Oldsmar Centennial Programs

2016 brings us a celebration of Oldsmar's Centennial, and the Library has several programs planned to help kick off the yearlong celebration!  All programs will be in TECO Hall, no registration required.

• Thursday, January 21, 6:00 pm,  Chris Kahl - “A Musical Journey Through Florida”
  Join us for an evening of original folk songs about Florida & its history.  Read more about Chris & his work at www.chriskahl.com

• Thursday, February 11, 6:30 pm,  James A. Schnur, Special Collections Librarian, USF-St. Petersburg -  Pinellas County History. Learn more about local history from a native & lifelong Pinellas County resident and Past President of the Pinellas Historical Society.

• Thursday, February 18, 6:30 pm Lou Lawrence, retired auto executive - Automobile History. The history of the American automobile has always been intertwined with Oldsmar's history

• Thursday, February 25, 6:30 pm Jeff Klinkenberg, author and retired reporter for the Tampa Bay Times - Florida Culture  Come learn more about Florida culture from someone who has written about it for four decades!
  Our Books & Brews book club will be doing a tie-in book discussion of his recent work Alligators in B Flat on Feb. 2 at 6 pm at the Oldsmar Tap House.  Read more about Jeff and sample some of his essays on his website.

• Thursday, March 3, 6:30 pm Rick Smith  - "Patrick Smith’s Florida Is A Land Remembered” Join the son of Patrick Smith, author of A Land Remembered, for a multi-media celebration of Florida history and his father's beloved book.
  A Land Remembered will be the book discussed at the March 1 Books & Brews book club, and you can read more about the presentation on Rick's website.

New Monthly Programs

 

We have two new monthly programs beginning in January!

The first new offering is a Wii Gaming Program for teens & adults (13+ please).  We'll be setting up our new Wii in TECO Hall after the library closes on the first Friday of the month and playing multi-player games on the big screen.  Come join us for Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart (and more) and snacks! 

The premier program will actually be a second Friday due to New Year's, so mark your calendar for Friday, January 8 from 5-8 pm. No registration needed, and you'll be able to enter from the outside door of TECO Hall if you arrive after the library closes at 5 pm.

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We're also starting a monthly Fiber Arts Program! The plan is to focus on quilting, cross stitch, knitting and crocheting, but if you're interested in any fiber arts feel free to come to our first meeting on Saturday, January 23 at 1:00 pm in the Rotary Literacy/Conference Room.

Bring a project to work on and/or to show the group, and we'll discuss what we'd like to explore at future meetings.  No registration needed, but please call 813-749-1185 with any questions.

Small Business Counseling with SCORE

Whether you're looking to fine-tune an existing business or achieve that new business start-up you've been dreaming about - SCORE is willing to help! SCORE business counselors provide experienced, unbiased, face to face business mentoring to small business owners & new entrepreneurs.

A business counselor from the Pinellas county chapter of SCORE is at the Oldsmar Library on the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 10am to Noon & 1:00-3:00pm. To schedule a free 1 hour appointment call the Library's Reference desk at (813) 749-1181 or sign-up in person

Pinellas County SCORE is a non-profit association & resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

For more information about SCORE see http://www.pinellascounty.score.org

New Online Resources

In conjunction with the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, we're happy to share our newest online resources with you!

Miss Humblebee’s Academy is an easy-to-use, interactive online kindergarten readiness solution, offering hundreds of lessons spanning all major academic subjects, providing weekly progress reports and assessments to measure proficiency and learning. Accessible via smart phones and tablets, Miss Humblebee’s Academy offers a safe and secure learning environment, with no pop-ups, ads, or links to other websites.

Developed by the makers of  World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Online allows users to tap into a wealth of reliable information. This resource offers information for all K-12 students and includes databases in Spanish and French. The online content is constantly updated and can provide multimedia resources to further enrich learning

Complete digital copies of your favorite magazines are now available to download for free with no holds, no checkout periods, and no limit to the number of magazines you can download!

The service is provided by Zinio, the world’s largest online magazine subscription service. Using your library card and smartphone, tablet or personal computer, you can gain access to popular magazines like Cosmopolitan, HGTV Magazine, Men's Health, Taste of Home and many more. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and, unlike print magazines, digital magazines don't need to be returned.

Give them a try & let us know what you think!

Pinellas County Extension Programs

We are hosting two exciting programs from the UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County this fall. Online registration is preferred, but both programs are free!

The first program is coming up on Thursday, October 8th from 6 to 7:30 pm. Sustainable Living - Minor Changes, Major Impact will teach you about energy and water conservation, consumerism, and sustainable living behaviors that will provide a comfortable lifestyle and leave a healthy planet for future generations.  Each registered participant will receive an insulated shopping bag with sustainability resources. Please register online at: sustainablelivingoldsmar.eventbrite.com

Next will be Food for Thought on Thursday, November 5th from 6 to 7 pm.  This program will explore  the many paths that our food takes to the trash can. What goes to waste in our food system? When, why, and what can we do about it?  Participants will learn about strategies and resources to reduce food waste. Each registered participant will receive an insulated shopping bag with sustainability resources. Please register online at foodforthoughtoldsmar.eventbrite.com

For more information, call the Library at 813-749-1181 or contact Heather Landis with the Pinellas Extension Office at 727-582-2517.

Free Financial Seminars

We are hosting three free financial seminars beginning in a few weeks.  They will all be presented by Susan Luca of Regions Bank as part of the Regions Bank Financial Fundamentals Series. All programs will be at TECO Hall in the Library, and no registration is required for any program.

Tuesday, October 6 -  6 pm - Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
Learn about common forms of identity theft, how you can protect yourself, what to do if you suspect you are a victim, what to do if your wallet or purse is lost or stolen and how you can prepare in advance for identity theft emergencies. 

Tuesday, October 27 - 6pm - Your Credit Report
Learn about your credit report and FICO score, how each affects your finances and how you can maintain or improve your credit score 

Tuesday, November 17 - 6 pm - What Every Woman Should Know About Money
Learn about -being confident in your financial decision making, goal setting, the importance of saving, and should savings plans differ depending upon your age 

Call the library for more info or call Regions' Eastlake Woodlands Branch at 727-786-0707 

Remembering Florida's Fallen Photo Exhibit

We will be hosting the Remembering Florida's Fallen Photo Exhibit in our Library Arcade from Monday, September 21 - Friday, September 25. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 am on Monday, the 21st.  The ribbon cutting will be open to the public, and the display will be available for viewing during regular hours for the rest of the week.

The exhibit  honors Florida servicemen & women who have lost their lives through service to their country since 2001. You can read more about the national mission here: Remembering Our Fallen Project