The National LGBT Pride Month festivities are held in June as a way to honor and remember the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Here in Mid-Missouri, with most of the college students away on summer break, June is a sleepy month. In order to share the love with as many as possible, the Mid-Missouri PrideFest will take place on August 25 at Rose Music Hall in Downtown Columbia, MO. This year, the library is taking Bookmobile, Jr. to join in on the fun — so be sure to stop by during this free, family-friendly event!
The Mid-Missouri PrideFest “is an annual, family-friendly celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and ally community in Mid-Missouri.” You can find out more information about the MidMO PrideFest at www.midmopride.org.
The library has a ton of great resources for those interested in reading about LGTBQ issues and stories. We also have digital services with great music playlists and films. Continue reading “Mid-Missouri PrideFest”
As Jon Kabat-Zinn writes in his groundbreaking book, “Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness,” “Yoga is meditation.” The two go hand in hand and without one the other does not exist. The library is offering a program called Yoga and Mindfulness for Beginners on Saturday August 25. The class is taught by Brockell Briddle who is a certified yoga instructor in the Columbia area. We also have a wide ranging number of resources related to both yoga and meditation.
Perhaps the best way to learn about a yoga practice and techniques related to it are by taking a class, or watching a video and following along with the instructor poses. The library has dozens of DVDs related to yoga, and several new ones that have come in recently. One of our most popular yoga DVD series is called “Yoga for Busy Moms,” and several different versions can be found on our shelves. Yoga and mindfulness can also be used to assist in dealing with chronic pain; see “Survival Guide for Pain-Free Living” instructed by Peggy Cappy. Continue reading “Yoga = Meditation”
Forget all the rules of fight club because we want to talk about this! Who even knew that ukulele fight club was a real thing? A lot of people, evidently! It’s not just here in Columbia, or Missouri, or even just the USA. No, this is a global thing. And why not? Ukuleles are the perfect instrument: small and portable, not too expensive or complicated, and you can sing and play at the same time. Ukuleles have shown up all over the place in popular music from Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/It’s A Wonderful World” to anything by NeverShoutNever.
The library is a great place to learn this new skill. Check out some of these great books to help you get started: Continue reading “Ukulele Fight Club!”
Whether you are just beginning a job search or in the middle of one, DBRL has a multitude of resources to assist you.
Here are a few basic tips for job hunting:
Cologne, scented hand lotion and aftershave can be a major distraction in an interview situation. The prospective employer might be turned off by the scent and your chance of leaving a good impression is greatly diminished.
Taking the time to practice responding to possible questions can really help during the actual interview, particularly if you get nervous during these types of situations. There are a multitude of published resources in the library and online that can give you common interview questions and good responses. Practicing out loud — even writing down questions and responses — will help you if you suddenly get the deer-in-the-headlights feeling.
Most interviews involve some type of question about your strengths and weaknesses as an employee. Make sure your responses are specific to that particular job and you have examples of experiences that highlight your strengths. When talking about a weakness, be sure to also include what steps you have taken to improve that particular skill set.
Many companies (even smaller ones) use digital databases to search for candidates. This means that a human resource department will run search queries based on specific keywords. If those words are not found, your resume will be tossed without being seen by anyone.
If an employer states that they want a team player, make sure your resume and cover letter highlight specific experiences that show this characteristic.Anything you claim in a cover letter or resume should be backed up by actual experience.
Growing up, I didn’t go to summer camp. Most days, my mom simply sent us kids outside to play. I spent many hours at hopscotch and jump rope with neighborhood kids who also had been turned out of their homes for a few hours. I was vaguely aware of a place called summer camp. It seemed to me something like Camelot, a land of adventure and merriment in a faraway time and place.
As an adult, I think the idea of summer camp sounds pretty fun and wonder why it should be an experience only for kids. Who’s with me? I see lots of hands going up out there. Whether you find yourself longing to recreate the wonder of your own childhood summer camp memories, or aching to fill a hole in your life that was caused by camp deprivation, your library is here to help. Continue reading “Adult Summer Camp: Design Your Own Adventure”
It’s an exciting evening for pre-history buffs, as they flock to a 3-D screening of the movie “Pangea: the Biggest Breakup in History.” The event has been organized by a local scientist, Dr. Viola Figueroa. Unfortunately, she is unable to attend, having taken ill. In her place, she has sent her nephew Alfredo. He arrives at the last minute, flustered, clutching a list of written instructions that he has not yet had time to read.
As the lights dim and the movie begins, a narrator’s voice says, “Prepare to journey more than 250 million years into the past, to a time when the earth contained only one supercontinent, known as Pangea.” Dozens of large dragonflies dart right out of the screen and the audience gasps in amazement at the realistic effects.
A buzz of cicadas fills the air, while huge ferny plants appear all around. Audience members realize they are no longer in theater seats, but rather are perched on rocks or sitting flat on the ground. Colorful beetles scurry about, and in the distance a lizard-like animal with a fin on its back lumbers between the trees. This is no mere movie. Continue reading “Escape Room: Breaking Up Pangea”
The Columbia City Cemetery is the oldest and longest running business in Columbia. Burials began as early as 1821. The original entrance to the cemetery was actually on the east side where Locust Street becomes the entrance of Lucky’s Market. You will notice that most of the stones face the east. It was much later that the current entrance on the north side — off Broadway — became the main entrance. The cemetery’s original gates were removed and placed at the entrance of what is now the Maplewood Home in Nifong Park.
The Friends of the Historic Columbia Cemetery will be hosting their second annual History Comes Alive event on Memorial Day, May 28 from 1-4 p.m. Seven different “well-knowns” who are buried in the cemetery will come alive in monologues given by local actors. Chris Campbell, executive director of the Boone County History and Culture Center, wrote the scripts for these actors. In charge of costuming for the event is Monica McMurry of the Stephens College Theatre Department.
Countless numbers of people suffer with illness, some acutely, some chronically, some with mild, non-debilitating symptoms and some with devastating symptoms that severely impact their ability to lead normal lives. Often we aren’t aware of it because they don’t appear to be sick — they have “invisible” illnesses.
At the same time, many suffering with invisible illness are “missing,” because they are incapacitated to the point of being home bound or bedridden. They may be able to engage in life to a certain extent, but the quality of their lives is significantly altered by not being able to participate fully. For instance, taking care of basic necessities may be possible, but then there is no energy left for things that bring joy, connection or build community. Continue reading “May 12: CIND International Awareness Day”
The National LGBT Pride Month festivities are held in June as a way to honor and remember the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Here in Mid-Missouri, with most of the college students away on summer break, June is a sleepy month. In order to share the love with as many as possible, the Mid-Missouri PrideFest will take place on August 25 at Rose Music Hall in Downtown Columbia, MO. This year, the library is taking Bookmobile, Jr. to join in on the fun — so be sure to stop by during this free, family-friendly event!
