Random Acts of Poetry

You’ve heard of random acts of kindness. You’ve heard of poetry (and we’ve already talked about Magnetic Poetry). It doesn’t take a genius to put the two together (but if you want to call us geniuses, go ahead…), and that’s exactly what we’ve done in designing six months of poetry programming at Eisenhower! Between September of 2009 and February of 2010, join us for a variety of poetry-related events:

• In September, join us for a writing workshop with poet and writing instructor Margie Skelly (Monday the 14th at 7:00 p.m.), then stop by the Answers Desk for a piece of sidewalk chalk and display your new skills outside for all the world to see.

• In October, join us for an Open Mic Night (Monday the 12th at 7:00 p.m.) and showcase your developing talent!
• In November, link up with us in the Meeting Room (Monday the 23rd at 7:00 p.m.) as we construct an exquisite corpse; each poet adds to a composition started by the participants before them, but can only read the last line of the poem they’re continuing. Practice all month on the whiteboard near the Answers Desk.
• In December, relax with us for an informal gathering around tea and crumpets (well, tea and snacks…we did say informal) as we share our favorite poems, old and new. Join us (Thursday the 10th at 3:30 p.m.) and let us in on your favorites—or bring your own work!
• In January, dust off your balaclava and become a poetry ninja, committing random acts of poetry. Simply photocopy or transcribe one of your favorite poems (we like this one), find a book on our shelves that fits its themes, and slip in the page for the next patron to find, read, and love.
• In February it’s all up to you. Submit your best personal creation—long, short, silly, serious, and everything in
  between—to the Your Barbaric Yawp Poetry Contest! Three winners will receive a surprise prize!

The September, October, November, and December programs require registration–stop by the Answers Desk to sign up! Each program is designed for poets of all ages.

from Toothpaste for Dinner

Halo 3 Tournament

Are you any good at Halo? Want to put your skills to the test against Norridge’s best? Come to Eisenhower Library on Saturday January 3rd, 2009 at 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. First Place prize is a $20 GameStop gift certificate. Second prize is a case of Mountain Dew and Cheetos. If you are under eighteen, you will need a parent permission form that is available at the library answers desk.

ILA/iREAD Poster Contest-Local Entry Announced

The Illinois Library Association and Illinois Reading Enrichment and Development (iREAD) are sponsoring a poster contest to promote teen reading with the theme “Scare Up a Good Book.” The statewide winner will be announced in October 2008, and that winner will receive $1,000 in prize money. The poster selected to advance from Eisenhower’s local competition to the system-wide level was made by Scott Gregor. Congratulations, Scott, and good luck!

YA Film Festival Winners!

On Saturday, July 26, we threw our YA Film Festival! Audience favorites in the categories of Best Picture, Best Performances, and Best Cinematography were awarded $50, a hearty handshake, and the instant celebrity of public recognition on OBTW. So, without further ado, here are your winners:

Best Picture: “Evening Out” by Luke McLonghlin

Best Cinematography: “How To Do Professional Artwork” by Naomi Tiempe

Best Performances: “Twilight: A Reenactment” by Aileen Finnin

Poster Contest–Win $1,000!

The Illinois Library Association and Illinois Reading Enrichment and Development (iREAD) are sponsoring a poster contest to promote teen reading. The contest is open to all middle and high school aged artists, and should illustrate the theme “Scare Up a Good Book.”

The poster should include images of books, a library, or something related to reading. All art and characters must be original–we can’t use existing cartoon or comic characters. Artwork should be appropriate for hanging in public libraries.

Poster size can be up to 19 inches by 26 inches. Final art can be either computer generated or a drawing, painting, or collage using traditional media. If submitting computer art, please be sure that it is either vector art (Adobe Illustrator) or, if it is a Photoshop file, that it is 300 pixels per inch. A completed entry form, available at the library and on the ILA iREAD website, must accompany all entries.

All entries are due by July 31, 2008, and will become property of the Illinois Library Association. The statewide winner will be announced in October 2008, and that winner will receive $1,000 in prize money.

YA Film Festival

Make your own film! Win prizes! Compete at the YA Film Festival! Submit a 2-10 minute film on a standard DVD by 5 p.m. on July 5. First place winners in each of three categories (PERFORMANCE, CINEMATOGRAPHY, and PICTURE) will win $50! View finalists and help choose the winners at the YA Film Festival, Saturday, July 26, 2-4 p.m. in Meeting Room A.

$5 entry fee.

Entrants must be between the ages of 12 and 25.