Alpine Public Library News

Way Out West Texas Book Festival

The Rotary Club of Alpine will host the WAY OUT WEST TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL to benefit the Alpine Public Library and its Marathon branch.

The multifaceted event is scheduled for August 8-9 at the Sul Ross Espino Conference Center. Participants will gather at 7 p.m., Friday, August 8, for a Chuckwagon Supper and Songfest on the grounds of Kokernot Lodge, where singer/guitarist/author Mike Blakely will perform, and special invitees will be introduced. This ticketed event will require reservations.

Programs throughout the day Saturday, August 9, will feature authors who have written books on Western Fiction, Texas Rangers in Fact and Legend, Natural History of the Big Bend, and other such topics. These programs are free and open to the public. Some sessions will feature panels of authors hosted by a moderator, while others will highlight one or two authors.

On Saturday, August 9, authors and publishers may rent booth space in the reception area of the conference center to sell their books to the visiting public.

A Grand Silent Auction will take place during the day in a designated area of the Espino center. In order to bid, attendees must have purchased tickets for either the Chuckwagon Supper or the Saturday Night Banquet Finale, a dressy affair with a gourmet menu with the evening entertainment provided by Kinky Friedman and guests. The auction will end just as the banquet begins at 7:00 p.m., and guests will claim their auction items before they leave.

To date, authors Elmer Kelton, Jim Glendinning, Mike Blakely, Sharon Spinks, Joaquin Jackson, Bobby Byrd, Lee Merrill Byrd, Tim McKenzie, Denise Chavez, David Carlton, Joe Nick Patoski, Roy Morey, Benjamin Saenz, Sarah Bird, Cyndi Hughes, Larry Thomas, Mike Cox, James H. Evans, Bob Kinford, The University of Texas Press, Texas Tech University Press, Cinco Puntos Press, Iron Mountain Press, have made plans to attend.

“We expect a great deal of enthusiasm for this event,” said Festival Committee Chair Wanda B. Morgan. “We have just begun to fill in the dots in what we hope will become a premier literary festival for the entire state.”

Committee members Jean Hardy and Arlene and Steve Griffis round out the planning group, which is actively seeking volunteers and participants. Authors, publishers, journalists, and other publishing professionals, as well as those individuals with interest in supporting the Alpine Public Library, are encouraged to contact Arlene Griffis at info@wowtxbookfestival.com(or 432-386-4695) or any member of the committee.

For more information visit: http://wowtxbookfestival.com/1.html

Living with Nature IV
“Sustainable Living and Greenbuilding Festival”
Friday-Sunday, August 1-3, 2008

Come enjoy three days of fun, live music, children’s activities, and presentations on green activities like solar energy, rain water harvesting, alternate transportation and more. This event is being produced by volunteers and sponsored by Blue Water Natural Foods as a fund raiser for the Alpine Public Library and the Marathon Community Center.

The Festival will also feature Buffalo Ranch tours, arts and craft vendors. More events and activities will be announced as they are scheduled.

If you or your business or organization would like to be a part of the Living with Nature Festival pick up a registration form at the Alpine Public Library (before July 1^st for pre-registration) or contact Bennett Jones at 837-3008 for more details. Volunteers are also greatly needed for everything from ticket sales to clean-up.

Marathon Public Library branch of Alpine Public Library summer reading program begins on June4th. We will have a drawing for four bicycles:
Children read 10 books in 10 weeks and can put their name in the drawing for a bike. The Junior and Senior High reads 10 books and writes 10 pages to be viewed by library friends and will receive $100.00 for their effort. Must finish all 10 books and papers. Please come to the library to type page on computer or write out your paper. Our goal is to include all ages into our program and have the children reading and using the library.

Our program includes a reading time, crafts, puppet shows, and fun from 1-2 pm, Wed. during the month of June and July. Our end of summer program party date will be scheduled sometime in August. Come join the fun at the Marathon Public Library. We welcome parents to join the fun and anyone that would like to volunteer to help. marathonlib@yahoo.com Please come by and register for the program. 432-386-4136 Donations are being accepted to help with the funding for the older grades.

Marathon Public Library

106 N. 3rd Street East

Marathon, Texas 79842

In 2009, all television signals will be digital. Do you have an analog TV or questions about digital conversion? If so, please visit www.dtv2009.gov.  Or, you can visit www.alpinepubliclibrary.org and click the links section. The DTV 2009 site will even tell you how to get a free converter so your television will do digital signals.  If you have any questions, please ask a librarian.

The first computer class at the Marathon Public Library branch of Alpine Public Library will be held on June 7, June 14, and June 28 from 9am -12pm and June 26 6-9pm at the library located 106 N. 3rd Street East, Marathon. For more information please contact Carol at 432-386-4136 or marathonlib@yahoo.com.

Another class has been scheduled for May 28, 29, June 4, 5, 11, and 12 from 6-8pm. (Sorry this class was cancelled).  The Sat. class is full.

   Quilt made by Carol. (Queen size quilt)

Friends of Marathon Public Library Quilt Drawing.  Drawing will be 4th of July dance in Marathon, Texas at the Post Park. Ticket donations are $5.00 each or 3 for $12.00. Contact Carol at marathonlib@yahoo.com or 432-386-4136. Donations are a fund raiser for the Libri Foundation Books for Children Program Grant.

Marathon Public Library branch of Alpine Public Library.

BASIC COMPUTER CLASSES

Where: Marathon Public Library

This course consists of 12hours of instruction. Will have introduction to Computers, Internet & Email.

APPLICATIONS FOR CLASSES CAN BE PICKED UP AT THE LIBRARY.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL:

CAROL TOWNSEND AT 432-386-4136 (MARATHON PUBLIC LIBRARY) OR

NINFA RODRIGUEZ AT 432-837-9800 X2762

(WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS/UPPER RIO GRANDE) 

Four Marathon residents attended the Texas Library Association Conference in Dallas April 14-18. Carol Townsend, librarian of the Marathon branch of the Alpine Public Library attended classes on library management and summer reading programs. Friends of Marathon Public Library president, Steve Griffis, who is also West Texas sales representative for University of Texas Press, manned an exhibit booth at the conference. Library volunteers Sky Townsend and Arlene Griffis worked in the UT Press booth and Arlene attended some classes, as well. 

On Wednesday Carol and Arlene attended the Author’s Luncheon where Carol was recognized as one of eight recipients of a Tocker Foundation grant which issues stipends to librarians from small communities, thereby enabling them to attend conferences such as TLA. The two women also attended the Bluebonnet Award Luncheon on Thursday, which honored author Lucy Nolan whose book Down Girl and Sit: On the Road is the winner of the 2007-2008 Bluebonnet Award for children’s literature. 

During the conference Carol and Arlene were able to purchase approximately 100 new books which will be added to the shelves of the Marathon Library. Carol would like to thank Carole Henthorne and Lynn Lindsay for keeping the Marathon Library open while she attended the conference.

Marathon Public Library has received “We the Peolple Bookshelf” from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association. The collection contains the following books:

Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution

Abraham Lincoln the Writer

Amistad

Breaking Through

Elijah of Buxton

Flowers for Algernon

Freedom Walkers

The Gettysburg Address

Give Me Liberty

Lincoln: A Photobiography

Lincoln’s Virtues: An Ethical Biography

Lyddie

Many Thousand Gone

Pink and Say

Saturnalia

That all People May Be One People

The Ugly Duckling

Four Books in Spanish:

Pink y Say

Lyddie

Senderos Fronterizos

Flores Para Algernon

We wish to thank Arlene Griffis for applying for the grant for us. This is the third year Marathon Public Library has received this book grant. We also have new books recently donated so please come by the library to check them out. We are a great little library with wonderful community support.

Carol Townsend
Branch Manager
Marathon Public Library

 Came Lujan our 1st place winner in the Marathon Public Library “Spring Break Poster Constest.

Came won an art kit with posters of dinosaurs and markers. His poster says “Giddy up! Let’s go to the library!”

 Posters will be displayed around Marathon to view.

Everyone is a winner. 

1. Came Lujan
2. Courtney Stringer
3. Gage Ganter
4. Alexis Bowers
5. Elizabeth Hernandez
6. Jesse Lopez Jr.
7. Karl Stringer
8. Erica Kelly
9. Kallie Duncan
10. Britton Marin
11. Sarah Arenas
12. Bailey Marin
13. Colee Charlesworth
14. Mason Priest
15. Kenton Duncan
16. Rachel Kelly
17. Kyler Duncan

Other Posters: #1-#17

Thanks to Connie Springfield for being our judge this year and to all the children for their wonderful posters. All children will receive a “Certificate of Participation” for their posters. Please come by the Marathon Public Library to pick them up.

Carol

MPL