Aug 31, 2011

Today at the Library (8/31/11)

Most branches of the Pamunkey Regional Library are currently open today.

The Upper King William Branch Library is closed today.

The Mechanicsville Branch Library will close at 3 p.m. today.

Due to cleanup and power outage issues, you may want to call your local branch library before visiting today to check what services are available.

Aug 30, 2011

Today at the Library (8/30/11)

Most branches of the Pamunkey Regional Library are currently open today.

The Upper King William Branch Library is closed today.

The Mechanicsville Branch Library will close at 3 p.m. today.

Due to cleanup and power outage issues, you may want to call your local branch library before visiting today to check what services are available.

Aug 29, 2011

Today at the Library (8/29/11)

Most branches of the Pamunkey Regional Library are currently open today.

The Upper King William Branch Library is closed today.

The Mechanicsville Branch Library will close at 3 p.m. today.

The West Point Branch Library will close at 7 p.m. today.

Due to cleanup and power outage issues, you may want to call your local branch library before visiting today to check what services are available.

Pick of the Week

by Mei-Ling Hopgood
In a true story of family ties, journalist Mei-Ling Hopgood, one of the first wave of Asian adoptees to arrive in America, comes face to face with her past when her Chinese birth family suddenly requests a reunion after more than two decades.In 1974, a baby girl from Taiwan arrived in America, the newly adopted child of a loving couple in Michigan. Mei-Ling Hopgood had an all-American upbringing, never really identifying with her Asian roots or harboring a desire to uncover her ancestry. She believed that she was lucky to have escaped a life that was surely one of poverty and misery, to grow up comfortable with her doting parents and brothers. Then, when she's in her twenties, her birth family comes calling. Not the rural peasants she expected, they are a boisterous, loving, bossy, complicated middle-class family who hound her daily by phone, fax, and letter, in a language she doesn't understand until she returns to Taiwan to meet them. As her sisters and parents pull her into their lives, claiming her as one of their own, the devastating secrets that still haunt this family begin to emerge. Spanning cultures and continents, Lucky Girl brings home a tale of joy and regret, hilarity, deep sadness, and great discovery as the author untangles the unlikely strands that formed her destiny.

Aug 27, 2011

Library Closing

Due to weather conditions, all branches of the Pamunkey Regional Library will close at 2:00 p.m.

Today at the Library (8/27/11)

Programs & Events
Mechanicsville Branch Library
Back to School Celebration
Saturday August 27 at 11:00 a.m.
Ages 4-9.
Get excited about going back to school with special activities at the library, including great crafts, giveaways, and a puppet show
. Snacks provided by the Friends of the Mechanicsville Library.

Due to weather concerns, we will not have a school bus available during the program for kids to explore.

Aug 23, 2011

Today at the Library (8/23/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, please e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.

Aug 22, 2011

Pick of the Week

by Perry Moore
Thom Creed is used to being on his own. Even as a high school basketball star, he has to keep his distance because of his father. Hal Creed had once been one of the greatest and most beloved superheroes of The League--until the Wilson Towers incident. After that Thom's mother disappeared and his proud father became an outcast. The last thing in the world Thom would ever want is to disappoint his father. So Thom keeps two secrets from him: First is that he's gay. The second is that he has the power to heal people. Initially, Thom had trouble controlling his powers. But with trail and error he improves, until he gets so good that he catches the attention of the League and is asked to join. Even though he knows it would kill his dad, Thom can't resist. When he joins the League, he meets a motley crew of other heroes, including tough-talking Scarlett, who has the power of fire from growing up near a nuclear power plant; Typhoid Larry, who makes everyone sick by touching them, but is actually a really sweet guy; and wise Ruth, who has the power to see the future. Together these unlikely heroes become friends and begin to uncover a plot to kill the superheroes. Along the way, Thom falls in love, and discovers the difficult truth about his parents' past. This is a moving, funny, and wonderfully original novel that shows that things are not always what they seem, and love can be found in the unlikeliest of places.

Today at the Library (8/22/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
King William County
Guardian Angels (2372 King William Road) 10:00 - 10:45 (see map)
Mattaponi Indian Reservation (Rt. 640 to Rt. 625) 1:45 - 2:30 (see map)
King William Courthouse (Rt. 30) 2:45 - 3:15 (see map)

Aug 19, 2011

Today at the Library (8/19/11)

Programs & Events
Mechanicsville Branch Library
Mechanicsville Board Games Night
meets every third Friday of the month at 7:00 p.m.
Next meeting: Friday August 19
Sponsored by the Mechanicsville Branch Library.

Aug 16, 2011

Today at the Library (8/16/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.

Aug 15, 2011

Today at the Library (8/15/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.


Pick of the Week

by Aladdin Elaasar
This book covers Egypt's modern history since 1952 with chronology of Ancient Egyptian history to the present day. It focuses on the Mubarak regime and predicts its downfall and what can unfold in the near future and how it can impact American and Western interests in the Middle East. The book is a good primer and textbook for students of social studies, political science and history at school and college levels. It also explains modern Arab politics and the dynamics of authoritarian rule in the whole region. It is written in a very simple style and narrative which makes it an easy reader, but a valuable academic reference book, as it is very well researched and documented by award-winning and bestselling author of Silent Victims, Professor Aladdin Elaasar.

Aug 13, 2011

Today at the Library (8/13/11)

Programs & Events
West Point Branch Library
Teen Movie Matinee
Saturday August 13 at 1:00 p.m.
Beat the summer heat and see a great movie with your friends on the big screen.
Snacks provided by the Friends of the West Point Library.

Aug 12, 2011

Today at the Library (8/12/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.

Programs & Events
Richard S. Gillis, Jr./Ashland Branch Library
Ice Cream Party Finale
Friday August 12 at 6:00 p.m.
All ages. Celebrate the end of the Summer Reading Program with free ice cream. Ice cream provided by the Friends of the Ashland Library.

Goochland Branch Library

Friday Morning Films
Friday August 12 at 10:00 a.m.
Refreshments provided by the Friends of the Goochland Library.

Aug 11, 2011

Today at the Library (8/11/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.

Programs & Events
Goochland Branch Library
Dish about Books

Thursday August 11 at 7:00 p.m.
Join us for dessert & coffee and share your favorite summer reads. Refreshments provided by the Friends of the Goochland Library.

Aug 10, 2011

Today at the Library (8/10/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.

Aug 9, 2011

Today at the Library (8/9/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.


Aug 8, 2011

Pick of the Week

by Ngugl wa Thiong’o
In exile now for more than twenty years, Ngugl wa Thiong’o has become one of the most widely read African writers of our time, the power and scope of his work garnering him international attention and praise. Commencing in “our times” and set in the “Free Republic of Aburlria,” the novel dramatizes with corrosive humor and keenness of observation a battle for control of the souls of the Aburlrian people. Among the contenders: His High Mighty Excellency; the eponymous Wizard, an avatar of folklore and wisdom; the corrupt Christian Ministry; and the nefarious Global Bank. Fashioning the stories of the powerful and the ordinary into a dazzling mosaic, this book reveals humanity in all its endlessly surprising complexity. The author's aim is, in his own words,nothing less than “to sum up Africa of the twentieth century in the context of two thousand years of world history.” Informed by richly enigmatic traditional African storytelling, Wizard of the Crow is a masterpiece, the crowning achievement in Ngugl wa Thiong’o’s career thus far.

Today at the Library (8/8/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.

Aug 6, 2011

Today at the Library (8/6/11)

Programs & Events
Lois Wickham Jones/Montpelier Branch Library
Summer Reading Finale
Saturday August 6 at 5:30 p.m.
All ages.
Snacks provided by the Friends of the Montpelier Library.

Upper King William Branch Library
Make-n-Take Beaded Earrings
Saturday August 6 at Noon
Ages 12 and up.
Create your own beaded earrings. Call the library at (804) 769-3731 to sign up for the class.

Refreshments provided by the Friends of the UKW Library.

Aug 5, 2011

Spotlight on: Auto Repair Reference Center

Have you tried Auto Repair Reference Center, from the publishers of Chilton's automotive manuals? It's the most comprehensive online collection of automobile repair reference information.

Auto Repair Reference Center (ARRC) contains repair and maintenance information on most major manufacturers of domestic and imported vehicles. New repair procedures, TSBs and updates are added to the product on a regular basis.

All of the content in ARRC has been created by ASE certified technicians.

Features include:
  • Coverage of more than 37,000 vehicles from 1945 to present
  • Millions of drawings and step-by-step photographs
  • Approximately 110,000 technical service bulletins & recalls issued by the original equipment vehicle manufacturer
  • Over 180,000 enhanced wiring diagrams for easy viewing and printing
  • Specifications & maintenance schedules
  • Labor Time Guide & Estimator
  • Video overviews of auto systems with AutoIQ
  • Quick Tips (a complete guide to vehicle ownership & maintenance)
  • Ability to email high-quality PDF records
  • Diagnostic information
  • Unique, user-friendly interface
Repair/maintenance information is provided for -
  • Transmissions
  • Brakes
  • Ignition systems
  • Exhaust systems
  • Heating/Cooling
  • Electrical systems
  • Wheels/Tires
  • Bodywork
  • Diesel Engines
  • and much more...
Check out the Auto Repair Reference Center for yourself by going to www.pamunkeylibrary.org/databases_by_subject.htm. Click on Auto Repair and choose (Library) or (Work, Home, or School), depending on where you are. Don't forget to have your library card handy if you're away from the library.

If you have any questions about Auto Repair Reference Center, please e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.

Today at the Library (8/5/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.

Programs & Events
Goochland Branch Library
Friday Morning Films
Fridays June 10 - August 12 (except July 15) at 10:00 a.m.

Refreshments provided by the Friends of the Goochland Library.

Aug 4, 2011

Today at the Library (8/4/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.

Programs & Events
Goochland Branch Library
"60 Seconds!"
Thursday August 4 at 6:00 p.m.
What can you do in 60 seconds? Play games & win prizes!

Pizza & drinks provided by the Friends of the Goochland Library.

Hanover Branch Library

Keepin’ It Cool Movie Morning
Thursday August 4 at 10:00 a.m.

Bring a friend and enjoy a movie and snacks provided by the Hanover Branch Library Friends.


Aug 3, 2011

Today at the Library (8/3/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.

Aug 2, 2011

Today at the Library (8/2/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.

Aug 1, 2011

Today at the Library (8/1/11)

Storytimes
Storytimes will resume the week of September 12.

Bookmobile Stops
There will be no Bookmobile service today. For more information, e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.

Programs & Events
Mechanicsville Branch Library
BINGO
Monday August 1 at 3:00 p.m.

Ages 3-10. Win prizes!

Pick of the Week

by Tom Bissell
Tom Bissell is a prizewinning writer who published three widely acclaimed books before the age of thirty-four. He is also an obsessive gamer who has spent untold hours in front of his various video game consoles, playing titles such as Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, BioShock, and Oblivion for, literally, days. This book is an impassioned defense of this assailed and misunderstood art form. Bissell argues that we are in a golden age of gaming—but he also believes games could be even better. He offers a fascinating and often hilarious critique of the ways video games dazzle and, just as often, frustrate. Blending memoir, criticism, and first-rate reportage, Extra Lives is like no other book on the subject ever published. Whether you love video games, loathe video games, or are merely curious about why they are becoming the dominant popular art form of our time, this book should be required reading.

Website of the Month

Founded in 1999, BrainPOP creates animated, curriculum-based content that engages students, supports educators, and bolsters achievement. BrainPOP was created to satisfy a demand among parents and educators for an Internet environment where young people could learn about health, science and technology while having fun. BrainPOP presents animated movies on topics like:acne; teeth; hair; brain; blood; asthma; diabetes; skeleton; period; urinary; electricity; water cycle; rainbow; waves; solar system, and more. Ideal for both group and one-on-one settings, BrainPOP can be used in numerous ways in classrooms, at home, and on mobile devices, from introducing a new lesson or topic to illustrating complex subject matter.