Are you interested in e-books but don’t have an e-reader? Or maybe you don’t know how to download them? We have you covered! You can now check out an e-reader, preloaded with 10-12 popular titles, at any one of our six locations.

Starting on July 20, we loaded twenty two Barnes & Noble Nooks with popular titles such as Fifty Shades of Grey, and the Hunger Games Trilogy and started offering them for checkout. We think this is a great way for you to read the books you want, the way you want them, even if you don’t own an e-reader. You can check these out for two weeks, renew them, and place holds just like a book. And all you have to do is turn it on and start reading! The only thing you need to check these out is a valid library card – no computer, internet connection or account registration required!

Visit any of our six locations to learn more and check one out for yourself.  We

have six different collections – bestseller fiction, popular non-fiction, mystery/thriller, romance, teen, and christian fiction. Want to know exactly what’s loaded on these? Just search our library catalog for “nook collection” and

see for yourself.

Hope to see you in soon, and happy reading!

At first glance, the continued popularity of LEGO bricks might appear to be the main focus of this elementary and middle school program. However, as Adult Services Librarian David Robinson commented last fall, “There is a lot more going on during LEGO Club.”

Children hear about upcoming library programs. Miss Diane, Children’s Librarian, provides brief book talks about new arrivals, materials recently acquired by the library. Participants work individually or cooperatively in small groups to create projects that are photographed by Mr. David. After a light snack, everyone helps with clean-up time before a LEGO-related door prize is drawn.

All of the above is in addition to further development of small motor skills

by connecting, then separating the LEGO bricks in preparation for the next meeting. Adult caregivers often join in the fun, enhancing relationships during this quality time together. Many of the children like to log their attendance during Club meetings, taking pride in their continued participation as they meet and make

new friends in a relaxed, yet educational, setting.

In response to requests from the public, we will begin offering a Preschool LEGO Club at 3:30-4 p.m Sept. 20 at County Library. A volunteer parent will supervise the program and all interested preschoolers (and their parents) are invited to join us on the first and third Thursdays of the month. Our regular LEGO Club, for children of kindergarten age and up, will resume “meetings” at 4:30 p.m. following a summer hiatus.

For more information about either LEGO Club, contact Diane Cary at 984-8200 x207.

We are pleased to announce a partnership with the publisher of the Northern Virginia Daily to house their entire microfilm archive dating from September, 1932 through February 2012. An important part of

the library’s mission is preserving the historical record. Having this collection on loan from the Northern Virginia Daily helps us fulfill that mission.

These issues cover daily life in the county, national and international events, and chronicle the lives of multiple generations of residents. Whether you’re looking for what was in the news on the day you were born, working on a history project, or trying to find an obituary for a family member, these pages are a great place to start your research.

Come out

to the County Library in Edinburg and take a look! We have two microfilm machines, and staff available to help you get started. If you find what you’re looking for, you can scan it, print it, save it and even email it to yourself using our digital microfilm station. Want to know what other historical documents we have on microfilm? Make sure to check out our microfilm holdings online before coming in to do your research.

Cleaning out the attic? Need to identify an item or determine a value for insurance purposes? Planning to search the Yard Crawl for hidden treasures? The library has a great online resource where you can find the answers to those questions – What is it? and How much is it worth?

The Price 4 Antiques Reference database contains information about collectibles, antiques and fine art  provided by over 140 major U.S. auction companies. The database is updated daily and each item listed has at least one color picture, a description, the sale price and date, and auction house name and contact information. Biographical and historical reference notes are added to many of the records.

A recent search for Strasburg pottery in the database found the following entry from March 3, 2012:

Considered rare, this stoneware face pitcher with profuse cobalt [blue] tulip decoration is attributed to Samuel Bell, Winchester or Strasburg, Virginia, circa 1835 to 1845. Nearly tripling the pre-sale estimate, this piece sold at auction for $63,250.00!

 

 

Want to explore for yourself? You will find Price for Antiques linked from the Research tab on the library website under Online Resources.

So whether you are a history buff, an avid collector or just looking forward to finding a treasure or two

at the

next estate sale you visit, Price 4 Antiques has something for you!

If you plan on surfing the Web this summer instead of actual waves, be sure to visit “The Museum of Online Museums,” a great collection of links to all sorts of digitized collections.  You’ll find the tried-and-true represented, of course—works from the National Portrait Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art can be

accessed from here, for instance—but the fun lies in browsing collections that are off the beaten track.  If you’re a fan of vintage advertising, take a look at USASODA, which collects pictures of soda drink items produced across the years.  If you’re an “arts and crafts” person, you might enjoy the “Treasury of Macramé Owls” Web site, which is neither more nor less than its name suggests.  As with all things Internet, you may find that some links don’t work, or some sites are not to your liking, but just as with any good museum experience, you may

also discover a new passion.  Who knew that Radio Shack catalogs could be so intriguing?