air duct and carpet cleaners to power wash and housekeeping services. (And while the cleaning crew is at your house, why not take your car for a spin to one the area’s best car washes, according to the WCC.)

Once you’ve maxed out on productivity, take some time to enjoy the warmth and sunshine. Check out a local park or hiker/biker trail. (Rock Creek Park, Brookside Gardens, and the Capital Crescent Trail are some of my faves.) Root on your favorite local softball or baseball teams or go pro and take in a game at Nationals Park in D. C. (could this finally be the winning season Nats’ fans have been waiting for?) or Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore (now celebrating its 20^th season), both within 40-45 minutes of Montgomery County. Of course, the crown jewel of this season in our area is without a doubt the famous cherry blossoms, gifted by Japan exactly 100 years ago. It appears this week may be the best one to catch them (just as the expanded 5-week Festival kicks off). Did you know that some of those prized trees reside right here in our county? You could also take a page from Mary Poppins (not literally, please!) and go fly a kite at the Blossom Kite Festival on the National Mall.

Chris B.

CATEGORIES: Seasons , Spring , Chris B. , Festivals , Sports , Local Events , Consumer Information , Hiking
POSTED: 2:47:00 PM |

Weekly Shhhout-Out

Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Summer is Coming!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Welcoming Spring (or Is It Summer?)