 |
|
|
|
Fontana Regional Library serving Jackson, Macon and Swain counties with six public libraries in Western North Carolina |
Search the Catalog My Account | ||
Jackson
County 828-586-2016 Librarian: Dottie Brunette |
 |
 |
|
©2005-09 Fontana Regional Library. All rights reserved
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tell us what you’d like to see in the new Jackson County Public Library
Jackson County is building a new library complex. The complex will incorporate the space within the 1914 Jackson County Courthouse, with an attached addition of 20,000 square feet. The resulting 26,000 square feet will be a huge increase from the 6,400 square feet of the current library. Because of the increase in size there will be a lot of room for new materials. The library staff wants to know about what you would like included in the expanded collection. To help us gather this information please take our quick, online survey. Please choose between the adult survey, the teen survey, or the children’s survey. Just pick the one that’s right for you!
The citizens of Jackson County are invited to an open house on Wednesday, March 10, 2:30 – 5:30 pm at the Jackson County Public Library, 755 West Main Street. During this event, attendees will have the opportunity to view display boards which feature the actual samples of the fabrics, carpet, paint and wood that will be used in the interior areas of the new Jackson County Public Library Complex.
Members of the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library and Dottie Brunette, the county librarian, will be available to answer questions guests may have about the materials or other aspects of the project. Refreshments will be served during the open house.
Presentation of Carden plays at WCU to Benefit Library Fund
The Friends organization is engaged in a fundraising campaign to raise $1.6 million to purchase the furniture, fixtures and equipment for the new Jackson County Public Library Complex, currently under construction on Courthouse Hill in Sylva. The campaign has collected more than $1.4 million so far, and among the contributions is a $250,000 challenge grant from the State Employees Credit Union Foundation. The foundation grant will match all money contributed between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010, up to $250,000. Proceeds from the performances at WCU will go into the new library fund and will be matched by the foundation.
A native of Sylva, Carden earned two degrees at WCU and for more than four decades has presented traditional mountain culture to the public as a teacher, storyteller, novelist, historian, screenwriter and playwright. WCU recognized Carden's body of work in presenting him with an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 2008.
Westall, a Yancey County native who earned degrees at Berea College and Duke University, taught English and drama before her retirement in 1985. Since then, she has acted and directed in numerous regional productions.
Ticket prices for the shows are $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $5 for students. For more information about the March 12 and 19 presentations, contact the Friends of the Library at 828-507-0476.
On Tuesday, March 16 at 7 pm Donna Harris and Nicole McRight will bring their special blend of harmony-infused Folk and Americana music to the Jackson County Public Library.
Harris and McRight have been performing as a duo for almost 10 years. In addition to performing covers by Leonard Cohen, the Beatles, and Iron & Wine, the duo has built up an impressive repertoire of original songs.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library, this program is part of the library’s Community Outreach Program and is free to the public.
Learn A Foreign Language On Line
The Jackson County Public Library is pleased to announce a three-month introduction of Byki® Online Library Edition, a powerful new online language-learning system designed specifically for use by the patrons of public libraries.
Byki, short for “Before You Know It,” is a rapid learning system that takes users through a series of simple steps to memorize words and phrases in a new language, including their meanings and proper pronunciation, in the shortest possible time.
In addition to Byki Online’s advanced learning tools, users will have access to an array of online language and cultural resources including one click access to Facebook and Twitter language communities as well as Byki language Blogs featuring a collection of articles covering the language and the culture that surrounds it.
Creating a Patron Account: In order to set up a BYKI account you must be physically present in the library. When you ask to sign up you will be directed to the appropriate staff member who will help you set things up. You will need to create a user name and a password for your BYKI account. Once you have created an account within the library you will then be able to access Byki Online from any computer with internet access by going to the following link: http://www.library.transparent.com/fontananc/flashcards/login or by going to our homepage and clicking on the BYKI graphic.
Wall of Fame Recognizes Donors
In today’s economy, everyone wants to stretch their dollars to the max. What if you could actually double your money? A number of people in Jackson County are doing just that by contributing to the new Jackson County Public Library building fund at a crucial point in the campaign.
“We are drawing close to 90% of our $1.6 million goal and have an unprecedented opportunity,” said Mary Otto Selzer, co-chair of the campaign. “Through individual community members’ donations, we have matched over $185,000 of the $250,000 SECU Foundation grant. The next $65,000 raised will be matched by the Foundation. As has been true throughout the campaign, every dollar counts, but at this point, every dollar counts as two.”
No one realizes the importance of each contribution any more than Michelle Allison, office manager of JCPL. It was her awareness of the impact each dollar can now make that inspired her and other employees at the library to create the Wall of Fame.
“We were talking about how we could bring attention to the campaign here in the library and I thought of a Wall of Fame,” Allison said. “With each contribution someone makes at the library, we give the donor a certificate to post on our walls. We want to fill up all the walls with the certificates. We put a jar on the desk and when people come up, we explain that everyone who puts a contribution in gets a certificate to go on the wall. We’ve gotten donations from a few cents on up.”
According to Dottie Brunette, head librarian, the response has been gratifying. “We really mean it when we say that every dollar counts,” she said. “We’ve had small children come in and contribute their allowances to the building fund and it’s been so nice to see the pride they have when they mount their certificate on the wall. We’ve had strangers drop in to ask directions to Waynesville or Asheville, see our information about the Wall of Fame, and say, ‘Here, I’ll contribute.’ We’ve had contributions from a dollar and up and it’s obvious to us that each and every one is from the heart. We really feel so supported by the community through this campaign.”
Of course the Wall of Fame isn’t the only way to contribute. Contributions can be made in person at the Friends of the Library Used Book Store, also on Main Street in Sylva, or mailed to: Friends of the Library, P.O. Box 825, Sylva, NC 28779-0825. For more information call Mary Otto Selzer at 828-293-0074 or 828-507-0476 or email at dmselzer@aol.com.
Local Artists Chosen for Artwork in New Library Complex
The work of Western North Carolina artists will soon become a part of the new library complex. Within the new facility there are several spaces where permanent art work can be displayed. In January, a request for proposals was sent out for artwork from local artisans to embellish the three main desks within the new addition – Circulation Desk, Children’s Desk and Reference Desk.
Lynne Wilson, Interior designer of McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture of Spartanburg, SC said, “After extensively reviewing the proposals, we were very impressed with the quality of all the artwork. As a result, we decided to use a portion of the work each artist submitted in various areas within the new library complex, not just the desks.” The artwork includes several types of media.
In the Children’s Area four zones will be enhanced by the artwork. Three zones will feature art designs in the form of painted tiles by students at Smoky Mountain High School, under the guidance of Gayle Woody. The children’s desk will display an alphabet design; the restroom will have framed tile designs by the students; and Cherokee Clan tiles will serve as wall art. The study room will be enriched by cake walk paintings by Doreyl Ammons Cain. Cake walks featuring homemade cakes were historically held in the Appalachian region to raise funds to benefit needy families. Cain often joins her sister, Amy Ammons Garza, in storytelling sessions, making the stories come alive by illustrating various aspects of the story.
The large Circulation Desk will feature a bas relief scene by Mark Tomczak of Old Fort. Bas relief is a sculptured artwork piece in which a modeled form is raised, or lowered, from a plane on which the main elements of the composition are highlighted. This panel will feature a scene of the courthouse and the mountains behind it, showcasing not only the beauty and quaintness of downtown Sylva, but also capturing the historical significance of the courthouse to this region.
The Reference Desk will feature stained glass and metalwork by local artist Owen Hutchinson. Hutchinson’s design is a panorama of a mountain vista, primarily using brass and copper metalwork, with Carolina blue stain glass representing the sky. His work can be seen in the silhouette family who are climbing the “steps to success” on the courthouse steps. The family will become part of a permanent sculpture at the entrance to the library complex.
The Computer Room will be enhanced by handmade red earthenware clay tiles featuring wildflowers and plants native to Jackson County. Gayle Woody, an art teacher at Smoky Mountain High School, is the artist who will be crafting these tiles. Dottie Brunette, Jackson County Librarian, says, “The dream of our new Jackson County Public Library is emerging right before our eyes. As we embrace this bright future of the library and of our historic courthouse, we are pleased to include the contributions of these creative Western North Carolina artists.”
Through the efforts of Tiz Duve, the Jackson County Public Library staff is hosting a book club every other month on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7 pm. Book club facilitators will be library staff members who will choose a book to be read and discussed. This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library.
At each meeting the next title and facilitator will be announced. The public is encouraged to join our group. The library will order extra copies of the selected titles.
Cases rarely come much colder than the decades-old disappearance of teen heiress Harriet Vanger from her family's remote island retreat north of Stockholm. Hired by octogenarian industrialist Henrik Vanger, who wants to find out what happened to his beloved great-niece before he dies. He hires disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist, freshly sentenced to jail for libeling a shady businessman; and the multipierced and tattooed Lisbeth Salander, a feral but vulnerable superhacker. The duo gradually uncover a festering morass of familial corruption – at the same time, Larsson skillfully bares some of the similar horrors that have left Salander such a marked woman. (amazon.com)
May 13 - The Fireman's Wife by Jack Riggs
July 8 - Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffeneger
Tony Romine is hosting monthly movie nights at the library. The movies will be shown on the Third Thursday of each month at 7 pm. Funding for the new digital projector for the programs was through donations from Phil Haire, Milt and Joan MacNeill, and the Friends of the Library. Free popcorn, soda pop and water are available. All programs are free of charge; we are grateful for donations. This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library.
Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon
Directed by Gene Saks. A great comedy from noted playwright Neil Simon, it's about two divorced friends who decide to room together despite being exact opposites of each other. Rated G.
April 15 - The Last Detail (1973)
During the week, there are special programs for pre-schoolers and home-schoolers. The Library has story time for children on Tuesdays at 10:30 am; and the Reading Rover brings the library to pre-schoolers and day care providers throughout the area.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Web design — Deep Creek Arts
Two plays crafted by Sylva writer Gary Carden will be presented at Western Carolina University in March to benefit the new library fund of the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library.
Carden's "Birdell" will be staged at 7 pm, Friday, March 12, in the auditorium of WCU's Coulter Building, while "Nance Dude" will be presented Friday, March 19, at the same time and location. Both presentations will feature actress Elizabeth Westall and are being co-sponsored by WCU's Mountain Heritage Center and School of Music, the Jackson County Arts Council and the Friends of the Library. 
Both plays are one-act monologues that portray the authentic voices of Appalachian women. "Birdell" is based on the lives of families who lived on Hazel Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains until the coming of the national park, and is told from the perspective of the fictional character Birdell as she reflects on her long life. Carden based his play "Nance Dude" on the book "The Legend of Nance Dude" by Maurice Stanley. Both play and book depict a Haywood County woman who was convicted of killing her granddaughter in 1913. 
Available for learning over 70 languages, library patrons are able to access the Byki Online system from inside or outside of the library, via the web browser on Windows and Mac computers. Users will have a variety of high quality learning options that build listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. In addition, Byki includes Advanced Pronunciation Analysis to help users perfect their pronunciation skills. Individual progress tracking and assessment tests help identify areas for improvement and move users in the right direction. 
Thursday, March 11 - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
March 18 - 7 pm
Just
for Kids — Jackson County Public Library has a kids
library that’s
separate from the adult section, with lots of books, and
computers for children through middle-school age.
Free Internet access is available on five public access computers to all library visitors with a current photo ID. Access time is limited on busy days and is on a first come, first served basis. Printing from the computer is also available at 25¢ a page.
NC
Knows is a service that allows you to get help from
librarians and use their library resources from your computer.
It's free, helpful and easy. 
NC
LIVE gives North Carolina residents and students access
to searchable collections of magazine, newspaper, and journal
articles, electronic books, historical materials, maps, and
more. (Requires access code, available from the library). 