Adult Programs
Free Computer Classes at Chickasha Public Library October 28 – November 6
The Chickasha Public Library is offering a series of FREE computer classes for digital training skills from The Chickasha Public Library is offering a series of FREE computer classes for digital training skills from October 28 through November 5. These classes will cover the following topics each day:
- Computer Basics – Oct. 28, 10-11 a.m.
- Internet Basics – Oct. 29, 10-11 a.m.
- Open Lab (individual questions and answers) – Oct. 30, 2-4 p.m.
- Email Basics – Oct. 31, 10-11 a.m.
- Internet Safety – Nov. 1, 2-3 p.m.
- Mobile Device (Phone) Basics – Nov. 4, 10-11 a.m.
- Video Conferencing – Nov. 5, 10-11 a.m.
- Open Lab (individual questions and answers) – Nov. 6, 2-4 p.m.
Participants can bring their own laptops or devices and the Library also has several laptops available for use during the classes. All Library programs are free to attend. For more information, call the Chickasha Public Library at 405-222-6075.
Library Offers August Programs for Adults
The Chickasha Public Library has several programs coming during the month of August specifically for adults about a variety of topics, including book clubs, legal information, survival, and workshops to help with computer skills.
August 1st was the first session of Let’s Talk About It, a five-part discussion series that focuses on the theme of Myth and Literature. Dr. Harbour Winn presented The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell. Several copies of the book are available to check out from the Library for those who wish to read. All of the Let’s Talk About It programs will be held on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. from August through December in the Library’s meeting room.
Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma will give a presentation on Thursday, August 8 from 2-3 p.m. about how to expunge your criminal record. This program will help participants gain legal information from experts to navigate the process effectively, discover how expungement can create new opportunities for your future, and financial assistance available for those who are low-income.
Prepping for Survival will be Saturday, August 17, at 11 a.m. This is a program for adults who want to learn information about how to handle emergency situations, and will be taught by Stephen Wilson of Modern Survivability. This program will cover how to use items in your emergency kit, which will be provided.
Finally, a series of digital skills workshops will be held Thursday, August 22 and Friday, August 23. The classes are intended for learners who are new to using a computer and want to build confidence while staying safe online. Topics include using web browsers, creating passwords that are hard to guess, using search engines, navigating a mobile device and so much more. Workshops will be taught by digital literacy experts with the national nonprofit Connected Nation.
Thursday’s digital skills schedule includes Computer Basics at 10:00 a.m., Internet Basics at 11:00 a.m., Open Lab Workshops from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Email Basics at 2:00 p.m., and Internet Safety at 3:00 p.m. Friday’s schedule includes Mobile Device Basics at 10:00 a.m., Video Conferencing at 11:00 a.m., and Open Lab Workshops from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Register for any or all of these classes at https://surveys.connectednation.org/s3/ChickashaPL.
Chickasha Public Library Hosts Let’s Talk About It Book Discussion Series
The Chickasha Public Library will host the Let’s Talk About It program this fall with a series of book discussions on the theme of Myth and Literature. Let’s Talk About It is a book club designed for adults 18 and older who enjoy reading and discussing books with others. Discussion programs will be held at 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month from August through December in the Library’s meeting room. Each program will begin with a scholar discussing the month’s book, including the background and literary themes, and will also include time for small group discussions.
The first program will be on Thursday, August 1. Harbour Winn will discuss The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell. The second program will be Thursday, September 5, and Richard Rouillard will present Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt. The third program will be Thursday, October 3, and Laura Endicott will present A Passage to India by E. M. Forster. The fourth program will be Thursday, November 7, and Judy Neale will present The Summer Before the Dark by Doris Lessing. The final program will be Thursday, December 6. Caroline Larsen will present The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Multiple copies of all of these books are available to check out from the Chickasha Public Library. According to Oklahoma Humanities, this series of books “shows how authors use existing mythologies and create new ones to explain our world.” Participants will have a chance to share their experience and learn from others, and reading each month’s book beforehand is not required to attend the programs. Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Library.
Books, services, and other materials for this series are provided by Let’s Talk About It, a project of Oklahoma Humanities. Generous funding and support for this series was provided by Kirkpatrick Family Fund, McCasland Foundation, Oklahoma City Community Foundation, and Oklahoma City University. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of Oklahoma Humanities.
Summer Programs for Adults
The Chickasha Public Library will have several adult programs during June, July, and August. The first is Sunflower Painting on Saturday, June 8, at 11:00 a.m. Youth Services Librarian Drew Cooper will teach you have to create your own sunflower painting. All supplies are provided.
There is a book flowers crafting program Saturday, July 20, at 11 a.m., also taught by Youth Services Librarian Drew Cooper. You will create a beautiful flower display with a book, and all supplies are provided.
There are also two programs about survival skills in June and July. Prepping for Survival will be Saturday, June 29, at 11 a.m. This is a program for adults who want to learn information about how to handle emergency situations.
This program is taught by Stephen Wilson, who has 22 years of experience as a military combat instructor, 24 years of rock climbing, backpacking, camping, hiking, and kayaking all over the world, hosts the Modern Survivability podcast, and is a 12-year member of Homesteaders of America.
Part 1 of this program will cover how to create an emergency kit. Part 2, which is Part 2 of this program is Saturday, August 17, at 11 a.m., and will cover how to use the items in your emergency kit.
All of these programs are free to attend, and no registration is required. For more information about there or any other programs, call the Library at 405-222-6075.
Genealogy Workshop at the Chickasha Public Library – Wednesday, May 1
Did you know that the Chickasha Public Library provides free access to online genealogy databases? If you are interested in learning how to search for family history information using Ancestry Library Edition and Heritage Quest, there will be a free genealogy workshop on Wednesday, May 1 at 2 p.m. that will go over how to navigate these databases.
During this hour-long program, you will learn how to navigate each of the steps in the searching process. All you need is the name of a person, approximate date of birth, and a place they might have lived, and you can easily find copies of census records, land records, photographs, and other information about their life. If you have already done some initial searching, there are also ways to look for specific records and to fill in informational gaps.
This program will include time for asking individual questions and receiving help with finding a name on specific records, such as the US census for a particular year.
“If you have ever wondered about how to get started doing online genealogy research, or how to use different search strategies to find records, this program will help you take advantage of free online resources to find new information about your family history,” says Michelle Skinner, Reference Librarian.
Registration is not required, and people are welcome to bring their laptops. For more information, call the Library at 405-222-6075, or email michelle.skinner@chickasha.org.
Genealogy Workshop – February 21
The Library is hosting a free genealogy workshop on Wednesday, February 21 at 2 p.m. This hour-long program will cover topics such as genealogy books and resources in the Library, free online databases that are available from the Library, other free online resources, and ideas for organizing family history information.
Some of the books in the Library’s genealogy section include Chickasha city directories, yearbooks from Grady County schools, several books about the history of Chickasha and other Grady County communities, histories of local organizations, and individual family histories. Additionally, there is a section about the history and cultures of Oklahoma that has individual county histories, information about the Dawes Roll, and pre-statehood census records.
The Library’s online databases include access to Ancestry Library Edition on Library computers, and Heritage Quest, which is accessible on any internet-capable device with your library card number. The Chickasha Newspaper Collection on the Gateway to Oklahoma History contains freely accessible digitized copies of Chickasha newspapers on the Gateway to Oklahoma History. If you have ever wondered how to search for relevant information online, there will be a discussion of search tips and what kind of information and documents can be found on each of these databases, as well as some other free websites that could be helpful in finding information about a specific person.
Finally, there will be some ideas about how to organize an ever-growing collection of family history research in order to keep track of everything while also making sure none of the information is lost.
“Whether you are just beginning your genealogy research, or are already a dedicated researcher with a pile of documents and sources, this workshop can provide information that can help you to take advantage of free resources that can help you search more efficiently and to find some unexpected treasures,” says Michelle Skinner, Reference Librarian.
There will also be time for questions and answers during the program, and people are welcome to browse the Library’s collection of physical and online genealogy resources afterwards. In case of inclement weather, this workshop will be held on Wednesday, February 28. For more information, call the Library at 405-222-6075, or email michelle.skinner@chickasha.org.
Financial Literacy Mini-Clinic
There will be a Financial Literacy Mini-Clinic held on Tuesday, January 9, 16, 23, and February 6 at 6 p.m. in the Library’s meeting room. This program is led by Leslie A. Sledge, NACCC-certified financial counselor and credit restoration specialist. It is free to attend, and no registration is required.
The Financial Literacy Mini-Clinic will cover the following topics:
- January 9: A Strong Financial House Built on Credit Worthiness
- January 23: Debt Elimination
- February 1: Saving
- February 6: Saving for Retirement / Investments for the Future
There will be a special guest during the final program. For more information, call the Library at 405-222-6075.
Books Come Alive and Local Author Festival will be held Saturday, March 25!
Submitted by the Friends of the Chickasha Public Library
The Friends of the Library and Chickasha Public Library invite the community to stop by the Library on Sat., March 25, 2023 between 2pm and 4pm for two very special attractions! The Library is located at 527 Iowa Ave., Chickasha, OK.
Visitors will enjoy being entertained by Books Come Alive presenters as they each create their own setting, costume as a character, and present a 3-5 minute scene from a book they have selected to share. Participating as presenters are Mischelle Blunt who has chosen “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett; Dr. Christy Clift will portray a scene from “Harry Potter” by JK Rowling; and the Library’s children’s director Drew Cooper has selected “Beauty and the Beast” as her book. Also presenting are Rebecca Cravens portraying a scene from “Jane Austen”; Sydny Dockery has chosen the book “Percy Jackson” by Rick Riordan; Dr. Jeanne Mather selected Mike Artell’s “Petite Rouge”; and Rick Phillips will be having fun with “Star Wars”. Well-known radio host George Plummer will be presenting a special book, as well!
While at the Library, stop by the meeting room and visit with the authors who are participating in the “Local Author Festival”. All the authors will set up at tables and have books for sale. This year the authors include Karen Knauss Bailey Alicia Dean, Tamrie Foxtail, Dr. Todd Fuller, Kenny “Sad Pawpaw” Harmon (NOTE: enter a drawing at his table to win a copy of his book!), Dr. Crag Hill, Callie Hutton, Anna Kittrell, Brian McNatt, Gloria Koehn Morse, Kathy Shaull and Liz Tyner.
NOTE: The Library will close at noon on Sat., March 25, to set up for these two exciting events! For additional information about these activities and others at the Library, call 405.222.6075.
Seeking Presenters for Books Come Alive!
Books Come Alive in our imaginations, so why not before our very eyes? Remember the scenes from Books Come Alive years past? Let’s do it again! Books Come Alive 2023!
You are invited to present a passage from a book for all the people to see and hear. In case you don’t remember or don’t know what I’m talking about, Books Come Alive is when the library is closed, scenes are set up, and people can tour the library, stopping to listen and view each scene. There will be between 6 and 12 presentations.
Anyone who chooses to can create a setting and costume for a character and scene from a book and prepare a passage to present. You can choose a science fiction scene from a Star Trek book, a classic such as Shakespeare, Mark Twain, or Sherlock Holmes, or something new like Lucy Foley’s “The Guest List” or “The Martian” by Andy Weir. You can choose fiction or nonfiction, an adult book or children’s book such as Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, or Junie B. Jones.
The scene can be presented by one person or by a small group; by a child, an adult, or a mix.
The presentation should be about 3-5 minutes in length. Sharpen your acting skills and have some fun!
Further details:
- The presentation must present a passage from a book which must be on display; or it could be an author presenting a group of books with passages from the books quoted.
- Space is limited; therefore the scene should be no more than 8 feet x 6 feet. All scenes will be in the library (portions of which are carpeted, so please no food or drinks).
- Applications will be reviewed from February 1st through the 10th. Presenters will be contacted during that time for clarification. Auditions will be February 13th – 18th.
- Acceptance/declination decisions will be made and presenters notified by February 25th.
- Don’t hesitate to reach out whenever you have any questions. Email Lillie Huckaby at Lillie.huckaby@chickasha.org or call 405-222-6075.
Click here to apply for consideration. Applications are due by the end of February. The big date is Saturday, March 25th.
Financial Literacy Mini-Clinic
Are you looking for ways to save money? Do you have questions about credit, savings, or retirement? The Chickasha Public Library will host a FREE Financial Literacy Mini-Clinic every Thursday in January from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The Financial Literacy Mini-Clinic is a four-part series led by Leslie A. Sledge, a certified credit counselor and financial coach. This program will explore the principles of building a strong financial house, with an emphasis on mindful credit worthiness, debt elimination, saving, and saving for retirement.
There will also be an opportunity for individual questions and answers. Space is limited, so registration is encouraged. If you have any questions or would like to register for the Financial Literacy Mini-Clinic, you can call the Library at 405-222-6075, email library@chickasha.org, or speak to staff in person.