Rural Libraries have a lot to offer

This LibraryStory was sent to me courtesy of Annette H., at Beaver County Pioneer Library. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I've been researching small rural libraries in the United states and found out some very interesting things. The Association of Small, Rural Libraries started by Clarion University in Pennsylvania is reaching out to all kinds of small, rural libraries. Approximately 69% of the nation's libraries serve small cities and/or rural populations according to the research done by the University, which defines small, rural as serving populations of 25,000 or less, with a limited budget and a diverse clientelle. The organization will be having a national conference in Ohio in October. If you would like to help send representation to the conference, please contact the library.

Summer of Champions @ Your Library boosted local students into the next school year by helping maintain reading levels over summer break. Maria Mitchell, children's librarian, did another outstanding program this year. Students involved in the program received information from eleven Olympic sports associations, the International Federation of Olympic Athletes, NASCAR, the professional associations of football, hockey, basketball, baseball, and softball, and several college and professional teams in various sports. Closing ceremony last week saw the children carrying out the "Olympic flame" to remind them to always play fair and to play their best. Hats off to Maria!

Our library will be joining the "Smartest C@rd" campaign coming soon from the American Library Association. Just imagine what a free card can do: internet access, nearly unlimited access to journals and periodicals, e-books, books and materials, newspapers, videotapes, audiobooks, and much more. Keep watching this column for more information.

El Club de Conversacion/The Conversation Club brought two cultures together for fun and learning this summer, too. Six weeks of classes in many ways didn't seem like enough. Not a traditional English as a Second Language course, El Club/The Club focuses on learning conversational English and Spanish, as well as exchanging cultural similarities and differences. An average attendance of thirteen for the six-week session made our first foray into multi-cultural learning a big hit! Thanks to our moderators, Stephen Shadden, Christian Chavez, and Consuelo Reynoso for helping all of us communicate.If you are interested in attending classes in the fall, please contact the library at 580-625-3076.

Fans of suspense will enjoy the latest FBI thriller from Catherine Coulter, Blow Out. Set in the Washington, D.C. area, tongue-in-cheek humor and non-stop action are trademarks of Coulter's husband and wife team Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock. Joined by key characters including a metro D.C. police officer and a reporter for the Washington Post, Savich and Sherlock set out to discover the er of a Supreme Court Justice and two of his law clerks. Interested? Check it out!