For mid-summer activities, keep in mind that the library is a great place for fun, educational events and activities—for all ages: Adults, Teens and Children!  This year’s Summer Reading Program will run through July 30, and it’s not too late to join in this year’s themes of wellness, fitness and sports. Take the entire family to the library for exciting activities, games, events … and even earn prizes for reading!

In addition, there will be programs about

  • Appalachian Speaker Series with Grandma Gatewood and Appalachian Folk Medicine
  • Exercise Your Mind Fair
  • Speaker Bill Landry: Foothills Voices and Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” performed by the Tennessee Stage Company.
  • Teens: Gargantuan Gaming Day, Mountain Challenge, Dance Through the Decades, Chess and more.
  • Children – Special programs every Saturday which include Eric Carle Celebration, Astronaut Training with MUSE, Greatest Sports Heroes from A to Z and more!

A Job Fair, co-sponsored with the American Job Center-Alcoa (formerly Blount County Career Center) and the library, will have 25-30 employers looking for employees on June 30. Bring your résumé and dress for success.

Computer classes are offered by library staff for Rookies and Beyond the Basics while this year’s Gains Classes (Microsoft Office computer classes to help people acquire a job or move to a different job), are taught by Adult Education teachers. Résumé Help (one-on-one) will be available June 27-30.

As usual, there’s a lot going on at the library, and we look forward to seeing you!

 

MUSIC:

  • Thursdays in August,  7 p.m.,  “Hot Summer Nights Concert Series” at the library! Concerts will be inside the library, in air conditioning and are sponsored by the Blount County Friends of the Library.  The performers will be
    • August 4,  “EmiSunshine” – This 12-year-old Madisonville, TN, prodigy sings and plays old-time Appalachian music with equal parts Americana, country, gospel and bluegrass. She plays ukulele, guitar, mandolin and xylophone.
    • August 11,  “Wendel Werner & Alan Eleazer” – These long-time East Tennessee friends and professionals will perform a concert of sacred and secular jazz along with spiritual songs.
    • August 18,  “Spencer’s Own” – This Nashville all-vocal band of 5 brothers, performing a family harmony of country with the edginess of rock and popular music, are currently rising stars on the national stage.
    • August 25,  “The Young Fables” – A rising Nashville country duo, The Young Fables, singer Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford on electric guitar, hail from Blount County.
    • September 1,  “Knoxville Opera Company 2015-16 Season Preview” – Maestro Brian Salesky, Executive Director and Conductor, will be the guest speaker and accompany two Knoxville Opera artists who will preview the coming season’s operas: Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance, Giacomo Puccini’s La Boheme and Gaetano Donizetti’s Mary, Queen of Scots.

 

EVENTS:              Phone (865) 982-0981 or (865) 273-1428

 

  • Through July 30: “2016 Summer Reading Program:  Wellness, Fitness and Sports.”  Throughout the summer, in addition to reading based on fitness and sports themes, there will be weekly events and activities for all ages, emphasizing the fitness and wellness theme.  The three age groups and themes are
    • Children: “On your mark, Get set…Read!” (May 28-July 30)
    • Teens: “Get in the Game: Read” (May 28-July 23)
    • Adult: “Exercise your Mind. Read!” (May 28-July 25)

Readers of all ages will explore all things healthy this summer through the summer library programs. The 2016 Summer Reading Program will feature programs, prize drawings, story times, a reading club, and more. Families are invited to join the Read-to-Me portion of the program. All programs are free of charge. Look for the brochure and more publicity describing events and activities.

  • Through July 25: “Exercise your Mind. Read!” Adult Summer Reading Program.  Why should the kids have all the fun?  Adults, sign up for summer reading!  Win daily prizes and a grand prize.  For more information, register at any desk at the library.
    • Book Reviews Fill out a book review slip and earn a chance to win a book donated by the Friends of the Library! The slips will be displayed on paper around the square columns in the library’s main gallery. Let Blount County know what you think!
    • Jocks vs. Brains Vote for your favorite athlete (through June) and scientist (in July) each day in voting jars at the Bookmark Café and track results on columns in the main gallery and on social media. On Twitter, tag the library “@Blount_Library” and use the hashtag #bcplvote.
  • Saturday, Sunday & Monday, July 2, 3 & 4, “Library Closed in Honor of Independence Day.”
  • Thursday, July 7, 2 p.m., “Special Topics’ Computer Class: Apps for Health.” Learn about phone and tablet apps for healthful living and websites that can help you coordinate your fitness devices and find reliable information. Registration is required. Call the library’s Reference Desk at 865-273-1428 or 865-982-0981, ext. 4. This will be in the Computer Lab. (Part of the Summer Reading Program, “Exercise Your Mind. Read!”)
  • Monday, July 11, 7 p.m., “ Zentangle Class” with Katie Kinney and Fine Arts Blount. Learn the meditative art process as you let your creativity flow and let stress go. This event will be in Dorothy Herron Room A.
  • Monday through Friday, July 15-29, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., “Early Voting at the Library.” Located in the Computer Lab down Meeting Room Hallway.
  • Monday, July 18, 7 p.m., “Southern Appalachian Speaker Series: Appalachian Folk Medicine – The Use of Medicinal Plants in Southern Appalachia, Past and Present.” Anthony Cavender, ETSU professor, will discuss traditional remedies. This program will be located in the Sharon Lawson Room.
  • Tuesday, July 19,  5:30 p.m.,  “Blount County Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting,” in the Board Room of the library.
  • Wednesday, July 20, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (3rd Wednesday of each month),  “Affordable Care Act Health Care Enrollment.”  A qualified Navigator will be at the library to meet with individuals and families to help with registration for the Affordable Care Act. An appointment is required by calling 1-844-644-5443, or you can visit GetCoveredTenn.org/commit
  • Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 21, 22 and 23,  “Used Book Sale,” fundraiser for the library where more than 50,000 books are available—$1 for soft cover and $2.50 for hard cover, plus movies (DVD & VHS), audiobooks and specially priced rare books, collectibles and others—by the Friends of the Blount County Public Library (FOL):
    • Thursday, July 21,  12 noon until 8 p.m.  “Members Only Sale,”  an opportunity for FOL members to purchase books before other members of the public are admitted to the sale.  FOL memberships are available at the elevator doors, before accessing the Library Lower Level.
    • Friday & Saturday, July 22 and 23,  9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,  “Used Book Sale – Open to the Public,” in the Library Lower Level.
  • Thursday, July 21, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (3rd Thursday of each month), “Adult Coloring.” Remember the carefree joy of picking up your favorite crayon or marker and adding color to a beautiful picture? Experience the same fun and relaxation even though you are now an adult!  For this program, sponsored by the Blount County Friends of the Library and coordinated by Jennifer Spirko, participants (16 years and older) can bring their own coloring books and materials, or you can select from a variety of intricate adult coloring pages and utilize coloring supplies provided at the library. Just show up at the library at 7 p.m., on the third Thursday of every month, select a fun design and color away to your heart’s content. This program will be in the Main Gallery of the library.
  • Saturday, July 23, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (4th Saturday of each month), “Library at Downtown Maryville Farmers Market.” Visit the library’s table for garden- and food-related book suggestions and library information. The Farmers Market is located at Founder’s Square, Downtown Maryville, near CBBC Bank.
  • Monday, July 25, 6:15 p.m., “Exercise Your Mind. Read! Summer Reading Program Grand Prize Drawing.” Don’t miss the drawing for the Adult Summer Reading Program grand prizes, a laptop and Fitbit Charge! Last chance to turn your entry in will be 6 p.m.
  • Monday, July 25, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., “Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor.” Enjoy William Shakespeare’s rollicking comedy of romance and romantic misadventure when it is presented by professional actors with the Tennessee Stage Company. This live play will be presented in the Main Gallery of the Reading Rotunda.
  • Thursdays in August,  7 p.m.,  “Hot Summer Nights Concert Series” at the library! Concerts will be inside the library, in air conditioning and are sponsored by the Blount County Friends of the Library.  The performers will be
    • August 4,  “EmiSunshine” – This 12-year-old Madisonville, TN, prodigy sings and plays old-time Appalachian music with equal parts Americana, country, gospel and bluegrass. She plays ukulele, guitar, mandolin and xylophone.
    • August 11,  “Wendel Werner & Alan Eleazer” – These long-time East Tennessee friends and professionals will perform a concert of sacred and secular jazz along with spiritual songs.
    • August 18,  “Spencer’s Own” – This Nashville all-vocal band of 5 brothers, performing a family harmony of country with the edginess of rock and popular music, are currently rising stars on the national stage.
    • August 25,  “The Young Fables” – A rising Nashville country duo, The Young Fables, singer Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford on electric guitar, hail from Blount County.
    • September 1,  “Knoxville Opera Company 2015-16 Season Preview” – Maestro Brian Salesky, Executive Director and Conductor, will be the guest speaker and accompany two Knoxville Opera artists who will preview the coming season’s operas: Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance, Giacomo Puccini’s La Boheme and Gaetano Donizetti’s Mary, Queen of Scots.

 

Tennessee  R.E.A.D.S.  HELP!

If you have an e-reader, tablet or other device, you may check out e-books, audiobooks, magazines and streaming movies from Overdrive and Tennessee R.E.A.D.S., through the library website. You can seek personalized help by calling the Reference Desk at 982-0981, ext. 302, or 273-1428 to schedule a time for an appointment.  To set up access to download e-books, audiobooks and materials from the library, bring these items:

  • library card in your name and in good standing,
  • your device (fully charged),
  • email account user name and password,
  • Amazon account sign-in and password,
  • Barnes & Noble account sign-in and password.  

You are ready to enjoy your Tennessee R.E.A.D.S. experience!

 

COMPUTER COURSES – Registration Required:   

For more information, go to the Blount County Public Library Reference Desk or call

(865) 273-1428 or (865) 982-0981, ext. 4.

 

Basic Introductory Computer Classes:

Basic computer classes are offered, free, at the library: Meet the Mouse: Introduction to Computer Use, Internet Searching, Email, Facebook and monthly Special Topics. Registration is required for all classes by visiting the library’s Reference Desk or calling the library at (865) 273-1428 or (865) 982-0981, ext. 4. Registration for any class opens approximately one month before the class. Each of these one-time classes lasts approximately 90 minutes and is limited to an enrollment of 14 people, but students may take the classes more than once.

“Rookies” classes on Wednesdays are designed for computer users with little or no experience and will focus on very basic skills and techniques. “Beyond the Basics” classes on Thursdays are for computer users who are more comfortable with basic operations, but are not experts. As an example, a Rookie “Intro to Email” class will discuss how to set up an account, choose a password, send email and reply, etc. A “Beyond the Basics: Email” class, on the other hand, will assume that students have those basic skills already. It will instead focus on such function as attaching files (pictures, documents, etc.), folders and file management within email, signatures, vacation replies, etc.

There are two “Special Topics” classes coming up. On July 7, Reference Librarian Jennifer Spirko will lead a new class, “Apps for Health,” as part of the library’s Adult Summer Reading Program, themed “Exercise Your Mind.” Students will learn about fitness and health apps for smartphones and tablets; they will also explore ways to find reliable health information on the web. August 18 will see a reprise of the popular “Introduction to Pinterest” special topics class. Pinterest is a social-media platform for sharing pictures and creative ideas that has taken the internet by storm.

There will be a brief hiatus in the class schedule in late July to accommodate Early Voting, which takes place at the library at that time.

 

If a person desires to enroll in the Microsoft courses but has had no computer experience, the one-session, two-hour class of Meet the Mouse is a pre-requisite.

 

The basic computer class schedule is:

  • NO ‘Rookies’ or Beyond the Basics’ classes in June.
  • Wednesday, July 6, 2-3:30 p.m., “Meet the Mouse: Introduction to Computer Use” (Rookies Class) in the Computer Lab.
  • Thursday, July 7, 2-3:30 p.m., “Special Topic: Apps for Healthin the Computer Lab. Learn about phone and tablet apps for healthful living and websites that can help you coordinate your fitness devices and find reliable information. (Part of the Summer Reading Program, “Exercise Your Mind. Read!”)
  • Wednesday, July 13, 2-3:30 p.m., “Intro to Internet Searching” (Rookies Class) in the Computer Lab.
  • Thursday, July 14, 2-3:30 p.m., “Google Better: Internet Beyond the Basics” in the Computer Lab.
  • Wednesday, August 3, 2-3:30 p.m., “Intro to Email” (Rookies Class) in the Computer Lab.
  • Thursday, August 4, 2-3:30 p.m., “Email Beyond the Basics” in the Computer Lab.
  • Wednesday, August 10, 2-3:30 p.m., “Intro to Facebook” (Rookies Class) in the Computer Lab.
  • Thursday, August 11, 2-3:30 p.m., “Facebook Beyond the Basics” in the Computer Lab.
  • Wednesday, August 17, 2-3:30 p.m., “Meet the Mouse: Introduction to Computer Use” (Rookies Class) in the Computer Lab.
  • Thursday, August 18, 2-3:30 p.m., “Special Topic: Introduction to Pinterestin the Computer Lab.
  • Wednesday, August 24, 2-3:30 p.m., “Intro to Internet Searching” (Rookies Class) in the Computer Lab.
  • Thursday, August 25, 2-3:30 p.m., “Google Better: Internet Beyond the Basics” in the Computer Lab.