The workshop cost is $250 per week for Hawaii residents and $150 per week current University of the Nations staff. These fees include weekday lunches, but not housing. For questions or more information, email konawritersworkshops@gmail.com Register online at uofnkona.edu under the Training/Seminars section. Students may take one, two or all three weeks; they are not dependent on each other.
Library system unveils new portal today
The Hawaii State Public Library System unveils a new, dynamic portal through its website, librarieshawaii.org, today. The SirsiDynix Enterprise portal will provide patrons with a powerful search engine that simultaneously explores state public library holdings, OverDrive ebook and digital audio books and music holdings, newspaper index entries and subscription online databases.
The new portal showcases several technological enhancements that patrons will enjoy. Enterprise incorporates “fuzzy logic,” a feature that corrects errors such as misspellings and typos, and yields search results every time. Additionally, the Enterprise portal is mobile-friendly, adjusting to allow the website to be viewed and used by mobile browsers.
To satisfy library patrons who are engaged in social media, the new portal offers ChiliFresh, a global patron interaction platform that will facilitate peer book reviews, creation of book clubs by staff and patrons, and provide a vehicle for interaction between book club participants.
The website is organized into six sections:
— Books, Articles and Media — books, CDs and DVDs, online databases, Hawaii newspaper index, ebooks, digital audio and music, and newspapers and magazines (serials holdings list)
— Library Programs and Events — children’s story times, holiday programs and other programs in libraries statewide
— Locations — library branches, hours of operation, Hawaii State Library Sections and bookmobiles
— Services — borrowing, returning or renewing library materials, reserving library materials, email notification, Internet computers, meeting rooms, passport applications, wireless access, enhanced services and bookmobiles
— Ask A Librarian — Reference Services, Ask-A-Librarian by email, FAQs
— About HSPLS — library cards/PIN codes, fines and fees, administrative rules, HSPLS house rules and general policies, HSPLS newsletter (Holo I Mua), employment opportunities, state librarian, HSPLS reports, LSTA, Friends of the Library of Hawaii, Board of Education and how to …
Funding for these electronic services is provided by the Federal Library Services and Technology Act, which is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Afternoon at Hulihee scheduled for Sunday
The Daughters of Hawaii and Calabash Cousins present Afternoon at Hulihee on Sunda. The 4 p.m. event on the grounds of Hulihee Palace remembers the late Princess Ruth Keelikolani.
The event presents the Merrie Monarchs and Hawaiian performing arts by kumu hula Etua Lopes and his Halau Na Pua Ui O Hawaii. Those attending should bring a beach mat or chair since seating won’t be provided.
Princess Ruth (1826-1883) was the half-sister of King Kamehameha IV and V. She inherited Hulihee after the death of her husband, William Pitt Leleiohoku, the adopted son of John Adams Kuakini. Kuakini built the palace in 1838 after erecting Mokuaikaua Church, which sits directly across from the palace on Alii Drive.
Hulihee Palace is open for self-guided tours. Museum and gift shop hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Palace admission, which at this time includes a self-guided tour brochure, is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and $1 for keiki younger than 18. Volunteer docents are sometimes available to give guided tours. For details, contact the palace at 329-1877, the palace office at 329-9555 or visit daughtersofhawaii.org. The gift shop can be reached by phoning 329-6558.
Fruit growers meeting Monday
The West Hawaii chapter of Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the University of Hawaii Experiment Station in Kainaliu across from Aloha Theatre. Nonmembers are welcome to attend.
Craig Elevitch will discuss agroforestry and two recently published books, “The World of Bananas” and “Specialty Crops for Pacific Islands.” Brian Lievens and Ken Love will discuss intercropping and greater diversity with tropical fruit.
For more information, contact Lievens at 895-8753 or greenwizard@hawaii.rr.com or Love at 323-2417 or kenlove@hawaiiantel.net.
Swing music coming to Kailua-Kona library
Casablanca will present a swing music program from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Kailua-Kona Public Library. The group features Sue Garrod (trombone), Steve Reynolds (acoustic guitar and vocals), Scott Jeffrey (acoustic bass) and Eric Jaeger (percussion). Casablanca will play the melodies of Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and others.
Sponsored by Friends of the Libraries, Kona, this program is offered free to the public.
For more information, call 329-1705.
Christian Writers’ Workshops slated
From inspiring fiction to navigating the Internet to fast-paced magazine articles, the Christian Writers’ Workshops at The Regency at Hualalai in Kailua-Kona aims to help aspiring writers climb their way to success in the media jungle.
— Fundamentals of Fiction (Feb. 27 to March 2): Bestselling authors Brock and Bodie Thoene open this year’s workshops with a week on writing fiction and the creative process. The husband-wife team, winners of eight Gold Medallion Awards from the Christian Booksellers Association, have written 65 works of historical fiction. They began teaching at the Kona workshops in 2002.
— Making social media work for you (March 5 to 9): Thomas Umstattd Jr. of Austin, Texas, focuses on how to create effective websites; how to build a good ranking on Google; how to create a Facebook fan page that attracts thousands of fans; and how to use other Internet marketing techniques to promote an author’s writing.
— Magazine and nonfiction writing (March 12 to 16): Scott and Sandi Tompkins bring decades of newspaper, magazine and book-editing experience to their teaching week. For 18 years, Sandi Tompkins led the weekly Writers’ Group at University of the Nations in Kona. Together they have mentored hundreds of writers. Their workshop teaches how to develop story ideas, interviewing techniques, crafting a good story and how to edit and market your work.
All three weeks are intense and highly interactive. Participants should come prepared to work hard with writing assignments most nights. Classes run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a mid-morning break and lunch at The Regency’s dining room. Students will have opportunity to have lunch with guest speakers daily. Small critique groups will meet twice during each week. The murals room will have power strips for laptops.
The workshop cost is $250 per week for Hawaii residents and $150 per week current University of the Nations staff. These fees include weekday lunches, but not housing. For questions or more information, email konawritersworkshops@gmail.com Register online at uofnkona.edu under the Training/Seminars section. Students may take one, two or all three weeks; they are not dependent on each other.