Monday, October 31, 2011

Calling All Writers!


Do you think you can write a novel in one month? Are you interested in just trying it out. Join us in the international celebration of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).

This is simply about inspiring literary abandon. We will be having a get together here at the library on Sunday, November 19th from 10 am to 1 pm. So starting writing tomorrow, collect what you have on the 19th and come visit with like minded writers. Get opinions, guidance, and just have fun!

I (Tristan) will be participating with writing a novel this month. I have never written an entire novel. I can promise you one thing and one thing only...it will not be very polished...or very good. But I am going to try! So try with me!

Check out this website for more details, local groups, and more information.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Technology Tip 15: How to Make An ePUB Book


Now I must admit you may wonder....why would I ever need to make an e-book? Here are a few ideas I came up with.

-You have always wanted to write a book and disregarded the idea because self publishing can be expensive. Creating a e-book can be free to create and disperse.

-Preserving family recipes and making a easy to e-mail e-book!

-You may be a student and get tired of lugging all of your books around. Transport your notes to a e-book and then you can just e-mail your information.

If you are interested check out the University of Washington's website for their step by step instructions on how to make a e-book. If you have any questions or troubles come see us at the Reference Desk!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Recently Added Video Games

Wii:
Madden NFL 12
Squeeballs Party
Mario Super Sluggers

PS3:
Batman. Arkham City
Fight Night Round 3

PS2:
Monopoly
Cabela's North American Adventures

XBOX 360:
Batman. Arkham City
Fight Night Round 3

Library Halloween Happenings and Local Trick or Treat Times




Don't forget about all of the family friendly events going on at the Mukwonago Community Library this Halloween season. Come visit us at the library in your favorite costume!


Wednesday, October 26, 10:00 AM

Eeeeek!: a Halloween Preschool StorytimeAges 3-6


Thursday, October 27, 10:00 AM

Baby Boo: a Halloween Lapsit StorytimeAges Newborn-36 months


Thursday, October 27, 2:00 PM

Bats and Broomsticks BingoGrades K-6


Monday, October 31, 6:00 PM

Family Film NightFor families of all ages. A spooky movies about a bunch of adorable, little puppies.


------ TRICK OR TREAT --------


Trick-or-Treat schedules, gathered from community websites: From JSOnline.com

Mukwonago (town): 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Mukwonago (village): 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30

------
Milwaukee County
Bayside: 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 30
Brown Deer: 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30
Cudahy: 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30
Franklin: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Glendale: 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30
Greendale: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Greenfield: 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30
Hales Corners: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Milwaukee: 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30
Oak Creek: 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30
River Hills: 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30
Shorewood: 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30
South Milwaukee: 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30
St. Francis: 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30
Wauwatosa: 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30
West Allis: 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 30
West Milwaukee: 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 30
Whitefish Bay: 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30

Ozaukee County
Belgium (village): 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Cedarburg (city and town): 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 29
Grafton (village and town): 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Mequon: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Port Washington (city): 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 29
Saukville (village): 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Thiensville: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Washington County
Addison: 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30
Barton: 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30
Erin: 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30
Farmington: 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30
Germantown (village and town): 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31
Hartford (city and town): 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30
Jackson (village and town): 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30
Kewaskum (town and village): 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 29
Newburg: 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 29
Richfield (village): 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 29
Slinger (Village): 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 29
Trenton (town): 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30
West Bend (city and town): 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30

Waukesha County
Big Bend: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31
Brookfield (city): 5 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31
Brookfield (town): 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31
Delafield (city): 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 30
Delafield (town): 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31
Dousman: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31
Eagle (town and village): 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 29
Elm Grove: 5 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29
Genesee: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Hartland: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31
Lannon: 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 30
Lisbon: 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 29
Menomonee Falls: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31
Merton (village and town): 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Mukwonago (town): 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Mukwonago (village): 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30
Muskego: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31
Nashotah: 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 30
New Berlin: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
North Prairie: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Oconomowoc (city): 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 29
Ottawa: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31
Pewaukee (city and village): 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Summit: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31
Sussex: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 29
Vernon: 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 30
Wales: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30
Waukesha (city): 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31
Waukesha (town): 5 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Technology Tip #14: Teaching Resource


This is a tip taken from Tammy Worcester's website.

Teaching Channel

To use it:

1.Go to: http://www.blogger.com/www.teachingchannel.com

2.Use the options on the left side of the page to view videos by subject, grade, or topic.

3.Click at the top to view the most watched videos

4.Go here http://www.teachingchannel.org/newsletters to see past newsletters and/or sign up to receive a weekly newsletter with updates on new videos, inspiring lesson ideas and Tch news!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

New Video Games @ Your Library


PS3:
Brink
Dungeon Siege III

XBOX 360:
Brink

Expansion Photos Fifteen

Blacktop! It doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but it really makes the outside look nearly complete, especially in conjunction with the new sidewalks and doors. The exterior is basically down to landscaping at this point, some of which will happen yet this year, but much of which won't really "be seen" until next spring.

On the inside, nearly everything has been primed and much of it has been painted. Lighting fixtures are starting to go up, the ceilings are nearly all installed, and much of the trim work has been added. Things are really moving along! Flooring starts to go in next week.

The latest pics:
The local history and conference room with its fresh paint job and lovely oak trim in place. Also, the suspended ceiling is nearly finished as well!










The "main hall", complete with paint (a little hard to tell because of the lighting) and wood trim. This is going to be a spectacular entry to the library when it is all said and done.












The front of the new building, lacking only the landscaping and the "Mukwonago Community Library" sign on the right side, between the windows. We are not planning on retaining the port-a-potties unless there is a large public outcry to keep them.




A view from the southeast corner, showing nearly the entire building, including the new front entrance (on the right), the old entrance (far left) which will now be an emergency exit, the drive-up book drop, and the staff/delivery entrance (center).





A close up of the drive-up book drop lane, along with the southern end of the building and our new garbage enclosure.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Winnie the Pooh's 90th Birthday Party

We had a good time at Winnie the Pooh's 90th Birthday Party. Special thanks to The Friends of the Mukwonago Community Library for the yummy cake.


























Wednesday, October 12, 2011

One Thousand Signatures on the New Library Foundation


Thank you to everyone that came to show support for the new library building during our Foundation Signing Event last weekend. We estimate about a thousand people came out and added their signature to the floor.

















We heard oooo's and ahhh's over the huge Children's area, the bright new meeting room huge, and the view from the huge windows. If you didn't get to make it take a look at a few of our event pictures. If you did come see if you can spot your signature!






A special thank you to our volunteers and staff who make these events possible!


























We had a lot of families come in and sign together!





























Now we hope to have a lot of families come in and read together!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Technology Tip #13: Find How To Do Things Online

The internet is a vast expanse of knowledge that is immediately at your disposal! There is only one problem with that....it isn't organized very well. You can find almost anything you want online *if* you know how to look for it.


In today's blog I am going to show you how to use keywords and boolean to use a search engine like Google help you find how to do tasks in Microsoft Office programs. I have driven myself to the brink of insanity on a few occasions trying to figure how to do a specific task. The chances are if you have had a problem, somebody else has already had the same one. Let's go through how to find instructions on how to do certain tasks in Microsoft Office programs.



Example 1: My teacher requires the pages of my book reports to have pages. How do I do that?



Step 1: Break the problem down into specific key words:

A: You need the program name and year of the program: Microsoft Word 2007

B: Identify the specific task you are trying to do: create page numbers

C: Any additional describing information you may want: on the bottom of the page.



Step 2: Rewrite your question to be a little more concise using your key words:

"How do I create page numbers on the bottom of the page in Microsoft Word 2007?"



Step 3: Write that question into a search engine like Google.com and analyze your results.

Based on your question and choice of key words you will likely get a lot of different responses. The best choices to use are the websites created by the program you are using (like Microsoft's website) or a discussion support board (like howtogeek.com). For this example I found the answer on Microsoft's website, Office.com. To check out the answer click here.



Example 2: (A little more complex) How do I change my settings in Microsoft Office so I don't have automatic formatting for my document?



Now it is up to you to find the answer...or click here.



Saturday, October 8, 2011

Our Mission and Core Values


On September 26th, 2011 the Mukwonago Community Library Board approved the Mission and Core Values statement as presented, replacing our old mission and values.



Mission and Core Values


The Mukwonago Community Library is committed to being good stewards of our community and its resources by:


· Creating a welcoming, friendly and safe environment for all


· Providing access to the best materials and best information in a cost-effective manner


· Inspiring and cultivating partnerships throughout our community


· Successfully integrating technological advances with traditional materials and services


· Helping our community to learn, grow and thrive


The Mukwonago Community Library: Engaging, Empowering and Enriching Your World.






We hope this Mission and Values will help guide our future to remain relevant and supportive to our community as we move forward. Thank you for all of your support as a library patron!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Sara Laux Akin visits Preschool Storytime

We all enjoyed a special treat today as Sara Laux Akin shared her book Three Scoops and a Fig with the families at Preschool Storytime.
















Special thanks go out to the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators of Wisconsin for bringing the author to our library.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

New Videogame Releases at the Library

Hitting the shelves today are these fresh titles...

Nintendo DS:
Etrian Odyssey III : the Drowned City
Lego Disney Pirates of the Caribbean

Playstation 2:
Phantasy star universe

PS3:
Bigs 2
NBA 2K 11
Tiger Woods PGA tour 12

Wii:
Bigs 2
Create
Family Party : Fitness Fun
Go Diego Go : Great Dinosaur Rescue
Super Mario All-Stars
Tiger Woods, PGA tour 12
You Don't Know Jack

XBox 360:
Bigs 2
Dungeon siege III
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy
Tiger Woods PGA tour 12
Halo Wars

Monday, October 3, 2011

Technology Tip #12: Enjoyable Web Browsing

One of the easiest ways to learn about computers and other web browsing tools is by using them for entertainment. When you use your computer to watch movies, surf the web, and other fun things...learning how to use them will come naturally (and not feel like work).


Here are a few websites to start you on your entertainment discovery:



StumbleUpon- This website's application helps you to discover web pages, photos and videos that have been recommended by other people. You can also rate the web pages yourself, so the more you use the application the more it gets to know your tastes. I have found some really neat websites through this application, like http://www.jacksonpollock.org/ . What can you find?



Hulu - Hulu is nice because it has a large variety of movies and shows that you can watch for free. That type of (legal) movie selection is a rariety on the Internet. For instance you can watch the popular series The Office or a movie like Beverly Hills Ninja.



Craigslist - Craigslist is a very simple message board with a different website for major metropolitan areas. Essentially it is like a large classifieds website. Use it to find rentals, local people trying to sell items, and job postings. Please be advised that any website that involves people posting can involve scams and fake postings, always use common sense and caution.



Have fun and learn something :).















Construction Photos: Fourteen









Last time you saw what the inside of the wall structure looked like. Now see how it is coming along with drywall! The drywall installation throughout the building is complete.

























The painting and work on the exterior is coming along fine. In the coming week the base course for the new parking lot will begin installation.

















If you look at the drywall you can see that some of the walls are being painted. Also see the drop down ceiling framework is installed and all of the site lighting is completed.



















The exterior wall and window quality was tested on October 4th. Imagine what the view will be like with those floor to ceiling windows!

















The library's front door! Does it feel welcoming yet?

















A little pop of color on the walls makes it feel a little more like home. There will be a lot of extra private space for studying and group meetings! We hope you are getting as excited as we are! Don't forget you can see how the new library is going today (October 8th) from 10 am to 2 pm at the Library Foundation Signing.