Mardi Gras in Tarpon Springs

On Saturday, March 1st, Tarpon Springs will be celebrating Mardi Gras!

Festivities begin at the Union Academy Family Center with breakfast and mask decorating crafts.

At 11:00am, a parade led by New Orleans' own Hot 8 Brass Band will travel from Union Academy to the Tarpon Springs Public Library.

At the Library, the band will then play some more tunes outside, and our Youth Services Dept will host games, crafts, and refreshments.

At 7:00pm at the Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, there will be a Cajun food tasting by Zante Cafe and a Hot 8 Brass Band concert. Tickets are available through the Performing Arts Center box office or online at tarponarts.org

Recruiting New Readers

The Tarpon Springs Public Library is partnering with Florida Hospital North Pinellas to promote early literacy. A tote bag is given to each new mother containing information on the importance of reading to babies, a new book, and a coupon to redeem at the library for another new book. It's never too early to develop new reading habits!

It's Tax Time Again

AARP Tax Aide helps seniors and low-to-moderate income taxpayers to do their taxes at no cost. These trained volunteers will be providing tax preparation at the Tarpon Springs Library again this year every Monday and Tuesday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm until Tuesday, April 15.

Assistance is given on a first-come-first-served basis. The AARP volunteers have no affiliation with the library and cannot be contacted by phone.

CLICK HERE to search for other AARP Tax Aide locations.

Happy Australia Day

January 26 is Australia Day, the official national day of Australia. It marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of Britain's First Fleet at Sydney Cave, New South Wales, and the raising of the flag of Great Britain at that site by Governor Arthur Phillip. Throughout the years, the day has also been called Anniversary Day, Foundation Day, and Invasion Day. Today, Australia Day is celebrated with community and family events that recognize Australia's history and its diverse society and landscape.

The library's Youth Services Dept is celebrating Australia Day with a craft project for all ages. Come in anytime on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm to decorate a boomerang. No registration required.

Photo: Australia Day, Sydney Harbour, 2004 by Phil Whitehouse, aka Phillie Casablanca on Flickr. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Australia_Day.jpg

In Remembrance

The Library will be closed on Monday, January 20, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Free Business Seminar

Keys To Running a Successful Small Business

Avoid common mistakes and reach your goals! Attend this free seminar designed for both current and prospective business owners on Tuesday, February 11 at 7:00 pm in the Library's Friends Room. Presented by Larry Hunt of the Pinellas Chapter of SCORE. Please sign up at the Reference Desk.

Epiphany is January 6th

The Tarpon Springs Library and the city government of Tarpon Springs will be closed on Monday, January 6, in honor of Epiphany (also called Theophany).

Epiphany is a Christian feast day that, in the Greek Orthodox church, commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. It has become a major celebration in Tarpon Springs that has garnered international recognition.

Check the schedule of events HERE.

Read the history of the Epiphany celebration and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral HERE.

On This Day In History...

On December 27, 1932, Radio City Music Hall opened its doors. Even though this was at the height of the Great Depression, thousands of people turned out to see this magnificent Art Deco theater. It was conceived by billionaire John D. Rockefeller, Jr as a place of beauty where ordinary people could see high-quality entertainment. Since then, over 300 million people have attended movies, concerts, and stage shows at Radio City Music Hall. The annual Radio City Christmas Spectacular debuted in 1933, and today the show draws over a million people from all over the world to see the famous Rockettes dance troupe.

50 Books That Define the Past Five Years in Literature

Flavorwire.com has compiled a list of fifty books that define the past five years in literature. The traditional book publishing industry has been challenged by the rise of indie presses, new literary magazines, internet self-publishing, and the explosive popularity of e-readers.

That said, it has been a fruitful time for book lovers. These 50 books reflect the injection of fresh voices and also gives a glimpse into what the future holds. The list is not ranked, nor is inclusion dependent on sales or awards. These are fifty books that "show what is great about literature here and now."

Beauty In The Deep

This 1961 film, courtesy of the State Library and Archives of Florida, showcases the famous Weeki Wachee mermaids. This Saturday, November 16, you can meet former mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis at 4:00 pm at the Tarpon Springs Historical Society (Train Depot). She will be signing copies of the book Weeki Wachee Mermaids : Thirty Years of Underwater Photography, which she co-authored with Lu Vickers.

Today in Literary History

Today's remembrance is from recent history. From history.com:

On this day in 2004, Swedish writer Stieg Larsson died suddenly of a heart attack at age 50, only months after turning in the manuscripts for three crime thrillers—The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest—which would later become international best-sellers. Known collectively as the Millennium trilogy, the novels feature the characters Mikael Blomkvist, a middle-aged journalist, and Lisbeth Salander, a young pierced and tattooed computer hacker with a troubled past. Larsson, who never lived to see his books’ success, died without a will, setting off a protracted legal battle for the rights to his work.

November 6: On This Day In History

On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the United States. By the time of Lincoln's inauguration on March 4, 1861, seven states had seceded, and the Confederate States of America had been established under the leadership of Jefferson Davis. Only one month later, the American Civil War began when Confederate forces opened fire on Union-held Fort Sumter in South Carolina. For preserving the Union and bringing an end to slavery, and for his unique character and powerful oratory, Lincoln is hailed as one of the greatest American presidents. [Source]

The Tarpon Springs Library has many books and DVDs for all ages to further explore the life of Abraham Lincoln.

Cinema Saturday

Cinema Saturday

 September 21st @ 11am

This coming week's Cinema Saturday hint is:

An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.

This star studded cast includes:
Jesse Eisenberg
Isla Fisher 
Dave Franco
Mark Ruffalo
Woody Harrelson
Mélanie Laurent 
Morgan Freeman
Michael Caine

For more information about Cinema Saturday, please email us at tslref@pplc.us or call us at (727)943-4922 

There's an App For That- New Library Catalog App!

Smartphone users will be happy to know that there is now an app for the Pinellas County Library Catalog! This FREE app makes it easier for you to search for movies, books, ebooks and audiobooks without having to go on your computer! You are also able to access our Research Databases and access your account so you can renew your items.

A really cool feature on this app is the book scanner. Now if your friend recommends a book to you, just scan the barcode on the back of the book and the app searches for it in our catalog for you!

This FREE app is now available for both Android and iPhone smartphones.

Just scan the code below or visit http://pinellas.boopsie.com/ on your phone!

Library Card Sign-Up Month

 

This month is Library Card Sign-Up Month and to celebrate, the Tarpon Springs Public Library is offering a chance to win a Google Nexus 7 tablet when you register for a new card our Library this September. The Friends of the Tarpon Springs Public Library is sponsoring this prize drawing to promote the collections of downloadable e-books, audiobooks, and music accessible through the Library.

Drawings are open to Pinellas County residents who are first-time card registrants.  Official drawing rules are available at the Library. Free bookmarks and other promotional giveaways will also be offered at the Tarpon Springs Public Library during September.

When you sign up for a Pinellas Public Library Cooperative (PPLC) card, you gain access to countywide collections of digital audiobooks and e-books.  In addition, free downloadable music is available through the Tarpon Springs Public Library and several other PPLC member libraries.  Other benefits of a library card include being able to check out books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs and to use online research databases.

A new mobile app is also now being offered with a variety of resources to meet your library needs.  The Pinellas Online Portal (POP) app is provided through the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative.  To download the PPLC POP app, type in pinellas.boopsie.com on your mobile device’s web browser and click to install POP.

 

Free PPLC library cards are available to residents of Tarpon Springs, unincorporated areas of Pinellas County, and cities that are members of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative.  Residents of other areas may be issued a PPLC card for a fee.  Photo identification and proof of current address are required.  Applicants under the age of 14 needs to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to sign their registration form.  Visit our website (www.tarponspringslibrary.org) or contact the Library (727-943-4922) for more information.