Library Closed for Memorial Day

Just a friendly reminder that all branches of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will be closed on Monday, May 30, 2011 for the Memorial Day holiday, and will reopen as regularly scheduled on Tuesday, May 31, 2011. Branches will be open as usual Saturday and Sunday however, so come on in and see us!

And if you're looking for activities during the long weekend, Access Atlanta has a compiled a list of festivals, music and performances around the city, and also a Memorial Day guide to other local events.

We wish everyone a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Summer Reading @ Your Library!

June 1, 2011 marks the kick off of this year's summer reading program for kids of all ages. The themes this year celebrate world culture and travel. Children through age 12 will read books with the theme One World, Many Stories, while teens will use You Are Here as a guide for choosing summer reads. Even Moms and Dads can join in the fun by reading books with Novel Destinations, perfect for all you armchair travelers out there!

All branches of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will be participating in this even through August 1st. All you have to do is visit your local branch and sign up. Children and Teens read a certain number of books and receive prizes. There's even a grand prize drawing for both age groups, so be sure and complete the program so you can enter! Ask your librarian for more information about program details. Click here for a schedule of all the Summer Reading Kick Off Celebrations throughout the system.

You can also access suggested summer reading titles from Fulton County Schools here, and then search the library catalog to find the ones you want. You should also check your school's website for any required summer reading lists they may have posted.

For more information about the Collaborative Summer Library Reading Program, visit the CSLP website.

Have a great summer filled with great books!

2011 Man Booker International Prize Announced

The Man Booker International Prize , which supports the annual Man Booker Prize for fiction, is awarded every two years to a living author for a body of work that has either been published originally in English or is widely translated in the English language. Literary excellence is it's primary focus, and this year's winner is literary giant, Philip Roth. Chosen from a list of 13 prominent contenders, Roth is one of the world's most prolific writers and has been both celebrated and controversial throughout his career. He is best known for his 1969 novel, Portnay's Complaint and the Pulitzer-Prize winning American Pastoral (1997).

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System has many of Roth's novels and short stories, which you can find by searching the catalog.

For more information about this international literary award, including previous winners and the short list of current contenders, click here.

Get Caught Reading!

Did you know that May is Get Caught Reading Month? It's a great time to remind yourself just how much fun reading can be for all ages. Set aside a few moments every day for reading and let yourself get caught up in the power of written words.

Get Caught Reading Month was started in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers and is supported by the likes of Laura Bush, Alicia Keys, Diane Sawyer, LL Cool J, Emma Roberts, Grant Hill and more! All you have to do to participate is pick up a book-it's that easy!

The Get Caught Reading Program also sponsors a Literacy Program with tips and information on how to improve children's reading abilities by reading to them from an early age. There are also resources for teachers as well as information on the program in Spanish.

So get out there this month and get caught reading-you'll be glad you did.

Mother's Day @ the Library!

Don't forget, tomorrow is Mother's Day! Several branches of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will have special programs highlighting this day, so be sure and check the events calendar to see what might be happening in a branch near you. You could also check the catalog for books that celebrate moms with special crafts, poems, activities or stories. Some suggested titles include:

Mother's day crafts by Arlene Erlbach

Ideals Mother's Day by Ideals

A miracle every day : triumph and transformation in the lives of single mothers by Marita Golden

My very own Mother's Day : a book of cooking and crafts by Robin West

Angel to angel : a mother's gift of love by Walter Dean Myers

A mother's heart, a daughter's love : poems for us to share by Joyce Carol Thomas

Happy Mother's Day to all of the fabulous mothers out there!

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo, The 5th of May, is not, as many people think, Mexico's Independence Day. It actually commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is also more widely celebrated as a fun food and drink filled day in the United States than it is in Mexico!

There are a number of ways to get in on the celebration, and yes, you can even do so by visiting your local library! Check the catalog for books about the history and significance of this holiday, brush up on your Spanish by checking out some language learning CDs or by logging into the Mango Languages database from our homepage, or take home a Spanish-language film to watch with the family (with the subtitles in English for those of us who need that!) Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Cinco de Mayo : what is everybody celebrating? : the story behind Mexico's Battle of Puebla by Donald W. Miles

Cinco de Mayo crafts by Carol Gnojewski

Starting Out in Spanish (Book on CD) by Living Language

Conversational Spanish (Book on CD) by Pimsleur

Volver (Spanish Language DVD)

Flo, la mosca mentirosa (Children's Spanish Language DVD)


There are also lots of events and activites going on around Atlanta tomorrow. Follow these links for activites and Mexican food in your neighborhood.

Enjoy a safe and happy Cinco de Mayo!