Volunteer @ the Library

Do you need more community service hours? Check out the volunteer opportunities we have here at the Library.

Knit ‘N Sit
Join Mrs. Tymecki to make interesting crocheting projects. Beginner and experienced crocheters are welcome. Crochet, socialize and earn community service hours too! Knit ‘N Sit will meet on: Tuesdays, March 16th and April 6th & 20th from 4:30 – 5:30pm

Book Buddies
Teens and children become “buddies” by sharing books and a positive library experience. Children get a chance to practice their reading skills and/or be read to while teens gain volunteer experience, community service credit and a chance to make a difference in a child’s life. Sign up to be a Book Buddy at the Adult Reference Desk. Book Buddies will meet on: Mondays, March 15th & 22nd from 3:30-4:15pm

Craft Buddies
Thursdays, March 11th, 18th, April 15th, 29th and May 6th
Calling all crafters! Students in grades 6-12 can volunteer to help a child, Kindergarten through 2nd grade, with a variety of craft projects. Please sign-up in advance at the Adult Reference Desk.

Teen Advisory Group
Tuesday, April 27th 4:30-5:30pm
Get Involved @ Your Library! TAG meets once a month, and is made up of teens from North Bellmore. All patrons grades 6-12 are welcome to join. Join TAG and share your opinions about what you would like to see and do at NBL. Refreshments will be served. Please sign-up in advance at the Adult Reference Desk.

Tips To Help You Get Started Volunteering

Sometimes, the hardest part of volunteering can be finding an opportunity that fits your personality. Below are some great tips to help you get involved, and to make your volunteer experience a more enjoyable and rewarding one.

Research the causes or issues important to you. Look for a group that works with issues about which you feel strongly. There is no end to the creative avenues for volunteering, just as there is no end to the need for volunteers.

Consider the skills you have to offer. If you enjoy outdoor work, have a knack for teaching, or just enjoy interacting with people, you may want to look for volunteer work that would incorporate these aspects of your personality. This sort of position allows you to jump right into the work without having to take training to prepare for the assignment.
Would you like to learn something new? Perhaps you would like to learn a new skill or gain exposure to a new situation. Many nonprofits seek out people who are willing to learn. Realize beforehand, however, that such work might require a time commitment for training before the actual volunteer assignment begins.

Don't over-commit your schedule. Make sure the volunteer hours you want to give fit into your hectic life, so that you don't frustrate your family, exhaust yourself, shortchange the organization you're trying to help or neglect your job. Better to start out slowly than to commit yourself to a schedule you can't or don't want to fulfill.

Nonprofits may have questions, too. While most nonprofits are eager to find volunteer help, they have to be careful when accepting the services you offer. If you contact an organization with an offer to volunteer your time, you may be asked to come in for an interview, fill out a volunteer application, or describe your qualifications and your background. Consider volunteering as a family. Think about looking for a volunteer opportunity suitable for parents and children to do together, or for a husband and wife to take on as a team.

Virtual volunteering? If you have computer access and the necessary skills, some organizations now offer the opportunity to do volunteer work over the computer. This might take the form of giving free legal advice, typing a college term paper for a person with a disability, or simply keeping in contact with a shut-in who has e-mail.

I never thought of that! Many community groups are looking for volunteers, and some may not have occurred to you. Here are some volunteer opportunities that may not have crossed your mind:
- Museums, Art Galleries, and Monuments
- Prisons, Neighborhood Parks, Youth Organizations, Sports Teams, and after-school programs, Shelters for Battered Women and Children
- Historical Restorations, Battlefields and National Parks
- 1-800-Volunteer.org, a service of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, provides listings of local and virtual volunteering as well as contact information for Volunteer Centers across the nation.

Give voice to your heart through your giving and volunteering! Bring your heart and your sense of humor to your volunteer service, along with your enthusiastic spirit, which in itself is a priceless gift. What you'll get back will be immeasurable!

All tips are courtesy of ABC's national partner the Points of Light Network & Volunteer Center National Network.

FEBRUARY PROGRAMS

Babysitting Workshop
Tuesday, February 2nd from 6:00 – 8:00pm
Registered nurses Joanne Tanck and Georgette Basso return to present a two-hour basic first aid course and an introduction to babysitting skills. Learn the basics of caring for infants and small children along with first aid techniques. Bring a Cabbage Patch or similarly-sized doll or stuffed animal. All participants will receive a Certificate. Please sign up in advance at the Adult Reference Desk. This is a FREE program open to those in grades 6 – 12.

Book Buddies
Teens and children become “buddies” by sharing books and a positive library experience. Children get a chance to practice their reading skills and/or be read to while teens gain volunteer experience, community service credit and a chance to make a difference in a child’s life. Sign up to be a Book Buddy at the Adult Reference Desk. Little Buddies ages 4 - 8 can sign-up at the Children’s Desk. Book Buddies will meet on:
Mondays, February 22nd, March 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd from 3:30-4:15pm

Teen Meditation
Tuesday, February 16th 7:30 – 9:00pm
Feel like you’re not able to always get it together? Sometimes you just want to just yell or hide your head, especially when you have to prepare for an exam or put together a difficult homework assignment? This great 1 ½ hour class on meditation will give you the skills to improve your ability to focus and feel an inner sense of calm. Be in charge of your emotions, instead of the other way around. Join Irene Karp, RN, MS, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Hypnotist and have some fun! Sign up in advance at the Adult Reference Desk. This is a FREE program open to those in grades 6 – 12.

SAT Prep Course
Learn tricks and techniques for taking the SATs. Enhance your math and verbal skills while learning test taking strategies that can help you get a higher score. This 6-week course will be held from 6:45-8:45 on the following Thursday evenings: March 4th, 11th, 18th and April 1st, 15th and 22nd
Sign up at the Adult Reference Desk. The fee is $80.00 per student. Checks only. Please make checks payable to Melissa Bielawski. No refunds. Students must purchase the following book for the class: McGraw-Hill’s SAT I, 2010 Edition (ISBN 978-0071625463) Sign-Up for the SAT Prep Course Begins February 1st.

Chess Club
Children (3rd-6th Grade) 7:00-7:55pmYA & Adults (7th-Adult) 8:00-8:55pm Our chess club will meet on the following Tuesdays: January 5th and 19th, and February 2nd and 16th. New players welcome! Register on any night the club meets. We will be having a Chess Tournament this March - stay tuned for details.

Knit ‘N Sit
Join Mrs. Tymecki to make interesting crocheting projects. Beginner and experienced crocheters are welcome. Crochet, socialize and earn community service hours too! Knit ‘N Sit will meet Tuesdays, February 2nd and 16th from 4:30 – 5:30pm.

Welcome Back Students!

We are here to help with any school projects or research papers. Visit us at our home page www.northbellmorelibrary.org for access to many kinds of databases with valuable information and support for your schoolwork, available in the library and from your home computer. Students who have not yet read the required summer reading book, can still come in to find the books in the Young Adult section. If the book is not on the shelves, a Librarian can request that a copy be brought into the library.

CHESS CLUB
Children (3rd-6th Grade) 7:00-7:55pm
YA & Adults (7th-Adult) 8:00-8:55pm
Our chess club will meet on the following Tuesdays: September 15th and 29th and October 13th and 27th. New players welcome! Register on any night the club meets.

MANGA CLUB
Friday, September 11th 3:30 – 5pm
Join us after school to read and discuss manga. We will chat about storylines, characters and artwork, and work together to add more manga to the YA collection! No registration necessary. New members welcome!

BEACH BAG BOOK CLUB
September 24th and October 1st 4:15-5:15pm
We've had so much fun with our book club this summer-we've extended it into the fall! Join our favorite teen author, Jen Calonita, for a cozy gathering at the Merrick Library Wing to discuss exciting books with famous authors. Enjoy a snack, receive prizes, and big surprises guaranteed! Our September book will be, So Punk Rock (and other ways to disappoint your mother) by Micol Ostow and in October we’ll read Slept Away by Julie Kraut. Extra copies of the books are available at the Adult Reference Desk.

TWILIGHT AND THE SCIENCE OF SMELLS
Tuesday. September 22nd 7-8pm
Attention all Twilight fans!!! Want to smell like Bella, Edward or Jacob? In this class we will make beautiful scented sachets that will have you smelling like your favorite Twilight character. We will design and create stunning amulets to hold your perfume sachet. Learn the science of smell and discover how one molecule can change an aroma. You will take home your own amulet so you can smell like a vampire, werewolf, or even human wherever you go!

S.A.T PREP CLASS
This is a six-week math and verbal course to help high school sophomores and juniors prepare for the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Classes will be held Thursdays: September 10th, 17th and October 1st, 8th, 15th and 29th from 6:45-8:45 p.m. An $80 check, payable to Melissa Bielawski, is required at registration. Students must purchase McGraw Hill’s SAT I, 2010 edition, by Christopher Black & Mark Anestis. (ISBN is 9780071625463). Please be sure to bring the book and a calculator to each class.

JOIN THE BANNED AND READ A BANNED BOOK!
Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event that reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. Come see our display of banned books and check one out!

COMING IN OCTOBER…

BOOK BUDDIES – Are you a teen who likes reading to young children? If so, sign up to become a Book Buddy Volunteer at the Adult Reference Desk. Book Buddies will meet Mondays, October 19th, 26th, November 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd from 3:15 – 4:00 pm.

KNIT ‘N SIT – We're back!! Join Mrs. Tymecki to make interesting knitting/crocheting projects. Beginner and experienced knitters/crocheters are welcome. Knit, socialize and earn community service hours too! Knit ‘N Sit will meet Tuesdays, October 13th, 27th and November 10th, 24th and December 8th and 22nd from 4:30 – 5:30p.m.

IT’S NOT TOO EARLY TO START THINKING ABOUT COLLEGE…

YOUR UNCOMMON APPLICATION
Tuesday, October 6th, 7 - 8:30pm
This interactive workshop will give students the concrete tools they need to write a compelling, persuasive, enlightening college admissions essay that reflects their unique qualities. They will replace anxiety with confidence as they learn to approach the application holistically, understanding that the essay, supplemental essay, and short answers present an amazing opportunity to impress, express, inform, and delight. Register in advance at the Adult Reference Desk - space is limited!

HOW TO BEAT THE HIGH COST OF COLLEGE
Tuesday, October 20th from 7:00 -8:30 p.m.
Barry Fox, a college financial aid expert, will explain the college financial aid process. Find out how to get your share of the billions of dollars in grants and loans that are available for student financial aid. Learn to accurately fill out the federal and state financial aid forms. Participants will be shown step-by-step strategies for filling out the government forms, planning a student needs analysis and how to negotiate with college financial aid offices. Also discussed will be divorced and separated parental situations, independent students and the best free web sites for scholarship search. Registration is not required and all are welcome to attend.

Young Adult Programs are open to all North Bellmore patrons entering grades 6 – 12. You must register in advance for all programs at the Adult Reference Desk. If you need any special accommodations to attend, please contact Mrs. Tymecki at jtymecki@northbellmorelibrary.org or 785-6260 ext. 312.

2009 SUMMER READING CLUB
EXPRESS YOURSELF @ THE NORTH BELLMORE PUBLIC LIBRARY

WINGSPAN YOGA FOR TEENS
Mondays, July 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th
5:30—6:30pm
Yoga builds and improves strength, flexibility, and self-confidence. We will concentrate on breathing techniques to develop mental focus and awareness, as well as engage in short meditation exercises for a calm mind.

CAKE DECORATING FOR BEGINNERS
Tuesday, July 7th 7:30—9pm
Join Mr. Shipley from The Cake Gallery Bakery and learn how to create unique cake decorating designs. Every participant goes home with a cake decorating kit. A $5 materials fee will be collected at registration.

CHESS CLUB
Children (3rd-6th Grades) 7:00-7:55PM
YA & Adults (7th-Adult) 8:00-8:55PM
Our chess club will meet this summer on Wednesdays, July 8th, 15th, 22nd
and 29th, August 5th, 12th. New players welcome! Register on any night the club meets.

BEACH BAG BOOK CLUB
Thursday, June 18th, Tuesday, July 7th and August 17th, 4:15p.m.
This summer our favorite teen author, Jen Calonita, invites you and your friends to join our super exciting and fun Beach Bag Book Club. Grab a beach bag, which is available at the Reference Desk for all BBB Club members, relax by the pool or at the
beach with a book, and come for a cozy gathering at the Merrick Library Wing to
discuss exciting summer reads with famous authors. Enjoy a snack, receive prizes, and big surprises guaranteed! Our June book will be, Sleepaway Girls, by Jen
Calonita, followed by our July book, Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard and in August we’ll read Stargazer by Claudia Gray.

TEEN ACTORS WORKSHOP
Thursdays, July 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th, 7 - 8:30pm
Join us for a fun workshop where theatre games and various techniques of performance will be used to teach you how to express yourself. Using your own experiences, the group will learn to cultivate a scene together. There will be a performance on the last day of class.

GLAM NAILS
Tuesday, July 21st 7-8:30pm
Make your nails look fabulous with help from Miss Kathy, a licensed nail technician. Learn how to manicure, decorate and take care of your nails. Every participant goes home with their own nail care kit. A $5 materials fee will be collected at registration.

TIE-DYIN TEENS
Wednesday, July 22nd 7 – 8:30pm
Come and create your own tie-dyed t-shirts! Make it today, wear it tomorrow! It's fast, fun and it's your own original design, as original as you. Bring a washed, 50/50 cotton-polyester blend T-shirt and we'll help you tie-dye it with funky patterns and vibrant colors! Make sure you wear old clothes-this could get messy. A $2 materials fee will be collected at registration.

MAKING A MUSIC VIDEO
Tuesday, July 28th 7 - 8:30pm
Have you ever wondered how all those MTV music videos are made? Join us at the library for a hands-on class and learn how the music producers do it. We will take pics, graphics and music and create a music video.

JAPANESE ANIME AND MANGA DRAWING WORKSHOP
Tuesday, August 4th 5 – 6:30pm
Join artist Elizabeth Misitano and learn the techniques for drawing anime/manga art. Learn about how to properly draw a face, proportions, shading, and more. She will also help with any problems you may have. Drawing materials will be provided.

WOK ‘N ROLL
Friday, August 7th 3 – 4pm
Explore the flavors of Asian cuisine as we cook a classic stir fry. Use rice papers to make vegetable spring rolls. Try your hand at chopsticks. Then enjoy eating what we’ve cooked!

FAUX DICHROIC GLASS PENDANT NECKLACES
Thursday, August 13th 7-9pm
Angela DePalma is back to help us create a beautiful faux dichroic glass pendant necklace.

Make it for yourself or give it as a gift.

PEDICURE PARTY
Tuesday, August 18th 7-8:30p.m.
It’s summertime, and that means one thing-flip-flops and sandals! Get ready to show
off your toes! Learn how to pedicure and decorate your toes. Everyone will receive
their very own pedicure kit to keep. A $7.00 materials fee will be
collected at registration.