Friday, March 29, 2024

What’s New at the Southlake Public Library

The Southlake Public Library is off to a great start with fall programming. Visitors will have their hands full this season with art, reading, painting and our new Speaker Series with renowned authors.

Here are the new programs the library is introducing this fall:

Read to Evan Seven, a Canine Companion
September 3, 2022
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Spend one-on-one time reading to Evan Seven, a Golden Retriever/Labrador mix, a certified therapy dog. Each reader will receive 15 minutes of reading time Evan. Ages 4-12 only. (FULL, the October 1 session is available) Registration required.

Watercolor with Laura Lester
September 8, 2022
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

If you love to paint or want to try a new craft, give water coloring a try. Learn to create your own watercolor masterpiece with artist and teacher Laura Lester. This class will include different techniques and applications, as well as practice in using your new skill. No experience is required and all supplies are provided. Ages 13 and up. Registration required.

Speaker Series – Raising Thrivers: Parenting Tips and Tools to Help Kids Thrive in an Uncertain World – Author Talk with Dr. Michele Borba (Online event)
September 8, 2022, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Registration required.

Vaquero: Genesis of the Texas Cowboy Exhibit
September 12, 2022 – October 8, 2022
The Southlake Library hosts the exhibit, Vaquero: Genesis of the Texas Cowboy to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Speaker Series -Author Talk with Simon Winchester – The Professor and the Madman
September 20, 2022, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (Online event)
Registration required.

Speaker Series – Trust: Author Talk with Hernan Diaz
September 27, 2022, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. (Online Event)
Registration required.

WizArt, an Art Program for Kids
September 30, 2022, 5:00 – 5:30 p.m.

This art program is designed for kids ages 5 to 12 and led by local teen artists. Participants will receive a brief art lesson and then apply their new knowledge to a fun art project. No registration required.

Bookstacks more popular than screen time

Are you a fan and frequent visitor to the Southlake Public Library? You’re in good company.

In 2019 alone, the library received more than 135,000 visitors.

According to a recent Gallup poll, Southlake isn’t the only city across the country receiving attention from visitors. The survey, taken from December 2-15, 2019, revealed that Americans visit their local public library an average of 10.5 times per year. That’s nearly twice as much as attending a movie at a movie theater, which occurs at a rate of 5.3 times per year.

A quick stroll through Southlake’s Public Library, and you’ll understand its popularity and draw. From free coffee or tea to reading nooks for children and adults alike, the library has a cozy, quiet atmosphere. It also has a host of resources for all ages, including computers, meeting rooms and, of course, stacks of books.

If the book stacks are intimidating, you might ask the library staff for help locating a book or even reading suggestions. If there’s a younger reader with you, the team might suggest checking out their most popular book, Barbie: A fairy secret, which has been checked out 1,093 times!

While books may line the walls, the library offers much more than just reading material.

“Our goal is to make the library a fun place for discovery and a welcoming place to spend time,” Cynthia Pfledderer said. “We look at every aspect of the Library and ask – how do we make this the best it can be with our available resources?”

For staff members, improvement at the library is always a moving target because the needs and interests of the community are continually evolving.

“Fortunately, our staff is energized by the challenge. We love finding new ways to delight our patrons,” Cynthia said. “There’s just no substitute for knowing your community, and the trick is to stay connected to them so the ideas come organically.”

Items available for check out at the Southlake Public Library include audiobooks on CD, eBooks, eAudiobooks, digital magazines, DVDs, music CDs, magazines, business journals, online research databases, and online children’s books. Library cards are available to Southlake residents with a proof of residence address or property ownership. Children under 16 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to obtain a library card.

The Southlake Library is located on the first floor of Town Hall in Southlake Town Square at 1400 Main Street, Suite 130, Southlake, TX 76092. The library is open Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 8 pm, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm and closed on Sunday.

For more information on the Library, visit https://www.cityofsouthlake.com/93/Library.

Writing for Magazines: The Basics a 4-Week Class

Are you interested in developing the skills and know-how to write for magazines? Sign up for this free 4-week course at Southlake Library.

Do you want to see your name in print? This four-week class covers the basics of writing for magazines such as: finding ideas and matching them with markets, crafting a query letter, conducting interviews, researching, writing the article, and much more.

Each class is two hours long, and at the end of the class, each student will have a workbook full of handouts and resources for their journey in writing magazine articles.

Class Details:

Registration is required and open to teens and adults only. Register now.

Class One: October 30th | 6-8 PM | Southlake Town Hall
Finding ideas, common article types (ie. profiles, how-to, journalism, evergreen topics), and finding markets.

Class Two: November 6th | 6-8 PM | Southlake Town Hall
Know the publication, writing effecting query letters, and query follow-ups.

Class Three: November 13th | 6-8 PM | Southlake Town Hall
Researching – organizing information, finding experts, and digging for details. Interviews – strategy, scheduling, and conducting.

Class Four: November 20th | 6-8 PM | Southlake Town Hall
Writing the article – structure, grabbing readers’ attention, using anecdotes, and ending the article. Resources will be provided for additional information (organizations, groups, websites).

The Tales We Tell: Writing Your Family Stories

The Southlake Library is bringing a series of classes to help you write your family stories!

To write your family stories one must ask questions like a journalist, research like a genealogist, and write like a novelist. This four-week class covers the basics such as gathering materials, subject profiles, social and local history, researching, bringing the past to life, scene setting, dialogue, self-editing checklists, and much more. Each class is two hours long, and at the end of the class each student will have a workbook full of handouts and resources for their journey in writing their family stories.

Class One: Gathering materials, Memoir vs. biography vs. historical fiction, Local history, Social history, subject profiles, Family themes
July 31 | 6-8 PM | Southlake Town Hall

Class Two: Researching, Genealogical sources, Interview questions and conducting interviews
August 7 | 6-8 PM | Southlake Town Hall

Class Three: Characterization, Scene Setting, Details, Plot and story structure, Telling versus showing, Point of View, Dialogue, Conflict
August 14 | 6-8 PM | Southlake Town Hall

Class Four: Self-editing checklists, Publishing basics and options, Documentation, Resource websites, Your family history as a blog
August 21 | 6-8 PM | Southlake Town Hall 

Register for these classes by emailing us at southlakelibrary@ci.southlake.tx.us.