Geekfest 2010 in Gadsden this Saturday

Looking for something to do this weekend? Look no further - it is Road Trip Time! Gadsden is just an hour away.......so hit the road this Saturday for GEEKFEST 2010!!!

The Gadsden Public Library has put together an awesome event featuring 8 of the hottest Young Adult authors around: Chris Crutcher, Ellen Schreiber, Barry Lyga, Elizabeth Scott, Angela Johnson, Ginger Rue, Chandra Sparks Taylor and Martin Wilson!

There will be signings and author talks throughout the day. While you are in between book signings, come hear The Mitch Hansen Band out of Atlanta and local favorites Mr. Blackwell and the Petty Thieves. There will also be a Teen Art Show and Rock Band Tournaments.

There is no admission charge for this event, however, you will need to bring money to purchase food or books for signing. Vendors and exhibitors include ZeroMeth, Books-A-Million, Replays, Collectors Paradise, BevNerd.com and more.

For more information visit Gadsden Public Library's website or call (256) 549-4699.

Celebrate Earth Day's 40th Anniversary!

Earth Day is a day that began to inspire awareness for the Earth's environment. It was founded 40 years ago on April 22nd, 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson.

Come to the library to check out a book about Earth Day or "Going Green." Or check out these helpful Earth Day links:

NYT's blog post "Ten Ways to Go Green and Celebrate Earth Day"

Environmental Protection Agency

Top 10 Earth Day Tips

Auntie Litter

Celebrate Earth Day this weekend at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. They will be having Earth Day at the Gardens this Sunday, April 25th from 1pm-5pm. Visit BBG's website for all the details.

Irondale residents - Remember the "Clean As a Whistle" campaign is going on until Saturday April 24th. Help keep our neighborhood looking it's best!

Irondale's Clean As a Whistle Campaign

From Irondale Today:

The Irondale Clean as a Whistle campaign runs from April 17th - 24th. Help clean up your neighborhood by participating in our “Clean as a Whistle” campaign. This is a great opportunity to get rid of that treasured trash and annoying clutter. Bags are available from Delan Davis (Public Works dept. head, 951-1420), Ruth Poe (Exchange Club Bd. Member 956-8296) or John Schoen (Exchange Club President, 956-5875.

City employees will pick up the following materials left at the curb during the week of April 17-24th: Tree Limbs/tree trunks (not from contractors), Bagged grass and leaves, Paint cans (open and dry), Appliances, Furniture, Building materials (not from contractors). Batteries, tires and oil will NOT be collected.

Abandoned vehicles (vehicles with an expired tag that have not been moved within 20 days) may be reported to the City Inspector for removal. Call 956-9200 with the address and the location of the vehicle on the property.

This campaign is sponsored by the Exchange Club of Irondale with the State of Alabama, Don't Drop It On Alabama Spring Cleanup, Adopt-a-Mile Program, Alabama PALS (People against a Littered State), Clean Campuses Program and the City of Irondale.

PJ Storytime

Come down to the library and join us for PJ Storytime!

Monday, April 19th at 6:30 p.m.





Come hear songs and stories about April Showers! Enjoy a bedtime snack and dress in your favorite pajamas! All ages welcome.

Call 951-1415 for more information.

All Aboard the Irondale Express!

Join us for a fun-filled program all about trains!

When: Saturday, April 17th

Time: 2:00pm

Where: Irondale Library Meeting Room

Who: Boys and Girls ages 8 and under

Come join the party - we will have snacks, storytime and other activities!

Call 951-1415 or email (irondalelibrary@gmail.com) for more information.

Celebrate National Library Week

Celebrate National Library Week at the Irondale Public Library, April 11-17!

It’s National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide.

All of the libraries in Jefferson County are celebrating NLW by waiving $5 of late fines* from your library card. All you have to do is visit the library any day this week!

Libraries are the heart of every community and our library helps our community thrive. At our library, people come together for programs, to do research with the assistance of a trained professional, to get help finding a job or to find homework help, to get a letter notarized, or to get a good book recommendation......the list goes on and on!

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.

*applies only to late fines, not replacement fees

Listen Up, Neil Gaiman Fans!

Libraries and their communities are invited to a live Internet event, “An Evening with Neil Gaiman,” tonight from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This event kicks off National Library Week (April 11-17), which is coordinated by the American Library Association.

Gaiman (who is serving as Honorary Chair of National Library Week), will speak about his lifelong love of libraries and the role they play in supporting intellectual freedom and privacy. Gaiman will virtually join a live audience from the University of Minnesota using high definition videoconferencing technology to enable an interactive discussion.

Library lovers and Gaiman fans who are interested in watching can join in the event live via UStream.tv. To participate you will need a 1 Mbps Internet connection and Flash player. If your computer doesn't have those capabilities then you can visit the Mervyn H. Sterne Library at UAB. They are serving as a host library for the event tonight.

If you are unable to attend tonight, no worries! The event will be archived on ALA’s public awareness web site http://www.atyourlibrary.org/ following the event.

For more information about Neil Gaiman visit his official site.

Alabama Book Festival

The fifth annual Alabama Book Festival will be held in historic downtown Montgomery at Old Alabama Town on April 17, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event will include more than 50 authors, storytellers, publishers, illustrators and performers.

For more information and directions visit the festival's website.

Dolores Hydock

Celebrate Alabama's Big Read!

Monday, April 12th, 2010 at 6:30pm

Come see renowned actress and storyteller Dolores Hydock in Dead Cats & Spunkwater: Superstitions & Strange Logic in the Writings of Mark Twain.

Please plan to join us for this wonderful FREE performance! Refreshments will served, including old-fashioned candy that was popular during Mark Twain's era.

This program is intended for high school aged and adult audiences. Please call us at 951-1415 or email us (irondalelibrary@gmail.com) for more information.

This program is presented in conjunction with The Big Read: Alabama Reads, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and bring the transformative power of literature into the lives of its citizens. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage citizens to read for pleasure and enlightenment.

For more information on the Big Read visit www.alabamareads.org

Anne Frank and Holocaust Remebrance Day

PBS and Masterpiece Classic will be airing The Diary of Anne Frank on Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 11th, 2010 at 9:00pm.

From PBS' website:

A new, authentic adaptation of Anne Frank's feisty, poignant, and timeless account of her life in a cramped hidden annex during World War II. A remarkable performance by newcomer Ellie Kendrick (An Education) brings to life the eloquent reflections of a teenage girl trying to live an ordinary life in extraordinary circumstances

MASTERPIECE and the WGBH Lab Open Call series want to hear and see new perspectives on The Diary of Anne Frank. Together they have launched the Masterpiece Media Diary Project Masterpiece Media Diary Project. The project invites media-savvy storytellers ages 13 and up to submit online video or audio diaries on the subject of intolerance in 2010. Click here for more information about this project.


This DVD can also be requested from the library by clicking here.