Monday, April 30, 2018

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark review


I’m a murderino. I didn’t know there was a name for it until recently. I also didn’t want to shout it from the rooftops because it felt so… morbid. I’m fascinated by murders. I love reading true crime. I want to know what makes these people tick and why they did what they did. When I was younger I used to spend hours on the FBI website reading about famous cases and criminals. I know. It was weird. But I now know that I’m not the only one who has a fascination with the horrific. Why else do newspapers put car accidents and acts of violence on the front pages? Because people are secretly fascinated by that kind of stuff. It sells papers. 

Aside from a couple people I knew, I thought I was the only one interested in murder and I kept it a secret. People would think I was such a freak for being so interested in it. Then my friend introduced me to a podcast that changed my life – My Favorite Murder. It’s a fantastic podcast that blends humor and topics of murder. It’s an odd combination, but weirdly enough it works. Through that podcast my eyes were opened to a whole community of people who are fascinated by true crime, specifically murder. They call themselves murderinos. That’s when I finally realized I wasn’t alone. That is also where I learned about Michelle McNamara. Unfortunately, I learned about her a little too late. At that point, she had sadly passed away at the tragically early age of 46 in 2016, but McNamara left behind a legacy. She wrote about true crime on her website TrueCrimeDiary, gathered a following, and also an obsession. 

McNamara was determined to identify the Golden State Killer – a name she coined when DNA evidence linked the Original Night Stalker and East Bay Rapist as the same person. Her life began to revolve around solving this mystery and she was in the middle of writing a book using the thousands of hours of her research when she died. Two years later that book was published posthumously as “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark”. 

It is a tragedy that McNamara was taken from us at such an early age. “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” showed such promise. She had a way with words, and I would go as far as to say she could have been the next Ann Rule. The first two parts of the book, written by McNamara (the last part is a compilation of her research written by her research partner and a journalist), are described in such a way as to keep you completely glued to your seat. It is amazing how in-depth her research went. There are so many small details that not many people would have thought of that she included. She was not just a writer, but truly an investigator. What I loved most about the narrative were the parts where McNamara included herself into the story. It wasn’t just a book presenting the evidence on the Golden State Killer, but it was also about her obsession with the case and how it affected her life. McNamara was truly the queen murderino. She would be at movie premieres and could hardly keep her eyes off her phone while she was shifting through new evidence. This case was her life. It is just too bad that she didn’t live long enough to see what has become of it. Only a few months after her book was released, they arrested the man suspected of being the Golden State Killer – one of the people she named in the book. There are many questions still left unanswered, but I am sure we will find more answers soon. In the meantime, this is a very exciting time to be a murderino, and to celebrate how one murderino’s obsession helped to finally close a cold case.

If you are like me and stories of true crime completely enthrall you, check out these fantastic books that we have at the library. Maybe you’ll find your next obsession between one of these covers.


Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Memory Lab Workshops Wednesday April 25



Learn how to digitize your family photos, VHS tapes and audiocassettes. All media degrades over time, don’t risk losing your precious family memories.


Cassette Tapes

Weds., April 25 @ 2:00
Weds., April 25 @ 6:00

VHS Tapes

Weds., April 25 @ 2:30
Weds., April 25 @ 6:30

Photos, Negatives and Slides

Weds., April 25 @ 3:00
Weds., April 25 @ 7:00

 


Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Celebrate Preservation Week



Memories and treasures should last a lifetime and be passed on to future generations. Preservation Week seeks to inspire actions to preserve personal, family, and community collections in addition to library, museum, and archive collections.

Libraries alone hold 3 billion items. A treasure trove of uncounted additional items is held by individuals, families, and communities. These collections include books, manuscripts, photographs, prints and drawings, and objects such as maps, textiles, paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and furniture, to give just a sample. They include moving images and sound recordings that capture performing arts, oral history, and other records of our creativity and history. Digital collections are growing fast, and their formats quickly become obsolescent, if not obsolete.

In celebration of Preservation week, the Dover Public Library will present a series of workshops on our memory lab. Learn how to digitize your family photos, VHS tapes and audio cassettes.  Workshops will be held Saturday, April 21 from 10-12 AM and Wednesday, April 25 from 2-4 PM, and 6-8 PM. 

Thursday, April 26, from 3-4 PM our book mending Librarian, Aimee, will be demonstrating how she repairs library books that come back with ripped pages, loose pages and broken spines. You can also pick up a free hand out on how to care for and preserve items in your personal collection.

Free Yoga class for adults with Emma Adele

Join local instructor Emma Adele for a free hour long yoga course for all levels (beginner-intermediate) on Tuesday, April 24 at 6:30.  Wear comfortable loose clothing and bring a yoga mat. The library has a couple you can borrow if you don't have one and don't want to commit to purchasing one. Please register online as space is limited.

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Stop Motion Animation workshop

Lights, Camera, Action!

The Dover Public Library invites kids in grade K and up to join us on Saturday, April 14 at 2pm in the Lecture Hall to make short movies using Stop Motion Animation. What is Stop Motion Animation? Stop Motion Animation is a technique used in animation to bring static objects to life on screen. It can be thought of as just a series of still photographs. Objects or puppets are moved and filmed frame by frame to simulate movement. Some examples of movies that used stop motion animation are Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit, and Coraline.
All materials will be provided but feel free to bring any small toys you would like to use in the movies!

Friday, April 06, 2018

"Birds of the White Mountains" with Dr. Steve Hale on April 17 at 7pm


     


     The Friends of the Dover Public Library are pleased to present a slideshow presentation by Steve Hale on “The Birds of the White Mountains” on Tuesday evening, April 17 at 7pm in the library’s Lecture Hall.

      Dr. Stephen Hale is the owner of Open World Explorers, which offers presentations, birding lessons, and naturalist guided tours to New England’s natural landscapes and wildlife. He worked as a bird observer in the White Mountain National Forest and was a regular presenter at the Mount Washington Hotel and The Balsams Resort. He received his doctorate in Natural Resources from UNH following degrees in zoology, marine biology, and ecology from LSU and University of Miami. He hikes and backpacks over 200 miles every year and has observed many wonderful things which he will showcase in his slides. He has also led birdwatching field trips for more than 15 years, usually on foot, but also on snowshoes, cross-country skis or in kayaks or on paddleboards. Steve has lived in New Hampshire over for 20 years, and loves to share his experiences and knowledge with others.
       Steve’s presentation is designed as a virtual tour on a regular hiking trail in the White Mountains and documents both common and uncommon birds from the low-lying valleys to the wetlands to the uppermost northern boreal forest zone. You will experience a most distinctive assemblage of birds, reserved usually for the hardiest of hikers, but enjoyed from the comfort of your chair!
     This presentation is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Dover Public Library at 603-516-6050.



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Wednesday, April 04, 2018

A Search for Justice Monday, April 9th

After 2 snow cancellations (!!), we are thrilled to present "A Search for Justice" a one-man performance by Stephen Collins on Monday, April 9 at 7pm. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, this show will enthrall you!

 

In this performance piece, the audience will hear the words of Abolitionist editor William Lloyd Garrison, and John Brown will tell you why he resorted to violence. Abraham Lincoln will deliver his oration at Gettysburg, and Thomas Hardy and other writers will comment on war and religion.
These historical figures will examine timely issues of social, political, and religious justice. Can justice ever be defined or is it just an abstract concept? What is Truth? How do leaders, both political and religious, use language to motivate or dissuade people? Is violent action ever justified when all else fails? Is there ever be a “just war” or is conflict inherently unjust?
Stephen Collins currently performs eight one-man shows. Receiving rave reviews for over a decade, Mr. Collins’s shows deliver not just the poetry and plays, but bring poets and playwrights to life on the stage. His shows also convey an understanding of the impact and the reactions of the characters to their respective times, giving the audience not just a performance, but an experience. This is the first of three shows Stephen Collins will present at the Dover Public Library: in May 2018 he will perform as the poet Walt Whitman and in November as the renowned American artist James McNeill Whistler.
This program is free and open to all. For more information, please call the Dover Public Library at 603-516-6050.

Monday, April 02, 2018

2018 Peeps Show Contest Winners Announced

The winners of the Ninth Annual Peeps Show contest are:
Kids Division:  Jack and Jill by Dover Children’s Center


Youth Division:
Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets by Marley Clunie


Teen Division:
Peeper Pan by Kyla Hill



Adult Division:

Murder on the Peep Express by Agatha Peepsie
by Jill Nelson, Heidi Henniger, Melissa Polansky and Sue Kelsch

 
Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who participated.
Special thanks to the Friends of the Dover Public Library who generously donated the prizes.