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Handmade Christmas Gifts to Make the Holiday Sparkle!

It’s already Christmas time again? Where did this year go? If you’re like most people, the holidays have a way of sneaking up on us. Once October gets here, it’s a quick, downhill sleigh ride to Christmas. Here at Scott County Public Library, we have a way to make your holidays special and stress free! Check out these sources to stimulate your brain and perhaps make your family’s holiday a bit more memorable!

Quick and Easy Christmas; 100 gifts & decorations to make for the festive season
by Search Press Studio

This fabulous book brings together 100 great Christmas projects from the best-selling Twenty to Make series. Christmas is a wonderful time to kick-start your crafting! From imaginative handmade gifts to stunning, reusable decorations, this book contains 100 fabulous projects for the festive season- all carefully selected from Search Press’s best-selling series. Each craft has a handy techniques section to get you started and all the projects are quick and easy to make, providing all the inspiration you need to make Christmas extra special.

Classic Christmas Crochet; Traditional Danish Holiday Decorations and Gifts
by Heidi B. Johannesen and Pia H. H. Johannesen

Capture the spirit of the season with compelling simplicity in this classic, coordinated selection of crochet patterns rooted in Danish history and yuletide lore. From steadfast holiday staples like shining bells and personalized stockings, to friendly Scandinavian elves and the elegant woven hearts first popularized by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, everything you need to handmake all trappings of a quintessential Christmas is right here at the end of your hook. This book features a range of difficulty levels, allowing novice crocheters to keep it quick and straightforward, while seasoned veterans can craft tin soldiers, toy drums and more. Delights of every shape and size, from snowflakes and Christmas trees to full-size stockings ready to hold piles of holiday treats!

Best of Christmas Ideas: A Better Homes and Gardens book

Christmas homes are filled with joy and laughter. Make the season bright with these inventive decorating schemes, seasonal accents, festive tables, quick holiday flourishes, and seductive sweets- all filled with the Christmas spirit. The cool thing about this book is how it is filled with various designers’ best ideas. Bring the country charm into your home by utilizing regular household items or go all-out elegant with a silver color scheme that takes your breath away! Chapters include Color Me Happy, Wreaths from the Seasons, Holiday Cake Pops, Creative Cookies, Reindeer Games, and so much more!

Artful Christmas; 30 Elegant Craft Projects
by Susan Wasinger

From a nostalgic vintage Toy Catalog Garland to playful Modern Graphic Felted Ornaments, this assortment of projects and ideas with a beautiful aesthetic showcases an elegant approach to the Christmas season. Using a variety of simple techniques, you can lend some heartfelt and merry creativity to the festivities by making:

• an air-dry Pressed Clay Wreath that wonderfully textured and sophisticated.
• a luxurious yet earthy Wool-on-Linen Table Runner.
• a Sand-painted Ornament that has a suede-like texture.
• a sculptural, easy-to-stitch Color-Blocked Gift Bag, and more.

Step-by-step instructions and how-to photos will guide the way!

Also, be sure to check out Creativebug on our website!  There are tons of great holiday crafts there with easy-to-follow instructions! They are instructional both for the novice and the experienced crafter. Get inspired!

So no need to stress about the season. Visit us at the library and you’ll find so many resources to help your home be Merry during the holiday season!

Michael.stephens@scottpublib.org

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Thrillers in a Series

I wanted to take this month’s blog to recognize a couple of fantastic series that we have here at Scott County Public Library. I am the type of reader who loves a suspenseful thriller- perhaps it is a madman trying to blow up New York City, a serial killer on a psychotic rampage, or a nuclear attack that could change the world as we know it. And I love a good strong protagonist whose dedication, intelligence, and hard work can save the world. Check out these thrillers which are part of a series… Once you read the first, it is only the beginning!!!!

Stillhouse Lake
Series by Rachel Caine

Gina Royal is the definition of average- a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor-the ultimate warrior mom.

With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.

But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake- and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed- or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her. One thing is certain: she has learned how to fight evil. And she’ll never stop.

Heartsick, etc.
by Chelsea Cain

In Chelsea Cain’s bestselling series debut, Portland detective Archie Sheridan has spent years tracking Gretchen Lowell, a beautiful serial killer. In the end she was the one who caught him, but after torturing him for days she mysteriously let him go and turned herself in. Since then she has been locked up, leaving Archie damaged but alive in a prison of another kind-addicted to pain pills, unable to return to his old life, powerless to get those ten horrific days or Gretchen off his mind.

When another killer begins snatching teenage girls off the streets, Archie has to pull himself together to head up a new task force, but  even then he can’t stop the killer without getting information from Gretchen-an encounter that may destroy him yet.

With Susan Ward-a hungry young newspaper reporter profiling Archie and his team-Archie, the killer, and Gretchen enter into a dark and deadly game. Each novel in Chelsea Cain’s scorching series leaves readers wanting more of the twisted and destructive relationship introduced in Heartsick.

Blindsighted (Grant County series)
by Karin Slaughter

The sleepy town of Heartsdale, Georgia, is jolted into panic when Sara Linton, the town’s pediatrician and coroner, finds Sibyl Adams, a young college professor, dead in the local diner. As well as being viciously raped, Sibyl has been cut; two deep knife wounds form a lethal cross over her stomach. But it is only when Sara starts to perform the postmortem that the full extent of the killer’s brutality becomes clear. Police chief, Jeffrey Tolliver-Sara’s ex-husband-is in charge of the investigation, and when a second victim is found crucified only a few days later, he must face the fact that Sibyl’s murder was not just a personal attack. What he is dealing with is a sadistic rapist-turned-killer who is terrorizing rural Grant County. Jeffrey is not alone in his search. Lena Adams, the county’s sole female detective, wants to see justice done since her sister was the first victim. Sara, too, cannot escape the terror. A secret from her past could hold the key to finding the killer-unless he finds her first.

So check out some of the wonderful series of mysteries and thrillers that grace the shelves of Scott County Public Library. They will leave you wanting more…and more…

Michael.stephens@scottpublib.org

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True Crime and Justice

America has always been fascinated with true crime. Sometimes it’s a morbid curiosity for the details…and sometimes it’s the detective in us determined to solve the case. Here at Scott County Public Library, we have lots of true crime treasures-ones that will leave you breathless in their details and struggling to find justice in a sometimes unjust world. Whether ripped from the headlines or delivered from obscurity, check out these great reads!

Twentynine Palms: A True Story of Murder, Marines, and the Mojave  
by Deanne Stillman

North of the town of Twentynine Palms is the world’s largest Marine Corps base: south is Joshua Tree National Park. In 1991 it all collided when two young girls were savagely murdered by a troubled Marine who had recently returned from the Gulf War. One girl was about to turn 16, the other twenty-one. How did they come to find themselves in a certain apartment on a certain night in Twentynine Palms? What family and cultural legacies dogged them and ultimately sealed their doom? How are America’s children faring in the shadow of military outposts among those who are sworn to protect the country?

Murder in the Name of Honour: The True Story of One Woman’s Heroic Fight Against an Unbelievable Crime   
by Rana Husseini

Chewing gum, laughing at a joke in the street, wearing make-up or a short skirt, choosing a boyfriend or husband, or being raped by a brother. All have been cited as ‘honorable’ motives for murder.

Rana Husseini’s hard-hitting and controversial examination of honor crimes is a fearless, groundbreaking account of a topic that can no longer be ignored. Claiming the lives of 5,000 women every year, the practice is common in many traditional societies around the world, as well as in migrant communities in Europe and the USA- where the incidents are becoming increasingly frequent.  These so-called ‘honor killings’ are usually carried out by a relative as an act of purification to restore the family’s honor. Rana Husseini includes the personal stories behind many high-profile cases that have recently hit the news as well as many of the unreported tragedies.

American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21^st Century
by Maureen Callahan

The names of notorious serial killers are usually well-known; they echo in the news and in public consciousness. But most people have never heard of Israel Keyes, one of the most ambitious and terrifying serial killers in modern history. The FBI considered his behavior unprecedented. Described by one prosecutor as “a force of pure evil” Keyes was a predator who struck all over the United States. He buried “kill kits”-cash, weapons, and body-disposal tools-in remote locations across the country. Over the course of fourteen years, Keyes would fly to a city, rent a car, and drive thousands of miles in order to use his kits. He would break into a stranger’s house, abduct his victims in broad daylight, and kill and dispose of them in mere hours. And then he would return home to Alaska, resuming life as a quiet, reliable construction worker devoted to his only daughter. In American Predator Callahan takes us on a journey into the chilling, nightmarish mind of a relentless killer and to the limitations of traditional law enforcement.

The Devil’s Rooming House; The True Story of America’s Deadliest Female
Serial Killer    
by M. William Phelps

A silent, simmering killer terrorized New England in 1911. As a terrible heat wave killed more than 2,000 people, another silent killer began her own murderous spree. That year a reporter for the Hartford Courant noticed a sharp rise in the number of obituaries for residents of a rooming house in Windsor, Connecticut, and began to suspect who was responsible: Amy Archer-Gilligan, who had opened the Archer Home for Elderly People and Chronic Invalids four years earlier. “Sister Amy” would be accused of murdering both her husbands and up to sixty-one of her patients with cocktails of lemonade and arsenic; her story inspired the Broadway hit Arsenic and Old Lace.

The Devil’s Rooming House is the first book about the life, times, and crimes of America’s most prolific serial killer. In telling this fascinating story, M. William Phelps also paints a vivid portrait of twentieth-century New England.

It is the gripping tale of a legendary, century-old murder spree.

Murder in Brentwood    by Mark Furman

For O. J. Simpson to get away with murder, an innocent cop-a brilliant detective-had to be destroyed. That was the cynical strategy of the Simpson “Dream Team,” and it worked. But as certainty about Simpson’s guilt grows, so does outrage about the scapegoating of Mark Fuhrman. Now the L.A. detective tells his side of a story in a damning expose.

We uncover not only the bloody glove, but also explosive, never-used evidence recorded by Fuhrman and his partner at the scene, but astonishingly, never presented at trial. A crucial clue in Simpson’s own bathroom may hold the secret of the murder weapon. Most shocking of all, the murderer left behind a bloody fingerprint. Why was this critical evidence never used?

Fuhrman reveals such fascinating eyewitness details in his own role as one of the ‘shooters’ prepared to take Simpson down at the end of the Bronco chase, and Simpson’s incriminating reaction upon being informed of his arrest.  Fuhrman’s own hand-drawn maps of the crime scene and his reconstruction of the murders leave no doubt about what really happened on June 12, 1994.

So, you see, the library is filled with great gems of the uncertain world in which we live. Great trials, great cases, great interest.  Come check us out!

Michael.stephens@scottpublib.org

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Investing for the Future

Does your money work for you? Are you making the most of what you’re earning?  Could your earnings be improved without taking on a second job? It seems everyone could use more money these days, as the purse strings get tighter and tighter. If you are thinking of jumping into the ever-higher stock market, you don’t have to do it blindly. Here at Scott County Public Library, we have resources to help you make the most of your money, let it work for you, and have confidence if you choose the stock market as an avenue for a wealthier life! Check out these resources that are at your disposal!

WARREN BUFFETT INVESTS LIKE A GIRL, AND WHY YOU SHOULD, TOO : 8 Essential Principles Every Investor Needs to Create a Profitable Portfolio
By Louann Lofton

Warren Buffett and the women of the world have one thing in common: They are better investors than the average man. Psychologists and scientists have shown that women have the kind of temperaments that help them achieve long-term success in the market. The calamities of the past several years have only provided more statistical and anecdotal evidence of the same. Women spend more time researching their investment choices and tend to take less risk than men do. One study found that men trade 45% more often than women do, and although men are more confident investors, they are also more susceptible to becoming overconfident.  Women aren’t as susceptible to peer pressure as men are, which results in a more level-headed, patient approach to investing. This book will empower both women and men to have an effective investing style, strengthen their portfolios, and find success in the market.

Motley Fool’s Rule Breakers, Rule Makers: The Foolish Guide to Picking Stocks
By David and Tom Gardner

Online and off, David and Tom Gardner have demonstrated that Fools and their money are NOT soon parted…that if you use the brothers’ investment principles you can beat the market and have lots of fun doing it! This latest Motley
Fool book is a stock-picking guide that teaches you how to locate the best investments available in today’s public markets: the Rule Breakers and the Rule Makers. You can make a lot of money investing in either, but those who buy Rule Breakers and hold them all the way through Rule Maker status will make the most money of all. This book is practical, rewarding, very funny and, above all, revolutionary. The goal of The Motley Fool and the Gardners has always been to “educate, amuse, and enrich” and this book will succeed in all three.

Jim Cramer’s Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World
by James J. Cramer

“This book is the distillation of everything I have learned, every important rule, every smart move, every edge I have ever been able to garner to make huge amounts of money in the market. In this book, I tell you everything that made me rich and everything that could have made me poor. I give you the secrets of how great wealth stays wealthy, secrets I have been taught by thirty-eight of the wealthiest families in the world-the families for whom I managed money for twenty years.”

So writes Jim Cramer, star of CNBC’s Mad Money and former highly successful hedge fund manager, in this invaluable guide to investing. Cramer explains how to allocate your portfolio so you can manage risk wisely. He explains why “buy and hold” has been replaced by “buy and homework,” and he reveals his Ten Commandments of Trading.

The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio
By William Bernstein

In the commonsense investor’s guide, The Four Pillars of Investing, Bernstein returns with the knowledge and tools investors need to assemble low-risk, winning portfolios without professional advice. This down-to-earth book lays out in easy-to-understand prose the four essential topics that every investor must master-the relationship of risk and reward, the history of the markets, the psychology of investing, and the folly of taking financial advice from investment salespeople. Investing is not a destination. It is a journey. This book shows how to ignore distractions, stay the course, and determine your own financial direction with the sole goal of building long-term wealth for yourself and your family.

If you would like to view the latest financial information, please check out Weiss Financial Ratings.  This new electronic resource can be accessed through the SCPL website under e-resources. Powered by Weiss Ratings and Grey House Publishing, this website gives you powerful new tools to protect your finances, invest wisely, grow your wealth, and learn more about your finances.

So, if you’re getting the urge to jump into the stock market, come check out these resources or many of the others we have available. It will help you be more confident in your decision making and might even help make you wealthy!

Michael.stephens@scottpublib.org

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Now is the time for a Summer Adventure!

Now that summer is upon us, I hope you are finding time for a little adventure. Travel to a new place, undertake a new skill, or finish that DIY project that you started several years ago. Need a getaway? Come by Scott County Public Library and see what adventure awaits you!

Road Trips: A Guide to Travel, Adventure, and Choosing Your Own Path
by Jen CK Jacobs

There is no one way to road trip. From introspective solo journeys to romantic weekend getaways, friend-filled excursions, and more, Road Trips presents eight stories that highlight different ways to explore the world. Packed with photos and personal experiences, this inspiring and practical book also has key tips for enhancing every part of your trip, from getting out the door (with essential tips on packing and eating on the road, including recipes for car snacks) to taking in new experiences (with ideas for journaling and photographing) and bringing memories from the road back home (through creative collecting).

Road Trips is the perfect guide to inspire a life of travel, enrich your life, deepen your relationships, and discover the world around you-it’s all just a road trip away!

Kentucky Bucket List Adventure Guide
by Paul McKee

Traveling to Kentucky is unlike any other adventure you crossed off your bucket list. The ultimate dreamland for adventurous spirits whose soul craves deep connection with nature, Kentucky is rich in picturesque landscapes that will leave you breathless. As you travel the distance through the vast parks and history-rich scenic drives, you’ll have the time of your life getting lost in the Bluegrass State’s immersive beauty.  From breath-taking views like the Crystal Onyx Cave, to novelties such as the National Corvette Museum, and the emotionally charged Trail of Tears Commemorative Park and Heritage Center, Kentucky just begs to be explored.  This guide will help you…

*Get informed about the areas or places you want to visit, how to get there, what to look for, and what you may need to bring along;

*Easily find your way to your dream destination thanks to comprehensive driving instructions;

*Never get lost thanks to the GPS coordinates included for each adventure in this guide;

*Discover the best time to visit certain destinations, weather conditions, average expenses;

*And much more!

In Oceans Deep:  Courage, Innovation, and Adventure Beneath the Waves
by Bill Streever

In an age of unprecedented exploration and innovation, our oceans remain largely unknown and endlessly fascinating; full of mystery, danger, beauty, and inspiration. Bill Streever-a longtime deep-sea diver himself- has masterfully woven together the science and history of Earth’s last remaining frontier.

In Oceans Deep celebrates the daring pioneers who tested the limits of what the human body can endure under water; free divers able to reach 300 feet on a single breath, engineers and scientists who uncovered the secrets of decompression, teenagers who built their own diving gear from discarded boilers and garden hoses in the 1930’s, saturation divers who lived underwater for weeks at a time in the 1960’s, and the trailblazers who voluntarily breathed experimental gases at pressures sufficient to trigger insanity.

In this far-flung trip to the wild, night-dark place of shipwrecks, trapped submariners, oil wells, innovative technologies and people willing to risk their lives while challenging the deep, we begin to realize all the adventures our seas have to offer-and why they are in such dire need of conservation.

Liberty’s Torch:  The Great Adventure to Build the Statue of Liberty
by Elizabeth Mitchell

The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable monuments in the world, a powerful symbol of freedom and the American dream.  For decades, the myth has persisted that the statue was a grand gift from France, but now Liberty’s Torch reveals how she was in fact the pet project of one quixotic and visionary French sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. He not only forged this 151-foot-tall colossus in a workshop in Paris and transported her across the ocean, but battled to raise the money for the statue and make her a reality.

In New York he gathered potential fundraisers and searched for a site, considering among other places the newly landscaped Central Park.  He enlisted notables of the age-including Ulysses S. Grant, Joseph Pulitzer, Victor Hugo, Gustave Eiffel, Thomas Edison, and Emma Lazarus-into his scheme.  He also came up with inventive ideas to raise money, including exhibiting the torch at the Philadelphia World’s Fair and charging people to climb up inside.  While the French government contributed only a few thousand francs and Congress dithered, Bartholdi made Liberty a reality by his own entrepreneurship, vision, and determination.

Riveting, elegantly told, and drawing on newly discovered sources, Liberty’s’ Torch traces the building of the Statue of Liberty in all its rich historical detail, recounting the all-but-forgotten tale of an extraordinary artist and entrepreneur who fought setback after setback to create a wonder of the modern world.

Around the World in 50 Years: My Adventure to Every Country on Earth
by Albert Podell

This is the inspiring story of an ordinary guy who achieved two great goals that others told him were impossible. First, he set a record for the longest automobile journey ever made around the world, during the course of which he blasted his way out of minefields, survived a serious accident atop the Peak of Death, came within seconds of being lynched in Pakistan, and lost three of the five men who started with him, two to disease, one to the Vietcong. He went around, under, or through every type of earthquake, cyclone, tsunami, volcanic eruption, snowstorm, and sandstorm that nature threw at him. He ate everything from old camel meat and rats to dung beetles and the brain of a live monkey.  And he overcame attacks by crocodiles, hippos, anacondas, giant leeches, flying crabs- and several beautiful girlfriends who insisted that he stop this nonsense and marry them. Albert Podell’s Around the World in 50 Years is a remarkable and meaningful tale of quiet courage, dogged persistence, undying determination, and an uncanny ability to escape from one perilous situation after another-and return with some of the most memorable, frightening, and hilarious adventure storied you have ever read.

You never know what adventure awaits you at the library!  So come and see us this summer!  You may even be inspired to create an adventure of your own!!!

Michael.stephens@scottpublib.org

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Time for a Little Chicken Soup

When I was a teacher, I loved to share these stories with my students.  They were filled with hope, compassion, and lessons in forgiveness. I still enjoy them to this day, when I need a pick-me-up, have a few minutes to kill, or simply want an uplifting message to improve my day.  Here at Scott County Public Library, we have an assortment of literary Chicken Soup to make your day go better.

Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother’s Soul; 101 Stories to Inspire and Warm the Hearts of Soon-to-be Mothers

 …with stories by Erma Bombeck, Marion Bond West, Sharon Linnea, LeAnn Thieman and many more….   This is a special book for a special time in a woman’s life.

“You’re pregnant.” These words can be the most exciting-and perhaps terrifying- words in a woman’s life.  So begins the time of waiting, watching, and preparing. Nothing will ever be the same again. Our bodies undergo vast changes, while our emotions run the gamut from anticipation to awe when we feel the first flutterings of life inside us, to anxiety about labor and our ability to parent.  From nausea to euphoria, pregnancy is definitely a thrilling ride!

Chicken Soup for the Father’s Soul; Stories to Open the Hearts and Rekindle the Spirits of Fathers

…with stories by Jay Leno, Robert Fulghum, Dave Berry, Charles Swindoll, Phillip Yancy, W. W. Meade, and Hugh O’Neill. This book will inspire every man to look at his world in a kinder way.

Whether you’re a first-time father who’s just discovered that a football hold works for newborns, too, or you’re an experienced grandfather who’s never without sage advice, you’ll be entertained and inspired by these true-life stories of fatherhood. Written by famous fathers and your next-door neighbor, these stories convey a wide range of emotions that are sometimes hard to articulate; the sheer fear of realizing that your brand new baby is looking to you for protection and support; the pride of watching your gangly teen grow into a mature adult; the grief over losing a beloved parent; and the joy of sharing special traditions with your children.

Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul; Celebrating LaComunidad Latina

By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Susan Sanchez-Casal

Whether your roots are in Mexico, Central or South America, the Caribbean or the Iberian Peninsula, the stories in this volume will remind you of the hope, pride, and joy of being part of the Latino Community in America. This book showcases the storytelling tradition of Latino culture, articulating the joys, struggles and triumphs of the Latino experience. With stories that explore culture and identity, and that celebrate families, spirituality, living in two languages, crossing borders, and overcoming life’s challenges, each chapter focuses on the uniqueness of the Latino experience and tradition.

Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul;  101 Stories to Open the Hearts and Rekindle the Spirits of Women

With stories by Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelous, Dolly Parton, Bessie Delaney, Linda Ellerbee, Kathie Lee Gifford and Many More…

There are many ways to define a woman: daughter, mother, wife, professional, friend, student. We are each special and unique, yet we share a common connection.  What bonds all women are our mutual experiences of loving and learning; feeling the tenderness of love; forging lifelong friendships; pursuing a chosen career; giving birth to a new life; juggling the responsibilities of job and family.

This shining collection of stories from the New York Times bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series is full of just such moments.

Chicken Soup for the Soul of America; Stories to Heal our Nation

By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Matthew E. Adams

On September 11, 2001, America and the free world suffered the tragic loss of thousands of lives and the destruction of a symbol of liberty itself. Immediately, millions of people answered the call, rallying together with an outpouring of courage, selfless service, patriotism, philanthropy, and faith. The citizens of this great country, and our friends around the world truly did stand united.

In the hours, days and weeks that followed, out of the darkness emerged a light-an eternal beacon of hope, compassion, valor, and love-which cannot be extinguished no matter how great the adversity. The stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul of America are a testament to our nation’s resilience and humanity.

So come by and see us at Scott County Public Library for a bit of inspiration. We have many items that can soothe the soul and brighten your day!

Michael.stephens@scottpublib.org

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Gentle Yoga Flow

Grab your yoga gear and head to the Scott County Public Library for a mindful practice on the mat.  This yoga flow centers on gently building strength, flexibility, and balance as we practice a moving meditation.  It is aimed for beginners, but those familiar with yoga are welcome to attend as well. Please bring a water bottle, mat, and any other yoga props you would like to use, as well as wear comfortable clothing. This program is by registration only and slots fill up fast, so please remember to register. Join in on this healthy and active fun!

Chair Yoga

Chair Yoga is an excellent way to gently stretch and strengthen the body. This yoga class is suitable for all levels, especially for those with limited mobility.  Please bring a water bottle and any other yoga props you would like to class.  

Tai Chi

Tai Chi is a moving meditation conducted through a sequence of gentle movements that promote harmony between mind and body.  Registration is required and space is limited.  Be sure to wear comfortable clothing and flat-soled shoes.

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Waiver Needed (Inside SCPL)

This program contains physical activity that has risks associated with participation. You will be asked to sign an Accident Waiver & Release of Liability form before you can participate.

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A Novel Idea Book Discussion

A Novel Idea Book Discussion. Join us the first Wednesday of every month at 5:00 p.m. for this casual book discussion where we read a mixture of everything and talk about the books we love.

Book Talk

Book Talk. Join us for this casual book discussion which discusses both fiction and non-fiction works. You are welcome to bring your own lunch to enjoy while we chat. 

Horror Book Club

Horror Book Club. Join us as we discuss our favorite horror novels and authors, in the casual book discussion led by associate professor of English Literature Gerry Adair of BCTC.

Military History Group

The Military History Group is a bimonthly discussion group.  Please come prepared to offer your own knowledge of history and contribute toward making this an interesting session.

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Stitch Club

Stitch Club is an all-skill-levels crochet club where participants can follow along with a "stitch-a-long" project over several sessions. Beginners are welcome! You do not need to have attended previously to jump in now. Stitch Club will meet monthly on Sunday afternoons. Participants are encouraged to bring their own needles or hooks and yarn, but extra supplies may be available.

A Close-Knit Community: Knitting Club

A Close Knit Community: Knitting Club.  Would you like to learn how to knit and create spring and summer-weight shawls, baby blankets or gifts for the holiday season?  Do you already know how to knit and want to join forces with other knitters to share creativity, learn new skills, exchange yarn and needles?  Well, A Close-Knit Community Knitting Club is for you!  Bring your own yard, needles and skills or just bring yourself and use our needles and yarn.  If you need knitting instruction we will get you started!  If you want to learn a new stitch, how to make lace or more advanced techniques, we will teach you those too.  Registration is recommended. 

Sit & Stitch

Sit & Stitch.  Do you need a break and are looking for somewhere calm and soothing?  Sit & Stitch is a time specifically to bring your current needlecraft project (knitting, crochet, needlepoint, cross-stitch, tatting, crewel, etc.) to work quietly with others.  

Beginning Crochet

Beginning Crochet.  Learn the basics of crochet in this beginner's class that introduces you to the ins and outs of this relaxing craft, including reading a pattern, choosing yarn and hooks and the basics of crochet itself.  Participants may bring their own hooks and yarn but materials will be provided.  Registration is required.

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Recording Studio Orientation

Disclaimer(s) Accessibility

SCPL makes every reasonable effort to provide equal access to all patrons. Please call 502-863-3566 at least 72 hours prior to an event to arrange for accommodation. All facilities and meeting rooms are ADA compliant.

Visit our Recording Studio to learn more.

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Discover! Program

Discover! Programs are designed with consideration for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Registration is required - participants' caregivers need to be present and register for the class as well. Ages 16 and older.

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Sounds from SCPL

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Find Your Roots

Additional resources are available by visiting our Electronic Resources page.

Pick Up Your Passport for a Chance to Win Summer Reading Prizes

Summer Reading 2024 is approaching, and we are getting ready for the best time of year! This year’s theme is Adventure Begins At Your Library. You will be keeping track of all the books you read with a passport, and each book will earn a stamp to show where you visited through reading. We encourage everyone to travel to far off lands, time travel to the past or future, explore other parts of the world and learn about their cultures. The youth raffle prizes this year are books, bikes and scooters to help you go places, learn, and explore. We have over 170 programs for all ages! Come and join us as we go on different adventures at the library! 

See below for some Summer Reading events coming in June and July! For a complete list of events, please visit the Events Calendar.

A Votes for Women! - A Chautauqua Event

Thursday, 6/13 @ 6:30 pm
Madeline McDowell Breckinridge- or Madge, as she preferred- was both a state and national leader of the women’s suffrage movement, and was highly instrumental in Kentucky’s ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting American women the right to vote.  

Adventures with the Other Side: Ghost Hunting Stories and Evidence

Saturday, 6/15 @ 3 pm
Ghosts are not confined to October!  This summer, as we explore ways to start adventures at your library, we will join the Tri-State Shadow Chasers, a local paranormal investigative group, as they teach us all about ghost hunting. 

The Underground Railroad and American Memory

Thursday, 6/20 @ 6 pm
Dr. Turley will provide a review of the Underground Railroad as the product of the work of black and white southerners committed to an evangelical cause of freedom written about in Dr. Turley's latest book Gospel of Freedom: Black Evangelicals and the Underground Railroad. This book tells the story of Dr. Turley's ancestor's journey from slavery to freedom, who eventually settled in Powell County, Kentucky.
This program is a joint presentation of the Scott County Historical Society and the Scott County Public Library.

Adventures in Rock Climbing

Thursday, 6/27 @ 6:30 pm
Adventures in Rock Climbing.  Have you ever wanted to go rock climbing?  Learn all about this great indoor/outdoor activity from those experienced in the field.  You will learn about equipment, techniques, places to climb and some great stories along the way.  

Georgetown Community Blood Drive

Tuesday, 7/2 From 11 am-6 pm
Donating blood is still safe. Consider helping by scheduling a donation appointment for our blood drive by calling 800-775-2522. (Appointments preferred, but walk-ins are accepted). The Kentucky Blood Center appreciates your donations. Visit the Kentucky Blood Center’s website for more information. http://kybloodcenter.org

SCPL Sounds: Brent Larimore

Saturday, 7/13 @ 2 pm
SCPL Sounds with Brent Larimore.  Enjoy a peaceful interlude by our fireplace with the folk music of Brent Larimore.  

Adventures in Picture Framing on a Dime

Monday, 7/15 @ 10 am
Teens celebrate all your favorite nerdy things! Video games, board games, cubing, movies and more! Registration requested.

Cooking Through the Calendar

Thursday, 7/18 @ 6 pm
Join Alivia Faris, Scott County Cooperative Extension FCA Agent, as she prepares recipes from the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Nutrition Calendar. Demonstrations and tastings are included. Registration is required.

Steel Appeal

Saturday, 7/27 @ 2 pm
Steel Drum Band Concert.  The sound of the Caribbean is coming to Georgetown as steel drum afficionado, Dr. Chad Floyd, brings his still drum community band to town on July 27th, performing at Scott County Public Library. He welcomes the community to join him!

Adventures at the Movies: The African Queen

Monday, 7/29 @ 5:30 pm
The African Queen.  If you have never seen The African Queen starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, you must see it here.  This 1951 classic , based on the novel by C. S. Forester, is the tale of a prim missionary seeking passage out of WWI-era Africa, finds an unlikely friend and ally in a disreputable river rat with whom she joins forces against a German gunboat.