Digital Bookmobile teaches library users about Overdrive

The Digital Bookmobile came to the Regency Park library yesterday to show library users how to download digital audio books, e-books, music, and video through a service called Overdrive.  Access Overdrive by clicking here.  Many people took the opportunity to tour the bus to learn more about this service offered through the library's website.  One lucky person walked away with a new iPod Nano after winning the door prize drawing at the event.  

 

Teens make Gingerbread Houses

The teens at the Regency Park library had a great time making gingerbread houses out of graham crackers.  The houses looked creative and delicious.  For instructions on how to make your own house out of graham crackers, click here.

Digital Bookmobile coming to Regency Park Library!

What is the Digital Bookmobile you ask? Here is a link to their website: Click me!

The Digital Bookmobile will be here at Regency Park on December 17th between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Come to the library on the 17th and you will be treated to an abundant amount of information about Overdrive, our digital download service!

Teens can put their movie-making skills to work!

Winter break perfect time for students to prepare for video contest

Ask a Librarian sponsors video contest for high schoolers

TAMPA, Fla. (December 15, 2009) — Wondering what to do with your aspiring young director over the winter break? Tell your high school students about The Third Annual Director’s Chair, a contest in which Florida students submit commercials to promote Ask a Librarian.  Ask a Librarian is a free online service that allows the public to chat with a librarian for help with homework or general questions

Floridians in ninth through 12^th grade are invited to submit a 30-second video promoting Ask a Librarian by January 24, 2010, for the chance to win a digital video camera, a digital camera or a MP3 player.

“We hope students will be using their holiday vacations to put the finishing touches on their entries,” said Diana Silveira, virtual reference manager of Ask a Librarian. “We know teens are incredibly creative, especially after seeing past entries, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with this year.”

After a panel of judges picks the top five videos, it will be up to the public to vote for their favorite video from Feb. 8- 20, 2010. 

Visit www.askalibrarian.org/thedirectorschair for more information about the contest, including submission instructions, prizes, official contest rules, release forms and more.  Previous winning videos are on the page for viewing. 

Visit www.askalibrarian.org for more information about the Ask a Librarian service.

Ask a Librarian is managed by the Tampa Bay Library Consortium (TBLC) and is a collaboration of over 103 Florida libraries.  Ask a Librarian is funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Florida Department of State, State Library and Archives of Florida.   Ask a Librarian is a service of the Florida Electronic Library.

The Tampa Bay Library Consortium, Inc. (TBLC) is a nonprofit multi-type library cooperative that assists and empowers libraries. Since 1979, TBLC has worked with member libraries to provide better, faster service and resource sharing to the residents of Florida. For more information, call (813) 622-8252 or visit www.tblc.org.

Battle of the Bands entrance forms are now being accepted!

Entries are now being accepted at any Pasco Library or by e-mail to pauls@pascolibraries.org.  Bands ages 13-20 from any Florida county are eligible to enter! 

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE ENTRY FORM AND COMPETITION INFORMATION. (pdf file)

This year's competition will involve 6 weeks of online videos in February and March of 2010, with viewers voting for their favorite band each week via our MySpace page, following by a live band battle at Crews Lake Park (16739 Crews Lake Dr, Shady Hills, FL 34610) on March 26th, 2010.  Two different prize categories will be available this year.  The top two bands of the online voting will receive $500 and $250 music store gift cards to buy instruments, repairs, etc.  The winners of the live battle will get a recording package worth $3500 for first, $1750 for second, and $1000 for third at a local recording studio.

CLICK HERE to view past videos from previous Rockus Maximus events.

CLICK HERE to visit our main MySpace page.

For more information, contact Paul Stonebridge, Teen Services Manager, at 813-929-1214 or 727-861-3040 or e-mail pauls@pascolibraries.org.

Book Club - Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Regency Park Library's book club will be meeting at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, January 12th to discuss the book The Prize Winner of Defiance, OH: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan. This is a nonfiction book that tells the story housewife in rural Ohio during the 1950's and 60's.

Playtime with Winnie the Pooh - Saturday, January 9, 2010

On Saturday, January 9th, there will be a Winnie the Pooh party to help commemorate the birthday of Winnie's original author, A.A. Milne.  The event will begin at 11:00 am.  Preschool aged children are invited to come and help us celebrate with games, crafts, and snacks!

Gingerbread Houses - Thursday, December 17, 2009

Teens!  Come have a fun time creating edible edifices.  We will be building gingerbread houses out of graham crackers, icing, and various candy.  The fun will begin at 6:00 pm on Thursday, December 17th.

Anime Club - Wednesday, December 9, 2009

The teen's Anime Club will be holding its meeting this month on Wednesday, December 9th at 4:00 pm in the meeting room at the library.  Watch episodes from your some of your favorite anime series.

Book Club - Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Regency Park Library's book club will be meeting at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 to discuss the book The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.  This book is based on the author's own experiences.  It chronicles her life through her success early on as a young adult through her mental breakdown, suicide attempts, and time spent in an institution.

Holiday Craft Workshop - Saturday, December 5, 2009

On Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 2:00 pm, we will be doing holiday-themed crafts @ the library.  Come enjoy a snack while we make several items for you to take home and give away as gifts for loved ones or keep for yourself to decorate at home for the holidays!  This program is for elementary-aged children.

Rockus Maximus: Battle of the Bands XIII Launching Now!!

Pasco County Library System's original Battle of the Bands ain't dead yet!  That's right, Rockus Maximus is coming back for another year with another round of live concerts and hilarious online competitions.

We need 8 bands once again to take the Rockus Maximus challenge.  Beginning December 11th and until December 29th, bands can register at any Pasco County Library location or online.  Entry forms and all the other Battle of the Bands information are available now.  Bands must have a minimum of 3 members with the majority of members under 21,  must play their own instruments, must have at least 2 original songs on CD, DVD, or online, and must have an online presence such as MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, etc.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE ENTRY FORM AND COMPETITION INFORMATION. (pdf file)

A free kickoff concert will be held on December 11, 2009 at Land O Lakes Branch Library (2818 Collier Parkway, Land O Lakes, FL 34639) from 6:00-10:30pm, featuring 4 local acts including past Battle winner Variance and Shallow Waters.  Entry forms will be accepted from bands at this event.

This year's competition will involve 6 weeks of online videos in February and March of 2010, with viewers voting for their favorite band each week via our MySpace page, following by a live band battle at Crews Lake Park (16739 Crews Lake Dr, Shady Hills, FL 34610) on March 26th, 2010.  Two different prize categories will be available this year.  The top two bands of the online voting will receive $500 and $250 music store gift cards to buy instruments, repairs, etc.  The winners of the live battle will get a recording package worth $3500 for first, $1750 for second, and $1000 for third at a local recording studio.

CLICK HERE to view past videos from previous Rockus Maximus events.

CLICK HERE to visit the Pasco County Library System MySpace page.

For more information, contact Paul Stonebridge, Teen Services Manager, at 813-929-1214 or 727-861-3040 or e-mail pauls@pascolibraries.org.

National Gaming Day - Saturday, November 14, 2009

Ready, Set, Play!!!

National Gaming Day

Saturday, November 14th

Tweens and Teens

Come play Wits & Wagers, Say Anything, Monopoly Deal Card, Scrabble Slam!, and/or Pictureka! card games!

Have fun and game on!

Holiday Card Making - Saturday, November 14, 2009

On Saturday, November 14th at 2:00 pm, you are invited to attend our holiday card-making workshop.  It doesn't matter how creative you are, you'll be able to make some cards that you can send off to your loved ones for the holidays.  Supplies will be provided... just bring yourself!  This activity is for adults.

Win Tickets to see The Twilight Saga: New Moon!

Borders Books is going to be hosting a live webcast streaming from a Los Angeles store Sunday evening, 11/15, at 5:00pm (Florida Time).  You can watch for free online and post comments and questions on the official Twilight Facebook Fan Page and have them answered live on the webcast.  For more info on the event, go to http://www.bordersmedia.com/newmoonlive or http://www.facebook.com/twilight.

Want to win free tickets to see New Moon?  You have two possibilities coming up...

Friday, 11/13, at Blockbuster Video in Clearwater (2045A Gulf to Bay Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33765) you can win one of hundreds of tickets to a special pre-screening of New Moon on 11/19, a day before release!  Trivia contests and other games will be held from 7:00-9:00pm to give away the tickets, followed by a special screening of Twilight at 10:00pm.  There will be free food, prize wheels, and a howling contest, plus costumes are allowed (though shoes and shirts are required, even for werewolf characters).

For something a bit closer to home, the Hudson Library will be hosting a Twilight in Transylvania event on Friday, 11/20, in celebration of the release of New Moon.  You can see digital presentation on Transylvania, Dracula, and real vampires, taste some Romanian food, and win tickets to see New Moon at a local theater.  The event is free and runs from 3:00-5:00pm.

FLIN (Florida Library Information Network) is now available

Have you looked for a book in our catalog but can't find it?  Never fear, FLIN is here!

FLIN is our new statewide borrowing network that replaces Alleycat.  Yes, this includes items in Hillsborough County!  You can order items through FLIN right from the comfort of your own home.  (Please note: only books with a release date of 12 months or older, magazines and sheet music can be borrowed from FLIN, no media, audio, or video.)

Just go to our website at pascolibraries.org, toggle your mouse of "Catalog/Research" and click "FLIN."  You can now begin searching and requesting any items not found in the Pasco County Library System database.  Just follow the steps to get the item you need.

It's even BETTER than on-line shopping, because it's free!

Simply Science - Thursday, November 12, 2009

Come and learn about optical illusions at this activity on Thursday, November 12th at 6:00 pm.  We'll be doing some experiments and crafts and having lots of fun as we learn and wonder at some of the mysteries of science.  This program is for elementary-aged children.

Book Club - Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Join us for the next meeting of the Regency Park Book Club on Tuesday, November 10th at 2:00 pm, where we will be discussing the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson.  The book won the 2007 Kiriyama Prize for nonfiction and tells the story of a man's efforts in Pakistan and Afghanistan to educate girls and address poverty.

Friends of the Library Book Sale - Friday & Saturday, November 6-7, 2009

We're having a book sale with all proceeds going to the Regency Park Library's Friends of the Library group.  The book sale will run on Friday, November 6th & Saturday, November 7th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm both days.

DIY Duct Tape Wallet - Thursday, November 19, 2009

Ok, why spend $15.00 or $20.00 on a wallet when you can make your own out of duct tape.

At the Regency Park Library, we will be offering a class to help you create your own duct tape wallet.  Now if only we could create money out of duct tape...   This program is for teens.  The program is scheduled for Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 6:00 PM.

Email Basics - Friday, November 20, 2009

New to the world of the internet?  Curious about emails and how they work?  We can help you with that.  The Pasco County Library System is offering a course on Email basics at the Regency Park Library on November 20, 2009 at 10:00 AM.  We will discuss how to start an email account and much more.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Julie - An American Girl - Saturday, November 21, 2009

Are you a fan of the American Girl Series?  Join us on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 2:00 PM as we meet to talk about Julie Albright an American girl living in San Francisco during 1974.  We will be discussing Julie's best friend Ivy and what San Francisco was like back in the 1970s.  Join us.

Anime Club - Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Teens, come join us for an Anime Club Meeting on Wednesday, November 18th at 4:00 pm.

Halloween Boo Bash!!

We celebrated Halloween by holding a Boo Bash!  There were zombies, astronauts, cowboys, brides, and many others who came to the library to play games and do crafts.  This year at the Boo Bash, we played games such as "Spider Toss," "Eyeball Bounce," and "Ghost Bingo."  The crafts we made were bat magnets, black cats, popcorn hands, and pasta skeletons.

 

Boo Bash! - Saturday, October 31, 2009

This year Halloween falls on a Saturday.  Typically, kids begin to trick or treat around 5:00 PM.  But at the Regency Park Library, we like to start things off early say about 2:00 PM.  Come join us for crafts, games, costumes, & other activities.  We like to think of it as a before party.  This event is for elementary age children.

Making Home ownership a Reality - Thursday, October 29, 2009

Do you want to own a home in Pasco County?

Come to the Pasco County Library System’s Making Home Ownership a Reality program featuring Peggy Schott from Pasco County Community Development. She will provide information on how you can benefit from a $19.5 million housing grant Pasco County received from the Federal government.  This class will be taught at the Regency Park Library on Thursday, October 29th at 6:00 pm.

Halloween Storytimes

Today at storytime, we celebrated Halloween!  The kids came in their costumes to listen to some halloween stories and songs, and to work on a Halloween craft.  We had a ghoulish time!

 

Book Club - Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Join our book club at the Regency Park Library.  When we meet on  October 13, 2009 at 2:00 PM - we will be discussing the book Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult.