Holiday Hours

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will be closed Sunday and Monday in observance of New Year's Day.  All libraries will reopen Tuesday at their regular hours.  For the Roswell Library, this means they will reopen Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m.

While the libraries are closed, check out the large number of free databases available to anyone with a current A-FPLS library card.   You'll find a long A - Z list of specialty databases that will answer almost any question you have.

Best Books of 2011

It's time for the lists of favorite books published in 2011.   Here are some popular links to send you running to the A-FPLS Library Catalog:

The Washington Post
The New York Times
National Public Radio
The Wall Street Journal
The Guardian UK
The Telegraph UK
Amazon.com

Happy reading and best wishes for a healthy, safe and literary new year.

December Newsletter is now Online

Many thank to Mary Ellen Kubis for another wonderful newsletter.  You can read all about the latest happenings with the Friends by clicking here or visiting the Newsletters page on our website.

Upcoming Author Visit January 14

Atlanta author Anju Gattani will be the guest speaker at the Atlanta Authors Speakers Series on Saturday, January 14 at 2:00 p.m. at the Roswell Library.  

Anju’s debut novel  Duty and Desire has been well received.  Duty and Desire is a compelling novel of the glittering world of Indian mega-wealth where lust drives destruction and one woman’s struggle to control fate fuels a rage so deep that the truth burns her alive.

A fiction author and freelance journalist, Anju hopes to bridge cultures and break barriers one book at a time.  She was born in India but grew up in Hong Kong.  She now lives in Atlanta with her husband and two boys.  Her Indian upbringing and British education were a strong influence in her writing.  Anju is a featured columnist for a multicultural magazine “Khabar” with distribution in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina with approximately 100,000 readership.

Anju’s fiction explores how the distinct mindsets and traditions of different cultures permanently shape people’s values, thinking and behavior patterns - for both good and evil - despite the equalizing effects of 21st century communications and travel.  Anju’s creativity has the unique blend of the east and west which filters through in her passion for words and love of storytelling.

For more information see the author’s web site www.anjugattani.com.

This Week @ the Roswell Library

The kids are out of school ... you've shopped until your feet (and wallet) hurt ... the kitchen is finally clean again ... you're ready to take a breath and relax.   Drop by the library for ideas to help keep track of your new year's resolutions, check out the collection of e-books, or read a magazine.  For the week of December 27 - January 1, there will only be one program (that's a first):  a LEGO club for kids on Tuesday, December 27 @ 4:00 p.m.   There are still a couple of spaces left.   Reservations are required and may be made in person or over the phone by calling the Roswell Library at 770-640-3075.

Expanded Bookstore Hours

Great news!  The Friends' Bookstore is adding an extra day to their weekly hours and will be open Mondays, from 11:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m. starting January 2012.  This means they'll be open seven days a week, ready to help you find just the right book.   The bookshelves and bookcarts in the lobby will continue offer items for sale during regular library hours.  Here's the new schedule:

Mondays - Saturdays
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Sundays
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

There is not a phone inside the bookstore, but if you have any questions, you may leave your name and phone number with library staff and they will deliver it to a bookstore staff person who will return your call as soon as possible.

This Week @ the Roswell Library

Wondering what to do this week?  For the week of December 19 - 25, you'll find stockings hung by the windows with care as staff prepare for the new year.  The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will be closed Friday, December 23 - Monday, December 26.  All libraries will reopen at their regular times Tuesday, December 27.

Some people have asked why the libraries are closed four days in a row this year.  When a federal/state/city/county holiday falls on a Saturday, the department/office/business is closed the Friday before as an observed holiday.  And when a holiday falls on a Sunday, the observed holiday is the Monday after.   Fulton County observes December 24 and December 25 as holidays, so when those days fall on Saturday and Sunday, the county is closed on Friday and Monday, as well.  This only happens once every six or seven years.

Rest assured that you can access the Friends' website, http://www.forl.net/, and the library system's website, http://www.afpls.org/, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Roswell Reads Selection for 2012

The Roswell Reads committee is pleased to announce its selection for 2012:  Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin.  Set in rural Mississippi, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter describes the friendship and separation of two boys as they grow into adulthood. Two crimes divide them as teens and ultimately reunite them as adults.  A rich narrative and finely drawn characters pull readers into a novel filled with surprising twists and turns.   

Sign up for future mailings about Roswell Reads by sending an e-mail to the Friends of the Roswell Library/Roswell Reads at roswellgafriends@gmail.com.

January and February Programs Are Now Online

Programs for early 2012 at the Roswell Library for adults, teens, and children have been to the Friends' website.  For more information, visit our library programs page.

This Week @ the Roswell Library

Wondering what to do next week?  For the week of December 12 - 17, you'll find the last of the regular story time programs until early February, Noonday Nosh and Mystery Readers' Book Clubs, READing Paws, a Sugar Blues Seminar, two Drop-in Needlecraft groups, and more.  For more information about any of the library programs, please visit our website:  www.forl.net.

Free Math Tutoring at the Roswell Library

The Roswell Library will offer free math tutoring for middle school and high school students Sunday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (30 minute sessions).  Sunday registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. You may register ahead of time for up to two sessions per month at the Adult Reference Desk or by calling the library at 770-640-3075.

If you register for tutoring, please show up at the time you registered.  Those who are five or more minutes late may lose their time slot to a person who walks in that Sunday.  Those that miss their appointments twice without calling three days in advance may not register for two weeks. 

One Week Until Noonday Nosh and Mystery Readers' Book Clubs

Because of the holidays, the Noonday Nosh and Mystery Readers' Book Clubs will both meet Tuesday, December 13.  If you need a copy to read before next week, please call the Roswell Library at 770-640-3075 and the Reference Staff will be happy to set aside a copy for you.

Noonday Nosh Book Club
Tuesday, December 13. 12:00 p.m.
Nowhere Is a Place by Bernice McFadden

Mystery Readers' Book Club
Tuesday, December 13. 6:30 p.m.
The Spider's Web by Margaret Coel

This Week @ the Roswell Library

Many thanks to everyone who helped set up, organize and staff the great big holiday book sale and special thanks to those who shopped and supported the library with their shopping.

Wondering what to do next week?  For the week of December 5 - 11, you'll find the regular story times, yoga, ESL classes, a chess club for kids, and much more.  For more information about any of these programs, please visit our website: www.forl.net!