Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A few words from our Secretary, Joetta Russell...

li·brar·y
noun /-brərē/ /ˈlīˌbrerē/  
libraries, plural
  1. A building or room containing collections of books, periodicals, and sometimes films and recorded music for people to read, borrow, or refer to
    • - a school library
    • - a library book
  2. A collection of books and periodicals held in such a building or room
    • - the Institute houses an outstanding library of 35,000 volumes on the fine arts
  3. A collection of films, recorded music, genetic material, etc., organized systematically and kept for research or borrowing
    • - a record library
  4. A series of books, recordings, etc., issued by the same company and similar in appearance
  5. A room in a private house where books are kept
  6. A collection of programs and software packages made generally available, often loaded and stored on disk for immediate use
To the world, the term "Library" is defined as a building housing a collection of books kept for use, but not for sale.  But, to me, it means much, much more!

So many people get a picture of a library being stuffy, quiet, boring, school related, hateful librarians, or the MTV show, ”Silent Library”.  Libraries are quite full of resources, entertainment, movies, music, etc.; via both media and/or a live person.  There is internet use, tutoring over many, many subjects, competitions, and so much more.  The greatest part is that it is all absolutely FREE!  Have you priced books lately?  How about the cost to rent a movie?  Even Red Box adds up over time.  What about going to a movie theater?  The cost of admission is enough to rent twenty movies from Red Box or four movies via Pay Per View.  We haven’t included the cost of concessions yet.  The news states our economy is heading for another recession, then it’s time people revisit what has been available all along, free resource use with friendly staff and volunteers to help guide you along if you have questions.

I know of people over the past two years that have lost jobs, homes, cars, etc.  They are trying to rebuild their lives and for some learning to budget for the first time in their lives.  For others, they never quite make enough money to get ahead, let alone afford entertainment of any kind.  In both instances, and all in between, your local library can offer the expensive internet use, job searches, resume help, story time for young children, movies to check out and watch from home, and so much more.  Recently when talking to our local Catoosa Librarian, she shared stories about people that truly touched my heart.  Patrons have come to the library in search of dreams, hope, inspiration, and a caring, supportive voice.

There are other opportunities offered at our local Catoosa Library that have went unmentioned, such as, volunteer opportunities, membership to the Friends of the Catoosa Public Library Foundation, Summer Reading Program, and so much more, I am sure I have failed to mention.

Being part of the Friends of the Catoosa Public Library Foundation, gives a person opportunity to have a voice and help our library grow.  In return the Catoosa Community and surrounding areas can prosper, thrive, flourish, and excel.  FOL helps support local libraries when their budget comes up short, when there is a need for new books, growth, and so many other areas of need.  Our local Catoosa FOL group currently is working on fundraisers:  Arts & Craft Sale in October, Breakfast with Santa in December, Book Sale in April.  They also help put together cultural events/classes:  Basket weaving and jewelry making both in September.  FOL are always open to new members, new ideas, and new perspectives.

We do a lot for our children, tweens, and teens, BUT we have other groups with needs as well:  People with vision and/or hearing challenges, language barriers, literacy challenges, etc.  If we are able to meet all of these needs, plus some, then the library’s need are more books, audio media, building expansion, storage, staff, and needs I cannot fathom since I do not work there.

On a personal note, my children and I have always enjoyed visiting our local library.  They become excited over what they have found.  Always new books they didn’t realize existed.  With new books comes new knowledge.  In fact there are more times than not, that my children, well my teens/young adults, become quite giddy with what they find at the library.  Recently my daughter found a book of 14,000 quotes.  We I finally located her in the library; she was criss-cross applesauce on the floor reading away.  My son, by the time I found him, he had already checked out two movies and moved on to the internet.  For me, this time around, I was there helping the FOL.  Normally I find and check out more books than I can read in the time period allowed.  I try to write down what books I want to get next time and yet go back and do the routine all over again.  If that isn’t bad enough, I get books on audio in addition to what I check out to read!  My dad went with us one time, interesting story.  He was looking over the Louis L’Amour books and an older gentleman came over and struck up a conversation because the man said, “I donated those books”.  My dad and he talked for quite a while.  I was glad for him since it is hard for my dad to get out and about at times.

My point to all of this, just visit your local library again.  Look at it with new eyes.  Look at the opportunities waiting for you, your children, tweens, teens, young adults, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, neighbors, the list is endless.  Reading or listening to a book helps your imagination.  Your imagination works your brain.  Remember, your brain needs to be exercised as well.  But that is another blog on another day.  In the end, communicate your needs to the Catoosa Library, your local library, or a Friends of the Library member; so that we may all better serve you.  Please take time to volunteer, whether for a day/event or for a lifetime, any volunteered time is appreciated.

Until next time…

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Jewelry Making Class Fun!

Man oh man, what fun was had!  Our first jewelry making class and we had such a great turn-out that we had to add another table!

Quite an exciting group of ladies who were eager to learn!  Some even brought notepads and pencils for taking notes -- they showed their student side for sure!



I'm sure everyone was anxious to get right to putting tools to wire, but there are SO many things to cover before we get to that point.










I hope I didn't bore them too much.  Education up front saves a world of headaches and frustrations down the line.



Toni and Carol adding a bead for their wire-wrapped link








A few times going over the steps of making a wire-wrapped loop and we were ready to move on to adding a bead!









We added a bit of cord and fashioned a hand made clasp and were ready to hit the town with our new bracelets!
A few of the ladies showing off their creations!

I wish I had gotten pictures of all the ladies together with their bracelets and bright smiling faces.  We will have to work on that for NEXT class! :)

Rose Quartz, Copper, Dark Brown Leather Cord.
Created by Becky Jones

Rose Quartz, Copper, Dark Brown Leather Cord.
Created by Kathryn Bolen


Thanks to Joetta Russel and Pamela Burr for documenting our event through pictures!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Jewelry Making Class!

Clay Raven Focal, Kyanite, Leopardskin Jasper,
Sterling, Copper and Leather Cord, Copper Spacers and
a large Copper Puff Bead and Knotted Closure
I am SO EXCITED about our first Jewelry Class this Saturday!  I am hoping to see friends and lots of new faces to explore some of the behind the scenes information of making jewelry.  This will be a "wire-wrap" class.  Since this is a beginners class, we will be going over a lot of things, training if you will, of things to know to make things easier.  Such as:
Tools - Discussion of all the different tools' names, uses and differences.
Beads - We will talk about bead sizes and drilled holes and how they have a part in determining wire gauges used in your design.  Sometimes that wire you have in mind using just will NOT fit through the bead hole...back to the drawing board!
Wire - gauges and tempers and their impact on your design
Alternatives to wire - chain, leather cord, waxed cord
Miscellaneous components - bead caps, spacers, etc.
Discussion of various types of jewelry construction

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Special Meeting Minutes -- July 21, 2011

Friends of Catoosa Public Library Foundation
MEETING MINUTES
August 22, 2011

Meeting Called to Order at 6:00 p.m
Attendance     Board Members present: Kat Bolen, Joetta Russell, Carol Wyatt, Judy Ross (quorum is present)
Board Members absent: Becky Jones
Other Friends & vistors: see attached sign in sheet.
Mission Statement
We voted on a new mission statement specific for the Friends of the Library:
The mission of the Friends of the Catoosa Public Library is to strengthen our local library, to encourage our community by providing opportunities for increased knowledge, and to open doorways to the world for future generations.”
Motion to approve mission statement: Kat Bolen, Second: Toni Telligman
EDDM            we now have an account and access is approved for us to use EDDM. 
Mailer for EDDM
The mailer was edited and agreed up on to send to our limit of 5,000 mailboxes.  Kat Bolen bought paper to print our mailers out on. See attached mailer.  Kat Bolen and Carol Wyatt are printing.
Craft Fair      Discussed and volunteer list for set up, clean up started, FOL table, etc.  Runners/Booth Sitters provided by Mason’s Rainbow Girls.  Joetta emailed: Mike Steffensen about details of what Masons will help with for the Bake Sale. Wassco Corporation for FOL advertisement on water bottles that we can sell. Vicki Albright for advertisement of tutoring, classes, craft fair, etc.
Movie night    Was discussed…Toni Telligman can help with the movies as her schedule allows. 
Meeting Adjourned at 8:45 p.m.  motion to adjourn by Kathryn Bolen, Second Joetta Russell

Hear ye, hear ye! Special meeting called!

We have SO much going on that we felt it was necessary to call a special meeting!  I'm sure you'll be seeing meeting minutes posted here in the next few days, but I wanted to share our excitement with you all!  The meeting was called to discuss upcoming events (some of which are posted in the events tab of our Facebook Community Page).  We had a VERY productive meeting and all left feeling like we had checked several items off of our "things to accomplish" list!  We discussed our FOL mailer (those of you in the Catoosa area, keep an eye out for it to appear in your mailbox very soon!).  

Here are some sneak previews of the mailer.

Then we dusted off our grammar hats and wrote our very own Mission Statement!  We are VERY excited about that!

We even discussed final details our first ever "Whale of a Tale" Arts & Crafts Sale Artist Application!  If you are crafty and would like more information on participating in our event, please email us with your contact information and we will be glad to forward an application.

The final items the list were our upcoming Cultural Events.  Clear your Saturdays -- we will be having Jewelry and Basketweaving Lessons!  Check the event tab for event details.  If you would like to RSVP, please email us with your contact information.

Well, those are just a few things we discussed.  I hope to be getting some pictures of our meetings and such to post here. 

We hope you are enjoying what you see.  Expect to see lots of educational and entertaining events added to our calendar!  Feel free to ask questions and post comments.  We are more than happy to do a little digging if need be to provide answers and learning opportunities!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

MEETING MINUTES - July 21, 2011

Friends of Catoosa Public Library Foundation
MEETING MINUTES
July 21, 2011

Meeting Called to Order at 6:15 p.m
Roll Call          Board Members present: Becky Jones, Kat Bolen, Joetta Russell, Carol Wyatt (quorum is present)
                        Board Members absent: Judy Ross
                        Other Friends & vistors: see attached sign in sheet.
Read and approve minutes. (form signed minutes received & reviewed via email see attached sheet)  Minutes provided
for anyone who had not seen minutes via email.
Treasurer’s Report, Becky Jones for Judy Ross
                        Ending balance $10,070.81
                        Kathryn Bolen is working on the OK Tax Exempt #
Librarian Report Janie Ducotey
Summer Reading Program (SRP) has finished.  Prizes given: two bikes, one computer, donated party at Broken Arrow Skating Rink, Bowling Passes.  There were an estimate of 150 children enrolled.
World Changers came and painted, so for the end of the SRP they all had to go to the City Hall Council Room, nice experience/field trip.
Ebooks & devices, start looking into.
Janie Riddle – Dates reserved for Community Center for 2011:  8/25, 8/27, 10/15, 12/10
                        Craft Fair is October 15
                        Advertising estimated to be around $480.24 for mail (3,312 x 14.5¢), contact the Catoosa Times
                        Entry Forms to Kathryn Bolen
                        Baked goods table from the FOL?  Drinks – Masons?
Masons           Becky Jones and Kathryn Bolen went over to meet with Masons (right after our 7/21/11 meeting) about:
                        Drinks for Craft Fair
                        Breakfast with Santa in December
                        Money raised will be used for: Books, Reading Program, Adult Audio Books, Young Adult, Teen/Tween
                        Section, etc.
COTTA           Story Board to be presented Saturday, July 23, 2011
                        Grant money needs to be spent by September 30, 2011
                        An estimated $4600 has been spent
Cherokee Nation Sub Award $3000 working on application and estimated budget
Post Office      New system EDDM – we received info at the meeting this evening.
                        Returned mail – take the members name off of the list.
                        14.5¢ per piece – we are reverifying
Storage            Kathryn Bolen to talk to Larry Alsup, City Manager of Catoosa
New Business             Meet new City Manager Larry Alsup – Janie R., Carol, Debra, and Joetta
                        Projects – See attached list of future projects FOL and the Librarians would like to work towards.
B.A.D. Meetings changed to SECOND Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.
August – La Mansion in Catoosa
Meeting Adjourned at 7:15 p.m.  motion to adjourn by Kathryn Bolen, Second Joetta Russell

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Welcome to the Friends of the Catoosa Public Library Blog!

In order to better serve our community, we thought it would be downright snazzy to get hip with a blog!  Feel free to follow us and tell all your friends to follow the Friends!