June 2013Volume 3, Issue 6
ECRL Newsletter Logo 

E-Connect 
Save Energy

ECRL and Xcel Energy want to help you lower your monthly energy bills as well as contribute to protecting the environment by using less electricity. You can check out a Power Check Meter at ECRL branches that will measure the energy usage of electronic devices, appliances, and anything that plugs in at your home. Did you know that some electric items consume energy even when they're turned off?

Reserve and check out the Power Check Meters with your ECRL library card just like any other library item. To place a hold on a "Power Meter" simply go to the ECRL catalog on our homepage at www.ecrlib.org and type in "power meter" under the keyword search or call your local ECRL branch for more assistance. Thanks to Xcel Energy for placing the Power Check Meters in our branches.
 
Teens Read on the Go

Have you listened to a good book lately? East Central Regional Library is participating in SYNC and you are invited to join us! SYNC is a program that gives away two complete eAudiobook downloads each week this summer to listeners ages 13+. The SYNC program pairs a current teen title with a classic or required summer reading title to introduce the listening experience.

Each SYNC audiobook will be available for download for a period of 7 days, and once downloaded can be listened to at any time (they never expire). This year's SYNC program runs 12 weeks, from May 30 - August 21, 2013. The complete schedule of SYNC 2013 eAudiobooks is here: http://www.audiobooksync.com/free-sync-downloads/sync-schedule-13/.   You can even get text message alerts when the next SYNC eAudiobooks are available by texting syncya to 25827.

SYNC titles are downloaded at the SYNC website here: http://www.audiobooksync.com/free-sync-downloads/ and accessed through the same OverDrive MediaConsole you already use to download eAudiobooks from East Central Regional Library's Digital Library. If you don't already have OverDrive Media Console you can download it here: http://omc.overdrive.com/ The titles are all in MP3 format.
The SYNC program is a great way to introduce teens to eAudiobooks and kickstart June as Audiobook Month! So SYNC some teen and classic literature into your earpphones this summer! And don't forget about the other eAudiobooks ECRL offers year-round via our Digital Library.

Beneath the surface Ground

Teen Summer Reading Programs

 

Stop by your local East Central Regional Library branch and check out the teen summer reading programs, Beneath the Surface or Groundbreaking Reads.  

 

The program may include movies, trivia contests, game days, programs by the Minnesota Historical Society and special drawings for great prizes.  Each ECRL branch has more information on each teen program available.

 

Legacy logo Upcoming Legacy Programming

James Wedgwood






ECRL Outreach presents comic ventriloquist,
James Wedgwood

Monday, June 17 at 2:00 pm - Isanti Community Center
Thursday, June 20 at 10:30 am - Giese (Wagner Town Hall)
Thursday, June 20 at 1:00 pm - McGrath Pavillion
Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 am - Onamia Link Site
Tuesday, June 25 - 10:30 am - Askov Community Center
Tuesday, June 25 - 1:30 pm - Duquette Town Hall

 

 

Atomic Adventure for Teens & Tweens
Join the MN Historical Society staff as you role play
small Minnesota townspeople during the Cold War,
who are foced to make sense of paranoia and suspicion, all the
while racing to break a secret code. Class size is limited!
Please pre-register by calling the library to sign up!

Tuesday, June 25 - 4:00 pm - Rush City Public Library 
Thursday, June 27 - 1:00 pm - Princeton Area Library 
Thursday, July 11 - 1:00 pm - Mora Public Library 
Tuesday, July 16 - 7:00 pm - Chisago Lakes Area Library 

Minnesota Comic Workshop for Teens & Tweens
Sharpen your pencil, lay out your plot and hone your cartoonist skills at this MN Historical Society event.  Learn how to apply techniques from a professional cartoonist!  All materials provided; make your own mini-comic book.  Class size is limited!  Please pre-register by calling the library to sign up!

Wednesday, June 26 - 3:00 pm - Hinckley Public Library 
Saturday, July 13 - 12:00 Noon - Wyoming Public Library 
Tuesday, July 16 - 2:00 pm - North Branch Area Library 
Thursday, July 18 - 4:30 pm - McGregor Public Library
Thursday, July 25 - 2:00 pm - Sandstone Public Library 

 

*All events are free and open to the public!  

 

*All programs funded with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.  Call your local ECRL branch for more information about each program.

 

Plus there are lots of other activities going on throughout ECRL.  Simply check the NewsBits at www.ecrlib.org or our Google calendar.

 

ECRL's Mission
  
Connecting and strengthening communities
through the power of knowledge.

 

*East Central Regional Library is funded by the counties of Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs and Pine. 

ECRL also receives state and federal funds.  

 

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Author of the Month: 
Khaled Hosseini

A native of Afghanistan, Hosseini rose to international prominence with the publication of The Kite Runner in 2003 (the paperback edition of which spent over 100 weeks on bestseller lists). A Thousand Splendid Suns, another huge bestseller, followed in 2007. That same year, The Kite Runner was adapted into a successful film. Last month, Hosseini released And the Mountains Echoed, his "most assured and emotionally gripping story yet" (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times).   ECRL has Hosseini's latest book in standard and large print editions.  Reserve it today!  It is not, however, available as an eBook for library checkout.
 

 

Forthcoming Print Fiction in the ECRL catalog:
Search for any of these items in the ECRL Online Catalog:

 

*Fallen Women by Sandra Dallas
*The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
*Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand
*Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman
*Son by Philipp Meyer
*Critical Mass by Sara Paretsky
*Crossing Purgatory by Gary Schanbacher
*Identical by Scott Turow  

Forthcoming DVDs to the ECRL catalog: 

Search for any of these in the ECRL Online Catalog

 

*Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Third Season

*The Borgias: The Third Season
*Damages: The Complete Fifth Season
*Girls: The Complete Second Season
*The Good Wife: Fourth Season
*Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Ninth Season
*Revenge: The Complete Second Season
*Smash: Season Two

 

Forthcoming Print Non-Fiction in the ECRL Catalog
Search for any of these titles in the ECRL Catalog

 

*What to Feed Your Baby by Stan Cohen
*Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption by Lori Holden
*March on Washington by William P. Jones
*Rose Kennedy's Family Album by Caroline Kennedy
*Modern American Military by David M. Kennedy
*Amish Garden by Laura Anne Lapp
*Who Discovered America? By Gavin Menzies
*Jesus Was a Country Boy by Clay Walker 

Overdrive New ECRL eBook Titles
(Search for any these in the Overdrive catalog)
 
*Bead & Wire Art Jewelry by J. Marsha Michler 
*Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
*Earl's Mistaken Bride by Abby Gaines
*The Englisher by Beverly Lewis
*The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
*Nowhere to Hide by Nancy Bush
*Reconstructing Ameilia by Kimberly McCreight
*Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

New East Central Regional Library Borrowing Policies Began June 1, 2013
  
*The loan period for all current books and digital items increased from 2 weeks to 3 weeks

*Digital item checkout & hold limits increased from 3 to 6 items

*Physical items will remain on HOLD for 7 calendar days (decrease from 10 days)

*Digital items must be checked out within 3 days of mail notification.

*Reference items may now checkout for 3 calendar days