Calling all Anime/Manga fans!

Can't get enough anime? Mad for manga? Want to meet other teens who share your obsession? Many HCPLC libraries now have anime and manga clubs where you can do just that. Club members watch new anime, talk about their favorite manga series, share their artwork, and more.

Upcoming Anime Club Meetings:

**TODAY!** Brandon Regional Library - Thursday, March 11 & April 8 at 5:00 PM

**TODAY!** Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library - Thursday, March 11 & April 8 at 5:30 PM

Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library - Wednesdays at 4:30 PM

Temple Terrace Public Library - Thursday, March 18 at 6:00 PM

78th Street Community Library - Wednesday, March 31 at 3:00 PM

The 2010 Census count pays off in a big way for Hillsborough County students!

Win a $300 savings bond by participating in the Hillsborough County 2010 Census Essay Contest. The deadline for students to submit their essays is March 19.

 

A winner will be chosen from each of the following grade categories: Grades 3 - 5; Grades 6 - 8; Grades 9 - 12.

 

Students must follow the rules that apply for each of the grade categories, detailed below.

 

Grades 6 - 8
Theme - About the Census: What's It Like? It only takes 10 minutes to answer 10 questions!

• Must be 150 - 200 words
• Must be handwritten or typed, double-spaced and legible
• Must include student's name, age, grade, school and essay title
• Students must correctly use all of the following words at least once in their essays: CENSUS, DEMOGRAPHICS, HOUSEHOLD, PARTICIPATION, PRIVACY and RELUCTANT

Grades 9 - 12
Theme - About the Census: Numbers Tell A Story! Census numbers are the foundation of our democracy!

• Must be 250 - 300 words
• Must be typed and double-spaced
• Must include student's name, age, grade, school and essay title
• Students must correctly use all of the following words at least once in their essays: CENSUS, APPORTIONMENT, CONFIDENTIALITY, PROJECTIONS, REDISTRICTING and UNDERCOUNT

Essay winners will receive a $300 savings bond sponsored by Florida West Coast Credit Union, recognition plaque during an awards ceremony on April 1 and a Census T-shirt. Winners will be notified by March 25, 2010.

 

For more information about these contests, view the fliers found at www.hillsboroughcounty.org/census

 

 

 

Happy Teen Tech Week!

Get connected with HCPLC during Teen Tech Week, March 7-13!

Sure, the library has all of your favorite books and movies. But did you know that we offer...

... tutoring over IM, using the Live Homework Help service?

... downloadable audio books for your iPod?

... Wii and PS2 gaming (on a big screen, of course!) at our Game Zone programs?

... online SAT, ACT, and FCAT practice on the Learning Express database?

The best part? All of this stuff is free!

Explore hcplc.org to see what library technology can do for you, and click here to check out tech programs, gaming tournaments, and other teen events at your local library.

The judges have spoken!

The winners of the Teenz Ink short story contest were announced!

The competition challenged Hillsborough County teens in grades 6-12 to write an original short story of 500-1000 words.  A panel of judges read each submission before they deliberated and selected the top stories for this year.  The winners each received a $100 gift card; and the runners-up received a $50 gift card.


First Place - High School
"The Enfoscol" by Nolan Powell

Second Place - High School
"For the Trouble of it All" by Grant Peeler

First Place - Middle School
"It Was Because of the Book" by Sara Hetherington

Second Place - Middle School
"Crash Landing" by Nicholas Searle

And you can read these winning stories here!

Special thanks to the Friends of the Bloomingdale Regional Library for sponsoring this countywide competition!

Wrestlemania Reading Challenge local winners!

Check out the 3 lucky local winners of the 2009-2010 Wrestlemania Reading Challenge bookmark contest!  Not only did they win some cool WWE swag, they will represent the Tampa-Hillsborough County Libraries at the regional level contest... where the winners get a trip for 2 to Wrestlemania 26!

5th & 6th Grade winner:

Luis V., 6th grade

7th & 8th Grade winner:
Cristian T., 8th grade

9th -12th Grade winner:
Lae'Sette R., 9th grade

Congrats, guys!  Enjoy your prizes!  And good luck in the regional bookmark competition!

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

I love it when I can see a book. I like to sit back and see all the things they've changed inorder to make it fit in a two hour time frame.

If you haven't read the Lightning thief maybe this will get ya started...

"It's the 21st century, but the gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters have walked out of the pages of high school student Percy Jackson's Greek mythology texts and into his life. And they're not happy: Zeus' lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Even more troubling is the sudden disappearance of Percy's mother. As Percy finds himself caught between angry and battling gods, he and his friends embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true lightning thief, save Percy's mom, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves." Written by 20th Century Fox

See the Trailer >> Read the Book

Need Some Money for College?

College Goal Sunday

January 31st

2pm - 5pm

SouthShore Regional Library

Applying for college financial aid means filling out complicated applications. Attend College Goal Sunday for free assistance completing your financial aid application and start off on the right track toward paying for college! We will raffle 2 - $525 scholarships at this event. You only need to fill out the FASFA to qualify. This is a great way for high school seniors to get a start on paying for college.