It was a dark and stormy night. The wind howled outside, causing barren tree branches to scrap and scratch at the window like skeletons begging to get inside. I curled up on my couch, pulling a blanket closer around my shoulders with my head deep in a book. I was so focused on my reading that I didn’t hear as the front door quietly unlatched and opened. Muddy footsteps came creeping toward me until...
At the library we love to provide all kinds of fun experiences for young children and while many of these programs are simply fun (for the sake of fun), our favorite library programs are also built around a "play with a purpose" mentality. Librarians structure programs to build social/emotional skills, cognitive development and physical ability.
As the calendar flips from September to October, it is undeniable that we are firmly in the throes of autumn. The changing season brings us all the classic signs of fall: overcast skies and rainy weather, our friends and neighbors proudly wearing Seahawks' colors and back to school madness! Not to worry beleaguered parents and stressed-out students, Kitsap Regional Library has your academic needs covered.
I am a fantasy fanatic. I spent much of my childhood enraptured in the world of dragons, magic and adventure. To this day, I love curling up and getting lost in a book that takes me to a world far away from the one around me.
What’s your favorite vegetable? Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, jicama, peas? Whatever it is, I’ll bet you’ve helped pass on a love of that vegetable to at least a few people in your life. Now, most vegetables are quite tasty in their raw state and there are lots of wonderful recipes available to tempt the reluctant veggie eater. But sometimes, it takes a while to successfully introduce a variety of vegetables into someone’s life.
It seems as if these are new terms that we just began hearing about during the 2016 presidential election. But lies and lying are hardly new. In fact, I remember a book that was first published in 2005 titled On Bullshit by Harry Frankfurt. It surprised me because it turned into a best seller. Critics called it a “gem of psychological insight, social commentary, philosophical analyses and good humor.” The popular nonfiction author Sam Harris published a book titled Lying in 2013. In it he suggested that we can improve our lives and our society by telling the truth in sit
September 15 to October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. According to the official National Hispanic Heritage Month's website, the month is a time for "celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America."
The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15.
This summer has been super busy, don’t you think? If you missed out on all the stellar programs offered by the Library because you were too busy doing all the other really great things you had planned this summer, I understand. If, however, you tell me there was no time for reading, I just simply won’t believe you. Here are a few of the great - nay, SUPERB - books I’ve read this summer. I hope you love these characters and stories as much as I did.
Walker-Ames House. Image credit brewbooks via Flickr
Although October is traditionally the month for things that go “bump in the night” library staff decided to get an early start this year. Therefore, September is the month that will feature two slightly spooky (and exciting) library events.
Here’s what I’m checking out from the library’s music collection.
The below blog post was written by Hunter, a Make Do Share Intern at our Manchester location, and includes his reflections and experiences as an intern. Make Do Share internships are supported by a grant through the Institute of Museum and Library Services and provide teens and young adults (ages 16-25) with the opportunity to gain real world job experience while developing 21st century skills. They also help to make the Library's youth STEM programs more awesome!
This blog post is presented by Emily Hillis, an intern at the Sylvan Way location of Kitsap Regional Library. She has completed a project researching services and programs for New Adults as part of the Library's Make Do Share initiative.
It came to me suddenly. I realized I had a blog post due today, Monday, August 28, 2017. How did I forget? As a Kitsap Regional Library blog writer, I know my schedule months in advance. I tell myself, “That’s okay, I can still make my deadline August 28, 2017 at 4 p.m.” I recall and old post I wrote about dog stories. The title was witty – "Dogged Devotion," about classic dog stories. I told myself, “Yes! That’s it. It’s the dog days of summer.
Making the leap from beginning reader books with their 1 – 2 – 3 levels, small words and large print to regular chapter books can intimidate even the most excited reader. Chapter books have the perception of having smaller print, no pictures and lots and lots of pages. What a difference from the short, brightly illustrated beginning reader books! It can be challenging (sometimes scary or even heavy) to make the leap. Luckily that’s where these wonderful in-between books come in.
Podcasting is so hot right now. A recent report in Business Insider magazine showed that 20% of adults aged 18 to 49 in
One of the things I frequently hear when I tell parents about storytime at the library is: (a) that their child won't sit still and listen to stories, or (b) that their child just isn't ready for storytime yet. It breaks my heart a little each time I hear it because all I can think about is how much of a missed opportunity this is for these families. In my mind, these statements signal a parent's lack of understanding about what storytime is really about, and why their worries are less important than they might think.
Are you bummed because you have no protective glasses to watch this coming Monday's eclipse? Don't worry, there's still a way to join in this amazing natural phenomenon. NASA has excellent answers to how to watch the eclipse safely.
Summer learning may be winding down, but the learning never stops here at the Library. Fall is just as good a season to tackle something new. Cooler weather, the start of school and the change of season always seem to inspire me to head back to books and back to the kitchen. I love baking and spending time trying new recipes and techniques, which is why I’m so excited about our new program starting this quarter at the Kingston location.
Add bubble fun to your summer and learn about surface tension and evaporation at the same time. Last month, I tried a new bubble solution recipe that called for sugar. Now, you can get some fun bubbles from combining water with dishwashing liquid. Adding a little bit of sugar and letting the solution sit overnight leads to big, long-lasting bubbles! Plus, the bubble mixture was just right for blowing bubbles inside other bubbles. Sound impossible?
Try this:
Going green can be tasty! Did you know that you can make s’mores in a solar oven? That was the experiment we did this week at the library. Here are instructions so you can try this at home. Please note that this project requires the use of sharp tools and high temperatures, so grab a grown-up and take precautions. Let’s get started!
Supplies Needed for the Solar Oven:
This blog post is presented by Sylvan Way Teen Advisory Board members, Mikhaila and Katherine, who are sharing responsibilities to direct a movie staring our local teens.
Calling all teens! If you love reading and pizza and sneaking around in the library after dark, have we got the event for you! This year’s Summer Showdown Lock-In is taking place at four of our Library locations. You heard me right, FOUR locations. Whether you find yourself at Sylvan Way, Port Orchard, Poulsbo or Bainbridge Island, you can attend our second annual connected summer lock-in.
Sherman Alexie is one of my favorite authors--one of those authors you associate with a pivotal time in your life. My first introduction to him was many years ago when I was living far away from the Pacific Northwest and feeling completely lost. A dear friend wrote me a letter and included a photocopy of a story she had just read in The New Yorker. The story was called "Indian Country" and it was the best thing I had read in a long time.
One hundred years after the Russian Revolution, the rest of the world is still trying to come to grips with this great nation created in bloodshed and with great hopes for a bright future. How do we begin to understand the feelings and aspirations of a people so recently “freed” from the Iron Curtain?
I recently visited the West African country of Senegal, which was amazing and indescribable. When I returned, I searched the library catalog to see what kinds of items were owned about Senegal and I was very surprised to see that there was quite a bit.
Having a username makes it easy to access your Library account from home! It allows you to type in a username you choose instead of the number on your library card for many online services. You can set up a unique username right from KRL.org.
Go to KRL.org and click on My Account (You'll find it in the upper right corner; if you are on a smart phone you'll find it at the bottom of the site menu.)
I help all kinds of nonprofits all over the county with every aspect of the nonprofit life cycle, from conception and birth to sustainability, management and leadership, boards and a treasure trove of research resources, through the library’s role as a Funding Information Network Partner of the Foundation Center of New York.
The thing I do most of all is help nonprofits find funding and all that goes with it – the proposal writing and budgeting skills, collaboration models, trends and what to do after the grant.
Kitsap Pride 2017 takes place this Saturday, July 15 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Bremerton’s Evergreen Park. Kitsap’s first “Pride” celebration occurred over 20 years ago and is now a firmly established event that celebrates, supports and unites our community. For a great overview on the history of "Pride" in the United States, see Siri H.’s excellent blog post, Pride! You belong at your library.
Greetings, dedicated readers and library patrons! As 2017 rockets past the halfway mark, now is a good time to check out some of the best comic books and graphic novels of the year so far. Please enjoy the following reviews of some of my top picks for this year’s crop of illustrated marvels and be sure to check out the scroll at the bottom of this article for even more suggestions.
This past Fourth of July holiday, Kitsap Regional Library staff took the day off to celebrate our nation’s independence with their families. I enjoyed my day by sleeping in, reading until late afternoon, shopping for food and party supplies with my wife and eating too much good food while watching our neighbor’s impressive fireworks displays.
