Blog Entries

Are you ready to read and earn prizes?  

Are you ready for the Tails & Tales summer reading program?  It's time to sign up for the library's online reading program!  It's easy and fun!  Kids 12 and under can earn points for time spent reading.  Register, track your reading progress, and earn badges online at  https://fortsmithlibrary.readsquared.com/.  You will also be able to download the READsquared app (available for iOS and Android devices). For more information, watch this Tails & Tales video!

Log the ti...

In the United States, we celebrate Asians and Pacific Islanders during the month of May.  In 1977, two resolutions introducing Asian/Pacific American Heritage Weeks failed to pass Congress.  In June 1978, Representative Frank Horton tried again – this time with a resolution suggesting that the president should “proclaim a week, which is to include the seventh and tenth of the month, during the first ten days in May of 1979 as ‘Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.’” That resolution passed and President Jimmy Carter signed it into law on October 5, 1978.  Annually, presidents ...

April 4-10, 2021 is National Library Week!

National Library Week is a time to remember how libraries and librarians contribute and promote library use in our communities and is celebrated in libraries across the nation every April.  The week was first sponsored in 1958 by the National Book Committee (a partnership between the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers), with the theme “Wake Up and Read!”  The National Book Committee disbanded in 1974, leaving the American Library Association to assume the full sponsorship.

This year’s theme is “Welc...

It's Women's History Month and what better way to celebrate than with some great books about great women?  I love reading picture book biographies and have learned so much from them. You can too!  

Can You Answer These Questions?

Who was Mary Fields and how did she help settle the American west?

Who thought having a children's room in the library was important?

Who designed the Vietnam War Memorial?

Who are two of the greatest female tennis players of all time?

Who designed the Disney ride "It's a Small World"? Read Full Blog

Women’s History Month celebrates the vast contributions that women have made throughout history.  Beginning as a local festivity in California in 1978, President Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation in 1980 and made it a national celebration.  The week of March 8 was chosen to coincide with International Women’s Day.  In 1987, Congress decided to extend the celebration to a month, creating Women’s History Month. 

The theme for Women's History Month 2022 is Providing Healing, Providing Hope and is a tribute to all of the women who have provided heal...

Storytime with Matia

Have you seen any of Matia's storytimes?  Like a lot of good ideas, it came about almost by accident.  When the library staff recorded Happy in Our Skin, Matia did such a wonderful job that she was a natural choice to spotlight many of the diverse books in the library collection. When asked what storytime has meant to her, Matia states, "It has meant a lot to me to be able to read the many diverse stories that I do!   Each book I have read as a part of our diverse storytime, I have related to in one way or another. From having famil...

Concrete Rose, the prequel to The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, is ready for you to check out!  Concrete Rose takes place seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give and tells the story of seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter.  He knows that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad's in prison.

Life's not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav's got ...

Can I tell you a secret? 

When I first began as the Youth Services Librarian in 2007, I was really nervous about storytime.  I'd spent the majority of my 22-year teaching career at Alma Primary School, first teaching Kindergarten then teaching library for many years.  But, as you know, there is a WORLD of developmental difference in toddlers and preschoolers and a kindergartner!  And there were parents!  How was I going to sing in front of parents?  After a few months, however, I became more comfortable and grew to truly love my storytime families. ...

Last year, teens across Arkansas voted I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall as the winner of the Level 1 (Grades 7-9) Arkansas Teen Book Award.  The Cruel Prince by Holly Black was the runner-up.  The Level 2 winner (Grades 10-12) was Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson, and the runner-up was On the Come Up by Angie Thomas.  Voting opened for the 2020-2021 nominees on September 25, 2020 and will run through August 31, 2021.  Any Arkansas teen can vote for Level 1, Level 2, or both!

For more information or to nominate a book for a future list, click here. &...

In this unusual world we're living in right now, there's always something we can count on: books!  From Christmas to Hanukkah, animals to space, poetry to sports, there are so many wonderful books to experience.  A fun way to share the joy of books is to sponsor one in your loved ones' name through our annual Perfect Gift fundraiser.  Our library kiddos love to see the label in the front of the book with their name on it!  Since my grandchildren don't live here, I like to sponsor a book in their name then buy them a copy of the book to keep.  I tell them that "...

Let's Celebrate!

Let’s celebrate Picture Book Month by reading at least one picture book a day.  Here are some your librarians’ and library staff member's favorite picture books to get you started. 

If YOU have a favorite picture book, let us know.  We would like to read your favorites too!

The Color Kittens and Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by David Catrow

The Five-Dog Night by...

The Teens' Top Ten Award, sponsored by YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association), is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year.  Members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country help nominate the titles to be voted on.  The nominations are posted on the Thursday of National Library Week, and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year. Readers ages twelve to eighteen vote online between August 15 - October 15 on the Teens' Top Ten  si...

 

¡Celebrar!

Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of Latino Americans to the United States. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively.*

Have you read these? The Poet X, With the Fire on High, and Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo Mexi...

 

There are many wonderful awards that books can earn, but one that is particulary special is the one that is voted on by the children of each state.  For younger children, Oklahoma has the Sequoyah Book Award, Wyoming has the Buckaroo Book Award, Arizona has the Grand Canyon Reader Award and Arkansas has the Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award.  (You can find a complete list of the state awards here.)  

 

Who Votes?

Arkansas students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade have been casting their vote for the Charlie May...

Hey everyone! We hope you’re all hanging in there during these strange times. We know a lot of you are participating in virtual schooling this year. When we spend a lot of time at home, random stuff tends to pile up- usually without us even realizing it. With how the past several months have been, there are probably all kinds of things lying around in your homes. So, we have created the QuaranTEEN Photo Challenge!

The rules are simple: Include as many of the items from this list as you can in one single photo. Then, be sure to post your photo in the comments when we post "The...