Summer Reading Sign-Up: Dig Into Reading!!!

Mrs. Sarah is ready to "Dig Into Reading" this summer!  Stop by the library to register for the Summer Reading Program and check out our digger on loan from the Smyrna Public Works.

The Summer Reading program this year has events and prizes for ALL AGES!

Great Story About Library Baseball Exhibit

A library patron brought his personal baseball scrapbook in to the library to show the Adult Services Librarian who created this display. He had been a batboy for one of the teams in the book, "Southern League."

He thanked her for creating the display because he had not known the book existed until he saw it in the library.

Play Ball !!!

First-Ever Adult Summer Reading Program

For the first time, Smyrna Public Library will offer an Adult Summer Reading program. There are events and reading incentives for adults too!  Grown-ups will have a summer of "Groundbreaking Reads" with author visits, lectures, book discussions, and a chance to win a Google Nexus tablet too.

Upcoming Events:

First Sunday Lecture: "Blacks and the Olympic Games"
Speaker: Idorenyin Uyoe, Olympics Historian
Sunday, June 2, 3:00 p.m.
Meeting Room

Book Club: Friends Reading Group
Discussion of Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
Tuesday, June 4, 7:00 p.m.
Conference Room

Author Appearance: Joshilyn Jackson, A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty
"Breaking Ground on a New Novel: Where and How Do Books Begin?"
Tuesday, June 18, 10:30 a.m.
Meeting Room

First Sunday Lecture: "Smyrna, 1900 to 1930"
Speaker: Dr. William P. Marchione, Historian
Sunday, July 7, 3:00 p.m.
Meeting Room

Author Appearance: Anthony Grooms, Bombingham
"History, Science and Fact: Writing Historical and Science Fiction Stories"
Tuesday, July 9, 10:30 a.m.
Meeting Room

2013 Summer Reading Program for Kids & Teens

Smyrna Public Library is sponsoring summer reading incentive programs for all ages this year. For children aged 10 and younger, the Library offers story times, special events, and prizes for reading. This year's theme is "Dig Into Reading," and some of the activities include a visit from Peter Rabbit, a treasure hunt, and a "Bug Squad" party.

"Dig Into Reading" is for babies through incoming 5th grade kids

Our teen and tween readers can look forward special programs every Tuesday such as a Steampunk Art project and T-shirt Reconstruction project. A special event for teens is an author visit by Jackson Pearce, author of Fathomless and Sisters Red. The grand prize in the incentive drawing for teens is a 7" Google Nexus tablet. Go "Beneath the Surface" this summer and explore new authors, titles and experiences!

"Beneath the Surface" is for incoming 6th through 12th grade.

There will be many fabulous events and reading incentives for babies through teenagers. The Friends of the Smyrna Library are sponsoring many of the great performers and prizes. We also want to thank the City of Smyrna and the Smyrna business community. Local businesses have really stepped up this year and provided loads of coupons and discounts for participating kids and families.

First Sunday Lecture Series: Images of Vinings

Cobb County Public Library Vinings Branch librarian Susan Kendall spoke on her recently published photographic history of the neighboring community of Vinings. This book covers the area’s history from its original native American population to the dynamic Vinings of the Platinum Triangle and contains over 200 vintage photographs, many published for the first time.

Photography by Diane Watson Exhibit Opens in Art Gallery

Diane Watson is an award-winning photographer from Duluth, Georgia and from the World. Diane has spent much of her career (starting at age 8) shooting travel photographs which document the contrasts between people and their environment. She is always in search of hidden gems and funky images. Her photos have captured the beautiful and not so beautiful on five continents.

Being a survivor of Hurricane Andrew, Diane offers her services as a photo inventory specialist for home and business owners. She is currently writing a book which will help home owners and small businesses avoid a financial disaster after a natural disaster.

The images of Cambodia in this exhibit were taken in January 2012. Cambodia is a nation attempting to recover from the devastation of the Pol Pot Regime. These photographs capture the contrasts between the very rich and the desperately poor. The Cambodian people are beautiful in spirit, and always greet you with a bright smile no matter what their circumstances.

Also included in this exhibit are images from the Atlanta Botanical Garden as well as photographs of Dale Chihuly’s colorful glass sculptures in the Seattle Center.

Please enjoy the bright and colorful images from Diane Watson!

Contact Diane at dkwphotos@gmail.com or 770-309-4924

Paintings & Paper Arts by Janet Warren Exhibit Opens in Display Gallery

A native of Alabama, Janet (Jan) Warren graduated from Jacksonville State University and moved to Georgia in 1970. Her love of color began in childhood with drives in the country on Sundays after church with her family. At the time, she complained the only thing to look at were green and brown trees. Soon she began to notice the variety of shapes and shades of color each tree possessed.

Coming from a family of creative thinkers, she enjoys assisting others in interior design and in the arts. Living in metro-Atlanta has given her the opportunity to study under several local artists and she continues to search for new avenues of learning. She has painted with oils in the past, but recently she has been working with acrylics and watercolor pencils.

Jan’s first challenge in acrylics was to paint a “rooster,” suggested by her teacher. She found roosters make an exciting subject and she continues this pursuit. Being a true Aquarian, she loves versatility in her art and continues to seek out new subjects to paint. She is excited to share her newest creations with you during May and June, 2013. Jan’s love of art can be found in her contemporary and traditional art, greeting cards, and gift items.

Her client base extends from Alaska to Florida. Jan’s art is also available at Donna Van Gogh’s in Decatur, Marietta’s First Friday ArtWalk during the months of April through October 2013. Her work is listed as Janzart Originals and is located at the Arts of Cobb, 19 Powder Springs St, Marietta.

She shares her art on Facebook under Creative Tapestry. Janzart Originals and gift items are at (1) Creativetapestry.com, (2) Fine Art of America and, (3) soon she will be on Etsy. For more information about her work, you are welcome to email her at janzartoriginals@yahoo.com