Smyrna Public Library Presents “Women of the Dust Bowl”

The Smyrna Public Library presented “Women of the Dust Bowl” this afternoon.

This afternoon’s event included live interpretations of real women who lived through the Dust Bowl. Attendees also enjoyed the music of Woody Guthrie and refreshments in the Smyrna Library Meeting Room. 

The event also showcased the "Dust, Drought and Dreams Gone Dry" traveling exhibit and antique cars from the 1930s that were on display in the parking lot.

Learn more about upcoming Dust Bowl program-related events by clicking here. 

Smyrna Public Library to Screen “The Dust Bowl’, a film by Ken Burns

To compliment the ongoing “Dust, Drought and Dreams Gone Dry” exhibition, the Smyrna Public Library will be screening Ken Burns’ documentary “The Dust Bowl”. The dates are:

Part 1

Sunday Mar. 15, 2015

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Part 2

Sunday Mar. 22, 2015

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

The movies are free of charge and will be screened in the downstairs meeting room.

"Dust, Drought and Dreams Gone Dry" Traveling Exhibit Opens in Display Gallery and Reading Room

"Dust, Drought and Dreams Gone Dry" features twenty colorful, illustrated panels about the Plains area before, during and after the Dust Bowl occurred.

The exhibit uses nineteenth and twentieth century images and quotations, memories of the Dust Bowl from oral histories and recent scholarly analysis.

Be sure to check one of Smyrna Library's many books and materials for further reading about The Dust Bowl. The exhibit is on display from March 7, 2015 to April 15, 2015.

Oils & Acrylics by Barabara Ali Opens in Art Gallery

Barbara Ali studied art in high school and in college. While earning her degree at Earlham College she was chosen to participate in studies abroad where she studied the works of many master artists. She lived for several years in Paris as well as in the south of France. Her strongest influences have been the impressionists, realists and surrealists. The influences of European artists continue to be evident in her work.

Barbara's works reveal a fascination with the intricacies of the world around us. She is inspired by the small things in life and the beauty that can be found even in ordinary things. Having grown up in a rural setting Barbara has a deep love of nature and she taps into that relationship in her work. She often works Plein Air, allowing the sights and sounds of the outdoors to influence her pieces.

Barbara is drawn to a diverse range of subjects which allows her the freedom to express many thoughts and many moods. Her subjects range from a vase of flowers to a simple "moment in time" to imaginary worlds where the viewer creates his own storyline. Her gallery consists of portraits, still lifes and landscapes, as well as imaginative pieces.

Barbara's works have been shown in both national and local exhibitions.

Smyrna Public Library Announces Free lynda.com Service for Library Card Holders

Want to learn Photoshop, Excel, or WordPress? Now you can access thousands of online self-paced courses for free with your Smyrna Public Library card. 

lynda.com is an online learning site that hosts a constantly growing library of over 3,000 courses that include over 130,000 videos.

Courses cover a variety of topics (including business, design, web development and multimedia skills) and software (Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite and open source applications) that can help you pursue personal and professional goals. These courses are delivered by expert instructors and feature searchable transcripts that make it easy to find quick answers to questions. They also feature Certificates of Completion that can be uploaded to a LinkedIn profile.

Normally, using lynda.com requires a paid subscription, but as a Smyrna Public Library cardholder you can access lynda.com content from any device with an Internet connection simply by entering your library card barcode and 4-digit PIN.

(Please note that you can only access course content through Smyrna Library's lynda.com login page, and not by directly visiting the lynda.com homepage. Bookmark accordingly. Please also note that while the BPL's lynda.com accounts are accessible through mobile devices, they are not accessible through lynda.com apps. Please use your mobile device's browser.)

Once you have logged into lynda.com with your library barcode you must create a personalized lynda.com account by entering your name and e-mail address. This account can help you manage your course history, playlists, bookmarks, and Certificates of Completion. Many courses also feature exercise files, so that if you're watching a tutorial about Microsoft Excel you can follow the activity with downloadable, pre-populated Excel spreadsheet files.

“The Tuskegee Airmen: The Segregated Skies of World War II” Exhibition Opens

The exhibition, explores the history and heroism of the first African-American pilots to fly in combat during World War II. In 1941 the U.S. Army established a segregated training program for African American pilots at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama.

Over the next five years, more than 1,000 pilots trained in what became known as the “Tuskegee Experiment.” The Red Tails, as they became known in combat, compiled a stellar record during the war. These pilots and 16,000 men and women who served as support personnel are all part of the Tuskegee Airmen.

While their success did not bring broad social change at home, their service during the war influenced President Truman to integrate the military in 1948. The ten-panel “Tuskegee Airmen” exhibit is presented by the Museum of History and Holocaust Education in partnership with Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama.

First Sunday Lecture – William Marchione Speaks on Vinings Folk Artist Nellie Mae Rowe

Smyrna historian Dr. William P. Marchione Ph.D. kicked off the Smyrna Public Library’s celebration of African American History Month with an informative presentation on Vinings folk artist Nellie Mae Rowe.

A creative and resourceful self-taught artist, Nellie Mae Rowe gained national recognition during the last decade of her life (1970s). Long before that, she was well known locally in Vinings by visitors who came to her exuberantly embellished home, which contained her drawings, stuffed dolls, and recycled objects. Her works are on display at the High Museum of Art, the Smithsonian and other public and private collections. [New Georgia Encyclopedia]

The First Sunday Lecture is sponsored by The Friends of Smyrna Library. For more information, visit www.friendsofsmyrnalibrary.org.