I have all sorts of good news to share this week. The first is that on Thursday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m., we will have the first adult program of the year. This program is about dogsledding. Elizabeth Meyer will talk about her experiences with her sledding dogs. She has promised to bring the dogs in for the last few minutes of her talk. Don’t miss it!
The second bit of news is that FREEGAL is finally ready to go. FREEGAL is a new service the library is offering to library card holders. It will allow you access to three FREE, LEGAL music downloads per week. For this exciting new service, the library is charged an annual flat fee. That means it is going to cost the library the same number of dollars whether you use it or not. So, you might as well help us get our money’s worth. Just go to http://www.freegalmusic.com/users/sdlogin. Eventually, there will be a button on the library website that will lead you right to that internet address. You will need your library card number to login. The last four digits of the card number are your PIN. If you don’t have one of our pretty new library cards with the picture of the library building and its crab tree in full bloom, you will need to come into the library and let us get you set up. All you need to get a library card is a driver’s license or some other official-type document that shows your current address. Fair Warning: If you have fines or overdue materials on your card, the computer knows…you will need to settle up before you can log on to anything through our website. Besides, wouldn’t you sleep better at night knowing that you have paid your debt to society?
The very biggest news of all (at least for me) is that I am going to become a grandmother! I’ve been waiting almost 37 years for this experience. Most of the time I’ve waited patiently. Sometimes I’ve whined. I’m determined to wring every ounce of pleasure out of this grandma stuff. I’ve been scouring the library for grandma books. Almost every single picture book I’ve found depicts grandmothers as old, gray, wrinkly people with glasses and a bun. What! Cried Granny by Kate Lum is an exception. That granny has purple hair instead.
The Grandma Book by Todd Parr has a red-haired grandma on the cover. She still has the eyeglasses, but she has purple dangly earrings. More my style! Parr’s book has a pretty hip looking granny on each page with just one line of text. Page one reads “Some grandmas have a lot of cats.” Each page carries on along the theme that grandmas are all different. Every few pages there is one that reads something more like this: “All grandmas are happy when you spend the night.” I ordered a copy of that book. On the page that reads “All grandmas like to hear from you” I’m going to write my phone numbers (home, work and cell) and my email address in great big letters. By the time baby Ehlers is old enough to push the buttons on a phone, he?she? will have my contact information memorized.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
National Library Week
Last week was National Library Week. I always try to do a little something for the library staff, flowers and balloons, usually, to let them know I appreciate the work they do. The biggest part of the success of any library is the dedication of its staff. Alas, this year I forgot all about National Library Week. I have some excuses….I took a few days off to visit my sister, various staff members have been ill, had illness in the family, been on vacation. Life just hasn’t been normal at the library for a couple of weeks. But, I am deeply ashamed that I forgot to pay tribute to the staff. They do such a terrific job. Every time one of them is out for a day or two, I realize just how much they accomplish when they are here.
“More than anything else a library reflects what a community thinks about itself”. Anonymous Baldwinville, NY resident. Isn’t that the loveliest quote? Another library posted that on its website in tribute to National Library Week. It is often so true. If a community thinks of itself as a hard scrabble, blue collar town, the library is usually a no-frills operation. There are libraries like that all around us. The building itself is usually plain, slightly out of date and simple. A community that wishes to be seen as snooty and intellectual might have lots of individual study tables with serious lighting where no one will disturb anyone else. Those libraries usually have lots of empty space and a very hushed atmosphere.
I like what our library says about Humboldt. The building is just grand enough to announce that we take books and knowledge seriously, but it isn’t so stuffy that someone would be afraid to open the doors. The building is noticeably too small. That says that our town uses its library. Once inside, you’ll usually find at least a little noise. If it’s early-out Wednesday, you’ll find a lot of noise. People of all ages can feel comfortable enough in our library to ask a question, visit with a friend, or tell a joke. Various machines humming, beeping and chugging along let you know that we have computers, printers, faxes and copiers all busily making our lives easier. I hope you will be greeted with a smile and a friendly welcome. You paid for this library, we are glad to see you using it.
That we offer all kinds of services we couldn’t begin to imagine a few years ago, lets everyone know that we value progress and are willing to spend the money necessary to keep the world from leaving us behind. We may be small town, but we aren’t narrow minded or short sighted.
When you leave the library, I want you to take with you a warm, fuzzy feeling that for all pork and boondoggles and politics that saturate today’s governments, libraries are the one thing that every community gets just right.
Next time you stop by, tell Demi and Sarah and Kathy and Linda, Martha, Virginia, George, Jan and Shelly how much you appreciate them. I know I do.
“More than anything else a library reflects what a community thinks about itself”. Anonymous Baldwinville, NY resident. Isn’t that the loveliest quote? Another library posted that on its website in tribute to National Library Week. It is often so true. If a community thinks of itself as a hard scrabble, blue collar town, the library is usually a no-frills operation. There are libraries like that all around us. The building itself is usually plain, slightly out of date and simple. A community that wishes to be seen as snooty and intellectual might have lots of individual study tables with serious lighting where no one will disturb anyone else. Those libraries usually have lots of empty space and a very hushed atmosphere.
I like what our library says about Humboldt. The building is just grand enough to announce that we take books and knowledge seriously, but it isn’t so stuffy that someone would be afraid to open the doors. The building is noticeably too small. That says that our town uses its library. Once inside, you’ll usually find at least a little noise. If it’s early-out Wednesday, you’ll find a lot of noise. People of all ages can feel comfortable enough in our library to ask a question, visit with a friend, or tell a joke. Various machines humming, beeping and chugging along let you know that we have computers, printers, faxes and copiers all busily making our lives easier. I hope you will be greeted with a smile and a friendly welcome. You paid for this library, we are glad to see you using it.
That we offer all kinds of services we couldn’t begin to imagine a few years ago, lets everyone know that we value progress and are willing to spend the money necessary to keep the world from leaving us behind. We may be small town, but we aren’t narrow minded or short sighted.
When you leave the library, I want you to take with you a warm, fuzzy feeling that for all pork and boondoggles and politics that saturate today’s governments, libraries are the one thing that every community gets just right.
Next time you stop by, tell Demi and Sarah and Kathy and Linda, Martha, Virginia, George, Jan and Shelly how much you appreciate them. I know I do.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
This week is Humboldt Reads! book discussion at Miller’s Landing on Thursday, April 14 at 5:30. The book is Homestead by Jane Kirkpatrick. Jane is the author of inspirational fiction, but this book is the story of her experience in homesteading in the wilds of remote Oregon with her husband in 1985. Her stories of their attempts to build a new home, acquire a land-line telephone in the days before cell service and to install electricity and indoor plumbing make me tired just thinking about it. Even after our book discussion is over, we have copies of the book that you may check out. It’s worth reading.
I’ve ordered copies of The Help by Katheryn Stockett and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot for our next couple of book discussions. About 100 people have already read the library’s copies of The Help. It is the story of a young woman just home from college in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. Even if you have already read it, checkout a copy, scan over it and join us for discussion.
Skloot’s book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, tells us about Henrietta Lacks, a poor African American woman who died in Philadelphia in 1951. Cells from her cancerous tumor were taken without her knowledge or consent and replicated many times over and over for use in countless scientific experiments. Her cells continue to be reproduced and are used in labs worldwide to this day. I haven’t read it yet, but it sounds as if it will lead to a great discussion.
New at the library:
Friendship Bread by Darien Gee. Julia Evarts and her five year old daughter Grace find a gift of Amish Friendship Bread and a bag of starter to use to make more bread, have been left on their porch. Julia would like to toss the starter out with the trash, but Gracie is determined that they bake bread and share starter with others. Through sharing the bread starter, Julia forms new friendship and confronts her painful past. This book received terrific reviews. I’m looking forward to it.
Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle by Ann B. Ross. If you haven’t read a Miss Julia story, I don’t think that I can adequately explain her to you. She is an intrepid wife, friend, substitute mother and amateur sleuth and almost as wise as Jessica Fletcher in the old Murder She Wrote tv series. She’s a hoot!
Once Upon a Time There Was You by Elizabeth Berg. Berg can be counted on to churn out at least one beautiful and moving novel every year. This one is about a long-divorced couple to come together to support their daughter when tragedy strikes.
Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy. Binchy is another author who dependably produces satisfying fiction again and again. When Noel learns that his former girlfriend is both terminally and pregnant with his child, Noel agrees to tackle single parenting. A network of friends, family and neighbors come to his rescue when a nosy social worker inserts herself in his life.
Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin. This sold a million copies in Korea. It’s a universal story of family love. The cover says “You will never think of your mother the same way again after you read this book.” Hmm.
Swim Back to Me by Ann Packer. Packer wrote The Dive From Clausen’s Pier and Songs Without Words. I enjoyed both of those so I’m looking forward to her latest book.
The Band That Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic by Steve Turner. A true story!
Made for You and Me: Going West, Going Broke, Finding Home by Caitlin Shetterly. In 2008 Shetterly and her brand-new husband Dan moved to California from their native Maine. Quickly, the recession reared its ugly head and life in California became impossible for the young couple. As they made their way back to Maine, now with a baby in tow, Caitlin blogged about their situation and created audio diaries for National Public Radio. When listeners all over the country were moved by their plight, Caitlyn turned her stories into a book.
If you have a library book (or dvd, etc.) or two, or more, that is overdue at the library, bring it back to us on any Tuesday afternoon from 3:30-4:30 pm. If you ask nicely, we will erase the fine on those books. This generosity does not apply to old transactions or to fines already on your record….just to any materials that are currently overdue. They do this regularly at the Hampton Public Library. They call it “Happy Hour”.
I’ve ordered copies of The Help by Katheryn Stockett and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot for our next couple of book discussions. About 100 people have already read the library’s copies of The Help. It is the story of a young woman just home from college in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. Even if you have already read it, checkout a copy, scan over it and join us for discussion.
Skloot’s book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, tells us about Henrietta Lacks, a poor African American woman who died in Philadelphia in 1951. Cells from her cancerous tumor were taken without her knowledge or consent and replicated many times over and over for use in countless scientific experiments. Her cells continue to be reproduced and are used in labs worldwide to this day. I haven’t read it yet, but it sounds as if it will lead to a great discussion.
New at the library:
Friendship Bread by Darien Gee. Julia Evarts and her five year old daughter Grace find a gift of Amish Friendship Bread and a bag of starter to use to make more bread, have been left on their porch. Julia would like to toss the starter out with the trash, but Gracie is determined that they bake bread and share starter with others. Through sharing the bread starter, Julia forms new friendship and confronts her painful past. This book received terrific reviews. I’m looking forward to it.
Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle by Ann B. Ross. If you haven’t read a Miss Julia story, I don’t think that I can adequately explain her to you. She is an intrepid wife, friend, substitute mother and amateur sleuth and almost as wise as Jessica Fletcher in the old Murder She Wrote tv series. She’s a hoot!
Once Upon a Time There Was You by Elizabeth Berg. Berg can be counted on to churn out at least one beautiful and moving novel every year. This one is about a long-divorced couple to come together to support their daughter when tragedy strikes.
Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy. Binchy is another author who dependably produces satisfying fiction again and again. When Noel learns that his former girlfriend is both terminally and pregnant with his child, Noel agrees to tackle single parenting. A network of friends, family and neighbors come to his rescue when a nosy social worker inserts herself in his life.
Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin. This sold a million copies in Korea. It’s a universal story of family love. The cover says “You will never think of your mother the same way again after you read this book.” Hmm.
Swim Back to Me by Ann Packer. Packer wrote The Dive From Clausen’s Pier and Songs Without Words. I enjoyed both of those so I’m looking forward to her latest book.
The Band That Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic by Steve Turner. A true story!
Made for You and Me: Going West, Going Broke, Finding Home by Caitlin Shetterly. In 2008 Shetterly and her brand-new husband Dan moved to California from their native Maine. Quickly, the recession reared its ugly head and life in California became impossible for the young couple. As they made their way back to Maine, now with a baby in tow, Caitlin blogged about their situation and created audio diaries for National Public Radio. When listeners all over the country were moved by their plight, Caitlyn turned her stories into a book.
If you have a library book (or dvd, etc.) or two, or more, that is overdue at the library, bring it back to us on any Tuesday afternoon from 3:30-4:30 pm. If you ask nicely, we will erase the fine on those books. This generosity does not apply to old transactions or to fines already on your record….just to any materials that are currently overdue. They do this regularly at the Hampton Public Library. They call it “Happy Hour”.
Friday, April 1, 2011
I feel just like I did when I was six years old. My mother would never let me start working on my Christmas list until Thanksgiving. Well, I’ve been wanting to write this article for at least six weeks, now. The BIG news is that the new gardening books are beginning to arrive! I haven’t wanted to share any details with you yet—I know that just hearing about flowers and plants too early can delay spring for a month. Talk about new varieties of anything with your neighbor and the last frost won’t arrive until the 4th of July.
The same thought process always postpones my annual trip to visit my sister until at least the first of April. You see, Jane lives 450 miles to our south. If I visit too early, when I get home I have to wait forever for us to catch up weather-wise. I can’t begin to tell you how heartbreaking it was to visit my North Carolina kids a few years ago. I was marking off weeks on the calendar waiting for it to warm up enough to plant pansies. …in North Carolina pansies that WINTER OVER were already blooming. My (pale) green thumb just can’t seem to lose its Oklahoma accent.
New at the library:
Miracle-Gro Complete Guide to Roses: Choosing, Planting, Growing. The book cover says this is “the rose gardener’s reference to the best varieties.” Plenty of information about growing culture, climate zones, etc. I was attracted to the pages concerning choosing low-maintenance roses.
Organic Gardening for the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs and Flowers by John Fedor. The title of this one just says it all.
Twilight Garden: A Guide to Enjoying Your Garden in the Evening Hours by Lia Leendertz. This book has the most beautiful photos. It’s worth paging through.
The Vegetable Gardener’s Container Bible: How to Grow a Bounty of Food in Pots, Tubs and Other Containers by Edward C. Smith. This is my new plan….grow everything edible in pots. No weeding needed!
Midwest Home Landscaping: 46 Landscape Designs and Over 200 Plants for Your Region by Roger Holmes and Rita Buchanan. The photos are appealing, but what I appreciate the most are the plans included for each design. Each shows what type of plant, how many and how far apart each should be. All you need is a shovel.
Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces by Gayla Trail.
Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World by Ross Chapin. I don’t even know how to explain this one to you, other than it’s full of charming photos of lovely neighborhoods. Some of these neighborhoods were planned in advance of construction and some developed into pocket neighborhoods organically. Either way, this book is a delight.
Container Gardening: 250 Design Ideas & Step-by-Step Techniques from the editors of Fine Gardening Magazine. This is a different sort of container gardening. Pots and tubs and flower boxes of eye candy. I’ve been admiring the big urns of plants in front of Bank Iowa for several years. I’m going for something dramatic on my own front steps this year.
Complete Guide to Water Gardens: Ponds, Fountains, Waterfalls, Streams by Kathleen Fisher. For the lazy among us, this book can serve as a coffee table book. Lots and lot of luscious pictures of garden features that I can appreciate but never replicate. For the more adventuresome of you, the diagrams and charts are complete enough that you could have a quiet pond or a gurgling brook in your back yard by Memorial Day.
If you’ve been eager to get out into your garden this year, stop by the library. We can help you grow!
The same thought process always postpones my annual trip to visit my sister until at least the first of April. You see, Jane lives 450 miles to our south. If I visit too early, when I get home I have to wait forever for us to catch up weather-wise. I can’t begin to tell you how heartbreaking it was to visit my North Carolina kids a few years ago. I was marking off weeks on the calendar waiting for it to warm up enough to plant pansies. …in North Carolina pansies that WINTER OVER were already blooming. My (pale) green thumb just can’t seem to lose its Oklahoma accent.
New at the library:
Miracle-Gro Complete Guide to Roses: Choosing, Planting, Growing. The book cover says this is “the rose gardener’s reference to the best varieties.” Plenty of information about growing culture, climate zones, etc. I was attracted to the pages concerning choosing low-maintenance roses.
Organic Gardening for the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs and Flowers by John Fedor. The title of this one just says it all.
Twilight Garden: A Guide to Enjoying Your Garden in the Evening Hours by Lia Leendertz. This book has the most beautiful photos. It’s worth paging through.
The Vegetable Gardener’s Container Bible: How to Grow a Bounty of Food in Pots, Tubs and Other Containers by Edward C. Smith. This is my new plan….grow everything edible in pots. No weeding needed!
Midwest Home Landscaping: 46 Landscape Designs and Over 200 Plants for Your Region by Roger Holmes and Rita Buchanan. The photos are appealing, but what I appreciate the most are the plans included for each design. Each shows what type of plant, how many and how far apart each should be. All you need is a shovel.
Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces by Gayla Trail.
Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World by Ross Chapin. I don’t even know how to explain this one to you, other than it’s full of charming photos of lovely neighborhoods. Some of these neighborhoods were planned in advance of construction and some developed into pocket neighborhoods organically. Either way, this book is a delight.
Container Gardening: 250 Design Ideas & Step-by-Step Techniques from the editors of Fine Gardening Magazine. This is a different sort of container gardening. Pots and tubs and flower boxes of eye candy. I’ve been admiring the big urns of plants in front of Bank Iowa for several years. I’m going for something dramatic on my own front steps this year.
Complete Guide to Water Gardens: Ponds, Fountains, Waterfalls, Streams by Kathleen Fisher. For the lazy among us, this book can serve as a coffee table book. Lots and lot of luscious pictures of garden features that I can appreciate but never replicate. For the more adventuresome of you, the diagrams and charts are complete enough that you could have a quiet pond or a gurgling brook in your back yard by Memorial Day.
If you’ve been eager to get out into your garden this year, stop by the library. We can help you grow!
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