Dog demo planned at library

The Mountain Home Public Library will feature an Agility Dog Demonstration by Kayla Parsons and her dogs this Saturday at 1 p.m. as part of the Big Read events at the library.

The Librarians and Hounds story time of "The Call of the Wild" has enjoyed "great groups of kids and dog guests," librarian Robin Murphy said. "Recently, we enjoyed the visit of a beautiful dog owned by Austin Kent and Kristy Bodily and their children, Austin, Brandon, Cecilia and Cherstin."

Librarians and Hounds will continue each Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. through March 8.

Other Big Read events this week include a special Dog Craft on Thursday, Feb. 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. "Drop by and make a cute dog craft in honor of Buck," the main character in Call of the Wild, Murphy said.

Friday, Feb. 18, the library will be showing the movie "North to Alaska," starring John Wayne and Stuart Granger, at 6:30 p.m. in the library meeting room.

Patrons of the Mountain Home Public Library who participate in "The Big Read" activities could win a prize, which can be as simple as answering the question of the week. Those who answer the question correctly earn the right to sift the "sands of time" for treasure.

This week's questions are:

Adults -- One of the novel's most important scenes is the fight between Buck and who? Who initiates the fight and how does it end?

Kids -- Following Buck's fight with his rival, what position does he believe he should have on the dog team? How does he let the men know his feelings?

The Big Read is sponsored Nationwide by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

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The Mountain Home Public Library does not have federal tax forms available.

However, the IRS website, www.irs.gov, can be accessed on the library's public-use computers to print out forms. State tax forms are available on a first-come first-serve basis. Library staff cannot assist in selecting or completing forms.

This month the Mountain Home Public Library has two important displays to showcase.

February is Black History Month and on display at the library is a series of poster boards with historical pictures and information that have not been seen in Mountain Home before. The display has been loaned to the Mountain Home Public Library by the Black History Committee of Boise. It is a copy of the main display at the Black History Museum in Boise and the information is specific to the history of black culture in the state of Idaho.

The second major attraction for the month of February is an informative display dealing with teen dating violence and violence in the home.

The library has books and some hand-out reference materials provided by the Elmore County Domestic Violence Council. Most of the reference materials available will appeal to teens, especially the purple bracelets, which are free. For parents, a handbook has important information about talking to 11- to 14-year-olds about teen relationships and the pressure to engage in risky behaviors.

For information on those and other programs at the library, call 587-4716 or visit its website at www.mhlibrary.org.