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.