While books are at the center of any library’s collection, libraries are about so much more!
Can you name 5 Things that the library offers (other than books)?
We’ve been asking this question recently – and it’s fun to see some responses, especially in light of this year’s National Library Week theme: There’s More to the Story. Everyone has a slightly different answer – we’ve been asking our managers, but you might encounter the social media team in a branch sometime soon. You can find some answers in the source magazine and on our website.
Your library card opens a world of possibilities and remains true to our mission of Public Education for All. 5 Things lists have mentioned these and others:
classes and events
language learning
passport services
STEAM and Literacy activity kits
arts and crafts
digital media
DIY tools
Art and photo prints
toys and ukuleles
So, let us know … how do you use the library? What are your favorite 5 Things?
Libraries are full of stories – literally and figuratively. While everyone knows about the stories you can find on our shelves, what about the stories people tell each other when they participate in book discussion groups, children’s classes, panel discussions, author talks, and teen events? Libraries are where we tell our own stories and listen to other people’s stories, where we learn from others and build community.
An instructor at our Savage Branch relayed this story, “(name)’s mom told me how she enjoys when I teach because she gets to learn and practice ASL vocabulary with her daughter. This is important because she has recently been diagnosed as hard-of-hearing, and she may suddenly lose her hearing at any moment. She asked me to help her with a couple of signs, and I was also able to direct her to local organizations, resources, and class opportunities that could help with her ASL journey. We don’t know everyone’s story coming into our classes, but how awesome it is to be the right person at the right time for someone.”
Why do you like coming to the library? What’s your library story?
Look for National Library Week posts over the next five days. We look forward to sharing information with you about the “State of the Library,” the 5 Things campaign, and the exciting possibilities of the new Lakefront Library. As always, Chapter Chats brings you a wide range of reviews, classes and events, and general library news.
Introducing Booker
Howard County Library System’s story now includes a mascot … Booker! Thank you to everyone who helped choose a name from our survey on social media this year. Booker is a saw-whet owl, a species native to Maryland, who brings wisdom and enthusiasm to the library.
Booker looks forward to going on Summer Reading Adventures with children, ages 0-5 and 6-10, this summer. Look for our new mascot on the upcoming issue of source, too.
On Thursday, March 30, 2023, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball was joined by Governor Wes Moore and President and CEO of HCLS Tonya Aikens to unveil plans for a reimagined and transformative library in downtown Columbia. The project will be coupled with expanded mixed-income housing opportunities for the growing community.
The 100,000 square-foot structure will foster creativity, learning, and civic engagement. It will be the first, innovative library of its kind in the region. Designs unveiled were created by Heatherwick Studio, an internationally recognized firm.
We invite your input and ideas to shape Howard County Library System’s next Strategic Plan, which will guide the future of HCLS, including the new Lakefront Library.
Your voice matters. Come together with other residents who are passionate about public education and enhancing library facilities, programs, and services. Please take the online survey or attend one of these:
Listening sessions facilitated by Due East Partners.:
Wednesday, April 19, 12-1 pm and 1-2 pm(Central Branch)
Thank you for helping us thoughtfully plan how we can work together to better address the evolving aspirations of our Howard County community.
Why is the new Lakefront Library needed now? The existing branch is undersized to serve the current population, is further constrained by the addition of new housing units, and is slated for demolition as part of the Downtown Columbia plan. More information is available on the HCLS website.
When was the Central Branch most recently renovated and how much was spent? The Central Branch first opened in 1981 and was renovated in 2000–2001. Minor interior alterations were completed in 2016 at a cost of $1.8M. Due to the pending development, renovations were minimal and addressed structural, end-of-life, interim fixes and enhancements to address customer needs (e.g., new paint, new carpet), and transformed space formerly used by administrative staff into public space.
How long has this new Lakefront Library been planned? Howard County’s Downtown Columbia Plan (adopted in 2010 and updated in 2018) recommended that a new Central branch be built in Columbia’s new Downtown. In 2019, HCLS engaged G4 Architecture, Research, and Planning, Inc. to update its Master Plan, which calls for a new 100,000 SF downtown Columbia Branch to meet the increased number of new residents and visitors and to meet the Maryland State minimum library guidelines of one SF per capita.
Why is a 100,000 SF library needed? The current Central Branch is not large enough to accommodate existing customers. At completion of the redevelopment plans, downtown Columbia will feature 1.25 million SF of retail space, 4.3 million SF office/conference space, 640 hotel rooms, and 6,244 market-rate and affordable housing units. These new residential units will expand Howard County’s population by a minimum of 15 percent. In addition, the Central Branch serves the entire county through its Project Literacy program, Art Education Collection, Equity Resource Center, Business and Foundation Center, and Health Collection.
What is the proposed timeline for this project? FY24: Begin design FY25: Continue design, and begin permits and pre-construction services FY26: Start construction FY27: Complete construction
What is the cost for the new branch? The estimated cost is $143M.
What is the cost for additional staffing? There is no additional staffing cost. Existing Central Branch staff will be relocated to the Lakefront Library.
When we meet Joan, the titular heroine of Wang’s novel, the first assessment might be that her story starts where others potentially end. She has everything: she’s in her mid-thirties, living in Manhattan, and a brilliant attending I.C.U. physician. She is ticking off her American Dream checklist, seemingly without a hitch. Having grown up in California with poor immigrant parents, Joan views professional success as a great equalizer. “The joy of having been standardized,” she says, “was that you didn’t need to think beyond a certain area. Like a death handled well, a box had been put around you, and within it you could feel safe.”
But is Joan, or Jiu-an, OK? Of course she says she is. After all, doesn’t she tell her coworkers so everyday, during their brief and polite interactions? Yet they never feel connected with her and would be the first to doubt her response as genuine. While there is concern from some, as when Human Resources reaches out over her excessive shifts, there are also those who delight in her seemingly irreplaceable work ethic. The hospital director calls Joan, “a gunner and a new breed of doctor, brilliant and potent, but with no interests outside work and sleep.” In the first few pages we spend with her, upon receiving news of her father’s death, she flies to Shanghai for the funeral and back in only 48 hours.
Joan’s wealthy older brother, Fang, thinks she needs to give up the Upper West Side for the safety of the suburbs and start a private practice. His wife, Tami, thinks it’s high time Joan gets married and starts a family, because, “a woman isn’t a real woman until she’s had a child.” Her mother fails to connect with her through shopping, and even her neighbor is a habitual overstepper. To everyone in her orbit, Joan is someone who has to be taught how to live.
But as the story progresses, Joan ends up having to reflect on her obsession with productivity as she takes a hard look at her relationships to family and society. “Was it harder to be a woman? Or an immigrant? Or a Chinese person outside of China?,” she asks herself. “And why did being any good at any of the above require you to edit yourself down so you could become someone else?”
The developing Covid pandemic looms over the few months we spend with Joan, which impacts her personally as well as professionally. Wang details the news coming out of Wuhan and elsewhere matter-of-factly — increasing case counts and deaths, border and business closings — sparking a sense of dread in readers who know all too well what’s coming. Joan deadpans: “Some government officials also believed that it was important to keep the American people informed and reminded of where the virus really came from. So, the China virus, the Chinese virus, the kung flu.” Online she starts to see, “clips of Asian people being attacked in the street and on the subways. Being kicked, pushed and spat on for wearing masks and being accused of having brought nothing else into the country except disease.”
Joan is angry. If there is one thing that Wang knows is important for her character, it’s to keep her emotions unmuted to the reader. While cool on the surface, Joan bubbles underneath. Her deeper self only seeps through via dry comebacks that leave others chuckling uneasily.
So Joan probably isn’t OK. She’s a bit awkward, tense, and has complicated relationships with family as well as an affinity for work that others can’t seem to wrap their heads around. But Wang gives us a character so unapologetically true to herself that you can’t help wanting to get to know her, even when it’s pretty clear that she wants nothing more than to be left alone.
Wang’s narrative poses subtle questions about belonging and the definition of “home.” There are moments of unexpected tenderness and reminders of the devastating toll the pandemic had on communities and the individuals within them. And of course, the reader has to ask themselves at the end whether anyone is really OK, and if it’s such a bad thing to be.
Gabriela is a customer service specialist at the Miller Branch.She loves long walks, reading with her dog, and a good cup of coffee.
Though it is difficult to know if we’ve had our complete winter experience, signs of spring are beginning all around. If you’re ready to welcome spring, here is a selection of books for young children to get you started. As always, if you’re interested in more recommendations, visit your local branch. We will be happy to help!
“Spring is a season of spectacular beginnings.” In the book, Spectacular Spring by Bruce Gladstone, readers are introduced to facts about the season of spring, including answers to questions like, “How do umbrellas work?” and “How do baby birds hatch?” Following a preview to “Super Summer,” the book ends with instructions for six spring-themed activities, including seed jars, dirt for dessert, and mud painting. Striking photos with bright and bold text make this nonfiction book a great selection for elementary-aged children.
Join the brother and sister duo from Apple Picking Day!and Pumpkin Day! as they prepare their garden for spring along with their parents. From gathering tools to watering their plants, the family works together, having fun along the way. With large print, colorful illustrations, and simple, rhyming text, Garden Day! by Candice Ransom is a great choice for emerging readers.
Winter is melting away, and one little bee is ready to eat! In Christie Matheson’s adorable story, The Hidden Rainbow, the reader is invited to help the little bee find the colors of the rainbow hidden throughout the garden. Tickle tulip leaves, blow flower buds, and more, as this interactive picture book combines the concepts of colors, counting, and simple lessons about bees and flowers. Preschool readers can enjoy the watercolor illustrations, and everyone will learn something about the importance of bees and pollination.
It’s the most anticipated battle of the spring: Mr. McGreely versus three hungry bunnies! Mr. McGreely prepares the garden of his dreams, filled with lettuce, carrots, peas, and tomatoes. He is not, however, prepared for the obstacles he will face trying to protect his garden from the sneaky bunnies enjoying the yummy veggies. Determined to make his garden bunny proof, Mr. McGreely works to make his garden bigger and better. Will it be enough to stop those “pesky puff-tails”? Readers can enjoy cheering for the bunnies or Mr. McGreely in this silly and enjoyable story.
How do we know when spring is on its way? In this book, readers are introduced to some of the various signs of spring, from the drifting of ice and drooping of snowmen to the warming of flowers and singing of blackbirds. The back of the book provides informative descriptions about the subjects mentioned in the book, great for discussing with preschool and early elementary-aged children. With astounding photography and simple, rhyming text, young readers will enjoy learning how to search the world around them for signs of spring.
What can be better than learning about the wonders of springtime? Learning about the wonders of springtime through interactive poetry! The poems in this book are made to be read aloud by two voices, delineated through spacing on the page and colors of the text. Readers are introduced to a variety of information about the plant and insect worlds, including seed germination and pollination, in an enjoyable format with bright, beautiful illustrations.
Sylvia is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at the Miller Branch. She enjoys crafting, listening to audiobooks, naps, and walks with her dogs in 75 degree-ish weather.
Does springtime make you dream of gardening? Whether you’re new to gardening or expanding a well-tended garden patch, your library can help you get your green thumb going.
Start with one of our many books on garden planning to get ideas on layout, environmentally-friendly growing techniques, and tips and tricks to help. Find inspiration at the Enchanted Garden at HCLS Miller Branch. Get advice on your plans in-person by attending one of our classes, where Howard County Master Gardeners share their knowledge and experience.
Then begin to prepare your space for planting. Healthy soil is the foundation of a good garden! Avoid tilling the ground, which breaks up valuable soil structure, by building a raised bed. Raised beds sit on top of the ground, with sidewalls built out of a range of materials such as wood board, hay bales, logs, and more. The bed is then filled with nutritious soil and compost to help your plants grow strong. If you have an in-ground garden bed already, it’s a good idea to get your soil tested to see what nutrients it may need. The DIY Center at HCLS Elkridge Branch has your tool needs covered, with saws, drills, shovels, and wheelbarrows available to borrow for free.
If you have limited space for growing, you can try growing flowers and vegetables in containers that can fit on a deck or balcony. Container gardening not only uses space efficiently, it also allows you to move your plants to catch the most sunlight in the spring and fall while avoiding too much sun in the summer. The raised height means you can garden without bending and kneeling, and gives protection from rabbits and groundhogs. Take a hands-on class on how to build a raised bed or container garden like salad table at the DIY Center, and then borrow the tools for free that you’ll need to construct one at home.
Now you’ll be ready to buy all the beautiful flowers or vegetable plants at your local gardening center! All these classes take place at HCLS Elkridge Branch.
Getting your Garden Ready for Spring For adults. Register here. Learn about sustainable gardening with Master Gardeners. Discover tips on spring-time gardening tasks for a range of garden types, including vegetable, perennial, and native plants. Sat, Mar 11 11 am – 12 pm
Learn to Build a Salad Table For adults. Register at bit.ly/3ZTyZBB Let’s chat about what a salad table is and why you should build one. As a group, we move from plan to table during the demonstration. Sat, Mar 18 11 am – 12:30 pm
Earth Day: How to Build a Planter For adults. Register at bit.ly/3jgRhfL Make a stylish patio planter for Earth Day. We introduce materials, building techniques, and the proper use of all the tools you need to complete the project and bring some nature into your space. Sat, Apr 22 11 am – 12:30 pm
Earth Day: How to Build a Bamboo Trellis For adults. Register at bit.ly/3DwR8eO Trellises can give plants the space to grow in a garden, and bamboo is an ideal, renewable material. Learn the techniques for building a trellis with bamboo poles and lashing twine. Sat, Apr 22 1 – 2 pm
Kelly is a DIY Instructor & Research Specialist at the Elkridge Branch. She likes to get her hands in the dirt, try new craft projects, and see how many books she can read at one time.
Sun, Mar 12 2 – 4 pm Miller Branch & online In partnership with Columbia Inspired magazine Register here for the in-person event and here for the online event.
The New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years returns with a powerful novel about the transformational love between mothers and daughters set on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast.
When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers, and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.
But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.
And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.
Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and a daughter. With her signature “heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic” (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.
After the presentation, you can purchase her book and have it have it autographed (while supplies last). For those attending virtually, books are available to purchase online from The Last Word Bookstore.
Rebecca Serle discusses her book with Anika Baty-Mills.
Rebecca Serle is an author and television writer who lives in New York and Los Angeles. Serle co-developed the hit TV adaptation of her YA series Famous in Love, and is also the author of In Five Years and The Dinner List, and YA novels The Edge of Falling and When You Were Mine. She received her MFA from the New School in New York, NY.
Anika Baty-Mills is the publisher and owner of Columbia Inspired magazine. Columbia Inspired magazine is a digital publication that provides a safe space for each and every reader to feel seen, heard, and cared for. Its mission is to help readers create, implement, and nurture their own version of a healthy lifestyle. For the last 18 years, Anika and her family have lived, worked, and played here in Howard County and she is proud to be bringing the community together one click at a time.
In partnership with Columbia Inspired magazine and Prince George’s County Memorial Library System.
Please register for the in-person event or the online event with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation.
Saturday, Feb 11 10 am – 6 pm HCLS Miller Branch For all ages. Register here to receive an email reminder.
In honor of Black History Month, the Charm City Dolling Club of Maryland celebrates its 25th anniversary with As We See Ourselves, an exhibit in appreciation of Black dolls. The exhibit, on display during February at Miller Branch, includes dolls made from a wide array of media such as wood, polymer clay, cloth, porcelain, vinyl, and gourds. Marty Bass from WJZ-TV talked to the club members about the exhibit.
The exhibit kicks off with an all-day educational and informative event that celebrates the history of dolls, Black dolls, and the people who love them. Members of Charm City Dolling Club of Maryland, a member of the United Federation of Doll Clubs (UFDC), will be available to guide and answer questions.
Charm City Dolling Club’s story begins in the early 1990s, when doll collecting was the second-most popular hobby in the United States behind stamp collecting. It was an exciting time to be a doll lover! There were doll auctions, doll-making classes, shows, and more. Charm City Dolling Club (CCDC) educates the public on doll history, with a special focus on Black dolls.
Storyteller and keynote speaker Janice Curtis Greene in costume as Harriet Tubman.
The club meets on the second Saturday of each month, September through May. They are always looking for new members interested in being educated about dolls and are willing to educate others about dolls. To request a membership application or get more information, email Don Wilson, Membership Committee Chair, at donrwilson@aol.com.
Visit www.ufdc.org to learn more about the United Federation of Doll Clubs.
Speakers include: Keynote Speaker: Janice Curtis Greene, storyteller, American Griot, and Artist in Residence at the Reginald Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture. Deborah Butler Johnson, collector and recognized authority on Black dolls. Barbara Stone, past president of the UFDC. Goldie Wilson, doll artist, historian, and author.
Welcome to Howard County Library System’s World Languages Collection!
Howard County is a diverse and multi-ethnic community where the population comes from a myriad of countries across the globe. The vibrant, multiracial population makes our county an exciting place to be. With the growth of these demographics, HCLS began to enlarge its World Languages collection, consisting of print literature and DVDs, to support the reading and viewing needs of all residents.
Presently, the print collection consists of many languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Russian, Spanish, and several Indian languages such as Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Urdu. The World Languages DVD collection consists of languages ranging from Albanian to Zulu. Many of the DVDs have English subtitles, so non-speakers of the language can appreciate and enjoy movies and documentaries from countries around the world.
In addition to the physical World Languages DVD collection, we offer streaming video options through the Kanopy and Hoopla platforms. You just need a library card!
We invite you to visit our branches to borrow and enjoy our World Languages print and DVD collections, or visit us at hclibrary.org to access the streaming platforms. Happy reading and watching!
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with these upcoming events:
Lunar New Year: What Animal Are You? Mon, Jan 23 all day HCLS Glenwood Branch Family; all ages. Drop In. Celebrate Lunar New Year at the Glenwood Branch! Are you a lion? An ox? A rabbit? Find out what animal matches your birth year, then decorate a paper animal to join others in this self-directed community art project. Visit our classes and events page here for more information.
Dim Sum of Crafts Mon, Jan 23 11 am – 12:30 pm & 2 – 3:30 pm HCLS Miller Branch Ages 4 & up. Drop In. Allow 30 minutes. Celebrate the Lunar New Year with a variety of crafts. For more information, visit our classes and events page here for the first sessions and here for the second session.
Mon, Jan 23 2 – 3 pm HCLS Savage Branch Ages 3 & up. Ticketed. Allow 30 minutes.
Visit our classes and events page here for more information.
Mai-Leng Ong is the Senior Materials Specialist at Howard County Library System. She holds a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.
We can’t move forward without knowing where we have been. This is the essence of why the Jewish Federation of Howard County took on the creation of the Howard County Jewish History Project. By looking back at how the rapid growth of Columbia impacted the evolution of the organized Jewish community in the area, we are better able to chart a path into the future that builds on the work that has been put in by the leaders of the past.
The Jewish Federation is the major instrument of Jewish philanthropy and engagement in Howard County. We are a community-driven organization committed to taking care of the needs of the Jewish people and building a vibrant Jewish future in Howard County, in Israel, and around the world. We are responsible for looking out for the entire Jewish community in the county, not just one demographic segment or one geographic pocket.
The Howard County History Project, “Made From Scratch: Creating the Howard County Jewish Community,” is the type of venture that only a communally-minded organization like ours could take on. We are so grateful to the wonderful historians who worked on this project with us, Deb Weiner and Karen Falk. Assembling this collection of artifacts and anecdotes took over three years, and their process was greatly impacted by the pandemic. Howard County’s Jewish history dates back to the 19th century, but the exhibit starts in the 1950s, when 12 Jewish families settled in the area. It takes viewers through the most important inflection points in the community’s history over the next 50 years then wraps up with an epilogue that gives an overview of what the local Jewish community looks like today.
We are thrilled that the the exhibit’s tour stops next at HCLS Central Branch in the Equity Resource Center from January 4 – February 10. HCLS is one of our most important community partners, and we are always excited to collaborate with them. And if you are wondering when might be a good time to check out the exhibit, maybe try to schedule your visit on January 19, when the Federation and the library partner on an event with local author Diane Tuckman to complement the exhibit.
Joel Frankel was appointed the executive director of The Jewish Federation of Howard County on July 1, 2021. He and his family moved from St. Louis, Missouri, where he spent almost 10 years working at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Joel and his wife Leah have two sons. As a family they love exploring everything this area has to offer, especially the tot lots, playgrounds, and all of the amazing trails.
CHAPTER CHATS 