Howard County Library

English conversation The Miller branch of the Howard County Library, 9421 Frederick Road, Ellicott City, offers "Let's Get Together: English Conversation Club." The club meets at 7:45 p.m. Wednesdays. Register with the library before your first meeting. Call 410-313-1950 for more information. Kiwanis meets The Kiwanis Club of Ellicott City meets at 6:45 p.m. Mondays at 3300 Norberts Way. Call 410-418-8218 or go to ellicottcitykiwanis.com.

The Howard County Library has received a $25,000 grant from the United States Institute of Peace to finance local programs examining the issues of international conflict resolution and peacekeeping.The library was one of seven in the nation to receive the grant three weeks ago from the Washington, D.C.-based educational and research center, which was established in 1984 by Congress."We're going to get into a lot of very tough issues," said Pat Bates, adult program coordinator for the Howard County Library.

Middle and high school students will have an opportunity to learn about the Howard County Public School System's Career Academies program and watch others demonstrate skills they have learned during the Career and Technology Education events scheduled on the following dates at Howard County Library branches. •Arts, Media and Communications Business Management and Finance. 8 p.m. Wednesday at East Columbia branch, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. •Information Technology Career Research and Development.

In 2004, Howard County Library contracted with Providence Associates Inc. to develop and present the Howard County Library Facilities Assessment and Master Plan: Facilities and Services, 2005-2030. Providence convened focus groups to assess community needs and desires, which were incorporated into the Program of Requirements (POR) for an 82,500 square feet Charles E. Miller Branch and Historical Center to replace the existing 23,500 square feet branch. Two years later, the county purchased 10 acres of land for our most pressing project: the new Miller Branch.

Howard County Library awarded $120,000 grantThe Howard County Library has been awarded a $120,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to bring programs to 45 libraries and senior centers in Howard County, northern Maryland and south central Pennsylvania.The program, "The Reader, the Writer and the Muse," includes literary readings, discussion themes and poetry programs using books, videos and audio tapes.The free program will begin next fall and continue for two years."Reading and Discussion" programs will examine philosophical, literary and historical themes.

Library seeks volunteers for grandparent programThe Howard County Library is looking for older adults interested in sharing their time and experiences with some of the library's youngest patrons.The Library Grandparent Program will bring the young and the old together in several ways.Volunteer grandparents will be involved in reading to 2- and 3-year-olds on a one-to-one basis for an hour or two a week.In addition, they will relate their childhood experiences to the children into fall programs called "Attic Treasures" and "School Days: Then and Now."

Storm water management focus of forum this week The League of Women Voters, with the Howard County Bureau of Environmental Services, Howard County Conservancy, Sierra Club and Patapsco Riverkeeper, will sponsor a forum on storm water management in Howard County from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday in the fourth-floor conference room at the Gateway Building, 6751 Gateway Drive, Columbia. County officials will discuss polluted runoff from local businesses, neighborhoods and streets and the role it plays in degrading water quality in streams, wetlands and the Chesapeake Bay. Information: 410-730-0142, or Kathy Heidepriem, 410-531-2792, or www.lwvmd.

CA is accepting applications for exchange program The Columbia Association will accept applications for its Sister Cities High School Student Exchange Program until Feb. 18. Participating Howard County students will spend about two weeks during the summer living with a family in one of Columbia's sister cities - Cergy-Pontoise, France, or Tres Cantos, Spain. After returning to the United States, the students will be hosts to their French or Spanish counterparts for two weeks. Organized group activities are planned for the students in the United States and abroad.