Today is National Columnist's Day, which celebrates newspaper columnists who bring us joy all year long. Sponsors encourage us to send our favorite columnists, local or nationally syndicated, our wishes for a Happy Columnist's Day and to let them know how much we appreciate the information they share with us week after week!
    Thursday is International Sing-Out Day, so break out in song like they do in the musicals. Sing out your words in conversations instead of speaking them. You can even add a few dance steps if you like!
    Saturday is the anniversary of the date in 1859 when schoolteacher Mildred J. Hill composed the most often sung melody in the world: "Happy Birthday to You." Hill's younger sister Patty Smith Hill was the author of the lyrics, which were first published in 1893 as "Good Morning to You." Although the Hill sisters are believed to have earned very little from the song, it later generated about $1 million a year for its copyright owner. The song is expected to enter public domain upon the expiration of its copyright in 2010.
    Sunday is International Sit-On-The-Front-Pew Sunday, which is designed to fill churches from the front pew back so that clergy will feel encouraged that their congregations really do care and really do want to see and hear them.

WHAT'S HAPPENING?
    Wednesday's 10:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. storytimes recognize Naitonal Egg Month with chicken or egg stories. Participants will make a Little Red Hen and her eggs and chicks. At Saturday morning's 10:00 storytime, buttons are featured in stories and button crafts, including whizzers and bracelets.

BOOK TALK
    Now that school is out, many of us are thinking about travel. Your Roswell Public Library has added many new books on travel to help you in planning your next vacation.
    For instance, if you're heading to Europe, the library has guides to Italy, Portugal, and Switzerland. "Adventuring in Southern Africa" and "Days and Nights on the Grand Trunk Road" (India and Pakistan) are among the more exotic locations represented in the travel collection.
    For those of you who want something closer to home, the library has "Frommer's San Antonio & Austin," "California from $60 a Day," and "Wyoming Handbook." Be sure to check the library's verticl file for maps and more travel information. Checking out the library's hotel and bed and breakfast directories will ensure a pleasant stay when you reach your destination.
    In fact, your best vacation ever may just begin at your local library!

DID YOU KNOW?
    Here's a true story that was published in the May 1998 "School Library Journal." It comes from Sue Birtwistle's "The Making of Pride and Prejudice," a book about the recent film version of the novel. One of the producers was called by a potential backer. The call went like this.
    "We're very interested in putting 1 million pounds into "Pride and Prejudice. Can you tell me who's written it?"
    Assuming that, if they were prepared to invest so much money, they would have already read the book and just want to know who had adapted it, I said: "Andrew Davies," and then added as an afterthought, "from the novel."
    "Novel? What novel?" "Er . . . the novel. By Jane Austen."
    "How are you spelling that?" "A.U.S.T.E.N."
    "Is she selling well?" "Er . . . yes. Very well."
    "How many copies has she sold?" "You mean altogether?"
    "Yeah. Since publication." "Since . . . er. . . 1813?"
    There was a long pause. "You mean she's dead?" Another pause. "So she wouldn't be available for book signings?"

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:
"Give me ambiguitiy or give me something else." (unknown)

JUDY ARMSTRONG, 624-7276

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