Huntsville Library Foundation

Alabama Gives Day is Thursday, February 2

agandy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:54:52 +0000

Alabama Gives Day is THIS Thursday!

On February 2nd, 2012, THe Huntsville Library Foundation needs YOUR support. Hundreds of nonprofit organizations from across the State of Alabama will participate in Alabama Gives Day. For 24 hours thousands of people with giving hearts will make gracious donations to make this collaborative effort a success.

Please support The Huntsville Library Foundation. As advocates for the Library, the Foundation raises awareness and funds to support the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library. Your donation will help put books on the shelves and provide other needed resources for your library.

Give generoulsy on Alabama Gives Day! Go to http://algives.razoo.com/story/Huntsville-Library-Foundation

Let's celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Vive le Livre!

agandy — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:00:45 +0000

On Thursday, November 3rd the Hunsville Library Foundation will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Vive le Livre, our annual gala fundraiser. An evening set aside to "celebrate the book", this year's featured speaker is author, attorney and library advocate, Scott Turow.

Scott Turow is the author of nine best-selling works of fiction, including Presumed Innocent and its sequel, Innocent. He has also written two non-fiction works about his experiences in the law and serves as the President of the Author's Guild.

25th Anniversary of Vive le Livre featuring Scott Turow

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 in the North Hall of the VBC

Author Cocktail Reception at 6:00, Dinner at 7:00

Booksigning to follow dinner and keynote address

Tickets are available by clicking on the "Event Information" tab

Cocktail Party and Book Signing with Dr. D.P. Lyle at character "Dub Walker's" House

agandy — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:03:31 +0000

Join the Huntsville Library Foundation on Friday, August 26th at 6:30 p.m. for a cocktail party and book signing at the mountaintop home of Dr. D.P. Lyle's main character, Dub Walker!! (or at least the house that inspired the writer!)

Tickets are $40.00 per person; get yours online!

All proceeds benefit the Huntsville Library Foundation.

Book Club Registry

agandy — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:31:22 +0000

I love a good book! A good book transports you, soothes you, fires you up and makes you laugh and cry. You can often "hear me" reading a book, as I have a tendency to talk back to the main characters, or giggle or yell - whichever is appropriate to the situation. Reading is a source of great joy for me! Of course, another great joy of mine is talking!! So when I joined my first book club, I realized I could have two of my favorite things at the same time. I could read and then talk about the book I had just read.

A book club is a collection of readers who participate in the regular discussion of books. It doesn't matter what you read, how often you meet or who is in the group. All that matters is that you read, get together and then discuss. Book clubs meet for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all times in between. They can be with life-long friends, neighbors, co-workers or strangers who become friends.

The Huntsville Library Foundation wants to support our local book clubs. The Foundation is starting a registry of all books clubs in Madison County and the surrounding areas to help keep you up to date on literary news and events of interest at the Library. Your information will not be shared with anyone outside the Foundation. Plus.... there's a prize involved! All book clubs that register with the Foundation prior to September 1st will be entered into a drawing to win dinner in a private home for up to 12 for a book club meeting.** So click on the tab marked "Book Club Registry" and sign up!

If you need further information, contact Amy Gandy at agandy@hmcpl.org or (256)532-5954.

(**Must be 18 years of age to be eligible. Time and date of dinner to be mutually decided by winner and Foundation representative. Entries must be received by September 1st, 2011. One winner will be drawn)

Mark your Calendar for the Vive le Livre 25th Anniversary featuring Scott Turow

agandy — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:23:33 +0000

This year marks a milestone for the Huntsville Library Foundation's annual Vive le Livre! On November 3rd, Vive is turning 25! The HLF is proud to announce best-selling author and attorney, Scott Turow as our featured guest for this very special occasion!

Turow is the author of nine best-selling works of fiction, including his first novel, Presumed Innocent and the recently published sequel, Innocent. He has also written two non-fiction books about his experiences in law as a partner in the Chicago based SNR Denton (formerly Sonnesnschein, Nath & Rosenthal) international law firm, specializing in white collar criminal defense and pro bono cases. A trustee for Amherst College and the President of the Author's Guild, the nation's largest membership organization of professional writers, Scott Turow has also served as first Chair of the Illinois' Executive Ethics Commission and on the Illinois Commission on Capital Punishment.

Mr. Turow has a passion for libraries! In a recent article he said, "I count myself as one of millions of Americans whose life simply would not be the same without the libraries that supported my learning." So mark your calendar for November 3rd at 7:00 at the North Hall of the VBC and come support your public library!

Murder & Mayhem with Jefferson Bass, authors of the Body Farm series

agandy — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:31:07 +0000

I admit it! I love the show CSI: New York. It is a group of "forensic investigators who use high-tech science to follow the evidence and solve crimes in the big apple." Plus, the actors are cute and there's a strong Southern woman as one of the main characters! Now, I have the chance to learn what really happens behind the scenes in forensic science and investigation from the bestselling author Jefferson Bass, the writing team of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson. (www.jeffersonbass.com)

In the early 1980s Dr. Bill Bass, a world-renowned forensic anthropologist, founded the University of Tennesee’s Body Farm—the world’s first laboratory devoted to human decomposition. He is the author of more than 200 scientific publications, and a nonfiction account of the Body Farm, DEATH’S ACRE, written with Jon Jefferson. A veteran journalist, science writer, and documentary filmmaker, Jefferson has written for the New York Times, Newsweek, and National Public Radio. He is the coauthor of DEATH’S ACRE, and the producer of two National Geographic documentaries about the Body Farm broadcast worldwide. Together they have written the New York Times bestselling Body Farm series. Their sixth book, The Bone Yard, comes out in early March.

Come to the US Space & Rocket Center on Tuesday, March 15th from 6:30 - 9:00 for an author presentation and book signing and tour the CSI exhibit. It promises to be an evening filled with Murder and Mayhem!

"A Walk in the City"

agandy — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:14:54 +0000

If we are fortunate, sometimes we get to look at the familiar from a new perspective. Last week I was able to do that by having a lovely walk and lunch with this year's Vive le Livre Author, Bill Bryson. It was Veteran's Day and the parade was going on downtown, so Mr. Bryson and I walked to lunch along the parade route. How amazing to see families, young and old, who had come out to support those who work to maintian our freedom, to follow along behind the marching band as they played patriotic tunes, and to watch our veterans be applauded as they walked the parade route. We ate outside and talked about how planting roots are important to each of us and about how great the chicken salad and fried chicken were!

We didn't really talk about his books or what inspired them, we talked more about family and home and what they mean to each of us. He is the proud father of four and even prouder grandfather of five! He loves the old rectory that he and his wife make their home in England, but also loves his home state of Iowa. Instead of flying to Huntsville, he drove in from Iowa after visiting with his mother and then drove on to his next engagement in Cincinnati. Mr. Bryson took a walking tour of Huntsville finding the beauty in our city that we often overlook. On Friday he became a patron of the Library when he came over to print something for his next engagement. Mr. Bryson let me see through fresh eyes what a lovey city we live in and how important the Library is to all its citizens.

Thank you for making the 24th Annual Vive le Livre with Bill Bryson such a huge success. Mr. Bryson is an engaging and humorous speaker who filled the South Hall of the VBC with laughter. The Foundation is thankful to those who supported this event by their attendance and their gifts of time, money and talent. I am thankful for the many people who helped plan and prepare such a big event and who carried it out so well. The funds raised from this event will support the Book Fund of your Huntsville-Madison County Public Library.

For Photos of the event, go to www.clicksfoto.com, select "private parties", look for "Huntsville Library" and use the password hsvmadpublib when prompted.

Drink from the fire hydrant

agandy — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:58:48 +0000

On August 30th, I started a new journey at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library as the Foundation Development Director. What a mouthful! For two weeks I have been "drinking from the fire hydrant," learning all I can. I thought I knew a lot about the library! My family and I have been patrons of the library for years. My children have grown up going to story time, learning computer skills on the fun games at the library computers, and now researching term papers and checking out books on their own. Both my daughters can spend hours looking for and reading books in the library and my son thinks it is cool to check out books. Boy was I wrong! There is so much more going on at the library than I ever imagined!

Over 2 million items were checked out of the library last year. 78,984 people used the Library's public computers. 6,937 audio and ebooks were downloaded from the library's Digital Media Zone. 51,102 kids participated in the summer reading program. 310 computer education courses were offered at the library -- and did you know we have a special collection for the blind and physically handicapped? The list of amazing opportunities goes on and on.

However, due to potential cuts in library funding, some books you are accustomed to receiving may not be on the shelves when you want them. YOU can change that! You can donate online to the Library book fund! No gift is too small! Every dollar will help! Simply click on the Donate to the Book Fund icon and choose how much you want to donate. Or, make a memorial gift for a friend or loved one. You can come "drink from the fire hydrant" that is the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, too!

Triana Public Library Fire Fund

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:17:54 +0000

The Triana Public Library was destroyed by fire the night of September 20, 2009. The library is a total loss from smoke, water, and fire damage—including all of the books and computer equipment it contained. As a result, children and job-seekers have lost not just books, but computer and Internet access.

Photos of the damage are here on Flickr.

The Triana library lost 6,122 books and 3 computers to the fire. We are grateful that no one was injured.

How can I help?

Your donation, no matter the size, can help buy new materials for the Triana Public Library. Every $5 gets us closer to buying books, furniture, and computer equipment. (To donate to the building fund, please visit any branch of First Commercial Bank: Town of Triana Library and Boys & Club Building Fund.)

Want to do more? $30 puts a book back on Triana's shelves.
Want to be amazing? $850 replaces a computer.

You can donate any amount, and your donations are tax-deductible. Just edit the 'Amount' field to tell us how much you'd like to donate.

Price: $5.00

Buy a book for your library!

Stephenie Walker — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:08:27 +0000

A $25 donation places a book on our shelves, complete with bookplate honoring someone you care about.