Bits 'n' Pieces

 I thought about entitling this "Stocking Stuffers" for the tidbits of information, but then decided Melon might be afraid he was being compared to a lump of coal.  (Coal he isn't, but I shall remain silent on the "lump" part.) On to the news. . . .

Please note that the Patricia Freedman Literacy Academy will be closed from December 19 until January 3.

Gena's eBook Boot Camp program brought praise from its attendees! She did a wonderful job of explaining Nooks and Kindles.  Thank you, Gena!

Meet Christy's new best friend, Franklin!  He's a rescue puppy who has a home for the holidays! Isn't he adorable?? Why the name Franklin?  That's the name he had at the shelter and it seems to suit him just fine.

Remember the request for favorite Christmas memories?  As a child, Jud was fascinated by a Christmas album his family owned. He's even posted a video about it which you can watch here.  And yes, bagpipes are involved!

Speaking of the blog, Pam Neal and Melon have a recommendation.  See it here.

Happy Birthday!

Charlotte, our Reference volunteer, will be celebrating December 23!

Happy Birthday, Harrison!

Harrison's daughters surprised him with a sweet bouquet!

Countdown 'til Christmas!

 It's looming closer . . .  and closer. . . and closer. . . and there are days when I think I'd rather just take the lump of coal and be done with it. This "being good" thing is annoying.

Thanks to all who helped with the "Vol Consolation Bowl!" It was really appreciated!

Congratulations to Gena! Our wonderful volunteer will be departing Bristol for warmer climes:  she landed a job in New Orleans! She should arrive in time for Mardi Gras, too.  Best wishes, Gena!  We'll certainly miss you! In the meantime, remember to direct patrons with Kindles and Nooks to Gena's Saturday workshop if they need help setting up their devices.

Freegal is up and running!  This is one of our new services in which patrons can download up to three songs a week for free.  To get to the site, you go to our website, click on "Resources" and then on "Freegal music" from the list at the left.  The direct link is http://www.bristol-library.org/resources/freegal-music  It's easy to do.  Give it a try!

We're posting favorite Christmas memories and recommendations at the Bookblog.  The first one is up already and we're anxious for more! (Yes, Avoca, that means you, too!) Rumor has it that Melon may make an appearance this week. Check it out:  http://bristol-library-bookblog.blogspot.com/ 

Happy Birthday!

(That's as close to Vol Orange as I could get!)

Harrison Gilley  December 17

Bootcamp, Football, Moonshine & Chocolate!

 Welcome back, Melba!  We missed you!

Gena, our fabulous tech-savvy volunteer, is going to have an eBook Bootcamp to introduce folks to the wonderful world of eReaders and downloadable books.  This will be on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 11 AM in the Frances Kegley Conference Room. Due to space restrictions, the program will be limited to 18 participants.  We'll be keeping a list at Reference.  If you have any questions, just let us know.

The Vols didn't make it to a bowl game this year, much to the disappointment of our Vol fan staff members.  We decided that we would offer the Consolation Bowl, so at least we could eat!  So join us in the staff lounge on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at noon for football food!  We're asking for folks to bring food suitable for eating while watching the big game.  We can't have alcoholic beverages, but if you want to bring a root beer to cry into, feel free to do so.

From the Consolation Bowl to the Chocolate Basket! Janice is gathering donations of chocolate for a gift basket for Wanda.  Janice needs the chocolate by December 20.

We had a great time with Kathy Shearer and Tales from the Moonshine Trade! The little model still was a nice touch, don't you think? Thanks to Charlotte for volunteering to help us out with it!

Happy Trails!

The 2011 Staff Christmas Party was a rootin' tootin' success!  Janice & Bill had some fabulous food, and more Good Stuff was brought in by staff members.  There were games, music, surprises, old friends, new friends, and lots of fun.

The best surprise of all was Wanda!  Yes, she made it to the Christmas party and was the belle of the ball.  It was so good to have her here.  Nancy P. also graced us with her presence.

If you missed it, here are some highlights:

Lone Star Brenda & Texedo Jud (no, not a typo!)

There was a good turn out-- and just look at Linda's red boots!

We had pony races!

And sharp-shooters!

Janice & Bill-- A Texas Xmas!

There are more photos of the event, either at Circulation or at Reference.  If you want copies, see Jeanne.  If you want images deleted, ditto.

The one glitch was that the DVD player didn't cooperate but if you stop by Janice's office she'll play the video surprise for you.If you don't know what I'm talking about, stop by Janice's office anyway.

Finally, we'd like to do some holiday-related postings at the library's public bookblog. We did this in 2009 and had a lot of fun discussing favorite movies, books, foods, music,  and more.  If you'd like to pick a favorite, just write it down or tell Jeanne.  You can check the bookblog archive for December 2009 and read what we wrote way back then if you're in need of inspiration. Thanks!

Condolences to James

We all want to extend our sympathies to James Estep, whose mother passed away this week.  James works weekends at Bristol Public Library in the Circulation Department.  The services will be held in her home state of North Carolina.  You can read the obituary here:

  http://www.blevinscares.com/obituaries/Clara-Estep/#/Obituary

Party! Sale! Party!

From the City Manager via Jud:

The City Manager would like to formally invite all City Employees and City Council members to our 2^nd Annual City Employee Christmas Party on Friday night, December 9^th, from 6:00-10:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn at our now infamous Exit 7.

The "Winter Wonderland 2nd Annual Employee Christmas Party" will feature in addition to appetizers, the fabulous four Ds: Dinner, Drinks, Desserts and Door prizes! A photographer will be there from 6-8 pm to take photos around the Christmas tree.  There's a flyer posted upstairs on the bulletin board near the employee entrance.

Scholastic Book Sale!!

 From Michelle:  

We're have a  ½ price Scholastic Booksale  December 5-9, 2011 in the children’s library!

Looking for a good deal?  Come by Monday morning for first choice!  Find some great Christmas presents!!

And of course, don't forget our own Cowboy Christmas this Saturday, December 3! It'll be in the J. Henry Kegley Meeting Room.  We'll start gathering at 5:30 and eat about six.  Janice has all sorts of surprises in store!