The Smartest Card. Get it. Use it. @ your library!

     The Smartest Card is the price of admission to one of the best-kept secrets in America. There is no charge for the Smartest Card and your color, religion or social status does not matter. The Smartest Card opens the door to a world of imagination and information found in books, CDs, videos, and free Internet access.  Your Adams County Library System library card is perhaps “the smartest card” in your wallet.  

     “The public library has been called ‘one of the seven sustainable wonders of the world.’ The written wisdom of the world at the fingertips of anyone with a library card! The average American pays $20 a year in taxes to support public libraries and can save that much by borrowing instead of buying just one or two books. A book that is loaned ten times cuts not only cost but paper use per reader by a factor of ten.”—Donella H. Meadows, Dartmouth College

     Make a visit to one of the Adams County Library System libraries located in Gettysburg, Arendtsville, Fairfield, Littlestown, New Oxford, East Berlin or to our Bookmobile at one of its many community stops.  You will find books, audio books, videos, music cds, and magazines to borrow.

     Check out that best seller you have been hearing about.  If a copy isn’t available, you can reserve it and will be notified when your turn comes up.  Do you commute to work or are you a multi-tasker?  Check out a book on cd and listen while you drive, knit or cook! 

     The Adams County Library System also has a large selection of music and videos. There are all types of music from classical to rock to country and even some karaoke.  The video collection is also quite varied and both entertainment titles and documentaries are available.

     At our facilities you can also use a computer to go online and search the internet.  Find information about almost anything, do a job search or check your email.  You can also use our computers to type letters or term papers.  Windows Office products are installed on the public computers.

     No time for a visit to one of the libraries?  Use your card to gain access to many online information sources.  No card yet?  You can apply for one online!  Visit the website at www.adamslibrary.org.  Use your card to check out the e-services and Suggested Links.  By entering your library card barcode number and pin, you gain access to a wealth of information. 

     Our newest online subscription is for Mango Languages.  You can learn to speak any of the nine languages offered in the comfort of your own home.  The lessons start at a beginning level.  There are 100 lessons and each lesson contains 100 slides, so using this program gives you a good basic course.

          If you have any questions, call 334-5716 or log on to www.adamslibrary.org.  And don’t forget:  The Smartest Card. Get it. Use it. @ your library!

A PRISON PASTOR SPEAKS

     Booktalk is a monthly discussion group for those interested in cultural topics in general and literary subjects in particular. 

            Ms Sadie Pounder will speak to Booktalk on Monday December 29.  Her topic, “Prison Counselor to Prison Chaplain…Almost,” is an account of her four year experience ministering to the inmates in the Adams County Prison.  She will speak on the gross inadequacies of the mental health services in today’s prisons.  Ms Pounder writes “My talk will focus on the difficulties I have experienced in becoming a prison chaplain at the county and state levels.”  She will offer solutions to these vexing problems for those who are incarcerated and who are suffering from a lack of funding by local and state jurisdictions as well as the indifference of religious organizations. 

      Sadie is a graduate of Gettysburg College with a major in psychology.  She holds two masters degrees; one in Counseling Psychology from George Mason University and a divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg.  Her article “Prison Theology: a Theology of Liberation, Hope and Justice” was published in the fall issue of Dialog: A Journal of Theology.

PREVIEWS 

The Conococheague Players will read a variety of literary forms on Monday January 26, 2009.  This readers’ group is based in Chambersburg and has been reading all types of genre for more than 10 years in Adams and Franklin Counties.  The members recently read works about Alaska for the “Chambersburg Reads” program and joined in the celebration for WWII veterans by reading a selection of letters which veterans in that locality wrote for Veterans Day.

Renewal, a film which discusses the efforts of people of different faiths to protect nature and the environment from disaster.   Date to be announced. 

POSTSCRIPT

     Fred and Roberta Anderson, former coordinators with the World Mission Prayer League, spoke on their year long mission to Mongolia on  Monday November 24.  This husband and wife team used a slide show program to present an interesting story of their mission work among the people.   The culture and history of Mongolia was an important part of the program.

     The “Bring a Book Club” continues to meet.  The enthusiastic members are sharing their love of reading.  Participants like to hear about what others are reading and they enjoy the discussions that follow. You are invited to bring a book to discuss or just come to listen. We meet in Room 306 on the third floor  of the Gettysburg Library.  The  next meeting will be Monday January 19, 2009 at 10:00 AM.   For information call 337-1155. 

     PLEASE NOTE:  During the 2008-2009 season Katherine Schneider and I will be producing a series of recollections of the employees and patrons of the library system.  This will be an oral supplement to Katherine’s monograph “The History of the Adams County Libraries” which she published in 2006.  Stay tuned….more later.

     THINGS  TO REMEMBER:  The Booktalk programs are usually held on the last Monday of the month.  They begin at noon, last for about an hour and are held in the USS Eisenhower Room in the Adams County Library in Gettysburg.  Admission is free of charge.