Zippy Listening

There haven’t been many audiobooks out lately that have captured my attention. By sheer good luck I picked up Haven Kimmel’s A Girl Named Zippy. I had been meaning to get around to it for awhile and I finally ran out of audiobooks when the Zippy CD was in. Wow, what was I waiting for???? What a delightful memoir of growing up in small town Indiana during the early 1960’s. It brings back many memories no matter where you grew up. Remember the days when you could hardly wait to get out on your bike and explore the world? And sleepovers where sleeping was the last thing on your mind; hysterical giggling could not be stopped by any number of hissed whispers from annoyed family members. Listening to Doctor Demento, and playing favorite record albums over and over and over again, remember record albums for that matter? Zippy’s happy world is peopled by her beautiful sister Lindy, her obsessive father, her mother who spends her days reading science fiction on the couch, a distant idolized older brother, a peculiar cross-eyed cat called PeeDink, a pet chicken, her friend Julie the fearless farm girl, Dana, the arrogant, exotic girl from California, Rose the perfect, Edythe the strange old lady across the street who hates her, and a crotchety pharmacist amongst other original, charming characters.

Her second memoir, She Got Up Off the Couch, tells the story of how Zippy’s mother finally liberated herself and began going to college. It is just as full of clear- eyedobservations, amusing stories, and unique characters as the first book. Part of the fun of the Zippy experience is in listening to the author’s sweet girlish voice relating her adventures. By the end of the first audiobook that joyful, funny voice will seem like an old friend. If you are not a fan of audiobooks it is well worth reading the two books. They include photos of Zippy and her family which add a whole other dimension to the stories.

For your enjoyment, here is a classic conversation between Zippy and her mother after Lindy mischievously tells Zippy she was adopted.

‘…I jumped up and ran straight in the house to my mother, who was sitting in her corner of the couch, which by this time was a total nest. She was reading Isaac Asimov, the love of her life, and eating popcorn from the night before.

I skidded to a stop in front of her and gave her a look of hardest accusation. Without looking up at me she said, “You should brush that worm stuff off before you come in the house.”

“As if that matters! How could you not tell me I was adopted?! Don’t you think I have a right to know? And who were my real parents anyway?” I was trying to be mature, but periodically spit flew.

“Gypsies, honey.” She still had not looked up from Isaac Asimov Explains the Whole of Reality and Then Some.

“Gypsies? Really? This was somewhat compelling. I sat down.

“Yes, I thought we managed a very wise trade.”

“Gypsies? In Moreland?”

“They were just passing through. We heard them long before they arrived, because their horses and their wagons are all covered with bells. It’s quite lovely. And they were led into town by a pack of wolves, who, during the full moon, stand up and preach.” She looked up for a moment, remembering. “They were such a sight.”

There were at least forty-two questions I needed to ask, but only one that mattered. "What did you trade for me?"

Word of the Day

I was reading Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert when I came across this paragraph. “She was watching him with that speculative look he had noticed earlier. As though she was an entomologist and he was some kind of interesting lepidopteran”.

I don’t know about you, but it really annoys me when I am happily reading along and run smack into a word I am not sure of the meaning of. I used to be a lazy reader and just take a guess at the meaning. You can infer from this paragraph that a lepidopteran must be some sort of bug. But what kind? Enquiring minds want to know. I ran to the Merriam-Webster dictionary for a quick definition and it was as suspected: a lepidopteran is any of a large order (Lepidoptera) of insects comprising the butterflies, moths, and skippers that as adults have four broad or lanceolate wings usually covered with minute overlapping and often brightly colored scales and that as larvae are caterpillars.

I can’t wait to toss that little gem out into conversation.

It is satisfying to continue expanding your vocabulary even when you are done with school or not competing in national spelling bees. Now I just need to check up of hagiography (thank you, New York Times) and spurious.

Dangerous Diseases

The breaking news of a man who is currently being detained by the CDC due to the dangerous strain of tuberculosis he carries reminded me of one of my favorite historical fiction novels about Hawaii. Moloka’i by Alan Brennert does not deal with tuberculosis, it explores the even more stigmatizing diagnosis of leprosy, and how that had the power to destroy lives at a point not so long ago in our nation’s history. Rachel Kaluna was 7 years old when she developed odd lesions on her skin where the nerves had died. Her desperate mother consulted a Hawaiian healer in the hope that the authorities wouldn’t find out. When Rachel was betrayed by her own sister’s angry cry of “leper!” it was not long before the little girl is seized from her family and sent to Molokai, the leper colony. The novel explores not only what is was like to grow up, and fall in love on Molokai but also provides a fascinating study of the colony, and what life was like for the exiled men and women. The little community experiences all the breath taking changes of Americans entering the 20^th century as well as some unique to the isolated island. Compelling and poignant, this is a superb piece of historical fiction.

Summer Hours in Effect

Even though summer does not officially start until June 21st, the Library has switched over to what we refer to as our "summer hours." Our hours are:

Mon-Wed 9am - 8:30pm

Thur - Fri 9am - 5:30pm

Saturday 9am - 1pm

Sunday Closed

And the winners is....

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer has won both the Isinglass and the Flume Awards! The Isinglass Award is a state wide award for 7 & 8 graders. Each year a list of 20 books is selected by a committe, from suggestions by teens, and kids have a year to read the books on the list to get ready to vote in May. The Flume Award is also a state wide award but for teens in grades 9-12. It is similar to the Isinglas, except that the number of books on the list is 13.

If you haven't yet read Twilight is is time that you did! It is a wonderful romance/vampire story--how can you go wrong with a combination like that. This is a series and book two New Moon, is already out, and book 3, Eclipse, is expected in July, but you can put your name on the waiting list now. Here is a description of Twilight:

Deeply sensuous and extraordinarily suspenseful, TWILIGHT captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife-between desire and danger.

Best Historical Fiction of 2006

Booklist Magazine noted in their April 15 issue, "We continue to acknowledge that the renaissance of historical fiction continues unabated...we encourage enjoyment of the following outstanding historical novels reviewed over the past year."

The Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd
Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende
The Scroll of Seduction by Gioconda Belli
The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox
Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund
Redemption by Frederick Turner
Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland

Many of the librarians here at the DPL are avid fans of historical fiction. We noticed the same trend and have developed several bookmarks of recommended historical fiction. Make sure to come in and pick up "If You like English Historical Novels", "2006 Best Historical Fiction" and "Henry VIII and Company". You can also find our bookmarks at our wiki; the Rabid Reader.

Pre-school Education in Dover Booklets

The Children's Room is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the publication of its "Pre-School Education in Dover" booklets. Began in 1977 by our former Children's Librarian, Judy Lindberg, as a hand typed list of information on area pre-schools, the list has evolved into a 50+ page booklet of valuable information on Dover pre-schools and childcare centers.

The recently updated booklet, prefaced with guidelines for choosing a school, has full descriptions of many Dover nursery schools and kindergartens.

Thanks to Barbara Porter, who has updated the booklets for several years, five copies are available for borrowing from the library. You may now also access/download the booklet from our website (click here)!

The Great Stone Face Book Award is Announced

The Great Stone Face Book Award is sponsored by the Children's Librarians of New Hampshire and is given each year to an author whose book receives the most votes from fourth through sixth graders throughout the state. The purpose of the award is to promote reading enjoyment, to increase awareness of contemporary writing, and to allow children to honor their favorite author. Each year the Great Stone Face committee chooses 25 recently published titles, which children then use as a guide for voting. The vote takes place every April during National Library Week, and the winner is announced in May at the New Hampshire Library Association Conference.

And the winner for 2006-07 is ...

The Ghost's Grave
by Peg Kehret

The Great Stone Face brochure that lists the nominees for 2007-08 is now available in the Children's Room and on our website (click here to view).

Teen Reading Alive and Well

Recent market trends have reported that teen book sales are booming--up by a quarter between 1999 and 2005. According to Michael Cart, a leading authority on young adult literature, "Kids are buying books in quantities we've never seen before, and publishers are courting young adults in ways we haven't seen since the 1940s...We are right smack-dab in the new golden age of young adult literature."

Of course teens don't have to go to bookstores to enjoy current fiction, magazines, graphic novels, comics, and poetry just visit your local public library. Here at the Dover Public Library teen reading trends have also been on the rise. Check out the graph below which shows young adult fiction circulation statistics from 1998 to 2006.

Until Next Year

Our 5th Annual Poetry Contest officially came to a close on Tuesday night with our Evening of Poetry. Kids from grades K-12 entertained and amazed the audience with their creative and imaginative poems. Visit our web site to view a list of winners, the full-text of the winning poems, as well as photos from the Evening of Poetry.

Try a Pink Martini

One of the wonderful things about the Library's eclectic music CD collection is that it exposes me to all sorts of fabulous new music. I would not have discovered Amy Winehouse, Jack Johnson, or Paris Cafe music if I had to pay $15 for each CD. It is so easy to grab a handful of CDs just to experiment when they come free from the diverse collection at the Library.

My latest find is Hang On Little Tomato by Pink Martini. Like the Blue Man Group, they are difficult to describe, but not to be missed. They are an unusual group influenced by French, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish music. Although most of the songs are written by the band, you would swear you are listening to an old World War II tune, or a lively Cuban dance song. The title song "Hang on Little Tomato" is sweetly melodic, one of those songs that you actually enjoy lingering in the background of your mind all day. This is one of those rare CDs on which I liked every single song. Visit their website if you would like to listen to a few of their gems or find out more about Pink Martini.

A One-Volume Educational Gem!

I am a Reality TV watcher, I confess. I recently rooted for Yau-man on "Survivor" and I'm pulling for Apollo on "Dancing with the Stars" and Melinda on "American Idol". These guilty pleasures are assuaged by the fact that I usually have a book in my lap while I watch this nonsense. I have irrationally convinced myself it's okay to peer at "Big Brother" (coming in July!) if I also read while I view. I have found the perfect book to complement television drivel.

It's called "The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class" by David S. Kidder & Noah D. Oppenheim. Religious readings were often compiled in books called Daily Devotionals, read once each day for a dose of spiritual guidance. This book calls itself a secular companion in the same tradition. This is a marvelous collection of 365 entries from seven fields of knowledge (history, literature, visual arts, science, music, philosophy, and religion) and they're all things we should know about! Topics explored and explained, on one page each, include things like: the solar system, Gothic art, Catch-22, the placebo effect, the Magna Carta, and the Golden Ratio. Famous people summarized include Plato, Charlemagne, Chekhov, Verdi, Buddha, and Raphael. Classics such as "The Scarlet Letter", Ginsberg's "Howl", "Moby Dick", "Beowulf" and "The Divine Comedy" are given excellent sngle-page synopses.

You are invited to read one page per day for a year, or the reader can skip around and read just the ones that appeal or the ones for which you need enlightenment or review. I tried to read the whole book but admit to skipping even the short, painless explanations of photochemistry, chemical bonds, metalloids, batteries, and the electromagnetic spectrum. No one would ever suspect me of being a scientist!

Not since "An Incomplete Education" by Judy Jones and William Wilson (1st published in 1987 and now in its 3rd edition) has there been such a wonderful autodidactic volume. My one quibble is the book's very small print but even this is understandable. There is just so much information squeezed into this compact volume's 377 pages.

Be sure and read this book before you try out for another of my favorite TV shows: Jeopardy!

Celebration of Poetry

The Library's 5th Annual Poetry Contest will be wrapping up with an Evening of Poetry tomorrow night, Tuesday, May 15th at 6:30pm in the Lecture Hall. All students who participated in the contest are invited to read their poetry at this event, but this will be purely voluntary. The general public is encouraged to come and enjoy the readings. Prizes will be distributed in six different grade categories: K-2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6, 7 & 8, 9 & 10, and 11 & 12. Refreshments will be served.

The following poem was the winning entry in the K-2 category. You will see why we are partial to the poet's subject.

The Library
by Joseph Thompson

Tunnel of imagination
Has to be quiet
Elaborate quietly

Live another life
Isn’t so cool to be yelling
Books, Books, Books, Dictionaries, and more books
Rare tenderness kids peace
A dictionary is not enough
Roll to the adventures
You are the mastermind

French By Heart

French by Heart: An American family’s adventures in La Belle France by Rebecca S. Ramsey

American Rebecca Ramsey had always loved France so she packed up her three young children, an elderly cat, all her household belongings, and followed her husband to a small village in France. Culture shock soon set in. Ben’s first grade teacher speaks only French to him, peanut butter is considered exotic and too rich by the French, Rebecca’s neighbors think nothing of scrutinizing her every move from behind their lace curtains and are not shy about telling her that barefoot Americans are sauvages. Her high school French, spoken with a Southern accent, is not sufficient to get her through everyday life. Her first visit to the bank, like many of her experiences, will have you cringing as well as laughing. But along the way Rebecca discovers a wonderful little antique store that sells furniture refinished with a secret formula that rejuvenates the wood, and the purchaser, she learns the French woman’s knack of accessorizing and being comfortable with who you are, and the neighbor she thought of as the Wicked Witch of the West becomes her friend and counselor. This memoir is full of amusing adventures and misadventures, as well as some observations of the differences between French and American culture that could be useful to those planning visits to France. Don’t pack those running shoes and jeans!

Dover Public Library's Annual Poetry Contest Winners

The Dover Public Library would like to announce the winners of our 5th Annual Poetry Contest. We would like to thank our judges: Janice Alberghene, John Michael Albert, Maria Faskianos, Joseph Nadeau, and Marsha Pelletier.

Category 1: 1^st Place: Joseph Thompson, Grade 1, Garrison School

2^nd Place: Alex Chesley, Grade 2, Saint Mary Academy

3^rd Place: Aiyana Grace Brough, Grade 1, Garrison School

Honorable Mention: Paul Staude, Grade 2, Portsmouth Christian Academy

Category 2: 1^st Place: Lizzie MacEachern, Grade 4, Portsmouth Christian Academy

2^nd Place: Kieran Lombard, Grade 3, Home School
3^rd Place : Kyle Bowers, Grade 4, Garrison School

Honorable Mention: Thomas Vincent, Grade 4, North Hampton School (tie)
Madison Stewart, Grade 4, Garrison School (tie)

Category 3: 1^st Place: Sean Lombard, Grade 6, Home School

2^nd Place: Michelle Poisson, Grade 5, Saint Mary Academy

3^rd Place: Alexander Marshall, Grade 6, Saint Mary Academy

Honorable Mention: Scott Lamoureux, Grade 5, Dover Middle School

Category 4: 1^st Place: Lauren Morrison, Grade 7, Dover Middle School

2^nd Place: Dana Doucet, Grade 7, Dover Middle School

3^rd Place: Maurisa Hale, Grade 7, Saint Mary Academy

Honorable Mention: Cailey White, Grade 7, Dover Middle School (tie)

Roisin Bermingham, Grade 7, Dover Middle School (tie)

Category 5: 1^st Place: Alycia Schramm, Grade 10, Portsmouth Christian Academy

2^nd Place: Katy Sternberger, Grade 10, Portsmouth Christian Academy

3^rd Place: Lizzie Kinney, Grade 9, St. Thomas

Honorable Mention: Jonathan Clayton, Grade 10, Portsmouth Christian Academy

Category 6: 1^st Place: Reina Laaman, Grade 12, Homeschool

2nd Place: Sara Smith, Grade 11, Dover High School

3^rd Place: Taylor Pledger, Grade 12, Nute High School

Honorable Mention: Nikki Childers, Grade 11, Dover High School

Going Anywhere This Summer?

The Library has just received hundreds of 2007 travel books. We have you covered if you want to go to Indonesia, Mexico, Australia, Istanbul, Hawaii, Amsterdam, Ireland, Germany, London, Prague, Paris, Budapest, Naples, Tuscany, Milan, Venice, Madrid, and many other exotic locations.

Don’t forget you are living in a vacation destination. Why not check out a travel guide on Vermont, Maine, Nantucket or New Hampshire? We also have magazines that cover local events and attractions. Take a look at New Hampshire To Do, Portsmouth and Portland magazines. You will find many options for having fun this summer.

The Queen at the Library on Saturday

OK fine the real Queen (shown in the photo with yet another great hat!) has concluded her visit to the United States, but the Library will be showing the movie, The Queen, this Saturday, May 12th at 2:00pm in the Lecture Hall. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress, Dame Helen Mirrren gives a spellbinding performance in The Queen, the provocative story behind one of the most public tragedies of our time--the sudden death of Princess Diana. In the wake of Diana's death, the very private and tradition-bound Queen Elizabeth II (Mirren) finds herself in conflict with the new Prime Minister, the slickly modern and image-conscious Tony Blair.

Why Do You Purchase a Book?

In a survey investigating the book-buying habits of Americans, the advertising firm Spier NY asked 813 people what motivated them to buy a book. Those surveyed could choose more than one answer; the top eight answers are below:

1. Friend's recommendation 49%
2. Familiarity with author 45%
3. Description on jacket 32%
4. Reviews 22%
5. Advertisement 21%
6. Place on bestsellers list 17%
7. Reading Group pick 16%
8. Cover design 12%

For me, there were no surprises on this list.Not asked, but I hope analogous, is what would motivate a library patron to borrow a book. I would also hope that the #1 answer would be Librarian's Recommendation!

Remember that we're not here just to help you find the gross national product of Peru! You are highly encouraged to ask us your "what should I read next" questions too. Mention an author or a genre you've enjoyed and we'll suggest some similar titles you'll like. This service at libraries is called "Readers' Advisory" and it's a part of our job we love to do!!

Thanks, Dover Main Street!

The library grounds received an extreme makeover on Saturday, thanks to volunteers from Dover Main Street's 8th annual "Dover Pride Clean-Up Day". The library was one of nearly 20 sites around the downtown area that were spruced up this weekend by over 300 volunteers. Led by expert gardener Valerie Renaud of Sweet Meadows Flower Shop, the library crew raked and planted and mulched and trimmed all the way from our streetside wooden sign to our front steps to our Children's Room walkway.
And the bulbs that were planted by Main Street volunteers last fall (purchased by the Friends of the Library---thanks, Friends!) are now blooming in the Soldiers' Monument circle. Dozens of daffodils and tulips make a grand entrance to our driveway! The City of Dover's downtown looks glorious thanks to Main Street's efforts on May 5. Dover's Main Street program always does such great things but often struggles to survive financially. The program needs your support and I would urge anyone who's enjoying the springtime scenery to send a small donation to Dover Main Street, 301 Central Avenue. There's not a better way to show your pleasure for downtown beautification. Thanks!!

What American Accent Do You Have?

I bet you think you don’t have an accent but everyone does. Take this simple quiz and it will tell you what region of the U.S. you probably live in. They knew I was from New England even though I don’t have an accent. I am curious to know what results you get. One of our lifelong New England Librarians was told she had a Minnesota accent. Oh yah, you betcha.

$1 BOOKSALE

The Friends of the Library spring mini book sale continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday (unless we run out sooner) with books priced at $1 per bag or box for all you can carry! The library is open this weekend 9-5:30 on Friday, 9-5 on Saturday, and 1-5 on Sunday.

Humanities Council Book Discussion

"Then, what I had waited for pounced on me. The stars went out, and I
fell. Like something come alive, the rope lashed violently against my face
and I fell silently, endlessly into nothingness, as if dreaming of falling. I fell fast, faster than thought, and my stomach protested at the swooping speed of it. I swept down, and from far above I saw myself falling and felt nothing. No thoughts, and all fears gone away. So this is it!"

These are the words of Joe Simpson in his book Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival. Simpson's book recounts the hiking expedition he took with his partner Simon Yates. They had just reached the top of a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes when disaster struck. Simpson plunged off the vertical face of an ice ledge, breaking his leg. In the hours that followed, darkness fell and a blizzard raged as Yates tried to lower his friend to safety. Finally, Yates was forced to cut the rope, moments before he would have been pulled to his own death. Can you imagine having to make the decision to cut the rope? Is this just part of the climbing life that one must be prepared for? Join us at the Dover Public Library on Monday, May 7th to discuss these and other questions surrounding Simpson's book Touching the Void.

Top Best Selling Books of 2006

As listed by Publishers Weekly:

Fiction

For One More Day by Mitch Albom
Cross by James Patterson
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
Next by Michael Crichton
Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris

Non Fiction

Innocent Man by John Grisham
You on a Diet- The Owners Manual for Waist Management by Michael F. Roizen
Marley and Me by John Grogan
Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Culture Warrior by Bill O’Reilley

Children’s Books

The End by Lemony Snicket
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

The Library owns all of these books!

Welcome Neighbors

My neighbor brought home 3000 new pets last night and we were thrilled. Several other neighbors formed a crowd to watch them enter their new home. These are the first honeybee hives in the neighborhood and I was intrigued to see how the new hives were set up. The beekeeper showed us how docile the bees were, hanging together in a big clump. They were still very peaceful after being roughly knocked out of their box and into the hive. She also told us many fascinating facts such as drones have no stingers, and they have extra large eyes so they can spot the queen on her mating flight. She also told us how she has bees intentionally sting her hands to keep her arthritis at bay for at least three weeks. If you would like to learn more about the honeybee, and how to keep them, take a look at:

A Book of Bees by Sue Hubbell

Sweetness and Light: the mysterious history of the honeybee by Hattie Ellis

I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree

We have had many questions about the beautiful trees covered in white blooms on the Library lawn. They are Star Magnolia trees (Magnolia stellata). They smell as wonderful as they look. Looking for more tree identification? Why not take a look at Trees by Allen Coombes? This handy book is loaded with helpful illustrations of leaves, blossoms, berries and nuts from trees from around the world.

Friends of the Dover Public Library Booksale starts this weekend!

The book sale begins Saturday, April 28th at 9AM in the Library’s Lecture Hall (for all adult materials) and in the downstairs corridor alongside the Children’s Room (for kids’ books). Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the sale will feature thousands of hardcover and paperback books and plenty of videotapes, books on CD and books on tape at bargain prices ranging from $.50 and up. All items for sale will be on tables, convenient for easy browsing.

This popular sale, filled with tremendous bargains, runs through Sunday, May 6th. Prices will be discounted every two days until Friday, May 4th when prices are slashed to $1.00 for each bag or boxful of books! This is a great opportunity to stock up on plenty of books for those lazy days at the beach.

Don't Turn to Crime, Check Out Our Graphic Novel Collection

Graphic Novelist Brian K. Vaughan, joking after winning a Young Adult Literacy Services Association (YALSA) award:

"If libraries had been cool enough to carry graphic novels when I was a
kid, I never would have had to turn to petty crime to afford my expensive comics habit."

Don't turn to crime, come to the Dover Public Library and check out our HUGE collection of graphic novels--almost 600 to date!

A Beautiful Building

The Library often has visitors from around the country. They marvel at our surroundings, murmuring “What a beautiful building!” They notice the handsome woodwork, the oak columns that flank the entrance to the front rooms, the elaborate ceiling moldings and trim, the mullioned windows, and the fireplaces in the Reference Room and Browse Room.Then, invariably they ask, “Was this a house, a private mansion?”

The Library is a classic example of a Carnegie Library. If you walk into the Rochester Public Library, another Carnegie design, you would feel right at home. There are many similarities, although both buildings have been renovated and modernized. The Dover Public Library was built by the citizens of Dover, with a little help from Andrew Carnegie, in 1905. Next time you come in, make sure to notice all the wonderful architectural details.

Food for Thought

From Dog Years: a memoir by Mark Doty.

“One of the unspoken truths of American life is how deeply people grieve over animals who live and die with them, how real that emptiness is, how profound the silence is these creatures leave in their wake. Our culture expects us not only to bear these losses alone, but to be ashamed of how deeply we feel them.”

Part-time Library Assistant Needed

Part-time Library Assistant needed at the Adult Circulation Desk. Average 20-25 HOURS per week, including some mornings, afternoons, evenings, plus some Saturday and Sunday hours, with fewer weekend hours in the summer.

We are looking for an energetic person with a wide knowledge of books and authors, an avid personal reading habit, well-developed customer service skills, and familiarity with basic computer technology to work at our busy Adult Circulation Desk. Previous public library experience is a definite plus.

Duties include checking library materials in and out, registering new borrowers, reshelving library materials, answering the telephone, providing guidance to patrons in locating library materials, providing guidance in the use of computer workstations and equipment such as photocopiers and microfilm; assisting patrons with Internet access, and performing basic maintenance of computers and printers. The pay range is $11.15--$15.16 per hour. Application CLOSING DATE: May 10, 2007

Benefits include vacation, holiday and sick leave on a proportional basis.

Applications can be picked up at Dover City Hall or downloaded at http://www.ci.dover.nh.us/citymanager/Jobs/New%20Employment%20Application.pdf. Completed applications must be returned to the Office of the City Manager.

A Treatise: "Why We Love You for Offering, but Why We Cannot Let Volunteers Do Story Hours"

You may have heard that, due to city budget cuts, we have been directed to lay off our Children’s Librarian, one of two full-time positions in that department. This has forced us to cancel our Monday morning story time (one of seven weekly sessions).
Several kind and generous patrons have come forward since this announcement, offering to fill in and do that story hour. Most have kids of their own, or grandchildren, some are former teachers, now stay-at-home moms. All of these people have certainly read their share of stories aloud to eager young listeners.
One young woman volunteered for this task because, she said, she remembered how her attendance at our story hours twenty years ago impacted her life. She told us that, on one occasion, she snuck out of house and walked to the library despite her mother’s insistence that she couldn’t attend that week because of her bronchitis. So you see, story hours are among the most important things we do.

While we fully appreciate the sentiment of these story-hour volunteers and applaud their generosity of spirit, there are a multitude of reasons why we cannot accept their noble propositions.

1.) Story Hour is just that. One hour in a small room with 20-22 wiggly preschoolers, no parents allowed. It takes a great “handler” to manage the group; to understand how to gently guide group behavior; to know when the kids need to get up and move around; to trigger their need to verbalize, sing, stomp, or occasionally even yell.
2.) For many young children, this may be among their first group activities without Mom or Dad present. It’s a progressive learning experience as their weeks in the group progress: socialization and friendships with other children develop, listening skills improve, and independent behavior grows in this new situation. Some are shy, others are outgoing and it takes many skills to bring everyone along happily.
3.) Our Children’s Room story team takes great care to plan, months in advance, for each session. A theme is selected (e.g. ducks or snow or gardens) for each week’s stories and potential titles are debated and finally chosen. The staff then virtually memorizes the text in each book so that they’re not “reading”, they’re holding the book up, facing the children, so that the kids can see the illustrations.
4.) Interspersed among the stories are a variety of extra activities: these may include a simple snack (e.g. Teddy Grahams during the teddy bear theme), a related short film based on a book (e.g “The Snowy Day”), a flannel board story, a craft (e.g. making a crown during royalty-themed week), or even planting some seeds.
5.) Singing and dancing is also a prerequisite. Familiar tunes, finger plays, sing-a-longs, and creative movement are a part of every story hour. Our storytellers must also be actors and minstrels.
6.) What happens after story hour is also very important. Over the course of each six-week session, the story-giver learns about each child and also gets to know their parent. This librarian, based also on her knowledge of children’s literature and pre-literacy building blocks, is then better able to suggest appropriate and enjoyable take-home books for each child, and provides a familiar face at the desk each time that child visits the library.

It’s for these reasons that the Dover Public Library Children’s Room has waiting lists for its story hours. These are the reasons we have people standing in line on registration day. Our story hours are quality productions, a little bit theater, a little bit magic, a lot about keeping children enthralled with books and turning them into lifetime library users.
It’s for these reasons that we don’t embrace the idea of “Drop-In” story times as happens at the big-box bookstores. We prefer to put our efforts into more personalized “high-touch” (and we hope “high-impact”) storytelling sessions. It’s because they’re well-planned, well-rehearsed, and professionally done by our multi- talented Children’s Room’s staff that we cannot use just anyone to tell the stories we want to tell.

If you would like to help in another way, the Children’s Room could use volunteers for some behind-the-scenes work, especially with craft preparations. If you can help on a weekly, regular basis, a couple hours at a time, and don’t mind “running with scissors”, please speak to one of the Children’s Room staff!

Are You Prepared?

My neighborhood was flooded this weekend. There was great disparity in the level of preparedness from house to house. Some neighbors had generators, sump pumps, and plenty of food on hand. Others sat in the dark or asked better supplied neighbors for milk. As these “hundred year” storms seem to be hitting us almost every year, more and more people are preparing for them. One thing many of us have not done is to document our possessions. If you are unfortunate enough to have your home flooded or damaged you will be in a much better position to recoup your losses if you have performed a home inventory. It’s not as painful as you might think. You can use a video camera or digital camera to show all the items in a room. You can narrate on video the value of items. The Insurance Information Institute has set up a helpful website where you can download free software to help you perform a home inventory. If you have some family heirlooms you want to find the worth of, the library has quite a few antique and collectibles price guides.

The Spellman Files

If you are looking for something just plain fun to read, try The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz. People Magazine describes it perfectly as Dirty Harry meets Harriet the Spy. Izzy Spellman comes from a family of private detectives. Her little sister’s hobby, perhaps obsession is a better word, is surveillance. Izzy’s mom performs background checks on potential boyfriends, her dad bugs her bedroom. No secret is safe from the relentless family snooping. When Izzy finally meets a nice normal man she tries to reform her investigative instincts and act like a regular person so she pretends to be a tweed skirt, twin set wearing teacher. Can she get her wacky family to behave so she can snare the dentist of her dreams? Parts of this were funny enough to make me laugh out loud. Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series will enjoy this.

Climate Change 101 Lecture Rescheduled

Due to yesterdays weather, the Climate Change 101 Lecture was cancelled. Fortunately we were able to reschedule it for Monday, April 23, 7pm: “Climate Change 101 and What You Can Do (or How I Lost 20,000 Pounds and You Can Too!)"Our climate is changing are all around us: glaciers and polar ice caps are melting, sea levels are rising, heat waves, extreme storms, or droughts occur more often, and more species are becoming endangered. While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless to do anything, Julia Dundorf and Denise Blaha, program directors of the NH Carbon Challenge at UNH, will supply all the information necessary to make small changes in your household that will substantially reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. Learn about the Carbon Challenge and pledge to lose 20,000 pounds (of carbon that is)!

Kiplinger's picks Librarianship as "Great Career"

A recent (April 6) article by Marty Nemko at www. kiplinger.com is titled "7 Great Careers for 2007". Along with four health occupations (orthodontist, optometrist, audiologist, and physician assistant) are the diverse jobs of higher education admininstrator, landscape architect, and LIBRARIAN. Nemko says, "Forget about the image of a librarian as mousy bookworm. Today's librarian is a high-tech information sleuth, a master of mining cool databases (well beyond Google) to unearth the desired nuggets. Plus you'll probably have regular hours and good job security."
We appreciate the listing, but please notice he doesn't mention the high levels of compensation for librarians as he does for some of the other careers on his list. Believe me, no one chooses this profession to get rich!
Also off the mark is his remark about job security. While this used to be true, many municipalities are strapped by rising costs and are cutting jobs as evidenced right here in Dover if you saw last night's headlines in Foster's Daily Democrat. A planned reduction-in-force here will see us lose a 40 hour position in our Children's Room next month.

National Library Week programs coming!!

National Library Week, April 15-21, is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries, librarians and library workers and to promote library use and support. There are several special programs scheduled at the Dover Public Library:

Ø Monday, April 16, 7pm: “Climate Change 101 and What You Can Do (or How I Lost 20,000 Pounds and You Can Too!)"
Our climate is changing are all around us: glaciers and polar ice caps are melting, sea levels are rising, heat waves, extreme storms, or droughts occur more often, and more species are becoming endangered. While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless to do anything, Julia Dundorf and Denise Blaha, program directors of the NH Carbon Challenge at UNH, will supply all the information necessary to make small changes in your household that will substantially reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. Learn about the Carbon Challenge and pledge to lose 20,000 pounds (of carbon that is)!

Ø Wednesday, April 18, 7pm: “The Coming of Aging: Learning to Live from the Inside Out"
Hear how Jean Shula, author of the book, “The Coming of Aging”, completed a year’s cross-country camping journey, facing unfamiliar situations and integrating past and present with the valuable lessons that only come as we age. The richest experiences of life come with maturity, which translates into collective wisdom. If youth is a time for learning about the world and how to maneuver in it, growing maturity is about learning to honor the interior lessons learned. Jean spent 20 years as a psychotherapist and hospice co-director before taking her camping sabbatical. She currently lives in Dover, pursuing her new career as writer, speaker, workshop leader, Transitional Life Coach and grandmother.

Ø Thursday, April 19, 7pm: “Life at the Lincoln House 1916--1921”, a Dover Historical Society program by William Minnick
Travel back 90 years to when Mr. Minnick’s grandfather, John F. Minnick, lived in the grand Corporation House (aka the Lincoln House) on Locust Street. John Minnick was the Agent for the Cocheco Division of the Pacific Mills, and he and his wife and their four children lived in the Agent’s house during his tenure as chief executive of the mills. The program will include stories, photographs, and reminiscences passed on in the Minnick family.

All programs are free and open to the public.

How Long Will You Live?

I was watching CNN this morning when they did a health segment with Dr. Sanjay Gupta called “Chasing Life”. Dr. Gupta was talking about research being done on longevity. You can use an online calculator to find out how long you are likely to live. After you take the quiz you can also get personalized feedback on what you can do to extend your lifespan. Did you know that not flossing your teeth inevitably leads to inflamed gums? Chronic inflammation leads to the release of inflammatory substances into the bloodstream that can clog the arteries. You may also want to look at Dr Gupta’s new book Chasing Life: new discoveries in the search for immortality to help you age less today.

The Wayward Muse by Elizabeth Hickey

Just finished a great book that I just had to let you all know about, it is The Wayward Muse by Elizabeth Hickey. It is the story of Jane Burden, considered one of the plainest and ugliest girls on Holywell Street, an Oxford slum, in 19th century England. It would be a tall order for Jane to marry well with this dubious distinction, as well as coming from an extremely poor family. A fortuitous visit to the theater with her sister Bessie leads Jane to be discovered by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, a famous, and scandalous, painter, who today is known as one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Rossetti sees through her coarse hair and severe expression to proclaim her “the most beautiful girl in Oxford. Maybe in all of England.” She begins modeling for him and they soon begin a passionate affair (to the right is a painting he did of Jane). When Rossetti leaves abruptly, with no plans to return, Jane is heartbroken, and marries one of Rossetti’s friends, William Morris, who is known today as the Father of the Arts and Crafts Movement, and they have a passionless, but stable marriage. Very entertaining quick read, with an appealing blend of history, art, and romance.

This book started me thinking about friendships amongst famous people like Rossetti and William Morris. Most of their circle of friends went on to become artists of some distinction. And there are other famous friends such as Truman Capote and Harper Lee, who were childhood friends, Emile Zola and Paul Cezanne, Thoreau and Emerson, Tolkien and Lewis, the list could go on. Is this just coincidence or do people these people inspire each other to do great things? Hmmm...I think it is a bit of both, but what do you think?

Climate Change 101 and What You Can Do

Get ready for this April’s Earth Day by attending a special program at the Library: “Climate Change 101 and What You Can Do”. This program will be held Monday, April 16th at 7pm in the Library’s Lecture Hall. Pick up a newspaper, scan the Internet, or turn on the TV and you’re bound to find something on climate change. Indicators that our climate is changing are all around us: in reports of glaciers and polar ice caps melting, rising sea levels, record heat waves and droughts, endangered species, and more extreme and frequent storms. Faced with a global problem, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless to do anything. “Climate Change 101” will give you the information you need to make small changes in your household that will substantially reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. Take the Carbon Challenge today and pledge to lose 10,000 pounds (of carbon that is)!

Pig Candy - It's a Good Thing

If you don't know what Pig Candy is then just go back to whatever you were doing. But if this delicacy is familiar to you, then today is your lucky day!

At least once a month we conduct an informal survey, (usually late in the afternoon when we're hungry) of the library staff and anyone else who might be standing around about the merits or lack-there-of, of Pig Candy. Usually, we all answer about the same way, "oh, I wouldn't make it, but I would probably try it if someone else made it." Well, today someone else is making it and it is none other than Martha Stewart herself, the Goddess of All Things Good. Oh sure, she doesn't call it Pig Candy, she calls it Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon - la dee dah - but fans of Jill Conner Browne and her Sweet Potato Queens will not be fooled. "Hey, Martha just because you add a pinch of pepper doesn't change the fact that this is Pig Candy, and you have given it a big thumbs up." It's the official "good things" decree we have been waiting for.

So, if you can't catch Martha today you can find the recipe for Pig Candy on page 120 of The Sweet Potato Queens' Big Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner) by Jill Conner Browne. Or, you can just call the library. We all know it by heart, not that we would ever make it ourselves, but if someone were to bring us some , we would probably try it.

A Hint from Heloise

In last night's paper, there was a "Dear Heloise" letter from a woman in Georgia, regaling services at her local library. It seems she can place holds on books she wants by going to the library's online catalog at their web site. The library then sends her an email notice when the books are ready for pick up. The woman called this "a great hint for your [Heloise's] readers."
Heloise replied, "Aren't libraries wonderful? They offer a wealth of information, and it's not just books---CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes and more are available for everyone to use. Most libraries have computers that patrons can use as well."

The other letters to Heloise concerned how to fluff your pillows in the dryer, how to clean your cheese grater with an old toothbrush, and how to make comfortable shoe insoles from an old mouse pad. Useful, perhaps little-known tips that readers might be surprised to hear about. Although I was pleased to see libraries praised, I also had some feelings of ambivalence. Doesn't everyone already know these facts about their public library? Apparently not. This woman was inspired to let everyone know her "insiders tip" through the Heloise column. It struck me that this was like saying, "Did you know that your local supermarket has bread and milk?" No one needs to hear that because it's such common knowledge. Placing holds online and getting an email notice is also quite routine in libraries.

Why did this woman feel the need to share her hint about libraries? Probably because she feels she's discovered a wonderful secret that others should know about. Libraries tend to be insular places, often content to please the regular customer base without reaching out to recruit new ones to our POW! ZOWIE! (highly marketable and wonderful) services, programs and collections. We have failed to market our services to the fullest, mainly because few of us have any money for advertising budgets or public relations staff. How many people still think we only just have books?

That's one of the reasons for this blog, to tell the world about the 21st century library and all it has to offer. We're actually curious about you, our blog readers. Are you just other librarians? customers? curious non-users of libraries? Do me a favor and leave a comment. Simply state: "librarian", "patron", or whatever! Feel free to offer us any suggestions for further publicizing library programs, services and collections.

Pick A Bouquet of Bookmarks

Readers seem to really be enjoying our bookmarks with suggested readings for topics as diverse as Historical Fiction, Forensic Fiction, James Herriott, Carl Hiaasen and John Grisham readlikes, so we have made up some new ones for you. Be sure to pick up the new “If you like James Patterson try” and “If you like Nicholas Sparks try” bookmarks.

Most of our bookmarks are also available in online catalog.