Library - First Baptist Church Martinsville

Sue Martin McCabe Library of First Baptist

Hard at work in McCabe

Sue Martin McCabe Library News

In the early Spring of 2011, the Sue Martin McCabe Library had the grand opening of the Francis Hewitt Tech Cove situated in the Kesler Young People’s Room. As the recipients of a memorial gift from the Hewitt family “to bring the children’s library into the 21^st Century,” the library committee set about rearranging and updating all aspects of the Kesler Room. By moving the junior fiction into the McCabe library and creating four new storage closets, enough room was generated to set up four computers with access for preschoolers educational games, a VHS/DVD player for groups stories, and soon Nook® Color will be available. The teachers and students have already investigated these tools and are excited about more computer work this Fall. Come by and see what the “Tech Cove” is all about.

The library committee still meets at least once a month to design display cases, pull materials for SS teachers, as well as process books and media. The regular meeting is the last Wednesday of each month. We have met more often in September to learn more about our new computers. Come and join us for fun and learning. We’ll teach you what we know or just join us for a happy day.

Beginning the "Tech Cove"

"Reading makes for smart cookies." September display of beginning school books.

Library Drifts

For the third year, the Sue M. McCabe Library Committee held its annual Library Bake Sale with the Christmas Concert entitled Joy to the World III, planned and performed by John Fulcher, Judy Minter, Baxter Jennings, and Michael Leonhardt. The concert was incredible. Those who attended were aglow with the spirit of Christmas.

Again the Hospitality Committee amazed us with a scrumptious supply of refreshments for all to enjoy. These are some of the most talented people who use their gifts to achieve exquisite results.

Of course, letting people in the community know about the activities planned for December 11 was a task orchestrated by the Publicity Committee. An article appeared in the Martinsville Bulletin, fliers were designed and posted on the doors of the church, and other local churches were notified so that they could announce these activities to their congregations in their church bulletins.

The proceeds from the Bake Sale enable us to purchase materials that we need to continue our part in maintaining the quality of the educational ministry of FBC. In addition to the people mentioned earlier, the success of the Library Bake Sale also depends greatly on the donors who brought appealing Christmas goodies and the many patrons who shopped with us this year. The members of the Library Committee are overwhelmed by your generosity, enthusiasm, and creativity. We hold each of your personally responsible for helping us raise these funds. We thank you for your selfless support.

To all of you the members of the Library Committee wish the promise of a wonderful new year—2012. Resolve to visit the library, and select a good book to read.

Visit the library or breeze by the cart in the narthex, and check out a great book to read.

SUE MARTIN MCCABE LIBRARY: Don't miss our display of books that someone or some group has suggested for banning. You will probably be surprised. Many are classics, such as Mart Twain's Huckleberry Finn and J. D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. The current list of banned books targets books written in the twentieth century by American authors.

SUE M. MCCABE LIBRARY: Agatha Christie would have been 100 years old on September 11. There were some “big doings” across the pond in her honor. To participate somewhat in that celebration, I decided to put one of her books in my book club this year. I started a rereading process over the summer to make a selection. Certainly thought I had read them all, but found quite a few “new” ones. Of course I may have read some before and just forgotten them. Anyway, it was great fun and I highly recommend them as leisure reading and a relief from police procedurals and gratuitous violence. The library has a few of these books, but a complete set, any one of which, is available upon request. Besides Hercule Poirot and and Miss Marple, there are other detectives to become acquainted with such as Tommy and Tuppence, the mysterious Mr. Quinn, and Mr. Parker Pyne. The mysteries solved by ordinary people who just want to get to the bottom of things are always fun. Ms Christie had a most exquisite gift of characterization that is not to be missed.