Every once in a while I am going to post some factoids about GPL and it’s services. I call these little factoids (Not Quite So) FAQs because people may not actually ask these questions all that frequently. But, I couldn’t think of anything better. And I hope it’s useful information. So, the first (Not Quite So) FAQ is:

Does the library have wireless Internet access?

Answer: Yes we do. A wireless connection to the Internet is available throughout the building. So bring your laptops, your cell phones, your DSLites and your PSPs. Hang out or study in the teen area and enjoy something to eat or drink from the Red Poppy Cafe. While your here, check out the books, magazines, manga and graphic novels, dvds, and other materials the library has to offer.

A little reminder that the monthly Teen Open Game Night will happen this Friday, April 4 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Hewlett Room at the library. Teens ages 13-18 are welcome. Play Nintendo Wii and PS2. Show off your moves with DDR and Guitar Hero. Challenge someone to a board game or play D& D. Bring your own games and your friends. We’ll have drinks and munchies on hand.

I want to send a thank you out to last years Tippett Middle School National Junior Honor Society who donated money to GPL to use in teen programs. The$500 they gave was used to purchase the Wii and 4 controlers, 4 nunchucks, a couple of games, and a bag to store everything. Thanks! We are having lots of fun with the Wii.

The walls in the new teen space are done being painted and look, imho, wonderful. Very, very red. Next come the Blik stickers chosen by members of the library’s Teen Advisory Board (TAB). Look for these to go up in the next week or so. Blik stickers are cool removable wall art that can be taken down without damage to the walls. So, after a year or so, if we get tired of them we can change things. Now if the booths and tables would only get here.

I just finished volumes 1 and 2 of Hikaru No Go, a new manga series here at GPL. Hikaru No Go is the story of Hikaru Shindo. Hikaru Shindo is like any sixth-grader in Japan: a pretty normal school boy with a two-tone head of hair and a penchant for antics. One day, he finds an old bloodstained Go board in his grandfather’s attic-and that’s when things get really interesting. Trapped inside the Go board is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master who taught the strategically complex board game to the Emperor of Japan many centuries ago. In one fateful moment, Sai becomes a part of Hikaru’s consciousness and together, through thick and thin, they make an unstoppable Go-playing team. Will they be able to defeat Go players who have dedicated their lives to the game? Will Sai achieve the “Divine Move” so he’ll finally be able to rest in peace?

Don’t let the fact that the series is based on an ancient board game fool you. This manga has everything from competition, rivalries, pranks, friendship, strategy, and a funny and memorable main character. Read it and tell Ms. Bethni if we should order more volumes in the series.