Book-A-Speaker Through the Library
April 24, 2009 — Are you the program chair of your group, club or organization? Do you need to come up with a year’s worth of speakers?
The Springfield-Greene County Library District is offering a speaker’s bureau composed of the friendly librarians who can talk interestingly and knowingly on a variety of topics. All at no charge, of course.
Called “Book a Speaker,” you can pick up a brochure at any of the ten libraries or bookmobile, check out the offerings and call one number to schedule any of the programs.
Here’s a brief run-down of a few of the programs:
- Your Library’s History—from 1905 Until Now—This presentation begins with philanthropist Andrew Carnegie’s gift to Springfield, showing how the more than 100-year-old Midtown Carnegie Branch Library morphed into the present system consisting of two award-winning “destination” libraries, a downtown library and seven neighborhood branches.
- Web-Savvy Web Talk—It’s an easy address to remember—thelibrary.org. Your group can find out about the neat futures and information you can access online and why you will return to it again and again.
- Minding Your Business at the Library—Our business specialists will highlight research on the latest trends and give an overview of online products, web sites, magazines, indexes and how-to and start-up titles.
- Digging for Your Roots—Experts from the local history department will discuss databases and print resources to help you research your family’s history.
- All Aboard the Frisco—The Saint Louis-San Francisco Railway employed thousands of Ozarks residents in its heyday. The library’s online collection of images of Missouri depots, steam and diesel locomotives and other Frisco memorabilia and historical documents is fascinating to relatives of Frisco employees, genealogists, researchers, historians and railroad hobbyists.
These are all fine and dandy, you are thinking, but I just want a talk on books! We have that too. The librarians, after all, are the book experts, and are always glad to talk about their favorite subjects: classic literary titles, the trendiest nonfiction, the hottest new fiction, your favorite genre—mystery romance, westerns—even cooking and gardening titles.
To Book-a-Speaker, call 883-5366, extension 231, or e-mail allisone@thelibrary.org.
-Jeanne Duffey, Community Relations Director, Springfield-Greene County Library District.