Experience the Joy of Audiobooks

People frequently say they don’t listen to audiobooks because they can’t focus on the story. That feeling is understandable. Listening can be difficult, especially if there are multiple events happening in your life. However, when you find the right book, listening is effortless and fun. Audiobooks make time go faster when you have a long commute or when doing tasks around the house. Here are some ideas to improve your experience.

1.Listen to a kid’s book.  Just because you are an adult doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a good adventure story written for children. It is usually easier to focus on a more uncomplicated plot.

2 Listen to a book that you have enjoyed in the past.  You won’t have to spend a lot of mental energy trying to figure out certain characters in the book because you are already familiar with them. Simply enjoy the story.

3. Spend the first chapter just listening – with no distractions. Sometimes, I have to start the book with nothing but listening – no multitasking just listening. Then after the first chapter, I am hopefully wrapped up in the story, and focusing on the narrator is easier.

4. Choose your books based on the narrator.  Some narrators are easier to listen to than others. One of my favorite audio performances was “To Kill a Mockingbird” with Sissy Spacek as the narrator. That was definitely a book that I couldn’t put down.

5. Try different genres. Sometimes you will enjoy a physical book in the thriller/suspense category, and find that perhaps when listening, you prefer romance or non-fiction.  Just experiment and discover what works for you.

There are over 24,000 audiobooks available for free on the Libby app. Download some today and experience the joy of reading. Contact the library if you need a card number

Libby App for Audio Books

Book Review

Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon

What an amazingly strong people our ancestors were who crossed the prairie and mountains on their way to Oregon and California. Hunger, disease, and death were common. Tempers flared and Indians threatened.

“Where the Lost Wander,” by Amy Harmon, is a historical romance that takes place in 1853 when the Mays and other families make up a wagon train on the way to California. The book draws you in immediately with a prologue of an Indian/pioneer skirmish in which many are killed. The author does a good job of capturing the emotions between the pioneers and Indians, allowing us to see the struggles from both points of view

Between the struggles and sorrow is the ongoing romance between Naomi May, widowed at age 20, and John Lowry, a half-Pawnee Indian. Their growing relationship is believable and inspiring, causing you to cheer and cry at the same time

I have frequently thought it would be fun to spend just one day in a covered wagon traveling across the prairie of Nebraska. However, after reading this book, I may have changed my mind. I probably would not have survived for one hour. The author did a wonderful job of describing all the hardships and emotions the people would have experienced. It is a book worthy of your time and available for check out at our library.

Oh The Scandal

Times have changed a little in the past hundred years.

In the November 23, 1922 issue of the Sargent Leader, the Comstock school was accused of sponsoring a party and dance after the football game, and the town of Sargent was quite upset about it. It turned out that the Comstock school only sponsored a party that ended at 9:00. The dance afterward was not supported by the school.

“We are of the opinion that had our football team had their mind upon winning the game at Comstock instead of what was to follow, we would not have been beaten 12-0 by a little town of some 400 population.

We appeal to the parents for cooperation to back us in our efforts to discourage such affairs that tend to demoralize our young people and detract them from the higher planes of refinement and good citizenship.”

You can go to the Sargent Leader Archives to read more articles from the past.

Sargent Leader 11/23/1922

The FCC says the majority of Nebraska is covered with reliable, fast cell phone coverage. We know that’s not the case.

“The Nebraska Farm Bureau was recently granted a waiver from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to challenge the legitimacy of coverage maps from various major cellular carriers in Nebraska.
Although phone carriers say nearly all of Nebraska is covered with reliable, fast cell phone coverage, we know that isn’t true. Help us get the cell phone coverage you deserve no matter where you are in Nebraska by running speed tests throughout the state.” – Nebraska Farm Bureau

Read this PDF for more information.

It’s Coming!

In less than a year, on Monday, August 21, 2017, at around 12:57 p.m., a total solar eclipse is coming to Sargent, Nebraska. It will be the first total eclipse of the sun on American soil since 1991, the first on the mainland since 1979 and the first to sweep the entire country since 1918. It will be a once in a lifetime experience. You can go to this link to see an interactive map to determine what areas the full eclipse will take place. If you live outside of this area, why not make plans to come to Sargent for the weekend and stay for the eclipse on Monday? Invite your friends and make it a big celebration. If you come to the Sargent Library, we will have viewing glasses available.

Accept the Challenge and Read Nebraska Books

Nebraska will celebrate its 150th birthday on March 1, 2017. The Nebraska literary community has chosen to use this time to highlight some of the best literature produced by authors in our state. Everyone is encouraged to read 42 books by various Nebraska authors. The chosen books highlight varied cultures, historical time periods and locations and include books of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, young adult and picture books.

Here is the reading challenge: Read all 42 books and you qualify for the Grand Prize.  Read 6 or 12 books and you qualify for the silver or gold prizes. You have until Feb 28, 2017 to enter. This contest is for all ages, so why not read some Nebraska books together as a family this summer? Entry forms are available at the Sargent Library, or follow this link for more information.  Nebraska 150 Reading Challenge

Nebraska 150 Books

Calling All Local Photographers

Hildegard Center for the Arts, in partnership with the Nebraska Tourism Commission and the Nebraska State Historical Society, is sponsoring a Photography Call for the great state of Nebraska!  The purpose is to highlight historic places and often over-looked historical treasures in all 93 counties. Let’s make sure that Custer County and the Sargent area are represented.

Click here for more information and to submit photos.

Hildegard Center

Nebraskans Have Free Access to 15 Databases

There are now 15 databases available online at Nebraska Access. These can be accessed for free with your Nebraska Drivers License number or with a password that you can obtain from your local library. With these databases you can create a family history, establish a small business, learn about medical conditions, get homework help, find a good book or movie, plan for retirement, or research thousands of other topics, This is a wonderful resource for dependable current information. 

MasterFileNoveList PlusMyHeritageConsumer Health CompleteLegal Information Reference CenterSmall Business Reference CenterBiography Reference BankBiography Reference CenterPsychology and Behavioral Sciences CollectionScience and Technology CollectionWorldCatFirstSearchPrimary SearchNoveList K-8 PlusFunk & Wagnalls New EncyclopediaPoints of View Reference CenterExploraPrimary Schools Explora

Stop Binge-Watching And Start Binge-Reading. I Read 300 Books Last Year And Am Smarter Because Of It

By Phil Edwards

“Over the past eight months, I’ve read more than 300 books on a wide range of subjects. It’s not because I’m intellectually pure–I was conducting research for a trivia site, Trivia Happy, and original research was the best way to avoid regurgitating the internet’s favorite facts. But a funny thing happened over the course of my bizarre experiment as I plunged into books about Liszt, Ben & Jerry’s, and everything in between. I realized that bingeing on books is a better way to read. . . Read more at the Huffington Post

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