Meet the Board: Francie P.

Posted by Francie P.

How long have you served on the board?  1 year

How many items do you have checked out?  Seven (all of which are for my kids).

What is your favorite aspect of serving on the board?  Learning!  I am the newest member of the board, so there has been a lot to learn about the inner workings of the library, and all of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to make the library such a vital part of our community.

If you could inform the public about only one aspect of serving on the board, what would it be?  That the board is composed of very committed, caring hard-working, service-oriented people who bring many years nad varied types of experience to the table.

What book can you read again and again without losing interest?  Why do you still read it?  Pride and Prejudice.  I've probably read it five times, and am due to read it again.  I love the story and the characters.  I love that each time I read it, I discover another remark or nuance from one of the characters that I didn't catch before.

What is your favorite book format?  Book.

If you use multiple formats, what percentage do you use of each?  Book - 80%, e-reader - 20%

What is your perfect reading environment?  A quiet house, dim lights, ltying in my bed at night.  I don't sleep well if I don't read myself to sleep.

What was your favorite children's book when you were a child?  The Bug Book by Edward Gorey.  I wouldn't say that this was my favorite book, but it's one that I remember vividly from childhood because my Grandmother would read it to me every time I spent the night at her house.

What is your favorite children's book now?  As for my favorite children's book now, it's a touch choice because I read so many these days to my two young children.  I'd say Scuffy the Tugboat, anything by Richard Scarry, any of the books in the Mr. series (Mr. Rude, Mr. Happy, etc.) by Roger Hargreaves, and any of the Curious George books are top contenders.

And the Winners Are...

Posted by Staff

Last week, The National Book Foundation announced the winners of the National Book Awards.  Listed below are the winners in the three most popular categories.  For more information about each book and the complete list of finalists, click here. Summaries of each book are taken from the book jacket.

Fiction:  Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward.  "A hurricane is building over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the coastal town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, and Esch's father is growing concerned. A hard drinker, largely absent, he doesn't show concern for much else. Esch and her three brothers are stocking food, but there isn't much to save. Lately, Esch can't keep down what food she gets; she's fourteen and pregnant. Her brother Skeetah is sneaking scraps for his prized pitbull's new litter, dying one by one in the dirt. Meanwhile, brothers Randall and Junior try to stake their claim in a family long on child's play and short on parenting."

Non-Fiction: The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt.  "In this work, the author has crafted both a work of history and a story of discovery, in which one manuscript, plucked from a thousand years of neglect, changed the course of human thought and made possible the world as we know it."

Young People's Literature: Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai . "Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama."

New Uses for Old Books: A Holiday Wreath

An old book gets a new life as a lovely wreath

Posted by Alana T.

Looking for a fun, simple, inexpensive holiday project?  This handmade wreath is all of those things, and easy enough to do with the kids.  Searching online for wreath ideas brings up all kinds of things made with books, but I think this is the simplest (and loveliest!).  The final wreath can be embellished with ribbons, flowers, or paint, but looks fantastic by itself.  It is very lightweight and easy to hang anywhere inside the house.

To make a wreath, you will need a large cardboard box, an old book, white glue, hot glue and gluegun, and a 12" length of ribbon (for hanging).  Total working time is about two hours, but that includes about an hour for glue to dry during intermediate steps. For complete instructions, download the pdf file here.

If you're looking for another holiday craft using book pages, revisit last year's project.  These bows take a bit of time to make, but they are simple and can be re-used year after year.

See what's new: TransformU !

Posted by Cary H.

UNEMPLOYED ADULTS:  Thinking about going back to college or starting your own business?

The Glen Carbon Centennial Library, Edwardsville Public Library, Bethalto Public Library District & Wood River Public Library have worked together to create a new resource for adults in our communities who are unemployed and would like to “ reinvent themselves.”  TRANSFORM U is a website that provides both business and educational resources for people who are interested in starting their own business or going back to college.  YOUR libraries have collected all of the best information in our region to help.

Check out the website at www.transformuportal.org and you’ll find links to helpful organizations & colleges, brief tutorials, interviews, and Q&A PDFs all geared toward answering your questions and learning from other adults in our communities who have already gone down these paths.  We also provide “book kits” that can be checked out at the library, which include the latest topical books and Madison County specific guidelines for starting your own business.  You can access the Edwardsville Public Library Book Kit here.

Top Literary Travel Picks

Image above: Portrait of Marco Polo (1254-1324). Cover of the first printed edition of The Travels of Marco Polo. Illumination; 1477.

Posted by Staff

Planning a trip over the river and through the woods this season?  Perhaps you're looking for something a bit more restful (or inexpensive) this year.  Booklist recently published it's list of top literary travel books of 2011 and if you're looking for an entertaining read that truly takes you somewhere else, try one of these titles.  Descriptions and reviews are taken from Booklist.

Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love, and War by Annia Ciezadlo.  "I cook to comprehend the place I've land in," muses the author in her first book, a vividly written memoir of her adventures in travel and taste in the Middle East.

India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation's Remaking by Anand Giridharadas.  The author relates his perambulations around  India, which revealed to him significant aspects of how India is changing to meet modern ways.

Saved By Beauty: Adventures of an American Romantic in Iran by Roger Housden.  From his visit to the locales where writing was invented to his conversations with Iranian artists, Housden, a poet, shines a light on an Iran few Westerners will ever glimpse.

The Tao of Travel: Enlightenments From Lives on the Road  by Paul Theroux.  Esteemed travel writer Theroux's admirers will welcome this anthology of travel accounts he found admirable or enlightening.

To a Mountain in Tibet by Colin Thubron.  Kailas is a sacred, snow-capped mountain of the Himalayas, and Thubron traveled along the Karnali River (a tributary of the Ganges) by foot on a long and often treacherous trek to visit this mystical peak.

To the Diamond Mountains: A Hundred-Year Journey Through China and Korea by Tessa Morris-Suzuki.  This author is a keen observer and a fine writer and she has combined these skills to provide an absorbing analysis of the past, present, and future of a volatile region.

Reference Question of the Month

Posted by Judy T.

As the temperatures get cooler and the leaves turn color, many of us start thinking about the upcoming holidays—which often means we think “food!”  Here are some interesting facts to mull over as you start celebrating:

1.  What was the per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2010?

2.  What state produces the most pumpkins?

3.  Male, female, and young turkeys are each called something different? What are their names?

4.  What exactly is a giblet?

5.  How many cranberries are there in a pound?

6.  Are sweet potatoes and yams different?

Answers: 1) 24.7 pounds 2) IL led the country by producing 429 million pounds (2009). CA and OH are also big pumpkin producing states. 3) A male turkey is called a tom, a female is a hen, and a young turkey is a poult. 4) Giblets are teh edible internal parts of a fowl, including the gizzard, heart, liver and neck. 5) Approximately 333 6) Yes. Although yams and sweet potatoes are both angiosperms (flowering plants), they are not related botanically. Yams are monocots (plants having one embryonic seed leaf) and are in the family Dioscoreaceae. Sweet potatoes, often called 'yams', are dicots (plants having two embryonic seed leaves and are in the family Convolvalacea. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Profile America Facts for Features, Old Farmer's Almanac, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Pacific Coast Cranberry Web, The Library of Conress/Researchers/Science Reference Series.

America Recycles.... but what about Edwardsville?

Posted by Staff

Tomorrow is America Recycles Day, do you know where your recycling opportunities are?  Well, here at the EPL, we can help.  Our popular battery recycling drop-off is back (Sears Hardware also accepts batteries) and we take most smaller techno trash items.  But let's say you've got a big thingamajig from the 80's in your closet, you don't want to just throw it away, and think it (or parts) might be recyclable ... where to take it?  Call (692-7556) or email (ede@edwardsvillelibrary.org) us, and if we don't know, we'll find out for you!  Just about anything these days is recyclable and there are locations in the St. Louis Metro area that want your goodies.  We also have a handy recycling handout providing info about common (and some not very common) recyclable items and who wants them.  Remember, one person's trash is another's treasure!

November Staff Selections: Literary Turkeys

Eastman Johnson, Feeding the Turkey, c.1872-1880

Posted by Staff.

In honor of November, this month's staff selections are "turkeys we all love."   In this sense, a turkey is something dumb, silly, or a dud, not a holiday food item.  We can't say these movies will provide any mental nourishment, but they will guarantee some good laughs.

Alana T.: Battlefield Earth (DVD, 2000)  Forest Whitaker and John Travolta play ugly, cruel and not too clever aliens trying to take over Earth.  Amazingly, hypnotically bad!

Evan E.:  The Room (DVD 2003)  This movie is so bad it's good!  Santa's Slay (DVD 2005, not available through the IHLS)  So it turns out that Santa is really the son of the devil....

Pam O.: Ishtar (VHS, 1987; not available through IHLS).  Warren Beatey and Dustin Hoffman in the desert - what's not to love?  Hint, this movie was only released on DVD in Europe, it was assumed no-one in the U.S. wanted to see it again.

Zach H.: Starship Troopers (DVD 1997)  A serious novel turned into a political satire, it is hard not to watch this movie and enjoy it even at it's cheesiest moments.

Staff member who chooses  not to admit publicly she paid for and watched this (entire) movie in a theater:  Death Race (DVD 2008)  Prisoners race each other to the death in order to win their freedom.

Top Food Books

Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Autumn, 1573

Posted by Staff

November is every foodies favorite month.  Booklist recently highlighted books on food, and even though you may not enjoy cooking, these top ten picks of the last year will provide some tasty reading:

As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto; Food, Friendship and the Making of a Masterpiece Ed. by J. Reardon.  This volume marks the first appearance of the complete correspondence of the two long term pen pals.

Cooking With Italian Grandmothers: Recipes and Stories from Tuscany to Sicily by J. Theroux.  Lots of recipes from real grandmothers.

Homemade Soda by A. Schloss.  Ever wanted to make your own soda?  It's not difficult and here are the recipes and tips to guide the way.

Ideas In Food: Recipes and Why They Work by A Kamozawa and H.A.Talbot.  A consumer-friendly and recipe-packed series of essays by a married team of chefs.

The Joy of Cheesemaking: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding, Making and Eating Fine Cheese by J. Farnham and M. Druart.  Not many recipes, but everything you need to know to make fine cheeses.

One Big Table: A Portrait of American Cooking by M O'Neill.  A very large book filled with just about everything that represents American cooking today; includes over 800 recipes.

Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search of Jewish Cooking in France by J. Nathan.  The author shares her collection of recipes and narrates the history of Jews in France.

The Sorcerer's Apprentices:  A Season in the Kitchen at Ferran Adria's elBulli by L. Abend.  The author recounts her stint as an intern working for free in Spain's elBulli restaurant, until recently considered the best in the world.

The Vertical Farm:  Feeding Ourselves and the World in the 21st Century by D. Despommier.  An award winning professor discusses growing safe, nutritious food.

Life of a Library Book: On the Shelf

Posted by Lorraine L.

Books have interesting lives in the library.  Some sit in one spot for a long time, others move around from place, and a few go on journeys across the building.   Keeping track of books while they are in the library is very important.  Each book has an address (the call number on it's spine) and that tells us where the book is supposed to live in the library.  When someone requests a book or comes in looking for a book, the library staff need to know exactly where to go to find it. We are constantly shelf reading (looking for books out of place) and straightening the shelves.  In addition, we add new books weekly and withdraw older titles to make room for new ones. Occasionally, we move entire sections to new places to make more efficient use of the shelf space we have.  We try very hard to keep track of books so that you can find what you need.

Meet the Board: Jo Ann N.

Posted by Jo Ann N.

How long have you served on the board?  31 years

How many items do you have checked out now?  3

What is your favorite aspect of serving on the board?  Hearing the positive feedback from patrons

If you could inform the public about only one aspect of serving on the board, what would it be?  Helping to provide the services patrons want.

What is your favorite book format? Book

What books do you feel guilty for not having read?  Some of the "classics"

 

What is your perfect reading environment?  Comfortable chair with a cup of coffee.

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

What was your favorite children’s book when you were a child?   Childhood of Famous Americans (a series), Little Golden Book stories, The Poky Little Puppy, Scuffy the Tugboat, etc.

What is your favorite children’s book now?  Beatrix Potter books

Do you remember life before fonts?

Posted by Alana T.

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield.

One of the unheralded changes brought about by the computer age, was our ability to quickly and easily choose the way others see our written words.  After writing the perfect essay, invitation or memo we go to the drop down menu on our word processing program and choose one of perhaps hundreds of fonts for our text.  We can influence how our readers interpret our words and choose lettering that is serious, lighthearted or classy.

The history of fonts and various typefaces is wonderfully covered in Just My Type.  Each chapter highlights a particular font or aspect of typeface history; most chapters have at least one paragraph printed in the font being discussed. We learn about designers, the fonts themselves, how they are used and perceived, and why new ones are being constantly developed.  Did you ever wonder about (or notice) the text on street signs?  Have you noticed that most of the printing around you is one typeface? And do you know what it is?  Do you know the influence Apple computers had on the fonts available for use everyday?  Which typeface is considered the most beautiful?  The most hated?  The fascinating answers to all these questions are in this book.  A great read.