Hear Beethoven August 20 at our Family-Friendly Classical Music Concert!

On Tuesday evening, August 20 at 6:30pm, the Dover Public Library will host the fourth in a series of free classical music concerts for families, featuring live performances of well-known musical masterpieces. This month’s concert will feature some familiar works by the great German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827). Music to be performed by tenor Andrew Sokol, violinist Sally Wituszynski, and pianist Naho Bessho   will include “Adelaide”, “Für Elise”, the piano sonata known as “Appassionata” and the violin sonata “Spring”.  The concert’s length is just 40-45 minutes, so that children may attend and enjoy the music too. The performers’ goal is to encourage classical music appreciation among all ages.

Andrew Sokol  graduated from UNH, where he studied under Dr. Jenni Cook and received his Bachelor of  Arts in Music Performance.  Andrew has been an active performer both onstage and in concert throughout New Hampshire and beyond, and has given performances in the US, Canada, and the Czech Republic. He will be a featured artist in the St. John’s “Concerts On The Hill” series, where he will be performing two concerts of English Art Song this fall.

    Sally Wituszynski earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music,  where she studied with Heidi Castleman and Marcus Thompson. She has also completed a Master’s degree in Music Education from UNH. Sally has played in many ensembles, including the Vermont Symphony, the Hanover Handel Society, the Granite State Symphony, and the New Hampshire Philharmonic, and she is an active freelance performer throughout New England. Next season she will be the principal violist for the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra. She recently completed her twentieth year as Berwick Academy’s Orchestra Director. Sally currently teaches strings at Berwick Academy, Tri-City Christian Academy, and at her home studio, and she is the Master Teacher for the UNH String Project. She lives in Somersworth, NH.

   Naho Bessho, concert organizer, was born in Japan and is now a concert pianist in Dover. At age 19 she won the highest award at the Japan Classical Music Competition. She graduated from Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music with a Master of Music degree.  She has played with Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland, and in 2001 won 2nd prize at Yangtze-River-Cup International Competition in Osaka. She came to the US in 2002, graduating from Boston University with a Performance Diploma in 2006. She has given many piano recitals throughout New England. In 2010, she released her first CD, "Invitation", and this April she released her second CD “Spianato”.  She gives private lessons in Dover, NH.

       Please join us at the Dover Public Library for this wonderful opportunity to enjoy, listen, and learn more about classical music! For further information, call the library at 603-516-6050.

Thank you Mr. Carnegie

There is a very interesting article on the NPR web site about Andrew Carnegie "Turning His Fortune into a Library Legacy."  The Dover Public Library was lucky enough to be one of the the 1,689 libraries that Mr. Carnegie helped to fund. The following is from the history of the Dover Public Library section of our web site.
"Librarians, citizens, and trustees recognized the need for a separate building as the Library continued to grow. These interested people appealed to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie for funds to construct a new facility. Mr. Carnegie responded with this offer, "If the City of Dover pledges itself by resolutions of councils to support a free library at a cost of not less than $3000 a year, and provide a suitable site, I would be pleased to furnish $30,000 for the erection of a free public library building."  The building was completed in June 1905 at a cost of $29,675. Shelving, furniture and architects fees added an additional $9500 to the final price. The building, housing 33,000 volumes, was formally dedicated on July 19, 1905 with a speech by the Mayor and delivery of keys to the chairman of the building committee."

Say hello to "Koha"!

On Monday, August 26, the Library will be “going live” with “Koha”, our new Dovernet Integrated Library System. Dovernet comprises the public library and the five Dover public school libraries, and we’ve shared a library system since 1995. Koha will be the newest iteration of that long-standing and rewarding partnership.

For you, our customers, the major change you will see will be in the appearance of the online catalog. Your library card will still work to check out and to place holds:  no re-registration is necessary. (And yes, the fines you owed in the old system will also carry over to the new! Sorry!)

Koha is an open-source ILS (Integrated Library System) hosted by ByWater Solutions on their secure servers in the virtual networking “cloud”.  There will be no servers on site at our library, saving us considerable purchasing costs. Regular maintenance, daily back-ups, software updates, and OS upgrades will be handled remotely and automatically, saving system administration time formerly spent on handling these tasks on site. Be assured that your own personal information is held very securely behind data encrypted transmissions, firewall and VPN protections, safeguarded logins, and physical security at the host site.

As always with change, there will be a learning curve for all of us. We do ask for your patience for a few weeks as we get accustomed to the new system ourselves! Over the coming months, we will be working hard to further customize the Koha “look” and “UX” (library lingo for “user experience”) and implement new features so that you will get the fastest, easiest, most user-friendly access to our materials and resources whether you’re searching from a computer , a cell phone or your mobile device. 

Koha originated in New Zealand and is a Maori word that stands for “a gift that comes with expectations”. We hope we can exceed your expectations as our new open-source library system matures and progresses!  Be sure to give us your input and suggestions!

Children's Summer Program Party

PARTY! REFRESHMENTS! ENTERTAINMENT! RAFFLE!

A party for all readers enrolled in the Children's Summer Program will be held Friday, August 2 from 10:30a.m.- 12:00. After refreshments, Rick Goldin will entertain us with his interactive musical show @ 10:45 a.m. Rick Goldin has been a performing songwriter and guitarist for twenty years. His lively, interactive and humorous children's songs have made him one of the most popular children's entertainers in New England today.

The library will be closed on Monday, August 5

The library will be closed on Monday, August 5 when our entire staff will be training on our new library automation system, “Koha”, which will debut on August 26. The Dovernet libraries (DPL and the 5 public schools) are very excited to be moving to this new open-source, cloud-based platform for library services. We hope to debut many user-friendly new features for our patrons over the coming months!

Teen Summer Reading Program

Attention Teen Summer Reading Program participants:  You have through today to get your name entered in one or more of the following raffles: 

#1--5 Day passes to the Works & a $15 gift certificate to La Festa (4 names drawn)
#2--5 free games of Mini-Golf & a $15 gift certificate to Strafford Farms (1 name drawn)
#3--5 free passes to Water Country (2 names drawn)
#4--2 Free introductory lessons at Indoor Ascent Climbing Gym & a $20 gift certificate to Dos Amigos (1 name drawn and must be 12 years of age or older)

For every 2 hours recorded on your summer reading log you get 1 raffle ticket.  The drawing will be held tomorrow morning, July 24, at 9am.  Good luck!

Goldie Passed her Tests!

Goldie, a Certified Therapy Dog with Therapy Dogs International, Inc., and her handler, Karen, will be back with their very popular “Paws for Reading” program in the Children’s Room on Saturday, July 27 from 10:30-11:30am.  Therapy Dogs International, Inc. is a volunteer group organized to provide qualified handlers and their dogs for visits in a variety of settings. Their “Paws for Reading” program is designed to allow kids the chance to read aloud to a non-judgmental canine listener in a stress-free environment. While reading to Goldie, children find themselves relaxing, having fun and improving their reading skills!  
Sign up ahead of time to read to Goldie for a fifteen minute reading session during this time or drop by for visit and a chance to read.  Also, don’t forget to record the time spent reading to Goldie on your summer reading logs or folders!

Dig Into...The Ocean

Co-sponsored by The Friends of DPL and Measured Progress, The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire will present “Dig Into the Deep Sea”, a program developed exclusively for NH Summer Library Programs, on Thursday, July 18 @ 10:30 a.m. in the Lecture Hall. This interactive outreach program will focus on the deepest trenches of the ocean and the unique, bioluminescent creatures that live there.  Children will explore why some sea creatures glow, the chemical reaction that is bioluminescence, and what scientists are doing with this science today. Also, the museum educator will lead participants in a deep sea adventure using specimens, vibrant images and videos of animals, science experiments and a take-home glowing creature activity! 

Registration required.

Dig Into...Stories!

Don't forget: Drop-in Story Times  are held every Wednesday @ 10:30a.m. during the Summer Reading Program.  Miss Tina will help you “Dig Into Reading” with these story time themes: Underground Critters.

Holiday Closing

The Library will be closed July 4, 5, and 6 for the Independence Day holiday! Have a great weekend everyone!

The Beauty of Good Literature

Course of Study in the Public Schools, Dover, NH, 1912:

Reading: This subject is the most important on in the elementary curriculum. Good Reading is essential to every study, and by good reading we mean not only correct pronunciation and expression, but a full understanding and appreciation of the thought read. .....it is one of the most difficult studies because of its breadth. In this study the child must learn the whole mechanics of pronunciation, he must know the phonograms at sight, he must have practice in uniting them, he must learn the meaning of words in an extensive vocabulary and have a good command of synonyms... Therefore, on account of the breadth and value of reading, the let teacher make it a prominent subject in the curriculum and until they have a love for the truth and the beauty of good literature.

Photo: Dover High School class of 1911

End the Summer Slide

We need your help!  Have you heard of something called the summer slide?  Unfortunately this not a fun slide found at the playground, it is what happens when "young minds sit idle for three months".  Here is what RIF: Reading is Fundamental says about it:  

Experts agree that children who read during the summer gain reading skills, while those who do not often slide backward. According to the authors of a report from the National Summer Learning Association: "A conservative estimate of lost instructional time is approximately two months or roughly 22 percent of the school year.... It's common for teachers to spend at least a month re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer. That month of re-teaching eliminates a month that could have been spent on teaching new information and skills." 

We have Summer Reading Programs for kids of all ages, as do most Public Libraries, that can help stop the slide.  This is where you can help--if you have kids bring them in to sign up, tell your neighbors, friends and acquaintances with kids to go to their Public Library and sign up.  These are free programs available to anyone with a card!  The programs are easy and fun! Sign-up begins this Monday--we hope to see you all here in droves.

Dover Public Library Book Group

Calling all readers!  Spread the news the Library is starting a new book group.  The group will meet the 3rd Monday evening of each month starting in September.  If you are interested in joining the book group pencil in Monday, September 16th in your calendar and feel free to help us with the details.  What should the first book selection be?  Is 6:30 or 7:00 a better time to meet?  Comments and suggestions are welcome.  Looking forward to meeting new friends in the fall.

Journey Into a Book

July 1st is coming soon and that is the day kids can sign-up for our Summer Reading Programs. The Teen Program is "Journey Into a Book", and has some really great prizes up for grabs. Teens will get a booklet to keep track of how many hours they have read and for every 2 hours they will receive a ticket to submit to one of the following raffles:

**5 Day Passes to the Works (includes the pool) & a $15 Gift Certificate to La Festa Pizzeria
**5 Free Games of Mini-Golf & a $15 Gift Certificate to Strafford Farms
**5 Free Passes to Watercountry
**2 Free Introductory Lessons at Indoor Ascent Climbing Gym & $20 Gift Certificate to Dos Amigos
**$25 Gift Certificate to Regal Cinemas
**$25 Gift Certificate to Target

As an added bonus the first 50 kids to enter will get to pick a free book--so be sure to sign up!

The new list of nominees for the Cochecho Readers' Award is ready-- just in time for summer reading!

The Cochecho Readers' Award is sponsored by the Children's Librarians of Dover, New Hampshire. This award, named after the Cochecho River which runs through the heart of Dover, is given each year in the spring to an author whose book receives the most votes from Dover's third and fourth graders.

Click here for the new 2013-14 nominees list and start reading!

Changing Your Due Dates on NH Downloadable Books

You may have noticed that it is possible to customize the default eBook and audiobook loan periods on NH Downloadable Books.

This leads you to your account settings where you can select the default loan period for audiobooks and eBooks. By default, we've kept the eBook loan period at 14 days and the audiobooks at 7 days. It is possible to set the default of either format to another time period. 

Please keep in mind that the faster the items are returned to the collection, the less money the public libraries will spend on expensive duplicate copies and the faster other patrons will get the books they are waiting for! 

This post is courtesy of  Bobbi and the NH Downloadable Books Blog.

Great Books for Your Beach Bag

I have had a string of great books to read lately. Many of them would be perfect for a day at the beach.

First up is The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro.
The letter turns Grace Munroe’s life upside down: ‘Our firm is handling the estate of the Mrs Eva D’Orsey and it is our duty to inform you that you are named as the chief beneficiary in her will. There is only one problem. Grace has never heard of her. The mystery leads Grace to an abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank that helps her unravel the heartbreaking story of her mysterious benefactor, an extraordinary woman who bewitched high society in 1920s New York and Paris.

Ten Trees and a Truffle Dog by Jamie Ivey will delight fans of Peter Mayle's A Year In Provence.
 This is the true story of an English couple who move to Provence and build a house on land that also has a truffle grove. Add a baby and a puppy and chaos ensues. All the funny goings on kept me up much too late.

A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even among Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savanna manor house until gossip subsides.

Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society.

Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teeming—yet fleeting and often cheap.

Amidst the wonders—and dangers—of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for—and what she can no longer live without.

Now if we could only get some sunny days worthy of a trip to the beach...

Author Marian Sleeman Gerrish Craig, Kittery historian, visits the library June 11

      The Friends of the Library are delighted to host Kittery resident Marian Sleeman Gerrish Craig on Tuesday, June 11 at 7pm in the Library’s Lecture Hall. Ms. Craig is the author of “Two If By Sea—The Prodigy of the Piscataqua River—The Folletts of Kittery Point” which was published in 2011 when she was 93 years old. The introduction to Marian’s book starts out, “This is an account of a family named Follett who lived by the sea on the Piscataqua River in Kittery Point, Maine. Someone in that family has lived in the same location on Follett Lane for over 200 continuous years.”

  Indeed, Marian is a descendant of Capt. John Follett who, along with 42 other local men, signed the Dover Combination in 1640. By 1703, the Folletts, shipbuilders and traders, had settled at Kittery Point and her current home on the northerly side of the mouth of the harbor was purchased by Capt. Robert Follett Sr. in 1767. She has lived there since the age of 12, fondly recalling times with her beloved grandfather, Follett Gerrish, and knows many stories about the surrounding area.

 Craig’s book covers much local and maritime history including her family’s opposition to the Embargo Act of 1807 and their shipping struggles during the War of 1812. She also inherited the journals of Hannah Gerrish, recorded in the late 19^th century and did much genealogical research on her own. After a 50-year career in music and raising three sons with her husband Bob Craig (a Portsmouth boy she married 73 years ago), Marian is thrilled to share her knowledge of the Piscataqua region with audiences.

This program is free and open to the public.  For more information, please contact the Dover Public Library at 603-516-6050.  

The Friends of the Library Cookbook Sale Starts Today!

Are you tired of cooking the same old things? Come on in and take a look at the Friends of the Library Cookbook sale. We have 2 tables jam packed with beautiful cookbooks, and a cart of large, "like new" cookbooks. There are some very tempting selections! The books are located by the Adult Circulation Desk.