Emily Calandrelli, science extraordinaire and Morgantown native, is participating in this week’s Media Literacy Series video, “How to Spot Fake Science!” We will premiere the video this Wednesday on Facebook at our usual 4:00pm slot time.
In our 8-video Media Literacy Series, Morgantown Public Library System staff will unpack the difficult but necessary skills you will need to become a smart consumer of information on Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/MorgantownPublicLibrary).
Each of our videos are designed with a specific age group in mind. So, whether you are a young learner, early in your development, or a seasoned reader, anyone can benefit.
Media Literacy Series Schedule:
February 3: Finding Reliable Sources (Designed for adults featuring Dr. Nathan Wuertenberg, Staff Researcher at the Aull Center for Local History, a division of the Morgantown Public Library System)
February 10: How to Watch the News with Your Kids (Designed for parents of young children featuring Sarah Palfrey, Library Director for the Morgantown Public Library System)
February 17: Fact versus Opinion (Designed for teens featuring Tessa Staubly, Reference Tech at the Morgantown Public Library)
February 24: Photo Zoom and Edits (Designed for adults featuring Rowan Strother, Reference Tech at the Morgantown Public Library)
March 3: How to Spot Fake Science (Designed for kids featuring Charlotte Chung, Library Assistant at the Cheat Area Public Library, a branch of the Morgantown Public Library System)
March 10: Tweens and Clickbait (Designed for preteens featuring Eva Bragonje, Reference Tech at the Morgantown Public Library)
March 17: Ideological Biases (Designed for adults featuring Cody Wolfe, Reference Tech at the Morgantown Public Library)
March 24: Media Biases and How to Spot Them (Designed for adults featuring Shelby Donnelly, Evening Supervisor at the Morgantown Public Library)
Tutor.com has updated their mobile app (tutor.com to go) meaning, with your library card, you can access expert tutors anywhere! Anyone from elementary through graduate school, as well as adults transitioning careers will find this to be a very useful resource.
Learn more about our other educational and professional development tools in our online library: https://www.mympls.org/download-it/
All 3000 magazines you love on RB Digital and up to 3 years of back issues are now available on Libby by Overdrive (https://www.mympls.org/download-it/).
The magazines will be available on both Libby by Overdrive and RB Digital through March to help better ease the transition for our patrons. After March 31st, RB Digital, it’s content and application, will be unavailable.
Please reach out to us at askmympls@gmail.com or call us at 304-291-7425 with any questions.
We are now offering digital library cards! These cards give you access to the library’s online collections including, ebooks, audiobooks, comics, magazines, movies, music, along with genealogical research tools, tutor assistance, language lessons, and professional development training (https://www.mympls.org/download-it/). The library’s digital collections have been specially curated for people of all ages, interests, and formats. It has over 100,000 ebooks and audiobooks alone.
Monongalia County Residents
If you already have a general library card, you do not need to sign up for this new card. You already have access to both the library’s digital and physical collections.
Email the application (https://www.mympls.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/fillable-card-applicationx2.pdf) to askmympls@gmail.com. At this time, applications cannot be processed over the phone.
Once the application is processed, you will receive a library card and a welcome packet in the mail.
Amanda Young, library teens specialist, has put together a list of young adult book must-reads by black authors!
Ages 14+ Grades 9+
(Genre- Horror/ Historical fiction/ fantasy) When families go missing in Baltimore County, Jane McKeene, who is studying to become an Attendant, finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy that has her fighting for her life against powerful enemies.
Where can I find it?
Ages 12+ Grades 7+
(Genre- Mystery) When rising star Paris Secord (aka DJ ParSec) is found dead on her turntables, it sends the local music scene reeling. No one is feeling that grief more than her shunned pre-fame best friend, Kya, and ParSec’s chief groupie, Fuse – two sworn enemies who happened to be the ones who discovered her body.
Where can I find it?
Ages 13+ Grades 8+
(Genre- Suspense) When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields? Before there was a dead body, Enchanted’s dreams had turned into a nightmare. Because behind Korey’s charm and star power was a controlling dark side. Now he’s dead, the police are at the door, and all signs point to Enchanted.
Where can I find it?
Ages 14+
(Genre – Contemporary) A gang leader’s son finds his effort to go straight for the sake of his child challenged by a loved one’s brutal murder, in a poignant exploration of Black coming-of-age set seventeen years before the events of the award-winning ‘The Hate U Give’.
Where can I find it?
Ages 13+
(Genre- Historical fiction) Savannah Riddle feels suffocated by her life as the daughter of an upper class African American family in Washington, D.C., until she meets a working-class girl named Nella who introduces her to the suffragette and socialist movements and to her politically active cousin Lloyd.
Where can I find it?
Ages 14+ Grades 9+
(Genre- Contemporary) Incarcerated teen Quan Banks writes letters to Justyce McCallister, with whom he bonded years before over family issues, about his experiences in the American juvenile justice system.
Where can I find it?
Ages 14+ Grades 9+
(Genre – Novel in verse/ contemporary) Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people… In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash. Separated by distance — and Papi’s secrets — the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other. In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.
Where can I find it?
Ages 13+ Grades 8+
(Genres- Family and Relationships) When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.
Where can I find it?
Ages 13+ Grades 8+
(Genre- Romance) Carli and Rex have an immediate connection, an understanding that must mean first love, but family secrets, disappointments–and basketball, which holds center stage in both their lives–all create complications.
Where can I find it?
Ages 14+ Grades 9+
(Genre- Romance) Felix Love, a transgender seventeen-year-old, attempts to get revenge by catfishing his anonymous bully, but lands in a quasi-love triangle with his former enemy and his best friend.
Where can I find it?
Ages 13+ Grades 8+
(Genre- Contemporary) When Norris, a black French Canadian, starts his junior year at an Austin, Texas, high school, he views his fellow students as clichés from “a bad 90s teen movie.”
Where can I find it?
Ages 12+ Grades 7+
(Genre- Contemporary) While writing letters to Innocence X, a justice-seeking project, asking them to help her father, an innocent black man on death row, teenage Tracy takes on another case when her brother is accused of killing his white girlfriend.
Where can I find it?
Grades 7+
(Genre- Contemporary) Sixteen-year-old Dove “Birdie” Randolph’s close bond with her parents is threatened by a family secret, and by hiding her relationship with Booker, who has been in juvenile detention.
Where can I find it?
Ages 12+ Grades 7+
(Genre- Sci-fi/dystopian) In 2172, when much of the world is unlivable, sisters Onyii and Ify dream of escaping war-torn Nigeria and finding a better future together but are, instead, torn apart.
Where can I find it?
Ages 14+
(Genre-Fantasy) Seventeen-year-old Zélie, her older brother Tzain, and rogue princess Amari fight to restore magic to the land and activate a new generation of magi, but they are ruthlessly pursued by the crown prince, who believes the return of magic will mean the end of the monarchy.
Where can I find it?
Ages 12+
(Genre- Short stories/ fantasy/ science fiction) Black girls, including gender non-conforming individuals, star in this collection of sixteen stories of fantasy, science fiction, and magic.
Where can I find it?
Ages 13+
(Genre- Fantasy) Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Nevermind, she’s also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes. But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls’ favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she’s also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore, and soon Portland won’t be either.
Where can I find it?
Ages 14+ Grades 9+
(Genre- Fantasy) In a world where Beauty is a commodity only a few control, one Belle will learn the dark secrets behind her powers, and rise up to change the world.
Where can I find it?
(Genre- Nonfiction) This book is written for the young person who doesn’t know how to speak up to the racist adults in their life. For the 14 year old who sees injustice at school and isn’t able to understand the role racism plays in separating them from their friends. For the kid who spends years trying to fit into the dominant culture and loses themselves for a little while. It’s for all of the Black and Brown children who have been harmed (physically and emotionally) because no one stood up for them or they couldn’t stand up for themselves; because the colour of their skin, the texture of their hair, their names made white folx feel scared and threatened. It is written so children and young adults will feel empowered to stand up to the adults who continue to close doors in their faces. This book will give them the language and ability to understand racism and a drive to undo it. In short, it is for everyone.
Where can I find it?
Ages 12+
(Genre- Nonfiction) Frederick Joseph call up race-related anecdotes from his past, explaining why they were hurtful and how he might handle things now. Each chapter features the voice of at least one artist or activist, including Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give; April Reign, creator of #OscarsSoWhite; Jemele Hill, sports journalist and podcast host; and eleven others. Touching on everything from cultural appropriation to power dynamics, “reverse racism” to white privilege, microaggressions to the tragic results of overt racism, this book serves as conversation starter, tool kit, and invaluable window into the life of a former “token Black kid” who now presents himself as the friend many readers need”–Adapted from inside front jacket flap.
“Part memoir, part guidebook, this title explores scenarios of interpersonal and institutional struggle to introduce the next generation of White youth to anti-racism.
Where can I find it?
(Genre- Biography) In the bestselling tradition of The Notorious RBG comes a lively, informative, and illustrated tribute to one of the most exceptional women in American history–Harriet Tubman–a heroine whose fearlessness and activism still resonates today.tes today.
Where can I find it?
Ages 12+ Grades 7+
(Genre-Fantasy) Twelve-year-old Sunny Nwazue, an American-born albino child of Nigerian parents, moves with her family back to Nigeria, where she learns that she has latent magical powers which she and three similarly gifted friends use to catch a serial killer.
Where can I find it?
Ages 13+ Grades 8+
(Genre- Graphic Novel/ historical fiction/ sci-fi) Home is a new house with a loving husband in 1970s California that is suddenly transformed into the frightening world of the antebellum South. Dana, a young black writer, can’t explain how she is transported across time and space to a plantation in Maryland. But she does quickly understand why: to deal with the troubles of Rufus, a conflicted white slaveholder – and her progenitor. Her survival, her very existence, depends on it. This searing graphic-novel adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s science fiction classic is a powerfully moving, unflinching look at the violent, disturbing effects of slavery on the people it chained together, both black and white – and made kindred in the deepest sense of the word.
Where can I find it?
You have exactly 3 sentences to tell us a love story! Online submissions are accepted until 11:59 PM EST, February 21st for three different age categories: kids (ages 11 and under), teens (Ages 12-18), and adults (Ages 19 and up) at https://forms.gle/KqzXFY3fdhfi83fn9
Grand prize winners in each category will win a $25 gift card to Love, L.C. Cookies!
Contest Rules:
Disclaimer: Contest submissions and author names may be shared on Morgantown Public Library System’s publications and social media. All other personal information will be kept private and will only be used for contact if you are a winner.
The digital age has made information easily accessible and especially abundant. Anyone anywhere can create content. The challenge is determining the source’s credibility, in other words, “can it be trusted?”
In our 8-video Media Literacy Series, Morgantown Public Library System staff will unpack the difficult but necessary skills you will need to become a smart consumer of information on Facebook Live every Wednesday starting in February at 4:00pm (https://www.facebook.com/MorgantownPublicLibrary). Each of our videos are designed with a specific age group in mind. So, whether you are a young learner, early in your development, or a seasoned reader, anyone can benefit.
Media Literacy Series Schedule:
2020 was an ahem “unprecedented” year in books just like everything else. Libraries across the country saw extended closures and drops in circulation but rises in downloadable books, and much to our absolute delight, more conversations between staff and patrons about books. Print book sales were up 8.2% in 2020 and many of us found ourselves reading outside of our usual genres or re-reading old favorites. It ignited many discussions about what draws us to certain genres, which led us to the idea for a monthly video series: Fiction 101.
In our first Fiction 101 discussion, Shelby from the Morgantown Public Library Circulation, downtown branch, and Sarah P, Library Director, talk about what library patrons have been reading in 2020. Shelby is the lead coordinator for our Staff Picks service and shares some insights about requests.
We are big fans of book lists around here and December and January are the season of the best lists. Part scorecard, part lottery ticket, did we pick winners in 2020? What new favorites await in 2021. Here are some of the lists referenced in the video as well as regularly used resources for suggesting and ordering books:
Written and compiled by: Sarah Palfrey, Library Director
Shelby Donnelly (Downtown Branch): Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Sarah Palfrey (MPLS) : All the new YA Election Lit, way too many Regency Romances, and the Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Colleen Caldwell (Cheat Area Branch): Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez (2019) and Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe (2020). These are from Rick Riordan Presents series. I am recommending these to all ages middle school to adult. I listened to the audiobooks on Libby which is an ideal format because of some Spanish throughout the books. Anthony Ray Perez is the narrator who gave the right voice to the young protagonist, Sal Vidon. Don’t let the language discourage you from these books because the author does a wonderful job of explaining what he means in English or using context clues to help the reader figure it out. The stories have a lot to offer- diverse likable characters, an unusual story line, humor, family values, and a happy ending. There is also a lot of weird science going on! I can’t recommend these enough.
Sandy Weston (Clinton District Branch): Hamnet, by Maggie O’Farrell, is a beautifully and vividly written expression of love, and the grief and pain surrounding the death of a young son, Hamnet, twin brother of Judith. I frequently found myself needing to re-read many gorgeous sentences as well as passages that simply stood out for me (e.g. the eroticism of the scene in the apple store, or the tender laying out of Hamnet’s body set against the necessity for the speedy burial of victims of the plague. Just as Shakespeare’s plays still speak to us today, so too does Hamnet. Maggie O’Farrell devotes a section of the book to detailing the journey of the Bubonic Plague from Alexandria, Egypt, thousands of miles away via fleas, a monkey, glass beads, ships’ cats, a young boy working on a ship, and a piece of ‘infected’ lace that finds its way to C16th rural Warwickshire. Written long before the Covid-19 pandemic it serves to remind us that everything is connected.
Charlotte Hoelke (Cheat Area Branch): Loveboat Taipei by Abigail Hing-Wen was my favorite YA novel of the year! Fun and light summer read with a West Virginia connection (Hing-Wen was born here). It’s about a Chinese-American girl, Everett, who is struggling to find a balance between her own passion (dance) and her parents’ expectations when she graduates. She ends up going to Taiwan for an exchange program, where she finds herself (and romance) along the way!
Amanda Young (Downtown Branch): The best book that I read that came out in 2020 was a memoir: Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollet. It’s a New York Times Bestseller that we have on Libby and a hard copy. It begins as he was a child in an infamous cult and their escape and follows his childhood that was stricken with poverty, abuse and addiction. It’s written so well and the writing grows more mature as you follow him growing up in the memoir. There’s also a complimenting album by the same title from his band The Airborne Toxic Event.
Another book that stood out was a historical fiction: The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O’Neill. It’s about these two orphans with extraordinary talents but with everything against them growing up and surviving and their journey to find each other again. It’s a love story written in a beautiful poetic way but is ultimately a brutally sad story told through a rose colored, magical filter.
Join us in our Winter Reading Challenge: Books Like Us (Jan 1st – Jan 31st) sponsored by Simon & Shuster! Register at mympls.beanstack.com.
Read at least 5 books (any books you choose–they do not have to relate to the theme) and compete in your age category:
1. Children (ages 5-12)
2. Teens (13-17)
3. Adults (18 and up)
All participants that complete 5 books will automatically receive a gift certificate to Lotsa Stone Fired Pizza for a FREE pizza. For more prizes, the more books you read the better chance you have of winning the grand prize in each age category!
Beanstack is easy to use and available both online and as a mobile app. Get started by visiting our Morgantown Public Library Beanstack website at mympls.beanstack.org to create your account. You can also register through the app (find out below under “Get the App”).
Note: An email address is required, if you do not have an email address you will need to create one first then come back to register for Beanstack.
Have your Library Card ready and choose how you would like to register (as an individual, registering a child, registering a family or group) and then complete all required fields (marked with *) on the online form.
Once registered, you can access your account online or in the app by signing in with your username and password.
Beanstack is a website and app that serves as an interactive home for reading challenges and events. It’s your one-stop-shop to not only register for challenges, but to also track your reading habits and unlock badges!
Find the free app in your Apple App or Google Play store under the name “Beanstack Tracker” and select “Get” or “Install.”
Once downloaded, open the app and follow the simple step-by-step prompts to create an account for yourself, your child, or your family/group. If you’ve already created your account through the website, you can skip this step and just sign in to your existing account with your registered username and password.
Registering on the Website vs. Through the App: Since the app does not use our direct website link, the first prompt in creating your account is selecting “Find Your School or Library” and entering “Morgantown” in the search option. Otherwise the process is the same as registering on the website. All fields are required except for phone number.
If at any time you need help with Beanstack, please visit their Helpdesk and type in your question.
For questions related to the reading challenge, please reach out to Crystal at crystal.lang@mympls.org
The downtown branch will reopen this Monday, January 4th!
Beginning mid-December, the library experienced multiple water leaks in the basement following rainfall. As a result, we had shut the water off to the entire building to avoid any further damage, though no library collections or materials have been affected. Since then, the Morgantown Utility Board dug through the sidewalk to reattach the city’s underground pipes. Through the recommendation of our engineers, a pump lift station has been installed this past week to prevent any future leaks. Meanwhile, the lower level bathrooms will be closed until floor repairs are complete. Although there will still be construction and clean up, nothing should get in the way of general library operations.
Thank you to everyone for their patience and understanding. We are thrilled to welcome you all back with masks and social distancing!