Author name: Jessica Stroud

HCPL app

HCPL unveils new app

Latest, New services, Notices, Technology / /

The HCPL app prioritizes a library user’s needs and places the Harrison County Public Library virtually in their hands. One can quickly see the items that they have checked out or on hold, search the entire online catalog that now includes digital content from OverDrive and hoopla. Library users can view, listen or download titles directly from the app.

The new app offers one-stop access to browsing and registering for library activities for all ages, all HCPL eResources, current HCPL news, and links to social media. The app also features a handy virtual library card to present to library staff when checking out items.

“By using the library app, a person only has to look in one place for everything—they don’t have to go to separate websites or browse multiple apps. The app gives users easy access to HCPL services and resources wherever they are whenever they need them,” said Alisa Burch, Library Director. “If you have a phone or mobile device you can easily borrow eBooks and electronic audiobooks, stream movies and locate and reserve traditional print books and DVDs all from one app.”

If you have a question about the app, please visit www.hcpl.lib.in.us and click on “Contact Us”, or call your local HCPL branch.

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Nature Club – Creek Walk – July 7, 2022

Notices, Youth Activities / /

by Eden Ransdell, Youth Services Assistant

Harrison County Public Library employee Eden Ransdell took the Nature Club into Indian Creek for science fun.  Families visited 3 stations to learn ways to identify the health of Indian Creek.

At Ms. Eden’s station, families used a kick net to sample macroinvertebrates (insect larvae and other small critters) that cling to rocks and plants in the creek’s riffles.  Indian Creek’s diverse insect life earned a score of 30, which is considered Excellent Water Quality.

Volunteer Calvin Hall led students in conducting chemical tests for fertilizer pollution as well as measuring the water’s levels of oxygen and acidity.  Indian Creek earned 3 points out of 4, a rating of Good Water Quality.

HCPL Youth Services Manager Diana Lasky’s explorers used water viewers and dip nets to find even more aquatic life in the shallow edges of the creek.  Some highlights were baby dragonflies and a very beautiful leech.

When asked, “Why take the kids into the creek?”  Ms. Eden replied, “I want the children and families to know that there are small creatures in the water and by identifying those creatures, you can tell how healthy  the water is.”

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Rapt Audience

Silly Safaris – Summer Reading Program

Notices, Reading Program, Youth Activities / /

The Friends of Harrison County Library sponsored Daisy Doodle of Silly Safaris at the Boys and Girls Club for a live animal show on June 20.  The Friends raise funds by selling gently used books on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. from The Book Box in the library parking lot.

audience

The audience was enthralled with the animals featuring: Remington the Yorkie puppy, an armadillo, a milk snake, a hermit crab, a tarantula, a baby alligator, Hoosier the Eurasian eagle-owl, a tortoise and a rabbit.

All 235 guests were offered a chance to take two fingers and gently pet the backs of Remington, Hoosier, the armadillo, the rabbit and tortoise; and view the tarantula and hermit crab up close.

Hoosier Eurasian Eagle Owl
Armadillo
Snake 3
Owl 2
Turtle
Tarantula
Hermit crab
rabbit2

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2022 County Committee Elections

Nominations open for local Farm Service Agency County Committee Elections

Notices / /

The nomination period for the local Farm Service Agency County Committee Election begins June 15, 2022 and ends August 1, 2022. Elections across Indiana will take place this fall.

Locally, elections will be held in the following Local Administrative Areas (LAA):

  • LAA 3- Harrison County (Franklin and Harrison Townships)
  • LAA 5- Floyd County

Agricultural producers may nominate themselves or others as candidates. Organizations that represent minority and women farmers may also nominate candidates. Nominees must participate or cooperate in a program administered by FSA, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and reside in the LAA in which the person is a candidate. To become a nominee, eligible individuals must sign nomination form FSA-669A. This form is available at the local FSA county office and online at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.

The County Committee system is unique within the U.S. government and it ensures fair and equitable administration of FSA farm programs. It is important for the CC to be representative of all agricultural producers in the area, including women, minorities, and beginning farmers.

If you have any questions about the nomination process or FSA programs, please feel free to contact Jennifer Anderson, FSA County Executive Director, at 812-738-8121.

Click to view enlarged map image
Click to view enlarged map image

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Fun Times at Harrison County Public Library During Spring Break Week: March 25 – April 2

Notices, Reading Program, Youth Activities / /

Submitted by Diana Lasky

The weather was up and down, but families found plenty of fun at the library over Spring Break week.  Families had a gorgeous day to find spring wildflowers and plants with Ms. Eden at Nature Club on the Doolittle Trail.  It was very cold, but hearts and bodies were warm during Dance Party at Bicentennial Park with Ms. Savannah.  Can you spot the picture of dancing to the YMCA song? The Palmyra Branch offered a fun and challenging Harry Potter Breakout Room all week.  These were just some of the 10 programs offered by the library.  Don’t forget to check the library youth calendar for programs in April and May.

 

Fun Times at Harrison County Public Library During Spring Break Week: March 25 – April 2 Read More »

The next Big Library Read starts Monday, April 4

Book club, eBooks and audio books, Notices, Virtual program / /

Questlove photo by Daniel Dorsa
Photo by Daniel Dorsa

From April 4 – April 18, readers all over the world will be able to check out the eBook and audiobook of Music is History by Questlove without waitlists or holds. Click here to access the title through HCPL’s OverDrive collection. Music Is History combines Questlove’s deep musical expertise with his curiosity about history, examining America over the past fifty years. This past Sunday, Questlove won the best documentary feature Oscar for his film Summer of Soul about the Harlem Cultural festival of 1969.
Join the conversation online by using the hashtag #biglibraryread on social media for a chance to win a pair of Airpod pros! There is a discussion board available where you can chat with other readers.
Music Is History combines Questlove’s deep musical expertise with his curiosity about history, examining America over the past fifty years.
Focusing on the years 1971 to the present, Questlove finds the hidden connections in the American tapestry, whether investigating how the blaxploitation era reshaped Black identity or considering the way disco took an assembly-line approach to Black genius. And these critical inquiries are complemented by his own memories as a music fan, and the way his appetite for pop culture taught him about America. A history of the last half-century and an intimate conversation with one of music’s most influential and original voices, Music Is History is a singular look at contemporary America.

Download the Discussion Guide
Click image to download the book discussion guide

About Questlove

Academy Award nominated filmmaker, drummer, DJ, producer, director, culinary entrepreneur and New York Times bestseller author Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, is the heartbeat of Philadelphia’s most influential hip-hop group The Roots. He is the Musical Director for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where The Roots also serve as the house band.

Questlove Executive-Produced the acclaimed documentary series, Hip-Hop: The Songs The Shook America on AMC under his production company, Two One Five Entertainment which recently announced a first-look deal with Universal Television to develop scripted and non-scripted programming. He made his directorial debut with the Academy Award nominated feature documentary Summer of Soul. The film premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, where it was awarded the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for Best U.S. Documentary. The film most recently broke the record for the highest selling documentary to come out of Sundance. Questlove is also set to direct the upcoming feature documentary on Sly Stone.

Additionally, he co-produced the GRAMMY Award winning Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hamilton. Questlove co-starred in Disney Pixar’s Golden Globe-winning animated feature Soul, which landed him an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance.

The next Big Library Read starts Monday, April 4 Read More »

Gabrielle Balkan

Author Gabrielle Balkan to visit Heth-Washington Elementary School virtually on April 13, 2022

Notices, Virtual program, Youth Activities / /

Submitted by Diana Lasky

Harrison County schools were challenged during the Harrison County Public Library’s winter reading program to compete for an author’s visit with Gabrielle Balkan.  HWES averaged more than 12 books per student with a final total of 1,819 books read and is awarded the author visit scheduled for April 13, 2022.

Gabrielle Balkan is best known for her non-fiction books that delight readers ages 5 – 12 with curious and essential facts about the United States, animal record-breakers and ground-breaking artists.  Gabrielle grew up across from the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis and current lives in the Hudson Valley of New York.  She will provide a program for grades K-1, 2-4 and 5-6 that will include a clue and guess the answer segment, talking about the writing process and editing to improve your own writing, and how to make choices when writing, followed by questions from the students.

The Gabrielle Balkan visit will be viewable by the public beginning April 20, 2022, and will be available for one month on the library website at www.hcpl.lib.in.us.  Follow the Harrison County Public Library blog post, HCPL Facebook and Instagram for details and updates.   Gabrielle Balkan is brought to HWES by the library through the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Author Awards grant provided by Indiana Humanities.

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Harrison County Public Library Brings Pete the Cat to Lanesville Elementary School

Notices, Reading Program, Youth Activities / /

Submitted by Diana Lasky

Lanesville Elementary School read 2,380 books during the #WinterRead2022 – Feed Harrison County – Read for a Better World Challenge. Lanesville E.S. read the most books of all the schools in the county.  As a thank you, Harrison County Public Library director Alisa Burch escorted Pete the Cat to Lanesville.  Car and bus riders were greeted by Pete in the hallways and in the gym before school.  Students and teachers were celebrating because more than $14,000 in donations was collected for the Lanesville Heart Challenge. As part of the Heart Challenge, P.E. teacher Karen Armstrong took 15 pies to the face as a special prize to students who raised over a certain goal.  Pete was amazed at her bravery and gave her a standing ovation! Pete was asked to be included in a 4th grade photo, snuck into Ms. Dye’s class for a quick photo with her class and then made a special visit to each kindergarten class where Mrs. Burch read a Pete the Cat story.

 

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Harrison County Public Library recognizes Tyson with gratitude!

Adult Program, Notices, Youth Activities / /

Harrison County Public Library Director, Alisa Burch, and Youth Services Manager, Diana Lasky, present Tyson Plant Manager, Chris Jennings-Allen, and Lisa Dunaway, Plant Production Planner, with a Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding community service.


Submitted by Diana Lasky

For the 2nd year in a row, Tyson has been a generous donor and partner with Harrison County Public Library (HCPL) for the Feed Harrison County Winter Reading Challenge.  This year, the library challenged the community to read and log 9,400 books during the month of January.  Tyson agreed to donate 100 cases of chicken to Harrison County Community Services if the goal was met.  Harrison County read a whopping 16,699 books.

Harrison County Community Services has received 100 cases, 20 lbs. each, of Tyson chicken that will help feed Harrison County’s 600 families in need.  The library is grateful to have a such a generous community sponsor!

Harrison County Public Library recognizes Tyson with gratitude! Read More »

Winter-Read-2022-FeedHarrisonCounty

Harrison County Community Services (HCCS) Wins Big!

eBooks and audio books, Notices / /

Presented by Diana Lasky

Richard Cooper HCCS Gift Card
Richard Cooper of Harrison County Community Services accepts a $75 gift card donated by Walmart from Diana Lasky of Harrison County Public Library.

During the month of January, Harrison County readers were challenged to help feed the hungry by reading 9,400 books.  Readers of all ages and school grades topped the goal by reading 16,966 books! Tyson and Walmart sponsored the Harrison County Public Library winter reading challenge.  Tyson agreed to donate 100 cases of chicken and Walmart a $75 gift card if the county met the goal.  HCPL is proud to say the goal was met and exceeded!

Richard Cooper, the executive Director of Harrison County Community Services shows off a portion of the 100 cases of chicken donated by Tyson in the HCCS freezer.
Richard Cooper, the executive Director of Harrison County Community Services shows off a portion of the 100 cases of chicken donated by Tyson in the HCCS freezer.

HCCS is always happy to receive donations and loves the community spirit of the annual Feed Harrison County – Winter Reading Challenge.  This was the 2nd year for the challenge and the library expects to continue this program as a way to collaborate with the community and businesses and bring awareness to the need to help others in our county.  Thank you to our readers and generous sponsors!

Harrison County Community Services (HCCS) Wins Big! Read More »

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