Library Job Opening! Librarian II--Systems & Technology

LIBRARIAN II -- Systems & Technology
(40 hrs/week; $20.68--$29.28 per hour)

The Dover Public Library is accepting applications for a “Systems and Technology Librarian”. We are seeking an innovative, enthusiastic, results-oriented professional with a background in both automation and technical services to provide vision, leadership and expertise related to library technology. This person will oversee all aspects of the library's current automation system (SirsiDynix Horizon), and lead developments to enhance the library’s web-related activities. The successful candidate will be able to identify, evaluate, implement, and teach the use of new technologies which facilitate information access and community-driven services.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Systems/Technology Coordinator:
· Manage, plan and administer all aspects of the library's ILS.
· Plan and execute all system hardware and software upgrades, purchases, and replacements.
· Lead the library in exploring, evaluating, and adopting emergent technology products and solutions.
· Redesign, expand and maintain the library’s website and content management systems.
· Manage and support the library's population of staff and public computers.
· Supervise the library’s Technical Services Office workflow (Acquisitions & Cataloging).
· Run regular reports and create customized reports using SQL.
· Maintain library's databases (online catalog and patron database).
· Train staff and patrons in the use of new technologies that facilitate library use and information access.
· Liaise with the City’s IT Department and serve as library representative on the City’s IT Committee.
· Lead and collaborate with five Dovernet public school libraries in troubleshooting ILS issues.
· Track and supervise the Acquisitions budget.
· Work regular assigned shifts at public service desks.

Knowledge, Skills and Ability Requirements

· Demonstrated experience managing an integrated library system.
· Experience working in a public library service setting.
· Broad knowledge of technical services (including AACRII and MARC tagging).
· Ability to develop, configure, and run reports using SQL.
· Ability to test, install, and evaluate hardware and software.
· Experience working with, and supporting, various types of clients with all ranges of technical expertise.
· Experience with Microsoft Office applications.
· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both written and oral.
· Demonstrated ability to think critically, analyze problems, and develop and implement creative solutions.
· Evidence of a high degree of initiative and versatility, and customer-service focus.
· Working knowledge of HTML, XML, PHP/MySQL and Java Script. C, C+, C++ programming helpful.
· Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to deal with service problems courteously.

Education Requirements

Master's Degree in Library or Information Science from an American Library Association (ALA) accredited college or university; minimum of 3-5 years professional library experience with a concentration in technology required. Experience with ILS administration critical. Interest/experience with open source library software desirable.

If you are committed to collaboration and wish to join a library that believes in continual improvement and exemplary customer service, your next job may be at the Dover Public Library. To see the complete job description and download the job application, go to:
http://www.dover.nh.gov/employment.htm. Responses received by June 30, 2011 will receive priority consideration; open until filled.

"Vintage Voices" Concert Tuesday evening!

The Friends of the Library will host a musical concert by the trio Vintage Voices on Tuesday evening, May 17 at 7pm. In period evening dress, the three classically trained singers of Vintage Voices and their accompanist will perform music you might have found on your great-great-grandmother’s piano circa 1890. From the sparkling gaiety of “Vive La Compagnie” to the martial gravity of “Star of Liberty” ; from Stephen Foster’s simple melodies to the urbane satires of Gilbert and Sullivan, Vintage Voices transports audiences to a late Victorian parlor for a highly enjoyable, creatively staged concert.

Marya Danilhel is the alto and artistic director of the group Victorian popular song combines the performance genres Marya likes best: operetta-style singing, storytelling, and comedy. After many years of exploring this delightful repertoire and giving solo concerts, she founded Vintage Voices in 2006. Marya has entertained at many New England sites, including the Longfellow National Historic Site, Old Sturbridge Village, Historic Deerfield, Strawbery Banke Museum, and the Museum of Our National Heritage. On the theatrical stage, she has performed with the American Repertory Theatre, the Boston Summer Opera Theatre, the Cambridge Christmas Revels, and the New England Light Opera.

John Stromgren, baritone and music director, plays a smattering of instruments, but turns much of his musical energy toward choral singing, especially the unaccompanied kind. In addition to providing music direction to Vintage Voices, John participates in music and liturgy at St. John's Episcopal Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Anne Corriveau, soprano and stage director, has worked with world-renowned musical coaches including Martin Isepp, distinguished pianist/conductor and head of music at Glyndebourne Opera (England). In recent months she has performed on Maine stages in the role of Anna in The King and I (Waterville Opera House) and Diana Devereaux in Gershwin’s Of Thee I Sing (Gaslight Theatre).

This performance concert in the Library’s Lecture Hall is free and refreshments will follow.

Evening of Poetry

The Ninth Annual Evening Poetry, the culmination of the annual Poetry Contest, was held last night. It is always so much fun to watch the young poets read their poems. We will be putting some videos of the Evening of Poetry on the blog for those of you who weren't able to attend.

This poem is entitled 7:30 and is the winner of  category 3 & 4.

Take a Memorable Day Trip This Summer

Canterbury Shaker Village opens this Saturday for the season. It is a lovely place to explore and learn the fascinating history of the Shakers. The Library has a discount pass that will admit 2 adults with a $6.00 service charge. There is a $3.00 service charge for children.

Canterbury Shaker Village is an internationally-known, non-profit museum and historic site with 25 original Shaker buildings, four reconstructed Shaker buildings and 694 acres of forests, fields, gardens and mill ponds under permanent conservation easement. Canterbury Shaker Village "is dedicated to preserving the 200-year legacy of the Canterbury Shakers and to providing a place for learning, reflection and renewal of the human spirit."

Visitors learn about the life, ideals, values and legacy of the Canterbury Shakers through tours, programs, exhibits, research and publications. Its renowned restaurant, The Shaker Table, serves traditional Shaker lunches and dinners spring, summer and fall. It is a wonderful day trip, you will feel like you have gotten away from it all. Reserve your pass today!

Click here to see what other museum passes the Library offers.

Come to The Evening of Poetry This Tuesday

Don't miss the Evening of Poetry tomorrow night at 6:30. Students who participated in the 9th Annual Dover Public Library's Poetry Contest are invited to share their poetry at our "Evening of Poetry". The general public is encouraged to come and enjoy the readings.

Time Travel

I am reading an interesting historical novel, Trades of the Flesh by Faye L. Booth. It is about a girl forced into prostitution in 18th century London. The main character mentioned "matchgirls whose faces had been made monstrous by phossy jaw". It peaked my curiosity so I had to find out what phossy jaw was. It turns out that exposure to the yellow phosphorous that made matches light caused a painful deterioration of the jaw bone,including swelling, loss of teeth, exposed bone, abscesses, which resulted in disfigurement and sometimes death. White phosphorus was cheaper than the red phosphorus so manufacturers of matches didn't want to switch to the less dangerous chemical. Laws had to be enacted to save countless lives from phosphorous poisoning.

I also just finished Made in Dagenham, a film about the struggle by women machinists in England to force Ford to pay them the same as the male machinists for doing the same job.  I loved seeing the colorful clothes and hair of the the 1960s, as well as hearing the music, even the architecture was very reflective of the time. The film has the same director as The Calendar Girls; both share a feel good sensibility with strong, likable female characters who work together for a common cause.

Both of these offer intriguing looks at another time period. Take your pick and time travel to 1968 or to 1888.

This Day in Dover History

May 4, 1779- One of the most violent thunder storms which was ever known in the maritime parts of New Hampshire, occurred this day, at noon. A cloud rose in the N.W. and another in the S.W. at the same time: they crossed each other, and the former passed very near the earth; a very black darkness came on, the lighting was an incessant glare, and the thunder a continual peal for about an hour. Many trees, several barns, mills and dwelling houses were struck; cattle and sheep were killed in the pastures in several towns; and a valuable new house built for religious worship, at Somersworth, was set on fire and consumed. Its steeple had a metallic vane and spindle, but no conductor to the earth. The bell was melted and fell while in a state of fusion, and no piece of it larger than a musket ball could be found.

From  Notable Events in the History Of Dover, N.H. by George Wadleigh.

Coming Soon! Books into Films!

Here's a short list of movies you may see this spring/summer that were derived from books:

"Invisible Sign" (Jessica Alba) --- based on An Invisible Sign of My Own by Aimee Bender

"Something Borrowed" (Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin, John Krasinski) --- based on the book of the same title by Emily Giffen

"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" (Johnny Depp, of course)--- based on On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers

"Too Big to Fail" (William Hurt, Ed Asner, Paul Giamatti) --- based on the book of the same title by Andrew Ross Sorkin

"Mr. Popper's Penguins" (Jim Carrey, Angela Lansbury) --- based on the classic 1938 children's story by Richard Atwater

"Project Nim" --- based on Nim Chimpsky by Elizabeth Hess

"One Day" (Anne Hathaway) --- based on the book of the same title by David Nicholls

"Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part II" --- based on the 2nd half of the last book by J.K. Rowling

"Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" (Hugh Jackman) --- based on the book of the same title by Lisa See

"Winnie the Pooh" (voices of Craig Ferguson, John Cleese) --- based on the original stories of A.A. Milne

"Sarah's Key" (Kristin Scott Thomas, Aidan Quinn) --- based on the book of the same title by Tatiana de Rosnay

"Zen" --- in July on PBS Masterpiece Theatre --- based on the 10 Aurelio Zen mysteries by Michael Dibdin

"The Help" (Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Sissy Spacek) --- perhaps the most-awaited film of the summer, based on the book of the same title by Kathryn Stockett

But remember, the movie is NEVER as good as the book!

New eBooks Are Available at NH Downloadable Books

More new ebooks have been added to NH Downloadable Books.

44 Charles Street by Danielle Steel
The Abortionist's Daughter by Elisabeth Hyde
Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann
Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
The Cleaner by Brett Battles
Clouds without Rain by P. L. Gaus
Crimes by Moonlight by Charlaine Harris
Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Jumping Frogs by Donald J. Sobol
Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh
Friendship Bread by Darien Gee
Frozen Assets by Quentin Bates
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
The Jungle by Clive Cussler, Jack Du Brul
A Lady's Guide to Rakes by Kathryn Caskie
The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel
Live Wire by Harlan Coben
Love You More by Lisa Gardner
Lover Unleashed by J. R. Ward
Mortal Kiss by Alice Moss
Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer
Nobody's Darling by Teresa Medeiros
Oil and Ice by Peter Nichols
Only the Good Spy Young, Volume 4 by Ally Carter
The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin
Quicksilver by Amanda Quick
Red on Red by Edward Conlon
Rules of Attack by Christopher Reich
Rules of Deception by Christopher Reich
Rules of Vengeance by Christopher Reich
Runaway Hit by Lara Bergen
Simply Unforgettable by Mary Balogh
A Terrifying Taste of Short & Shivery by Robert D. San Souci, Katherine Coville
Then Comes Seduction by Mary Balogh
The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
Tinker Bell Junior Novel by Disney Book Group
The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips
The Uncoupling  by Meg Wolitzer
Unlimited by Jillian Michaels
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
When Blood Calls by  J.K. Beck
Wild Surprise by Helena Mayer
Wonderland by Joanna Nadin
World War Z by Max Brooks

I recommend the Peach Keeper and World War Z. Happy reading!

Celebrating the Royal Wedding

Today we celebrated the royal wedding in our own way.

a Piece of Dover History Arrived by Mail

We were delighted to receive this pen and ink sketch from someone who was cleaning out a house and thought the artwork should return to Dover. The 1986 Heritage walking Tour booklet explains the history of the Varney Ham house. 

In 1696, Ebenezer Varney, a blacksmith and devout Quaker, built his home at the foot of the west side of the Great Hill (now known as Garrison Hill). Varney was a great friend and benefactor of the local Indians, and his home and his family were never in any danger during the Indian turmoils that plagued Dover in the 1700s. The hill eventually became known as Varney's Hill during the eighteenth century. In 1829, John Ham purchased Varney's property and by 1834, the name had changed to Garrison Hill. The Varney-Ham house remained in the Ham family until about 1920 when it was sold to Philip Daum. The house was taken down circa 1970 when the large apartment complexes in that area were constructed.

 You can find photographs of the Varney Ham house here.

Magnolias in Bloom

Make sure to come down and see the Library's beautiful Star Magnolias while they still have blossoms on them. The wind is doing a job on the delicate, fragrant petals today.

You Are Here

The Collaborative Summer Library Program sponsored a You Are Here Contest inviting teens to create a video promoting their library and reading. There was a NH winner, Hannah Crowell, from the Pease Public Library in Plymouth. Watch Hannah's video on youtube or visit the CSLP to see some of the videos from other states--very creative!

Biography in Context

Dover Public Library cardholders now have access to a new database--Biography in Context. The database contains biographical entries for hundreds of thousands of notable and historical persons from around the world. It has a combination of 1,000+ volumes of Gale reference sources including Contemporary Authors, Encyclopedia of World Biography, Newsmakers, Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television, Contemporary Musicians, Historic World Leaders, Notable Twentieth-Century Scientists, Contemporary Black Biography, Religious Leaders of America, International Dictionary of Art and Artists, Writers Directory, among others. In addition to biographical entries, you can access full-text articles from 300+ magazines and newspapers including American History, The Christian Century, Saturday Night, U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times, and USA Today.

To access it from home you will need the password--please ask next time you are in the Library.

And the Winners Are...

The winners of the 2011 Peeps Show contest are:

Kids Division: The Very Hungry Caterpeeper by Jeremy Giguere

Youth Division: Harry Peeper by Elena Chan

Teen Division: The Crucible by Lauren Wansker, Merritt McLaughlin, Selina Demers and Brenna Clinch

Adult Division: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawpeep

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to all the artists who participated. We were astounded by the level of detail and creativity in this year's entries. Special thanks to the Friends of the Dover Public Library who generously donated the prizes.

Spelling Match!

Did you know that two former Dover City Halls used to include Opera Houses? They were Dover's 2nd & 3rd City Halls, and were really entertainment centers for the city. We have a binder of historic programs for concerts, plays, humorists, spelling matches, and more that played at the City Hall & Opera House. One such program (pictured at left) took place on this day in 1875. The event was a Spelling Match between the Dover Library Association and the Portsmouth Mercantile Library Association. Perusing the papers from that time period made me realize that spelling matches were a pretty common occurence. Each church seemed to have evenings for spelling matches. What do you think they would make of our current trend towards abbreviated text--np, tbh, imo, ttyl, etc.? I think they would be lol.

Peeps Show Contest

We have 85 entries in the Peeps Show Contest this year, the highest number yet. Entries run the gamut from  Madeline's Rescue and The Hunger Games to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Unbroken. At times the Library seems more like an art gallery as people move from exhibit to exhibit.

You have a few more days to come visit the Peeps Show. Judging will be held Monday afternoon. All exhibits must be picked up by Thursday or we are threatening to eat them, although no one seems very enthusiastic about doing that! If you can't make it in by next week, you can enjoy the Dover Public Library's Peeps Show Contest slideshow here.

Thrilling, Chilling Reads

If you like serial killer plots or just plain murderous thrills in your mysteries try these books:
 
Dead Like You by Peter James
Delirious by Daniel Palmer
Anniversary Man by R.J. Ellory
Cypress House by Michael Koryta
On Borrowed Time by David Rosenfelt
Love You More by Lisa Gardner
Afraid of the Dark by James Grippando
Bone House by Brian Freeman

New Poet Laureate

The Library would like to congratulate John-Michael Albert, one of our long time Poetry Contest judges (he has done all 9 years!), for being named the Portsmouth Poet Laureate! This is very exciting--congratulations Mike. The photo to your right is Mike reading a poem at last year's Evening of Poetry.

Come See the Peeps Show

We have 85 entries for the Peeps Show Contest ranging from "Madeline's Rescue" to "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". The entry for "127 Hours" is getting a lot of comments and laughs. At times the Library seems more like an art gallery as people move from exhibit to exhibit. Peeps will be on display through April 25, when the judges will make their difficult decisions.

We Have a Winner

Congratulations to Frances Chickering, the lucky winner of the Nook eReader! Many people participated in checking out downloable audiobooks and eBooks during National Library Week leading to one of the highest circulation rates of the NH Downloadable Books we have seen yet.
Special thanks to the Friends of the Dover Public Library who donated the Nook eReader.

Time For Peeps Show Entries Is Running out

You have today and Saturday to get your Peeps Show entries to the Library. Remember, this year's theme is literary, your entry can be about a favorite book or character, anything to do with books. The winner of each division will be awarded a $25 gift card to Target. We only have one teen entry so far, so if you know of an artistic teen, tell them to enter!

Animals Gone Wild at the Library

The 3rd Annual Teddybear Sleepover was this past Monday evening and fun was had by all. The slideshow above shows some of the hijinks that the animals got up to once the library closed!

Hats off to Library Volunteers!

It's almost symbiotic that National Library Week and National Volunteers Week always share the same seven days in April. Libraries rely on the community spirit and do-goodedness of the volunteers who help us with many behind-the-scenes tasks.

At this library presently, we have a core group of eight extremely motivated and capable volunteers. These unsung men and women show up every week for 1-6 hours each and donate approximately 850 personhours per year. Each has a specific task or project and they tackle their work with single-mindedness and determination. Most have been with us for over four years, the longest over 17!

Over the years, we estimate that these volunteers have donated over 7000 hours to the Dover Public Library and we celebrate them for their dedication and we honor their work on behalf of the library. Congratulations and a big thank you!

One Day in the Life of NH Libraries

Today libraries across New Hampshire are participating in Library Snapshot Day by collecting information, comments, and photographs from events in a typical library day. Please help us record how important your library is to the community by sharing your comments about your library.

Apply now for opening on Library Board of Trustees!

In May, one of our Library Board of Trustees members will be retiring after 15 years. We'd like to publicly thank Arthur Corte for his three terms of service on our board and for his supportive advocacy efforts and his sage advice since 1996. We are seeking someone to fill Art's position in June. The only requirement is Dover residency and a willingness to fill out a Board application in the City Clerk's office. The City Council's Appointments Committee will interview candidates, then recommend their choice to the whole Council for approval. Trustees meetings are held at the library on the first Thursday of the month from September through June at 4pm. Duties of the Board are purely advisory. There are no financial or personnel evaluation/hiring functions to perform. Here's how the job description is written in the City's Administrative Code: Library Board of Trustees, Chapter 5-4 A. MEMBERSHIP: The Library Board of Trustees shall consist of five (5) members. B. TERMS OF MEMBER: Members shall be appointed to terms of five (5) years. C. AUTHORITY AND DUTIES: The Library Board shall perform the following functions: 1. Study, consider and recommend to the City Council and the City Manager, or designee, general policies regarding the operation of the Dover Public Library; 2. Advocate, promote and perpetuate the growth, prosperity and the usefulness of the public library. If you're interested, or would like to ask more questions, please call Library Director Cathy Beaudoin at 516-6050 for additional information.

Preserving America's Heritage

Each year the National Recording Preservation Board, part of the Library of Congress, chooses 25 sound recordings to add to their registry. "The controversial release of the first recording of contemporary stand-up comedy, the country music hit that divided American women, and an innovative television theme song are among the sound recordings that have been selected for preservation by the Library of Congress." The list spans the years from 1853 to 1994 and runs the gamut from Stand by Your Man (Tammy Wynette) to Take Me Out to the Ball Game--interesting.

Nook Contest starts April 10th!

Don't forget to register with NH Downloadable Books this weekend if you haven't already. During National Library Week, April 10 - 16, all checkouts by Dover Public Library patrons who’ve registered to use New Hampshire Downloadable Books will be automatically entered in a special raffle to win a Nook eReader! Each time you check out a downloadable audiobook or eBook during that week, you will qualify for another entry in the raffle.

To get started downloading audiobooks and eBooks, visit the New Hampshire Downloadable Books service.

Calling All Teddy Bears

3rd Annual Teddy Bear Sleepover-- April 11 from 6:30 to 7:30

Would your teddy bear (or special stuffed animal) like to spend the night at the library??? Here’s what we’ll do...

• We’ll gather in the children’s room to introduce ourselves---every teddy(or animal) will get their own nametag.


• Then, we’ll go over to the Story Hour Room for some stories, rhymes, and a movie---featuring, (you guessed it!)---TEDDY BEARS!!!


• Next, we’ll sit at a table for a quick project---we’ll be making special pillows for our stuffed friends to sleep with! When our pillows are finished, it will be time to tuck our teddies in….you choose the spot in the children’s room where you think they’ll be the most comfortable---will it be in the dollhouse? On the train table? On a bookshelf?


• Then, you give them one last kiss, and head on home to your own beds---In the morning, come and pick them up (after 10:00am), and we’re hoping we may be able to get some pictures of just what goes on when teddy bears sleep over at the library.

If you’d like to bring YOUR teddy (or special stuffed animal) to the teddy bear sleepover, please sign up at the Children’s Room desk or call 516-6052!

Look for these new eBooks

New eBooks have been added to NH Downloadable Books.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by    Amy Chua
The Battle of the Labyrinth by  Rick Riordan
Big Stone Gap by   Adriana Trigiani
Clouds without Rain  by   P. L. Gaus
The Dragon Heir  by   Cinda Williams Chima
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret UFO  by Donald J. Sobol
Frozen Assets by    Quentin Bates
The Glass Lake  by   Maeve Binchy
Home Free  by   Fern Michaels
The Hunted  by   Brian Haig
The Information by    James Gleick
Juno's Daughters by    Lise Saffran
The Land of Painted Caves  by   Jean M. Auel
Live Wire  by   Harlan Coben
Lover Unleashed  by   J. R. Ward
Oil and Ice  by   Peter Nichols
The Opal Deception by    Eoin Colfer
The Paris Wife  by   Paula McLain
The Peach Keeper by    Sarah Addison Allen
The Poisoner's Handbook   by  Deborah Blum
Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good by   Josh Levine
The Price of Everything by   Eduardo Porter
The Red Pyramid by  Rick Riordan
Secret Sanction  by   Brian Haig
Seducing the Duchess  by   Ashley March
Speed Demons by    Jasmine Jones
Steampunk'd  by   Jean Rabe, Martin H. Greenberg
The Tiger's Wife   by  Tea Obreht
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure  by   Disney Digital Books
The Troubled Man by    Henning Mankell, Laurie Thompson
The Van Alen Legacy  by   Melissa de la Cruz

New Mobile App Available

The Dover Public Library catalog is now available for your mobile phone! Here is the address you need: http://www.libanywhere.com/m/395. Mobile device users can now search the catalog, place holds, check their accounts, renew items, and contact a librarian all while on the move. The mobile catalog works with Android, BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and any mobile phone with a web browser. We are very excited to offer this new service so please give it a try and let us know what you think.

Psst Did You Hear the Dirt?

The last film in the Sustainability Film Series, Dirt: The Movie, will be shown in the Dover Public Library Lecture Hall on Tuesday, April 5 at 6:30pm. Join us to view the film and share your thoughts afterward in a group discussion. Dirt tells the amazing and little known story of the relationship between humans and living dirt. Why Dirt? Dirt feeds us and gives us shelter. Dirt holds and cleans our water. Dirt heals us and makes us beautiful. Dirt regulates the earth's climate. Dirt is the ultimate natural resource for all life on earth. Yet most humans ignore, abuse, and destroy our most precious living natural resource.

Blended Families?

I often read two books at the same time, but I try to ensure that they're quite different so that I don't confuse characters and plots. This month, when I went on vacation, I hadn't quite finished Joyce Maynard's The Good Daughters (title characters Dana and Ruth). So the hardcover book got left behind on my bedside table to finish apres-trip. While traveling, I had my Kindle on which was The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (featuring siblings Rose, Bean and Cordy) but I only got halfway through it on the plane home.

So now I'm finishing two books about five sisters, and to top it off, each family has a mother who's battling cancer. Both of these are very satisfying novels but I fear I haven't given either one its due diligence when I'm wondering why Rose doesn't visit Ruth or why Cordy ignores Dana. I guess I've invented my own sisters-mash-up!! Do you regularly read more than one book at the same time?

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

The Dover Public Library's Newsletters are out for the month of April. Follow the links to view the Children's Room Newsletter or the Dover Public Library Newsletter--or better yet both! Find out about the Teddy Bear Sleepover, The Peeps Contest, and how you could win a free Nook! If you would like to receive these newsletters via email follow this link to sign-up.

Librarian Fashion

Many articles and posts have covered, and ranted, about Librarian fashion, from the stereotypical dowdy librarians to the newer cliche of the sexy Librarian look. One thing I have not seen yet is discussion of the Librarian t-shirt. Just about all of us have them, most avid readers do too. My Librarian t-shirt is from the Library of Congress and has books all over the front AND back of the shirt, as well as the LOC name on the sleeve, swoon! I stumbled across this website yesterday and found out most of my co-workers knew about it already. Out of Print offers t-shirts with classic covers of books on them. My favorite is the Jazz Babies. My second favorite is the Nancy Drew t-shirt because I read my mom's copy of that book with the 1930's illustrations when I was younger.  So far, every librarian has a different favorite. Which shirt would you choose?

(standard disclaimer: I, and the Library are not affiliated with, or promoting this company. I just really liked their shirts and thought you might enjoy them too.)

Job Opening at the Adult Circulation Desk

Always wanted to work at the DPL? This is your chance!

ANTED: PART-TIME LIBRARY ASSISTANT I
ADULT CIRCULATION DESK 

Avg 11 -13 hrs/week. Includes weekday, evening, and some Saturday hours.

Seeking an energetic person, ideally with public library experience, with an extensive knowledge of books and authors, an avid personal reading habit, well-developed customer relations skills, and familiarity with computer technology to work part-time at the library’s busy Adult Circulation Desk.

Duties include: use of automated check-in/check-out system, registration of borrowers, collection of fines/fees, and assistance to patrons.  Circulation desk staff also reshelve library materials, answer telephones, offer readers’ advisory and guidance in the use of library computers/databases and in the operation of printers, photocopiers, and microfilm readers.
 
Hourly rate is $12.09 and ranges up to $17.12.
Application CLOSING DATE:  Open until filled
Responses received by April 30th will receive priority consideration.

Applicants must have high school diploma; college degree and/or library experience preferred. Benefits include vacation, holiday and sick leave on a proportional basis.   

Applications available at the City Manager’s Office at City Hall, or may be downloaded here.  A full job description is available at the Adult Circulation Desk, or can be viewed here. All completed applications must be returned to the City Manager’s Office or mailed to:

Employment
Office of the City Manager
City of Dover
288 Central Avenue
Dover, NH 03820

New Ladybug Award Nominees for 2011

The Ladybug Picture Book Award is designed to promote early literacy and honor the best in recent children's picture books. A committee of children's librarians from around New Hampshire selects 10 picture book titles early in the year. Then, during Children's Book Week in November, New Hampshire children from preschoolers to those in third grade vote to select the award winner. The award is a project of the Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library.
And the Nominees for 2011 are...
City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems
Guyku: a year of Haiku for boys by Bob Raczka
Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows
In the Wild by David Elliott
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
Memoirs of a Goldfish by David Scillian
One by Kathryn Otoshi
Rubia and the Three Osos by Susan Middleton
The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson
Ugly Pie by Lisa Wheeler

Let the Sun Shine In

Seacoast Energy Alternatives will be presenting two FREE workshops on Alternative Energy.

The first workshop will be held on Monday, April 4 @ 7pm in the Library Lecture Hall, and will be on "Solar Hot Water for Your Home". They will answer questions such as: How do the systems work? What are the costs? What is the return on your investment?

The second workshop will be held on Monday, April 18th @ 7pm in the Library Lecture Hall, and will be on "Electricity From the Sun". Participants will learn about conventional grid-tied solar electric, battery back-up, and off-grid systems.

We hope to see you there!

Looking for More eBooks?

If you would like other sources of free downloadable eBooks in addition to New Hampshire Downloadable Books, take a look at these web sites.

InkMesh
Search engine that checks 30 sources for free eBooks. You can search by title or author.

Project Gutenberg
33,000 free eBooks that play on any eBook reader. Mostly classics and public domain works.

Baen Books
Science Fiction publisher offers over 100 of their titles as free downloads.

University of Pennsylvania’s Online Book Page
An index to thousands of free eBooks available on the Internet.

Open Library
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You Could Win a Nook eReader!

During National Library Week, April 10 - 16, all checkouts by Dover Public Library patrons who’ve registered to use New Hampshire Downloadable Books will be automatically entered in a special raffle to win a Nook eReader! Each time a downloadable audiobook or eBook is checked out during that week, a DPL cardholder will qualify for another entry in the raffle.

New Hampshire Downloadable Books are available via the library’s website 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All you need is a valid Dover Public Library borrower’s card, a computer, and Internet access. To get started, you must install free software available on the site: for audiobooks, download OverDrive® Media Console™, and for eBooks, Adobe® Digital Editions. You may then browse the collection, check out items with your library card, and download them to a PC, Mac®, and many mobile devices. Titles can transferred to a variety of devices, including iPod®, Nook ®, Sony® Reader™, and many others. Titles will automatically expire and “disappear” at the end of the lending period so there are no late fees! The eBooks can be returned early.

To get started downloading audiobooks and eBooks, visit the New Hampshire Downloadable Books service. Use the service anytime, but don’t forget to check out items between April 10th and 16th in order to enter our Nook Raffle. The Nook has been donated by the Friends of the Dover Public Library and the winner will be notified on April 18th. 

A Princess @ DPL?

Was that a princess who walked into the Children's Room and went straight over to Bluebeary to give him a kiss? Will Bluebeary turn into a handsome prince? Those were the questions the staff in the Children's Room were asking themselves (and maybe hoping to witness a fairy tale come to life) when this beautiful woman walked by our desk but...
No, that was "Miss Strafford County", Kamilah Fucci, giving Bluebeary her traditional Kiss for good luck! It seems that Kamilah, a UNH graduate, has made it her tradition to kiss Bluebeary for good luck every time she competes in a beauty contest.
This time, she's hoping to be crowned "Miss New Hampshire" in the 2011 Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Competition. The annual competition will take place at the Stockbridge Theatre at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire, from April 28-30, 2011. Good Luck, Kamilah, from Bluebeary and all of us at DPL!

More New eBooks Have Been Added to the NH Downloadable Books Site

The Arctic Incident by  Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl by   Eoin Colfer
At the Edge of the World by  Avi
Beauty and the Spy by  Julie Anne Long
Blood, Bones & Butter by  Gabrielle Hamilton
Blue Bloods by  Melissa de la Cruz
Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Dramarama  by   E. Lockhart
Endgame by  John Mauldin, Jonathan Tepper
Evening Class by  Maeve Binchy
Four in Hand by   Stephanie Laurens
The Glass Lake by  Maeve Binchy
Heart and Soul  by  Maeve Binchy
The Heir  by  Grace Burrowes
The Hidden Reality  by  Brian Greene
The Information  by James Gleick
The Lincoln Lawyer by   Michael Connelly
The Lost Hero by   Rick Riordan
Love You More  by   Lisa Gardner
Midnight Sons Volume 1  by  Debbie Macomber
Minding Frankie by   Maeve Binchy
The Neighbor  by  Lisa Gardner
Persuader by   Lee Child
The Red Pyramid  by  Rick Riordan
The Serpent Prince by   Elizabeth Hoyt
Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker by Megan McDonald, Peter H. Reynolds
This Matter Of Marriage by  Debbie Macomber
Thunderstruck by   Erik Larson
Thursdays At Eight by  Debbie Macomber
The Tiger's Wife by  Tea Obreht
Twenty Wishes by   Debbie Macomber
The Warrior Heir by  Cinda Williams Chima
The Weird Sisters  by   Eleanor Brown
Whitethorn Woods by   Maeve Binchy
Wicked Angel  by  Julia London
You've Been Warned by  James Patterson, Howard Roughan

The Lost Suitcase

Just finished The Paris Wife by Paula McLain which is the early story of Ernest Hemingway, and his first marriage to Hadley Richardson. Most of the book takes place in Paris where the young couple goes so that Hemingway can become part of the writing scene. They meet and befriend other writers of the time such as Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ezra Pound. There is a part in the book where Hemingway has been sent to Switzerland on assignment, by the newspaper he is writing for, and meets fellow journalist and editor Lincoln Steffens. Steffens is impressed with Hemingway's work and asks to see more of his writing. Hadley is just leaving to visit Hemingway and decides to suprise him by packing all of his manuscripts and copies into a suitcase and bringing them to him. The suitcase is stolen on the train and she has to explain to Hemingway that it is all gone. Of course, I had to research this to make sure it was a true, and yes it was. It is such a crushing and heartbreaking story! Imagine if that suitcase was found today? There are some that say this tragedy freed Hemingway to adopt the "clean prose style" that he became famous for, but I still wouldn't have wanted to be the one to tell him I'd lost years of his work.

Announcing the Third Annual Peeps Show Contest!

The Dover Public Library is looking for some creative peeps to enter our third annual “Peeps Show” contest during National Library Week, April 10-16.

Here’s how it works: Build a diorama using peeps of any color in a standard size shoe box. The theme is anything literary; recreate a scene from a favorite book or portray a character from a book.

Anyone 18 or older is invited to compete in the Adult Division, while peeps, er, people 13- 18 may enter the Teen division. Children ages 4 – 7 are invited to enter the Kids Division, and ages 8 – 12 may enter in the Youth Division. On the back of your shoe box, please include your name, address, phone number, and title of your “Peeps Show”. All Peeps displays may be dropped off at the Dover Public Library beginning Monday, April 11th, through Saturday, April 16th during operating hours. The Peeps will be displayed in the library for all to enjoy. Prizes will be awarded Monday afternoon, April 25th. Peeps should be picked up Thursday, April 28th. All Peeps not picked up by the deadline will be discarded or eaten.  For more information, call 516-6082.

Spring @ the DPL

 I was so excited when I saw this proof outside of the Children's Room that spring is truly coming.

 

To an Early Daffodil by Amy Lowell

Thou yellow trumpeter of laggard Spring!
Thou herald of rich Summer's myriad flowers!
The climbing sun with new recovered powers
Does warm thee into being, through the ring
Of rich, brown earth he woos thee, makes thee fling
Thy green shoots up, inheriting the dowers
Of bending sky and sudden, sweeping showers,
Till ripe and blossoming thou art a thing
To make all nature glad, thou art so gay;
To fill the lonely with a joy untold;
Nodding at every gust of wind to-day,
To-morrow jewelled with raindrops.  Always bold
To stand erect, full in the dazzling play
Of April's sun, for thou hast caught his gold.

Wishing You a Happy St. Patrick's Day

The Librarians would like to wish you all a 

very happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sticky Fingers

Just read an article in Publishers Weekly titled "Where the Kids Are: Marketing Online". I was a bit shocked by this quote: "In general we've seen a major shift in resources and dollars to the online market," says Lucille Rettino, director of marketing for the Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Group. "We still do traditional marketing, but if we want to reach kids--even as young as three or four, who are playing with their parents' iPhone or iPad--we need to be in that space." Now I don't have either an iPhone or an iPad, but I do have a 3 1/2 year old and I can't picture myself letting him play with either of those things. Would you let your child play with your iPhone or iPad?

Why Should Grown Ups Have All the Fun?

We have been talking and writing a lot lately about eBooks, and how you can access some free from NH Downloadable Books. Did you know that this is not just a service for adults? There are Teen and Children's sections offering over 200 titles! These titles include crowd favorites such as books from the Judy Moody, Junie B. Jones, Magic Tree House, and Percy Jackson series. Teens may be interested in these authors: Lauren Oliver, Alex Flinn, Beth Kephart, Bree Despain, L. J. Smith, among others. As always this is a free service to Dover Public Library cardholders. Follow this link to the NH Downloadable web site--what do you have to lose?

Rubber Ducks Overboard!

I just read a review in the New York Times Book Review of Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools, Including the Author, Who Went in Search of Them By Donovan Hohn. The books story stems from a real event in 1992 when a container ship, in the North Pacific, carrying bath toys loses its cargo--namely 28,800 rubber ducks, blue turtles, and green frogs. The bath toys took until 2000 to make it to the North Atlantic, and are found on beaches in New England. There is a very interesting article about the event in the Daily Mail that has a timeline of where the bath toys have been found, and map of where they traveled. Donovan Hohn trys to answer the questions where did the ducks come from, where did they drift, and why? Of course, if you are looking for a more simplistic version of events you could read Eric Carle's picture book 10 Little Rubber Ducks which is also based on the 1992 event. :)

Friends of the Library Irish Book Sale, March 14 - 19

Celtic-themed books will be on sale mid-month at the Friends of the Dover Library’s Irish Booksale which will run for one week only, Monday, March 14 through Saturday, March 19, on the library’s Main Floor.

A large selection of Irish paperbacks, hardcover books, and some cassette tapes will be available at prices from $1.00 to $3.00. All of the items were donated to the library and the inventory includes a wide variety of Irish fiction, short stories, classics and poetry (some in the Irish language), history and geography, biographies, Celtic myths, folklore and legends, music, and many regional travelogues.  These books would make wonderful St. Patrick’s Day mementos for anyone with a fondness for Ireland or the tradition of Irish culture. 

All proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Library, a 501(c)3 charitable organization which last year donated over $14,000 to the library for museum passes, children’s and adult programs, furnishings and equipment.

I came across an interesting web site recently--The Prison Library Project. The mission of the group is to provide reading material free of charge to inmates nationwide. Here is a quote from their web site:

"We believe that everyone deserves access to literature and educational materials, including people trying to work towards social change, self-empowerment or rehabilitation within the incarceration system. The U.S. has less than 5 percent of the world’s population, but more than a quarter of the world’s prisoners. Nearly one percent of American adults are incarcerated, the highest rate in the world, but many prisoners have little access to books or educational material."

Very sobering statistics.

Do all good things really come to an end?

Have you ever wondered how the life of your favorite "serial" heroine/protaganist is going to work itself out? If you've been reading J. A. Konrath's novels over the years featuring Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels, you've watched her go through her career as a police Lieutenant meeting up with the most vicious serial killers while building a career and working through a marriage and a couple of long term relationships. Konrath's latest, "Shaken", is a compilation of several time lines in Daniels life that show where she's been, what she's been through, and what might have been. More than just an exploration of Jack's life though, this book is still a thriller, bringing together several notorious killers. The mystery successfully catches everyone up, even if you've never read Konrath's books (Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, to name a few).

The really interesting part of this book is the author's afterward. Konrath foretells of the conclusion of his Jack Daniels series and Blake Crouch's Andrew Thomas series featuring villain Luther Kite. Crouch's Luther Kite showed up in a couple of Konrath's mysteries, making way for a perfect collaboration. Konrath and Crouch are currently hard at work on the finale "Stirred". Since they are calling the conclusion "bittersweet for the authors", I'm wondering how I'm going to deal with the ending to Jack Daniels career or life!