The Library of Days Gone By

Apparently the library of days gone by isn't much more different than the library of today, according to a recent article in the New York Times Sunday Book Review about the reading habits of library patrons in Muncie, Indiana, considered to be the bellwether city for average American life in a small town. The data was taken from checkout ledgers from 1891 to 1902 and collated with census ledgers at the time to give a more exacting picture of what your everyday Joe was reading. So what kept readers' noses in books? The same kind of thing that does today: popular literature! Of course, the popular literature of the late 19th century isn't anything that we'd recognize today (just who the heck is Oliver Optic anyways?) but the story remains the same--if it's a page turner, you can bet that your local library will be stocking several copies.

MW

National Book Award Winners announced for 2011

National Book Award Winners for 2011 were announced on November 16, 2011. Perhaps some of them will end up on your holiday list.

They include:

FICTION Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. A big-hearted novel about familial love and community against all odds and a wrenching look at the lonesome, brutal, and restrictive realities of rural poverty, Taking place over a 12 day period during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Salvage the Bones is revelatory, real, and muscled with poetry.


NONFICTION The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt An innovative work of history and a thrilling story of discovery, in which one manuscript (On the Nature of Things by Lucretius), plucked from a thousand years of neglect, changed the course of human thought and made possible the world as we know it.

POETRY Head Off & Split by Nikky Finney





YOUNG PEOPLES' LITERATURE
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.

A list of the winners and finalists may be found on the National Book Award website. Make your request for these and other finalists at your library today!

SH

Books Take You Nowhere

Librarians Lie!
Read this important new study, effectively debunking various myths long propagated by "librarians" that books will "transport you" to places you've never been. On behalf of my profession, I'd like to apologize to all the boys and girls who have been misled about this amazing power of books.
--RL

New Audiobooks

Jerusalem : a biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore, narrated by John Lee. The epic 3,000 year history of faith, fanaticism and coexistence.

Catherine the Great : portrait of a woman by Robert K. Massie, narrated by Mark Deakins. Hear about the 14-year old German princess who came to Russia and became one of the most powerful and fascinating women in history.


The price of civilization : reawakening American virtue and prosperity by Jeffrey Sachs, narrated by Richard McGonagle. A diagnosis of our economic ills by the author of The End of Poverty and Common Wealth, Sachs calls for Americans to restore the virtues of fairness and honesty as the foundations of national prosperity.

-DB

Grzimek's Animal Life Online--November Featured Online Resource

November Featured Online Resource

Looking for information on animals? Go to one of the best animal resources available--Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia--with up-to-date facts on 4000+ species (including prehistoric), photos, maps, videos, news and websites. Excellent for student reports as well as serious research but the photos, maps, videos, and audio tracks make it a great place to just have fun! Have your library card ready and try it out today.

SH

ebooks for Nooks & iPads & more!

Heard about all the great, free ebooks you can download from the library but don't know how? Fret no more, because in addition to our video for Kindles, we've now made tutorials on how to download ebooks for your Barnes & Noble Nook and various iDevices. Enjoy!





MW

October Snow now What?

Did the freak October snow storm cause some damage to your trees and shrubs?
Learn how to prune and care for damaged trees with these books.

Homeowner's complete guide to the chainsaw : a chainsaw pro shows you how to safely and confidently handle everything from trimming branches and felling trees to splitting and stacking wood By Ruth, Brian J. Author Ruth, Jen W. 2009-10 - Fox Chapel Publishing 9781565233560 Check Our Catalog Taking the fear out of chainsaws by emphasizing safe handling practices, this resource aims to put raw power in the hands of everyday yard workers. With step-by-step color photographs throughout, 12 of the most common household chainsaw operations are tackled with expert advice and sure-handed guidance. …More

The Tree Doctor: A Guide to Tree Care and Maintenance By Predergast, Daniel Author Predergast, Erin Author Prendergast, Daniel 2003-09 - Firefly Books 9781552977422 Check Our Catalog "A practical guide for growing healthy trees." As the most dominant and permanent feature in any garden, trees establish a landscape's character more than any other plant. Moreover, trees can filter the air of pollutants, muffle noise, screen the sun, calm the wind, attract birds, reduce soil erosion, raise the water table, and increase property values. Knowing which varieties to grow and how to maintain them is a must for anyone who owns trees or is considering planting one. The Tree Doctor is an easy-to-understand guide for growing healthy trees that will benefit generations to come. …More

The Pruning Answer Book By Hill, Lewis Author O'Sullivan, Penelope 2011-03 - Storey Publishing 9781603427104 Check Our Catalog Previously published as: Pruning made easy. …More

Pruning Basics: Tools * Techniques * Timing By Squire, David 2001-06 - Sterling Publishing 0806951133 Check Our Catalog "Gives excellent, thorough advice on what to prune when and how to go about it, with clear, easy-to-read diagrams and lots of them. It will help you achieve full bloom, healthy growth and proper shaping for any kind of shrub or small tree."--"Chicago Tribune." …More

Pruning & Training By Brickell, Christopher Author Joyce, David Joint Author Joyce, David 1996-08 - DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley) 1564583317 Check Our Catalog Whether you are planning a new garden, wondering how to bring back a neglected tree or shrub, or want to develop areas of special interest, AHS Pruning & Training contains all the techniques you need in easy-to-follow, step by step explanations. …More TB

Nine of the Funniest Library Videos!!!!!!!

Nine of the Funniest Library Videos...
From the Huffington Post. Savor them. No more than one or two per day.
--RL