Books, Bytes & More Newsletter
January 2016
In This Issue
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NWRLS Library Locations

Headquarters:
Bay County Public Library
850-522-2100

Panama City Beach
850-233-5055

Parker
850-871-3092

Springfield
850-872-7510

Corinne Costin
Gibson Memorial Library
Port St. Joe
850-229-8879

Charles Whitehead
Public Library
Wewahitchka
850-639-2419

Harrell Memorial
Public Library
Bristol
850-643-2247

Jimmy Weaver
Memorial Library
Hosford
850-379-3300

Featured Items
 
 
Precious Gifts
by Danielle Steel
 


When a wealthy, charming man who has been an absent father dies, he leaves bequests specifically tailored to help his three daughters and troubled son achieve their dreams, and a special gift for his former wife.


 
Lafayette in the Somewhat United States
by Sarah Vowell
 


A look at the American Revolution through the lens of the Marquis de Lafayette.


 
Ashley Bell
by Dean Koontz
 


A young Southern California writer who survived a fatal diagnosis sets out to find a woman she has been told she must save, overcoming many obstacles in the process.


Tom Clancy: Commander in Chief
by Mark Greaney
 


President Jack Ryan detects a pattern in outbreaks of violence around the world that point to the Russian president, but he must unite the Western allies before he can take action.


Secret Sisters
by Jayne Ann Krentz
 


A shared secret from their past comes back to haunt former friends Madeline and Daphne.


All Dressed in White
by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke
 
 

A TV producer investigates a bride's disappearance for her show, "Under Suspicion."


The Pharaoh's Secret
by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown
 


Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala must save the NUMA crew from a mysterious toxin deployed by a villain who wants to build a new Egyptian empire.


Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few
by Robert B. Reich
 

The former secretary of labor in the Clinton administration, now a professor of public policy, considers how to reverse income inequality.
 

A Banquet of Consequences
by Elizabeth George
 


Can a suicide in Dorset be connected to a poisoning in Cambridge? Scotland Yard detectives Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers investigate.


 
The Immortal Nicholas
by Glenn Beck
 


Santa Claus is linked to the story of Christ, by the radio host and founder of TheBlaze.


The Lake House
by Kate Morton
 


A London detective investigating a missing-persons case becomes curious about an unsolved 1933 kidnapping in Cornwall.


SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
by Mary Beard
 


A prominent classicist explores ancient Rome and how its citizens adapted the notion of imperial rule, invented the concepts of citizenship and nation, and made laws about those traditionally overlooked in history, including women, slaves, and criminals.




Saturn Run
by John Sandford



Americans and Chinese compete to take control of what may be a spaceship approaching Saturn.




Dashing Through the Snow
by Debbie Macomber



Two strangers trying to reach Seattle for Christmas share a rental car, and much else.




The Aeronaut's Windlass
by Jim Butcher



In the first book of a steampunk fantasy series by the author of the Dresden Files novels, people live in spires that stretch into the sky and make use of airships.




Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things
by Jenny Lawson



A humorous treatment of the author's life with depression and anxiety disorder.




The Last of the President's Men
by Bob Woodward



More revelations from the Nixon White House, based on documents supplied by Alexander Butterfield, the aide who disclosed Nixon's taping system.




Binge
by Tyler Oakley


Personal essays from the LGBTQ YouTube personality.
 



Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush
by Jon Meacham



Drawing on President Bush's and his wife's diaries, and on extraordinary access to the forty-first president and his family, the author paints an intimate and surprising portrait of an intensely private man who led the nation through tumultuous times.




Carry On
by Rainbow Rowell



A teenage wizard and his classmates return to their magical academy.




All the Bright Places
by Jennifer Niven



An outcast helps a classmate recover from her sister's death.


 

The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish
by Deborah Diesen



Mr. Fish must find the perfect gifts for everyone on his list.


 

Winter: The Lunar Chronicles
by Marissa Meyer



Cinder and her allies are joined in the plot to overthrow Queen Levana by the queen's stepdaughter, Winter, who has long been defying her evil stepmother's wishes by harboring feelings for her personal guard whom she is forbidden from marrying.


 

Once Upon a Crime: A Brothers Grimm Mystery
by P.J. Brackson



While living with her brother Hans and working as a private detective in 18th century Bavaria, Gretel discovers a connection between a murder at the local cart maker's workshop and a case involving three missing cats.
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NWRLS is a department
of
Bay County

Thank you for choosing to receive the library newsletter, where you will learn about upcoming programs and the many services provided in our libraries.
Open House: STEM @ Your Library

Engineer Jason Scott will be at the Bay County Public Library from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on January 26 to show us the amazing things that are being done with 3D printing, microcontroller boards, robotics, and wearable LED clothing!



3D printing  is the process of making a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model, typically laying down many successive thin layers of a material.

Microcontroller boards , such as Arduino boards, use open-source computer hardware and software for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control objects in the physical world; beginner hobbyists generally use these for simple robots, thermostats, and motion detectors.

Robotics  is technology dealing with design, construction, and operation of robots in automation. This field overlaps with electronics, computer science, artificial intelligence, mechatronics, nanotechnology, and bioengineering.

Wearable technology consists of clothing and accessories incorporating computer and advanced electronic technologies. Uses include fitness trackers (such as a Fitbit), specific health issue monitoring, navigation tools, communication gadgets, and cool-looking clothing with LED lights that change colors as you move!

Suggested ages: 1st grade and up.

For more information on these exciting technologies, check out  Maker Faire and Adafruit.

For more information on this program, please call 850-522-2118 or visit www.nwrls.com. Click here for a printable flyer. 
Adventures in Learning for Adults @ Your Library

Beach Boomers and Tuesdays @ 2 will begin in January at the Panama City Beach Public Library and the Bay County Public Library.

This year, we'll have gardening, 3D printing, genealogy, local archaeology, local history, art history, and more!

Beach Boomers at the Panama City Beach Public Library
Tuesdays, January 5 through March 8 @ 2 p.m.

Click  here  for a printable flyer for Beach Boomers.

Tuesdays @ 2 at the Bay County Public Library
Tuesdays, January 19 through April 5 @ 2 p.m.
(Except March 1 and March 15)

Click here for a printable flyer for Tuesdays @ 2.


Early Wooden Churches of the Deep South

Martha Dickson, author of Anchors of Faith: Early Wooden Churches of the Deep South, will present this program on January 26 @ 6 p.m. at the Bay County Public Library.

Martha is a graduate of Howard College (now Samford University), and has worked for Howard College, Florida State University, and Pensacola State College.
 
Her other published titles include Gordon, Alabama: Pioneer Riverboat Town and Shortlights.

For more information, please call 850-522-2132. 
Storytellers' Workshop

Caren Neile, PhD, MFA, will present this free storytellers' workshop at the Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library in Port St. Joe for people interested in learning more about the  craft on January 29 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Dr. Neile teaches storytelling studies at Florida Atlantic University. The former chair of the National Storytelling Network, she performs and teaches throughout the nation and abroad.

Short Takes: A Grab Bag of Old Florida Stories

On January 30 at 1 p.m. at the Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library in Port St. Joe, Dr. Neile will share lively interpretations of some better-known Florida tales, as well as others you might not have encountered yet.

These programs made possible with the support of the Florida Humanities Council.
New E-books and Downloadable Audiobooks @  Your Library

We recently added new items to our digital collection, including:

Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848-1868 by Cokie Roberts


SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome 
by Mary Beard


Library of Souls: Miss Peregrine Series
 by Ransom Riggs


Cross Justice 
by James Patterson
 

The Crossing by Michael Connelly


House of Thieves 
by Charles Belfoure


The Japanese Lover
 by Isabel Allende


The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters 
by Karl Rove


The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto
 by Mitch Albom


Stars of Fortune: Guardians Trilogy, Book 1 
by Nora Roberts
 

Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz


Old School: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series, Book 10 
by Jeff Kinney


You can check out e-books and downloadable audiobooks for free from your library. All you need is your library card number and PIN. Forgot your PIN? Just give us a call at 850-522-2100 or stop by your local branch and we'll set one up for you.


To access e-books and downloadable audiobooks, click here or:

Go to www.nwrls.com

Click on  Books, Etc.
Click on  eBooks & eAudio
Click on  OverDrive  to find books

Need assistance with e-books and downloadable audiobooks? Just call us at 850-522-2107 or stop by your local branch. 
Friday ColorFest for Adults

Adults, join us and rediscover the joy and relaxation found in coloring.

These are not your kids' coloring books! Intricate designs provide a challenge.

We'll supply coloring sheets, pens, colored pencils, and soothing music. You can bring your own supplies (if you want) and snacks!

Bay County Public Library

January 8 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT

Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library in Port St. Joe

January 8 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET
Teddy Bear's Sleepover

Kids, come to the Bay County Public Library on January 12 at 6 p.m. for Teddy Bear's Sleepover!



Wear your pajamas and bring your special stuffed animal for bedtime stories. Leave your bear for a special sleepover at the library. Pick him up the next day along with a photo of all the mischief that happened during the night.

For more information, please call 850-522-2118. 
Homestead Exemption Assistance

red_house_logo.jpg Staff from the Bay County Property Appraiser's office will be at the Panama City Beach Public Library on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon through February 25th to provide homestead exemption assistance.
Library Closures

All locations of the Northwest Regional Library System will be closed on January 1 for New Year's Day.

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All locations of the Northwest Regional Library System will also be closed on January 18 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Book Clubs

BCPL Book Club


January 14 @ 10 a.m.
Our Souls at Night  by Kent Haraf

Description: An inspiring story of a man and woman who, in advanced age, come together to wrestle with the events of their lives and their hopes for the imminent future.

The BCPL Book Club meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at the Bay County Public Library. For more information, please call 850-522-2107.

Beyond the Lens: Book and Film Series

January 19 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Film: The Big Year starring Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson
Book: The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession  by Mark Obmascik

Description: Every January 1, a quirky crowd storms out across North America for a spectacularly competitive event called a Big Year - a grand, expensive, and occasionally vicious 365-day marathon of birding. For three men in particular, 1998 would become a grueling battle for a new North American birding record.

Film starts at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by presentation by the Bay County Audubon Society. Location is at the Bay County Public Library. For more information, please call 850-522-2107.

Refreshments provided by the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries.

History Club

January 4  @ 10 a.m.
Night  by Elie Wiesel

Description: A candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of Elie Wiesel's survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps.

The History Club reads fiction and nonfiction history and meets bimonthly at the Bay County Public Library. For more information, please call 850-522-2107.

Beach Book Club

January 6 @ 10:30 a.m.
Big Little Lies  by Liane Moriarty

Description: A brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

The Beach Book Club meets the 1st Wednesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. at the Panama City Beach Public Library. For more information, please call 850-233-5055.

Library Book Club

January 25 @ 10:30 a.m.
The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg

Description: An investigative journalist uncovers a hidden custom that will transform your understanding of what it means to grow up as a girl.

The Library Book Club meets the 3rd Monday of each month at 10:30 a.m. at the Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library in Port St. Joe. For more information, please call 850-229-8879.
Children's Classes @ Your Library

Class instructors teach social skills, listening,
comprehension, and the foundations of reading
through letters, numbers, and vocabulary.


Bay County Public Library

Book Babies
(Suggested ages: 0-17 months)
Tuesdays @ 9:30 a.m.

Terrific Tots
(Suggested ages: 18-36 months)
Tuesdays @ 10:30 a.m.

Read, Rock, and Rhyme Time
 (Suggested ages: 3-5 years)
Thursdays @ 10:30 a.m.

Charles Whitehead Public Library in Wewahitchka

Wee Read (Suggested ages: Preschoolers)
Mondays @ 11:30 a.m.

After School Program (Suggested ages: K-5th grade)
Second Tuesday of the month @ 3:30 p.m.

Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library in Port St. Joe

Tuesday Tales
 (Suggested age s: 0-3 years)
Tuesdays @ 10:30 a.m.
 
Jimmy Weaver Memorial Library in Hosford

Storytime
Saturdays @ 10:30 a.m.
 
Panama City Beach Public Library

Book Babies  (Suggested ages: 0-2 years)
Tuesdays @ 10 a.m.

Beach Kids  (Suggested ages: K-5th grade)
Wednesdays @ 3 p.m.
 
Book Blast  (Suggested ages: 3+ years)
Thursdays @ 10 a.m.

Homeschool Huddle
Thursdays @ 1 p.m.
The Homeschool Hero Fair will feature student work on display at the library from January 14 through January 21. 
Beyond the Lens: Book and Film Series



This month's book is The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik.

Every January 1, a quirky crowd storms out across North America for a spectacularly competitive event called a Big Year - a grand, expensive, and occasionally vicious 365-day marathon of birding. For three men in particular, 1998 would become a grueling battle for a new North American birding record.

Bouncing from coast to coast on frenetic pilgrimages for once-in-a-lifetime rarities, they brave broiling deserts, bug-infested swamps, and some of the lumpiest motel mattresses known to man. This unprecedented year of beat-the-clock adventures ultimately leads one man to a record so gigantic that it is unlikely ever to be bested.

Here, prizewinning journalist Mark Obmascik creates a dazzling, fun narrative of the 275,000-mile odyssey of these three obsessives as they fight to win the greatest - or maybe worst - birding contest of all time.

Refreshments are provided by the Friends of the Bay County Public Library.  The event is free and open to the public.

This month's film is The Big Year, starring Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson. Based on the book, the film follows three amateur birders who each set out to achieve a Big Year. They are Brad Harris, a 36-year-old computer programmer based in Baltimore; Stu Preissler, founder and CEO of a New York company bearing his name; and a roofing contractor named Kenny Bostick, who holds the current Big Year record of 732 birds.


After watching the film, we'll have a presentation by the Bay County Audubon Society.

For more information, please call 850-522-2107.
Ongoing Events @ Your Library 

Bay County Public Library in Panama City

English as a Second Language - Beginners
Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
 
montana-teacher.jpg
English as a Second  Language - Intermediate & Advanced
Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

English as a Second Language - Conversation & Pronunciation
Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

US Citizenship Class
Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Adult Literacy Reading and Pronunciation Class
Fridays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Charles Whitehead Public Library in Wewahitchka

CareerSource Gulf Coast Disabled Veterans Outreach Program
3rd Thursday of the month after 1 p.m.

Program to assist veterans. Either call 850-872-4340 ext. 105 to schedule an appointment or drop by the library after 1 p.m.

Harrell Memorial Public Library in Bristol

Craft Day
Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Jimmy Weaver Memorial Library in Hosford

Craft Day
Thursdays all day

Family History Workshop
Thursdays @ 4 p.m.

Needlework @ Your Library
Every other Saturday @ 12:30 p.m.

Panama City Beach Public Library

Sea Needles  invites all needle-crafters to share the fun.
Fridays @ 10 a.m.
 
English as a Second Language -- Intermediate with Conversation & Pronunciation
Fridays from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
 
Chess - Players and boards are welcome!
Thursdays @ 1 p.m. 
Friday Lunch and Learn

Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library in Port St. Joe
January 22 @ 12 noon

Bring your lunch or a snack and settle in for StoryCorps Shorts by The Rauch Brothers. The renowned oral history project StoryCorps brings intimate conversations among friends and families to life in touching, often hilarious animated shorts that are sure to strike a chord in all of us.

Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This event is a collaboration with the award-winning documentary series POV ( www.pbs.org).

For more information, call 850-229-8879 or visit www.nwrls.com.


Free Computer Classes

Bay County Public Library


Computer Basics Part 1 of 2
January 5 @ 9:30 a.m.

Learn to identify computer components and the common elements of a Windows-based operating system, navigate software, and save/store files. Prerequisite: None.

Computer Basics Part 2 of 2
January 7 @ 9:30 a.m.

Learn the basic features of the Mozilla Firefox web browser, learn the difference between a search box and URL box, and learn to evaluate a website's content. Prerequisite: Computer Basics Part 1 or equivalent experience.

Apple Class
January 12 @ 9:30 a.m.

For iPads and iPhones. Learn how to check out library e-books, audiobooks, and digital magazines through the OverDrive and Zinio apps. Please bring your device to the class.

Kindle Fire Class
January 13 @ 9:30 a.m.

Learn how to check out library e-books, audiobooks, and digital magazines through the OverDrive and Zinio apps. Please bring your device to the class.

Android Class
January 14 @ 9:30 a.m.

Learn how to check out library e-books, audiobooks, and digital magazines through the OverDrive and Zinio apps. Please bring your device to the class.
 
Connect U: iPad Basics
January 26 @ 6 p.m.

This course will cover some basic features of the iPad. Learn the hardware, some settings, navigation, and app basics.

For more information on these computer classes, please call 850-522-2107.