Literature LIVE! Presents Why Cowboys Sing in Texas

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Did you know there was a time when cowboys didn't sing in Texas? Well, let me tell you, partner, it was a lonely time, indeed. Join Slim Jim Bean and the Old Timer as they set things straight in this traditional puppet show full of fun, laughs, and stampeding cows.

Wednesday, June 13, 2:00 PM Little Walnut

Thursday, June 14, 2:00 PM at University Hills

Monday, June 18, 4:00 PM at St. John

Wednesday, June 20, 2:00 PM at Terrazas

Thursday, June 21, 4:00 PM at Milwood

Monday, June 25, 2:00 PM at Spicewood

Tuesday, June 26, 2:00 PM at Cepeda

Wednesday, June 27, 4:00 PM at Manchaca

Thursday, June 28, 2:00 PM at Yarborough

Saturday, June 30, 2:00 PM at Faulk Central

Monday, July 2, 2:00 PM at Twin Oaks

Tuesday, July 3, 2:00 PM at Old Quarry

Thursday, July 5, 2:00 PM at Pleasant Hill

Tuesday, July 10, 2:00 PM at Southeast

Wednesday, July 11, 2:00 PM at Oak HIll

Thursday, July 12, 2:00 PM at Carver

Monday, July 16, 4:00 PM at Howson

Wednesday, July 18, 4:00 PM at North Village

Thursday, July 19, 4:00 PM at Ruiz

Friday, July 20, 4:00 PM at Willie Mae Kirk

Performances also at the following locations:

Tuesday, August 7, 10:30 AM at Tuesday Tales at the Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Road

and

Saturday, August 11, 1:00 PM at the Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria, 3809 W 35th Street

Time:

2:00pm

Event Category:

Summer Reading Program

Event Location:

Little Walnut Creek Branch

Events Blog

Monday, March 18

Austin Music Originals and America's Music

by: eric.travis

The Terrazas Branch is hosting a series of music documentaries, titled “America’s Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway.” While we’re learning about the national history of pop music, we’ll be paying homage to local musicians with an exhibit of photographs from the Austin History Center, titled “Austin Music Originals.” The collection of 19 photos spreads from the main public area into the Meeting Room, where the series of music documentaries will be shown. Musicians playing a variety of instruments, from various times in Austin's history, are included.

Join us for the reception to officially open the exhibit this Saturday, March 23, at the Terrazas Branch from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Grace McEvoy, Austin History Center Photographer, will be there to talk about the photos and the people in them.

America’s Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway is a project of the Tribeca Film Institute in collaboration with the American Library Association, Tribeca Flashpoint, and the Society for American Music. America’s Music has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.”

*Pictured at left (from L to R): Teddy Wilson (jazz pianist), A.O. Patterson (band director), and Kenny Dorham at the Longhorn Jazz Festival, 1966. (photo credit: Austin History Center, Austin Public Library PICA 29971-a)

Wednesday, March 13

Drip, Drip, Drop

by: christina.chiarchiaro

Are you wasting away our earth’s most valuable resource? Do you know if you are? The City of Austin and Austin Public Library care about water in all its glorious forms and are helping to educate the community. They plan on acknowledging World Water Day which is designated as March 22, 2013 and making it a priority for the entire month. So now we all have the perfect opportunity to find out about what we can do to conserve.

Of course there are already resources in place year round like being able to check out a digital hose meter (a device to measure your water usage as you wash the car, water the lawn, etc.) from the library or applying for a rebate on qualifying home and business conservation improvements. Neat, right?

Plus you can always Google your way to helpful water conservation tips. I say whatever way you get there is a good way. It benefits the earth, your community and your wallet. Personally, I have my good and bad days when it comes to paying attention to the water I drip down the drain. Most recently I discovered I do not tighten the handle on the bathroom sink enough leaving it slowly wasting away all day. I know I can always benefit from learning more and I am looking forward to attending both the screening of the 2012 documentary Last Call at the Oasis and the program on Rainwater Collection offered this month. Find out more and do your part.

March Water Madness at the Austin Public Library!

Monday, March 18

7:00pm Last Call at the Oasis - Celebrating World Water Day all month long at North Village Branch

Tuesday, March 19

7:00pm Blue Gold: World Water Wars - Celebrating World Water Day all month long at Windsor Park Branch

Saturday, March 30

2:00pm Rainwater Collection - Celebrating World Water Day all month long at Twin Oaks Branch

Wednesday, March 13

What would we do without trees?

by: literature.live

photo of Mr. Tamarin's Trees One of the first things visitors to Austin notice are the beautiful trees we have all over town. Big oaks, lacy pecans, and towering cypress—we have an incredible variety of trees in every size, shape and color. Shade is just one of the many reasons that we value trees here in Austin. Every fall there are tree planting events all around town, and each spring, Austinites eagerly await the leafing out of our nearly ever-present green canopy. But can you imagine what it would be like to live in a place where there weren't any trees at all? What would that be like during one of our hot Texas summers?

This spring, we are bringing you the puppet show, Mr. Tamarin's Trees, from the library's own puppetry and storytelling troupe, Literature LIVE! This is the story of Mr.Tamarin, who learns the value of trees the hard way as he discovers what Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall are like without them in this traditional puppet show. This show is free to all, and is recommended for ages 5 and up. Groups interested in attending should contact their branch librarian to make arrangements.

The show runs from March 26 through May 18, and will be visiting all the branches of the Library, as well as a few special locations, too! Dates will be posted soon to the Youth Events Calendar, so check there often!

You can read all about trees with our newly gathered list of Tree picture books, compiled by children's librarians at the Austin Public Library! If you want more recommendations for books, be sure to follow us at AustinPLChildrensSvcs and AustinPLTeenSvcs... we'll be adding new lists all the time!

Here are a few books about trees to get you started!

Friday, March 8

YA for Adults Bookclub - March

by: patti.cook

When:
Tuesday, March 12
7-8 p.m.
Where:
North Village Branch Library
2505 Steck Ave.
974-9960
Who: Adults who love Young Adult Books.
Book: Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

Join us this month to discuss Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John.

There has been a slew of fantastic teen books to come out in the past several years featuring music for those of us who are musically inclined. This one has an interesting twist to shake things up. Piper has become the defacto manager of a popular band when she is offered up the challenge to get the band an actual, real, live, paying gig (like one that actually pays money and not snickers bars from your mom's pantry). That alone is quite the challenge, but add the fact that Piper is deaf into the mix and we've got some complications and an added level of complexity that she has to deal with.

Hey, It is SXSW people! Let's celebrate our love of live music, our love of teen books, and our love of avoiding traffic by staying out of downtown together!

Find this title in our print collection as well as in our downloadables.

Wednesday, March 6

Adult Craft Night @ Ruiz - March

by: patti.cook

When:
Monday, March 11
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where:
Ruiz Branch Library
1600 Grove Blvd.
974-7500
Who: Adults interested in crafting.
What: Seed Bombs and Felt Shamrocks

For the month of March, Adult Craft Night will be having a green spring fling! We will be making seed bombs and felt shamrocks to help green up our community and to keep us from being pinched on St. Patti’s Day!

The seed bombs are little “bombs” of molded paper mixed with seeds tucked inside. We will be taking a paper pulp, adding seeds and pressing them into cute molds resulting in our little seed bombs. You can take these bombs, toss them into your yard, flower beds or abandoned lots that you think need some love – and when it rains, the paper will expand, provide a mulch to protect our seeds from hearty weeds and release our seeds into the ground. For this project we will be using a water wise flower mix that can be planted any time between March and June that will result in sunny blooms that can thrive in our Texas heat (think Zinnias, Cosmos, Sunflowers and Brown Eyed Susan’s), Mediterranean herbs like Basil, Thyme and Rosemary that appreciate our Texas soil as well as dark leafy greens like Spinach and Kale that love the sun. We will also have Texas wildflower mixes available – however you will have to save those bombs because they need to be planted in the fall.

Because the seed bombs are a rather quick craft, we will also have a secondary craft available - felt shamrocks! So please join us in celebrating the coming of spring this Monday at Adult Craft Night!