The image of miners with their children at a Labor Day celebration in Silverton, Colorado in 1942 comes from the American Memory Collection America from the Great Depression to WWII, which features the work of photographers from the Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information.

Photo credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF35-1326].

Other Labor Day links:

• History of Labor Day from the US Department of Labor
• Proclamation of the Eight-Hour Workday
• Meeteetse Labor Day Photos from the McCracken Collection
• Wyoming labor laws (Title 27, or search for labor)
• Wyoming Department of Employment

Creator of the Sheriff Walt Longmire literary mysteries, he will be the guest of the Park County Library System August 21-22 in three free public programs.

Johnson begins his tour at the Park County Public Library in Cody at 12 noon on Saturday, August 21, following up at the Meeteetse Chocolatier at 7 p.m. the same day.

On Sunday, August 22 at 12 noon, Johnson goes to the Powell Branch Library for a pizza party.

Although not a native of the state, Johnson adopted Wyoming as home about 20 years ago. He settled in Ucross and eventually got serious about writing the Longmire stories, with the first book, The Cold Dish being published in 2005.

Junkyard Dogs, the latest in the series, came out in June this year.

An acclaimed writer and popular speaker, he is invited to appear around North America and Europe, but he said in a recent conversation with the Cody library that going to Wyoming towns and libraries gives him back a lot, partly because “it happens to be what I write about.”

He does not require a fee when he appears at Wyoming libraries, noting that the state’s libraries are a source of pride, and also that “we’re in this literacy thing together.” He said the best part of giving a talk is interacting with the audience when they pose questions.

Johnson has avoided writing “straight ahead westerns.” He explained that he “likes combining genres and writing in the fringes.”

His publisher, Viking/Penguin, allows him a lot of freedom in his novels and only requires that he write a mystery that has Walt Longmire in it, Johnson said.

The result is stories that are infused with humor while at the same time delving into social issues and crime, mostly against a background somewhere near the Big Horn Mountains. Some novels go to other scenes, such as Philadelphia, carrying the main characters to new environs.

Johnson said a television series based on his novels is currently in development with Warner Horizon Television and the TNT channel.

If you would like to see some DVDs that Park County Library has added to its collection on American Indians, check out some titles in the nonfiction section of the Media area under the Dewey Number 970.00497. For example, see and hear a lecture by Mary Keller, of Cody, called Heart Mountain as Home. Another title is Sacred Lands, a presentation by the Curly Bear Wagner.

See a bigger list of titles added to the library in the past year:

American Indian Resources

Drop by between 11:00 and 2:00 and bring your lunch. We will have cookies and drinks, free books, fun balloon animals -– plus your prizes! If you can’t make it that day, come to the library any time after that.

Orientation sessions to help you learn how to access the Foundation Center database will be held 12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 14; 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., Thursday, July 15; 12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 17; and 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 18 at the Park County Public Library.

Participants may bring their own lunch if they wish. They are asked to contact Carmela Conning ahead of time at 527-1880 so the library can arrange tables and seating.The library system has been accepted as a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center, which compiles detailed information on grantmakers and how to apply for grants.

Collaboration among the library system and several county non-profit groups has made the service possible. The non-profits will underwrite the annual subscription fee for the Foundation Directory Online while the libraries provide the infrastructure.

Established in 1956, the Foundation Center compiles comprehensive data about philanthropy, how to apply for funding, where and to whom grants have been awarded, and more.

The online directory may only be used in the library on the public computers. For now, it’s only available at the Park County Public Library in Cody, but will be expanded to the Powell and Meeteetse branches soon.

In addition, the Foundation Center has provided other reference materials in print that are on the shelves now at the Cody library.

Researchers will discover how to probe the directory from various aspects, such as by grantmaker name, company, topic, region, and many other ways that can help them locate applicable funding sources.

Minutes from previous board meetings, as well as contact information for board members, is available on the Library Board page.

Cody kayaker, Ed Conning, will tell people why Big Horn Basin rivers are so special and discuss many aspects of his favorite sport. He believes he lives in the heart of the best whitewater boating opportunities in the U. S.

The program provides the opportunity for kayakers and those who want to be boaters to hear from a widely recognized kayaking expert. Conning, 57, was proclaimed a “local legend” last year in the “Canoe & Kayak” magazine special whitewater edition.

During his presentation, Conning will show photos and videos of spectacular boating, will review safety and equipment, and will tell the opportunities that Big Horn Basin rivers offer. The Friends of the Cody Library will provide refreshments, too! All are welcome.

As always, you can still check your account, place holds, and explore our online resources.

And, in honor of Independence Day, please enjoy this exhibition on the creation of the Declaration of Independence from the Library of Congress, which includes this copy of the Declaration of Independence as printed in the Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser in July 1776.

Five bands make up the free three-hour concert that begins at 5:00 p.m. in Grizzly Hall. Sponsored by the Teen Room as part of Summer Reading, this event is primarily for those in grades six through twelve.

Wizard rock is music inspired by the Harry Potter books, and in fact, author J K Rowling mentioned an all-wizard band in the series.

According to wizrocklopedia.com, the first acknowledged composition appeared in 2000, and by 2004, the number of wizard rock bands began rapidly increasing. Although bands that identify with the genre devote much attention to themes in the Potter books, they also assert their individual personalities.

The bands playing the library concert come from across the U.S. and currently are touring together. They encourage people in the audience who are so inclined to dance to the music and to wear Potter-themed regalia.

The Whomping Willows is a solo effort by singer/songwriter Matt Maggiacomo, whose compositions are often from the perspective of the violent tree at Hogwarts. Since his start-up in 2005, Maggiacomo has added his offbeat sense of humor with light political commentary.

The Parselmouths are Kristina Horner and Eia Waltzer who take the Hogwarts experience from the perspective of spoiled, popular rich girls in a folky, upbeat fashion.

Having performed since 2004, the band has played a wide variety of venues across the country to audiences of all ages.

Justin Finch-Fletchley, another solo artist, tours the U. S. and Canada to perform in bookstores, libraries and clubs. His sing-along acoustic rock music promotes his favorites themes of literacy, the arts, activism and equality.

ALL CAPS is the band created by Kristina Horner and Luke Conard who have reached beyond Potter themes to include other topics. They’ve released two full-length albums and several music videos.

The Moaning Myrtles, formed in 2005 in the perspective of the bathroom ghost, feature piano-heavy songs with catchy harmonies. Lauren Fairweather and Nina Jankowicz have released several albums and played in libraries, bookstores, clubs and living rooms mainly in the eastern U. S.

Forbes grew up on a high plains ranch on the Little Laramie River in a family that has a long history in Wyoming spheres of agriculture, politics and economics. She earned degrees in philosophy and English from the University of Colorado, then spent a year in Israel studying and working on a kibbutz.

In 1979 she returned to the family ranch where she raised her own family. In 2001 she graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law and now practices law in that state. Forbes also plays old-time Appalachian fiddle, enjoys her horse and her cattle dog, and continues to spend time in Wyoming.