Taste of the Town Draws Hundreds, Raises Money to Fund Literacy Programs

The second annual fund-raiser sold out weeks ahead of the event and is on track to meet or exceed last year's numbers.

The annual Taste of the Town fund-raiser has its organizers thinking after a second successful outing. "We have got enough of a demand to think about how to accommodate more people," Jeff Smith, board president of the Foundation for Baltimore County Public Libraries, said following last weekend's event. The event again sold out weeks ahead of schedule, cramming the Perry Hall Library with more than 300 attendees. >>> Be sure to keep up with all Perry Hall news by following Patch on Facebook and Twitter. Don't be left out of the loop. Sign up for the daily newsletter here to also receive breaking news alerts. Although official numbers won't be in until later this week, the event is on track to meet or possibly exceed 2012's $120,000-take …

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Happy 5th Birthday, Storyville

Storyville at the Rosedale Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library has been an amazing success since its opening in 2007.

Last week, elected officials, library supporters, and families and children from throughout our area gathered at the Rosedale Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL) to recognize an important milestone.  Storyville, an interactive early literacy learning center located within this library, celebrated its fifth birthday. For those who might not have already visited this wonderful resource, Storyville @ Rosedale is a free, museum-like service that encourages children and caregivers in the County and beyond to explore the interactive exhibits featured in a unique townscape.  The townscape features a variety of seven innovative activity areas that include: This internationally-recognized concept was fully funded by the Foundation …

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Foresight Means Better Libraries in Baltimore County

Since 2000, the leadership of Baltimore County has rightly recognized the importance of libraries through a series of important investments.

I had the opportunity to tour the new Owings Mills Library Branch last week, in my role as a member of the Baltimore County Board of Library Trustees.  This 54,000 square foot facility—which can house upwards of nearly 150,000 items—will be the 19th branch of the Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL).  The library opened to the public last Thursday, and a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled to take place this week. The Owings Mills branch, at over 54,000 square feet, will be the largest and most most technologically advanced location in the system.  The branch is situated within the larger "County Campus at Metro Center," a shared use facility with the Community College of Baltimore County.  Even more unique is the branch's close …

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Q&A: Perry Hall Library's New Branch Manager Talks Books, Movies & More

Cindy Kleback brings nearly a decades worth of experience and real passion to Perry Hall.

To Cindy Kleback, being a librarian is like falling into the “family business.” Her mother was a librarian. Her Godmother was a librarian. Even her Godmother’s sister was a librarian. “I very much grew up in the library,” she said. Perry Hall Library frequenters might have met Kleback, the new branch manager, in the weeks since Feb. 19—her official start date. She came from making the rounds at Enoch Pratt Library in the city where she spent nine-and-a-half years. “The are a lot of crazy things that go on there that you would expect being in the city—probably a lot of things that I’m not going to see here in Perry Hall and I’m really happy about that,” she said jokingly Thursday afternoon when speaking with Patch. She started working in …

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OPINION: Telling the Tale of Perry Hall's Past and Present

The recently published illustrated history of Perry Hall Mansion helps to preserve and promote important recollections from our community's past.

For much of my life, I have had a close association with libraries and with books. Ever since I worked at the McKeldin Library periodicals desk—during my time as an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park—I have had an evolving relationship with libraries. Most recently, I have been actively engaged as a volunteer in a variety of ways for the Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL). Never in all of my time strolling through the stacks of our local Perry Hall branch did I think that, one day, I would see my name on the spine of a book housed on those very shelves. As it happens, I recently had the unique experience to co-author a local history book with a good friend of mine. This volume, which hit the streets as of…

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County Library Releases New Magazine Service for Electronic Devices

The service works with Macs, PCs, Androids, iPhones, iPads and other tablet devices, but not Kindle or Nook.

Baltimore County Public Library debuted a new free service in late December that offers instant access to more than 100 magazine titles on electronic devices. Interested patrons can sign up for Zinio through the library's website, according to a news release. The service is available 24 hours a day, and includes a range of selections such as National Geographic, Cosmopolitan and Rolling Stone. The magazines are accessible to an unlimited number of people, which means no wait time. "Unlike the physical copies you find in our branches, every BCPL customer who wants to look at these magazines can do it at the same time whenever they want," Jamie Watson, the library's collection development coordinator, said in the release. Zinio is compatible…

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The Spirit of Community

OPINION: Perry Hall Family's Generosity Enriches Our Libraries

A local family's contribution to help support our public libraries can serve as a model to us all.

Last week, I was honored to attend a special ceremony held at the Towson Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL). Ron and Patricia Fisher -- who were long-time residents of Perry Hall -- joined members of the Foundation for BCPL to announce a gift of over $11,300 from the Allison E. Fisher Memorial Fund.  The Foundation will add the gift to its endowment fund to support children’s literacy efforts, which was established in 2011.  This generous gift from the Fisher family will also launch the Margaret Peterson Giving Circle, which consists of those who include the Foundation for BCPL in their estate plans or make a gift of $10,000 or more to the Foundation’s endowment fund. It is named after Margaret Peterson, a former BCPL …

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The Spirit of Community

OPINION: Darcy's Legacy of Library Leadership

Darcy Cahill, departing Baltimore County Public Library Branch Manager at Perry Hall, was a real asset to our community.

I can still vividly remember the first time that I met Darcy Cahill, outgoing branch manager for the Baltimore County Public Library's (BCPL) location in Perry Hall. It was during January of 2009, near the end of the construction for the new Perry Hall Branch, located on Honeygo Boulevard. In my role as a member of the Board of Library Trustees, I jumped at the chance to get a sneak peak of our new library.  For what would certainly not be the last time, no sooner than I had walked in the front doors, Darcy Cahill was there to greet me.  Her enthusiasm and obvious love for the library system generally—and the new Perry Hall Branch in particular—were infectious. She escorted me around the branch, where construction workers were just …

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The Spirit of Community

OPINION: End Library Censorship of 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

Local public libraries should uphold the principle of freedom of speech, even when a particular book might be generating controversy.

There has been a flurry of news stories regarding the availability—or in some cases the lack thereof—of the recently released book "Fifty Shades of Grey" and its two sequels, written by author E. L. James. Notably, some public libraries have chosen not to make these titles available for patrons, for fear of complaints regarding content. Here in Maryland, one local system, the Harford County Public Library, has chosen not to purchase "Fifty Shades" because, according to Jennifer Ralston, the library system's head of materials management, "the library does not purchase pornography, and we therefore did not purchase the book." There have been some isolated cases of this form of censorship occurring nationally, most notably in individual …

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