Start a Journey from the Library

Posted by Staff

As the weather warms (hopefully!) our thoughts turn to going out, getting around, seeing something new.  Along those lines, our staff suggestions this month are all about travel or journeys.  If you haven't read or seen any of our recommendations, request them and enjoy something new.

Jacob D.: Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier. A Civil War deserter endures many difficulties as he travels home to his sweetheart.

Courtney S.: The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Two lovers struggle through life as only he travels through time.

Denise T.: Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. A young adult novel about a brave silver dragon, Firedrake, joined on an exciting journey by an orphan named Ben and a group of magical creatures.  Their goal is to find the Rim of Heaven in the Himalayas where silver dragons can live peacefully.

Judy T.: Travels in Siberia.  Author Dan Frazier transports his readers to a vast & somewhat mysterious part of the world with vivid descriptions, humor and affection.

Cary H.: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Unknown family history, a mysterious book, an innocent young woman and Dracula; a compelling read. 

Jacob D.: The Straight Story (DVD, 1999) An older man travels cross-country on his riding lawnmower to visit his dying brother.

Dani G.: Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier; At the age of twelve, Will is given a horse, a key and a map and sent alone into Indian Territory to run a trading post.

Alana T.: The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason.  A retelling of the classic from different points of view and with many variations and endings.

Pam O.: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.  The author's humorous and thoughtful description of his trip on the Appalachian Trail.

Jacob D.: Stephen Fry in America.  British actor Stephen Fry drives across the USA, stopping by roadside attractions and visiting locals.

Theresa S.: Riding the Iron Rooster by Paul Theroux.  A fascinating journey through China by train.

Anne W.: The Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson.  Fun reads for anyone who enjoys the Disney theme parks.  Part fantasy, part thriller, and extremely action packed!

Karen K.: Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan. Funny, almost magical look at group dynamics, altruism, and self-interest set against the beauty and repressive politics of Myanmar.

Ike D.: Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. Ten-year old Bud, having lost his mother, escapes a bad foster home and goes on a journey to find his father - a renowned band leader.

Kasey F.: The Thin Place by Kathryn Davis. This is an ensemble piece; the views are numerous and not all human.  The time span encompasses millions of years in one place; Varennes, Vermont

The Irresistible Henry House - Book Review

Posted by Joyce D.

Imagine an university Home Economics program that provides hands on training not only in cooking, sewing and running a home, but also in infant care.  What would it be like to be a "practice baby" taken from an orphanage to be raised for a year by a rotating group of "practice mothers?"  That is the premise of this intriuging novel which ranges in time and culture from the pre-Dr. Spock infant care theories of the 40's & 50's to the freedom of the psychadelic 60's.

The novel celebrates the life of one such practice baby, Henry House.  Henry's life and journey to young adulthood inspires both laughter and tears as he deals with the consequences of his unusual upbringing.  With well drawn characters, the author give us a peek into the changing culture and thought of the mid 20th century.  Henry House as a novel and a character is "irresistable."

The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald is available in book, or large-print formats.

Reference Question of the Month

Posted by Judy T.

We often get questions at the Reference Desk that are directly related to timely events or celebrations.  In honor of Black History Month and to coincide with the Academy Awards ceremony, February’s question is:

Who was the first black performer to win an Academy Award?

Answer:  Hattie McDaniel, for her supporting role in 1939’s Gone With the Wind.

(source:  Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences)

For more about African American Heritage, try these books at the library:

Black History for Beginners by Denise Dennis

American Black History: Reference Manual by Ted Terry

For more information about the Academy Awards, request:

Oscar A to Z : A Complete Guide to More than 2,400 Movies Nominated for Academy Awards byCharles E. Matthews

Haven't see the movie recently?

Request it here.

Meet the Staff: Lorraine L.

How long have you worked at the library?  14
How many items do you have checked out? 1
How many items are on your hold list? 5

What is your favorite book format?  book
What is your favorite aspect of working at the library?  Being with my library family and interacting with patrons.

Have your reading habits changed since working at the library?  If so, how?  I love having access to the new books.

What is your perfect reading environment?  I love reading while I eat.  Also reading in bed.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what single genre of books would you want with you?  Romantic suspence

What was your favorite children's book when you were a child?   Heidi

A Trip to India via the Library

Posted by Alana T.

Recently, just by chance, I've taken home a number of library books and a DVD set in India.  The stories are quite different, but have a very similar timbre.  Request one from the library and take a journey

The Case of the Missing Servant and The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall.  "India's Most Private Detective", Vish Puri  is a fascinating guy.  Imagine Agatha Christie's Poirot, but as an Indian who is addicted to street food and is fond of strange disguises.   His idiosyncratic employees assist him in solving crimes that are baffling and more than a bit bizarre.  These books are quick, entertaining reads that provide a light-hearted, but down-to-earth picture of life in India.

Six Suspects by Vika Swarup.  The author of Slumdog Millionaire follows up his first novel with this dark, but fascinating story set in big-city India.  A rich and totally corrupt man is murdered at his birthday party, and six people at the party are arrested as suspects for the murder.  The six are from all walks of life (from a poor slum dweller to a Bollywood star) and all have motive.  The book follows the events leading up to the murder as told by each suspect.  The final resolution is a jaw dropper.  Highly recommended.

The Warrior (DVD, 2001)   The main character is a warrior for hire for the local (and cruel) chieftain.  He decides to give up his violent ways and redeem himself, but his past won't let him go.  There is very little dialogue but the stunning scenery and wonderful cast make the story easy to understand.

Also Recommended:
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy  A profoundly sad story about twins (a boy and girl) set in Kerala, India.  Winner of the Booker Prize in 1997.

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel  The main character, Pi Patel, lives the first 16 years of his life in India, but then things take a tragic and fascinating turn when the family emigrates to Canada. Winner of the Booker Prize in 2002.

Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni  "A reimagining of the world-famous Indian epic, The Mahābhārata".  The story is told from the point of view of the main character, Princess Panchaali, a woman fated to change the course of history.  She marries five brothers (all at once!), lives for a time in the beautiful palace of illusions, and then, because of her and her husband's choices, war shatters and destroys everything.  An engrossing selection of historical fiction.

The Life of a Library Book: Cataloging/Processing

New books ready for check-out.

Posted by Amanda E.

After a book has been purchased and unpacked it gets cataloged! Gwen and I find or create a MARC (MAchine Readable Cataloging) record describing it as accurately as possible.  MARC records are essential to libraries, because all the information about an item needs to be accessible with a computer and, eventually, the library's card catalog.  MARC records contain a lot of information: description of the item, subject headings, & call #.  Sometimes, it is easy to find a MARC record, other times it is more difficult.

After the book is cataloged, it is processed.  It will be covered and protected so that it will last as long as possible while being checked out by as many people as possible.  Stickers and stamps will be placed on the book that identify it as belonging to The Edwardsville Public Library.  Each item receives a unique bar-code which is digitally attached to the appropriate MARC record in the catalog.  Finally, a spine label is joined to the item, which tells everyone where it belongs on the shelves.

The average time to catalog and process an item is four days.  Bestselling authors are sent to us early and cataloged and processed to be available for checkout on the same day the item is in bookstores.  Sometimes, for a variety of reasons, the entire process can take as long as a week.  We do our best to minimize the time so that you can have library books as soon as possible.

Not recommended for library books: A hot bath

Alfred George Stevens, Woman in Her Bath, 1867

Posted by Staff

February 9th is National Read in the Bathtub Day.  At the library, we don't advocate taking library books into the tub, but clearly many people enjoy reading while relaxing in the bath.  Paperbacks seem to be the easiest to handle (lightweight, inexpensive) but according to a New York Times Magazine interview, Jeffrey P. Bezos (the founder of Amazon) reads with his Kindle sealed in a gallon ziplock bag.  Hmmmm.  We suggest you stick to bath-related reads.

Some suggested titles from the Edwardsville Library collection:
The Bedside, bathtub & armchair companion to Agatha Christie edited by D. Riley and P. McAllister - short, easy reads about Christie's novels

Bathtub Science by S. Levine and L. Johnstone - fun science experiments for kids in the tub

The Strange Return of Sherlock Holmes by Barry Grant - an investigation of a murder in a bathtub

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman - one of the characters bathes in her backyard tub

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen - the first mystery in a series; the crime involves a character found dead in a bathtub

The Japanese Bath by B. Smith and Y. Yamamoto - traditional bathing customs in Japan

Resolve to be more organized in 2011

Posted by Lisa E.

In my ongoing quest to be organized, I came across a helpful book entitled Getting Organized in the Google Era.  The author is Douglass C. Merrill, a former Google information executive and former president of EMI's digital music business.  It contains pointers on how to better manage the information and documents we need electronically.  Much of Merrill's advice centers around the quick and powerful search tool, and he also shares shortcuts on using Google to look up various facts, definitions, and conversions.  It is an easy book to skim, and it is also available on audio CD.  Something else I enjoyed was the lyrics interspersed throughout the book; one of my favorites is below.

You run and you run
to catch up with the sun/
But it's sinking.
--Pink Floyd, "Time"

Small Steps to Going Green in 2011

James Jacques Joseph Tissot, HolyDay (orThe Picnic), 1876
 No plastic sandwich bags in sight!

Posted by Carrie K.

Every day, more than 20 million sandwich bags from school lunches wind up in landfills in the U.S.  Let’s do a little math…that is 100 million per week. Amazing! Frightening!  A few bags too many, no? So, you may be thinking, “What can I do about it?” Let me share. Say “No!” to plastic sandwich bags and invest in reusable bags! 

Just as many of us have made the switch from plastic shopping bags to reusable cloth bags, let’s do the same with sandwich bags.  There are many online sources available where bags can be purchased. If, however, you are so inspired you can make your own bags out of recycled fabrics.  The possibilities for fun & unique bags are endless. 

Not sure what to do? Follow this tutorial & help keep bags out of landfills! 
http://www.noodle-head.com/2010/03/tutorial-recycled-reusable-sandwich-bag.html

For more ideas on upcycling and recycling clothing at home, try these books:

Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed and Organic Materials by Betz White

Quilting for Peace by Katherine Bell

Little Green Dresses: 50 Orginal Patterns for Repurposed Dresses, Tops, Skirts and More by Tina Sparkles

Hand-Me-Ups: Recrafting Kids' Clothes With Easy Techniques and Fun Designs by Lorine Mason


For tasty lunch ideas for your new cloth bags, try these books:

The School Lunchbox Cookbook by Miriam Jacobs

Vegan Lunch Box by Jennifer McCann

The Brown Bag Lunch Cookbook by Miriam Jacobs

Spread the love: Unique Valentines from old books

Posted by Alana T.

V -Day is just around the corner - are you prepared?  If not, we have a project to get you ready and it reuses old books (no library books please!).  The project is a bit time consuming, but super simple and appropriate for kids.

The oversize conversation hearts are made of paper mâché. Depending on the materials you have at home, you can make your hearts any size, paint, write upon, or decoupage them.  Be creative!  The hearts are lightweight and sturdy and can be enjoyed for years if they are stored in a dry place.

Click here for a down-loadable tutorial.