That Silly Tiger

I brought home yet another bagful of picture books for my son last night--thank goodness for the library! When we read The Tiger Who Came for Tea by Judith Kerr I was shocked at his reaction--uncontrollable falling down gasping for air giggling. It is rather cute when the tiger drinks directly from the teapot, but I didn't expect that kind of reaction. It was extremely satisfying to see him enjoying a book so much, but I was a bit jealous because I couldn't remember when I've had that kind of strong reaction to a book. David Sedaris does make me laugh out loud (though I have never fallen over), and on the flip-side Book Thief by Markus Zusak made me cry like a baby, but it just doesn't seem the same. Am I in a book rut? What books have you reacted strongly to? I'd love to hear from you.

Hidden Talents

I bet you didn't know that the Circulation Librarians are break-dancing fools. If you haven't caught one of their impromptu performances at the Circulation Desk, take a look here for some Christmas cheer.

Damned by Faint Praise

One of my co-workers made me laugh with her latest book review. We were talking about The Magicians by Lev Grossman, which was a huge literary hit this summer but met with mixed reviews here at the DPL. Her assessment was brief, "I didn't hate it."

Don't you just want to run out and read it now?

You Could Win a Twilight Basket

Enter the raffle to win this lovely gold gift basket with all four books in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Just fill out a slip at the Circulation Desk and drop it in the box by the basket. Its free and you could make someone very happy with this gift!

Ho, Ho, Ho

Join us this Saturday, Dec. 5 at 2:00pm for a showing of the movie Four Christmases. The movie stars Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn as an upscale, happily unmarried San Francisco couple who find themselves socked in by fog on Christmas morning, their exotic vacation plans morph into the family-centric holiday they had, until now, gleefully avoided. Out of obligation--and unable to escape--they trudge to not one, not two, but four relative-choked festivities, increasingly mortified to find childhood fears raised, adolescent wounds reopened... and their very future together uncertain.

All of our movies are free and open to the public. Click here to view a complete list of movies we will be showing.

Friends of the Library Christmas Booksale!

The Friends of the Dover Public Library will be holding a one-week Christmas Book and Gift Sale from December 14-18 adjacent to the library’s Main Desk.
A large selection of holiday-themed books will be available, priced from $1.00 to $3.00, and includes Christmas stories, decorating ideas and cookbooks. A varied assortment of Christmas music and carols on CD will also be for sale at just $1.00 each.
In addition, sturdy canvas “Dover Public Library” bookbags, Dover notecards, and 1888 reprint Dover maps are available and would make great gifts or stocking stuffers.
The Friends of the Dover Public Library always welcome new members to join their organization ($10 annually; or $7 for seniors). The group’s next meeting is Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 1pm in the Library Lecture Hall.

Cormac McCarthy's Typewriter Up for Auction

I just read in a New York Times article that Cormac McCarthy's Olivetti Lettera typewriter, the one that he wrote all of his writings to date on, is being auctioned off. "I HAVE TYPED ON THIS TYPEWRITER EVERY BOOK I HAVE WRITTEN INCLUDING THREE NOT YET PUBLISHED" Apparently after 46 years of use it is "showing signs of age." Cheap thing! So if you are still looking for that perfect holiday present for the literary type on your list look no further. The Christie's auction will take place this Friday, and they believe it will fetch between $15,000 and $20,000. Have no fear though Mr. McCarthy has a practically brand new Olivetti Lettera typewriter, and so the writing will continue.

Last Chance to Check Out Children's Books

The Children's Room is preparing to close for their new carpeting. There are still some Children's materials available for check out today. Bluebeary looks very sad that he won't be having any visitors tomorrow but the Children's librarians are hoping they will be able to open again Thursday afternoon. Please call before you come visit if you are planning on coming in Thursday!

Happy Thanksgiving

The Library will be closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. The Library will be open from 9 - 5 on Saturday. Happy Thanksgiving!

Multi-tasking

I was at the grocery store Sunday afternoon and was amused to see several children being wheeled through the aisles in those super long grocery carts busily reading books and even doing homework! I wish I could read a book while grocery shopping. Anybody else spotted kids reading while moms shop?

National Book Award Winners Announced!

National Book Foundation recently announced the 2009 National Book Award recipients and the winners are...

Fiction:

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

Non-fiction:

The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles

Poetry:
Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy by Keith Waldrop

Young People's Literature:
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose

What's Happening?

Skitter & Skatter, the library gerbils, are wondering what is going on in the Children's Room. The Folk & Fairy Tale books that surround their home are all boxed up and stacked around them. They seem to be thinking, "Are we next?". Well, they don't have to worry. Their home is on a built-in shelf that does not need to be moved for the new carpets to be installed. They can sit back, relax and have a front row seat to the action.
The Children's Room will be closed for a couple of days during the week of November 30th while the movers and carpet installers are here.

Remember, you can help us out by borrowing 10 books (or more) before the move (the less we have to pack, the better!).

I am NOT making this up!

The library staff has been working extremely hard this week, staying ahead of the furniture movers who are staying ahead of the carpet installers. If you hadn't heard, we are getting 15,000 square feet of new carpeting! Our staff's job is to remove all the books from the bookshelves, relocate them to another area, then move the items back to those bookshelves when the new carpet is in place. It's been a lot of lifting, shifting, and shelving! So, as I was inspecting the newly laid carpet in the Lecture Hall, a glint of color caught my eye. There was a small book tucked behind one of the baseboards, right in the area where we'd just concluded the annual booksale: the children's book section, to be precise. I pulled the book out from behind the heating unit. And this "Golden Book" is what I found. Look at the title! Isn't that so very timely and extremely weird at the same time? Is it a sign?

Strange Goings On in the Library

I heard some peculiar noises upstairs after the carpeting installers left. When I went to investigate I could not believe my eyes. This is what happens when Librarians are so deliriously happy to get new carpeting- they make carpet angels.

Don't Miss Our Free Saturday Matinee!

This Saturday, Nov. 21st @ 2:00pm we will be showing Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure in the Lecture Hall. This movie is rated G so it is perfect for the entire family. As always this is free and open to the public. Here is the description of the movie:

Tinker Bell's greatest adventure yet takes place in Autumn, as the fairies are on the mainland changing the colors of the leaves, tending to pumpkin patches, and helping geese fly south for the winter. The rare Blue Moon will rise, and when its light passes through the magical Fall Scepter that Tinker Bell has been summoned to create, Pixie Hollow's supply of pixie dust will be restored. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right.

Upstairs Carpeting Update

Before

During

After

Fiction Twice-Removed

What do you call a popular new novel written by a fictional TV character? Heat Wave by "Richard Castle"! Although this literary device has been tried in the past by "Jessica Fletcher" and "Columbo" as "authors" of detective novels, it's never achieved the success of the new "Nikki Heat" series, based on ABC's "Castle" TV show. The premise of the television series is that author "Richard Castle", played by actor Nathan Filion, is writing a new mystery series based on the NYPD cases of "Det. Kate Beckett" and that's why he trails her around on murder investigations. "Heat Wave" has been incorporated into the show's plots this season, culminating in a book launch party on the October 19 episode. Actor Nathan Filion recently autographed 500 books as "Richard Castle" at a Borders in Northridge, CA and the novel, called "witty" and "fast-paced" by reviewers, is on several bestseller lists. Fiction begets fiction begets fiction!

Amazon's Hot Seller---the Kindle

Publishers Weekly (10/26/09) reports that the Kindle is now Amazon's best-selling item, and that sales at Amazon rose 28% (to $5.45 billion) in their third quarter. Amazon is optimistic about the 4th quarter of 2009 as well and sees no signs of sales slowing down.

Sometime in November, Amazon is due to release free downloads of "Kindle for PC", an e-reading app that will allow consumers to download Kindle e-books to a Windows-based PC and to read them on the PC. While the app will allow Kindle owners to read their previously purchased Kindle titles on their PC, it will also allow anyone with a PC to buy and download Kindle e-books directly to their PCs.

The Carpeting Project Has Commenced

Installers are hard at work tearing up the old carpet, revealing the hidden wood floors. I have been told that long ago when the Dover High School was next door, they used to hold classes in the Library and it sounded like a herd of elephants when all those teenage feet walked across wood floors!

We Need You! Please borrow 10 children's books!

The Dover Public Library is getting new carpeting! All the contents of the Children’s Room need to be packed and moved out for a few days, including about 20,000 books. We are asking our patrons to lend a hand by borrowing at least 10 children’s books before the move.
Library staff are asking for approximately 2,000 cardholders to visit the Children’s Room and checkout ten (or more if you wish!) books before Thanksgiving. If this can happen, we won’t have to pack, box and store all the books! In return, the books checked out will not be due for one month and there will be no fines on any Children’s Room items becoming overdue in December.
The Dover Public Library has over 26,000 cardholders; so if just 10% of our borrowers can help us out by taking 10 books home, we’ll have no books to pack, no boxes to lift, and can provide you with an ample supply of children’s books for your family to read at leisure. Please call the Children’s Room, 516-6052, for more information, and thanks for your help!

Things Librarians Think Are Cool

We were so taken with these floating bookshelves that we had to share them with you. They would not be practical, nor would they fit in at our Carnegie library; but floating bookshelves, how cool is that?
We have no affiliation with the company that makes these shelves, and this is not an endorsement of the product, we just thought it was a neat idea and you might enjoy seeing it.

Saturday Matinee

Join us this Saturday, November 14th at 2:00pm in the Library Lecture Hall for the movie UP. This is an animated comedy that is rated PG. Here is a description of the movie: Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Junior Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.

This event is free and open to the public.

Where Have All the Books gone?

The big move to prepare for carpeting has commenced. You can still help us by checking out lots of materials and keeping them at your home until we are finished. To make this easier for you we are changing due dates; DVDs now go out for 14 days starting this week. Items in the Children's Room can be checked out for 30 days. No overdue fines will be charged for items from the adult collection from November 16 through November 28. No fines will be charged on Children's materials due in the month of December.

The Library Will Be Closed November 11th

The Library Will Be Closed Wednesday, November 11th, in honor of Veterans Day.

Acupuncture Lecture at the Library

Join us on Tues., Nov. 17, 2009 at 7:00pm in the Library Lecture Hall for a lecture on Acupuncture in the United States with Alice Meattey. The lecture will cover a brief general history of acupuncture and the history, in particular, in the United States and in New Hampshire. She will explain various theories of how acupuncture works and will demonstrate the actual needling process. A sharp question and answer will follow!

Alice Meattey is an acupuncturist, nationally certified and licensed in both New Hampshire and Maine. She is a graduate of The City College of New York and a 1991 graduate of the New England School of Acupuncture in Newton, Massachusetts. Alice was the chairperson of a group that worked to license acupuncturists in New Hampshire, and she has been a member of the New Hampshire Board of Acupuncture Licensing since 1997. She lives in Dover with her long-haired dachshund, Rudy.

Attention Dog-Lovers

Three really enjoyable books have come out lately that are sure to appeal to dog lovers. Dean Koontz has written about his beloved Trixie, a Golden Retriever who retired from being an service dog and became the light of his life. Trixie's antics in Big Little Life: a memoir of a joyful dog are sure to win you over.

Fans of James Herriot may enjoy Bruce Coston's Ask the Animals. The book covers his years at veterinary school and cases from his practices in Pennsylvania and Virginia. The story of dogs, cats, and their owners are amusing and touching.

Dogtown, a no kill shelter in Utah famous enough to have its own popular television show on the National Geographic channel, now also has a book written about it. Dogtown: tales of rescue, rehabilitation and redemption by Stefan Bechtel highlights some of the desperate, touching cases that have come through their doors. Victims of pet hoarders, war, Katrina, and cruelty all find a loving home at Dogtown. Knightly, the grieving Weimaraner who lost his home and his family when his elderly owners couldn't care for him anymore is a story that you won't soon forget.

I enjoyed all three books, but especially Big Little Life. Trixie is a memorable character, and the depth of the love she and Dean shared is evident in every word. He also captures the charming goofiness that highlights life in any household that has a Golden Retriever in it. I highly recommend listening to this on CD, Dean Koontz narrates which adds an extra dimension.

HELP US PACK!

We need to clear the Children's Room for new carpeting.

BORROW AS MUCH CHILDREN'S MATERIAL AS YOU LIKE BETWEEN NOW AND THANKSGIVING AND IT WON'T BE DUE FOR A MONTH!

BONUS: no fines on children's materials that become overdue in December.

Rob Pattinson on a Stick

It was late Tuesday night and we were busy closing the Library when I noticed a man lurking in the Teen Loft. It gave me quite a turn because I didn't think anyone was in the mezzanine. When I looked more closely I realized it was Rob Pattinson's sweet face staring back at me, not moving. For those of you without teenage girls in the family, and untouched by the Twilight novels hysteria, I will explain that Rob Pattinson is the actor who plays Edward Cullen in Twilight.

The next day I asked our Teen Librarian about it and she explained one of the teen magazines had published a Rob Pattinson poster and suggested using it for a Halloween mask. She craftily put Rob on a stick and placed him in a book in the Teen Loft. Since then he has mysteriously been moving all around the Teen Loft. She never knows where she will find him next.

Best Books of 2009

We haven't even finished 2009, and already the best books lists are coming out. Publishers Weekly and Amazon have both released their lists. There is only one book they chose in common, Stitches by David Small. The Library will not be releasing our Librarians' Choice list until January so you will have to wait for that one! What do you think of their choices?

Looking for Some Good Historical Fiction?

Look no farther than Grace Hammer: A Novel of the Victorian Underworld by Sara Stockbridge. I swept away by the story of Grace, a skillful thief, who is supporting her four young children quite nicely by thieving in the Whitechapel area of London. This novel has frequently been compared to Charles Dickens' books. There are similarities; a large cast of quirky characters with unusual names, and the squalor of London is vivid. "She is a sly piece of work, Mrs. Mirabel Trotter, like a great flabby toad lurking under a dank rock, staring out from the gloom at her dinner."

Grace's easy life is threatened by the hulking, violent Mr. Blunt, from whom she had stolen a large ruby necklace at the beginning of her career. Will she be betrayed or saved by her vast circle of friends and acquaintances amongst the prostitutes, thieves, fences, and drunkards that inhabit the squalor of London in 1888. The many twists and turns through atmospheric 19th century England make it a very interesting journey to find the answer.

WE'RE MOVING....

...furniture, books, computers!

The library is getting new carpeting beginning mid-November and we need you to help us clear out.

This project may possibly last through mid-December and will inevitably cause some interruptions to our services and some inconvenience to you when some sections of the library are closed. Therefore we will be extending our borrowing periods for various materials in the library as they become inaccessible: we want you to hold on to them as long as possible so we don't have to pack and move them. So that you won't incur fines during the disruptions we will also charge no fines for items from the adult collections from November 16 -28, and no fines for items from the children's section for the month of December. While the Children's Room is being carpeted it will be closed for a few days.

Do You Dare?

Halloween has come early to the Library....

Remembering Wax Candy

Another candy themed post in honor of Halloween, from Bill Bryson's memorable and amusing "Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid". Bill reminisces about the candies he loved as a child in the 1950s.

"Perhaps nothing says more about the modest range of pleasures of the age than that the most popular candies of my childhood were made of wax. You could choose among wax teeth, wax pop bottles, wax barrels, and wax skulls, each filled with a small amount of colored liquid that tasted very much like a small dose of cough syrup. You swallowed this with interest if not exactly gratification then chewed the wax for the next ten or eleven hours. Now you might think there is something wrong with your concept of pleasure when you find yourself paying real money to chew colorless wax, and you would be right of course. But we did it and enjoyed it because we knew no better. and there was, it must be said, something good, something healthily restrained, about eating a product that had neither flavor or nutritive value."

Story Time @ DPL

Registration for their next session of story times for Dover children will begin on Monday, November 2.
Registration will be divided into two parts:

For 3-6 year-olds there are three different times to choose from:
Monday afternoon 1:30—2:15
Monday night 7:00—7:45
Tuesday morning 9:30—10:15

*Sign-up for the 3-6 year-olds begins at 9:00a.m. in the Children’s Room.
Phone call registration begins at 9:15a.m.
This 45-minute program (attended by the children only) includes stories, finger plays, songs and puppets. A theme related craft or film is also offered during each session.

For 2-year-olds (Toddlers) there are 3 different times to choose from:
Wednesday morning 9:30—10:30
Thursday morning 9:30—10:30
Friday morning 9:30—10:30

*Sign-up begins at 6:00p.m. in the Children’s Room for the toddler groups.
Phone call registration begins at 6:15p.m.
Toddler programs (attended by the children along with their parent or care-giver) include stories, finger plays and songs selected for a two-year-old’s developmental level.

Story times will begin the week of November 9 and continue for 5 weeks.

David Sedaris on Halloween

Remember when you went trick or treating? The joy of dumping out a full bag of candy, sorting it into piles of favorite candies (Snickers, peanut butter cups) and undesirable candies to be swapped with siblings or friends (peppermint patties, lollipops). David Sedaris remembers, and he is at his hilarious best in Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Enjoy a brief excerpt below:

I knew that it was just a matter of time before she came into my room and started collecting the candy herself, grabbing indiscriminately, with no regard to my rating system. Had I been thinking straight, I would have hidden the most valuable items in my dresser drawer, but instead, panicked by the thought of her hand on my doorknob, I tore off the wrappers and began cramming the candy bars into my mouth, desperately, like someone in a contest. Most were miniature, which made them easier to accommodate, but still there was only so much room, and it was hard to chew and fit more in at the same time. The headache began immediately, and I chalked it up to tension.

My mother told the Tomkeys she needed to check on something, and then she opened the door and stuck her head inside my room. "What the hell are you doing?" she whispered, but my mouth was too full to answer. "I'll just be a moment," she called, and as she closed the door behind her and moved toward my bed, I began breaking the wax lips and candy necklaces pulled from pile no. 2. These were the second-best things I had received, and while it hurt to destroy them, it would have hurt even more to give them away. I had just started to mutilate a miniature box of Red Hots when my mother pried them from my hands, accidentally finishing the job for me. BB-size pellets clattered onto the floor, and as I followed them with my eyes, she snatched up a roll of Necco wafers.

Rainy Day at the Library

The weather outside is frightfuland inside the library is rather frightful too....

Listen To This!

The Library received a large shipment of books on CD this week so there are good pickings for audiobook fans. Here is a brief sampling of what has arrived:
True Blue by David Baldacci
You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs
The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

More arrive every day so keep checking the shelves!

Chaos at the Library!

The library is getting 15,000 square feet of new carpeting---yes that is a lot of carpeting! This project will begin Thursday, November 12th and continue until the installers are done. They will begin on the top floor--lecture hall, trustees room, historical room, etc. and work their way down. A project of this magnitude will obviously bring chaos, confusion, and mayhem. We ask that you bear with us during this time, while we try to move books, bookcases, etc. while still offering quality library services. I think we may all need a sense of humor during these couple of weeks so if you know of any good jokes let us know.

Booksale Starts This Saturday

Hoards of workers have been busily preparing this morning for the Friends of the Library's annual booksale which starts this Saturday for cardholders. Box after box of books has been carted up to the lecture hall and they have not finished yet. More information on the booksale will be forthcoming this week. Stay tuned!

Flu in Dover

It is hard to avoid hearing about the H1N1 flu. Radio, TV, and newspaper articles are covering the spread of the disease, detailing who is affected, how many have died, and what states are hit the hardest. For anyone who has not lived through a severe flu epidemic all the fuss seems to be an overreaction. Read the article from our Dover history page to see what life was like in Dover during the 1918 H1N1 flu epidemic.

Learning to Read? Try Talking to a Dog

Just read a story on CNN's web site titled "Learning to Read? Try Talking to a Dog". I was interested in the article because of the DPL's program with Goldie, a certified therapy dog. If you are unfamiliar with our program please see our blog post from October 16. The article describes the benefits that children can get from reading to therapy dogs:

"The philosophy is simple. Children who are just learning to read often feel judged orintimidated by classmates and adults. But reading to a dog isn't so scary. It won't judge, it won't get impatient, it won't laugh or correct if the child makes a mistake. In a nutshell, dogs are simply excellent listeners. And for shy kids or slow readers, that can make all the difference."

So if you know of any 6-10 year olds who might benefit from reading to a dog,
please give the children's room staff a call at 516-6052

Horror Fest

Our fearless DVD librarian has ordered up a cauldron of truly creepy horror films for you. Check them out if you dare....

Beautiful Autumn Day

This is a perfect Autumn day to walk down to the Library under clear blue skies, past trees wearing their festive foliage. You may want choose a stack of books and DVDs for indoor entertainment by the sound of the weekend forecast.Even the squirrels are taking time to visit the Library.

Attention Alex Rider Fans!

For all of you Alex Rider fans who can't wait for his new book, Crocodile Tears, to come out on November 17th here is a read alike list you might enjoy:

Dragon & Thief (1st book in the Dragonback series) by Timothy Zahn
Epic by Conor Kostick
Evil Genius & Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks
Fight Game by Kate Wild
H.I.V.E.: Higher Institute of Villainous-Education by Mark Walden
The Recruit (1st book in the CHERUB series) by Robert Muchamore
SilverFin (1st book in the Young Bond series) by Charles Higson
Sleeper Code & Sleeper Agenda by Tom Sniegoski
Spy High: Mission One (1st in the Spy High series) by A. J. Butcher
Sure Fire & Death Run by Jack Higgins
Thieves Like Us & Thieves Till We Die by Stephen Cole

The Much Maligned Librarian

I read an interesting article in VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates, October 2009) magazine recently detailing the results of a study of teen reading habits. The article outlined some of the key barriers to reading with the first being Difficulties selecting good reading material. I was saddened by several quotes from teens describing why they would never ask library staff for help selecting a book.

"Actually, that's (asking a librarian for reading advice) never occurred to me! I know there are grown-ups there (in the library) and they put the books out but I've never thought that they've probably read quite a few of them or that they would know what people my age are interested in."

"I wouldn't ask a public librarian for help. I'd rather find it myself or just wander up and down the aisles."

Here at the DPL there are several library staff members that are enthusiastic teen literature readers. None of us can claim to be teenagers (though some of us keep trying), but a few have teenage children of their own, and so they do have an understanding of what is being read. I understand the reluctance to ask, but truly we are friendly and approachable people. If you simply cannot bring yourself to ask, or convince your kids to, there are over 20 suggested reading bookmarks in the Teen Loft, and bright yellow bookmarks in some books marking them as award winners. Lastly, in response to the following quote, that was also in the article, we have rearranged the Teen Loft, and the new look can be seen in the picture above. "Most of the books that I've read I've found on the floor. Someone dropped it there and I picked it up and like the look of it."

FYI, the other two barriers to reading are Insufficient leisure time and Negative school reading experiences.

Librarian's Epitaph

As we get into the ghost-y and ghoul-y season, we thought you'd enjoy this. Credit to Ruth Lee, Library Assistant, Gary Byker Memorial Library, Hudsonville, MI.

Librarian's Epitaph

No reference question

Could unflap her,

Until she reached

Her Final Chapter.