All classes are free and open to the public.  Call to reserve your spot today.  716-484-7135 ext. 225

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Introduction to Spreadsheets (Excel 2010) (EVENING CLASS!)
Tuesdays, June 11, 18, 25, July 2 and 9 from 5:45 – 8:15

The ability to use a spreadsheet to work with and analyze numbers has become a basic skill and is expected for most students.  In this course, students will learn the systematic management of numbers and calculations, how to arrange information so it can be searched, compiled and rearranged, how to visually display numeric data as graphs, automate number management procedures, and create their own spreadsheets.  Students will learn the basics of Excel 2010, including learning to create a check registry, inventory sheet, and manipulate data.

Computers for Beginners
Tuesdays, June 11, 18, 25, July 2 and 9 from 3:00 – 5:30

This course is designed for the new computer user.  This hands-on class starts “at the beginning.”  Students are guided through, at a comfortable pace, basic computer terminology, turning the computer on and off properly, using a mouse, and working with various computer programs.  The course is structured so students can practice at home between classes, and then bring questions and problems to the next class.

Top 10 scorers

Prendergast Library awarded prizes to 10 players at the conclusion of its first fund-raising Scrabble tournament Saturday.

Top scorer was Brett Torres, who placed first with 1,111 points after three rounds. Second place went to LisaAnn Housemann with a score of 1,093; third place to Gail Berg at 1,048.

Brett Torres placed first with 1,111 points after three rounds.

Placing fourth through 10th were Norm Lindell, 1047; Eric Ecklum, 980; Jane Ianello, 951; Karen Christy, 947; Linda Hepler, 918; Kathie Ehmen, 883; and Donna Dominick, 880.

The first-place winner received a Kindle Fire HD; second-place, a Scrabble Deluxe Wood Edition; third place, a Scrabble Diamond Deluxe; and fourth through 10th place, an Official Scrabble Dictionary.

All entrants played two 45-minute rounds, followed by a final round for the leading 10.

Click any thumbnail to view a slideshow of the Scrabble Tournament pictures.

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Sample Card

Prendergast Library will host a workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Monday, June 10th on making greeting cards. Participants will learn embossing techniques to create unique, handmade, stamped cards for family or friends. Two projects are planned. Sign up at the Information Desk or call 484-7135. There is no charge to observe, but a $5 materials fee will be collected from those making a card.

About 15 books have been donated by local and other notable authors for inclusion in this event. During the sale, their works will be in the Special Room, where anyone interested may make an offer, and they are currently being displayed at the library.

The books will be sold to the highest bidder on Saturday before the beginning of the bag sale for general merchandise and half-price sale for Special Room items.

One of the best-known authors with local roots is Natalie Merchant, a singer, songwriter, and musician who recently gave the library a signed copy of her book “Leave Your Sleep,” which came out last November.

“Leave Your Sleep” is a hard-cover, 48-page, full-color book that includes a CD with 19 songs. It is based on Ms. Merchant’s album of classic children’s poetry adapted to music and includes artwork by Barbara McClintock, an award-winning children’s book illustrator.

Annie Greene, left, head of Family Literacy and acting head of Adult Services at Prendergast Library, and Karen Watson, childhood friends of Natalie Merchant, look at an exhibit of authors’ books, including one Ms. Merchant released last fall, and childhood pictures saved by her friends. Although Ms. Merchant’s book and memorabilia are not for sale, autographed cards promoting her book will be included in a silent auction to benefit the library during its annual book sale June 7-8 at the Lillian V. Ney Renaissance Center.

Although the book will remain in the library’s permanent collection, promotional cards featuring the book cover art and autographed by Ms. Merchant will be included in the sale.

Ms. Merchant recently reconnected with Anne Seely Greene, a childhood friend and librarian at Prendergast Library, and the two have enjoyed sharing memories and childhood pictures of themselves as young girls. Ms. Merchant said the library had a significant impact on her life. She remembers her parents borrowing books and films on a regular basis, seeing her first art exhibit at the library, participating in summer reading clubs, and enjoying the quiet physical space of the library where she would read and appreciate various aspects of the collection.

Other local authors who will be represented in the auction are Jennifer Riesmeyer Elvgren and Paul Leone, “If Nothing Happens…The Courtship Letters of Norman Winson Ingerson and Stella May Murdock”; Thomas A. Erlandson and Linda V. Swanson, “Figure 8 the Lake; A Driving Tour of Chautauqua Lake”; Rolland E. Kidder, “A Hometown Went to War”; and Ric Wyman, “For the Love of Lucy; The Complete Guide for Collectors and Fans.”

Additional authors who signed a book, bookplate or letter are David Baldacci, Catherine Coulter, Selden Edwards, Andrew Gross, Dean Koontz, Beverly Lewis, Adam Mansbach, and Dustin Thomason.

FICTION

• Andalucian Friend by Alexander Söderberg
• Delicate Truth by John Le Carré
• Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris
• Edge of Dawn by Lara Adrian
• Cutting Season by Attica Locke
• Flora by Gail Godwin
• Good Cop by Brad Parks
• Extinction Machine by Jonathan Maberry
• Island 731 by Jeremy Robinson
• Thousand Pardons by Jonathan Dee
• Paging the Dead by Brynn Bonner
• Edge of the Earth by Christina Schwarz
• Red Moon by Benjamin Percy
• Blue Book by A. L. Kennedy
• Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
• NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
• Night Detectives by Jon Talton
• Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs
• Step of Faith by Richard Paul Evans
• Time to Kill by Jack Couglin
• Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots by Jessica Soffer
• What Darkness Brings by C. S. Harris
• Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho
• Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
• River of No Return by Bee Ridgway
• Where You Can Find Me by Sheri Joseph
• Five Days by Douglas Kennedy
• Silken Prey by John Sanford
• This Magnificent Desolation by Thomas O’Malley
• River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay
• Little Green by Walter Mosley
• Little Folly by Jude Morgan
• Odds Against Tomorrow by Nathaniel Rich
• Inferno by Dan Brown
• Dual Inheritance by Joanna Hershon
• And the Mountains Echoed by Kahled Hosseini
• Last Friends by Jane Gardam
• Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau
• Cherry Cola Book Club by Ashton Lee
• Yesterday’s Echo by Matt Coyle

YOUNG ADULT FICTION

• Mirage by Kristi Cook

LARGE PRINT FICTION

• Starting Now by Debbie Macomber
• Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society by Darien Gee
• The Clocks by Agatha Christie
• Secrets From the Past by Barbara Taylor Bradford
• Breaking Point by C. J. Box
• Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
• Every Trick in the Book by Lucy Arlington
• Angel Mine by Sherryl Woods
• Sweet Mercy by Ann Tatlock

NON-FICTION

• Twitch Upon a Star by Herbie J. Pilato
• Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
• Black Count by Tom Reiss
• Higher Call by Adam Makos
• Secrets of Silicon Valley by Deborah Perry Piscione
• Blood Sisters by Sarah Gristwood
• Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris
• Art of Controversy by Victor S. Navasky
• Days That I’ll Remember by Jonathan Cott
• Autistic Brain by Temple Grandin
• Clean by David Sheff
• Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart
• Your Preemie Baby by Su Laurent
• Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
• Carrie and Me by Carol Burnett
• Pain, Parties, Work by Elizabeth Winder
• Cooked by Michael Pollan
• Cushion in the Road by Alice Walker
• Hammarskjöld by Roger Lipsey
• Storm Kings by Lee Sandlin
• Trident K9 Warriors by Mike Ritland
• Dirty Wars by Jeremy Scahill
• My Way by Paul Anka
• C. S. Lewis by Alister McGrath
• Anatomy of Violence by Adrian Raine
• Born on a Moutaintop by Bob Thompson
• Last Train to Zona Verde by Paul Theroux
• Legendary Locals of the Chautauqua Lake Region by Kathleen Crocker

LARGE PRINT NON-FICTION

• Carrie and Me by Carol Burnett

BOOKS ON COMPACT DISC

• Capitol Murder by Phillip Margolin
• Chance by Karen Kingsbury
• Daddy’s Gone a Hunting by Mary Higgins Clark
• Hit by David Baldacci
• Six Years by Harlan Coben
• Darker Place by Jack Higgins
• Don’t Go by Lisa Scottoline

Thank you, Smiley Miles, for providing the timing.

Congratulations to the Overall Male and Female Winners!

Adam Rowe – 1st place, Male

Heather Pickup – 1st place, Female

Click on any thumbnail to view a slideshow.

Shoppers browse items for sale at the 2012 Prendergast Library book sale. For the first time this year, the annual event will be held off-site.

Prendergast Library will hold its 34th annual book sale Friday, June 7, and Saturday, June 8, at the Jamestown Renaissance Center and is looking for volunteers and donations to help make the event a success.

“Having the book sale at another location will allow us to keep the library open Thursday evening, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for regular patron use,” according to Board President Tom Price.

Price also praised the opportunity to partner with the Jamestown Renaissance Center.

“It’s a great space, and there’s the added benefit of being right next door to the Farmers’ Market. It will also allow the library to expand concessions during this prime fund-raiser for new library materials,” he said.

NEW LOCATION -the Jamestown Renaissance Center, 119 W. Third Street
NEW HOURS – 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday
NEW EVENT – A silent auction will be held, with the results being announced at noon on Saturday. Items being auctioned are signed books by local and national authors, including autographed book cards for the new book by Natalie Merchant. Read more about this here.
NEW SERIVCES – For the first time, drive up services are being offered. Leave your bags, grab your car, and we will load your car for you
SAME OLD PRICES – all the books are priced the same as they have been for years

The library is in particular need of volunteers for clean-up from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 8.

During the sale, assistance is also needed in three shifts Friday and two shifts Saturday for jobs such as front door greeter, special collection volunteer, floor help, shopper exit assistance, second floor help, and kitchen and concession help.

A list of time slots and job descriptions is available at www.prendergastlibrary.org and at the Information Desk.

The majority of books are donated by members of the community, and proceeds from the sale are used to buy new library materials.

“Between now and June 1, we hope people will continue to bring in items to be sold,” said Acting Director Tina Scott.

Donations are tax deductible, and the June 1 deadline gives staff members time to sort them before the sale begins.

Thank you, Book Sale Donors!
Diedre Carrion, 2; Andre Maple, 9; and their mother, Raquel Carrion of Jamestown, contribute some books for Prendergast Library’s annual book sale

The library accepts any paperbacks or hardcover books, except for condensed books, textbooks, or encyclopedias more than 10 years old. The sale also includes non-book items such as CDs and DVDs.

The Prendergast book sale usually offers more than 40,000 books and draws buyers from all over the country.

For information or to volunteer to help with the sale, call 484-7135, Ext. 225.

Contest rules:

• For teens in grades 7-12 who are Chautauqua County residents
• Photos must be taken by the person entering the contest
• Limit of 2 entries per person
• Photos may be in black & white, sepia or color (4×6, 5×7, or 8×10 hard copies)
• Photos must be matted; framing is optional
• Photos will be judged based on quality, originality, and creativity
• Each photo must have an accompanying entry form
• All entries must be received by May 17, 2013
• All entries will be displayed at the James Prendergast Library
• Winning photos will appear on the James Prendergast Library website and Facebook page

Prizes:  1^st – $10 iTunes card  2^nd – $5 Tim Horton’s card

Entry forms can be picked up at the Reference and Children’s Room desks or downloaded here.

E FICTION

• Emeraldalicious by Victoria Kann
• Happy Birthday, Bunny! by Elizabeth Garton Scanlon
• Red kite, blue kite by Ji-Li Jiang
• The very fairy princess follows her heart by Julie Andrews
• Time-out for Sophie by Rosemary Wells
• A is for musk ox by Erin Cabatingan
• Bunnies on ice by Johanna Wright
• Everyone can learn to ride a bicycle by Christopher Raschka
• Good-bye tonsils! by Juliana Hatkoff
• Grumpy goat by Brett Helquist
• I dare you not to yawn by Hélène Boudreau
• The black rabbit by Philippa Leathers
• The herd boy by Niki Daly
• When no one is watching by Eileen Spinelli
• Willow finds a way by Lana Button
• Before you were mine by Maribeth Boelts
• Exclamation mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
• Fancy day in room 1-A by Jane O’Connor
• Green eggs and ham by Dr. Seuss
• Hey, duck! by Carin Bramsen
• I lost my tooth in Africa by Penda Diakité
• The cat in the hat by Dr. Seuss
• Underground by Denise Fleming
• We love our dad! by Jan Berenstain
• Butterfly: colors and counting by Jerry Pallotta
• Dream friends by You Byun
• Froggy builds a tree house by Jonathan London
• How Martha saved her parents from green beans by David LaRochelle
• Ol’ mama squirrel by David Ezra Stein
• Ribbit! by Rodrigo Folguiera
• Round is a tortilla by Roseanne Thong
• The Highway Rat by Julia Donaldson
• The name jar by Yangsook Choi
• The paper bag princess by Robert N. Munsch
• When Stravinsky met Nijinsky: two artists, their ballet, and one extraordinary riot by Lauren Stringer

E SPANISH

• ¡A comer!
  
• ¡A jugar!
• ¡A dormir!

J FICTION

• If the shoe fits by Sarah Mlynowski
• Rumble in the jungle by Geronimo Stilton
• In the year of the boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Lord
• Seeing orange by Sara Cassidy
• The story of the blue planet by Andri Snær Magnason
• The worm whisperer by Betty Hicks
• My happy life by Rose Lagercrantz
• Dreamland by Alyson Noël
• I represent Sean Rosen by Jeff Baron
• In a glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz
• Magicalamity by Kate Saunders
• Mira’s diary: home sweet home by Marissa Moss
• Radiance by Alyson Noël
• Rump: the true story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff
• Shimmer by Alyson Noël
• Tales from a not-so-smart Miss Know-It-All by Rachel Renee Russell
• The grave robber’s apprentice by Allan Stratton
• Zebra forest by Adina Gewirtz

J FICTION GRAPHIC

• Babymouse (vol. 1): Queen of the world! by Jennifer L. Holm
• Babymouse (vol. 4): Rock star by Jennifer L. Holm
• Mal and Chad (vol. 3): Belly flop! by Stephen McCranie
• That one spooky night by Dan Bar-el
• Pippi moves in! by Astrid Lindgren
• Babymouse (vol. 8): Puppy love by Jennifer L. Holm
• Chickenhare by Chris Grine
• Winx club (vol. 1): Bloom’s discovery by Fawn Lau
• Winx club (vol. 2): Secrets of Alfea by Fawn Lau
• Upside down: a vampire tale by Jess Smart Smiley

J NON-FICTION

• A little book of sloth by Lucy Cooke
• Hand in hand: ten black men who changed America by Andrea Davis Pinkney
• Henry and the cannons: an extraordinary true story of the American Revolution by Don Brown
• Master George’s people: George Washington, his slaves, and his revolutionary transformation by Marfe Ferguson Delano
• Serving on a jury by Sarah De Capua
• The care & keeping of you 2: the body book for older girls by Cara Familian Natterson
• Ants by Valerie Bodden
• Disabled dogs by Meish Goldish
• Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the dawn of liberty by Tonya Bolden
• Energy experiments using ice cubes, springs, magnets, and more: one hour or less science experiments by Robert Gardner
• Follow follow: a book of reverso poems by Marilyn Singer
• Her story: a timeline of the women who changed America by Charlotte S. Waisman
• Measuring volume by Julia Vogel
• Minmi and other dinosaurs of Australia by Dougal Dixon
• My people by Langston Hughes
• Natural disasters: investigate Earth’s most destructive forces by Kathleen M. Reilly
• Termites by Valerie Bodden
• The care & keeping of you: the body book for younger girls by Valorie Lee Schaefer
• The Lego adventure book: cars, castles, dinosaurs & more! by Megan Rothrock
• The three-legged kitten: true stories about saving animals by Sam Lopez
• Ticks by Valerie Bodden
• Voting by Sarah De Capua
• An emerging world power, 1900-1929 by George Edward Stanley
• Cleopatra: queen of Egypt by Clint Twist
• Explore rivers and ponds by Carla Mooney
• Goodbye, friend: healing wisdom for anyone who has ever lost a pet by Gary A. Kowalski
• Animal helpers: wildlife rehabilitators by Jennifer Keats Curtis
• Caring for animals by Liz Gogerly
• Women in the Civil Rights Movement by Judy L. Hasday

J BIOGRAPHY

• Darwin: a graphic biography by Eugene Byrne
• Mountains beyond mountains: the quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a man who would cure the world by Tracy Kidder
• On a beam of light: a story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne

Jamie Quick will include “Rock Me Baby”, a picture of the Hotel Lenhart porch, when she and her sister, Asterie Michell, display their artwork at Prendergast Library during May. She said the chairs seemed to call to her to come and rest for a while and watch the sun set over Bemus Bay on Chautauqua Lake.

Ms. Quick’s work was featured in the Fowler-Kellogg Art Center at the Chautauqua Institution in 2011, following a solo show at Prendergast Library in 2010. In Florida, she has shown at the Backus Museum in Ft. Pierce, the Vero Beach Museum of Art, and the Morningstar Library in Port St. Lucie.

This year her work will appear in a juried show called The Eye of the Camera at the Backus Museum, and in 2014 she will have a solo exhibit on the Morningstar Library Wall of Art.

“I photograph in digital only. Some of my work is manipulated, and some is not. I try to keep the focus and the color intensity as close to what I see as possible. My decision to manipulate an image is to enhance, never to deceive,” Ms. Quick said.

Since she began to exhibit her photographs in 2007, she has received a certificate of recognition and first and second place in the Flora division in Vero Beach; two honorable mention awards at the Backus Museum; and an honorary certificate as a finalist in the Vibes Photography Contest.

(Click the thumbnail for a larger view of the image)
“Archway” by Jamie Quick	“Butterfly Boost” by Jamie Quick

Her work has been published in the Vero Beach Magazine and in Vibes, a coffee table book of photography. Some of her pictures have also been made into posters and greeting cards.

“God gave me a gift to see what I see and share it with others to enjoy. These photographs are from my spirit. They represent what is put in my path, the attitude of a person or place and the colors that grab my attention,” she said.

A Florida native and resident, Ms. Quick has been interested in photography since she was a child and is self-taught, except for one high school course. Most of her work is done in natural light and focuses on surroundings such as flowers, landscapes, and architecture.

“Photography has been such a gift for me. It began as a way to heal great loss in my life. It has grown into a wonderful outlet for my creativity and has given me a huge sense of adventure and fantasy,” she said.

Ms. Michell will present part of a multi-media series called Catharsis.

(Click the thumbnail for a larger view of the image)
artwork by Asterie Michell	artwork by Asterie Michell	artwork by Asterie Michell

She said her series “of lemony-snicket events” represents a portion of her journey into Point Zero Creativity as taught by Michelle Cassou.

“From 2005 through 2010 I painted under Ms. Cassou’s tutelage. There are 150 pieces in this series, of which I am presenting only a small portion here,” she said.

When she describes her training, she says it began at a retreat house high on a crag surrounded by tall trees on a “night straight out of Young Frankenstein.”

During her journey into self, life and being, she said she learned to paint without judgment and “let the colors and brush lead you through ‘the windmills of your mind,’ heart, soul and spirit,” then “come out the other side and keep going.”

Now a qualified teacher in Point Zero, Ms. Michell said, “I will continue using its protocols, freedoms and excitement in all my future works.”

There will be an opening reception from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, May 3, to meet the artists and discuss their work.

Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

The next library exhibit will be “A Journey in Photographs,” travel photography by Brad Bielawski of Warren, PA.