Dress Silly Saturdays

Looking for something fun to do on Saturday's in March?  Try, heading over to the library in Lobeco for Dress Silly Saturdays. 

Location: Lobeco Branch

Date & Time: Saturday, March 3, 2012 - 11:00am

Date & Time: Saturday, March 10, 2012 - 11:00am

Date & Time: Saturday, March 17, 2012 - 11:00am

Date & Time: Saturday, March 24, 2012 - 11:00am

Date & Time: Saturday, March 31, 2012 - 11:00am

 

Wear the theme for the day and win a prize!

Saturday the 3rd: Wear Your Favorite Color for a Cause day!
Saturday the 10th: Wear Something Mismatched day!
Saturday the 17th: Wear Something Green day!
Saturday the 24th: Wear Your Favorite Team Logo day!
Saturday the 31st: Wear Your Favorite PJ's day!

South Carolina Arbor Day Observation

South Carolina observes a state Arbor Day annually on the first Friday of December, today!  This morning my two remaining homeschoolers and I volunteered at the Clemson Extension Office in Beaufort to assist in the distribution of free trees in honor of Arbor Day.  This year's selection included five native trees:  Bald Cypress, Longleaf pine, Redbud, Crabapple and Persimmon. 

We had the pleasure of working under the direction of Laura Lea Rose, Clemson Extension horticulture agent. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about native trees and their care, meet and talk with local master gardeners, receive trees and interact with the public.  We enjoyed lively conversation with several people who came to take advantage of the tree giveaway and even met a few neighbors!  My children had the opportunity to serve our community, do a little public speaking as they conversed with fellow volunteers and patrons and learned a bit more about the specialties of the Clemson Extension staff. 

You can learn more about Arbor Day in South Carolina from the publication below prepared by Clemson Extension.  Happy Arbor Day!!!

The Meaning of Arbor Day
The first Arbor Day ceremonies took place over a hundred years ago on the windswept prairies of the Nebraska Territory. Arbor Day became a tradition through the work of one man - J. Sterling Morton, editor of Nebraska's first newspaper and later U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.


Although Morton loved his home in Nebraska, he missed the green forests of his native New York. He found that Nebraska's high winds blew the soil away when he plowed fields on the open prairie; so he decided to plant trees as wind-breaks. Morton's successful tree-planting project encouraged him to promote the idea throughout Nebraska, and on April 10, 1872, Arbor Day became a state holiday. Over a million trees were planted on that single day.

Morton's idea quickly caught on in the rest of the United States. In 1883 the first Arbor Day school celebrations were held in Cincinnati. Today Arbor Day is celebrated in almost every state and U.S. territory as well as numerous foreign countries.

Because ideal conditions for planting vary throughout the nation, Arbor Day is celebrated at different times of the year, depending on the climate of the state. An Arbor Day for the State of South Carolina was created by legislation in 1934. We celebrate on the first Friday in December because that is the time in South Carolina when plants are dormant, there is plenty of rainfall, and a tree's roots suffer less from the shock of transplanting. The first Friday in December is a time not only to celebrate Arbor Day in South Carolina but also to think about the benefits planted trees can provide our homes, schools, and institutions; our cities and towns; and of course our forests. For every single tree we plant on Arbor Day, millions more must be planted in South Carolina's forests to keep up with the country's need for wood and wood products. Arbor Day marks the beginning of planting season in South Carolina. It is a holiday that emphasizes the importance of all trees in our lives, whether they grow in the city or in the forest. "Arbor Day," said J. Sterling Morton, "is not like other holidays. Each of these reposes on the past, but Arbor Day preposes on the future." Planting and Caring for TreesPlanting a tree on Arbor Day is taking the first step toward assuring that it will thrive. Planting is most successful if done during December, January, or February while trees are dormant and new growth has not yet begun. When hundreds of seedlings are planted on a forest site, either machine planters or hand crews with dibbles make the planting job faster. Basic principles apply, however, whether you are planting one tree or one thousand trees.

Trees... lend beauty to the South Carolina landscape; cool us with the shade from their branches and the moisture from their leaves; reduce air pollution; protect us from damaging winds and water; provide food and homes for birds and wild animals; camouflage harsh scenery and soften angular cityscapes; filter noise; prevent soil erosion; mean about 30,000 jobs to South Carolina; and provide more than 5,000 wood, paper, and chemical products.

Here are some basic guidelines for planting (see Newly Planted Trees - Strategies for Survival for more detailed instructions):

• Choose young, healthy seedlings or saplings to plant - they stand a better chance of surviving.
• Select your planting site carefully. Keep in mind that as your tree grows, the roots and branches will spread; so allow adequate space for future growth.
• Dig a hole at least twice the width, but equal in depth to the size of the root system. Use the original soil removed from the hole to refill around the root system. Once filled, place mulch material such as pine bark, dead leaves, or some other semi-decayed material over the soil surface.
• Newly planted trees need regular watering during the spring, summer, and fall of the first year. Evergreens, because they retain their leaves, need to be watered regularly in the winter too. Do not water every day. Instead, give your tree a good soaking once a week. Fertilizer is usually not need in the first year.

To help you with your program, the local Clemson Extension or Forestry Commission office has a suggested lesson plans, including ideas teachers may find useful in educating children in the value of trees.

The First Friday in December - South Carolina's Arbor Day!

Are You Studying the Civil War?

Homeschool families, now is the time to take advantage of all the events that are planned and will take place right here in our  area.  You may not be on the topic right now but if you can make space for these events it will be well worth your efforts and your students will have some great fieldtrips.  These events are just around the corner so hurry, mark your calendar and plan to be there!

Civil War Related Events

Civil War history fans have a broad variety of options over the next 2 weeks to satisfy their cravings to learn more about this pivotal event in United States history. Some opportunities are free. Some opportunities require tickets. Some opportunities require the payment of fees.

Port Royal Plantation is hosting a re-enactment event [1] and lectures on Sat., Nov. 5th.
On the true anniversary of the Battle of Port Royal [2], Mon., Nov. 7th, we are hosting Mike Coker, author of the Battle of Port Royal in Bluffton Branch at 2 pm and again at 6:30pm in Frissell Hall, Penn Center. During the evening author book/talk, sale and signing session at Penn Center, Coker will be joined by Dr. Larry Rowland and Stephen Hoffius, editors of the Civil War in South Carolina, and Neil Baxley, author of No Prouder Fate. Penn Center is co-sponsor of the evening session.

On Thurs., Nov. 10th Kristine Dunn Johnson, author of No Holier Spot of Ground: Confederate Monuments and Cemeteries of South Carolina [3] will share some of the history of the Beaufort US National Cemetery [4] at the Beaufort County Historical Society meeting held in the Yacht Club on Lady's Island beginning at Noon.

Fri., Nov. 11th USC-B, Penn Center, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute are co-sponsoring a Civil War symposium at the USC Performing Arts Center, 9 am - Noon.

• Civil War photography expert, Bob Zeller, will present rare 3D digitized stereographs of President Abraham Lincoln, his inauguration, the White House, the hanging of the assassination conspirators, and many of the most famous Civil War battlefields, like Antietam and Gettysburg, taken by famous Civil War photographers. The audience gets to wear 3D glasses. The show also includes three of the earliest photographs of St. Helena Island. Zeller will autograph his new book, Lincoln in 3D.
• The Battle of Port Royal—“The Day of Big Gun Shoot” Presenter: Dr. Stephen Wise, Dir. of Parris Island Museum. November 7, 1861 heralded one of the earliest amphibious operations of the Civil War in the South. Dr. Wise expertly narrates the course of the military strategies implemented by the Union forces and the Confederacy and the unfolding of war in Beaufort, South Carolina and surrounding Sea Islands.
• Dr. Lawrence Rowland, co-editor of “The Civil War in SC” will discuss and sign his latest book.

The Civil War Symposium is a component of Penn Center's Annual Heritage Days [5] celebration.

By Grace Cordial

Created 10/28/2011 - 9:19am

Library Offers Lunch & Listen Series

Do you include music in your curriculum?  Are you looking for musical outings for this semester?  If so, this Lunch and Listen music series is ideal for both an outing and a music fieldtrip.   Find the details below.

Bring your lunch to the USC-Beaufort Center for the Arts auditorium on the historic Beaufort campus, 801 Carteret Street, and enjoy the music of Beaufort’s local musicians this fall through Lunch & Listen, a music series featuring local musicians. The series is free and open to the public with doors opening at 11:30 am. and performances running from Noon to 1 p.m. Bring a lunch or purchase one at Outtakes Cafe next door to the Performing Arts Center.

Monday, September 26th folk musician Laura Lee Rose and Friends will kick off the series with variety of folk songs and Civil War tunes.

Monday, October 10th guitarist Craig Washington will play his favorite jazz selections.

Monday, October 26th will feature Kirk Dempsey, of Dempsey Farms, performing soul stirring blues

Monday, November 14th showcases guitar maestro and one-man band performer Chris Jones tracing the history of the blues guitar covering blues mid 1930's up to the present.

Monday, December 12th features Chris Jones returning to the stage performing a high energy set tracing the evolution of the guitar. This performance will include Jones on his custom double neck guitar and harmonica.

For more information about this concert series, contact Amanda Brewer at the Beaufort Branch Library at abrewer@bcgov.net or (843) 255-6458

Create a Family History Unit Study

Family history is a huge topic of conversation in my family. My grandparents, great aunts, other family members and both of my parents have over the years shared enormous amounts of information and stories about themselves and other family members, enough to fill volumes of books and I’ve enjoyed hearing them tremendously. I’ve made it a project for each of my children interview their grandparents and glean from their experiences.  Listening to those stories over the years prompted me to do some research about my family to find out what information about my family has been recorded and documented. This has been and continues to be an exciting journey that has included hours of searching on Family Search, a website similar to those listed in the article below as well as a fieldtrip to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. 

Including your own family history in your curriculum for social studies or history can prove to be an exciting adventure for you and your children.  You can discover interesting information about your background that ties in to the period of history you’re studying. Tracing a family’s movements allows you to do geography and cartography. Make your own family time line. Locate cousins in other states or even countries! Write about your discoveries and share it with your family!  

Our local library has an abundance of information available to help you get started on a genealogy unit.  Libraries have research helps and knowledgeable staff on hand to assist and direct you as you go along. The article below is from our own Grace Cordial.  Mrs. Cordial has been responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Beaufort District Collection at the Beaufort County Library since 1999. The Beaufort District Collection exists to acquire, preserve, maintain and make accessible a research collection of permanent value which records the history, culture, and environment of our part of the South Carolina lowcountry. Besides the research room, Cordial oversees the “Virtual BDC:” the BDC web pages, the Online Obituary Index, the Phosphate, Farms, and Family digital collection, and the Connections blog.

Among her duties is to coordinate or present programs about local history and our coastal environment, including the occasional instructional session about how to perform historical and/or genealogical research.  So take advantage of her expertise and begin your genealogy study soon!

Family Tree Magazine names 101 Best Genealogy Websites 2011

By Grace Cordial

For a number of years, Family Tree Magazine has been searching the internet for the best genealogy websites. In 2010, they highlighted free sites. In 2011, they've compiled a list of the 101 best, including both free and premium sites.

Pay attention to the individual entry for each website because "though some mostly free sites charge for premium services, you’ll see a symbol only next to sites where you have to pony up for the core content." So, it's a mixed bag of pay-to-view, pay-to-view some, and pay-to-view everything.

Categories include:

*Family History Mega-Marts
*Born in the USA
*State-of-the-Art Archives
*Local Heroes
*Ethnic Interests
*Putting Genealogy on the Map
*Share and Store Alike
*Tech Tools
*Canadian Cousins
*Genealogy CSI: Death and DNA
*Crossing the Pond

Read the article. [1] When you have a few minutes to investigate online resources, we encourage you to peruse these recommended websites to help you uncover your roots.

Please keep in mind that all branches [2] of the Beaufort County Library provide customers access to the Ancestry Library Edition [3] subscription database. Here's the caveat: You must use ALE inside our buildings on our public access computers. It is not available through the library's WIFI. (By the way, that's ALE's rules, not ours.)

From The Beacon: Summer reading kicks off at library

Every summer libraries across the country offer exciting programs to encourage reading during the summer months.  The kick off for the Beaufort County public library system began yesterday, June 6.  Each library in our system offers the local community it serves special summer programs and activities that support the theme.  You can read more about this year's summer reading program for all ages, the themes, prizes and more in the article below.  Get ready for excitement, adventure, thrills and more from the books you will read this summer!

Submitted by Traci Cox on Tue, 06/07/2011 - 8:19am

The heat has arrived, school buses will soon be in storage and the beach is beckoning -- summer is almost here. That also means it's time for the annual Summer Reading Program at the Beaufort County public library system. We have been hard at work planning and preparing for this exciting annual event.

According to the American Library Association, the annual Summer Reading Program began in the 1890s as a way to persuade school children to visit the library and develop lifelong reading habits. While it started as a way to promote literacy with children, the program has evolved over the past century into an enjoyable and worthwhile annual string of events in which all children, teens and adults can participate.

Funded by Beaufort County, our Friends of the Library groups and our Public Library Foundation, the official Summer Reading Program begins June 13th and concludes July 23rd. There will be branch-specific prizes and countywide grand prizes. This year's overall Summer Reading theme is "Travel." So whether you have plans to escape to a faraway destination or stay here in the Lowcountry, the Beaufort County library branches will provide you and your family with plenty of materials to keep you busy -- regardless of your travel plans (or lack thereof).

"One World, Many Stories" is the theme for children ages 4 to grade five, and "You Are Here" is the theme for teens (grades 6 to 12). Each participant signs an agreement to read (or have read to them) a minimum number of books. A visit to the library once a week will earn them a small prize. Once they fulfill their agreement, they earn a certificate, medal and a chance at winning one of our grand prizes.
Children and teens can visit their branch library to register beginning Monday. Check with your local library's children's room for more information for both teen and children's Summer Reading programs.
"Novel Destinations" is the travelworthy theme for adults ages 18 and older. Adults can read whatever they choose and submit reviews. Each review gets one entry into the prize pool, and names will go into prize drawings at the respective branches. Adults may submit their reviews beginning June 13 (there's no need to register). This year, reviews can be submitted online or to your branch's reference desk. Blank book review forms are located at all branches. There are no limits to how many reviews participants can submit. Reviews must have a minimum of 50 words in order to be eligible for prizes. If participants are feeling extra creative, they can submit their reviews in poetry form.
Hours at our library branches in Hilton Head, Bluffton and Beaufort will be changing starting Monday, so check out our website or contact your local branch for more information on all of our upcoming events.

Free Holiday Events at Your Local Library

The St Helena Library staff and volunteers invite you to come out and see Disney's 3D version of the famous Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol. Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption.

This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served!

St. Helena Branch of the Beaufort County Library
1025 Sea Island Parkway
St Helena Island, SC

The St. Helena Branch shares a space in the St. Helena Elementary School’s Media Center at 1025 Sea Island Parkway, St. Helena Island.
Directions: from Sea Island Parkway turn onto Eddings Point Road, turn onto St. Helena Elementary School driveway and take an immediate left.


Other December St Helena library events:
Story time and Craft
Thursday, 12/9, 4:00
HELP MAKE A GINGERBREAD HOUSE

CHRISTMAS PARTY
WEDNESDAY, 12/15, 6:00 PM
Decorate a Gingerbreadman Cookie
COOKIES & HOT CHOCOLATE SERVED

LIBRARY PHONE: (843) 255-6486

LIBRARY HOURS OF OPERATION:
Monday -Thursday: 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday & Sunday: CLOSED

Branch Manager:
Maria Benac
mbenac@bcgov.net

Beafort County Library offers Free Natural History Program

If you're looking for an economical way to enhance your studies of history, the environment or both, the free programs offered by the Beaufort District Collection of our local library just that.  This month's program focuses on life along and in the May River.

Helpful Resources for the School Year!

The article below, written by Grace Cordial of the Beaufort County Library, offers information that is helpful for the school year.  Please read and discover a new resource offered, StudySC. 

StudySC website is a good place to start!

It's the start of a new school year, so today I want to highlight a relatively new, and continuously evolving, resource about history, culture, and the environment in South Carolina:

One aspect of information delivery that gets overlooked too often are librarian vetted websites such as StudySC [1]. StudySC [1], created by the South Carolina State Library, makes available a student-friendly environment arranged by grade level and by subject area where students can find the information they need fast. StudySC provides online content to support South Carolina-specific curriculum standards. And it just keeps getting better!

K-12 students can use StudySC [1] to:

•Discover websites from non-profits, educational sources, and government agencies on South Carolina topics
•Read articles from DISCUS databases and South Carolina periodicals
•View pictures, video, and artwork that represents South Carolina themes
•Explore primary documents from South Carolina history such as maps, photographs, and oral history
Educators can use StudySC [1] to:

•Discover content from trusted websites on South Carolina themes for use in your classroom
•Explore multimedia content such as videos, audio, photographs, and maps to make your lesson plans memorable
Each grade level in StudySC [1] now features a "History Before 1865" section that includes information for K-12 students on the history of South Carolina, from the first inhabitants through the Civil War. For example, explore the topic First South Carolinians [2] - "Meet the Native Americans who first called South Carolina home." To review the section from an elementary school level, click here.

Other topics include Civil Rights, the antebellum economic system, and the age of discovery -- among others.

Just remember that one doesn't have to be a teacher or a K-12 student to learn more about the history of this state and its people. Libraries, and Beaufort County Library in particular, are all about offering residents and visitors opportunities for lifelong learning. A good way to participate in lifelong learning, is to to check out StudySC [1], regardless of your chronological age!


About the Author


Grace Cordial has been responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Beaufort District Collection at the Beaufort County Library since 1999. The Beaufort District Collection exists to acquire, preserve, maintain and make accessible a research collection of permanent value which records the history, culture, and environment of our part of the South Carolina lowcountry.

Has your homeschool student signed up for a library card yet?  A library card is a
valuable assest and this month is a good month to get one.  Please stop by your
local branch soon and sign-up for your very own library card and begin taking
advantage of all the wonderful services available at the library and through the
library's website!  Sign-up soon!!!

Beaufort County Library Black History Month Resources

Local Notables and Famous Beaufortonians
•Dr. Buzzard
•Sam Doyle (1906-1985)
•Charlotte Forten (1837-1914)
•Joe Frazier (1944- )
•Thomas Ezekiel Miller (1849-1938)
•Robert Smalls (1839-1915)
•Harriet Tubman (1821-1913)

•J.I. Washington (1864-1938)

Bibliographies and Local History
•African American Fiction Writers
•Bibliography of Gullah and Sea Island Cultural Materials
•Mitchelville, Hilton Head Island
•Page Turners by African American Authors
•Sweetgrass Baskets in the Lowcountry

Websites Compiled by Librarian's Internet Index

•African American History Month- Library of Congress
Collection of links to material in honor of African American History month in February. Includes links to collections, images, and audio and video sources for individuals such as Carter G. Woodson ("father" of African American History Month) and athlete Althea Gibson; and topics such as performing arts, civil rights, and slavery.

•African American World: Your Guide to African American History & Culture- PBS
From Sojourner Truth to Jacob Lawrence, discover the talent that shaped the African American experience.

•American Black Journal
Digitized collection of back shows of this television series (originally titled "Colored People's Time"), whose programs "represent a wide variety of African-American viewpoints on issues important to the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan, and the nation as whole." Browse shows from 1968-2000 by date, guest, host, or themes such as "Motor City and Motown." From Detroit Public Television and Michigan State University.

•An Era of Progress and Promise- From the State Library of North Carolina.
Website for a 1910 book for those interested in "the history of education, the development of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Negro Business League, religion in the United States, or African-American society in post-Emancipation America. You can read the full text of the book online, or search for profiles of specific institutions ... or biographies of influential African Americans by selecting the 'Browse' options."

•Langston Hughes at 100
This online exhibition, created in observance of the centenary of the birth of Langston Hughes (1902-1967), Harlem Renaissance poet, novelist, and playwright, presents images and audio and video clips. Material includes poem manuscripts, video of Hughes reading his poetry, photos, and related material. From the Yale University Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

•Let It Resound: Sheet Music in the James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection -

Yale University Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
Exhibit of sheet music from the genres of minstrelsy (1830s to 1900s), concert spirituals (1890s to 1940s), ragtime and black musical theater (1890s to 1920s), blues and jazz (1910s to 1950s), and R&B and soul (1950s to 1970s). Includes annotated images of covers and background about selected composers and performers.

•Oberlin and the Struggle for Black Freedom
Collection of material about the struggle for black freedom in Oberlin, Ohio, and the education of African American students at Oberlin College. (Oberlin was the first college in the United States to regularly admit African American students.) Topics include the 1835 constitution of the Oberlin Anti-Slavery Society, the Underground Railroad, and Martin Luther King's 1965 commencement address. From the Electronic Oberlin Group, with images from the Oberlin College Archives.

ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH SERIES (OCTOBER)

October is Archaeology Month and the Beaufort County Library is co hosting several programs for the community. Homeschooling families will have the opportunity to explore this topic in conjunction with subjects like history, geography, and even literature. We hope you will plan to attend one of the remaining presentations.

________________________________________________________

Submitted by Grace Cordial
You may recall that for the past 5 years or so, the Library and Beaufort County Planning have put together some programs on whatever the SCIAA Archaeology Month theme of the year happened to be. Thus, we've covered Military archaeology, Native American archaeology, the connection between the lowcountry and the Caribbean archaeology, etc. Well, we are at it again.
Ian Hill, Historic Preservationist, County Planning and I have teamed together with Historic Beaufort Foundation and USC-B to sponsor a series of 6 programs in observance of Archaeology Month 2009.

We're offering a variety of programs -- all free -- all designed to be enjoyable to anyone with an interest in archaeology, architecture, history, African-American culture, slave resistance or genealogy over the age of 12 years -- at various times of day -- on various days of the week -- and at 5 different venues -- to celebrate. Thus, you will have a hard time not coming to at least one of the offerings.

Note from CHSB::These are the remaining programs and they would be great for older homeschool students to attend.)

“My Family History Research in Black and White,” Barbara Carter Sat., Oct. 17, 1:00 - 2:00pm Beaufort District Collection, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 2nd floor

“African-American Genealogy Workshop,” Grace Cordial Sun., Oct. 25, 2:00 - 4:00pm (RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: 757-1537) Bluffton Branch Library, 120 Palmetto Way, Bluffton

“Maroon Communities,” Dr. Timothy Lockley Tues., Oct. 27, 1:00 - 2:30pm Performing Arts Center, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort