Monday, June 29, 2020

Introducing Acorn and Qello

We've just launched two new streaming services that you can access with your library card! Both of them come from RB Digital and they are different from anything else we offer at the YCLD.


First is Acorn TV, which is for those of you who like watching British TV shows. It has everything from old classics like Agatha Christie mysteries to the new David Tennant series Deadwater Fell and lots, lots more.


The other service we're now offering is Stingray Qello which is a resource that lets you stream thousands of concerts for pretty much any genre of music. From Lady Gaga, to Beyonce, to old classics like Queen and even Mexican and international artists. You can browse their shows by music type or even by decades and watch favorite musicians or discover new ones you might end up loving.

Both of these services are free with a library card, so check them out here: https://yumalibrary.org/ebooks-and-media/

Monday, June 22, 2020

Kawaii Journaling at Home


Hello Teens! This is Nikki! Today I am writing a blog post about my favorite hobby: Kawaii Journaling! I hope this post inspires you to start this hobby too!



What is Kawaii Journaling? To understand what Kawaii Journaling is about, you must understand what the Japanese word Kawaii means. The definition of kawaii simply means “cute.” This can mean many things to a person: a character, or a cute stationary item, like a doughnut pen. It all depends on the person and what they think is cute! In journaling, it is up to the journaler to decide what stationary items are cute to them, from cute stickers to memo notes to washi tape!

If you have scrapbooked before this, it is similar to that. This type of journaling is about your life adventures, your personal interests, hobbies and goals in a positive way. A journal spread can even be about a simple day you enjoyed. For instance, staying home and baking cookies or playing video games.


Let’s face it, life overall is simple, and we do a lot of the same stuff: go to work or school, come home and cook dinner, then relax with our loved ones or watch TV. However, journaling is a great way to reflect upon your life, enjoy the little things in life that are memorable, remember gratitude & keeping track of goals you want to achieve. You see yourself change and grow over the years into the person you want to become. It is also fun to look back at all the memories you wrote about in your journal. 

This is my Masters 2019 Graduation spread. I finally reached my education goal that I had been working towards for a long time! Go Me! Celebrate your achievements! 

How to get started: 

What journaling supplies you will need:

If you want to begin this type of journaling, you need to start by gathering together supplies. Journaling supplies can be expensive, therefore, it is good to make a budget of how much you want to spend, and always use coupons and watch for sales.

For sure, you will need a journal. You can use any type of journal that you can afford or a journal or notebook you already own. I personally use the official Japanese Hobonichi journal and it is an A6 size, which is about 4 inches by 5.5 inches. A6 size is smaller than the typical A5 journal size you see normally, which are usually 5.5 by 8 inches. A6 journal size is great if you do not want to write a lot but decorate more, and good for traveling.

You will also want to have different types of pens, from gel pens to marker pens to highlighters. Marker pens can bleed through the paper if it is thin so it is good to test it before writing or drawing a lot. You can also use different types of washi tape or masking tape, and stickers to decorate your pages. 

There are two different types of stickers, sticker sheets and sticker flakes. Sticker flakes are just individual die cut stickers that are not on one sheet. You can also download and print out your stickers on sticker paper from an artist you support or like. Journaling supplies are abundant; it just takes research to find what you like and the quality of the stationary too. The more you pay for an item the better quality it will probably be, hence why some of the authentic Japanese stationary can be pricey.  




Using your creativity and beginner tips:

It is up to you how to use your creativity to decorate your journal spread, there are so many themes you can do, it’s endless!

I always lay out my washi tape and stickers on the paper before placing it permanently on the page to make sure I like the arrangement. I also make sure to leave space for writing, especially if I am going to write on memo notes.

It may seem like you have to journal every day but this is not true. It is your choice to decide when you want to sit down and journal. I definitely do not journal every day, and sometimes it can be hard to think about what you want to journal about when you are starting out. This is why as a beginner, it is good to start by writing about yourself. 

You might discover something new about yourself or maybe choose to write about changing something you don’t like about yourself. Are you a person that sees things in a negative way? Maybe you want to change your perspective and start trying to look at life in a positive manner and the good things that are happening in your life. Maybe you have some goals this year you want to achieve, like changing your studying habits, or learning to cook. Many journalers reflect upon themselves and it helps to change and grow who they are in a positive way. You are the only person who can change yourself and your life, remember that!

My last tip is checking out all the many kawaii journaling prompts available online. Journaling prompts are pre-made themes created by different people in the journaling community. You can check out some of these prompts by searching the hashtag #positivitykawaiijournalingchallenge on social media. 

I also recommend the newbie kawaii journaling challenge hashtag: #kawaiijournalingnewbiechallenge. In general, you can search for hashtags #kawaiijournal or #kawaiijournaling to see inspirational spreads from the kawaii journaling community.

There are many Journal with Me videos on the Internet too. I definitely find inspiration from others and I think you will too! Do not worry if you feel your spreads are not up to par or don't look like other people’s, you will find your own style. As long as you like your journal spread, that is all that matters! Try not to be hard yourself and remember that journaling should be enjoyable! It is supposed to be fun!

I hope my tips and this blog post have helped you and inspired you to start kawaii journaling! To end my post, here are some more example photos of my some of my spreads! Keep an eye out on our blog and library’s Instagram to see the teen staff’s future online programs! Until next time! 





Monday, June 15, 2020

What's New on Hoopla for June?

Need something new to read? Here are some of  the best books that have recently been added to Hoopla Digital!  Don't forget to download the ReadSquared app to sign up for the teen Summer Reading Program and register some of these great books to earn points towards your finishing goal!

The Beholder by Anna Bright: Selah has always dreamed of a fairy tale life: marrying her childhood friend and living happily every after. After all, as the daughter of her community's leader, it's what she was raised to do. But, when the boy she loves rejects her, Selah's mother has a solution: sail halfway around the world to find a suitable husband and come back engaged... or never come back at all.

The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis: Evan is not doing well with this whole "growing up" thing. His strict Greek mother thinks he's a disappointment, he can't even have a conversation with his distant workaholic dad, and his formerly dorky best friend somehow became the "hot guy" over the summer, leaving Evan in the dust. Evan's only source of comfort is his art, and maybe, just maybe, the suspicion that his best friend might just feel the same way as Evan and wants to be more than friends.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson: In Vermont, only the best and brightest are admitted into Ellingham Academy every school year. Stevie Bell is one of those students. She also happens to be obsessed with true crime, and in particular the mysterious, unsolved disappearance of the school founder's wife and daughter. At least, that's her plan, until strange things start happening at the school, making everyone wonder if a centuries old killer could still be out there somehow, trying to get away with murder all over again.

Uncanny by David Macinnis Gill: When a sudden storm on the day of her 16th birthday takes out power all over Boston, Willow doesn't think it's weird - just another power outage. Until she is suddenly able to stop time. And then she meets her super creepy familiar. And then her sister vanishes without a trace. Eventually Willow realizes her birthday storm was not just unnatural, but supernatural, and it's awakened something ancient. Something evil. Something that wants Willow dead.


Monday, June 8, 2020

What's New on Overdrive for June?

Need something new to read? Here are some of our picks for the best books that have recently been added to Overdrive! Don't forget to download ReadSquared and sign up for the Teen Summer Reading program and register your books read during summer for a chance to win amazing prizes!

By the Book by Amanda Sellet: Mary loves to read and is especially fond of classics. And if her books have taught her anything is that boys are all cads and scoundrels and can't be trusted. That's why she has said no to relationships and is instead focused on writing her own book, called "The Scoundrel Survival Guide." But, when Mary falls hopelessly head over heels for the biggest player she knows, Mary realizes you can't always deal with life by the book, and sometimes you have to bend your own rules to live happily every after.

Dear Universe by Florence Gonsalves: Between trying to keep up with her senior year at school, trying to get into college, and trying to deal with her dad's terminal illness at home, Chamomile has no time for anything else. ESPECIALLY not her weirdo coworker Brendan, with his man-bun and his strange fashion choices and bizarre sense of humor. But what Chamomile is about to realize is that sometimes, the best people, come wrapped up in the weirdest packages.

A Dress for the Wicked by Autumn Krause: Emmy knows her life is destined to be boring. After all, she is from a tiny town where there are hardly any opportunities for girls like her. Then one day, Emmy hears that the country's top fashion house has launched a design competition especially for small-town girls like her. Emmy knows she has the talent, but does she have the strength it takes to survive in the cut-throat fashion world?

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales: If you took Grease, turned Sandy into a boy and threw in a little bit of Clueless and a little bit of Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, you'd end up with this adorable LGBT+ take on summer love, high school and having the courage to be yourself.


Monday, June 1, 2020

Summer Video Contest


Did you know that we are not the only library district that hosts a summer reading program? There's actually an organization called CSLP (The Collaborative Summer Library Program) that sponsors summer reading programs just like ours in libraries all around the country. They're also the people who come up with the themes each year, AND this year they are sponsoring a nation-wide video contest that you can participate in!
They want you (or anyone you know who is ages 13-18) to create a public-service announcement style video representing this year's theme "Imagine Your Story" and encouraging people to read and visit the library. It can't be longer than 60 seconds and has to be totally "G" rated. For complete rules and an entry form you can visit the contest page here: Teen Video Challenge.
Five winners will be chosen from around the country, and we hope to see some fun entries from Yuma County! Good luck! Go out there and get creative!

Summer Reading is Here!

Even though things are a little different this year, the Yuma County Library District is doing our annual Summer Reading Program. This year's theme is "Imagine Your Story" and it's all about fairy tales, myths and legends from all over the world.
This year's program is completely virtual, so if you want to participate, you will need to download the program app, which is called ReadSquared and is available in app stores for both Android and IOS. You can either sign up for your own account, or your parent or guardian can sign up with a family account and register everyone in the family all at once. Don't forget, we have programs for little kids and adults as well as for teens, so everyone can participate.
The app is really fun and easy to use, and you can unlock badges for completing program goals and doing special challenges. Once you have competed the program by earning a certain amount of points, you will automatically be entered into a drawing for an awesome gift basket provided by the Friends of the Yuma County Library!
Join up today, you have until July 18th to complete the program!