Food for Thought

From Dog Years: a memoir by Mark Doty.

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

Part-time Library Assistant Needed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are You Prepared?

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

The Spellman Files

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

Climate Change 101 Lecture Rescheduled

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

Kiplinger's picks Librarianship as "Great Career"

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

National Library Week programs coming!!

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

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

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

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

All programs are free and open to the public.

How Long Will You Live?

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

The Wayward Muse by Elizabeth Hickey

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

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

Climate Change 101 and What You Can Do

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

Pig Candy - It's a Good Thing

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

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

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

A Hint from Heloise

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

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

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

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

Pick A Bouquet of Bookmarks

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

Most of our bookmarks are also available in online catalog.

Non-Fiction Nuggets

Do you prefer reading non-fiction? Sometimes I need to read some non-fiction to "cleanse the palate" after too much fiction. The lure of the factual for me often outshines the fictional. So, here are three books that I have recently enjoyed for those who need to add some "real" to their reading diet.

Beneath the Metropolis: the secret lives of cities, by Alex Marshall.

What lies beneath? Alex Marshall dissects the layers of major cities of the world from below. What amazing things are lying beneath the surface! Subways and catacombs, secret tunnels and abandoned rooms, vertical layers of previous building and tunneling projects comprise underground worlds that few people realize exist. Each chapter outlines the archaeology, industrial networks, terrain and tunnels beneath the ground. Excellent maps and illustrations accompany solid text on the history and future of the underground of the world's greatest cities.

Museum of the Missing: a history of art theft, by Simon Haupt.

How are art capers really done? Through the skylights with special equipment? Via a ladder propped against a wall beneath a window? The canvas cut out of the frame and rolled up into a backpack? Oddly enough, all of the above.

Art is a commodity, and this compelling treatment of the growth of high-profile art theft is fascinating. Art theft in war time, robbery techniques, famous forgeries, international investigations, and the use of art as a trade item in drug deals are all detailed. In addition, there is coverage of the current gallery of missing art that show what is still "at large" in the art world.

Operation homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the words of the U.S. troops and their families, edited by Andrew Carroll.

Gripping, poignant, often heart-rending personal narratives of the experience of war for our troops. Poetry, diaries, eyewitness accounts, journals, short stories and other material by troops and their family members bring the reality of war into sharp focus.

The compilation is divided into topical sections covering combat, daily life, home front issues, etc. Some entries are hilarious and some are heartbreaking. Balanced and sensitive, this is a collection that offers an intimate window into the feelings and experiences of soldiers and their loved ones that is fresh from current events.

Practice Taking Tests like the SAT and ASVAB from Home!

Did you know you can practice taking tests like the SAT, GED, Praxis, ASVAB, citizenship, GRE, nursing exams, and Real Estate Brokers exam from home? You can also polish your skills in Spanish, math, reading, and writing resumes and cover letters. Simply log onto the Library’s web page and click on Online Resources. Next, choose Learning Express and you will be prompted to enter your 14 digit library card number and to choose a password. Select your test from the 300 tests available and begin practicing. You can also use Learning Express here at the Library.

Edward takes a break

Edward enjoys the brief spring sunshine outside the library.

A Burst of Color at the Library

The skies may be gray with impending snow, sleet, and rain, but the library has a spring like art exhibit currently on display. Pam Cilley's paintings, as you can see from the example, are full of flowers, color, and life. Come in and take a look, it just may make you feel better.

Explore the World of Children's Non-fiction

As I look back over the many years I've been reading children's literature, I have to say that overall, I'm really impressed with the quality of the books our kids are reading. That's not to say I think it's ALL superlative stuff, (and I'm always happy to give my opinion either way!), but for the most part, I think the world of children's books has grown richer over the years. In particular, I'd like to mention the area of children's non-fiction. With the advent of high-quality photo reproduction, we're seeing some amazing things, and the writing has been improving, too.

Here in New Hampshire, we're doubly lucky---we have some homegrown non-fiction authors whose work stands right up there with the best of them.

Sy Montgomery, a New Hampshire resident, has published several wonderful books, among them The Tarantula Scientist, The Man-Eating Tigers of the Sunderban, and Escantado: Pink Dolphin of the Amazon.
Her books are always exciting, full of interesting information, and she's also lots of fun to talk to in person.

Check out this interview: http://www.goodgoodpig.com/author.php

----isn't she inspiring?

Also, right here in Dover, we have a wonderful non-fiction author, Jim Mastro. Jim has traveled to Antarctica several times, and in 2003 he published Antarctic Ice, one of the most accessible non-fiction books for young children that I've ever read----and the photographs are gorgeous!

Take a look at these, and explore all the other non-fiction offerings on the Children's Room shelves---I think you'll be impressed, too!

Part-time Job Opening at the Library

The Library currently has an Afternoon Page position open. The jobs' primary tasks involve shelving books, maintaining the book stacks, assisting in closing the library, and running errands. For more information about the job and how to apply visit our web site at www.dover.lib.nh.us/jobopening.htm.

The Catalog will be down on Tuesday

Tuesday, April 3, there will be no access to the online card catalog. Librarians will be happy to look up books for you, but we will not be able to reserve books for you.

The Road

The Road by Cormac McCarthy, available in book form and Book on CD.

A father and son travel the post apocalyptic ash land of America in this gripping and devastating tale.

The love between the man and the boy carries them through the bleak and barren terrain, the horror of murderers and eaters of human flesh. It keeps them on the right path. “Are we still the good guys, Papa?” the boy says in times of confusion and shock. There are hard and bleak lessons to be learned: how to continue to be the good guys when sometimes survival means leaving behind others who need your help; how to continue when there seems to be no hope, no reason to do so; how to be thankful for the meager good that comes along.

This book is frightening and tender, cryptic and crystal clear, simple and mysterious. Ultimately, it is perfectly beautiful.

Marcus Gale says hello

Children's entertainer Marcus Gale will be visiting the Dover Public Library Tuesday, April 17, at 10:30am for the last in his spring series of music workshops for little ones.




picture @copyright mbyrom

Edward listens carefully

Miss Marcia is reading to Edward from his favorite book. Can you guess what it is?

New to the Downloadable Audio Books Collection

These are just a few of the new titles available.
Want to see more?

The Double Blind by Chris Bohjalian
Deep Storm by Lincoln Child
The Watchman by Robert Crais
Hide by Lisa Gardner
Step on a Crack by James Patterson
High Profile by Robert B. Parker
Innocent in Death by J.D. Robb
Sisters by Danielle Steel

Forgotten Nursery Rhymes

Who couldn't put Humpy Dumpty together again?

What did Jack break when he fell down the hill?

How did Little Bo Peep get her sheep to come home?

What did the Old Woman in the Shoe feed her children?

What did Wee Willie Winkie wear running through the town?

Could you answer all of these questions? Last week I attended a baby shower for my niece. As part of the festivities, all guests who wanted to participate in a game were given a sheet of questions to answer about nursery rhymes. Prizes were then awarded to those answering all questions correctly. I was amazed at the number of people there (she had over 50 guests!) who knew only a few answers, if any at all.

Have we forgotten the value that these educational, interactive, sometimes nonsensical, and always fun rhymes have in contributing to a child's development and first introduction to literature?

All mothers-to-be should have "a book of nursery rhymes" listed on their baby shower's wish list. I know that I will include one in my baby gift bag from now on!

Here are a few suggestions for gift giving or for borrowing from our collection:
The Real Mother Goose by Blanch Fisher Wright
Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose: one hundred best-loved verses by Mary Engelbreit
Tomie dePaola's Mother Goose by Tomie dePaola
The Baby's Lap Book by Kay Chorao
The Lucy Cousins' Book of Nursery Rhymes by Lucy Cousins

Answers to questions:
1. all the king's horses and all the king's men, 2. his crown, 3. she left them alone, 4. some broth (without any bread), 5. his nightgown

A Prince to Die For (well, maybe not.)

I was telling my friend Mark yesterday that Henry VIII was very hot right now, especially for a guy who had been dead for almost 500 years. He was disbelieving, "you mean the fat guy who beheaded all of his wives?" Obviously, he has not been reading Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir, Robin Maxwell, or any of the other contemporary novelists who have been mining the life of the 16th century monarch for their latest novels. If you, like Mark, think that Henry was just a fat old dude who executed his wives when he was displeased with them, think again. In his heyday, Henry was considered the "handsomest prince in Christendom." At well over 6' with red gold hair and "shapely calves" (I'm not making this up) he was sought after by women for the obvious reasons and by men for the power he wielded as the King of England. But, like anyone who has it all, and an entourage of "peeps" to make sure he continues to get it all, Henry fell victim to his own excesses and in the end did, in fact, become a fat old dude who excuted his wives, although not all of them, just two.

But that was then and this is now and the real proof that Henry is hot is, of course, that he has become a TV series. The Tudors on Showtime, airs opposite The Sopranos on HBO. And rightfully so. Who else could go up against "The Tone?" Henry was the original "made man."

In a recent interview, Philippa Gregory, the author who started it all with The Other Boleyn Girl speculated that Henry's real appeal comes from the women in his life. Readers are drawn to women negotiating dangerous waters and let's face it, in the 16th century there were no more dangerous waters for a girl than those in which Henry VIII swam.

For a list of great novels about Henry VIII and the women in his life look for our Henry VIII and Company booklist by clicking here.

Edward gets crafty

Edward found our "Make-It, Take-It" table in the Children's Room. He is busy listening to his inner rabbit about what colors to choose next.

The Traveling Pants

It's amazing what you can do with a bit of glitter, felt, glue, ribbons, buttons and a whole lot of enthusiasm. Twelve kids showed up to decorate the Traveling Pants on Tuesday, and as you can see they look fabulous. You still have a chance to help us decorate the other side of the pants on Thursday, March 29th at 3:00pm in the Trustees Room of the Library. All decorators will have a chance at winning the latest book in the Traveling Pants series, Forever in Blue.

Edward travels online

Edward took his turn at one of the Children's Room computers. He sure likes the mouse. Who is he writing to?

I don't want to get off on a rant here, but....

Peggy Noonan wrote an essay for the Wall Street Journal this March called "That's Not Nice". She said "We tie ourselves in knots trying to explain why it is, or why it isn't, always or occasionally, helpful or destructive to use various epithets, or give full voice to our resentments. But the simple wisdom of Grandma-- "That's not nice"--is a good guide." Her essay was actually a diatribe against political correctness and censorship but it struck a cord with me. I have noticed the past few months at the Library that more and more people are feeling free to be "not nice".

Just last week a patron asked if the Library had a particular book. We did not own it, so the librarian wrote up an order slip and informed this patron that he would get it as soon as it came in. His response to this kindness was to go off on a rant and declaim that the library was nothing but a sewer of left wing propaganda. I think "thank you" would have been a more appropriate response.

Another patron thought it would be appropriate to leave his socks, which smelled as though they had gotten a good year's worth of use without washing, in the Men's Room. Our poor custodian, who has seen more than his share of truly nasty messes left for us, cannot get rid of the horrible smell. If it's too nasty to throw away at your house, we don't want it either.

And then there are the cell phone users. And the people who yell at us because our computers aren't the latest, fastest models. And the people who snipe at us because we don't carry every tax form that exists, or the fact that they have to wait their turn for free tax help from our AARP volunteers. And the people who steal our CDs. And so on.

Fortunately, our days are brightened by the vast majority of patrons who come in exclaiming about the wonderful book they read. And the patrons who thank us for the help we gave them. And the patrons who tell us how much they like the bookmarks we make. And especially the patrons who tell us they love the library. Thank you all. Your Grandma would be proud.

Edward Tulane on track

What a busy rabbit! Edward has our train set all to himself. Does he remember riding the rails with Bull and Lucy?

Library Ironies

A longstanding joke around here concerns a book that is always returned overdue. Its title? Toilet Training in Less Than a Day by Nathan Azrin, published in 1974. In fact, it's checked out right now, not due back until April 10. I'd lay odds that this book won't return until at least mid-April! Either the book has poor instructions or the parents are spending so much time in the bathroom that they don't have time to "absorb" (sorry!) its contents.

So yesterday, we received a letter from a western New Hampshire high school library to whom we'd lent a title through Interlibrary Loan. The letter read: "I am sorry that the book you loaned us has been lost. Would you please bill us for the book? Title: Steal This Book; Author: Abbie Hoffman; Request Number: 401888. Thank you, [signature of Media Specialist]."

Really, I'm not making these things up! Libraries have great stories every day; I've always said there's a great TV sitcom waiting to be discovered in our setting---some days it's really just like Cheers, only without the alcohol!!

Glitter, Glue, & Imagination

Have you heard of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series? In the first book of the Traveling Pants series, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Ann Brashares introduces us to four best friends: Lena, Carmen, Tibby, and Bridget. They are about to spend their first summer apart. Carmen has purchased a pair of thrift shop jeans for $3.49, and they miraculously fit all four friends perfectly. The friends form a pact to share the jeans equally throughout the summer, mailing them back and forth. The girls also come up with a list of 10 rules governing the use of the traveling pants for example—you must never wash the pants.

The popularity of the series has prompted the creation of the NH Traveling Pants project. The pants will be making there way around the state to be decorated by local teens. The Traveling Pants will be in Dover the week of March 26th through March 30th. Join us for two decorating sessions: Tuesday, March 27th from 2:30 to 4pm in the Dover Middle School Library, and Thursday, March 29th from 3 to 4:30pm in the Trustees Room of the Dover Public Library. Just show up to decorate and we will provide the materials (glitter, felt, markers, patches...), snacks, and prizes! You will also have a chance to win the latest book in the series.

Edward Tulane meets the neighbor

Sometimes some surprising things can sneak up behind you.

Come to the Children's Room and say hello to Bluebeary and Edward. We think they can be friends. Do you?

The Family That Couldn't Sleep

It sounds like something from a fairy tale; a family cursed to die from sleeplessness. In Italy, a family has been afflicted for generations by a prion disease called Fatal Familial Insomnia. Prions destroy the area of the brain that allows them to sleep. The onset begins in middle age when they begin running high fevers, and the pupils of their eyes shrink; they exist in a half state between sleep and wakefulness. Their bodies eventually burn themselves out and they die from exhaustion. Their story is told in The Family That Couldn’t Sleep by D.T. Max. The author also discusses other prion diseases; Kuru with its links to cannibalism, Scrapie which decimated sheep flocks in Britain, and of course, the other infamous British prion disease- Mad Cow.

This is where the story becomes truly terrifying. Because the government agencies entrusted with overseeing the safety of the food chain are also responsible for promoting the health of the agricultural industry in Britain and in the U.S., many more of us are potentially afflicted Mad Cow than believed. “It can be estimated, based on a European Union Scientific committee’s work, that the English ate as many as 640 billion doses of BSE (mad cow disease) during the crisis as a whole”. One hundred Fifty Britons have died so far, tests indicate that as many as 4000 more are infected. Don’t think you are safe here in America, Mad Cow has already surfaced, and our elk and deer are infected with another prion disease called Chronic Wasting Disease.

This is an intriguing chronicle of the attempts to solve the mysteries of prions.

Edward Tulane chills out

Edward Tulane is visiting the Children's Room this week! Come to our blog each day and see him enjoying something different in our room.

Today he is hanging out with Skitter and Scatter, our two gerbils. Mammals just want to have fun!

Dangerous Pet Food

Pet owners across the nation have been devastated by the news that the dog and cat foods they trustingly fed their pets have made hundreds of animals ill. The food has been recalled but the damage has been done in many cases.

If you are curious about how your pet’s food is made, you may want to read Protect Your Pet by Ann Martin. If you want to try making your own food but are not sure how to prepare a balanced diet for your dog, take a look at Better Food for Dogs by David Bastin. It has loads of recipes as well as nutritional requirements. Please remember to seek your veterinarian’s advice before drastically changing your pet’s diet.

March 24 is Shutdown Day

I remember when I started here at the Library I used a stamp and slips of paper to check out books. Now the Library is extremely dependent on computers to check books in and out or reserve an item. Why, just to look up a book requires a computer! We librarians feel crippled the few times our computerized system has failed to function.

Can you survive without your computer for 24 hours? If you think you can, why not join one of the biggest experiments ever to take place on the Internet? The idea behind the experiment is to find out how many people can go without a computer for one whole day, and what will happen if everyone participates. Go to http://shutdownday.org/ for more information. Just make sure to check out your books beforehand!

April 2 is the next NH Humanities Council Book Discussion

Join us for the next NH Humanities Council Book Group on Monday, April 2 at 7:00pm in the Lecture Hall. We will be discussing Beryl Markham's autobiography West With the Night. Come in to pick up a copy of the book today. Ernest Hemingway described Beryl Markham's book in a letter to a friend"...she has written so well, and marvellously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer...she can write rings around all of us...I wish you would get it and read it because it is really a bloody wonderful book." Pretty big compliment coming from Big Papa himself.

Beryl Markham was a fascinating woman--she bred racehorses, was a bush pilot in Africa, became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west, and to top it off she could write. All this took place in a time, the 1930s, when there were few opportunities available to women--just imagine what she could accomplish today! This book should make for an interesting discussion, hope to see you there.

Edward Tulane Visits Dover Public Library

Edward Tulane, the china rabbit from this year's "Dover Reads" book choice, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, will be visiting Dover!

Edward will be at the Dover Public Library Children’s Room on March 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 & April 1, 2007 (he will leave the library briefly on 3/23 @ 1pm & on 3/30 from 9am to 12).

Other stops for Edward along his journey will be:
Dover Auto World: March 23 - 1:00 pm
Woodman Park School: March 26
Garrison School: March 27
Horne Street School: March 28
Wentworth Home Gage Room: March 28 - 3:00pm
Dover Middle School: March 30 - 9am to Noon
Final celebration at Dover Middle School: March 29 - 6:30pm

For more information on Edward's historic national tour click here.

"Patronizing and Paternalistic"

The title of this posting comes from a statement from ALA President Leslie Burger about Time, Inc.'s decision to not mail its annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue to its 21,000 library subscribers. The corporate fathers at Time judged that it might be too racy for libraries! We didn't get our copy here at the DPL, but we just thought it was a fluke. Then we heard that no libraries had received the issue! How dare they make that decision for us?! It is up to each individual librarian to decide whether the bathing suits on display in that SI issue are appropriate for their own library.

After complaints from hundreds of libraries, an SI spokesman admitted, "It was a bad decision...to withhold the issue. We won't be withholding the swimsuit issue in the future." Postcards will be sent to each of the affected institutions allowing us to request a copy of the issue. As for us, well our eagle-eye custodian spotted a copy on our Magazine Swap table and scoffed it up for our collection, so we're all set for now. But I'll still make Time, Inc. send me a replacement copy too!

Our library has lost a great friend

We heard today that renowned Dover historian Bob Whitehouse has passed away. Over more than thirty years, Bob helped our staff to track down people and events covering 375+ years of local history. Whenever we were stumped, we'd call Bob for a clue. He had a marvelous memory and would hunt through his own binders and folders until he found the answer!
He was my mentor and friend when I started working at the library...I was clueless about Dover's past and he brought me along with his stories, his enthusiasm, and his infectious love of this city. By the mid-80s, he was confident enough in my grasp of Dover history to ask me to co-author a book with him. Our collaboration, Port of Dover, was published in 1988.
Bob also donated hundreds of manuscripts, notebooks, papers, maps, and photographs to the library; these items, now accessible for all researchers, have been invaluable resources. Bob Whitehouse was ever generous with his time, his knowledge, and his Dover memorabilia. We are truly saddened by his passing. He will be greatly missed.

Blogging, Bleaders, and Blookers

I was reading one of my favorite blogs, French Word-A-Day; bringing you a thrice weekly slice of French Life, when I discovered there is now a literary prize for books written from blogs. The Blooker Prize, is the first literary prize for "blooks", books based on blogs or web sites. The best known of these is Julie Powell’s blog which was published as Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment. This book is one of the first recipients of the Blooker Prize, and was enjoyed by the DPL staff. Julie's blog evolved from a project she set herself to cook all the recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year. Her posts were amusing, interesting, and involving. She and blog readers (bleaders) developed a relationship, word of mouth made her famous, leading to mainstream media interviews, and finally a publisher.

Do you write a blog? Let us know, we would like to read it!

What's for Dinner?

In case it's Irish you're looking for check out our Irish recipe books in the nonfiction area of 641.59411. The new "Irish Pub Cookbook" by Margaret Johnson will help you right along. However, this little poem makes it even easier to figure out what the Irish really eat!

GOOD GRIEF - NOT BEEF!
I just want to put something straight
About what should be on your plate,
If it's corned beef you're makin'
You're sadly mistaken,
That isn't what Irishmen ate.

If you ever go over the pond
You'll find it's of bacon they're fond,
All crispy and fried,
With some cabbage beside,
And a big scoop of praties beyond.

Your average Pat was a peasant
Who could not afford beef or pheasant.
On the end of his fork
Was a bit of salt pork,
As a change from potatoes 'twas pleasant.

This custom the Yanks have invented,
Is an error they've never repented,
But bacon's the stuff
That all Irishmen scoff,
With fried cabbage it is supplemented.

So please get it right this St. Paddy's.
Don't feed this old beef to your daddies.
It may be much flasher,
But a simple old rasher,
Is what you should eat with your tatties.

©Frances Shilliday 2004

Snowdrops and Daffodils

I have had reports of snowdrop and daffodil sitings. I have not seen them myself, but the sources were quite reliable. Of course I have been looking at seed catalogs since January, but the emergence of flowers is a true sign of spring. Yes, I realize we are supposed to get snow on Saturday, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming. My dreaming is helped by some great flower gardening books. Here are a few that you might want to take a look at:

Beautiful Perennials: Simple Techniques to Make Your Garden Sensational by edited by Marilyn Rogers.

Encyclopedia of Perennials: The Definitive Illustrated Reference Guide edited by Graham Rice. (American Horticultural Society)

Instant Gardens: High-Impact Makeovers that Look Great Right Now edited by Michael McKinley.

The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer: The Essential guide to Creating Simply Sensational Gardens by Stephanie Cohen.

Or, if you would just like to browse, come in and look in the 635.9 - 635.9332 number area, it is sure to make you dream of spring.

Aye and Begorrah

It's the weekend for leprechauns and anything green. It's also time for tales of Ireland. Check out our list!

When Peeps Visit The Library

We have had many strange visitors to the library; ghosts, bats, starfish, an owl, a drug sniffing dog, and someone who was sure he was the reincarnation of King Arthur, but I don’t think we have had any quite like these mischievous peeps who spend a very busy, naughty day at their local library.

Challenged Titles: yes, we have them all!

The American Library Association has just released its Top Ten "Most Challenged Books of 2006". I'll list them below, but first I want to correct a mistaken impression. Some in the public think it's libraries and librarians who ban certain books. In fact, in the great majority of cases, it's libraries and librarians who defend these books and convincingly argue why they should stay on our shelves. This year's list of most challenged books is not atypical, although we are happy to see that "Catcher in the Rye", "Huckleberry Finn" and the "Harry Potter" books, perpetual banned favorites, didn't make the top ten for 2006. It is sad to see two Toni Morrison novels there, however.

• "And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
• The "Gossip Girls" series by Cecily Von Ziegesar
• The "Alice" series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• "The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things" by Carolyn Mackler
• "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
• "Scary Stories" by Alvin Schwartz
• "Athletic Shorts" by Chris Crutcher
• "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
• "Beloved" by Toni Morrison
• "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

The Dover Public Library has all these books. An important thing to remember is that a good library has something to offend almost everyone. Parents should watch what their children read, read together with them and make appropriate decisions for their family. As an adult, your reading choices are yours alone. No one individual should make judgments about what's "proper" for the entire populace which a library serves.

Poetry in Bloom at the Library

The Dover Public Library is pleased to announce the 5th Annual Dover Public Library Poetry contest for grades K-12. Deadline for entry is April 17th and winners will be announced on May 11th. Students may pick up information about the contest at the Dover Public Library, any Dover school library, or at our website at www.dover.lib.nh.us. All participants are invited to attend an “Evening of Poetry” on Tuesday, May 15th at 6:30pm; refreshments will be served. Students are invited to read their poetry at this event, but this will be purely voluntary. For more information about the contest please contact Denise LaFrance at 516-6082.

In preparing for this years poetry contest I reread last years winning poems. I was suprised to find a poem written by a 2nd grader titled "Mushing a Dog Sled" which relates to our March 7th post about the Iditarod. It is a wonderful poem and I would like to share it here:

Fifteen dogs run across
a snow covered lake

Gargantuan mountains loom
over the sled

The mountains watch
as the team moves
across the lake.

The ice gurles
as the team scampers
across the ice.

A breeze comes by
and the snow dances in the wind

Light blue sky brightens
the dogs hearts.

They are setting off from Rohn
and heading to Nickolai.

You Had Me At Hello

I usually know within the first chapter whether I am going to enjoy a book or not. A few memorable books have lines that will hook you with the very first sentence. Below are a few that have stayed with me.

"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." The Gunslinger by Stephen King

"In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines." Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."
1984 by George Orwell

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderly again."
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

"Call me Ishmael." Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Share your favorite first lines with us by clicking on the “comments” link.

A Recipe for Success

I heard on the news that Ernest Gallo, the winemaker, had passed away. What caught my attention was the fact that one of the world’s largest wineries was started with a recipe from the public library. It got me thinking of all the possible products and services that could be started with books from the library and a dream. You could create your own homemade soaps, perfumes, candles, beer, quilts, or offer cake decorating, photography, dog grooming. The possibilities are endless. Why, The Entrepreneur’s Ultimate Start-up Directory alone lists over 1300 opportunities.

The secret to your success may be waiting for you right here at your local library.

Author Web Sites

I enjoyed Silent in the Grave so much that I wanted to know if author Deanna Raybourn had written any sequels. Amazon.com had plenty of reviews but did not indicate if the author had any other books. I tried typing http://www.deannaraybourn.com into my browser and, sure enough, found a web site packed with information on the author, by the author. There were book tour dates, interviews, a blog with delightful Victorian headings, a biography, and even better, an answer to my question! There is indeed a sequel in the works, titled Silent in the Sanctuary.

I actually have bookmarked Dean Koontz’s author web site. Not only do I like his books, I also enjoy his devotion to his Golden retriever Trixie, who has written two books, and who occasionally writes a blog post. Trixie and Dean both have a great sense of humor. My favorite part is “Ten Questions with Dean Koontz”. Readers get to send questions to Dean. His answers are often enlightening, and usually seriously funny.

Dean and Trixie

Do you have a favorite author you want to learn more about, or maybe even have the chance to interact with? Many authors do have their own web sites. Why not try a search and find out what they’re up to? As Deanna Raybourne says, “To those of you who have taken the time to write, I thank you, most sincerely. As you have doubtless heard many times, writing is a solitary and often thankless occupation. I, for example, write in a tiny pink study that measures six and a half feet by eight with only my dog and a boxing nun for companionship. Neither of them are remotely interested in what I do. But readers are! And it is incredibly generous of you to take the time to let me know that.”

It Is Even Colder Than New Hampshire

The Iditarod began this weekend and has gotten off to a rough start with ten mushers dropping out already. Wind chills have reached -37 and conditions are brutal as windblown snow obscures the trail. New Hampshire weather is starting to look a little better! Why not enjoy the rigors of sled dog racing from the comfort of your armchair with the following books.

Running North by Ann Mariah Cook
This New Hampshire native and her husband packed up their 32 Huskies and moved to Alaska in order to run the Yukon Quest, a race even more grueling than the Iditarod. She chronicles the ordeals as well as rewards of a musher’s life. The sub freezing temperatures, peculiar Alaskan citizens, primitive living conditions, long nights sewing dog booties, loneliness and brushes wild animals are all challenges overcome before the race is even begun. This is a truly exciting adventure story that reads like a novel.

Winterdance by Gary Paulsen
A fascinating account of a man so obsessed by the Iditarod that he had to run it twice. His tales of maniacal dogs, blinding snowstorms, and moose attacks are alternately gripping and hysterically funny. A typical event is a training session in which Paulsen lost control of his dogs. They dragged him across his snow-free yard, creating such friction that a book of matches in his pants pocket ignited. And then there was the time his lead dog caught a skunk, and without thinking the author grabbed it out of her mouth…

The Weather Outside is Frightful

It is dangerously cold outside so why not stay inside and read? It’s easy to catch up on the latest magazine and newspaper articles by logging on to the Library’s website and choosing the Online Resources section. Choose EbscoHost and you will have access to thousands of full text articles. You can do a key word search on any particular topic you are interested in; cars, health issues, news, travel, and find current information. You can also read through a magazine online. If you love to read Time Magazine, for example, but haven’t had a chance to buy the latest issue you can read it on EbscoHost. While you are on the Choose Databases page click on Title List, then type in the name of the magazine you want to read in the Browse Publications search box. If that magazine shows up on the search results list with the comment "Full Text" you will be able to read it online. Click on the title of the magazine, then choose which issue you want. The whole magazine will be there in numerical page order!

Search Tips for Downloadble Audio Books

Did you know that you can browse the downloadable audio book titles by the date they were added to the collection? It’s very easy to see what's new!

You can also check off a box by the main search box so your search results will be limited to only titles that are currently available.

Want to find out more about downloading audio books? Go to the Library's web site and click on Download Audio Books.tsdsffff

Ttooddd

tttre about the whole process of download

No arrests imminent!

In Anchorage, Alaska recently, a 21-year old man was arrested while sitting in his car outside the library. The library was closed and he was on his computer, using the library's wireless Internet connection. He was found to be playing a game online (similar to the board game "Risk") and charged with "theft of services". His laptop was confiscated and the DA's office is still determining whether criminal charges are warranted. The library normally turns off their wireless connection when they're closed but the timer wasn't set.

Here at the Dover Public Library, we shook our heads about this story. We never shut off our wireless network and we welcome all car, parking lot, and lawn users at any time. We're happy to continue this service 24/7/365. But just to be sure, I did send an email and link to this story to Dover's Interim Police Chief Tony Colarusso. "Please don't ever arrest anyone in Dover for this non-crime", I wrote. "We're happy to provide this customer service even when we're closed." The Chief agreed, so we want to assure our after-hours users that you're clear to connect at the DPL!

And the AWARD goes to....

...many of the DVDs we have right here in the library! If you missed them at the movies but now your interest is piqued since the Academy Awards show the other night,
we have some of the major Oscar nominees and winners for you. We will be getting more as soon as they are out on DVD. "Babel", "Devil Wears Prada", "Little Miss Sunshine", "An Inconvenient Truth" are among at least 12 movies we have in stock right now from the Academy Awards list. To view a complete list of our available award winners including past years click on one of the links on our "Readers' Choices" page.

This Film is Not Yet Rated

I picked up a DVD called This Film is Not Yet Rated and almost put it back as the jacket was rather uninspiring. Then I noticed it featured interviews with Kevin Smith, John Waters, and Matt Stone of South Park fame. Well, I thought, this could be funny. Instead, it turned out to be a fascinating expose of how movies in America get rated; a process so secretive that the CIA might want to get some tips from the MPAA. The raters have no professional expertise, receive no training, and have no qualifications other than being a parent. It took surveillance by a private detective to determine who these people were: some were parents of grown children, while another had no kids at all. Filmmakers must submit their movies to these unknown raters, who often return inconsistent results and refuse to point out what the offensive scenes were. It was mind-boggling watching clips from different movies played side by side; one received an NC 17 rating while the other got rated R for almost identical scenes. As more details are revealed about how closely the movie industry is involved with the rating system, it becomes very clear what an unfair, skewed system it is. Kevin Smith was particularly interesting to listen to; who knew Silent Bob was so articulate and intelligent? This DVD is what documentaries strive to be: informative, amusing, outrageous, and perception-changing. One word of warning: this film is not rated, and you might want to make sure the kiddies are out of the room before you watch it!