Reference@TBML

Serendipity

We, here at Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, plan many displays, posts, and events to bring people into the building to get them to engage with us and our collection. We have placed suggestion boxes around the building hoping for some kind of meaningful feedback.  Sadly, many times these efforts attract little attention until something serendipitous happened.  An  empty  box marked “Free”  began  one smart aleck staff member commenting  to another smart aleck staff member, “What is free, Life Lessons?” and scribbled  the words “ life lessons “ on the top of the box.  Amazingly patrons began to place their life lessons in the box.  This plain cardboard box receives more comments than all of the suggestion boxes located in the library combined.   People will stand around the box writing their bits of wisdom on scraps of paper, others will pick through and read each scrap of paper and place them back into the box for the next person.  This box has been emptied three times in the last month and within a couple of days it was filled again. Yes, there are many clichés, quotes and song lyrics but people are stopping to take the time to impart these bits of wisdom.  What does it mean?  I cannot venture to guess, but below is a sample of some of the life lessons left by the patrons of Thomas Branigan Memorial Library.

• Every action has a Consequence.
• To thine own self be true.
• Las Moscas no entran en boca cerrada. (Flies do not enter a closed mouth).
• A grain of rice can be the difference between defeat and victory! Mulan
• Treat others the way you want to be treated.
• Shoot for the moon if you miss you’ll land amongst the stars.
• Why follow your dreams. When you can make it a reality.
• Obey your parents, and learn to spell.
• F@#$ what everybody says just be you and everything gonna be alright.
• Do something great with your life it will pay off in time.
• A cynic is a disappointed idealist.
• Live life like there is no tomorrow.
• Reading makes you smart.
• Never say never.
• Live long and prosper.
• It’s ok to cry. Just make sure that when you’re done you never cry for the same reason; you are stronger than you know.
• Can’t believe how strange it is to be anything at all.
• Shine at your house 1^st then shine outside.
• The essence and value of life is found in the small and great daily moments we all live.
• An elephant never forgets where she left her trunk.
• Never underestimate your enemy!
• Your children are your greatest gift cherish every moment.
• You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.
• Smile.

EV

 

 

FRIENDS OF BRANIGAN LIBRARY ANNUAL BOOKSALE

The Friends of Thomas Branigan Memorial Library will sponsor a book sale on Saturday, April 16, 2011 from 10 AM –4 PM in the Branigan Library Roadrunner Room. This is a major fundraiser for Friends of the Library and all proceeds help to support the library. For great selections, come early!

For more information call Nancy Phillips at 575-649-5591. Thank you for your support of the Friends of the Library.

YA Teen Read Week WrestleMania 27 Reading Challenge

 
  

BEGINS Monday, October 18 through Monday, October 25, 2010

DATE: Tuesday, October 19 Work on Your Competitive Project Work Night

TIME: 7-8 pm

PLACE:   Roadrunner Room  

GRADES:   Students in Grades 5-12

DESCRIPTION OF EVENT:   Students pledge to read 5 books or graphic novels between Teen Read Week and WrestleMania 27 on April 3, 2011.  Pick up a WrestleMania Reading Challenge Pledge Form at the Young Adult Department.  Complete the pledge form by writing in the titles of five books or graphic novels they pledge to read.  As students read each of their five books, they can pick up a TOPPS card at the Young Adult Department - one card for each book read.  When they've read the five pledged books they receive a WrestleMania Reading Challenge mini poster.

 

To be eligible to win a trip to WrestleMania, students must fill out the pledge form and compete in a competitive project during Teen Read Week.  Participating students will receive a project sheet to complete their competitive project:  Grades 5-6 will design a bookmark and Grades 7-12 will design a poster.  Students turn in their project and parent-signed competitive project form to Young Adult Department by October 25.  We will choose a winner for Grades 5-6, Grades 7-8 and Grades 9-12.  The winners will receive a certificate and a WWE Shop Gift Card.  YALSA will receive the winning entries to be judged as part of the national competition.  The students chosen as Grand Prize Winners will represent their libraries at the WrestleMania Reading Challenge World Finals in Atlanta on April 3, 2011 and win their library $2,000 in grants and other prizes. 

 

The Young Adult Department will have a Work on Your Competitive Project Work Night Tuesday, October 19 from 7-8 in the Roadrunner Room.  Students are welcome to bring their own materials or they can use materials we provide.

 

October Computer Classes

Registration begins at 8 A.M. on Friday, October 1, 2010.

Registration will be IN PERSON ONLY from 8-9 A.M. After 9 A.M. telephone and online registration will be accepted. Call 528-4005 to register or visit our online Events Calendar.

Class size is limited to 5 or 6 participants. Registration is required to attend all classes.

 

Know Your PC- Group 1

A Three Part Class

Tuesdays

October 5, 12 and 19

2-4 PM

Know Your PC- Group 2

A Three Part Class

Fridays

October 15, 22 and 29

9-11 AM

Internet for Beginners

A Three Part Class

Wednesdays

October 13, 20 and 27

9-11 AM

Email for Beginners

A Two Part Class

Thursdays

October 14 and 21

2-4 PM

Word 2007

A Three Part Class

Mondays

October 4, 18 and 25 * Note: the library is closed on October 11^th.

2-4 PM

FRIENDS OF BRANIGAN LIBRARY FUNDS DOWNLOADABLE AUDIO AND MUCH MORE!

Sometimes community members believe that library support comes from either grants or tax-based funding alone.  We want people to know that a vital organism exists beyond tax funding. The staff wants to sincerely thank Friends of the Branigan Library for their ongoing commitment to the library.  Friends was started in 1976.  From the year 1998 through December 2009, a sum of $256,630. 00 has been raised through book sales, cookbook sales and various other fundraisers.  In thirty-four years they have been able to sponsor many library events directly through their own networking and financing as well as indirectly supporting the library’s many staff programs financially. 

 

Moreover, since the inception of the Summer Reading Program, Friends has generously supported many aspects of Summer Reading Club with children’s, young adult and adult funding.  The staff relies heavily on the Friends for contemporary equipment needs such as the display end panels on the shelving.  Friends has secured many kinds of equipment and materials over the years and most recently has paid for the prestigious Downloadable Audio through Netlibrary’s Database.  This new format medium has been a highly successful boon and moved us forward with severely needed contemporary technology, plentiful access and ease of use. 

 

Thanks for your considerate, fair, open-handed and thoughtful support of the library and its services.  Our staff looks forward to working with you in the future.

 

mln

Unraveler's Knitting Guild on World-Wide-Knit-in-Public Day

Left to Right:  Linda Kitchel, Karen Lace, Tina Skillen and Kym Hretz (picture courtesy of LeeAnn Meadows)

Unraveler's Knitting Guild appeared at Branigan on Saturday June 19th as part of World-Wide-Knit-in-Public Day.  The event resulted in two new members enlisting in the Guild and, while great fun really was had by all, the day is hosted in order to show people the camaradarie of knitting and of course the variety and complexity of the ancient art.  We look forward to hosting the group next year and enjoyed their jovial presence in the library! 

mln

June is Audio Book Month so Help Us Celebrate!

Place your check-out receipt or a piece a paper with your name and phone number into the box at the circulation desk.

The winner will be announced at the end of the month.

ev

Watch for the "We the People" Display and Win Your Reading Metal

 
 
  

We the People

A More Perfect Union 

Thomas Branigan Memorial Library is one of 4,000 libraries across the country selected by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA) to receive free hardcover editions of 17 classic books as part of the We the People Bookshelf grant program. The theme of this year’s Bookshelf is “A More Perfect Union.” 

The award is part of the NEH’s We the People initiative, which supports projects that strengthen the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. Selected public and school libraries in all fifty states each will receive a set of the seventeen books, bonus materials, including a DVD edition of “The Civil War,” the award-winning documentary by Ken Burns, posters, bookmarks, bookplates, and finally, access to online planning and promotional materials.  Since 2003, NEH and ALA have distributed 17,000 We the People Bookshelf grants to school and public libraries across the country.

The books are on display in the Children’s and Young Adult sections of the library. This summer, children grades K-12 who read all the books in their age category will receive a reading medal.

 

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Sharing the Love from Library Lover's Month Contest

Staff was overwhelmed at the number of entries we received for our contest and it became clear that patrons were less interested in winning a contest than expressing gratitude for our existence, staff and services. 

Choosing just a few quotations as best was a difficult process and, in the end, we chose based on the ability of the quotation to market our unique library. Consequently, we chose one adult and one child entree as most representing the values of the community as well as helping us verbalize our value.  While we earnestly desire our community to see us as a primary educational institution, we also honor the emotional connection that the library helps build between families while creating a successful path to a better future for all young people. 

WINNING ADULT ENTRY

"My love for the library began at a very early age when my mother would take me to the Branigan Library while my older brother and sister were in school.  Sometimes she would raise me up and let me walk on the wide solid wall that surrounded the library.  I remember listening to the librarian read stories while my mother picked out books for both of us to take home. 

As I grew older my mother continued taking me to the library.  She would check out so many books it was hard for us to carry them all.  I was a little more selective than her.  Every day after school, there she was reading a new book.  I would brag to my friends that my mother could read a book a day.  I had the privilege of living with my mother in California the last two years of her life.  There wasn’t a week that went by that we did not visit the library.  All the librarians knew her by first name and thanked her for the desserts she brought on special occasions.  My fondest memories of my mother are the times we spent together at the library."

Quotation released with permission of Merissa Castro

 

WINNING CHILD ENTRY

 

"What I love about the library is that it helps me with school.  I can come do research for a project or just read a book.  The library helps me keep my grades up and keeps me from doing bad things I shouldn’t be doing."

Quotation released with permission of Rebecca Pena

 

mln

 

 

 

March Computer Classes

Do you need to learn how to use the computer? Branigan Public Library is offering free computer classes in March!

Registration begins at 8 A.M. on Monday, March 1, 2010.

Registration will be IN PERSON ONLY from 8-9 A.M.

After 9 A.M. telephone and online registration will be accepted. Call 528-4005 to register or visit our online Events Calendar at: http://library.las-cruces.org.

Class size is limited to 5 or 6 participants. Registration is required to attend all classes.

 

Know Your PC

A Three-Part Class

Mondays

March 8, 15 and 22

2 – 4 PM

 

Internet for Beginners- Group 1

A Three-Part Class

Thursdays

March 4, 11 and 18

2 – 4 PM

 

Internet for Beginners- Group 2

A Three-Part Class

Wednesdays

March 17, 24 and 31

2 – 4 PM

 

Email for Beginners

A Two-Part Class

Tuesdays

March 16 and 23

2 – 4 PM

 

Word 2007

A Three-Part Class

Thursdays

March 11, 18 and 25

9 – 11 AM

 

Excel 2007

A Three-Part Class

Tuesdays

March 9, 16 and 23

6:30- 8:30 PM