Alaskan Fiddler Kicks Off October EventsBy Susan Braunstien, Programming Librarian | September 27, 2009It isn’t every day that you will find a fiddling poet from Alaska in the Rapid City Public Library, but on Oct. 1 you can hear Ken Waldman perform fiddle music, storytelling and poetry that will appeal to all ages. As a bonus, children ages 8 through 12 can attend a poetry writing workshop hosted by Waldman. This free event will start at 6:30 p.m. with the performance. The children’s writing workshop will follow at 7 p.m. Joining Waldman will be Rosalind Gnatt, a banjo player who lives in New York City and used to be a professional opera singer. Starting Oct. 4, the 4-H clubs will celebrate National 4-H Week through Oct. 10 and members of local 4-H clubs will be sharing information and demonstrating their projects at the library. The first visit will be on Tuesday, Oct. 6 from 9 to 11 a.m. in the downtown library lobby. This is part of the library’s new drop in programming where different organizations can promote their services or programs to people visiting the library. Two 4-H open houses are also planned in the upstairs meeting room on the weekend with members scheduled to talk about their projects from 2- 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 4. If you are interested in 4-H, the Pennington County Extension office, http://www.co.pennington.sd.us/extension/extsvc.html, has information and you can also check out the national website http://4-h.org. The library will also be offering database drop-in programming in October. Stop by to learn about two of the library’s databases. Library staff will be available in the lobby to demonstrate and answer questions about Opposing Viewpoints on Oct. 21 and College Source Online on Oct. 28. Both opportunities will be held from 3-4 p.m. When the students are out of school on Oct. 12 and 13, the library will once again offer some fun and educational Discovery Day programs. On American Indian Day, Oct. 12, Johnny One Feather will be at both libraries to teach young people how to create Native American crafts such as leather bracelets, dream catchers and porcupine quill earrings. On Oct. 13, the Humane Society of the Black Hills staff will talk to kids about pet ownership, their various programs, volunteering and possibly a shelter animal or two will visit. Both of these events will be held from 10-11:30 a.m. downtown and 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the north library located at General Beadle Elementary School. Lunch and Learn attendees will have the opportunity to hear Chuck Mickel of the South Dakota Wild Grassland Coalition discuss the latest local and national issues involving South Dakota Grasslands. This is scheduled on Oct. 21 from noon to 1 p.m. upstairs in the downtown library. If you are interested in receiving a lunch paid for by the Friends of the Library, please call 394-4171 by noon on Oct. 19. Programs for teenagers are also part of the fun with Gaming Days scheduled at General Beadle on Oct. 6 and 20 and downtown on Oct. 7 and 21 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in both locations. The library will be celebrating Teen Read Week Oct. 18-24. This year’s theme is, “Read Beyond Reality @ Your Library.” Teens are invited to dress up as their favorite book or movie character for the Beyond Reality Costume Party on Friday, Oct. 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the downtown library. There will be food, games, a Guitar Hero tournament and great prizes for the best costume. If you are interested in getting started on your family tree, members of the Rapid City Society for Genealogical Research will provide a free workshop for beginners from 1-5:30 p.m. at the downtown library in the Helen Hoyt room on Saturday, Oct. 24. They will share websites, software and a wealth of personal research knowledge with attendees. No sign-up is required. We also have a Current Events display area in the lobby and during Domestic Violence Awareness Week Oct. 5-9 materials from WAVI, Working Against Violence Inc., will be displayed along with the library’s resources related to this topic. |