Library staff and the Friends of Freeman recently held our annual volunteer luncheon, where we recognized our wonderful, irreplaceable volunteers, such as these pictured above, with mock paycheck certificates.  All in all, our volunteers' combined efforts at Freeman Library for the previous fiscal year were valued at nearly $200,000!  What a contribution!  If you would like to be a part of a group that both loves the library and enjoys freely giving back to the community, become a volunteer today!

Pictured left to right: Oras Ann Salibo, Mary Elizabeth Humphrey, Gail Gleckler, Susana Udengaard, Bill Ohsie, Barbara Barlow

What is one of the best ways you can support library?  By joining the Friends of Freeman Library!  This generous and indispensable group loves the library so much that they freely give of their time to raise funds for our programs, collections, and services.  One of the  ways they do this is through the bookstore immediately to your right as soon as you walk in the front doors of the library.  They also accept other donations from the public on behalf of the library and volunteer their assistance with a variety of jobs throughout our departments.  

This week has been National Library Week, but based on our statistics over the last fiscal year, you might think that you, the patrons, have made every week a celebration of the library!

Did you know that from March 2011 through February 2012, Freeman Library . . . 

• - Circulated over 1 million items
• - Registered over 80,000 new library cards
• - Offered 1,300 programs with almost 40,000 attendants
• - Logged over 5 million minutes of public computer use

Those are amazing numbers!  Thank you, our patrons, for demonstrating that libraries still matter!

Staff from the library had the opportunity this past weekend both to volunteer in and promote the library at the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce's annual Crawfish Festival and Gumbo Cookoff.  If you didn't see us there, be sure and look for us at other local community events in the near future to find out about everything the library can do for you!  

Did you miss the legal program offered here at the library a couple of weeks ago?  No problem!  We got it on video for you right here!  See part 1 of "Estates, Probate, Wills and Family Law," presented by local lawyer Steven Byers below, or visit our YouTube channel to see all parts of the program! 

Are you putting together a will or do you intend to do so at some point?  Do you have questions about estates, probate or family law?  Do you appreciate free legal advice?  If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then you need to be here Monday, September 19th, at 1:30 P.M.!  Stephen Byers, a local lawyer, will be in the downstairs Community Room to address questions or concerns you have about any of these topics.  Don't miss it! 

Clipart ©2011 Jupiterimages

Despite the prevalence of online resources, the library continues to offer reliable public reference resources in print for those of us who either do not have access to a computer or still enjoy the feel of a book or printed title in our hands.  Below are just a few of the reference resources you have free access to here at Kingwood Branch Library, many of them financially-related:

What were the most popular adult titles during the summer here at Kingwood Branch Library?  Take a look below and find out!:

Fiction

1. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, by Stieg Larsson
2. Toys, by James Patterson & Neil McMahon
3. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles
4. Hell's Corner, by David Baldacci
5. Eve, by Iris Johansen
6. Save Me, by Lisa Scottoline
7. American Assassin, by Vince Flynn
8. The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton
9. The Confession, by John Grisham
10. The Land of Painted Caves, by Jean Auel

Do you struggle to keep your work or living spaces together?  If so, join us on Tuesday, August 30th, at 1:00 P.M. as local professional organizer Ellen Delap, CPO, shares with participants how to declutter and organize the areas in which you spend the majority of your time.  This free program will take place in the downstairs Community Room.  No registration is required.  Don't miss it!

Clipart ©2011 Jupiterimages

Once again, the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center will be on site in the Community Room on Monday, August 22nd, from 3:00 to 7:00 P.M. to received blood donations from the public.  Walk-ins are accepted, but it is encouraged to sign up ahead of time for an appointment at the reference desk upstairs or at the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center website here.  Don't miss out on this opportunity to give the gift of life!

Clipart ©2011 Jupiterimages