PCL Blog

When I was in school, my mom was the the editor for the local newspaper. This came in pretty handy when I needed a proofreader for term papers. She always had a keen eye for typos, but she also helped me with sentence structure, organization, and overall flow.
She would go over my work with a fine tooth comb, and with every correction, I would get more and more frustrated with her high standards. It didn't have to be THAT good, did it? Plus, it was past
 my bedtime.

As helpful as she was with my writing, she couldn't help with all of my schoolwork. She couldn't help with algebra. She couldn't help with chemistry. She couldn't even help with French because she speaks fluent Italian instead! There were times I struggled with these subjects, and I could have used a tutor.

At the library we recognize that there will always be students who need a little extra help with their schoolwork. We want to help. Carter Logistics awarded a $2,000 grant to help pay for a subscription to tutor.com. Tutor.com provides students with access to a live tutor who can help with problems in math, science, foreign language, and more. There are additional resources for college students and those who are college-bound. Job seekers can even submit a resume or cover letter for review.

Find tutor.com on the library's website, beginning in January. It can be accessed from any device, at any location, with your Pendleton Community Public Library card. Many resources are available 24/7, but live tutors are available Monday - Friday from 3 - 10 p.m. and Saturday - Sunday from noon - 7:00 p.m.

Lynn Hobbs
PCL Director

A message was received from a local mom to share her Hoopla experience, we wanted to take this opportunity to share it with everyone:

I want to thank my library for introducing me to Hoopla. I had been a user of this service since you began offering it a few years ago to listen to audiobooks while running errands and doing housework. Recently I have discovered the value it has for my kids as well. My daughter was having what I would call a "readers block". She had lost her enthusiasm for reading and it really concerned me. Then we noticed that she wasn't completing her SRC reading quizzes at school as a result. As with many families, we have a very busy schedule. We're always running off to sports, programs, parties, etc. So I began to think about this time we were "wasting" in the car. Since my daughter gets carsick, reading in the car wasn't an option for her, and she was so exhausted by bedtime that she would fall asleep reading. One afternoon she noticed that I was browsing through my Hoopla app trying to select my next book to listen to. This piqued her interest! So we browsed the children's titles together, and WOW there are a lot. She settled on one of the I Survived titles in the popular series. Since we drive to Fishers twice a week for practice, I thought this would be a perfect time to start listening. As we cruised down I-69 listening to I Survived Hurricane Katrina, I noticed that she was very engaged with the book (honestly, so was I). We were able to finish that title in one evening. It also sparked some great conversations between the two of us about my memories of the hurricane. The next time we had to head to Fishers, she asked if we could pick another book. So we settled on I Survived September 11, 2001. Again, she was engaged and we were able to have some great conversations about this historical event. Her next title was a Lemony Snicket book, with an amazing narrator. Another win for us! Since beginning to listen to books, I've noticed her more excited to pick up her books and read too. Now that she's found titles she has liked on audio, it has inspired her to read more in those series.

Another side note that I love about Hoopla is that I can download the titles onto my phone. That way I'm not using up all my data as we drive down the highway. We also download picture books to use as bedtime stories on a recent vacation, so we didn't have to pack numerous books to keep our bedtime routine.
Thank you so much for this service and so many others!
Sincerely,
An Appreciative Mom

Recently, I was downtown Indianapolis for a meeting at the Indiana State Library. It was about two weeks after Bird scooters were introduced to the city. And let me tell you. They were popular! There was at least one on every block, a person riding an electric scooter amidst the throngs of people on the sidewalk. I could tell that some pedestrians were annoyed with the new trend, but I actually thought it was pretty cool.

Bird scooters are motorized scooters that you rent through an app on your phone. Similar to the city’s Blue Indy car rental, they provide a means of transportation for people who don’t need to own their own vehicles, but have an occasional need for wheels. It seems so progressive, so urban. I like it.

So, I was pretty thrilled when I got a call from Rachel Christenson from the Town of Pendleton, asking me if the library would be interested in becoming a location for the town’s new Bike Share. The Bike Share is sponsored by Community Hospitals and allows people to rent bicycles. You could rent one to ride along the trails in the park. Or ride one downtown and browse the local shops, with no worries about finding a parking place. It’s progressive, not urban. I still like it.

Look for the new Bike Share locations at your Pendleton Community Public Library, Falls Park, and behind First Merchants. Coming Soon!

Lynn Hobbs
PCL Director

There are things that I'm good at.  And, of course, there are things that I'm not good at.  But, then there are the things that I think I SHOULD be good at, but I'm just not. Like breakout rooms, for example.  I like puzzles, and I like to solve problems.  I'm pretty good at that.  So, why for the life of me, can I not find my way out of a breakout room?

I've done a few breakout rooms, and I think that they are so fun.  I overthink things so much that the people who sit in the room, the ones who are available to provide clues, actually laugh at me.  Yet, I feel like every time I've done a breakout room, I've left with ways that I can improve upon my skills for the next time.

For example, listen VERY carefully to the instructions you receive when entering.  Listen to them twice, or even three times. I applied that to my next breakout experience, but that time the instructions weren't even instructions.  There were no hidden clues, not even red herrings.  I wasted precious minutes listening three times to Dr. Candice Bore talk about how I needed to save the planet.  And I did not save the planet.

Second, just because you use a tool once to retrieve a clue doesn't mean that you won't ever use it again. I applied that to the following breakout experience, but that time I really did only need to use the black light flashlight once.  I spent 30 minutes shining that flashlight on every blasted thing in the room.  And the only thing I learned is that the walls are clean.

I guess the main thing to remember is to just have fun.  We expect that lots of people will have fun in the library's Harry Potter Breakout Room which we will have set up for groups to try on October 28 - 29.  Be sure to call 778-7527 to reserve your timeslot.  I hope you fare better than I usually do.

Lynn Hobbs
PCL Director

June 1^st kicks off the beginning of our Summer Reading Program, and this year's theme is "Build a Better World."  We can surely get behind that!  In recent years, summer reading themes have become less about entertainment and more about making positive change.  Last year, we encouraged kids and adults to exercise their minds and bodies.  This year, we are asking everybody to help "Build a Better World."  That's easier said than done, but even the tiniest good deed can mean a lot.  

Not too long ago, I found a note on my desk that simply said, "Lynn Rocks."  Attached to that note was a Post-It that said, "found in the book drop."  I assumed that it was some kind of joke, but my staff assures me that it actually was found in the book drop.  I have that note pinned to the bulletin board behind my desk, and to this day, I still have no idea who left it.  It was a simple gesture that makes me smile every time I see it.

"Building a Better World" doesn't mean that you have to single-handedly solve the world's problems. Rather, I think it means to be nice to others and to our planet.  Pay a compliment.  Pick up litter.  Make someone laugh.  Plant a tree.  Each of these small gestures of kindness will collectively "build a better world."  I urge you to find and commit small acts of kindness every single day. Let's build a better world by building a better Pendleton, one good deed at a time.