Are you a video gaming teen or one who would like to learn? A representative from Game Stop will be at the DeRidder branch of the Beauregard Parish Library on Saturday, September 23 in the media room at 10:30 a.m. He will demonstrate a variety of consoles and share a preview of upcoming releases.

The other branches of the library will offer a time for students to play board games with their peers and enjoy snacks. South Beauregard will meet on Thursday, September 21 at 3:30 p.m. in the library. On Friday, September 22, we will meet at 10:00 a.m. in Merryville’s branch of the library, followed by 11:30 a.m. at Singer, and 2:30 p.m. at Hyatt. Come make a new friend and learn a new game.

The Beauregard Parish Library Board of Control will meet in special session at 205 S. Washington Ave., DeRidder, La 70634 on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at 5:15 PM. Pursuant to La R.S. 42:14, this meeting is open to the public.

Agenda :

1. Call to order & Roll Call
2. East Beauregard CapEx project
• 2.1 Comments from Steve Landreneau, Legal Counsel
• 2.2 Discuss, review, edit, adopt, and/or discard RFQ for Architectural Services
• 2.3 Set next steps
3. Any other business
4. Adjourn

Aye, Mateys!

September 19th is Internal Talk Like a Pirate Day, and Beauregard Parish Library has just the thing for you!

Click or tap on over to Mango Languages where you can find the Pirate module (and over 70 other languages). The best part is that Pirate is available through Mango Languages every day of the year. There you can learn all about parlay and all the other pirate essentials.

Whether your ship is becalmed or or timbers are shivered, you'll love talking like a pirate!

According to the official website www.rogermiller.com, Grammy Award winning Roger Miller was born in Ft. Worth, Texas. His father died when he was a year old and his Mother couldn’t make it on her own so she sent each of her three boys to live with relatives. Roger was sent to Oklahoma. Later, Roger wanted to be in show business so badly that he stole a guitar. He turned himself in the next day and was "offered the chance” to join the military which he did and sang and entertained. In the early days of his career, he wrote for such stars as George Jones, Jimmy Dean, Ray Price, Ernest Tubb, and Jim Reeves. After a lot of struggling, Roger had hit after hit with some quirky, and some serious songs.

In 1974 he wrote and sang songs in Disney’s animated movie Robin Hood. He also narrated, sang, and wrote music for Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey found at the library on Classic Christmas Favorites and on The Year Without a Santa Claus. Later still, he won a Tony Award for writing the score for Big River, the Broadway musical of the life of Huck Finn. Roger even acted in the play when he replaced John Goodman playing the part of Pap.

Sadly Roger Miller died in 1992, but he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame posthumously.

Freegal, the free and legal website, has many of Roger Miller’s songs. Use your 5 free weekly downloads or your 3 free daily hours of commercial-free music streaming to listen to or own Roger’s music.

✹✹✹“King of the Road” ✹✹✹“Dang Me” ✹✹✹“Chug-A-Lug” ✹✹✹“Do Wacka Do”✹✹✹

✹✹✹“Walkin’ in the Sunshine” ✹✹✹“Engine Engine #9” ✹✹✹“When Two Worlds Collide”✹✹✹

There's still time to register for this year's Libraries Southwest Author Dinner. Tickets for the event are $30 per person for a delicious buffet meal at Treasures of Marilyn's in Lake Charles. Rebecca Hamilton, Louisiana State Librarian, is this year's recipient of the Lynda Carlberg Award for contributions to libries. Beauregard Parish library native Curt Iles will be the featured author speaker. Registrations are due by October 1, 2017.

Click Here for LSW Author Dinner Registration Form

Louis L’Amour is considered to have been one of the greatest Western authors of all time. Although he died in 1988, there is still a great deal of interest in his work. This week we received a new book from the Louis L’Amour Lost Treasures Project, which was created to release some of the author’s more unconventional manuscripts from the family archive.

Bendigo Shafter is the classic story of a young man who settles in the rugged mountains of Wyoming with a group of travelers. Together they build a tight-knit community. They are led by a beautiful and resourceful widow, Ruth Macken, and they face many challenges including harsh weather, dangerous renegades, and the destructive lure of gold. These challenges forge Bendigo into a strong man. But when he travels to New York to reclaim his childhood sweetheart, he is faced with a whole new set of challenges. As he faces these new difficulties, he struggles with the fact that the girl he loves may not be willing to leave the glamour of the big city. He will have to decide whether he will be willing to leave the life he has made for himself and try to fit into her world if she will not return with him.

This book contains bonus material by the author’s son Beau L’Amour. He includes the short story that his father wrote for the Saturday Evening Post, that the novel was based upon. In addition, he shares the notes his father made when converting the story into a novel, as well as his personal recollections of his father. This gives the reader a new insight into the life of this great storyteller.

Need a suggestion for something to read or watch from the library this weekend? Maybe you'd like to check out an ebook or audiobook? Try some of our Staff Picks, to find what some of the other people in our parish are enjoying.

We know that not every staff pick will appeal to every patron, but not to worry! If you need help selecting something, we have online tools like Book Browse and our Online Catalog, or you can ask one of our friendly staff members to help search for you.

Grave of Fireflies [DVD]

The 1988 Japanese animated war drama film Grave Of The Fireflies, directed by Isao Takahata and animated by Studio Ghibli, was based on the semi-autobiographical short story Grave Of The Fireflies by the Japanese author Akiyuki Nosaka. The story is about "a young boy [Seita] and his little sister [Setsuko] struggle to survive in Japan during World War II."

I like that this movie made me forget that it was even animated, that it showed some of the realities of war that are rarely if ever shown or talked about, and it connected with me very strongly on an emotional level. I think that other people will be amazed that this animated film is able to convey things that many live action films fail to convey, and that it is able to connect with them very strongly on an emotional level.

I saw Grave Of The Fireflies over 10 years ago. Many people describe it as one of the best movies that you never want to watch again because it is so sad, and I agree with that description. This movie connected with me on an emotional level so strongly that I cried like a baby. I think that one of the reasons that it connected with me so much is because I am the oldest of my siblings, and I could relate even more to this movie. This film connected with me so strongly that even seeing a trailer for it over 10 years later makes me want to cry.

Watch this movie, it is an example of the fact that animated movies are capable of more than some people think, but be ready to cry because I know that I did.

If Grave of Fireflies interests you, feel free to request or check it out. We'll be back next Thursday with a different Staff Pick.

September 13th marks the birthday of beloved children's author Roald Dahl.

Dahl "was a famous British writer best known as an author of children's books. His honesty about difficult subjects, such as death, and his focus on many unflattering and obnoxious characters make his work particularly fascinating for children. His most famous book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964), is the story of a poor boy and four disagreeable children who tour an unusual candy factory. Dahl adapted this novel for the motion picture Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971). A second film adaptation was released in 2005. His other books for children include James and the Giant Peach (1961), Fantastic Mr. Fox (1970), The Twits (1980), The BFG (1982), and Matilda (1988)." [World Book Encyclopedia]

Beauregard Parish Library is pleased to bring you several of Dahl's books and movie adaptations. Have a look in our online catalog to see if there is anything you want to check out!

September 11

The Music Minute would like to pause to remember September 11.

Freegal, the free music website has Alan Jackson’s beautiful tribute song called “Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning”. I am sure many of us will never forget where we were when we heard the devastating news. We will also never forget how we felt.

As the days get cooler with the approach of Autumn, think of what a pleasure it would be to come home after work to a delicious meal that has been simmering in your slow cooker all day. Or possibly waking up to a fully prepared hot breakfast that has been cooking overnight. This week we received a new cookbook that can help make this happen.

Check out: Martha Stewart’s Slow Cooker: 110 recipes for flavorful, foolproof dishes (including desserts!), plus test-kitchen tips and strategies, a new book from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. This interesting book is full of different ways to use the slow cooker to make unique, easy meals. There are all types of recipes including meat, seafood, side dishes, breakfast foods, and even sweets. The book is full of delicious-looking color photographs of many of the finished products. There are even tips that will allow you to use your slow cooker in ways you might never have thought of before. In fact, Martha refers to the appliance as a “smart cooker” due to its many uses. Some of the recipes in the book even take as little as an hour to finish.

If this sounds like something you would like to explore, you will find the book in the non-fiction section of the library in Dewey number 641. While you are in that section, you might want to check out all of the other cookbooks that the library has to offer. We have something to suit every type of cook!

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. Now, you may have already signed up for one, but perhaps you didn't know about signing up for our Electronic Resources account at the same time.

A Beauregard Parish Library card allows you to check out materials from our library, however to reserve or renew books online, or to use our in-house computers and laptops, or to log into our WiFi, you'll need an Electronic Resources account. Getting one is very simple, just ask any of the clerks and they'll get you signed up. As a bonus, you get a library e-mail address (@beau.org), although you can also ask that it get re-directed to your regular e-mail address if you have another you prefer.

Come on in and get signed up, if you haven't already!

Need a suggestion for something to read or watch from the library this weekend? Maybe you'd like to check out an ebook or audiobook? Try some of our Staff Picks, to find what some of the other people in our parish are enjoying.

We know that not every staff pick will appeal to every patron, but not to worry! If you need help selecting something, we have online tools like Book Browse and our Online Catalog, or you can ask one of our friendly staff members to help search for you.

Off Grid and Free: My Path to the Wilderness by Ron Melchiore

Self-reliant homesteaders often tend to be adventurous and survivalists. In this book, Ron Melchiore and his wife Johanna share their off-grid lifestyle and homemade path to the wilderness. This book follows their lives as they build an off-grid, sustainable dwelling in none other than the wilderness of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. It entails true stories of survival and adventure.

So, if you're seeking to fulfill your dreams as the self-sufficient frontiersman by escaping the urban ranks, Off Grid and Free can be used as your guide to follow your outdoor spirit.

If Off Grid and Free interests you, feel free to request or check it out. We'll be back next Thursday with a different Staff Pick.

Beauregard Parish Library, one of the member libries of Libries Southwest consortium, is proud to announce the 2017 LSW Author Dinner. The event will feature the Lynda Carlberg Award, named in memory of the former director of Calcasieu Parish Library system, and honoring special individuals for their contributions to libraries. The Lynda Carlberg Award recipient this year is Louisiana State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton.

Following the presentation of the Lynda Carlberg Award is an author program from Beauregard Parish native Curt Iles, who has published several books about rural life and spent three years recently on a three-year mission trip to Africa.

The Libraries Southwest Author Dinner will be held on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at Treasures of Marilyn's in Lake Charles. The buffet-style meal has several choices to suit various dietary restrictions and preferences. Ticket price is $30 per person, and interested individuals should register for the event by October 1st.

Checks should be made out to Libraries Southwest and sent to
Marjorie Harrison
Treasurer, Libraries Southwest
301 W Claude St
Lake Charles, LA 70605

Click Here for LSW Author Dinner Registration Form

Singer branch of the Beauregard Parish Library has closed early due to the no air conditioning. We have called a repair person, so the branch should be able to resume normal hours on its next scheduled open day, Friday, September 8, 2017 from 9:00-1:00.

If you have any pressing library needs, our DeRidder branch is open today until 5:30 and we can reached by telephone at (337) 463-6217 or toll-free in parish at (800) 524-6239.

September is the observed Library Card Sign-Up Month since 1987 in which the American Library Association and various local public remind its patrons that a library card is one of the most valuable cards you'll ever have in your wallet.

From the ALA Library Card Sign-Up Month factsheet:

Libraries play an important role in the education and development of children. Studies show that children who are read to in the home and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

Librarians are literacy experts. Libraries offer a variety of programs to stimulate an interest in reading and learning. Preschool story hours expose young children to the joy of reading, while homework centers provide computers and assistance to older children after school. Summer reading clubs keep children reading during school vacation and have been shown to be the most important factor in avoiding the decrease in reading skills that educators refer to as "summer learning loss."

...

Libraries are America’s great information equalizers – the only place people of all ages and backgrounds can find and freely use such a diversity of resources, along with the expert guidance of librarians.

How do I get a Beauregard Parish Library Card?

• For Beauregard Parish residents, bring a photo ID and a proof of address. For adults, often a driver's license will serve both requirements.
• Minors are not able to get a card without a parent or legal guardian's permission.
• Beaureagrd Parish Library has no minimum age requirement on children's library cards. That choice is up to the parent or legal guardian.

Anything I need to know if I already have a card?

Yes! Our library cards expire every two years. To keep your card current, we encourage you this month to verify your address, phone number, and preferred request pick-up branch with our friendly clerks. To protect the confidentiality of your library, we will ask to view your photo ID.

All branches of Beauregard Parish Library are closed today, September 4, 2017, in observance of Labor Day. The library will resume regular hours of operation tomorrow, September 5, 2017.

For your convenience, items are not due and fines do not accrue when the library is closed for holidays.

Freegal, the free music website that gives you 5 free weekly downloads and 3 free daily hours of streaming music has all of Billy Joel’s hits and many of his videos.

♫“Piano Man” ♫“It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me” ♫“The Longest Time” ♫“She’s Always A Woman” ♫“Just The Way You Are” ♫“Honesty” ♫“Pressure” ♫“Tell Her About It” ♫“Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” ♫“Only The Good Die Young” ♫“My Life” ♫“Don’t Ask Me Why” ♫“She’s Got A Way”

Videos: Uptown Girl, The River of Dreams, We Didn’t Start The Fire, It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me, Piano Man, Back In The USSR, The Longest Time, Eye Of The Storm, The Ballad of Billy The Kid, Just The Way You Are, You May Be Right, Say Goodbye to Hollywood, Allentown, You’re Only Human (Second Wind), And So It Goes, Building The Bridge, Big Shot, Keeping The Faith, She’s Always A Woman, I Go To Extremes, Tell Her About It, All For Leyna, Pressure, A Matter Of Trust, My Life, James, The Stranger (Live 1977), and many more.

Don’t forget video downloads count as two of your five downloads and they are yours to keep just like the music downloads.

Check out one of the new books we added to the Library collection last week.

To Siri With Love: A Mother, Her Autistic Son, and the Kindness of Machines by Judith Newman. In this touching book, the author shares stories from her life as the mother of a thirteen-year-old autistic son. She tells of the challenges she has faced with her son, but also how he has helped her see the world differently. She shares how her son formed an unusual bond with Siri, the automated voice from her iPhone. This bond helped him develop skills that opened the door to communication with the rest of the world. He will always have difficulty relating to others and has many habits that create problems for his family, but the author shows that it is possible to find a great deal of joy in this unique person.

This book would be especially helpful and enjoyable for people who have an autistic child in their lives, but everyone will benefit from the author’s experiences with her special son. Her sense of humor is evident in the way she describes some of her son’s most unusual behaviors, such as insisting on removing all of his clothes when eating and meowing at strange women. But she also shares the painful parts, such as being told to medicate her son when he was only six and spending a fortune on a behaviorist to help with toilet training. In the words of one reviewer, “the stories in To Siri with Love open our eyes to the magic and challenges of a life beyond the ordinary.”

For almost 20 years, the library offered dial-up Internet service to our patrons. Unfortunately, at the first of the year, we had to give them up. However, we replaced them with something faster!

WiFi Hotspots are small little boxes, about the size of a deck of cards, that connect to cell phone towers and provide you with wifi. You can visit any branch of the library and check one out for a week, and enjoy free, unlimited high speed internet for yourself!

Need a suggestion for something to read or watch from the library this weekend? Maybe you'd like to check out an ebook or audiobook? Try some of our Staff Picks, to find what some of the other people in our parish are enjoying.

We know that not every staff pick will appeal to every patron, but not to worry! If you need help selecting something, we have online tools like Book Browse and our Online Catalog, or you can ask one of our friendly staff members to help search for you.

Camper's Guide to Outdoor Cooking by John G. Ragsdale

The tag line of the title helps clarify its content--"Everything from fires to fixin's..."

I wish we'd known these practical ideas back in 2005 when we decided to remain in town during the time of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita--WITHOUT electricity yet WITH an electric stove AND a freezer full of food.

Half the book shows great recipes with about 12 pages dedicated to meal planning and cooking tips. You'll find ingenious heating sources and cooking surfaces. Check out Chapter 5 to see what can be done with a bed of coals, an orange shell, a gallon can and a tree branch!

This author also wrote DUTCH OVEN COOKING.

One may feel led to another section of the Library which covers SURVIVAL SKILLS--Dewey Number 613.69.

Armed with these expert hints, I am now a HAPPY CAMPER eventhough (you guessed it) I don't go camping!!

If Camper's Guide to Outdoor Cooking interests you, feel free to request or check it out. We'll be back next Thursday with a different Staff Pick.

Due to lack of electricity and generally declining road conditions we are closing early.

Due to incliment weather and poor road conditions, our Ragley branch of Beauregard Parish Library will be closed today, Wednesday, August 30, 2017.

If you are unable to return materials to any of our branches, please call us for assistance at 337-463-6217 or 1-800-524-6239.

DeRidder branch will remain open. If we have any changes, we will try our best to keep you updated.

BPL will attempt to return to our regular schedule today, Wed. August 30. Depending on staff availability, we may be functioning on limited services and / or reduced hours. During normal open hours, please call us at 337-463-6217 or 1-800-524-6239 to verify today's hours of operation or with questions about renewals or requests.

Please keep safety in mind when traveling today!

Due to anticipated inclement weather and worsening road conditions around the parish, all branches of the library are closed today, Tuesday, August 29th.

No material will be due nor will any overdue fines be assessed today.

We apologize for any inconvenience but encourage our patrons and staff to heed officials' warnings and avoid unnecessary travel at this time.

We will continue to monitor the situation and will keep this page updated regarding plans to return to our normal schedule.

Because of incliment weather, the Merryville Branch of Beauregard Parish Library will close today at 5:30. We apologize if this is an inconvenience, and we urge everyone to stay safe.

If there are any weather-related library delays tomorrow, we will be sure to post as soon as possible.

If you have followed best-selling author Sue Grafton’s “Alphabet Series” from the beginning (A is for Alibi), you have probably been eagerly waiting for the letter “Y” book to come out. The wait is over!

This week we received Y is for Yesterday, the latest in the popular saga of private investigator Kinsey Millhone. In this installment, Kinsey is hired by the parents of a young man recently released from prison who is now being blackmailed. Ten years previously the young man, Fritz McCabe, and three of his classmates assaulted a female classmate and filmed the attack. The tape was stolen and the suspected thief was murdered. Fritz is convicted of the murder, but the actual ringleader escaped without a trace. The tape seemed lost. However, now a copy has been sent to the McCabes with a ransom demand. They want Kinsey to get to the bottom of the mystery. While all of this is going on, Kinsey is also dealing with the return of a vicious sociopath from her past who is carrying a grudge and leaving little messages for her to find.

The library has the hardback edition of this book and right now there is a short waiting list for it. You can easily place a hold on it and let us notify you when it is ready for you. If you would prefer a different format, such as an audiobook, you may also place a request for that and we will try to get it for you. If you need help placing a request for this title, or anything else, any of our helpful staff will be happy to assist you.

The Library Board of Control is charged with working with the library administration to develop policy and procedures. This hard working group of concerned citizens meets quarterly to oversee the library's finances, manage major projects such as the new East Beauregard Branch opening soon, and otherwise keep things on track.

You can find out more about the Board on its page . You'll also find the Board minutes archive linked there, where you can dig up more about what goes on. Also, other than special circumstances, all board meetings are open to the public, so patrons can easily make their voices heard. Watch the library home page for announcements of the next meeting - usually the first Wednesday of February, May, August, and November. The page can be also found by clicking the Library Info button right under the library's logo on any of the library website's pages.

Need a suggestion for something to read or watch from the library this weekend? Maybe you'd like to check out an ebook or audiobook? Try some of our Staff Picks, to find what some of the other people in our parish are enjoying.

We know that not every staff pick will appeal to every patron, but not to worry! If you need help selecting something, we have online tools like Book Browse and our Online Catalog, or you can ask one of our friendly staff members to help search for you.

Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey

Young Talia grew up having to hide her reading, expecting to be required to either get married, or enter a religious order. Her family and culture would never agree to her chasing her real dream: to become a hero and help others, like in the books she read about The Last Herald-Mage Vanyel. We see Talia escape home, with the aid of a white horse, and brought to the capital of her land, where she enters schooling and is picked on and discouraged by others who fear the good she might one day do. And we see her ultimately triumph, discovering a plot to corrupt the rulership of Valdemar, and eventually preparing to leave school, to carry out her dreams of being a hero.

Why did I like this book? Because it's a rolicking adventure of a young girl who never loses track of what she truly wants to do, and makes the most of the opportunities given. I like that it shows that heroism is not necessarily about the big flashy things, but sometimes about the smaller things like teaching a young child discipline.

This book is a wonderful book for those who like magic, like horses, like magic horses, and who like the underdog rising to save the day. While there's much for young people to enjoy, there's also more mature themes on ethics and the price to be paid in helping others.

If Arrows of the Queen interests you, feel free to request or check it out. We'll be back next Thursday with a different Staff Pick.

Aviation enthusiasts, today is the 40th anniversary of the first man-powered flight. On August 23, 1977, in Schafter, California, "Bryan Allen pedaled the 70-pound Gossamer Condor for a mile at 'minimal altitude of two pylons' in a flight certified by the Royal Aeronautical Society of Britain." *

If you want to know more about aviation topics, Beauregard Parish Library can point you in the right direction. One of the best places to start is our Access Video on Demand collection. [Librarian note: You'll have to use your library card number if viewing from home.] A general search for "aviation" brings up over 1500 video segments.

Here is one video from the collection you might enjoy:

Today is the birth anniversary of two greats in American literature: Dorothy Parker and Ray Bradbury.

Poet and short story writer Dorothy Parker "was born on Aug. 22, 1893, in West End (now part of Long Branch), New Jersey, and spent most of her life in New York City." Parker's brief biography in World Book Encyclopedia further notes, "Most of Parker's verse and stories express a humorous but cynical disappointment with life. She often wrote in a biting, ironic style about the loss of love and idealism. Her precise use of language gives her writing a crisp, conversational tone."

Ray Bradbury is remembered as one of the pioneers for science fiction. According to his biography in World Book Encyclopedia "Bradbury's best writing effectively combines a lively imagination with a poetic style. In 2007, Bradbury received a Pulitzer Prize special citation 'for his distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy.'" Two of his well-known works include "Fahrenheit 451 (1953) describes a society that bans the ownership of books" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962), a suspenseful fantasy about a black magic carnival that comes to a small Midwestern town."

If you want to find out more about Parker or Bradbury, Beauregard Parish Library has many different resources to help you. We can find their works, biographies about the authors, literature criticism, documentary videos, and more. Many of our digital resources are available 24/7. If you need any extra help navigating our free resources, don't hesitate to ask a Beauregard Parish Library employee.

Later this month will mark the twentieth anniversary of the death of Princess Diana. The world is remembering her with all sorts of tributes. This week the library received a new book about the late “People’s Princess” filled with pictures commemorating her all-too-short life.

Check out: Remembering Diana: A Life in Photographs published by National Geographic with a foreword by Tina Brown. The book is divided into sections detailing each stage in her life. It begins with her childhood which was marred by her parent’s divorce and lonely years at boarding school. Then comes the section dealing with her fairy tale wedding followed by an increasingly difficult marriage. There are photos showing the joy she took in her young sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Part three shows how she was able to forge her own way in the stuffy and repressive environment of the Royal Family, endearing her to people all over the world. It also shows how she was continuing her humanitarian work even after her divorce and loss of royal position. The final section depicts the impact her life and death have had on the world. It shows the devotion and grief that people from all walks of life felt when her life was tragically cut short.

If this book interests you, it can be found in the non-fiction section of the library in Dewey number 941. You can also find other biographies of Diana and other members of the Royal Family in this area.

Finding a book you want at the library can be daunting. We have a lot of them, and that's before you add in all of the electronic books, the magazines, the audio books and dvds, and more. That's where the card catalog comes in.

These days, the card catalog is kept electronically, and that means it can be accessed anywhere in the world. You can find it at home by going to the library's home page and picking the My Account button on the left, or jump right in to searching with the Search Our Catalog box in the top right. You can also use access it from dedicated card catalog machines at each of our branches.

While gettings started searching can be easy, the advanced search features can help narrow down the list of materials to things closer to what you're looking for. Advanced search lets you look for things of specific formats, limit the words searched to things appearing as the title, subject, author, or series name, by language, limit the search to things that aren't checked out, and other useful ways.

Give it a try! The library has an amazing collection of things - so dive in and enjoy yourself!

Need a suggestion for something to read or watch from the library this weekend? Maybe you'd like to check out an ebook or audiobook? Try some of our Staff Picks, to find what some of the other people in our parish are enjoying.

We know that not every staff pick will appeal to every patron, but not to worry! If you need help selecting something, we have online tools like Book Browse and our Online Catalog, or you can ask one of our friendly staff members to help search for you.

Outlander [DVD] seasons 1 and 2

The television series Outlander is one of the more popular programs on the Starz network. It is based on the best-selling books by author Diana Gabaldon. It combines adventure, romance, history, and fantasy into a thrilling experience that will have you on the edge of your seat.

The story opens shortly after World War II with English nurse Claire Randall and her husband vacationing in Scotland. Claire is mysteriously transported back nearly 200 years when she stumbles on a strange circle of stones. In the past she is captured by the evil English soldier, “Black Jack” Randall, who just happens to be her husband’s look-a-like ancestor. She is rescued by a group of Scotsmen that includes the handsome nobleman/outlaw Jamie Fraser. She returns with the group to their home, where she struggles with trying to fit into the vastly different and dangerous world she has entered while trying to figure out how to return to her own time and the husband she loves. In the midst of all of this, she must deal with her growing attraction to Jamie.

The library owns the two seasons that are available at this time. Season three is expected to air on Starz beginning in September, so hopefully by this time next year it will be on DVD. (We also have the books if you are interested in reading the series. They are all available in ebook format on Overdrive, and a few are in print.)

Please note that although the DVDs are not rated, the series has been rated TV-MA which means that it is intended for mature audiences. It contains a great deal of violence, some graphic sexual scenes, nudity, and language that may offend some viewers.

If Outlander interests you, feel free to request or check it out. We'll be back next Thursday with a different Staff Pick.

We all have busy days, but it might be comforting to know that we have a relaxation room in our DeRidder branch. This is the room near the new book shelves where you can sit down in comfortable chairs and enjoy our wifi or have coffee and a light snack before 11:00 am. We have seating for computer users and many available electrical outlets for laptop users.

Please note: Beauregard Parish Library doesn't allow food and drink in other patron areas unless it is a specific part of a library program.

The newest addition to our relaxation room is our jigsaw puzzle station. We have several puzzles to put together and a puzzle board to help work the pieces. We will change out the puzzles regularly so repeat visitors won't be bored.

We invite you to come to DeRidder branch and try our relaxation room and see what's new!

Join us for afternoon tea to sample various types of tea and perhaps create your own blend. Explore the various tea rooms of America and England. Learn the fine art of afternoon tea.

We welcome Mr. Hawkins from the LSU Agricultural Center who will share more about tea cultivation.

Times and Locations:

August 17 at 3:30 p.m. South Beauregard

August 18: 10:00 a.m. Merryville
11:30 a.m. Singer
2:30 p.m. Hyatt

August 19 at 10:00 a.m. DeRidder

Musician and singer Glen Campbell died Aug. 8 at 81 years old. He had been battling Alzheimer’s Disease for years. Besides all his hit songs, Glen was well known for his guitar playing. He worked in many studios and can be heard on songs of The Monkees, Elvis, and other famous singers. He also had his own show called the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. He also acted and was in the famous movie True Grit with John Wayne (which the library owns).

Freegal, the free music website has a lot of Glen Campbell’s music. Freegal has many of his hits like “Rhinestone Cowboy” and "Southern Nights" sung live and several Gospel albums. Also newer Christmas albums and an old recording of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” found on Country Christmas and another older song “It Must Be Getting Close To Christmas” from Winter Wonderland.

Freegal also has the original version of Glen’s hit “One Last Time” from 1972. And Freegal has many of his instrumental recordings such as “Walk Right In”. If you are interested in his very early work you might enjoy the 60’s feel of “Guitar Child” and “Blue Ribbons” from the album Sharon Shelley: Songwriter.

Use your 3 free hours of streaming music (commercial-free) or download Glen’s songs with any of your 5 free weekly downloads.

If you enjoy a good novel but sometimes have trouble seeing the small print, check out some of our great books in large print. The print is much easier to see and we have all types of stories available for your enjoyment. Check out a couple of the new ones we received this past week.

The Domino Effect by Davis Bunn. Esther Larsen is a top risk analyst at one of the country’s largest banking institutions. She discovers information that she believes indicates the coming of a worldwide financial crisis. It appears that her own employer is involved and she becomes convinced that she must do something. But she is not sure that she can stand up to an international conspiracy, and even if she could, she is not sure anyone would listen to her. As the markets edge closer and closer to a tipping point, she manages to find her voice. But those she seeks to expose will not go down quietly. Her life is now in danger and the world is on the brink of complete financial devastation.

Looking Through Darkness by Aimee and David Thurlo. Josephine Buck runs a trading post just off the Navajo Reservation with her friend Leigh Ann Vance. Leigh Ann’s husband, Kurt, has been killed and it is discovered that he had been having several affairs. He had also been embezzling from his business partners. As the police investigate his death, they begin to suspect Leigh Ann of killing him. Leigh Ann turns to a blind sculptor, Melvin Littlewater, for help. He is dealing with memories of the car crash that took away his sight, but agrees to help. Together they delve into the darkest moments of their pasts and search for the truth.

Remember that large print novels are easy to find. The are separated from the regular print fiction and they have a green dot on the spine. As always, if you need help, don’t hesitate to ask.

Downloaded a bunch of music from our free online music service Freegal and want to play it in your car? Or maybe you need it to play on at your best friend's wedding? Well, our patron computers have several packages for dealing with music, including two packages - Brasero and K3B - designed to help you convert those MP3s and burn them to a CD. You can find them under the Applications (foot) menu, listed under Sound & Video. Ask for help getting started, and you can enjoy your music from your favorite CD player any time!

Need a suggestion for something to read or watch from the library this weekend? Maybe you'd like to check out an ebook or audiobook? Try some of our Staff Picks, to find what some of the other people in our parish are enjoying.

We know that not every staff pick will appeal to every patron, but not to worry! If you need help selecting something, we have online tools like Book Browse and our Online Catalog, or you can ask one of our friendly staff members to help search for you.

Bones: Dead People Do Tell Tales by Sara Latta

I found this book while searching for material on building healthy bodies. Our bones need to be healthy, too.

It was a very interesting introduction to forensic anthropology for young readers, not the very young. All bones tell a story -- you have to know how to read them. Forensic anthropologists can tell if found bones are male or female, human or animal and how someone lived and died.

I did find the read enlightening in this area of science. Those who are interested in forensic investigation will find it a good read.

If Bones interests you, feel free to request or check it out. We'll be back next Thursday with a different Staff Pick.

It's the time of year again when the Perseid Meteor Showers are most visible in the sky. Expect peak visibility from August 10-12.*

If you want to learn more about meteors or other astronomical events, Beauregard Parish Library has plenty of resources to help.

To learn basic information about meteors, you can visit this article in World Book Encyclopedia Online.

For documentaries on meteors, the best place to find them is through our Access Video (AVOD) collection.

If you want to study about astronomy, Universal Class includes an Astronomy 101 class. All Universal Class courses include certificates of completion if you earn a score of 70% or higher.

Our Beauregard Parish Library motto is "Knowledge. Growth. Imagination.", and during back to school time, you might want a knowledge boost. We have you covered with digital resources you can use inside the library and most of them at home. Just remember when you're visiting our website to use our resources from home, you may be prompted to enter your library card number.

You can find all our resources on our Topical Resource List or listed in A-B-C order on our Alphabetical Resource List. The ones that well help get a new school year started best are: