Swine Flu Information

To provide our patrons with the most up to date information about the swine flu we are creating this blog with links and information by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

According to the CDC the human swine flu outbreak continues to grow in the United States and internationally. Today, CDC reports additional cases of confirmed swine influenza and a number of hospitalizations of swine flu patients. Internationally, the situation is more serious too, with additional countries reporting confirmed cases of swine flu. In response to the intensifying outbreak, the World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 4 A Phase 4 alert is characterized by confirmed person-to-person spread of a new influenza virus able to cause "community-level" outbreaks." The increase in the pandemic alert phase indicates that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased.

CDC has activated its emergency operations center to coordinate the agency's emergency response. CDC's goals are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this swine influenza virus. Yesterday, CDC issued a travel warning recommending that people avoid non-essential travel to Mexico. CDC continues to issue interim guidance daily on the website and through health alert network notices. CDC's Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is releasing one-quarter of its antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to help states respond to the outbreak. The swine influenza A (HIN1) virus is susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated guidance and new information as it becomes available.

Swine Flu Video

Filing Your Taxes Online

Tax time is upon us, and our Library has their computers ready for those who wish to file their returns online, which is being encouraged by the Internal Revenue Service. Computer User Cards are available free of charge at the front desk. Remember -- while the cards are free, all outstanding fines and fees must be current on your existing library account before you will be given access to the computers.

Tax Season is Here

No matter how you may feel about the IRS, it is Tax Season already. Here is some tips to help you file your taxes. AARP is here every Wednesday from 10am - 2pm until April 15th. They will fill out your taxes for free and offer to e-file or print your return for mailing. E-File is free as well, currently they have a sign up sheet at the front door prior to 10am the cutoff is 25 people so get here early. If you want to file your own taxes the IRS website offer various services to help you file your taxes for free. Please visit for a list of available services. Need forms???? Did you know that many forms can simply be printed using your computer. Again visit the IRS website find the form you need and click on PRINT.

Librarians and fun

Many of you do not think librarians know how to have fun. While at the Texas Library Association a group of librarians from Austin came up with this as their entry for the book cart drill team sponsored by Demco.

Have a great school year you guys!

This is your Children's Librarian, Miss Kayla, writing to let everyone know that this past week was my last to be your Children's Librarian. I've had a terrific summer with you all and I am going to miss seeing everyone's happy faces here at the library.

My thanks to everyone who came out and made our Summer Reading Program a success! You guys are the best! I would also like to send out a huge thanks to the Brights who have recently finished painting our Young Adult section. Next time you are in stop by and see what a wonderful job they did!

I hope you all had a wonderful summer reading with me and I hope you all have a wonderful 2008-2009 school year!

Keep on Reading,
Miss Kayla

Summer Reading Information for July

June is coming to an end, but our Summer Reading Program is still going strong!

Between Friday, July 4th and Sunday, July 6th the library will be closed in observance of Independence Day. We hope you have a fantastic holiday! But, don't forget to come back and visit us on the 7th! We will be back open during our normal operating hours. Doors open at 10:00 a.m.!

Continuing throughout the month of July, Story Time and Wii game nights will still be on Tuesdays evenings.

Now, on to the good stuff... for those who haven't been by the library to pick up a July calender, the presenters for the summer reading program for the month of July are as follows.

Thursday, July 3rd : Julian Franklin
Friday, July 4th : (Austin Memorial Library will be closed)

Thursday, July 10 : Tye-Dye Day (we will be making book covers... but feel free to bring your own shirts, or shoelaces, or socks, or anything else you may want to Tye-Dye)
Friday, July 11 : Self-Published Author Katie Moak will come to read her book and describe how she accomplished becoming a self-published children's book author!

Thursday, July 17 : Magician, Trixie Bond will be here
Friday, July 18 : Come enjoy learning about African Drumming with Mr. Abubakr

Thursday, July 24 : John Meekins with TX Parks and Wildlife
Friday, July 25 : Duct Tape Day

Thursday, July 31 : Mick Corley and the Imagination Station
Friday, August 1 : Local Talent Showcase featuring YOU! *See note below!*

Every single event is set to begin at 1:00 p.m. throughout the entire month of July with no exceptions. So, please come out and join us every Thursday and Friday at 1:00 in the afternoon, something fun and exciting will definitely be going on!

*note* About our local talent showcase, any person, of any age, with any talent, is welcome to sign up! Do you juggle like a circus clown? Can you dance like Fred Astaire? Are you a musician with a band who just needs an audience? Do you have a knack for telling a good story or joke?
Then come on down and sign up for the talent showcase! Let us see you shine!

And lastly, my most sincere apologies to our presenters who came out today (July 27th). We hated to see each of you go, but we will absolutely welcome all of you back on a better day at a better time! Until then, we look forward to seeing you again!

Once again, thanks for visiting the library blog everyone! Keep on reading!

Miss Kayla

Summer Reading Program 2008

Hello Everyone!

This is my first blog as your Children's Librarian and I'm so excited to be part of your summers this year!

Just a heads up for those who weren't aware... storytime has a new day and time.

I'll be ready to read for you guys every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., providing there are people to read to! (Otherwise, I will have to read to the walls, and that can be embarrassing.)

As most of you who haved stopped by know, we have several different organizations coming out to join us for our Summer Reading Program (aka SRP) this year. We've already had:

Martha's Petting Zoo

Carlos' Rock Wall,

Casey (the guitar teacher from Dan's Music Shop here in town)

and our very own first annual Iron-Man Chef Cleveland competition!

All our thanks to these guys we've had a lot of fun with you all!

Over the next few weeks (for those who haven't yet picked up a calender and signed up) we are going to have many more really fantastic people joining us! (All acts are set to begin at 1:00p.m. with the exception of Jungle Jim the Bug Guy. *Details about that act later.*)

~On June 19th Raymond Eastman Jr. will be bringing Puppet Wise with him again this year!

~On June 20th Jungle Jim will be bringing his Bugs from Around the World to share with us! (Jungle Jim won't be here until 4:45 p.m. because he has to drive such a long way to be with us!)

~On June 26th we will be having our Dominos Pizza Party and Demonstration.... my tummy is already rumbling.

~For our last visitors this month, we are going to have Mr. Kevin Ladd, a genealogist from a neighboring library and Professor Bytheway from the Sam Houston State University here to tell us about family history and Crime Scene Investigation!

A new thing we are excited to tell all of our patrons and readers about out there is our new Wii Game Night! This is a supervised event and all ages are welcome! (Parents are definitely encouraged to loose some of those inhibitions and come out and join in the fun!)

I hope you all are having a truly fantastic summer, no matter what you are doing! I'm sure I'm leaving out a lot of things. Once I remember them all, I will definitely make more posts!

Thanks so much for being a part of our summer and we hope you enjoy letting us be a part of yours!

Miss Kayla