My Place . . . To Learn, Discover, Relax!

October 2009

Join us at Historic Sotterley
Sunday, October 25, at 3 PM for the play, Grandpa Joe and the Drinking Gourd.

Members of Accokeek Foundation's award-winning Museum Theater will present the play as part of the Maryland's state-wide reading project, One Maryland One Book. The play is about the role music played in the Underground Railroad.

a scene in the play

Janice Walthour will read excerpts from Song Yet Sung, the 2009 selection for One Maryland One Book. The United States Colored Troops Memorial Monument Committee will give a quick presentation. Tours of the newly restored slave cabin will follow. The event is free and open to all ages.

Song Yet Sung being read by entire state!

Song Yet Sung book cover Song Yet Sung is "a tale set against a backdrop of slave rights conflicts in the nineteenth-century Chesapeake Bay region".

Pick up a copy of the book ...read it ... and discuss it with a neighbor, friends or at the following book discussion:
Charlotte Hall Mon, Oct. 5 7 PM

One Maryland One Book Logo

Bowie State University is hosting "An Afternoon with the Author: James McBride" on October 27 at 2 PM.

Cyber Safety Community Information Meetings

Parents, come and learn about cyber safety as well as the proper use of electronic communication devices by your children.

Charlotte Hall Thurs, Oct. 8    6:30-8 PM
Leonardtown       Wed, Oct. 14     6:30-8 PM
Lexington Park    Wed, Oct. 21     6:30-8 PM

Partners:

MD Attorney General's Community Leadership in Cyber Knowledge and Safety (C.L.I.C.K.S.)
Board of Education of St. Mary's County Focus on Cyber Use & Safety (F.O.C.U.S.)
St. Mary's County Library
St. Mary's County Sheriff's Department

For more information contact Library Director at 301-475-2846 x1013 or
kreif@stmalib.org

HelpNow! Free Online Homework Help

Got Homework? Need Help? Use HelpNow!
Free, online homework help available 2 PM-11 PM daily in both English and Spanish.

Real, expert tutors
All core subjects (grades 3-12 including AP)--math, science, social studies, language arts
Foreign language labs
Writing Labs
Skill-building
No session limits
Library card required

Children's Programs

Fall storytimes are offered through December 10. Listing of storytime dates and themes

Forensic Science Program clip art
Children ages 7-12 can explore the science of forensics while solving a fun mystery. Free. Register.

Lexington Park Fri, Oct. 16, 2:00 PM

Stories with "The Pigeon" Mo Willems book
Celebrate the works of Mo Willems and his loveable characters with stories, themed snacks, a play, games and crafts. Geared for preschool and early elementary.
Free. Register.

Lexington Park Tues, Oct. 6 2:00 PM
Leonardtown Sat, Oct. 10 2:00 PM
Charlotte Hall Mon, Nov. 9 5:30 PM

Hauntingly Happy Halloween Parties
Enjoy not-so-scary stories, creepy crafts, & more. Trick-or-treat through the library! All ages. Free. Register.

pumpkin Lexington Park Thurs, Oct. 29    6:30 PM
Charlotte Hall     Sat, Oct. 31     10:00 AM
Leonardtown    Sat, Oct. 31     2:00 PM

Complete listing of fall programs.

TEEN ZONE

Celebrate Teen Read Week
October 18-24
Reading Beyond Reality with Neil Gaiman's Coraline
Check out Coraline, the creepy, otherworldy book and graphic novel by Neil Gaiman. Watch the movie, discuss the books & film, and craft your own weidr "Other Selvs." It's free! It's fun! It's weird! Snacks provided. Register.

Charlotte Hall     Thurs, Oct. 22    5-7 PM
Leonardtown      Thurs, Oct. 22    5:30-7:30 PM
Lexington Park   Tues, Oct. 22 5:30-7:30 PM

TAGs (Teen Advisory Groups)
Teens can meet other teens and help to plan fun teen programs. Snacks provided.

Charlotte Hall     Thurs, Oct. 8    5-6 PM
Leonardtown      Thurs, Oct. 8    5:30-7 PM
Lexington Park   Tues, Oct. 6    4-5:30 PM

Teens, check out our Teen Blog!

Library became their other "home"
In 1994 when the Der family discovered they were relocating to St. Mary's County, they checked out two important places before purchasing their home--a church and the local library. They happened to visit Charlotte Hall Library and their young daughters loved it.

Der daughters "The library became our other "home", where we were always welcome and where we received help with our questions and resource searches." When they began home schooling their daughters, "the library became an even more important part" of their life.

"Our whole family has been enriched by the resources and our extended "family" at the Charlotte Hall Library."

Emma Der

Do you have a story to tell? Send it to stmaps@stmalib.org with Library Story in the subject line.

Adventure Passport Winners Receive Books

Close to 200 children visited the required 5 sites to complete the Adventure Passport challenge and qualified for the drawing of Sally Walker's book, "Written in Bone."
passsport winners
Holding their books are winners Jenna Bell, Charlotte Hall (left) and Caitlin Toler, Leonardtown (right). Jon Pinto, Lexington Park's winner, was not present. Pictured with the winners are (left to right), Doug and Joanna Bell, Jenna's brother and mother, and Karen Adams, Caitlin's grandmother.

A big THANK YOU to the following for their part in making this program and the "Where's Flat Sneaks?" contest a great success.

St. Mary's County Tourism Dept.
Staff at the participating sites and attractions
Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium
Heritage Printing & Graphics
Bruster's Real Ice Cream
The County Times
St. Mary's County Library Staff

In This Issue

Grandpa Joe and the Drinking Gourd

Cyber Safety

Homework Help

Children's Fall Programs

Teen Zone

Library became other "home"

Adventure Passport Winners

Computer Classes

Adult Book Discussions

Family Programs

Featured Artist

Libraries Closed.
All three branches will be closed Monday, October 12, in observance of Columbus Day.

Shop for groceries--Earn money for library

Designate

St. Mary's County Library

as your non-profit group at Food Lion and McKay's Foods. Shop & use your MVP card and/or Gold Card. We'll receive a percentage of your purchases. McKay's starts October 1 and Food Lion is on-going.

Thank you!

Computer Classes

FREE.

Registration required.

Basic Computer Classes:
Designed for new computer users, these basic classes are offered monthly. Call the library for dates and to register.

Intro to Computers
Intro to Windows
Intro to the Internet
Intro to Email

Special Classes:
Introduction to Genealogy
Lexington Park
Tues, Oct. 27, 5:30-7:30 PM
Register.

Introduction to Excel
Charlotte Hall
Fri, Oct. 23, 10 AM-noon
Register.

Introduction to PowerPoint
Leonardtown
Mon, Oct. 26, 2-4 PM
Register.

Adult Book Discussions

Drop in for any of these discussions. Copies of books are available at the library.

Charlotte Hall

Monday, Oct. 5

7:00 PM

Song Yet Sung
by James McBride

Lexington Park

Monday, Oct. 19

6:00 PM

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

by David Wroblewski

Leonardtown
Thursday, Oct. 15
7:00 PM
Cold Comfort Farm
by Stella Gibbons

List of 2009 Book Selections

Family Programs

Free. All ages.

Family Movie
Walt Disney's Dinosaur
Leonardtown
Fri, Oct. 16
2 PM

Wii Play
Family Game Night
Leonardtown
Thurs, Oct. 29
5:30-7:30 PM

Your child's most important school supply!
children's library card
And it's FREE!
Stop by today and get your child their very own library card.

Celebrate 375
Celebrate Maryland's 375! Use the Discover St. Mary's County Card to get a discount on our cookbook, 300 Years of Black Cooking in St. Mary's County.