Haltom Holidays

Psst…  Can you hear them?  The sounds of holiday fun coming to Haltom City Public Library?  They start early this year and you won’t want to miss any of them.

 

The Friends of the Library Christmas elves will their wonderful book Christmas tree sitting in the lobby early this year so you may have missed hearing their excited whispers and giggles.

 Coloring and Cookies for Grown Ups will begin the holiday season for the Library with Christmas cookies and holiday themed coloring pages on Friday, December 2, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

On December 3, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m., in Super Science Saturdays, children will have fun with science when they learn about Light & Energy using Christmas lights.  

Later, Saturday, December 3, from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m., children and adults both can experience festive entertainment and activities at the Haltom City Christmas on Broadway held at the Haltom Recreation Center.

Something magical is about to happen at the Library on December 12, 2106 at 6:30 p.m. when the library shows Prancer on movie night, a touching Christmas film for the whole family to enjoy.

Thursday, December 15, 6:30 p.m. the library will have a special Holiday Bedtime Story Time!  There will be a puppet show, stories, holiday craft, and refreshments so wear your pajamas and settle in for an evening of holiday fun. Psst…Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there so you will want to bring your camera.

All during the holiday season, you can celebrate the season by checking out books or movies. Holiday themed books and videos will be displayed near the entrance to the library for your easy selection.

NEW Resource Spotlight: ReferenceUSA

The Haltom City Public Library has added a new useful research source for its patrons, ReferenceUSA which  offers valuable information for both individuals and businesses.

Looking for a business?

ReferenceUSA's U.S. Business search contains records on over 45 million businesses in the U.S. with addresses, websites, phone numbers, top level personnel, and more. Search by business name, type, or location. These databases are great research tools for finding businesses and services in an area and for marketing and business development for your area.

Looking for a job?

ReferenceUSA's U.S. Jobs search integrates their power business search with job listings from Indeed.Com, a one of the web's most popular job search databases.  Not only does Indeed.Com lists openings available in the field and location you are interested in reviewing, it also gives additional information about the company hiring such as type of business, years in business, number of employees, employee reviews etc.

Looking for a job opening within a specific company?

Click on US. Businesses, type in the name of the company and it will show if there are any current job openings and the job location.

Has a doctor or dentist been recommended to you?

U.S. Healthcare will show the doctor/dentist’s office address and phone number if listed in their database.  (If your doctor or dentist is not listed in U.S. Healthcare, it is not a reflection of their ability or qualifications.  It merely means they have not been entered into the database yet or prefer not to be listed.) Often other pertinent information will be shown such background information on the doctor as well as the insurances accepted if available.

Want to know how many new businesses are in your community?

New Businesses will show the new businesses within the time frame you have selected, the types of businesses and the addresses.

There are also databases for white page listings, consumer information, and new mover's and homeowners.

Check it out!

To access ReferenceUSA, go the the Haltom City Public Library's website and click on ReferenceUSA under Resources. If you need assistance, please contact the Help Desk. 

Elect to Read ... a Banned Book!

In this election year, it is important to remember how fortunate we are as Americans. We have the right to vote for members of our government, and our government cannot govern what we can or cannot read. This does mean some members of the public won't try to censor books that we have the right to read if we so chose. At the library, we celebrate "Banned Books Week" to be bring awareness to everyone's freedom to read. A display of frequently banned books is currently at the library. Patrons are welcome (and encouraged!) to check these books out.

For more information see:

Banned Books That Shaped America
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica

11 Books That Were Banned for Completely Ridiculous Reasons
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/11-books-that-were-banned-for-completely-ridiculous-reasons/

Summer Reading Program 2016 - Two Weeks Left!

We are having a blast this summer for the Summer Reading Program - On Your Mark. Get Set. READ!

Here are a few highlights from the summer so far:

The Summer Reading Program's kick off event featured the Perot Museum's TECH Truck. Participants made their own rockets, and launched them outside. 

The Haltom City Public Works Department brought their trucks for the kids to see on "Big Truck Day." 

Boitumelo brought their fun of music from the world to the library for a special concert made possible through the Arts Council Northeast's Masterwork Concert Series. 

Reading Buddies is held every Tuesday and Thursday at 2:00 where young readers can read with Junior Volunteers and to Reagan, the reading dog.

This is just some of the fun we have had so far! Be sure to check out the library's Flickr page to see more photo albums. 

Check out the library's Facebook page to see what else is going on! Don't forget to turn in your Reading Log by Wednesday, July 27th.

First Finds! July New Books at the Haltom City Public Library

The first of the month = First Finds! Here is the latest installment of new and interesting books from the collection. 

Before the fall by Noah Hawley
Genre: Mystery; Thrillers and suspense
"The stories of ten wealthy victims of a plane crash intertwine with those of a down-on-his-luck painter and a four-year-old boy, the tragedy's only survivors, as odd coincidences surrounding the crash point to a possible conspiracy." - NoveList





But what if we're wrong: thinking about the present as if it were the past by Chuck Klosterman
"The best-selling author of Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs explores the idea that today's mainstream beliefs about the world are fundamentally incorrect, drawing on original interviews with forefront intellectuals and experts to consider how the music, sports, literature and other present-day conventions may be perceived in future centuries." - NoveList





You may also like: taste in an age of endless choice by Tom Vanderbilt
Genre: Social topics, Business and economics
"From the best-selling author of Traffic, a brilliant and entertaining exploration of our personal tastes--why we like the things we like, and what it says about us." - NoveList








The girls by Emma Cline
Genre: Adult books for young adults; Coming-of-age stories; Psychological fiction

"Mesmerized by a band of girls in the park she perceives as enjoying a life of free and careless abandon, 1960s teen Evie Boyd becomes obsessed with gaining acceptance into their circle, only to find herself drawn into a cult and seduced by its charismatic leader." - NoveList

Want more? Click on the "First Finds" label below to see more recommended books.

Tarrant County Heritage Traveling Exhibit

The Library is honored to host a special exhibit from the Tarrant County Historical Commission: the Tarrant County Heritage Traveling Exhibit. The Exhibit was made possible through a grant from the Fash Foundation.

The panel topics of the Exhibit are the following:
1. Introduction
2. The land of Tarrant County
3. Indians of Texas
4. Indian tribes of the area
5. Texas frontier
6. The Republic
7. Birds Fort
8. Early towns
9. Map of early Tarrant
10. The Fort established
11. Ripley Arnold
12. General Tarrant
13. Tarrant statue
14. The County created
15. First courthouses
16. Courthouses
17. Early towns
18. Two communities
19. The Civil War
20. African-Americans
21. African-American heritage
22. Cattle drives
23. The trails
24. Trail heritage
25. Hispanics
26. 1895 courthouse
27. Transportation center
28. Railroads
29. Tarantula map
30. Rail lines
31. Rail heritage
32. County functions
33. The Dragstone
34. Pioneer homes
35. Grapevine and Fort Worth homes
36. Knapp Park
37. Courthouse restoration
38. Restoration
39. More restoration
40.The Westside
41. Clock tower
42. Historical Commission
43. Historical designations
44. The  County Archive
45. Preserving heritage

The exhibit will be on view at the Haltom City Public Library in June and July 2016.

The Library is grateful to the Birdville Historical Society for coordinating with the Tarrant County Historical Commission in securing this exhibit for us.

First Finds! June New Books at the Haltom City Public Library

The first of the month = First Finds! Here is the latest installment of new and interesting books from the collection. 

Paul McCartney : the life by Philip Norman
Genre: Biography
"Since the age of twenty-one, Paul McCartney has lived one of the ultimate rock-n-roll lives played out on the most public of stages. Now, Paul's story is told by rock music's foremost biographer, with McCartney's consent and access to family members and close friends who have never spoken on the record before. PAUL McCARTNEY reveals the complex character behind the façade and sheds new light on his childhood--blighted by his mother's death but redeemed by the father who introduced him to music. This is the first definitive account of Paul's often troubled partnership with John Lennon, his personal trauma after the Beatles' breakup, and his subsequent struggle to get back to the top with Wings--which nearly got him murdered in Africa and brought him nine days in a Tokyo jail. Readers will learn about his marriage to Linda, including their much-criticized musical collaboration, and a moving account of her death. Packed with new information and critical insights, PAUL MCCARTNEY will be the definitive biography of a musical legend,"--Amazon.com.

Until we are free : my fight for human rights in Iran by Shirin Ebadi
Genres: Autobiography/Memoir; Politics and global affairs; Society and culture
"The first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize recounts how she endured death threats, false accusations targeting her family, arrests, invasions of privacy, home attacks, office seizures and other harassment from the Iranian government for her work as a human rights lawyer." - NoveList

FYI: Read here about Shirin Ebadi and about her winning the Nobel Peace Prize.


Redemption Road by John Hart
Genre: Mystery
"In Hart’s new suspense novel, we meet veteran detective Elizabeth Black, who is facing possible suspension for a suspicious shooting. At the same time, former police officer Adrian Wall is released from prison after serving time for the murder of Julia Stange. Stange’s son wants Adrian dead. Adrian has always claimed his innocence, but after his release, a couple of new bodies turn up at the church. This is a thrilling page-turner that starts at a rapid-fire pace and doesn’t let up. Great book for literary and thriller lovers alike. -- Kelly Currie for LibraryReads."- NoveList


At the edge of summer by Jessica Brockmole
Genres: Historical Fiction; Epistolary novels
"Spending a summer in a French château in the aftermath of her father's death and mother's disappearance, 15-year-old Clare befriends her hosts' son, who she reencounters years later during World War I as an angry and devastatingly wounded soldier." - NoveList

FYI: An Epistolary Novel is one written as a series of letters.




Zero K by Don DeLillo
Genre: Social science fiction
"Jeffrey Lockhart’s father, Ross, is a George Soros-like billionaire now in his sixties, with a younger wife, Artis, whose health is failing. Ross is the primary investor in a deeply remote and secret compound where death is controlled and bodies are preserved until a future moment when medicine and technology can reawaken them. Jeffrey joins Ross and Artis at the compound to say 'an uncertain farewell' to her as she surrenders her body." - NoveList





Want more? Click on the "First Finds" label below to see more recommended books.

On Your Mark, Get Set... READ! Summer Reading Program 2016

It's almost that time of year: SUMMER READING PROGRAM time!

Start your Reading Log!

Beginning Friday, June 3, register for the reading portion of the Summer Reading Program, pick up a log, and start reading. Keep track of all reading for summer and turn your log in for prizes! Last day to turn in logs is Wednesday, July 27 by 8:00 p.m.

This year, we have a lot of great things planned.

Mondays

Every Monday will feature Family Movie Night at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy a family movie and free popcorn.

June 6: The Good Dinosaur (G)
June 13: Hotel Transylvania 2 (PG)
June 20: Minions (PG)
June 27: Shaun the Sheep (PG)
July 4: The Library will be closed for Independence Day
July 11:  Norm of the North (PG)
July 18: Inside Out (PG)
July 25: Zootopia (PG)

Tuesdays and Thursdays

Every Tuesday and Thursday at 2:00 p.m., young readers have a chance to practice their reading skills with a junior volunteer or a reading dog!

Wednesdays

Every Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., Lt. Derek Wood from the Haltom City Fire Department will be at the library to teach a different safety topic and everyone will make a craft. On July 6, John Cooper from BNSF Rail Road will be here to discuss rail safety.

Fridays

Fridays feature the Special Guest Friday programs at 2:00 p.m.

June 3: Summer Reading Program Kick Off with the Perot Museum TECH Truck
June 10: Dinosaur Valley State Park
June 17: Dallas Zoo
June 24: Magic of Brett Roberts
July 1: Turtle Discovery
July 8: Dangerous Edison 
July 15: Author James Martinez
July 22: Boopsie the Clown
July 29: Summer Reading Finale with the Dallas Puppet Theater

Saturdays

Super Science Saturdays will continue for the Summer on the first Saturday of the month at 9:00 a.m.

June 4: Geology
July 2: Lenses, Prisms, and Optics

Special Presentations

Friday, June 10 at 3:30 p.m.: Arts Council NE MasterWorks Concert: Boitumelo
Friday, June 24 at 3:30 p.m.: Arts Council NE MasterWorks Concert: Mr. Blue Shoes
Thursday, July 7 at 11:00 a.m.: Big City Trucks with the Haltom City Public Works Department
Thursday, July 14 at 2:00 p.m.: Human Society of North Texas presents: "Safety With Animals"

Follow Us! 

Don't forget to follow the library on Facebook, Twitter, and now Instagram!

Coloring and Cookies for Grown Ups!

We had a great turnout for our first two after-hours coloring parties, Coloring and Cookies for Grown Ups. While coloring is all the rage, it does have some benefits too.

In the early 20th Century, Carl Jung, the inventor of analytical psychology, prescribed coloring of mandalas as part of therapy. A certified art therapist said that while coloring is not considered art therapy, it does retain some therapeutic benefits. She said, "Just like meditation, coloring also allows us to switch off our brains from other thoughts and focus only on the moment, helping to alleviate free-floating anxiety" (quoted in a CNN article).  It seems impossible to go through the day today without constant interaction with a cell phone, computer, or tablet. Recent studies have shown that heavy usage of these devices may be linked to depression and anxiety. Coloring helps to "unplug."

Interested in coloring? Join us on Friday, June 3rd at 6:30 p.m. and enjoy some relaxing coloring while having fun with others. You can even have cookies!

Further Reading:

"Why Adult Coloring Books are Good for You" - CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/06/health/adult-coloring-books-popularity-mental-health/.

"The Therapeutic Science Of Adult Coloring Books: How This Childhood Pastime Helps Adults Relieve Stress" - Medical Daily
http://www.medicaldaily.com/therapeutic-science-adult-coloring-books-how-childhood-pastime-helps-adults-356280.

"A Neuroscientist Patiently Explains the Allure of the Adult Coloring Book" -New York Magazine
http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/01/neuroscientist-explains-adult-coloring-books.html.

First Finds! May New Book Spotlight

The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth
Genre: Australian Fiction; Love Stories
"Anna Forster, in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease at only thirty-eight years old, knows that her family is doing what they believe to be best when they take her to Rosalind House, an assisted living facility. She also knows there's just one another resident her age, Luke. What she does not expect is the love that blossoms between her and Luke even as she resists her new life at Rosalind House. As her disease steals more and more of her memory, Anna fights to hold on to what she knows, including her relationship with Luke. When Eve Bennett is suddenly thrust into the role of single mother she finds herself putting her culinary training to use at Rosalind house. When she meets Anna and Luke she is moved by the bond the pair has forged. But when a tragic incident leads Anna's and Luke's families to separate them, Eve finds herself questioning what she is willing to risk to help them"-- Provided by publisher.

'Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda Quick
Genre: Historical Romance
"The author of the New York Times bestseller Garden of Lies returns to Victorian London in an all-new novel of deadly obsession. Calista Langley operates an exclusive "introduction" agency in Victorian London, catering to respectable ladies and gentlemen who find themselves alone in the world. But now, a dangerously obsessed individual has begun sending her trinkets and gifts suitable only for those in deepest mourning--a black mirror, a funeral wreath, a ring set with black jet stone. Each is engraved with her initials. Desperate for help and fearing that the police will be of no assistance, Calista turns to Trent Hastings, a reclusive author of popular crime novels. Believing that Calista may be taking advantage of his lonely sister, who has become one of her clients, Trent doesn't trust her. Scarred by his past, he's learned to keep his emotions at bay, even as an instant attraction threatens his resolve. But as Trent and Calista comb through files of rejected clients in hopes of identifying her tormentor, it becomes clear that the danger may be coming from Calista's own secret past--and that only her death will satisfy the stalker."-- Provided by publisher.

The bad-ass librarians of Timbuktu: and their race to save the world's most precious manuscripts by Joshua Hammer
Genre: Politics and global affairs
Describes how a group of Timbuktu librarians enacted a daring plan to smuggle the city's great collection of rare Islamic manuscripts away from the threat of destruction at the hands of Al Qaeda militants to the safety of southern Mali.





Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
Genre: Autobiographies and memoirs; Life stories; Science Writing
Jahren has built three laboratories in which she's studied trees, flowers, seeds, and soil. She tells about her childhood in rural Minnesota with an uncompromising mother and a father who encouraged hours of play in his classroom|s labs; about how she found a sanctuary in science, and the disappointments, triumphs and exhilarating discoveries of scientific work. Yet at the core of this book is the story of a relationship Jahren forged with Bill, who becomes her lab partner and best friend. Their sometimes rogue adventures in science take them over the Atlantic to the ever-light skies of the North Pole and to tropical Hawaii, where she and her lab currently make their home.

Genealogy Resources

The Haltom City Public Library does not have a dedicated Genealogy collection, but we are lucky to have access to databases and many nearby collections and societies to help you with your research.

Genealogy Databases at HCPL

Heritage Quest Online
HeritageQuest Online is available at Haltom City Public Library and by remote access through the TexShare databases link on the Haltom City Public Library homepage. Contact the library for login and password. Search data/images from the U.S. Census (1790 to 1940) and more than 25,000 full-text family and local histories, Freedman’s Bank Records and much more.

Genealogy Websites

www.academic-genealogy.com

Portal to primary or secondary genealogy databases, records, how-to guides and handbooks.

www.archives.gov/research/genealogy

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

www.cyndislist.com 

A comprehensive list of genealogy websites including over 309,000 links organized in 180 categories.

www.familysearch.org 

Site maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Offers family genealogy records/resources free of cost.

www.txgenweb.org

Access Texas genealogy and history. Each county page is commercial free with helpful tips and database links.

Genealogy Collections 

Dallas Public Library

(214) 670-1433
One of the largest genealogy research collections in the region with 80,000 volumes, 42,000 microfilm rolls, vital records, census, military service records and over 500 genealogy journals.

Fort Worth Public Library

(817) 871-7740
The Genealogy, History & Archives collection includes over 40,000 volumes, 9,500 microfilm rolls, 100 CD-ROMs, state of the art equipment and much more.

Grapevine Public Library

(817) 410-3429
Frances Pittman Malcolm Genealogy Room.

Irving Public Library

(972) 721-2606
Local History and Genealogy Room.

Local Genealogy Societies 

 Mid-Cities Genealogical Society

www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txmcgs 
Meetings: 1st Thursday of each month starting at 6:30 PM with a Social and Beginners Workshop and the regular meeting starting at 7:00 PM at the Euless Public Library, 201 N. Ector.

Fort Worth Genealogical Society

www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txfwgs 
Meetings: Last Tuesday of each month, except for December, at 6:30 PM at the Fort Worth Central Library, 500 W. 3rd Street. Check the website for other meetings and workshops.

Grapevine Name Droppers

Meetings: 2nd Monday of each month at 10:30 AM at the Grapevine Public Library, 1201 Municipal Way.
(817) 410-3429

Arlington Genealogical Society

www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txags/ 
Meetings: 2nd Tuesday of months September through June at the Arlington West Police Service Station, located at 2060 W. Green Oaks Blvd. in their Community Room.

Dallas Genealogical Society

www.dallasgenealogy.org
Meetings: 1st Saturday of each month September through May at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young Street.
(866) 968-2347

Texas State Genealogical Society

www.txsgs.org
Meetings: Board Meeting in January and an annual fall state conference. The site offers access to issues of Stirpes (1960 to current) the Society’s quarterly Texas genealogy periodical.

The National Archives at Fort Worth

https://www.archives.gov/fort-worth/ 
1400 John Burgess Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76140
(817) 551-2051
ftworth.archives@nara.gov

Hours:
Monday – Friday (except for federal holidays)
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM

The National Archives at Fort Worth is open to the public for historical/genealogical research. Records from the 1800s to late 1900s include letters, photos, maps and documents from federal agencies and courts in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

Microfilm holdings include: Federal population censuses for all states, 1790-1940, military service records, pension and bounty land warrant applications, passenger arrival records, Dawes census cards and enrollment jackets for the Five Tribes of Oklahoma.

Access to Ancestry.com and Fold3.com from any computer in the research room. All computers and microfilm readers/printers are equipped with USB ports, so be sure to bring your thumb drives.

Help?

If you need further assistance, please contact us.

Ladies' Night Out Early Bird Special!

3rd Annual Ladies’ Night Out Fundraising Event

Saturday, August 13, 2016

6 – 10 p.m.

As in past, Ladies' Night Out will offer a chance to enjoy a night out meeting new friends and mingling with old ones. Women 18 years and older will be treated to a scrumptious dinner catered by Chef Tyler. We have increased the number of vendors this year. Back by popular demand is the photography booth and handwriting analysts; Jerry Wenninger will draw your caricature; Brenda Groshcup will have paper crafts for you to make; this year you will be able to purchase directly from the vendors, if you so choose.

The tickets this year will be $45.00 but there is an Early Bird Special. For those who purchase a ticket between now and June 18th the price is $39.00 AND your name will be entered into a drawing for a diamond necklace. For those who purchase after June 1^st the ticket price is $45.00 and you will not be eligible for the drawing.

Menu:

Fruit Montage

Smoked chicken nachos

Pork tenderloin with brandy Dijon cream

Roasted garlic Yukon Gold mashed potatoes

Italian vegetables with balsamic glaze

Garden salad

Dinner rolls

Ice tea & water

Desert 

Vendors (check back - more details coming soon!): 

Brenda Groschup - crafts
Handwriting analysts 
Jamberry Nails
Mary Kay Cosmetics
Monet – hair products
Pampered Chef
Photo Booth
Pink Zebra - fragrances
Planet Beach – spa
Premier Jewelry
Thirty-one Gifts

Jerry Wenninger - caricatures

Don't miss out on the fun! Check back for more details.

The Haltom City Public Library is honored to have a special, interactive exhibit on loan from the University of Texas at Dallas: Inside Out! Patrons, young and old, can place the pictures of the animals on the light pad, mounted to the table, and see the skeleton. We also have “bones” books next to the table for check out. The exhibit will be available through the summer. Check it out!

Janie & Travis Royal Historical Mural Dedication and Open House

A couple weeks ago, we introduced you to Janie & Travis Royal.  The mural was installed on Friday, April 8, 2016. It was designed by Jeff Naukam of the Bubble.

On Sunday, April 10, 2016, the library opened for a special open house and dedication of the mural.  Refreshments were lovingly provided (and mostly handmade) by Bette Bronstad, Teresa Cabano, Loretta Dubois, Terri Grizzelle, Ella Patterson, Donna Peterson, and Bonnie Richards.

Over 80 people came on Sunday to honor Travis and Janie at the open house and enjoyed an exhibit of his photographs and historical objects from the Birdville Museum.

 Library Director, Lesly Smith, gave a history of the mural project.

 Betty Porter, Director of the Birdville Museum and Birdville Historical Society gave a brief history of the Birdville community and the Birdville Historical Society.

Drew Sanders was in attendance and signing his new book, The Garden of Eden (place a hold a library copy).

The mural was made possible by the generosity of the following donors: Ann Bastable, Rodney and Pamela Bland, Jesse (Pat) Brown, Mona R. Brown, Frances Burns, Dr. Norman and Mary Ruth Ellis, Michelle Emery, Don and Terri Grizzelle, Bonnie Jean Hensleigh, Betty Kurecka, Pack Optical, Bonnie Richards, Susan Roach, Ricky J. and Linda R. Roberts, Travis Royal, Lesly M. Smith and David W. Young, Pamela Sonderer, and Patsy Newton Sullivan.