Mark Twain was from Florida

Today is Mark Twain's 171st birthday. Born on this day in Florida, Missouri in 1835 as Samuel Clemens.

We are fully aware of Twain's impact on literature. Tom Sawyer was published in 1875 and Huckleberry Finn in 1885. What many may not know is that Twain was a world traveler. He was a newspaper correspondent and traveled to Hawaii and covered international locations. He wrote of his experiences in The Innocents Abroad (1869).

Personally, the one thing I find interesting about Twain and his background is his place of birth. He was born in a town named for a state in central Missouri. Quick research on Florida, Missouri does not reveal much. Probably because the township of Florida has only 9 people living there. That is correct...9 people. There are 3 men and 6 women, and the average age is 29.5 (US Census, 2000). My guess is that most of the time the tourists out number the residents.

In Twain's autobiography he refers to Florida as a "wee village." He also stated, "The village contained a hundred people and I increased the population by 1 per cent. It is more than many of the best men in history could have done for a town."

This is a photograph of Mark Twain's home in Florida, Missouri. It's interesting to look at this image, and think about Twain and his impact.

To help you celebrate Twain's birth, I am offering two links that provide additional information.

The Mark Twain House and Museum is the home owned by Twain from 1874 to 1891 in Hartford, CT. http://www.marktwainhouse.org/

Twain Quotes is a simple to navigate site with Twain's quotes organized by subject. http://www.twainquotes.com/quotesatoz.html

Image Credits:

Portrait of Clemens from VANITY FAIR magazine courtesy of Dave Thomson (Thanks, Dave...Cool Site: http://www.twainquotes.com)

Thank you to the Paris (MO) Chamber of Commerce for allowing me to use the image of Twain's birthplace.

All Wet

I have received some comments from folks asking for a picture of the ice water pouring over my head...so here it is. Kenny, in the Clemson hat, is assisted by son, Harry.

As they say in the sporting world, "Wait until next year!"

Global Bike

When I began this blog, about a month ago, I had no idea where it would go or what I would write about. I have tried to find items of relative interest that relate to libraries and to the community. Today, I want to commit some space to an interesting Spartanburg based initiative...Global Bike or "globalbike".

From the globalbike blog:

"globalbike is a spartanburg, sc based project that purchases bikes for community care workers in developing countries. these bikes are made in the country they are being used. globalbike currently has 22 bikes in operation in Zambia. these bikes are allowing community care workers to see more patients - carry more supplies - and most importantly do their volunteer work more effectively."

This program is the passion of Curt McPhail. Curt has started a new blog: http://globalbike.blogspot.com/ . You will find photos and program information. I encourage interested folks to take a look. If anything else, you are able to see how a small dream can have a big impact.

Not a bad thought to mull over as we enter a new year.

Physical Properties of Ice and Water

This formula shows the thermal conductivity of ice (near -20°C). How does someone use "ice" and "thermal" in the same concept?

I never was much of a chemist. Ask my dad, a PhD. chemist with a patent or two. He knows that I struggled through Mr. McCoy's high school chemistry class. Oh well, I am certain that I learned something.

One theory that will be tested and proven later today is that water and ice are very COLD...especially when mixed. The Gamecocks won on the field, but they lost the food drive. So, today I will stand on the front steps as the winning "coach", Kenny, pours a cooler of ice water over my head. Brrrrr.

It was all for a good cause. Pass a towel, please!

Turkey Day 8K Run

Just a quick note. The Turkey Day 8K Run was this morning. Ben, my oldest son, and I volunteered. It was a fun time and just a little too cold. There were 175 folks who "braved" the cool temps to complete the Run/Walk. The route went down the rail trail, the greenway, through town, Hampton Heights and back to the Foundation.

Jack Todd, the librarian at the SC School for the Deaf and Blind, pushed through. Jack is a dedicated runner and a great example.

I am hopeful that everyone will have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving

Well, tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. According to AAA, 38.3 million people will travel by car more than 50 miles from home for Thanksgiving Day. That's a lot of people on the road.

I wish for everyone the happiest and safest of Thanksgivings.

If you are looking for something to do...may I suggest my good friend Curt McPhail's "Turkey Day Run/Walk"? The event will start at 7:30am from the Mary Black Foundation Offices on East Main Street - registration is at 7am and doesn't cost anything except one can good.

Graphic: Spartanburg County Public Libraries

Children's Book Week

Today is the last day of Children's Book Week. My mistake for not writing about this earlier. So, what is your favorite children's book?

When I was young, I loved Curious George books. I enjoyed seeing what kind of trouble Curious George would get into. Who could forget wondering if it was at all possible to float away with a handful of helium balloons? Recently, I thought about Curious George and the balloons while I was at the Fair.

While reading Curious George books I was always impressed with the loyalty of the man in the yellow hat (What is his name anyway?). He could have easily sent Curious George back to the jungle, put him in a zoo or given him away. But for all of the agony and embarrassment that George caused, the man in the yellow hat remained patient and unconditionally faithful. Not a bad lesson even in today’s world.

Some of you may not know this, but the world came close to never having George. You see, the creators of Curious George, H.A. and Margret Rey, lived in France. The Reys rode bicycles out of France the day the Germans invaded Paris in 1940. The Reys hid the manuscript of Curious George amongst their few possessions. For more information on the Reys life and Curious George you can visit the Houghton Mifflin web site here: Curious George.




Note: Graphics owned and credited to The Children's Book Council and Houghton Mifflin Company.

Library Cards as Gift Cards?

Well, in one week Black Friday will be upon us. This is the day after Thanksgiving and the first shopping day of the Holiday Season. There are numerous web sites pushing "deals" for your Black Friday shopping experience. Here are just a few:

Black Friday 2006
Black Friday Info
Black Friday Ads
Black Friday - GottaDeal

Some folks have countered the Holiday stress of picking out just the right gift by purchasing gift cards. It makes perfect sense. No fuss and no marathon shopping trips.

Well, I have a thought. What if folks gave Library cards as presents? Yes, policies and procedures could hinder one person from getting a Library card for another, but...

What if? The gift of a Library card would last a lifetime. Think about how stress free your shopping would become. A Library card would not have to be exchanged for a different color or size, a Library card is portable and it fits nicely into a card, and best of all it is FREE.

This is just a thought that needs to be explored, but I am certain there are creative folks out there who have some interesting ways we could implement this. So, if not this year...maybe next. Any suggestions?

Cookout for the Branches

Jayne and I hosted a cookout a few weeks ago at the Headquarters Library, and we took the show on the road on Wednesday. The weather created somewhat of a challenge, and we appreciate all the folks who ventured out! Jean and her folks at Boiling Springs hosted us. Thanks to Randy for his help.

No pictures of Jayne grilling this time. She is the one behind the camera.

We are going to put the grilling equipment away for the year, and we will dust it off in the Spring.

Photo: Randy, Jean and Todd

Let the Game Begin!

The Clemson/Carolina Food drive begins TODAY! For details you may click on either team logo.

The Headquarters Library will show the "real" game on a large projection screen - Saturday, November 25 at 12:00/noon in the Barrett Room.

ETV Roadshow Comes to Town

It has been a busy weekend! Yesterday it was Terrier Tales at Wofford (see previous post), and today it was the ETV Roadshow.

The Roadshow visits towns in South Carolina, and provides communities an opportunity to show off what makes their town special. The Library partnered with the Roadshow which gave us a chance to show off the Library and the resources we have available to the community. Piggley Winks From “Jakers! The Adventures Of Piggley Winks”spent the day at the Library visiting with children and families.

Interviews were held with people from the community while Piggley Winks was at the Library. The interviews were about 3-4 minutes long and interviews included Paul Riddle (Marshall Tucker Band), Mayor Bill Barnet, Mary Thomas (County Foundation), John Bryan (Assault on Mount Mitchell), Willie Korn (Byrnes High School quarterback) , Betsy Teter (Hub City Writers Project), Harold Mitchell (SC House), and many, many more.

My interview was held just feet from the first library in Spartanburg where Extended Stay HQ's now stands. I discussed local history resources and Jamboread! For the Roadshow's schedule and for more information you may visit the ETV/Roadshow website.

Photos: ETV Trucks setup on the exact location of Spartanburg's first library (The Extended Stay site); SC House Representative Harold Mitchell during his interview; View of the crowd downtown.

Wofford AND the Libraries win big!

Wofford beat Chattanooga 55-0! The Libraries won, too. Over 200 children participated in the Terrier Tales Reading program. Children read 10 books and received a free ticket to today's game. Thanks again to Wofford and ESPN Radio.

The Bookmobile made a visit, and folks enjoyed visiting and reading.

Veterans Day Resources

The Library of Congress has put together a great resource about our Veterans. The Veterans History Project - Experiencing War - The Art of War. The project includes a database, stories, visual and audio files including photos, paintings, and cartoons. You may click on the graphic to access the site. Veterans Day is November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War One.

Closer to Home:
The cool thing about the Headquarters Library is that the Veteran's Day parade comes right down Church Street directly in front of the Library. The bands, the floats, and yes, the veterans...men and women who made a commitment to protect our country and our freedoms. The parade is held Friday, November 10 (today) at 2:00.

There are several veterans and parents of soldiers that work for our Library system. One in particular, is our head of security, Fred. You can find a profile of Fred as well as other local soldiers in the current issue of Spartanburg Magazine.

Fred spent 18 months in Vietnam, and he is quoted as saying, "When the country calls, I had to do what I was supposed to do."

Libraries are a reflection of the freedoms that belong to us as Americans. Thanks to Fred and those who have made the sacrifice to insure our freedom.

You can find more about Veterans Day here:
Wikipedia: Veterans Day: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day :

United States Department of Veterans Affairs: http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/

Library of Congress-American Memory: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/nov11.html

Tis' the Flu Season

Tis' the season. Flu season and all of the hype is upon us. With that said, those who are in contact with the public know how important it is to take the proper precautions.

Yesterday was the first of two days that Flu shots were offered to staff. This is not a mandated vaccination program, but an opportunity for us to offer resources to help staff ward off the dreaded Flu. Thanks to Jayne, Susan and Cindi for coordinating the effort.

DHEC will provide the vaccine to the public as well. On Monday December 4th from 1-4pm DHEC is giving flu shots at the Landrum Library. The cost is $25.

DHEC's website offers tips on how to stay healthy this flu season, http://www.scdhec.gov/flu/, and a copy of DHEC's complete vaccination schedule is located here: http://www.scdhec.gov/flu/clinics.pdf (You will need to scroll to page 4 for Spartanburg's schedule - note, the schedule is not complete.) For up to date information you may call DHEC at 864-596-3337.

Graphic Courtesy of: www.kidshealth.org

Upgrading BLOG Software

I have changed over to Blogger's new software, and those who subscribe to this Blog through Bloglines may find that previous posts are marked as new. Sorry. It should only happen once.

Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

As folks were out voting today, the Spartanburg County Public Libraries was hosting Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. The Friends of the Libraries helped fund boxed lunches at each of our libraries. Law enforcement officers were invited to have lunch as a way for us to say thanks for all they do to help us stay safe. Our relationship with our Police and our Sheriff's Departments is important, and we appreciate all they do for the Libraries. Thanks!

Clemson/South Carolina Food Drive

The Clemson/Carolina game is a true South Carolina tradition. The third longest uninterrupted football series in collegiate sports - the Tigers and the Gamecocks have played each other since 1909. Nothing can be as divisive as having a Carolina fan and a Clemson fan in the family. Emotions run deep. It is something that is difficult to explain to someone outside of the State. It is just the way it is.

Well, for many, many years some very creative people have used "the game" to do something positive for charity. There have been blood drives, winter coat collection drives, toy drives, etc. In each case, the Clemson fans competed against the Carolina fans to see who could collect the most.

The Libraries' Staff Association has developed a way of capitalizing on the big game. Here are the rules:

Clemson/Carolina Food Drive for the Soup Kitchen!
Begins on November 15th through November 22nd.
Boxes at each library location– one box per team

Todd will be the Carolina “Coach” and

Kenny will be the Clemson “Coach” with Jayne as the Assistant.

The “Game” will start on November 15th with a point for each food item contributed to employee’s team of choice. “Half-time” results will be announced on Monday November 20th.

All employees that participate in this event will enjoy a casual dress day on Wednesday November 22nd. (Blue jeans, team shirts, etc.)

Results of the game will be announced after the Thanksgiving Holiday.

See which coach gets dunked with a cooler of ice water on the front steps of the Headquarters Library. Don’t worry branches. We will have pictures to share with the whole system.

Yes, we welcome contributions from the public. So, whether you are a Carolina fan, Clemson fan or neither - you have an opportunity to help our community.

More on Myrtle Beach

Back from the Grand Strand, and I am fairly worn out. The beach in the off season always offers a different perspective. I had mentioned that I was going to Myrtle Beach with 15 teens...actually 13. I am always amazed at the level of energy a group of teens can generate. Asleep at 2:00am, up at 7:00am- full day of activities - a game of midnight football under a full moon on the beach, back to bed at 1:30am, up at 7:30am - drive home.

The cigarette lighter was plugged in with charging cell phones and i-pods. The teens were texting at midnight, and they were texting at 3:00 in the afternoon. They were taking pictures with their cell phones, and sending photos to friends. They would listen to the guest speaker with one earbud dropped, so they could listen to music, too. They don't slow down!

My planned informal survey did not come together as there were too many other things happening. I did have a funny encounter with a security guard.

The guard at the hotel was Lenny. He has retired to the Grand Strand from Buffalo, New York. It was about 11:00 on Saturday night and I was parking the van at an off-site parking facility. Lenny provided the ride back from the parking area back to the hotel. He asked where I was from, and I told him Spartanburg. He got excited and said (in a very upstate New York accent), "I have been to Spartanburg! I heard they built this great library for 15 million dollars and I didn't believe it, so I went up there to see for myself, and you know, they did. It was the most beautiful library I have ever seen. Now Greenville has one, too."

I was little taken aback. I introduced myself, and he got even more excited about the Friends of the Libraries' book sale. He and his wife run a small used book store, and they travel to the book sale for their shop.

If I wasn't so beat...I would have spent more time with Lenny. I gave him my business card, and asked him to look me up the next time he was in town. I'll make certain that he receives the .25 cent tour.

I love it when things like this happen...you just never know...

Beach "Retreat"

I am heading to Myrtle Beach for the weekend with 15 teenagers. This has nothing to do with libraries; however, I am going to ask them...one at a time...what comes to mind when you think of a library? The results, I am sure, will be interesting. I'll report in later!

The Passing of William Styron

Today, I awoke to the news that William Styron has died. In this fast paced news society - the word of Styron's death does not even make the top 10 news stories on Google News, CNN or FOX. In fact, Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff's reunion on Baywatch received higher billing.

Forbes.com had the most appropriate opening to the news of Styron's death:
"They were the children of Hemingway and Faulkner and survivors of World War II: young, muscular writers who lived hard, worshipped the craft and believed that through the Great American Novel, they could capture the world. Norman Mailer. James Jones. Irwin Shaw.
And William Styron." (Forbes.com)

In April 2000, William Styron came to Spartanburg as the annual Friends of the Libraries speaker. Styron was about 75 when he visited. I remember how tired Styron looked as he greeted guests at the front door of the Cleveland House at Converse College. He was pleasant and cordial, but he looked like a man who, as Forbes put it, had lived hard. He reminded me of my grandfather.

Following the reception, Styron was scheduled to speak for 45 minutes in front of 250 at Converse's Daniel Recital Hall. Honestly, I was not sure if he could pull it off. I was wrong. Styron stood before an enthusiastic group and he delivered. He read from his books, he told stories and jokes. He made us laugh. He gave us a peek inside the dark world of alcoholism, war and depression. He made us think.

Today, the news of Styron's death may go relatively unnoticed, but his influence on American literature will not.

Photo Credit: Photograph: Eamonn McCabe/Guardian

The Happy Tree Video Game?

Bob Ross was the painting guy on PBS. He would paint an elaborate landscape with a "happy tree" here and there within a thirty minute show. When I was a kid I would stumble across his show on Saturday mornings. It was not difficult to find his show when you only had channels 4-NBC, 7-WSPA, 13-ABC and ETV/PBS.

I would watch this guy as he dabbed the brush against the canvas, and then he would whisper about "the gurgling creek as it winds around the happy tree." I guess he was like a Mister Rogers of sorts. I was hypnotized by his running commentary and his ability to actually paint a complex landscape in such a short amount of time. He would always leave you feeling as if you could paint the exact same landscape with three brushes, a knife, and a few colors. Maybe I could, but as a kid I had other interests.

You would not know this by visiting his website (http://www.bobross.com/), but Bob has been deceased for over ten years. The business part of his life lives on...one brush and tube of paint at a time.

I am curious to see the response to the Bob Ross video game (release date unknown). Announced in March 2006, the game will run on a PC, Nintendo DS and the Wii. The Wii remote will serve as a paintbrush. Painting happy trees in a high tech world. Interesting...

Our Libraries keep a variety of Bob's how-to books and videos, so you can teach yourself how to paint Bob's way or you can wait until the video game makes its debut.

Either way, I think I will keep to doodling in the margins. After all, it's a happy little stick man.