Stay Connected: Check Out New Technology at the Chickasha Public Library

The Chickasha Public Library now offers patrons the option to check out Facebook Portals and T-Mobile Hotspots. The Library recognizes the critical importance of connecting with loved ones and hopes these free resources will help families and friends stay connected this holiday season and beyond.

The Facebook Portals were purchased through a Health Literacy Grant in 2020. To use a Portal, you must have a Facebook account, and you can call loved ones using Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Zoom, GoToMeeting and more.

Through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Library was able to purchase and provide one year of service for the internet hotspots through T-Mobile. Hotspots allow users to access internet wherever T-Mobile provides service.

Any adult with a valid Chickasha Public Library account can check out a Hotspot and/or Facebook Portal for up to two weeks at a time. They can be checked out together or separately.

If you have questions or would like to check out a Portal or Hotspot, visit the Chickasha Public Library or call them at (405) 222-6075.

This project was supported in whole or in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Opinions expressed in this publication or presentation do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries or IMLS and no official endorsement by those entities should be inferred.

Look Up! Explore Our Universe: The James Webb Space Telescope Challenge

NASA @ My Library Beanstack challenge

Explore our universe with the James Webb Space Telescope Challenge. Learn all about the science behind NASA’s newest space telescope mission, the James Webb Space Telescope. Scheduled to launch this winter, JWST is the most advanced infrared space telescope ever launched and will allow us to look deeper into time and space than ever before!

You can register for the NASA @ My Library Beanstack challenge using the Beanstack app or by following this link. Select the challenge you want to participate in, and you will be prompted to sign in or create an account.

Every reader in your family can have an account and participate in the different challenges. If you need help signing up for a challenge, call 405-222-6075.

NASA @ My Library is supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under grant No. NNX16AE30A. The work was also assisted and supported by the Space Science Institute, which was the recipient of the grant. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASA or the Space Science Institute.

How I learned to Knit. What does the library have to support your hobbies?

Back in the Dark Ages, 1997, I found a pair of knitting needles in my mother’s big blue sewing box. Why there were knitting needles in there, no one knows, she was an avid crocheter, but I had never seen her knit at that point in my life. I took them as my own and decided to learn to knit. The problem? 1997 was pre-internet, and I didn’t have a knitter handy to help me. What did I do? Why I turned to the only resource, a teen in rural Oklahoma had–the encyclopedia. Yep. I grabbed the “K” volume, a skein of Red Heart, those found needles, and got to work trying to learn the art/craft/sorcery that is knitting. 

A book that may have been a bit more helpful than a half-page entry tucked between the Knights Templar and Alfred Knopf in an out-of-date World Book would have been a comprehensive guide like Knitting school: a complete course. This book addresses the basics of knitting and how to fix mistakes like dropped stitches. It even has simple patterns for basics like mittens and baby booties. 

Of course, knitting isn’t the only hobby a person could enjoy. The book Get a Hobby: 101 All-Consuming Diversions for Any Lifestyle lists, well, 101 hobbies that you could learn. And the library has resources to help you with many of them. 

With the rise of at-home tests, genealogy has exploded in popularity. Did you know that the library has access to several resources to trace your family history? You can start your search from home by logging onto HeritageQuest. You can search for your relatives in city directories, the US censuses as late as 1940, even Freedman’s bank record. HeritageQuest is available from home on our e-resources page. You can also access several physical items at the library to help with your genealogy quests, including yearbooks. 

Perhaps you want a hobby more tangible than genealogy but less tangled than knitting. Papercrafting could be for you, and Origami isn’t your only option either! There is Kirigami: the art of 3-dimensional paper cutting by Laura Badalucco. Kirigami is a combination of folding and cutting paper to create images that “pop” from the page. You could use this skill to make amazing birthday cards and jaw-dropping displays for your home. 

In the end, World Book served me well enough, and if you like an encyclopedia, those are available at the library. I learned the basics of knitting from an encyclopedia, even if that first scarf was a mess of dropped stitches, crooked edges, and uneven tension. Over the years, I have used many resources, mainly from the internet, to learn new techniques and patterns, but I will always be on the lookout for a good book that will help me grow my hobby. 

2021 in Nonfiction

This year seems to have passed by very quickly, especially after the strangeness that was 2020. It still feels like 2021 is just beginning, but there are only a few weeks left until 2022. Therefore, now is a good time to highlight a few of the nonfiction books that were released during this year, specifically those about current events and issues that have affected many people during this past year.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact various aspects of everyday life, a few people have given some early thoughts and assessments of what the post-pandemic world might look like. One of these is Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World by Fareed Zakaria (303.49 Zakaria). Lessons such as “life is digital,” “inequality will get worse,” and “globalization is not dead” are discussed in individual chapters. Zakaria goes into detail about international relations, economic factors, social interactions, and offers some thoughts and insight about some of the complicated issues that intersect with and affect one another. Because of the wide-reaching nature of the pandemic, there are likely to be many more forthcoming books offering a wide variety of perspectives about health, medicine, public policy, safety, the economy, technology, and other ideas.

Navigating the digital landscape is becoming increasingly important because so much information is now transmitted through online sources. Knowing how to find reputable sources can feel overwhelming, so Viral BS: Medical Myths and Why We Fall for Them by Dr. Seema Yasmin (610 Yasmin) is one source that can help people who are looking for health and medical information. Each chapter covers a specific question (“Do cell phones cause cancer?,” “Is trauma inherited?”) and gives facts and data from medical studies and explains their relevance to both individual and public health.

One health topic that affects many people is the complex and tragic nature of addiction and how to prevent it. The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence by Jessica Lahey (649 Lahey) is described as “a comprehensive resource parents and educators can use to prevent substance abuse in children. Based on research in child welfare, psychology, substance abuse, and developmental neuroscience, this essential guide provides evidence-based strategies and practical tools adults need to understand, support, and educate resilient, addiction-resistant children. The guidelines are age-appropriate and actionable—from navigating a child’s risk for addiction, to interpreting signs of early abuse, to advice for broaching difficult conversations with children.” This book discusses the genetic nature of addiction and gives tools and resources with which to help children and young people access prevention and treatment for addiction.

And because we all need some positivity, Let Us Dream: The Path To a Better Future by Pope Francis (261.8 Francis) gives some much-needed optimism to today’s current events. Many problems are discussed, but solutions are offered for dealing with both personal and societal crises. This can help the world feel less overwhelming. There are also many examples of ordinary people helping others, starting with simple steps, along with a hopeful reminder that it is always possible to create a better world for the future.

Exchange Food for Overdue Fines this December at the Chickasha Public Library

December is the Chickasha Public Library’s 21st annual Food for Fines month, when overdue library fines may be paid with a donation of non-perishable food.

“The donations will be given to the Chickasha Emergency Food Pantry,” said Lillie Huckaby, Library Director. “Even if you do not owe a fine, please come to the Library and make a donation. Together, we can bring in more food than ever before to help our neighbors this holiday season.”

According to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, 6,900 people in Grady County live with hunger, including 2,550 children who are food insecure. The donations from the Food for Fines food drive will be given to the Chickasha Emergency Food Pantry, located at the First Presbyterian Church.

The value of the donated food does not have to equal the amount of the fine; any donation covers any fine.

“In addition to much-needed food, many overdue books also return home to the library during Food for Fines, usually about 100 of them,” Huckaby said. “Not having to repurchase popular titles means the Library can purchase more new books. This also gives patrons who have accrued fines a way to make a fresh start and be able to check out books again. ” If a book has been lost, the overdue fine will be waived, however, the replacement cost of the book must be paid.

The Food for Fines food drive will run through December 31st.  For more details, call the Chickasha Public Library at 222-6075.