January at the Library

Holiday closures:
The library will be closed on Monday, January 16
in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

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Art @ the Library

In January the library is hosting an art exhibit by Helen Costello.  Former art teacher and social worker, Costello will be exhibiting her collection of watercolors and oils.  In addition, potter Lisa Botti will be exhibiting her eclectic pottery in January. The library is hosting a free art reception for Ms. Botti on Friday, January 13, from 4:00 – 6:00 pm.  Light refreshments will be served.

OpenBooks Discussion Returns

The OpenBooks Discussion Series, which runs October – May, continues on Thursday, January 5, at 7:00 pm, in the Montana Room of the library.  These discussions, sponsored by Humanities Montana and the Great Falls Public Library Foundation, are free and open to the public.  You may attend any and all of the discussions.  Books are available at the library three weeks prior to each meeting. You will need a library card to check a book out whether you attend the discussion or just read the book.  Discussions are facilitated by Penny Hughes-Briant, a teacher at UGF. For more information on this series call 453-0349.

January’s selection is Open Season by C.J. Box.  Open Season is an entertaining police procedural tale that works because the author steps out of the box by insuring his star is not superman. Instead he is just an average Joe struggling with learning his new job, obtaining a decent standard of living for his family, and still trying to do the right thing. The story line is filled with twists and turns so that the audience is fooled into thinking the wrong person is the villain. The endangered species issue is well designed within the plot with C.J. Box cleverly laying it out so that the reader can decide on this complex question. Fans will want more Wyoming mysteries starring a guy named Joe.

Armchair Traveler Series

Major League Baseball Stadium Tour
January 5, Thursday, 7:00 pm
Great Falls resident Randy Barrett combines his love of baseball and travel in this program, which shares his tour, taken over several years, of all the major league baseball stadiums in the country.  Randy will have memorabilia for the audience, along with stories illustrating this unique travel adventure.  A must for baseball fans.

Ukrainian Education Adventure
January 12, Thursday, 7:00 pm
Middle School Science Teacher Beth Thomas traveled to the Ukraine in 2010 as a part of a State Department Exchange Program.  After undergoing a two-year application process, Thomas was one of a select group of teachers in the US chosen to participate in this program, whose goal was to raise global awareness by coming to experience the diversity and cultural differences of other global locations. Thomas spent two weeks in a small town south of Kiev, working with a Ukrainian teacher and her class.  While there she skyped with her Great Falls class and worked interactively with the Ukrainian students.  Along with her academic responsibilities, Thomas was able to do some additional touring of Ukraine.

Costa Rica and Panama
January 19, Thursday, 7:00 pm
University of Great Falls faculty member Jeff Trafelet traveled to Costa Rica as part of his studies while enrolled at UGF in 2010.  The purpose of the trip was to learn more about the rainforest.  In addition to the study program, Jeff experienced many facets of Costa Rica.  He also traveled to Panama and will share those adventures with the audience also.

Donations Days for
Friends of the Library Book Sale

The Friends of the Great Falls Public Library have announced they will be holding special book donation days in preparation for their annual used book sale to be held in May.

If you have items you’d like to donate for this sale, you can bring them in on scheduled donation days.  The advantage of the donation days is especially noticeable for those with more than a small donation.  On these scheduled donation days, you bring your items to the library’s garage, in the alley behind the building.  Volunteers will be available to assist, especially with transferring donations from your car to the building.           

You can bring your donations into the library anytime during operating hours, but assistance cannot be guaranteed except on scheduled donation days. Proceeds from the book sale are used to sponsor special library programs and projects that the library’s budget cannot cover.  Anyone interested in more details, volunteering for the book sale or donating books can contact Jude Smith at 453-0349 or jusmith@greatfallslibrary.org.

Film Screening:
Beyond the Tipping Point?
Saturday, January 21, 2:00 p.m.

Beyond the Tipping Point? is a film about climate change and the ways we respond to it. Through the voices of 25 people from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities, it addresses a fundamental challenge for our time: how the future is imagined, and how this imagination shapes our actions in the present.
Why another film about climate change? This is not another film about the science or the ‘facts’ of global warming. It is an exploration of a deeper set of questions.  How do we make sense of the idea that we may have a limited time frame for effective action? Is there ever a point after which all action comes too late?
Who funded it? The film is funded by the Lincoln Theological Institute, based at The University of Manchester, who undertake research that connects the study of religion, ethics and civil society. The LTI are part of a broader research group based in Manchester called the Religion and Civil Society Network.