Gone With The Wind

 

Dover was hit with another severe storm last night and once again the winds toppled trees around the Library. There was no damage to the building, thank goodness.

 

Slow Down

First there was the Slow Food Movement and now could there be a Slow Reading Movement? UNH Professor Thomas Newkirk hopes so. In a recent article in the Foster's Daily Democrat Prof. Newkirk makes a case for slowing down and reading a book thoughtfully. He mentions how accelerated reading goes along with current lifestyles of instant messaging, text messaging, and tweeting where everything happens quickly. This has really made me think about my own reading habits--I do sometimes race through a book because it is sooo good, and I need to know what happens. Is that bad? I have been known to skim a book when it becomes a bit repetitive. Is that bad? Unfair to the author who may have anguished over each sentence? I completely understand where Prof. Newkirk is coming from, but there are some books that I just cannot read slow--sorry.

The Mystery of the Maimed Audiobook

Most of our  patrons are responsible and gentle with the Library's audiobooks. There are the occasional scratches that you just have to expect with heavy use. Then there are the CDs that come back to us gouged, cracked, spotted, even melted. I always wonder what people are doing with our audiobooks to damage them so severely. Sometimes we have a guessing game at the desk- used as a drinks coaster, used as a Frisbee, tap-danced on, used in a chemical experiment, microwaved, are some of the suggestions. One patron said while he would never do this to a library audiobook, he occasionally will fling a CD into the back of his car when he is done with it.

I think the title of the latest victim of carelessness says it all.

It's Too Late CT

It's too late CT--those publishers could not keep their "ink-stained fingers" away from Laura Ingalls Wilder!
Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Bell (for ages 12 & up) just arrived at DPL. The story is about Genevieve, a not too happy 13- year-old, who has to spend the entire summer with her family "living like 1890 pioneers" at a frontier camp.
Gen keeps her sanity by secretly text messaging friends (with a cell phone that she sneaked in) about her daily life on this "Little Hell on the Prairie". Her friends then use her messages to start a blog that attracts national attention.
Take heart CT, at least it wasn't about a Zombie!

Is Louisa May Alcott the Next Jane Austen?

Poor Jane Austen has been so parodied and borrowed from that we were able to create a whole bookmark of books inspired by her novels. That doesn't even include all the literary mash ups. Now it looks like it is Louisa May Alcott's turn. I noticed Oprah's summer reading list include a book called The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott. Then when I passed through our office I saw a new book titled Little Women and Werewolves. Oh, please is nothing sacred? All I can say is publishers better keep their ink stained fingers off Laura Ingalls Wilder. I really don't want to see any books called Little Zombie on the Prairie.

Surprising History of the Children's Museum Building

Did you know that the Children's Museum of New Hampshire building used to be an armory? Dover’s Armory was formally opened November 25, 1930. It was built in 1930 to house Battery B, 197th Regiment, Coast Artillery Anti Aircraft (AA) of the New Hampshire National Guard. The building was described as thoroughly modern with every up to date convenience. The building was constructed of brick with ornamental stonework. The central feature of the building was the drill shed, which had a floor space of 60 by 90 feet. The northeast corner of the building had a gun room for the anti-aircraft gun. “The floor is on a level with the main floor, but is of concrete, sunk to a depth halfway between that of the basement and the street floor, with wide doors through which the anti-aircraft gun mounted on its truck may be run in. And by a clever arrangement of doors opening out into the drill shed on the north end of the room, the muzzle of the gun may be pointed through the opening thus made and drill with the gun, sighting at a target hung on one of the steel girders in the drill shed”.

In 1962 the Dover Recreation Department acquired the armory and turned it into Butterfield Gym. In 2008, the renovated building was rented to the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire.

Hell Has Frozen Over!

Neil Young is the latest celebrity to jump on the graphic novel band wagon. Greendale is a fictional town that he created on his 2003 album, and this is what the graphic novel, Neil Young's Greendale, is based on. The novel was written by Joshua Dysart and Mr. Young was bound and determined to get Cliff Chiang as the illustrator. Mr. Young was told that Mr. Chiang's schedule was booked for for quite awhile, but he sent him an email that said he would wait "until hell froze over." I guess you can say that kind of stuff when you are Neil Young, and people will listen. So as you can guess Cliff Chiang illustrated the novel--he spent almost 2 years on it. You can read a great article about it on the New York Times book section. I have ordered a copy for the library so be sure to look for it.

What Do You Do With a Garlic Scape?

Farmers' Markets are officially open! The Dover Market is now located in the Chamber of Commerce parking lot at the corner of Central Ave. & Sixth St. and will be open on Wednesdays from 2:15 to 6:00--be sure to visit them and support your local farmers. You can find a listing of who will be at the market on the Seacoast Growers Association web site. Of course now that you have access to beautiful, local produce how do you prepare it? Visit the library and check out one of our wonderful cookbooks that will inspire you to cook amazing, delicious, and healthy meals. Here are a few examples of what you will find:

• The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook by Andrea Chesman
• How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table by Russ Parsons
• Melissa's Great Book of Produce: Everything You Need to Know about Fresh Fruits and Vegetables by Cathy Thomas
• Vegetable Love: Vegetables delicious, alone or with pasta, seafood poultry, meat and more by Barbara Kafka
  
  By the way garlic scapes are the very yummy flower stem of the garlic plant, and I highly recommend them in a stir-fry.
  

Non-Resident Student Card Fee Being Reduced!

Dover is fortunate to have several excellent parochial and charter schools in our city, along with our five public schools. Many of the students at the private schools, however, are not residents of the city and thus do not qualify for a free library card. They must pay for what's called a Non-Resident Student Card.

But, we're happy to report that, as of July 1, 2010, the fee for a non-resident student attending Portsmouth Christian Academy at Dover, St. Mary Academy, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, or the Cocheco Arts & Technology Academy will be lowered from $150 annually to $80, an almost 47% reduction in price. A half-year non-resident student card will be $50 (a 38% decrease). These students often use our library for research or as an afterschool hangout and we're pleased to be able to offer our services more affordably to these elementary and high school age patrons! For more information, call 516-6050.

Library Meeting Room Use is Free for Non-Profit Orgs!

With passage of the FY'11 municipal budget, the City Council also approved a new Fee Schedule for city departments. We're very happy to report that, at the recommendation of the Library Director, the fee for non-profit organizations to use the two meeting rooms (Trustees Room or Lecture Hall) at the Dover Public Library has been removed! As of July 1, 2010, we'd like to welcome back---for free!---all those local non-profit groups and organizations who could no afford to meet at the library when we started charging a fee.

There is still a per-use-fee for profit-making organizations ($30 for the Trustees Room; $60 for the Lecture Hall), but all non-profits, many struggling with fundraising to stay afloat, may book meeting rooms for free once again at the DPL!

How do you book a meeting room? Well, first a representative of the group must come in and fill out an Application, then it's first come, first serve for the rooms. If you can book way ahead, you'll probably get the day and time you wish. And as they say, certain other restrictions apply and we can fill you in on the rules! Call the Circulation Desk 516-6050 for more information on this service.

When Stephen King Talks, People Listen

I am so done with vampires. They are on TV, in half the books that come out, and the movies, enough already! So when I heard that the must read summer blockbuster book was The Passage by Justin Cronin, I decided to give it a miss. The story line describes a virus sweeping the world, almost destroying civilization by turning people into super human vampire-like beings called Virals. A six year old girl holds the key to defeating them. Then I saw the interview with the author on Good Morning America. Stephen King interrupted the interview by telephone. His voice came from above a very shocked Justin Cronin, like a god with post nasal drip,  praising the book, saying Cronin has put the scare back in vampires and he couldn't think of a better book to read in summer. Its worth watching the video just to see the stunned look on Cronin's face.

The Passage does have interesting post-apocalyptic elements I always love. The author is being compared to Michale Crichton, Robert McCammon, Cormac McCarthy, and of course, Stephen King. His writing is described as lyrical, enthralling, terrifying, entertaining, and deeply satisfying. I think I will have to give it a try.

Summer Reading Programs Just Around the Corner

Summer Reading Programs for Children and Teens begin July 6 at the Dover Public Library

“Make a Splash…Read” is the theme for this year’s Children’s Summer Reading Program. This five-week reading adventure is for children ages 5-12 and will begin on Tuesday, July 6 and continue through Tuesday, August 10. The program is designed to encourage children to make reading an enjoyable part of their summer activities.

Sign-ups begin on Tuesday, July 6 and continue throughout the summer for Dover Public Library cardholders (including non-resident borrowers). Children must come to the library in person to register and to receive their personal booklet or reading log in which to record the books/minutes they read. All participants will also receive a book bag, a bookmark, and a voucher for a free ticket to a Portland Seadogs baseball game!

During the summer program, children are invited to make a new craft each week at our “Make-it, Take-it” Craft Table. The table will be available for creating projects all day, every day during the five weeks. Children will bring in their booklets or reading logs (after recording books/minutes read) to earn stickers and prizes.

The library’s Monday Matinees will feature free first-run movies in the Lecture Hall every Monday afternoon at 2pm beginning on July 12. Here is the line-up:
· The Lightning Thief, July 12, rated PG.
· Garfield’s Pet Force, July 19, not rated.
· Space Buddies, July 26, rated G.
· Spongebob Squarepants: The Movie, Aug. 2, rated PG.
· Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Aug. 9, rated PG.
Everyone is welcome! Feel free to bring your own refreshments!

Participants are also invited to sign up for a “Paws for Reading” session. Goldie, a Certified Therapy Dog, and her handler, Karen, will be in the Children’s Room on Saturday, July 10 from 10:30-11:30am, Tuesday, July 20 from 6:30-7:30pm, and Saturday, August 7 from 10:30-11:30am. Goldie loves a good story but needs someone to read it to her! If interested in helping Goldie and practicing reading aloud, sign up for a 15 minute reading session during one of these times (and don’t forget to cross off 15 minutes on your reading log or record the book you’ve read to Goldie in your reading folder!).

Also, all participants and their families are invited to “Make a Splash” at our final celebration. The Summer Readers’ Party will be held on the library lawn on Wednesday, August 11 at 10:30am. After refreshments, children's entertainer Tom Stankus (or T-Bone to his audiences) will have everyone clapping, dancing and singing to his music. “I love making people happy, especially children,” says T-Bone, “and it is particularly satisfying when my audiences feel that they are the most important part of the show--which they are.”

The Teen Summer Reading Program theme is “Make Waves at Your Library” and also runs from July 6 to August 10. For every two hours of reading completed, participants will be given a raffle ticket—and will get to choose which prize to put in for. Lots of great prizes will be offered throughout the five-week program—including gift certificates to local business, fun-pack gift bags, iTunes gift certificates, and much more.

You choose what to read—novels, magazines, graphic novels, comic books, nonfiction—whatever you might enjoy.

Middle school readers are eligible participate in both the Children’s Program and the Teen Program. Drop by the library’s reference desk to sign up for the “Make Waves” Teen Program, visit online at http://library.dover.nh.gov, or call 516-6082. Come in person to the Children’s Room to sign up for “Make a Splash…Read” or call 516-6052. Don’t miss all the fun! Plus, it’s a proven fact: kids who keep reading over the summer do better in school in the fall!

More Twilight

The new Twilight novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is currently available for free online--here is what the official web site is saying: "Welcome to BreeTanner.com – the official site where you can read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner for FREE – a special gift from Stephenie Meyer to her fans." The free version is available through July 5th so you don't have much time. The library has ordered the book version, but it is not here yet and is sure to have a waiting list. Here is the description of the novella:

Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

Skip the Hummus

I read an article in Publishers Weekly magazine yesterday, titled "Into the Studio", about the process of recording an audio book. It was an interesting article, but I was particularly taken with the story of Kathy Lee Gifford's stomach. Apparently, the microphone in the studio is highly sensitive and can pick up "jaw clicks, breath, the rustle of paper, and pretty much everything that emanates the {the actors}" bodies." Too much information? Nah...they went on to tell the story of Kathy Lee Gifford and how she had eaten hummus before one of her recording sessions and her stomach was gurgling something fierce. They used a "trick of the trade" and put a pillow under her shirt to muffle the sound. It doesn't sound so glamorous anymore does it? I am going to be paying extra attention next time I listen to an audio book!

Wild Visitors to the Library

Our Serviceberry Tree at the back of the Library has produced a bumper crop of berries. We noticed a lot of activity in the tree and found three bold Cedar Waxwings were busily harvesting the berries, ignoring the crowd of curious faces on the other side of the window. Make sure to take a look if you walk through the parking lot. They are very handsome birds.

We also had a not so handsome visitor the other day. Our custodian found a small brown bat had become trapped in the building. He was escorted outside.

You just never know who will visit the library next!

Women in their own Words

I took some books on vacation with me last week and found that two of them were memoirs of ordinary women. I don't read a great deal of non-fiction so I was surprised to realize the two memoirs were the best of all the books I brought with me. Meghan Daum wrote about her obsession with houses in Life Would be Perfect if I lived in That House. I love to watch HGTV shows on finding, selling, and redecorating houses so I could relate to her mania, especially when it was presented so amusingly. There was no humor in Saddled by Susan Richards but it was engrossing. Richards finds herself rescued from alcoholism and an abusive marriage by her love for a horse. Both of these books which were fascinating glimpses into the lives of ordinary women reminded by of another book I enjoyed this year, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen. When Rhoda's husband left her for another man and she was badly injured in a car crash she retreated to the safety of her parent's Mennonite home. This book is not so much about the Mennonites but rather what it is like to return home to pull your life together. It is salted with Mennonite trivia and a great deal of humor. I had a hard time putting it down, it read like a novel at times. 

Sometimes ordinary women have extraordinary stories.

Summer Monday Movie Matinees

We will be showing movies this summer during the 5 weeks of our summer reading programs. As always these movies are free and open to the public. Here is the line-up:

• Lightning Thief--Monday, July 12 @ 2:00pm, rated PG.
• Garfield's Pet Force--Monday, July 19 @ 2:00pm, not rated.
• Space Buddies--Monday, July 26 @ 2:00pm, rated G.
• Spongebob Squarepants: the Movie--Monday, August 2 @ 2:00pm, rated PG.
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid--Monday, August 9 @ 2:00pm, rated PG.

For descriptions of the movies visit our web site.

Is This Book for Real?

Little Blog on the Prairie? I love book titles that make me laugh. This seems to be the book version of The Frontier House--remember that PBS series where families went back to living Old West style. Here is the description of the book:

Gen's family is more comfortable spending time apart than together. Then Gen's mom signs them up for Camp Frontier—a vacation that promises the "thrill" of living like 1890s pioneers. Forced to give up all of her modern possessions, Gen nevertheless manages to email her friends back home about life at "Little Hell on the Prairie," as she's renamed the camp. It turns out frontier life isn't without its good points—like the cute boy who lives in the next clearing. And when her friends turn her emails into a blog, Gen is happily surprised by the fanbase that springs up. But just when it seems Gen and family might pull through the summer, disaster strikes as a TV crew descends on the camp, intent on discovering the girl behind the nationwide blogging sensation—and perhaps ruining the best vacation Gen has ever had.

Haunted Woods

I have had two residents of Dover come in recently, and ask about the empty house that is at the intersection of route 108 (Durham Rd.), and Back River Road. They had been looking at it for years and just wondering what the story of the house is. The house, which is known as Dunn's Tavern, was included in the The Dover Heritage Walking Tours in the years 1988 and 1995. There is also some interesting information from Mary P. Thompson's book "Landmarks in Ancient Dover." Here are some of the highlights:

"This colonial house is well over 200 years old. In 1780 it was operated as a tavern by Col. Benjamin Titcomb (1743-1799), a Revolutionary War veteran wounded in 3 battles. In 1820, Captain Samuel Dunn (1766 - 1850) bought the tavern. In 1825, Dover dignitaries gathered here to pay tribute to General Lafayette, who was touring New Hampshire. As the general entered from Durham, a thirteen gun salute was fired from atop Pine Hill to the assembly at the tavern."

"The tavern continued operations through the 1840s and the home remained in the Dunn family until Miss Eliza Dunn's death at the age of 80 in 1898. By 1899 the house had been converted to tenement housing for the workers at Sawyer Mills. The house is presently unoccupied due to pending litigation concerning its ownership (remember that was written in 1988)."

"Adjacent to Dunn's Tavern was a reputedly haunted area known as Dunn's Woods. These dark, damp, lonely woods were enclosed by hills and were remote from any dwelling. It was said to be the scene of many a robbery by day and supernatural occurance by night. The ghost stories originated from the phosphorescent lights which on dark nights were often seen to gleam among the bogs and decayed wood, startling the belated and weary traveler."

What was that book called?

I am excited to read Aimee Bender's new book The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake which is due out on June 1. I read Ms. Bender's first book, The Girl in the Flammable Skirt, because I was enamored with the title, and I must say the title of her new book appeals to me. A colleague of mine mentioned yesterday that she wanted to read Going Bovine by Libba Bray because of the intriguing qualities of the title and cover. When I invest my time in reading a book I want the title to matter. I recently finished a book, a book I really enjoyed, and every time I tried to tell someone about it I couldn't remember the title (and this is not just because of my flightiness or forgetfulness). Even after reading the book I couldn't figure out the significance of the title, and so it made it highly forgettable, and I have to say that really annoys me. It seems to me to be counterproductive to have an esoteric or just plain silly book title--don't you want the title to be on the tip of everyone's tongue? OK that is my rant for the day, and I still can't remember the name of that book that I really enjoyed.

FYI: Great review of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake on the NPR web site.

More Tattoos

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, there has been a lot of anticipation of Stieg Larsson's third book in the Millennium trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, featuring the antiheroine, Lisbeth Salander. I have not read any of Mr. Larsson's books (I don't read a lot of crime thrillers.), and really haven't wanted to until I read Pat Ryan's article in the New York Times Book Review titled Pippi Longstocking with Dragon Tattoo. Lisbeth Salander is being compared to a grown up Pippi Longstocking--I really, really loved Pippi as a young girl, so much so that I dressed up as her for Halloween one year. A colleague of Mr. Larsson's had a conversation with him, obviously prior to his death, about children's book characters and what they would be like as adults. He apparently liked the idea of a grown up Pippi. So the Millennium trilogy will get added to my long list of books to read. FYI--the New York Times Magazine also had an article about Mr. Larsson titled "The Afterlife of Stieg Larsson" which was quite interesting. Long live Pippi!

Anticipation

Two recent conversations that I have had with library users made me smile, because I realized there are people out there still as excited about the release date of a book, and not just the date of the final episode of Lost. (Am I the only one that is really sick of hearing about that?) The first conversation was about the release date of Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. This woman came in to put a hold on the book, it is not being released until August 24, and I told her that we couldn't order forthcoming books prior to 17 weeks before their release date. Her response "I know and that is today!" She is really keeping us on our toes. The second incident happened first thing this morning when a patron came in looking for our "fast-read" copy of the The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, because she knew it was being released today. Excitement about books is alive and well at the Dover Public Library!

Great Reads for the Summer

The new Isinglass & Flume Award nominee lists for 2010-2011 have been announced, and they make for great summer reading for teens. The Isinglass list is for 7th & 8th graders, while the Flume list is for 9th - 12th graders. Follow the links above to see the full list, or visit the Teen Loft in the library, and you will find them on display.

Bethumped by Words

I was listening to one of Kerry Greenwood's fabulous Phryne Fisher audiobooks, Death at Victoria Dock,when two things caught my attention. She started the chapter off with a quote from Shakespeare, "Zounds, I was never so bethumpt with words, Since I first called my brother's father Dad". 

First was the narrators pronunciation of zounds. I always assumed it rhymed with mounds, but the the narrator pronounced it to sound like zoonds. Well, I thought, that can't be right. I had a dim memory of an old movie, perhaps starring Errol Flynn, in which the actor clearly pronounced it rhyming with mounds. The movies can't be wrong, can they? I took a look in the dictionary and low and behold, the narrator was correct. Zounds is a euphemism for a 15th century exclamation, "God's Wounds". I shall endeavor to pronounce zounds to rhyme with wounds from now on. 

The second thing that I noticed was the use of the word "Dad" in a Shakespeare quote. No way could "Dad" have been around that long! I thought it came into use in the 1950's. Surely Father and Papa were in use before then. Wrong again. The dictionary said Dad has been in use since at least 1592. 

I must have been thinking of "daddy-o", which did indeed come into use in the mid 1950s. You learn something new every day.

Later, Daddy-o.

Cochecho Readers' Award Winner

The Cochecho Readers' Award is sponsored by the children's librarians of Dover, New Hampshire. This award, named after the Cochecho River which runs through the heart of Dover, is given each year to an author whose book receives the most votes from a list of nominees. Dover children in the third & fourth grades vote for their favorite every Spring.

And the winner for 2009-10 is...Medusa Jones by Ross Collins.

(One dad had told me that he enjoyed reading this book with his children and that it had awakened a real interest in Mythology for all of them!)

Not in My Books, yahoo!

Playing on the NIMBY acronym, I want to advise all Dover Public Library patrons that our library has recently been innundated with over 3000 surreptitiously placed bookmarks in our stacks. Please be aware that blue bookmarks from "Freedomainradio" and the "Schoolsucksproject" that you may find in our books have no connection to the library and are not endorsed by the library. In fact, this distribution violates library rules which cover where and how and what literature may be displayed in the library by outside organizations.

I want to thank the many volunteers and Friends of the Library who've answered the call to help us remove these bookmarks from all the books affected. This is a time-consuming and laborious process and we appreciate their efforts.

I also want to spread the word about this "bookmark project" to other libraries in NH who may be targeted as well. According to my research, there is an organized plan to place such literature inside library books. Needless to say, this is not an indictment of their cause; we would remove bookmarks placed by any organization without our express permission. However, we find it a bit ironic that anti-government literature has been used inside a government-funded institution! Although troublesome to deal with, it does warm our heart just a bit to think that these groups feel there is such power on the shelves of a public library!

Hunger Games Takes the Prize

The Isinglass Award winner for 2009-2010 is Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins! The Isinglass Award is a list of 20 books, nominated by kids, and voted on by 7th and 8th graders. I love their choice for this year because I have been enjoying the Hunger Games trilogy. The first book in the series is Hunger Games, the second Catching Fire, and the third, Mockingjay, is being published on August 24th (we have it on order already so place your holds now)! The Hunger Games is also being made into a movie, and fans are all abuzz about who the cast will be. I would highly recommend Hunger Games--it is not just for kids.

Stephenie Meyer has a gift for you

Stephenie Meyer has written a 200 page novella about a newborn vampire she introduced in Eclipse, Bree Tanner. It"tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion". For more background on the story, read Stephenie Meyer's March 30th blog posting. The book is going to be available on the web FREE starting at noon on June 7th until July 5th at www.breetanner.com Of course, if you would prefer to read an actual book, you can reserve the Library's copy of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella.

Free Library Concert Tuesday May 18

Come and hear (and sing along with) Mac McHale and Emery Hutchins "Two Old Friends" who will perform at the Library on Tuesday evening May 18 at 7pm. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, this duo will delight with a combination of Irish and Appalachian country music, all performed on banjo, guitar, mandolin, concertina, and bodhran, telling the immigrant experience through song and musical story. Please join us for a rousing good time! FREE!

Award Winner 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. Each year a 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. 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.

And the winner for 2009-10 is...

Swindle by Gordon Korman

The new Great Stone Face nominees list for 2010-11 is now available in the Children's Room and on our website (click here to view).

2010 Evening of Poetry

This past Tuesday the library celebrated the end of the 8th Annual Poetry Contest, with an Evening of Poetry. It was a lovely evening where those in attendance were treated to readings by kids in kindergarten all the way up to 12th grade! We have more photos from the event posted on our web site.

A Fowl Hobby

I was watching NECN's Secret Life of Animals Sunday when they were talking about how popular raising chickens in one's backyard has become. This caught my attention because two of my neighbors began raising chickens this year, a co-worker is currently raising chickens, and another one wants to. Stories are popping up everywhere about"urban farms". If you would like to start your own chicken flock in your backyard be sure to check some of our books on the topic.

Backyard Poultry raising by John F. Adams
Joy of Keeping Chickens by Jennifer Megyesi
Homemade Living keeping chickens with Ashley English : all you need to know to care for a happy, healthy flock by Ashley English

The Children's Room Staff Gets Some Respect

I was reading a book to my son last night that had a librarian in it. I asked him "who do you know that is a librarian?", his first response was Miss Karin (FYI this is not my name, or any kind of a nickname). I asked "who else?" his response was Miss Sarah (again not my name). When my husband piped in with "how about Mama?" my son gave him a perplexed look and said--why? For those of you who are not familiar with Miss Karin or Miss Sarah they are part of the children's room staff. I think the moral of this story is that children's librarians are the only ones that count to little kids. Ahhhhhh.

My apologies to the rest of the children's room staff, apparently you have to work the Monday night shift to count.

Library Budget Presentation Notes

Notes from the Library Director’s FY11 Budget Presentation to the Dover City Council May 5, 2010

THE UPSIDE:
Ø The Library is busiest it’s ever been: set records in circulation, program attendance, public Internet hours, holds filled, and website use.
Ø 76% of Dover resident visited the library in the past year, higher than national benchmark.
Ø 86% of visitors surveyed rated us “Excellent” or ‘Good”.
Ø Library’s FY’11 book budget is proposed to increase by $2,792, 1st increase in 7 years!
Ø $12,500 has been allotted for badly needed interior woodwork and ceiling repairs.
Ø Library is just 1.2% of General Fund budget ($70.55 in taxes per avg household) yet we have over 27,000 cardholders and an average of 627 customers per day. A great bang for the buck!

THE DOWNSIDE:
Ø Library’s proposed FY’11 budget is only $4,600 higher than it was in FY’05.
Ø Staffing has decreased by 146.5 hours weekly since FY’07.
Ø Reduced staffing = loss of 3.66 people over 4 years (-22%)
Ø Saturday hours now reduced from 9-5 to 9-1.
Ø Already lost Wednesday evening and Sunday afternoon hours in the current FY’10 budget.
Ø Library previously open 63.5 hrs/wk; FY’11 proposal is 52.5 hrs/wk.
Ø 17% reduction in hours over past two years.
Ø Library budget decreased by $110,000 since FY’07
Ø With 13FTEs, we are, by far, the least-staffed library among NH cities our size.

The gist of our plea to the Dover City Council on May 5 was to restore $30,000 to the library’s FY’11 operating budget. This would allow us to maintain full-day Saturdays and restore 32 hours of part-time staffing weekly.

Members of the City Council would appreciate hearing from any and all Dover citizens about the FY’11 proposed municipal budget. All City Departmental budget presentations are currently running on Channel 22 for further information.

Don't Miss this DVD

I took home the library's DVD The Young Victoria this week. I was not excited about it due to Queen Victoria's usual depiction as a stuffy, pompous, grumpy old lady. I found myself swept away by the portrayal of the young Victoria as passionate, fun loving, yet determined to rule in her own right despite numerous people trying their best to manipulate and control her. It is a true feast for the eyes, and a must for anyone interested in English history. Don't let your perception of Queen Victoria dissuade you, as I almost did.

An Evening of Poetry

The Dover Public Library's Evening of Poetry will be held on Tuesday, May 11th @ 6:30pm in the Library Lecture Hall. We invite all students that participated in our 8th Annual Poetry Contest to come and share their poetry, and we encourage the general public to come and enjoy the readings. This is a really wonderful community event, and it is a pleasure to hear kids of all ages reciting their poems. Please join us in encouraging and supporting these young poets!

If You Like Alice Hoffman

If you enjoy the magical realism of Alice Hoffman, you may want to pick up the latest bookmark we have created for DPL readers called "If You like Alice Hoffman, Try".

A few of the titles we recommend are:

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Julia's Chocolates by Cathy Lamb