Chess players of all ages and skill levels are invited to attend the initial meeting of what is expected to become a chess club that will meet regularly at the library. Herb Baumann is leading this effort. He envisions regular meetings to learn, play, and improve your skills along with occasional day-long tournaments. The library is cooperating to help get this group going by providing space for the meetings.

The first meeting will be on Tuesday, July 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the library classroom on the second floor. For more information, contact Herb Baumann at 512-743-8908 or herbbwon@yahoo.com.

The Books for Texans Book Club has been meeting for several months now and they always welcome new participants. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, July 15, from 7-8 p.m., in the Hewlett Room. The book this month is J. Frank Dobie’s Tales of Old Time Texas. Feel free to attend the meeting even if you haven’t read the month’s selection. But, start reading now to get ready for September. The selection is Isaac’s Storm, by Erik Larson. The “storm” is the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and Larson’s book is based on the diaries of Isaac Monroe Cline.

For complete details, see the calendars on the library website, or pick up paper copies of the calendars in the children’s room. Some of the programs for the younger set (up through age 12) include:

· Trixie Bond’s magic show on Wednesday, July 9, 10:30 a.m.;

· Mad Science on Wednesday, July 16, 10:30 a.m.;

· Scott Sutton’s drawing lessons on Wednesday, July 23, 10:30 a.m.; and

· Jungle Jim’s bugs on Wednesday, July 30, 10:30 a.m.
The grand finale this year will be on Saturday, August 2, beginning at 2:00 p.m. Jungle Jill and the Jaybird Band headline the afternoon’s entertainment.

Teens

An exciting event for the teens will be the rocket launching program on Friday, July 11, from 4-6 p.m. A special Parks Department team with lots of experience will provide the materials and expertise for building the rockets and then will be in charge of the launches.

Quieter teen entertainment will take place from 4-5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, when chocolate tasting will be the event. Chocolate and drinks will be furnished.

Inspired by National Public Radio’s StoryCorps program, Eric Lashley, director of the Georgetown Public Library, began thinking more than six months ago about how the library might take the lead in creating and storing oral histories from Georgetown’s residents. The difficult question, though, was where to begin such a major undertaking—should there be a unifying thread to the first people to be interviewed, or should capturing the memories of our community’s oldest members come first, regardless of what their area of expertise might be?

Then, in February, Mr. Lashley attended Marsha Farney’s presentation, based on her newly completed doctoral dissertation, about the history of Georgetown’s schools. Her presentation focused on the school that existed until the 1960s for African-American children. Judging from the discussion that took place after the presentation, it seemed clear to Mr. Lashley that there were many people who wanted to share their memories of the old Marshall/Carver School.

A short time later, Mr. Lashley presented his idea of an oral history project focused on the black school and desegregation to Ms. Farney, Chris Dyer, director of the Williamson County Museum, and Paulette Taylor, who attended the school. As a result of their enthusiastic help, knowledge of the school’s history, and suggestions of people to contact, the library will host a kickoff program—Personal Reflections on Desegregation in Georgetown–on Saturday, August 16, at 2:00 p.m. in the Hewlett Community Room of the library.

The program will consist of a panel discussion, moderated by Ms. Farney, among five members of our community who have graciously agreed to share their memories: Birdie Shanklin, Harvey Miller, Paulette Taylor, Doug Benold, and Norman Spellman, all of whom were personally touched by Georgetown’s struggle to desegregate its schools. After the panel discussion, the forum will be opened to the audience for questions and comments. The primary purpose of the kickoff program, though, is to identify persons who are willing, at a later date, to participate in recorded individual interviews that will focus on the history of the black school, the issues that affected desegregation in Georgetown, and the experiences of the students, both black and white, as the schools were integrated.

After the kickoff program, the library will rely on more volunteers to make the oral history project a success. Mr. Dyer, who has professional experience doing oral histories, will train people to conduct the  interviews. The interviews will be recorded in digital format, to give them the longest possible technological life, and they also will be transcribed to create a hard copy. Volunteers will be needed to do the interviewing, handle the recording process, and to do the transcriptions.

For more information about the August 16 program, to volunteer to be interviewed, or to volunteer to help with any aspect of the interviews, contact Judy Fabry, the library’s administrative assistant, at 512-930-3552, or by email at jkf@georgetowntx.org.

The Georgetown Public Library’s summer reading program for children (through age 12) is in full swing and will continue until August 2. Each week there are special performers on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, a craft program on Tuesday morning, and occasional storytimes or performances on Thursday mornings. Children must be at least seven to participate in the craft activities, but other events and performances are open to all ages. For a complete schedule of activities, see the Kids Only! section of the library’s website.

The main purpose of the summer program is to encourage kids to read. Registering for the Texas Book Club and keeping track of the books they read will make kids eligible for incentive prizes and the grand prizes at the end of the summer. However, it is not necessary to be registered in the book club or be a member of the library to attend any of the summer events. Bring your summer visitors and join the fun.

The highlight of this year’s Georgetown Reads! program will be Steven Saylor’s appearance on June 11 to discuss his book, A Twist at the End. This year’s community read combines mystery (the plot turns on a series of murders that actually happened), history (lots of information about late-19th century Austin), and romance. Before writing this book, Saylor had written a well-received series of mysteries set in ancient Rome. Writing about Austin allowed him to draw on personal experience and his interest in the time and people he brings to life in A Twist at the End.

Saylor will speak at 7:00 p.m. on June 11, in the Hewlett Room of the library. He will entertain questions from the audience after his presentation. For more information, contact Richard Groves, adult services librarian, at 931-7620.

The children’s and teens’ summer reading programs begin the first week in June. This means that you may arrive at your usual mid-morning time, expecting a quiet cup of coffee and a leisurely ramble through the stacks, and instead find the parking lot full and the library vibrating with activity. If you don’t enjoy giving your legs a stretch with a longer walk from your parking space, and if you prefer a quieter library, consider these suggestions:

• if you must come in the morning, plan to be here by 9:00;

• mid-afternoons are usually quieter and the parking lot less crowded than during the 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. time period; evenings also tend to be quieter;

• there are no special children’s programs on Mondays or Fridays;

• you may park in the grass lot at the corner of 8th Street and MLK.

The library staff is happy that our summer programs for the kids are so well received. As reading for pleasure becomes less and less common, we’re doing our part to engender a love of reading in the next generation. Please try to recall your own happy childhood library experiences and, at the same time, remember that “times are different now.” We encourage quiet voices but whispers are not required.

On June 6 and 7, more than sixty pieces of sculpture will be placed in the library for a month-long display. This is the first time the Texas Society of Sculptors (TSOS) has chosen a library for this annual show and we’re pleased and flattered to think that they consider our building an appropriate location. Staff members have been working with Dar Richardson, who is in charge of the show, for several months to make sure the artworks will be safe and secure while providing an enjoyable experience for the many people who pass through our doors.

Smaller pieces will be displayed on pedestals but many of the sculptures are large and free-standing. Most will be on the second floor, on the bridge and in the open aisles of the adult stacks. However, there will be a small group on pedestals in the children’s room, because the planners thought the kids would be intrigued by these particular works, and there will be others in the lobby and areas near the circulation desk

We want everyone to enjoy this great opportunity to see the work of artists from central Texas. Please remember, though, that no matter how sturdily built a piece may appear to be, it should not be handled. Use this sculpture show as a way to teach your children about how some things are only meant to be looked at, not explored physically. These works belong to the artists, not to the library, and therefore must be treated differently than the materials we lend and the playthings in the children’s room.

On Sunday, June 15, from 3 to 6 p.m., the TSOS will hold an opening reception in the library’s Hewlett Room to which the public is invited. This is your opportunity to meet the artists and to talk with them about their work.

The following Saturday, from 1 to 5 p.m., again in the Hewlett Room, three artists will demonstrate working in three media–stone, wax, and clay. After having seen the pieces on display, you’ll be able to see exactly how some of them began and learn about how painstaking and time-consuming the artistic process is.

The TSOS show will be at the library until June 29.

The staff of the cafe will be enjoying a much deserved day off on Sunday, June 15.

Many people in our community use the services of the IRS-trained volunteers who each year, during the January through April tax season, help people prepare their income tax returns. One of these volunteers has agreed to be available on an as-needed basis throughout the year. He will help you file an amended or a late return or will answer your questions about those situations.

To preserve his privacy, I’m not going to give you his direct phone number, but if you will contact Kathleen Bowling (the library’s volunteer coordinator) at 930-3624, she will give the tax volunteer your contact information and he will call you back. Please understand that this kind man is a volunteer and may not be available at a moment’s notice.