The week's events
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Entries Sought For Libraries’ Photo Contest “We Are Fort Bend”
Entries Sought For Libraries’ Photo Contest “We Are Fort Bend”
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Mar 21, 2022
Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL), in conjunction with the Fort Bend County Diversity Over Division Initiative and the Fort Bend Photography Club, is seeking entries for its “We Are Fort Bend” Photography Contest. Amateur photographers of all skill levels are invited to enter original, photographs that portray the culture, nature, people, and places of Fort Bend County.To be eligible for competition, contestants must submit a digital copy of their photograph by April 18. Entries should be submitted through an online form on the FBCL website.
Prizes will be awarded for 1st-place ($200 gift card), 2nd-place ($150 gift card), and 3rd-place ($100 gift card). Winners will be announced in May. Photos will be displayed in the Roman Bohachevsky Gallery at George Memorial Library in Richmond, as well as on a virtual gallery on FBCL’s website, throughout the months of May and June.
Winning photographs will be determined by a panel of judges, who will make their determinations based on the following criteria: relationship to contest theme, composition, focus, lighting, emotional impact, and creativity. Photographs will be anonymous until after the judging is complete.
All entries must be original, unpublished, and the work of the person submitting it. Only one photo may be entered per person; once submitted, the entry is final. The photo can be in color or black-and-white and should be submitted as a high-resolution (1 MB or higher) .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .png, .eps, .tif, or .pdf.
Digital manipulations of the photos should be limited to: cropping, re-sizing, red-eye reduction, and reasonable adjustments to color and contrast.
FBCL reserves the right to print or display any entry to this contest for an indefinite period of time. Entries will be exhibited for the general public to see, so they should be appropriate for all ages to view.
The photographer is responsible for obtaining verbal or written release for public use of the photo from all identifiable individuals in the photograph submitted; the photographer accepts all liability from the use of a photo where this release has not been obtained.
The contest is open to amateur photographers only. Professional photographers, who earn a living by selling their photographs, are not eligible to participate.
There is no fee for entering the contest. For more information, call the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734) or email Programming@fortbend.lib.tx.us.
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Fort Bend County Libraries Launch New Online Book Club
Fort Bend County Libraries Launch New Online Book Club
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Mar 23, 2022Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) will launch a new online book club – FBCL Reads: An Online Book Club – on Wednesday, March 23, beginning at 10:00 am. The first book to be discussed is Daisy Jones & The Six, a novel written by Taylor Jenkins Reid.FBCL Reads book-club meetings will be live-streamed through Webex so that readers can participate virtually and interact with others in real time; the book club will meet online on a permanent basis.
“During the pandemic, many FBCL book clubs began meeting virtually so that readers could participate from home and maintain social distancing,” says FBCL Adult Programming Manager Christina Tam. “The online format became very popular for many people, who wanted to interact with other readers but preferred the convenience of meeting virtually.”
The library system’s book clubs that met in-person at the libraries in the past have resumed meeting at the libraries again, but the new FBCL Reads book club will remain online for readers who prefer the virtual format.
“Virtual book-club meetings have other benefits, too,” says Tam. “Online participants save time because they don’t have to travel to the meeting place, they’re able to participate from wherever they happen to be, and they can wear pajamas if they want. They can juggle responsibilities at home and work, but still be able to enjoy a good book with others.”
The book to be discussed for the first meeting – Daisy Jones & The Six -- is available in print, audio, and digitally as an e-book and e-audiobook through FBCL’s e-Library OverDrive collection. Additional print copies are available at George Memorial Library in Richmond.
In this riveting New York Times bestselling novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid captures the making of one of the biggest rock-and-roll bands of the ‘70s. Daisy Jones is a teen coming of age in the late 1960s on LA’s Sunset Strip. When Daisy teams up with Billy Dunne and The Six, their chemistry ignites. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.
Join in this inaugural meeting of the FBCL Reads Virtual Book Club and help launch the new club to a great start! The book club will meet monthly on the fourth Wednesday.
The book club is free and open to the public. Registration is required; a link to the Webex teleconference will be emailed to all who register. To register online at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Classes & Events,” select “Virtual Programs,” and find the program on the date indicated. Participants may also register by calling George Memorial Library at 281-342-4455.
Bob Lutts Fulshear/Simonton Branch Library Offers Weekly In-Person Children’s Programs In MarchBob Lutts Fulshear/Simonton Branch Library Offers Weekly In-Person Children’s Programs In March
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Mar 23, 2022Fort Bend County Libraries’ Bob Lutts Fulshear/Simonton Branch Library will present weekly, in-person Family Story Time at 10:30 am, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, starting March 8, in the Meeting Room of the library.During Family Story Time, families with children of all ages will enjoy stories, songs, and action rhymes. Craft packets will be given out at the end of each program, so that children may take them home to enjoy.
Each week has a different theme. The schedule for March is as follows:
- March 8 and 9 – Just Ducky!
- March 15 and 16 – St. Patrick’s Day
- March 22 and 23 – Hats & Shoes
- March 29 and 30 – Things That Go
“Dog Man Day” – Thursday, March 17, 3:00 to 4:00 pm, Meeting Room. This school-age program is for youth in grades 1 through 5. During this come-and-go program, kids can participate in several different “Dog Man” themed stations, including ones for crafts, drawing, and inventions. There will also be a trivia contest with a prize! Materials for this program are generously made possible by the Friends of the Bob Lutts Fulshear/Simonton Branch Library.
These programs are free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), or call the Bob Lutts Fulshear/Simonton Branch Library (281-633-4675) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
The Bob Lutts Fulshear/Simonton Branch Library is located at 8100 FM 359 South in Fulshear.
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Libraries’ Online Podcast Club Focuses On “Texas” In March
Libraries’ Online Podcast Club Focuses On “Texas” In March
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Mar 24, 2022The next meeting of the FBCL Online Podcast Club will take place on Thursday, March 24, beginning at 6:00 pm. In recognition of Texas History Month in March, the theme for the month is “Texas.” A link to the Webex meeting will be emailed to all who register.Similar to a book club, the Podcast Club provides an opportunity for podcast listeners to get together to discuss podcast selections from a themed podcast-listening list and share their opinions on trending topics. Each month features a different theme, along with a short list of podcast episodes.
A direct link to the podcasts can be found on Fort Bend County Libraries’ online calendar of Virtual events on the FBCL website. The playlist of podcasts from which to choose includes:
“Introduction & Busting Common Myths About Texas” – How to Be a Texan (33 minutes). Have you ever wondered whether all of the various myths that you hear about Texas and Texans are true? Delve into some of the more common myths, confirm some and debunk others.
“The Archive War – The Struggle Between Austin and Houston” – Texas Tales (28 minutes). The Archive War was the battle that decided ultimately if Houston or Austin would be the state capital. Hear about the two main power players (Sam Houston / Houston and Mirabeau Lamar / Austin) who worked relentlessly to secure the most important Texas documents and where they would ultimately reside.
“Why Can’t We Just Forget the Alamo?” – The Experiment (29 minutes). The epic, oft-told origin story of Texas centers on the Lone Star State’s most infamous battle -- the Battle of the Alamo -- where American heroes such as Davy Crockett fought to the death against the Mexican army to secure Texas’s independence. The only problem, according to writer and journalist Bryan Burrough, is that this founding legend isn’t all true. Burrough and two other Texan writers set out to debunk the myth of the Alamo, only to find themselves in an unexpected battle with Texans still trying to protect their state’s revered origin story.
“Lady Bird Johnson” – Shmanners (32 minutes). Learn about presidential First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson.
“The All-Women Texas Supreme Court” – Texas: Slang for Crazy (5 minutes). In 1925, three women sat on the highest court in Texas for a few very good reasons.
“The Texas Pledge of Allegiance” – Texas: Slang for Crazy (4 minutes). Each morning, students in Texas start their day with not just one, but two pledges.
“How Houston Became One of the Nation’s Most Diverse Cities,” Let’s Go Together (39 minutes). Annise Parker, former councilwoman, controller, and mayor of Houston, talks about the city she loves. She shares the story of how she became the first openly LGBTQIA person to be elected mayor of a major U.S. city, and why she thinks Houston became one of the most diverse cities in the nation.
“Could Texas Really Be the Future of America?” – Texas Matters (28 minutes). Getting a complete picture of the future of the Texas economy isn’t easy. Steven Pedigo gives his take in a recent essay in the New York Times titled "Texas is the Future of America." He is the founding executive director of the LBJ Urban Lab and a professor of practice at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
The FBCL Online Podcast Club is free and open to the public. Registration is required; a link to the Webex meeting will be emailed to all who register. To register online at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Classes & Events,” select “Virtual Programs,” and find the program. Participants may also register by calling FBCL’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
