Posts by Cari

It’s the Thankfulness Season! I am thankful for so many things – the things I have and the opportunities I have been given – but mostly, I’m thankful for the people who make all of that meaningful. My Library Life thankfulness list goes like this:

I’m thankful for the Library’s staff. They are a group of dedicated and kind people who work hard to serve our community well. They come up with great ideas for programs, events, and services and they are excellent at developing those ideas into reality. I am so lucky to work with them.

I’m thankful for the Library’s Board of Trustees. They help keep the Library focused on community needs, give me valuable feedback about my leadership and vision, and are just as passionate about the Library’s success as anyone on staff. They dedicate so much more time and energy than what’s required of the few hours we meet each month. We are a better Library because of them.

I’m thankful for the staff at City Hall. Without them, nothing in the City would function properly. These fine people make it possible for all other City departments to do our jobs. They handle our payroll, pay our bills, walk us through benefits choices and changes, and offer support well beyond their job descriptions.

Lastly, I’m thankful for the community members of Pryor and Mayes County. You are, quite literally, the Library’s reason for being. I’m thankful for the community members who regularly use the library’s services, those who offer feedback and suggestions, those who quietly (and not-so-quietly) cheer us on, and those who haven’t yet discovered how amazing all the libraries in Mayes County are.

The Pryor Library will be closed Thurs – Sat for Thanksgiving. May your holiday be filled with enough food on your table and more love than you know what to do with.

Having a sick kid, especially in the time of COVID, is stressful for everyone. From figuring out what’s wrong and how to treat it to keeping your child comfortable and entertained, it’s a big job for any caregiver.

The Library has a few things that might help keep your kids entertained. First, is the physical collection. We’ve got books, audiobooks, movies, and comics all ready for you to check out. Dragging a sick kid into the library (and potentially spreading germs to others) is pretty miserable, so we’re happy to gather your materials and deliver them to your car. Just call us (918-825-0777) to set up an appointment for curbside delivery.

If you’d rather not leave the house, we’ve got online resources on our website (www.pryorlibrary.org) under “Use the Library” then “Research & Resources.” You’ll need your library card number and internet or data.

Overdrive is a favorite in my house with downloadable books, audiobooks, magazines, comics, and videos. You can download either the Overdrive app or the Libby app. You’ll need your library password for these. If you’ve forgotten it, give us a call.

Another excellent resource targeting kids is the Tumblebook Library (it also has an app). On both the app and website, you’ll find animated storybooks, read-along beginning readers and chapter books that highlight the sentences as they’re read, educational nature videos, as well as puzzles and games. I find the website a little more user friendly, but using a phone or (non-kindle) tablet and the app is very convenient.

When my kids were little, they liked to watch Tumblebook before bed or if they needed help going back to sleep in the middle of the night. For quick watching, you can mark your favorites to find later or you can select from their built-in, timed playlists.

It’s officially National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! If you’ve ever thought “I should write a book” now is a good time to get started. If you’re online, you can connect with tons of people who are working toward the same goal: writing 50,000 words during the month of November. Head to NaNoWriMo.org to register and start making friends.

Several notable and best-selling works were created by authors participating in NaNoWriMo. They are worth reading, especially if you need some inspiration for slogging through this month of daily writing goals.

“The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern is a dreamy story about two young magicians who should be enemies – they are competing after all – but fall deeply in love as they build a magical circus that delights and enchants all who attend. Morgenstern spent three consecutive Novembers on this book.

Marissa Meyer wrote not one, but three books during a single NaNoWriMo. Her best-selling “Lunar Chronicles” series (“Cinder,” “Scarlet,” and “Cress”) explore classic fairy tales through a futuristic lens.

“Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell is an excellently readable coming of age story. Cath must stand on her own two feet for the first time and isn’t sure she can do it. To escape and cope, she writes fan fiction – stories based around another author’s fictional world and characters – and becomes pretty famous for it. Which, of course, complicates things.

A popular short story grew into a full length novel over one NaNoWriMo. “Wool” by Hugh Howey is a post-apocalyptic thriller set in an underground silo. Members of this society, living hundreds of stories underground, seem content with the rigid structure of the silo until the sheriff breaks the biggest taboo: he asks to go outside.

I’d love to add your book to this list some day. Happy writing!

If you’ve used our online catalog to find materials, you’ve seen, and possibly been confused by the information in the “location” area of an item’s records. A longtime library patron pointed out to me that if *she* doesn’t know what the abbreviations mean, others may feel the same way. She’s absolutely right. Unfortunately, this information comes from the spine labels we create for each item, which we create with very intentional and specific information.

Spine labels are, in essence, the address of an item. Each spine label has two or more lines. Because we have limited real estate on these labels, we have to use abbreviations for some information. Most of the time, the abbreviations come into play on the first line – the location in the building where you can find the item. The subsequent lines tell where, on the shelf, the item goes.

In Adult Services on the east side of the building, starting with the section in front of the checkout desk and traveling east you’ll see:

“Fic” or an author’s last name – Fiction

“LP” – Large print

A dewey number – Nonfiction

“BIO” – Biographies

On the shelving units that run east/west:

“AB” or “CD” – Audiobooks (south side)

“GN” – Graphic novels (north side)

“GAME” – Video games (north side)

“MOV,” “DOC,” or “TV” – Movie, Documentary, or TV Series (north side)

In Youth Services on the west side of the building, it’s best to look for signs or to ask the staff. The layout of this part of the building changes depending on the needs of the department.

“YA” – Young Adult (for teens or high school-aged readers)

“MG” – Middle Grade (for middle school-aged readers)

“J” – Juvenile/Junior (for elementary-aged readers)

“BR” – Beginning Readers

“Picture” – Picture books

“BB” – Board Books

As always, if you have questions please ask. We love questions!