Once again, Frederick County Public Libraries, in conjunction with the Frederick Speaker Series, is excited to offer an amazing opportunity for a limited number of guests to attend private gatherings with the featured speakers. These exclusive receptions, held at the Weinberg after each event, give attendees a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet and engage with luminaries such as Daniel Pink, Marlee Matlin and Henry Winkler, Bryan Stevenson, and Georgie Takei.

Proceeds from the sale of reception tickets will support children's library programs. Tickets for each reception are $75 and only 100 tickets will be sold for each event. We expect reception tickets to sell out, so get yours early!

For details about the Frederick Speaker Series, visit FrederickSpeakerSeries.org.

All lectures will begin at 7:30pm and will be followed by private ticketed receptions.

• Daniel Pink, Leading business mastermind - Thursday, February 11th
• Marlee Matlin & Henry Winkler, Actors and advocates for diversity awareness - Thursday, March 10th
• Bryan Stevenson, Attorney and human rights activist - Thursday, April 14th
• George Takei, Actor and social media mega-power - Thursday, May 2nd

Please note that admission to the Frederick Speaker Series lectures requires a ticket or series subscription. For more details, please visit FrederickSpeakerSeries.org.

 

The Frederick Speaker Series is sponsored by: The Ausherman Family Foundation, The C. Burr Artz Trust, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick County Bank, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., PNC Bank, The Kiplinger Foundation, Graphcom, Inc., Frederick Magazine, The Frederick News-Post, Frederick County Public Libraries, and The Weinberg Center for the Arts.  

FCPL's newest business eBook, Business Plans Handbook, is good news for entrepreneurs who plan on starting a new business and are ready to work on a business plan.

The Business Plans Handbook is a series containing multiple volumes dedicated to helping entrepreneurs create business plans for the manufacturing, retail, and service industries. Each volume contains actual business plans for specific businesses. Examples include an internet business cafe, food truck, general contractor, children's party planning, and printing businesses. This is a great way to view plans that are specific to the type of business you may want to start.

Each issue also contains a business plan template, a list of associations, small business development centers by state, and venture capital and financing companies in the US.

The Business Plans Handbook is available to anyone with an FCPL library card. To find this new eBook visit our website and hover over or click on "Resource Guides" in the top navigation menu. Click on "Business" and then scroll down to Business Reference eBooks (currently the second link in the Premium Websites - Databases section). Enter your library card number when prompted and you can view any or all of the volumes. The Business Plans Handbook is always available, with nothing to check-out or download and no overdue fees. It's always available from any computer or mobile device with an internet connection.

Submitted by Terri Klco
C. Burr Artz Public Library

Thanks to our ongoing partnership with The Delaplaine Visual Arts and Education Center, library patrons in Brunswick, Thurmont, and Urbana can enjoy exhibits by local and regional artists.
 
Brunswick Branch Library (December - February)
Pamela Herrick, Paintings

Thurmont Regional Library (December - February)
Alice Power, Watercolors

Urbana Regional Library (December - February)
Howard Clark, Archival Photographic Prints

For more information visit fcpl.org and delaplaine.org.

What is the flu? The flu is caused by viruses that infect your nose, throat, and lungs. It's easily spread from person to person and can cause serious infections like pneumonia and make some other health problems like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease worse. Hospitalizations rise during flu season, which typically runs from October to May. It's important to get the flu shot or nasal spray as early as possible because it takes two weeks to be effective, but it's never too late in the season to gain some protection.

Influenza or the flu, which it's commonly called, can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu vaccine is formulated from different strains of the predicted "bug" for this year, so you can't depend on last year's shot to be effective this year. This year's vaccine is designed to protect against two A viruses--H1N1 and H3N2--and a B virus. Also, just because you've never had the flu before and are relatively healthy, doesn't mean that you can't catch the flu and spread it to others. Over a period of 31 seasons between 1976 and 2007, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the U.S. range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of approximately 49,000 people. Those 65 and older may be more at risk. Between 80% and 90% of flu related deaths occurred in people 65 years and older. Productivity at work is also affected when flu stricken workers are absent.

How can you try and prevent the flu?Who is at higher risk for complications from the flu? Children aged 6 months to 5 years, pregnant women, adults 65 and older, people with chronic health conditions, health care workers, people who live in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and those who care for or come in contact with children less than 6 months of age who are too young to be vaccinated.

What are symptoms of the flu? Symptoms can include headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, chills, and a fever higher than 100 degrees, but not everyone with the flu experiences a fever. Symptoms may be similar to a cold, but worse. There are antiviral drugs available to decrease the severity and duration of the flu, but they are most effective within 48 hours of the onset of flu symptoms.

Can you get the flu from the flu shot? No, the shot is made from killed flu viruses. You may get a sore arm where the shot was given. The spray contains weakened flu viruses and can't cause the flu.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans must cover the seasonal flu vaccine, so you may be able to get the vaccine at no cost. An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to reduce the chances that you will get seasonal flu and spread it to others. For additional information visit www.flu.gov or the Health & Medicine Resource Guide at fcpl.org.

Submitted by Georgie Van Brocklin
C. Burr Artz Public Library

Find your next great read, stretch your imagination, and shape our interactive display: The Wonder Wall at the C. Burr Artz Public Library.

Don't miss your chance to participate in these upcoming Wonder Wall themes:

December - "Judge a Book by Its Cover -- Or Not"
Don't miss the awesome stories contained within the craziest, most jaw-dropping, and gorgeous covers we could find in our collection. Plus: how open-minded are you? Take home a book with a secret identity.

January - "Best of 2015"
Don't say goodbye to 2015 until you've curled up with the best titles of the year, including award-winners and FCPL reader favorites.

Contribute on the go through social media by posting to our Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram @FredCoLibrary using the hashtag #WonderWall.

Submitted by The Wonder Wall Team
C. Burr Artz Public Library

Emily is one of FCPL's newest Library Associates and works in the Urbana Regional Library's Adult Reference Department.

I love to read... fantasy that features a heroine or group of heroines! My love (and high standards) for this genre come from Tamora Pierce's Tortall and Circle of Magic books, and more recently Rachel Hartman's Seraphina books.

My favorite library memory is... when I was 16, getting my license and finally driving to "The Big Library" downtown for the first time (without getting lost)!

I am passionate about... boosting underrepresented voices in literature, especially when it comes to young adults and their self-confidence.

I'm really good at... baking chocolate chip cookies. After months of experimentation, I have worked out an all-star recipe!

I'm happiest when... I'm chilling with my black lab, whom we named Persephone but mostly call Persey.

My favorite book is... in a pair: Howl's Moving Castle and Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne-Jones, both works of fantasy that connect magic and the imagination and deal a lot with breaking curses in creative ways.

My favorite music is... pretty much evolving from the weird hipster stuff of college days to modern instrumental music and Studio Ghibli soundtracks that get the daydreams flowing.

The movie I never get tired of watching is... You've Got Mail. It's so memorized that I'll have it on while I clean house or paint the walls. Every line is a masterpiece of wisdom: "You are marching into the unknown, armed with...nothing. Have a sandwich."

My nickname is... Most people don't use a nickname, but I am secretly very pleased when someone calls me Em.

I'm currently fascinated by... growing things. This year I started with houseplants and succulents, and I'm always interested in exchanging clippings with anyone else with a green thumb.

Submitted by Emily Coyle
C. Burr Artz Public Library