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February 2008
Library Programs & Activities
Local online job searching workshop will be offered in the auditorium on Wednesday, February 27 from 10:00-11:30. Participation is limited, pre-registration is strongly suggested. Call 224-2539. VITA tax aid is available Mondays and Fridays from 9:00-1:00. Last chance is Monday, April 14. (We will be closed Good Friday, March 21.)
GREAT DECISIONS
The popular foreign policy issues programs are being sponsored by the Friends of the Library and by ETSU’s Kingsport Alliance for Continued Learning (KACL). Please register and purchase the text ($20) at the library beginning March 17. No other cost is involved. Topics include: Iraq End-Game; European Union at 50; Russia; U.S. Defense and Security Policy; Latin America: a shift to the left? And U.S. – China Trade Policy. Programs meet every Wednesday 1:30 – 3:00 beginning April 16 through May 21.
GARDENING SEMINARSGardening Seminars will be offered at the library every Thursday during March from noon until 1:00. Bring your lunch or buy a bag lunch for $5. Seminars are free and open to the public, but please register by calling 392-8814 (Keep Kingsport Beautiful).
These “Green and Growing Lunchtime Gardening Seminars” are being sponsored by Keep Kingsport Beautiful, Southern Appalachian Plant Society and the Kingsport Public Library. Noteworthy News
MyLibrary DV is a revolutionary new digital content service that provides library card holders with free, downloadable lifestyle, entertainment and informational programming right to their personal computers 24/7. Accessible at www.kingsportlibrary.org , patrons can download MyLibraryDV content, including classic films and programming about cooking, travel, home improvement, health, literature, and much more. Shows available for download include:
Classic film titles include
Card holders may have up to 10 programs at any given time. Each program has a seven-day checkout period, and when the seven-day checkout period expires, the program automatically deletes from the computer. No overdue fines! All card holders need to do to access MyLibraryDV is to install the download manager from www.kingsportlibrary.org . Once MyLibraryDV is installed, follow the instructions to view the variety of free content. MyLibraryDV is being funded for the Kingsport Public Library by state funds through the Watauga Regional Library. Larger Library Needed:
Librarian Lowdown:
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Book BitesReviews by Danny Bartlett
First off, let me say that I am not an “animal person” and have no pets. Having said that, let me go on to say that the book Dog Days by Jon Katz is an absolutely excellent book. The author, who lives on a small farm in upstate New York, relates his experiences with the various animals of his farm, including sheep, donkeys, a steer named Elvis, and of course his beloved dogs, two border collies and two Labradors. Each dog has its own distinctive personality, as any dog owner would tell you, and the author has a different relationship with each of them. One of the most affecting passages is about Pearl, an extremely loving Lab who befriends an elderly woman while accompanying the author for physical therapy treatments for her ailing back. Any reader who has ever enjoyed the books of James Herriot will be enchanted by this book and will overlook the author’s occasional preachiness when trying to drive home a point.
Last Night of the Lobster by Stewart O-Nan Stewart O’Nan’s short novel relates the last day in the life of a Red Lobster restaurant. Manager Manny DeLeon must deal with employee “no-shows,” an ever-worsening snowstorm, and his own personal feelings towards Jacquie, a waitress with whom he had a short romance. Manny’s current girlfriend Deena is pregnant, but Manny’s heart is still with Jacquie. Manny also finds it hard to let go of the Red Lobster, even though he and a few other employees will be transferred to a nearby Olive Garden. His hopes of a good final day are dashed when the snowstorm brings business to a halt by mid-afternoon. A quiet but absorbing novel.
A Buffalo in the House by R.D. Rosen This book relates the true story of husband and wife, Roger Brooks and Veryl Goodnight, who adopt an orphaned one-week-old buffalo, which they name Charlie. Initially, Charlie was to be with them only a short time, while Veryl used him as a model for a sculpture she was creating. Charlie develops a deep relationship with his human “parents,” especially Roger. When Charlie finally is moved to a nearby buffalo ranch, he injures himself the first night, and Roger and Veryl take him to a Colorado veterinary school for treatment and then bring him back “home” to recuperate. Charlie’s life is eventually shortened by another later injury. The author mixes in quite a bit of history regarding the slaughter and near-extinction of buffalo in the 19th century West, and ongoing problems with the state of Montana freely slaughtering buffalo which wander out of their protected home in Yellowstone National Park. For my taste, some of the historical sections could have been somewhat condensed, but all in all, this is a very warm book about an almost unheard-of relationship between man and buffalo.
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Library Book Club 
Great Decisions is back!
The Kingsport Public Library Commission hired a nationally known library consultant to do a space needs assessment and long-range plan for the library. He visited Kingsport four times and involved about 60 community members in focus group conversations. Our 37,000 square foot building needs to be 55,000 square feet to take us into the next twenty years. An architect will be hired to see if we can meet those space needs on the existing site. We anticipate the building project to begin in 2012 or 2013. The power point presentation that was given to the Board of Mayor and Alderman is posted on our website, and we will continue to provide the community with updates. We also have long-range goals that include additional hours, additional staff, increase in services, increased marketing of our services, etc.