What's Happening at Your Library - November 9, 2021

 

November 9, 2021 Clockwise from left: Maggie Bacallao, Sienna Zaydon, and Pamela Wong. Meet Our 2021 Teen Library Card Design Contest Winners! During the past 50 years, the Library has engaged the public through events ranging from reading challenges to photography contests to the creation of art about climate change. In this tradition, we are pleased to announce the top three winners of our 2021 Teen Library Card Design Contest. Congratulations to first place winner Maggie Bacallao, 19, second place winner Sienna Zaydon, 14, and third place winner Pamela Wong, 14! Maggie received an art supply gift card, a drawing tablet and will have her wining design reproduced as a limited-edition library card that will be available at all library locations. The two runners-up also received art supply gift cards. There were nearly 100 amazing hand-drawn and digital submissions. Many of them came from teens that have competed in other Library contests, including Maggie, who earned second place in the 2020 Teen Library Card Design Contest and was a finalist in the Make a Bookmark Contest in 2014. "Competing in the bookmark contest inspired me to keep trying," said Maggie. Thank you to all the talented teens who participated. IN THE SPOTLIGHT Save the Date! Give Miami Day is November 18 Show your love of the library by supporting Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library on Give Miami Day! Give Miami Day is the largest and most exciting fundraising event in South Florida, allowing you to be a champion for your favorite causes and nonprofits. Your donations will help the Friends continue to support many of the great programs and services offered at the Library. Early giving begins November 15. Learn more by visiting the Friends page on the Give Miami Day website at www.givemiamiday.org/friends. BRANCH SPOTLIGHT Lemon City Branch Library Which Miami-Dade Public Library System branch has been lending books longer than any other? If you guessed Lemon City Branch Library, you're right! Though its physical location has changed over the years, Lemon City remains one of the oldest public libraries in South Florida. In this week's Branch Spotlight, we explore the history of the library that started it all. Learn more about how Lemon City played a pivotal role in establishing the City of Miami Public Library (predecessor to the library system we know today) and why it's been a cornerstone in the community for over a century. Click here to continue reading. LIBRARY STORIES Our patrons are at the heart of everything we do at the Library. As we spotlight five decades of service to the community, we want to incorporate your stories into the celebration by featuring them in our newsletter. Here's one from Mercedes Tanus, a patron at the Westchester Regional Library: I came from Cuba in 1994. I used to have a lot of books at home and I was missing the atmosphere of being surrounded by books. I loved reading to my two sons and we visited the Westchester Regional Library just two months after our arrival. Since that time, we registered for library cards and visited the library every week to check out books, educational videos, and music. In the library, my youngest son discovered Curious George and Raffi's music. The public library has excellent services. We’d love to hear your library story. Click here to share your favorite library memory or experience with us. EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT Finding the Unfindable Makes Charles Whittaker's Day Like a detective, Librarian Charles Whittaker pieces together clues to find books for patrons that are otherwise unfindable – even if the titles are in Alaska or some other faraway library. Charles oversees the Miami-Dade Public Library System’s Interlibrary Loan Program, a national network that shares materials. “We can request most anything not owned by our library system,” he explains. “The only exception being items published within the current year.” Charles has a master's degree in creative writing from the University of Miami. While pursuing his degree, Charles also worked in the Interlibrary Loan department at UM.  He started his career with the Miami-Dade Public Library System in 2001 at Main Library. Given his experience at UM, Charles was the ideal candidate to take over the Interlibrary Loan service at Main Library in 2002. "It’s amazing the things I see," Charles says. "Last month we were able to borrow an 1888 edition of William Sherman’s memoirs for a patron, and much to my surprise, we were able to pull in the only available copy of a romance novel from Fairbanks, Alaska." NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with an Evening of Theater and Film Join award-winning filmmaker and playwright Montana Cypress of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida for a special live performance of two original short plays that highlight Native American voices. Two short films will also be shown.  Ages 12 years and up. Friday, November 12, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Kendale Lakes Branch Library Register online Registration is required. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-388-0326. FINANCIAL LITERACY Lunch and Learn Series: Basics of Building Credit Learn to take control of your financial future as a representative from the Dade County Federal Credit Union discusses the basics of building and maintaining credit during the first session of our Lunch and Learn Financial Literacy series. Different topics will be covered each month, from car buying tips to managing a budget and everything in between. Ages 19 years and up. Friday, November 12, Noon - 1:00 p.m. Register online Registration is required. Coral Reef Branch Library is hosting this online event. ART AT THE LIBRARY Turning Over an Old Leaf  by Laura Villarreal Turning Over an Old Leaf, an exhibition created by artist Laura Villarreal, is now on view at Main Library through November 30. This colorful installation utilizes elements of the altar tradition practiced during Mexico’s Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) celebration. The artistic installation includes candles, food, flowers of cempasúchil and a photo of the "beloved" – a page from a print newspaper – to communicate an effort to bring print media to life. We invite you to experience this stunning work of art for yourself.  Click here to learn more. STAFF PICKS With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it's the time of year when giving thanks becomes a prominent part of our lives. But you don’t have to wait until the end of the month to get your children into the spirit of gratitude! Our November staff picks for kids celebrate community through stories of kindness, sharing, and maybe a slice of pie (or two)!

BOOK DISCUSSION Stronger Together Book Club Join us for our monthly Stronger Together Book Club! This month, we're discussing Give Me Some Truth by Eric Gansworth available at our branches and as an eBook. For a list of upcoming Stronger Together book discussion titles and club dates, visit mdpls.org/stronger-together. Thursday, November 18, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Register online Ages 12 years and up. CALENDAR OF EVENTS Online Event: Create and Design Your Very Own Website  Friday, November 12, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Register online Ages 19 years and up. Online Event: Reduce Stress and Find Balance through Chair Yoga Saturday, November 13, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Register online Ages 55 years and up. Online Event: Dish up a Plate of Crispy Latkes with Chef Chany Tuesday, November 16, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Register online Ages 19 years and up. Online Event: Learn What it's Like to be an Aerospace Engineer! Tuesday, November 16, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Register online Ages 13 - 15 years. Online Event: Traditional Japanese Storytelling – The Bamboo Princess Thursday, November 18, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Register online Ages 6 - 10 years.