Southeast Steuben County Library 300 Nasser Civic Center Plaza Corning, NY 14830 (607) 936-3713
Corning Inc. Headquarters, Corning, NY
The Hornby Museum & Hornby Historical Society
Campbell Central School
Lindley Community Church
The Conhocton River in Coopers Plains
The Caton Grange
The Depot Museum, Village of Painted Post, Town of Erwin |
Visit the Library Home Page Read the latest Library news in The Circulator Final Edition: Thank you, readers The Circulator, Southeast Steuben County Library's first online news magazine, was published three to six times per week from November 1, 2005 through July 27, 2007. Thank you, readers, for helping to make this resource a success. With hundreds of articles and images and more than 6,000 hyperlinks to external and internal resources, The Circulator covered news about Library programs, events, services and people. We called attention to reference resources both "in-house" and online and reported on arts & cultural events and public service organizations of regional interest. Each of these articles is archived and may be accessed via the archive links in the right-hand column of the main page. Articles are classified by date and subject category. Through words and images, The Circulator documented the life of the Library for the better part of two years. Content of The Circulator was suggested by Library staff members in every department and by volunteers and patrons. The Circulator was written, photographed and designed by Brad Turner, an AmeriCorps service member assigned full time to the Library (turnerb@stls.org or BLTurner@stny.rr.com). AmeriCorps service is limited to two years. Prior to joining AmeriCorps, Turner was Managing Editor of the Patent Trader newspaper, the Rhinebeck Gazette Advertiser, the Hyde Park Townsman and two other New York weeklies. He has served as one of a team of editors for McGraw Hill's Electric Utility Week group, and for the publications division of the College Board of Entrance Examinations. He has been a staff reporter for the North County News and the Westchester Business Journal. The idea to create an online Library news vehicle - something between a blog and a newspaper - was advanced by Matthew Hogan, Director of Adult Programs at the Southeast Steuben County Library. If you have questions about The Circulator, please contact him at hoganm@stls.org. Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org July 26, 2007 Reading was Madcap adventure
Selected audience members participated in the production, to the delight of all (shown below). The show was a highlight of the Southeast Steuben County Library's "Get a Clue" Summer Reading Program events series. Next on the "Get a Clue" events schedule is Moreland the Magician. He will perform here at 1 pm on Thursday, August 2. Please join us for this dazzling and humorous performance. It is free and everyone is invited. Performances are held in the Nasser Civic Center rink, next to the Library. Click here for a map and driving directions to Nasser Civic Center Plaza. Or, for bus routes and schedules, click here. Summer Reading events are made possible by the Friends of the Library. Without our Friends, we couldn't do it!
Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org SUMMER VOLUNTEERS: Where would we be without our young-adult Library summer volunteers? In the soup, that's where! When school is out, volunteers such as Margaret Box, above, right, and Sarah Capper, left, read stories to "Baby Bookworms," sign-up participants in our gala Summer Reading Program, serve as ushers for our Thursday afternoon events series and assist Library staff in many more ways. Thank you, volunteers! July 25, 2007 Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Story Time Ceramics: Collaborate for arts & education
Program components included hands on ceramics sessions with Corning Children's Center attendees, supervised by ceramic artist Lynne Wagner; inspired and inspiring readings of children's books by McConnell; and deepening the knowledge of use of clay as a sculptural medium for both children and teachers.
We hope you will visit us soon to see how a collaborative effort can inspire the best creative efforts of young artists. Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Giant Puppets return Thursday Madcap Productions Giant Puppet Theatre was a big hit last year at the Southeast Steuben County Library. The Cincinnati, Ohio-based troupe returns to Corning with a brand new show this Thursday, July 26, at 1 p.m. in the Nasser Civic Center rink as part of our "Get a Clue" Summer Reading 2007 events series. We are delighted to have these talented performers and artisans back again.
Click here for a map and driving directions to Nasser Civic Center Plaza. Or, for bus routes and schedules, click here. We hope you will join us for this free Summer Reading Program 2007 event. You and your children will be glad you did! The Library's Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Without our Friends, we couldn't do it! Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Technical difficulties: We appreciate your patience When a motorist crashed into a pole late last week in Painted Post, power to the Southern Tier Library System (STLS) was cut. As a result, the StarCat online Library catalog is out of service. Circulation of books and other materials is being handled manually at the Southeast Steuben County Library. We have been told this problem will be resolved by Monday afternoon, July 23. Until then, there is a five item per-card limit on materials checked out of the Library. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Meanwhile, our Circulation Department staff is working double-time to record your check-outs and returns, and our Reference Department is working extra hard to assist you in locating the materials you need. When STLS restores its automated circulation services, our Circulation Department will scramble to manually enter all the data from Friday morning, when the problems began, until the time services are restored, hopefully, on Monday afternoon. Even with the five-item limit, thousands of books and other materials are checked out & returned each day, so our staff will have a lot of catching up to do. Fortunately, we are a dedicated group. When the chips are down, we all pitch in. We hope you will help by exercising a little extra patience if you encounter delays at the Circulation Desk. Also, our Reference Department has fewer resources to work with. Reference staff will appreciate your patience, too. Thank you! Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org July 20, 2007 Redhawk Dancers amazed us More than 300 children and adults joined us at the Nasser Civic Center rink yesterday for the second performance in the Library's "Get a Clue" Summer Reading events series. Four members of the Redhawk Dancers, a Native American dance troupe, lit up the arena with vibrantly colored costumes, dazzled with energetic dancing & drumming, and kept our attention riveted with ritual cries and chants. For those young readers who attended last week's performance by Yarina, a Native American musical group from Ecuador, the two events provided an opportunity for audience members to learn about the diversity of indigenous cultural traditions from North and South America. Next up on the "Get a Clue" Summer Reading events schedule is the Madcap Puppets. They will perform here at 1 pm on Thursday, July 26. Please join us for this exciting event. It is free and everyone is invited. Summer Reading events are made possible by the Friends of the Library. Without our Friends, we couldn't do it!
Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org July 19, 2007 Museum board workshops set Are you a board member or staff member of a local area museum or historical society? If so, the Council of Community Services of New York State (CCSNYS) offers a day of Museum Board Empowerment Program workshops that you may wish to attend. Two training workshops, sponsored in part by the New York State Council on the Arts, will be offered by CCSNYS on Wednesday, August 1 at The Corning Museum of Glass, One Museum Way, in Corning, NY. The first presentation, Roles & Responsibilities of a Museum Board of Directors, will be offered from 9 am to noon. The second workshop, Fiscal Accountability for Museum Boards of Directors, will be held from 1 pm to 4. These trainings provide high quality, "real world" information and examples to museum board members that ensure they have the knowledge and skills needed to fulfill their legal, fiscal, and general governance roles. The first MBEP workshop, Roles & Responsibilities of a Museum Board of Directors, will provide a fundamental overview and general orientation to the key governance knowledge and skills needed to serve on a board and to develop and maintain a well-run board. Discussions will focus on the meaning of being a fiduciary and how museum boards should delegate governance and operational tasks to board officers, committees and museum staff. Participants will learn the constant need to be aware of their governance role while practicing responsible oversight. The second workshop is about Fiscal Accountability. With today's focus on museum accountability, it is more important than ever for board members to provide fiscal oversight. This workshop will offer an overview of financial responsibility, with an emphasis on how a museum board can efficiently organize itself to make sound fiscal decisions and be accountable to donors, funding sources, members and visitors, and regulating bodies. The workshops are open to all museum and historical society board members and staff when accompanied by a board member. Light refreshments will be provided. The registration fee is $15 per three hour workshop. Registration can be done online at this link or by calling (607) 436-3124. Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org July 18, 2007 In summer: Children's programs rule! For some of us, summer is a time to relax and let things slide. It is the season for vacations, trips abroad and abandonment of work-related responsibilities. For energetic souls among us, there is time for hikes in the mountains, cross-country bicycle trips, excursions to exotic locales, midnight dancing under the stars ... Not for our Children's Department. Summer is the busy season for Children's Specialists Sue McConnell (shown above, left) and Missy Knowles, (above, right). On Tuesday mornings, McConnell leads the Library's popular Baby Bookworms infant lap-sit program, while Knowles leads Chicken Little's Story Time for toddlers. When these programs - which drew more than 70 participants - ended yesterday morning, the Children's Department was host to dozens of grade-school age youngsters from Corning-Painted Post Area School District's summer enrichment programs. The Southeast Steuben County Library organizes summer enrichment activities - such as a "Get a Clue" mystery trek through the library - as part of our role in the Corning Area Summer Collaborative. Summer enrichment activities were ongoing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (today). Hundreds of children benefited. There will no break for the Children's Department tomorrow, Thursday, when hundreds more children, families and summer kids groups come to the Nasser Civic Center rink, beside the Library, to see the Redhawk Dancers. This cultural event is part of the Southeast Steuben County Library's "Get a Clue" Summer Reading events series 2007, sponsored by the Friends of the Library. We couldn't manage our many Summer Reading Program events and activities without the support of the Friends, and we thank them! We also couldn't do what we do in summer without our volunteers and Teen Friends. The Teen Friends group is of invaluable help throughout the year and especially during summer. Its members dedicate part of their vacation time to enriching the lives of others through Library programs. Thank you Teen Friends! While we're thanking people, let's not forget the staff of our Children's Department. They work hard during summer to encourage children to read and learn even when school is out, and they do a great job. P.S. Don't forget about Blankets, Books & Slippers PJ Story Time from 7 pm to 7:30 every Thursday evening. Wear your pajamas and bring your teddy bears (and caregivers). Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Our (not so) hidden agenda In America, everybody seems to have something to push. Turn on the television and you get more commercials than programming. Read a newspaper these days and you'll be lucky to spot the "news hole." (What is a news hole? That's the space the publisher leaves - begrudgingly - for the editorial department to fill, after all the ads have been placed.) Pick up a magazine, select an article, and just as it gets good you'll be "jumped" to the back pages, which are hard to find. You'll have to thumb through as many ads as possible to get there. Advertising helps make newspapers and magazines and broadcast television profitable. Without advertising there would be less news, fewer magazine articles - also fewer newspapers and magazines - and newsstand and subscription prices would be much higher. Even so, the proliferation of advertising underscores the point that in America, everybody seems to have something to push. Here at the Library, we do not depend on advertising for income. We do not harbor a particular political agenda (although we do give safe harbor to books on politics). We do not want to tell you what to buy or how to think. Even so, we do have something to push. We push reading. We want you to read. We think that reading is good for you. And we want you to read more. We are almost completely shameless in this pursuit. For example, our ongoing Summer Reading Program offers incentive gift drawings for reading books. There are great gift packages for adults, young adults and children. All you need do to be eligible is sign up and read. For details, click here. Also, we put on a great show Thursdays in Nasser Civic Center rink, with cultural events and performances that include the message that reading is fun. See our events calendar for upcoming dates in July and August. Our Summer Reading Program is supported by the Friends of the Library. (The Friends are better than advertising!) Throughout the four seasons, year in and year out, we do our best to encourage everyone to read. Occasionally, when appropriate, we put on hats or funny costumes or organize special events. More often, we smile and try to be as helpful as we can be. For those of you already hooked on reading, we offer free readers guides and suggested reading brochures. You'll find these at the Circulation Desk, along with our popular Browsers Guide to the Collection (A.K.A. the Dewey Demystifier), which makes browsing by subject simple. For children and their parents, we have a new set of bookmarks with suggested reading titles. Ask for them in the Children's Department. For online browsers, try our online book clubs. Click here for more information, or join a club via the link on the Library Home Page. Thanks to our online subscription resources, you have access to Thomson-Gale's Literature Resource Center and the Twayne Authors Series. The Literature Resource Center includes literary criticism, biographies, bibliographies, reading lists and much more. Search by author name, book title, key words and other criteria. The Twayne Author Series provides comprehensive articles about writers of literary note throughout world history. Click here to find out more about these. We make all these resources available to you because we want you to read. We have many more resources for readers. We won't go into these here. That would be pushing it. Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org ARTIST CROSSROADS: Performance artist Rhonda Morton and bassist Peter Chwazik staged a freestyle happening earlier today on Market Street in Corning. Passersby watched Morton dance and listened to music by Chwazik with a recorded poem by Morton. For more about Rhonda Morton's "Moving Possibilities" inspiration, click here. The performance was funded in part through a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts via The ARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes. B. Turner photos
July 16, 2007 July 16, 2007 Redhawk Dancers here, 7/19 The spectacular Native American Dance Troupe, the Redhawk Dancers, will appear in a free performance at Nasser Civic Center Rink on Thursday, July 19 at 1 pm. This high energy cultural happening is part of the Southeast Steuben County Library's "Get a Clue" Summer Reading events series 2007, sponsored by the Friends of the Library. The Redhawk Dance Troupe is a group of Native American performing artists who educate while they delight audiences by presenting social, traditional and contemporary dances that can be appreciated by all ages. Audiences, often through active participation, learn the importance of Native cultural traditions. According to the troupe, "We have fashioned breathtaking performances that will make one's heart soar while encountering an explosion of color and sound." Traditional dances and stories are combined with a contemporary style of presenting that captivates audiences around the globe. The Redhawk Dancers' performance here in the rink next to the Library is free, tailored for children and families, and open to the public. It is made possible by the Friends of the Library. Without our Friends, we couldn't do it! Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Arts funding is available! Are you an artist, musician, writer or poet or playwright? Do you have a project you've wanted to complete, but lack the funds to make it happen? Pay attention to this: The ARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes has announced the start of its 2008 community arts funding initiative. Three programs, Decentralization (DEC), Artists Crossroads and a new initiative, Grassroots Grants Project (G2P), fund arts-related projects taking place during 2008. Applications and guidelines are available for artists and nonprofit organizations in Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Tioga counties. Visit www.eARTS.org or email TheARTS@stny.rr.com to receive copies of the applications and guidelines. Applicants are required to attend an application seminar where further information is given about eligibility requirements, deadlines, awards selection priorities and project criteria. Project development and technical assistance is available prior to the October 1, 2007 deadline. Application seminars are held throughout the four-county region. Application seminars will be held at the Southeast Steuben County Library on July 23, 2007 starting at 9:30 am and on September 16, 2007 starting at 6 pm. For the complete four-county schedule, visit www.eARTS.org. Those unable to attend a scheduled seminar should contact Lynn Rhoda by calling (607) 962-5871 ext 226 to arrange for an individual meeting. DEC, Artists Crossroads and G2P grants are made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts. The awards process is administered locally by The ARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes. Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Yarina delights young readers
Traditional dance and festive costumes from the Andes added to the performance. Shown above, left, these group members perform the Friendship Dance.
Next up on the "Get a Clue" Summer Reading events schedule is the Red Hawk Dancers. They will perform here at 1 pm on Thursday, July 19. Please join us for this exiting event. It is free and everyone is invited. Summer Reading events are made possible by the Friends of the Library. Without our Friends, we couldn't do it!
Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Harry Potter Party here Friday Join the Children's Department in celebrating the upcoming book launch of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There will be games, crafts and giveaways from 1 pm to 3 on Friday, July 13. With the recent release of the fifth Harry Potter movie, and with the seventh and final book in the series by J.K. Rowling to be made available at midnight on July 21, we thought the Friday the 13th in-between these events was the perfect time to celebrate. So join us for this free children's party at the Southeast Steuben County Library. Children younger than 8 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver. Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org July 11, 2007 Parking lot gets new drainage During heavy rains, the Municipal Parking Lot that serves the Library has been subject to poor drainage problems. It is no wonder, because the Southeast Steuben County Library is situated on one of the lowest spots in Corning. This week, the City of Corning is improving the drainage. As a result, there is heavy machinery about and through traffic is blocked. New parking rules apply during the construction period: 1. Parking in the lot is free during construction. Permit & handicapped parking rules still apply. Exit the lot through the same driveway you entered. 2. Free alternate parking is provided in Municipal Lot 16 on the North Side of Tioga Avenue, opposite (and slightly west of) the Library. 3. Pedestrian access to the Main Entrance of the Library will be maintained throughout construction. The parking lot is maintained and managed by the City of Corning. Through traffic may be restored as early as Friday, July 13, notwithstanding superstition. Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Financial planning series offered
The sessions will begin by examining the base tiers of the pyramid, Cash Management and Credit Management, which represent the foundation of a sound financial plan. The function of the base tiers is to guard against life’s uncertainties including goal setting, budgeting, financial records, building an emergency fund, credit reports and identity theft. The middle tiers will concentrate on growing your money through Home Ownership, Loan Intelligence, and Financial Planning. The upper tiers address how to manage your retirement and how to protect and distribute your estate. Each building block relies on the strength and stability of the personal finance strategies used in the blocks below it. Partners offering these workshops include Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County, Corning Credit Union, Five Star Bank, Long Term Care Insurance Education & Outreach Program located at the Office for the Aging, Tri County Housing, the Southeast Steuben County Library and Attorney Patrick Roth. Participants can attend one or all of these free informational workshops. Registration is requested by calling Cornell Cooperative Extension at (607) 664-2300. Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Music of Ecuador, here on 7/12
'Yarina' means 'remembrance,' expressed in the native Quichua language of the Incas. The musical group, Yarina, formed in 1984, has been dedicated to the preservation and sharing of the ancestral traditions and culture of the native peoples of the Andes. Also, the group blends Andean music with the contemporary sounds of jazz, blues, Latin and western classical music. Comprised of brothers and sisters of the Cachimuel family, Yarina has performed at various cultural venues in the U.S. including the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, The Metropolitan Museum, various First Night celebrations and for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Yarina's performance here is free, tailored for children and families, and open to the public. It is made possible by the Friends of the Library. We hope you will attend the performance. It is a great way to enjoy the culture of a distant land with your children, without going far from home. ***** Ecuador is a South American republic on the west coast of the continent, between Colombia and Peru. Its 13.76 million people live within a land mass slightly smaller than Nevada. Its territory includes the Galapagos Islands. Its terrain ranges from coastal plains to jungle to highlands (sierra). Its highest point is Chimborazo in the Andes, 6,267 meters above sea level. For more about Ecuador's music and its ethnic origins, visit this link to Ecuador's embassy in Washington, DC. For an album of images of Ecuador and its people, click here. For basic geographic and political facts about the country, click here. For more about Yarina, visit the group's website at this link. Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Your suggestions are important The Southeast Steuben County Library serves a population of 34,000 in the City of Corning and six towns: Campbell, Caton, (Town of) Corning, Erwin, Hornby and Lindley. Hundreds of people visit us each day. Most pay a call at the Circulation Desk. Of these, many have been kind enough to contribute suggestions to our Suggestion Box. Assuming you are a patron facing north, toward Tioga Avenue, the Suggestion Box is located on the extreme right-hand side of the Circulation Desk. The Suggestion Box is equipped with a sidecar filled with slips of paper. Sharpened half-length "golf" pencils are always handy. We want to make it easy for anyone to tell us what they think and to share ideas on how we should improve our services. Sometimes people tell us what we do wrong. Sometimes people tell us what we do right. Sometimes people write notes to us just for fun. We read and appreciate all of this. Because our Suggestion Box is equipped with little slips of paper and golf pencils which have no erasers, most suggestions are rather short and look like chicken scratch. We understand this and do not judge the merit of your suggestions according to appearance. We pay attention to what you have to say. This morning there were 39 suggestions in our Suggestion Box. One suggestion called for longer pencils. Thirteen patrons asked us to acquire specific books, audio books, DVDs or other materials. We also had six general acquisition suggestions, such as "More origami books, please," and "Please get more murder mistoreys!" (Sic.) Thank you. Our acquisitions specialists need to know what you want to read, watch and otherwise check out, and we follow up where possible. Several suggestions had to do with our public computers and children's computers. Most asked for more computers, or more kids computers, or longer time on computers. (There is a one-hour limit.) We are in the process of replacing many of our older computers. We should see multiple service improvements soon. One suggestion called for quiet in the Library, particularly in the computer areas. We are working on it. We work on it every day. Two suggestions called for eliminating parking fees & meters. We are sorry. Parking at the Library is managed by the City of Corning. Parking is free after 5 p.m. and on weekends. One suggestion called on us to "put up a Dewey system index somewhere. No one has it memorized!" We appreciate your suggestion. There is a Dewey Decimal System index posted in the Reference Department. There is a laminated Dewey Decimal System index, for public use, on the Reference Desk. There is a short stack of simplified Dewey Decimal System flyers at each Library Catalog computer station. Another suggestion called on us to install a pay phone. There is a public pay phone in the corridor outside the Laura Beer Community Room, adjacent to the lobby. One (presumably young) patron offered two suggestions. He wants us to give him a PlayStation and, on a monthly basis, a Three Musketeers candy bar. One suggestion out of the 39 conveyed something unmentionable. One just said "Hi!" with a smile drawn. (Thanks!) The last suggestion was our favorite. It made us stop for a moment to take in the good feeling. It read, "All is perfectly fine." Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Human services news is online If you need to find out what is going on at any of the more than 30 nonprofit human services agencies operating in the Library service area and surrounding counties in New York's Southern Tier, visit The Provider Online, a web-based publication of the Institute for Human Services (IHS). The Provider Online offers the latest news about nonprofit, public, education and health care sectors of the human services community. Among the agencies covered are:
American Red Cross - Greater Steuben Chapter You can find direct email contact information and web links to these and other agencies on the IHS website, at this link. For complete details about the services provided by agencies and nonprofits throughout Steuben County, download the Steuben County Human Services Directory at this IHS link. Or, visit the Reference Department at the Southeast Steuben County Library. The IHS HELPLINE is available 24/7 for crisis referrals and, during business hours, easy access to current information about human services available in Steuben, Allegany and Chemung Counties. If you need a referral or crisis counseling, call 800-346-2211. In Resemblance, reception 7/6
The exhibit features work by artists Lynn Rhoda, Jan Thomas, Ginnie Lupi, and Vanessa Decker Goodman. Artist Lynn Rhoda creates doll-like works that are a means of social commentary. Her work, "Pockets of ..." is shown at left. Jan Thomas uses images of Barbie in photography-based work. Painted Post artist Ginnie Lupi has created an interactive wall installation with interchangeable vinyl elements that work like Colorforms. Vanessa Decker Goodman creates collages that are dolls. The exhibit will be on display through August 18. Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Altered books: Art or atrocity?
Less acceptable is the callous treatment of library books by uncaring readers; such as those who turn down pages or break spines by laying books face down. Worst of all is the deliberate destruction of circulating books.
Altering Freud launches formally on July 19 from 5 pm - 7 with a reception for the artists that is free and open to the public. Altering Freud features artwork by Gigi Alvare, Mavin Ambrose, Carol Ayers, Lindsey Bergquist, Dawn Coleman, Jan Kather, Kathy Pilling-Whitney, Sharla Lefkowitz Brown, Ginnie Lupi, Tom Oberg, Debb VanDelinder, and Will VanDelinder. The artists all used copies of Freud: Dictionary of Psychoanalysis as inspiration (and base material) for their art. None of these copies came from our collection.
Free the Soul, by Dawn Coleman is shown at top right. Flippin' Freud, by Mavin Ambrose is shown above, left. Fixation, by Gigi Alvare is shown at right. There is a copy of Freud: Dictionary of Psychoanalysis (Greenwood Press) in the Southern Tier Library System. It is in the collection of the Hornell Public Library. You may place a Hold on it with your Library card and PIN by clicking on the Catalog link on our Library's Home Page. Even if you are an artist, it is not permissible to alter this copy. ***** For those interested in gaining background on the "art" and/or practice of altering books, follow these links: The International Society of Altered Books Outside the Margins: Making Altered Books Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org July 2, 2007 Incredible incentives are here! Most of us know that reading is its own reward. Even so, every summer we like to give that message an extra push with gift drawings for those who sign up for the Library's Summer Reading Program. This year, thanks to donations from local merchants, the Walmart Foundation, Wegman's and others, we have an unprecedented array of amazing summer reading rewards for children, young adults and adult readers. There is a reading incentive drawing each week in every reading category, including several children's categories. Incentive gifts include baskets with toys & games, treats & fun books for children. Lucky teen readers may "shuffle" away with iPods, or a home karaoke machine or other great stuff. Adult incentives include a deluxe golfer's gift bag with ingenious devices to help with golf ball and water-hazard recovery, and for NASCAR fans - get this - two weekend tickets to the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup & Zippo 200 NASCAR Busch Series (August 9 - 12). Each ticket is valued at $69, and the pair come with an accessory assortment for racing fans including sun hats, a beach towel and more. Other adult incentive packages include coffee and wine baskets, a barbecue package with a $25 Wegman's coupon (so you'll have something to sizzle), and the list goes on. We don't want you to miss out on these great rewards for summer reading. All you have to do to enter one of our weekly drawings is read a book and write the author, title and a short (optional) review on an entry slip. To sign up for the 2007 "Get a Clue" Summer Reading Program at the Southeast Steuben County Library, visit the display in the main lobby, or ask any staff member. The more books you read from now through August, the more drawings you get to enter. So sign up today. Comments & Questions email: turnerb@stls.org Visit the Library Home Page Read the latest Library news in The Circulator |
When
Madcap Productions Giant Puppet Theatre comes to the Library, anything can happen. Today, the Ohio-based troupe
staged a fantasy in which a young woman must read a story to a scary monster (above, left) in order
to save her brother. Because she can read and the monster can't, she finds a way to save her
brother, and hundreds of young audience members learn a little about the value of literacy. The
tale she tells becomes a play within a play, giving rise to additional giant puppet creations
such as the Madcap character, top, right.
Visit
the Children's Department at the Southeast Steuben County Library this summer and you will see a
colorful display of ceramic turtles, spiders, brown bears and rainbow fish. This imaginative
sculptural menagerie was crafted by youngsters from the Corning Children's Center as part of a
project that involved two local arts organizations, a ceramic artist and the Library's Children's
Outreach Specialist, Sue McConnell.
Funded
in part by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts via The ARTS of the Southern
Finger Lakes and by generous individual donors, and with help from 171 Cedar Arts Center and the
Library, the Story Time Ceramics Project integrated two different art mediums, ceramics and
children's literature, to "inspire the creative minds of children."
Wagner
worked with both teachers and young students at the Corning Children's Center, helping them
develop the skills needed for ceramic work. McConnell read four books, The Hare and the
Tortoise by Brian Wildsmith; Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk; Brown Bear,
Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle; and The Rainbow Fish by
Marcus Pfister. Inspired by the stories, toddlers and older preschoolers crafted turtles,
spiders, bears and multicolored fish, many of which are now on display in the Children's
Department.
With puppets as large as people, sometimes
larger, the Madcap Puppets troupe had no trouble capturing the
attention of the crowd last year. Hands shot upwards as master puppeteers sought
volunteers to play roles in key scenes, and there
wasn't a dull moment in the hour-long show. To watch a video clip of the
production last year,
Opening
the Southeast Steuben County Library's "Get A Clue" Summer Reading events series in Nasser Civic
Center, the music and dance troupe Yarina captivated the crowd as it drew attention to the
cultural heritage of the Native American Quichua tribe. Hailing from Ecuador, Yarina's native
Quichua members are also brothers and sisters. The group played traditional and original music on
instruments ranging from panpipes to the electric violin.
Shown at right, Roberto Cachimuel, the group spokesman, gives children
a close-up view. Roberto left Ecuador at the age 16 to travel with his brothers and perform music
in Europe before settling in Boston, MA in 1991. Several of his 10 brothers and sisters divide
their time between Ecuador and the United States.
The USDA’s Food Pyramid was created to provide the public with guidance about nutrition. A similar concept – a financial pyramid – offers a model for financial health. An in-depth look at this financial pyramid will be held on Mondays from July 23 through August 27.
The series of workshops is entitled The Pyramid Approach to Financial Health. The free sessions will be offered from 7 pm - 8:30 here at the Southeast Steuben County Library, 300
Nasser Civic Center Plaza, Corning, NY.
Music, dance, native dress and
poetry of the
indigenous people of Ecuador will open the Southeast Steuben County Library's Summer Reading
Program entertainment series. Come to the Nasser Civic Center rink adjacent to the Library at 1
pm on Thursday, July 12 to experience the magic of Yarina, a family ensemble of Native
American musicians and dancers.
Don't
miss the opening reception for 171 Cedar Arts Center's latest Houghton Gallery exhibit, In
Resemblance. The reception will be held at the gallery in Drake House at 155 Cedar Street
in Corning on Friday, July 6 from 5:30 pm to 7:30.
Here at the Library, we understand that every time anyone reads a book,
the book changes in some way. The most careful reader will contribute to the aging
of books. When we read books we manipulate fragile paper, we expose delicate inks to harmful
light, we weaken bindings, stretch glues, allow salty sweat and fatty acids from our fingers to
be absorbed into once pristine pages. The aging of books through normal use is a fact of life that librarians
accept, even embrace. After all, a well-worn book is a well-read book.
Therefore, it is with appropriately mixed feelings that we call your
attention to an upcoming "art" exhibit at The Gallery at The ARTS, 32 West Market Street in
Corning, NY. The artists featured in the exhibit altered books - in this case, copies of a
particular book - to create their artwork. Was this an act of premeditated vandalism, or inspired
creativity?
If you just can't wait for the artists reception, visit The Gallery at
The ARTs now through July 30. Call (607) 962-5871 ext 223 for gallery hours and other information.