New E-Waste Recycling Law

Posted by Staff

Everyone received the following notice with their last water bills, but we thought a reminder would be useful.  If you need assistance finding out where to recycle something, please call us at the library.  We have an updated list of local recyclers and if something isn't on the list, we will find out where it needs to go!

The Spring Clean up for 2012 is scheduled for April 2^nd  through the 6^th on your regularly scheduled pick up day ... NEW THIS YEAR: ELECTRONIC WASTE, INCLUDING MONITORS and TELEVISIONS CANNOT BE COLLECTED.

Effective January 1, 2012 a new law in the state of Illinois will effectively BAN several types of electronics being dumped at a landfill.  The law establishes a statewide system for recycling and/or reusing computers, monitors, televisions, and printers discarded from residences by requiring electronic manufacturers to participate in the management of discarded and unwanted electronic products.

For more info about what can't be collected, visit the City of Edwardsvile website

The Value of our Library

Posted by Staff

Sometimes it is difficult to place a dollar value on the things we love - after all, these things are beyond price.  For example, we all love our library and can relate many examples of its value to the community.  But what about a dollar value?  The Massachusetts Library Association created a Library Value Calculator that can determine the value of  your library use.  The cost of items in the calculator are based on average prices for books, music downloads, movie and newspaper subscriptions, and various types of program admission fees.  For more information about the calculator click here, or give it a try for your use.

We ran our numbers for last year through the calculator and came up with the following:
144,101 Adult books borrowed: value $2,449,717.00
113,222 Children's  books borrowed: value $ 1,924,774.00
36,360 Interlibrary loan requests: value $908,750.00
3,636 eBooks downloaded: value $54,540.00
3,600 Music downloaded: value $3,600.00
1,358 adult programs attended: value $20,370.00
757 Young adult programs attended: value $9,084.00
10,768 Children's programs attended: value $75376.00
42432 Hours computer use (@$12/ hour)  $509,184
5,000 Database Searches: value $997,500.00
19,907 Hours reference assistance: value $139,349.00
Approximate Value for 2011: $7,092,244.00

What a bargain!

Out of Genre: Trying something New

Posted by Staff
We all have a favorite genre (thriller, sci-fi, romance) that we turn to when we want to read a new book. Likewise, we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking other genres are boring, silly, difficult to understand or, ... whatever.  So, if you've fallen into a genre rut and want to try something new, we'll be posting suggestions from the staff for interesting books that you might not have read because it was a (fill in the blank) book.

Let's start with Historical Fiction for non-history readers:

Amanda E.: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik.  Set during the Napoleanic Wars, but with a twist.  Think Patrick O'Brian with dragons.

Leslie A.: Island of Ghosts by Gillian Bradshaw (and others by this author).  Set in Britain in the late Roman period, this is the story of a troop of conquered barbarian tribesman sent to Britain during the reign of Marcus Aurelius.

Jacob D.: Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae by Stephen Pressfield.  Any book by Stephen Pressfiled is a good choice.  This one is about the Spartan army battling the Persians.

Cary H.: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.  Archives, old treasures, a trek across Eastern Europe and Dracula ... the real one.

Dani G.: Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.  Follow a man as he walks back home across the country after deserting the army during the civil war.

Jacob D.: Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card.  A future scientist tries to alter the past and change history by creating a less brutal past.

Upcoming Audio - now is the time to start listening!

Phaedrus listens to Cujo while chewing his toy...

Posted by Alana T.

Did you know that you can request forthcoming audiobooks on the blog?  Yes indeed!  We keep an updated list (featured on the left sidebar) that is linked to our catalog, so all you need is your barcode and pin to request something before it even arrives at the library.

Perhaps you haven't tried an audiobook.  Now is the perfect time!  We have a variety of formats to match just about everyone's technology level.  Not sure what to try? Many of the EPL staff are avid audiobooks listeners - ask at the front desk for our current suggestions and favorite narrators.

Do you still think it's a little weird to listen to a book?  Do you feel like it's cheating?  You are not alone. Many readers hesitate at first, but then fall in love with the format. For example, Christine Shoenwald on salon.com describes how audiobooks opened her up to reading again.  For an enlightening history of audiobooks and how they can be a tranformative experience, read Maggie Gram's essay Listening to Books.

Stop by the library and start listening today.

Old Book Smell

Posted by Staff

"Lignin, the stuff that prevents all trees from adopting the weeping habit, is a polymer made up of units that are closely related to vanillin.  When made into paper and stored for years, it breaks down and smells good.  Which is how divine providence has arranged for secondhand bookstores to smell like good quality vanilla absolute, subliminally stoking a hunger for knowledge in all of us".

Excerpt from Perfumes: The Guide by L. Turin and T. Sanchez

Celebrate National Pi Day ... With Pie!

Wayne Thiebaud, Pies, 1961
For more info about Thiebaud's works, request this book

Posted by Staff

Today is National Pi Day (3.14, get it?).  Last year we discussed mathmatical topics in books, but today, we'll go with something almost everyone loves - pie!   If you didn't already know, pie has supplanted cupcakes as the new fashionable dessert. To celebrate the day, and the dessert, the staff have selected some of their favorite cookbooks that feature excellent pie recipies (not all are sweet).  Give one a try!

Susan C.: Greek Revival: Cooking for Life by Patricia Moore.  Spanakopita pastides (spinach and dill pie); look at the picture, follow the recipe, yum.

Judy T.: Pie: 300 Tried and True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie.  Jack Daniels Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie.  A slice of this pie, served warm, is heavenly; you can omit the Jack Daniels and it's just as good.

Alana T.: Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.  Green Chile Apple Pie.  I couldn't find a cookbook with this NM favorite, but all you need to do is add 1/2 cup roasted, peeled green chile (as hot as you can stand it) to any good apple pie recipe - it's fantastic.

Mary M.: Vegan Pie In the Sky by I.C. Moskowitz and T.H. Romero.  Kittee's Sweet Potato Hand Pies.  The hand pies are adorable, and what's not to love about sweet potatoes?!

Lisa E.: The Farm Market Cookbook by J. Olney.  Granny Smith Apple Pie.  The closest recipe I could find to my grandma's recipe which our family loved.

Ike D.: Williams Sonoma Sweet Treats by C.B. Weil.  Easy Cheesey Pie.  Eight step fruit cheesecake that you can make with your kids.

Ike D.: The Kid's Holiday Baking Book by R. Black.  Creamy Autumn Apple Pie.  Oh so simple, even the pie crust - but the addition of sour cream is what makes it supreme.

Dani G.: Green Market Baking Book by L.C. Martin.  Nick's Favorite Apple Pie.  A pie recipe sweetened naturally, no added sugar.

Reference Question of the Month

Posted by Judy T.

March can be a bit dismal.  The weather is often cold and wet; there are no really big holiday celebrations (though we tip our hat to St. Patrick’s Day), and we remember Shakespeare’s warning “Beware the Ides of March.”  Rather than allowing ourselves to feel glum, we prefer to side with Emily Dickinson who called March “the month of expectation.”  With that in mind, we’re going to look ahead to longer days, warmer weather, vacations, and gardening.  Here are a few questions to help you look ahead:

1.  What state generates the most tourism dollars in the U.S.?

2.  What is the sunniest city in the United States?

3.  What country is the world’s top tourist destination?

4.  June 20 is the first day of summer this year and the longest day of the year (i.e., the sun is directly overhead at its most northern point at "high-noon" creating more sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere on this day than any other).  What is this day called?

5.  This insect takes in oxygen and, inside special cells, combines it with a substance called luciferin to produce light.  What is the name of this insect?

   6. Who wrote “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love”?

1. Domestic and international travelers to California spent $89.2 billion (2009) putting California at the top of the list for tourism dollars. Florida, New York, Texas, and Illinois round out the top 5. (U.S. Travel Association) 2. According to the National Climatic Data Center, Yuma. Arizona is sunny 90% of all days making it the sunniest U.S. city. It is followed by Redding, California and Las Vegas, Nevada. 3. France is number one followed by the United States and China. (World Tourism Organization) 4. Summer Solstice (Old Farmer’s Almanac) 5. Firefly (National Geographic) 6. Lord Alfred Tennyson in his poem “Locksley Hall”

In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

Steampunk: Part 4, Young Adult Selections

Alphonse de Neuville, Captain Nemo from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, 1863

Posted by Alana T.

In this last of the steampunk series, I've listed some recent young adult novels (kindly provided by Anne W.).  Don't shy away from any of these because they target a younger audience.  The plots and characters are often quite sophisticated and the themes can be very serious indeed.  I find that the biggest differences are a little more angst (the main characters are often teens) and the language is a bit simpler (that means a faster read!).  In any case, these are all great books - give one a try!

Corsets & Clockwork:  Thirteen Steampunk Romances edited by Trisha Telep.  Young heroes and heroines battle evils with the help of supernatural or super-technological powers.

The Leviathan Series (Leviathan, Behemoth, Goliath) by Scott Westerfel. An around-the-world quest to end World War I, reclaim a throne and find love; set within a dirigible.

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel. See our review from a previous post.

His Dark Materials Series (The Golden Compass, The Amber Spyglass and The Subtle Knife) by Philip Pullma. A classic story of adventure and honor; the audio is performed by a full cast and is excellent.

Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve. The story of a young woman, alone, and with memories she doesn't understand.

Foundling by D.M Cornish. A world of predatory monsters, chemical potions and surgically altered people.

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore.  When a wealthy sorcerer hires the heroine to sing with a piano-playing automaton, she hopes for a better life; rumors about ghosts, a madwomen, and tortured fairies suggest otherwise.

Infernal Devices Series (Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince) by Cassandra Clare.  Vampires, demons, warlocks, and a transforming heroine make for an exciting read.

Worldshaker by Richard Harland. A young man from the upperdecks of the Worldshaker meets a young woman from below - both learn the truth of their existence.

The Clockwork Three by Matthew Kirby.  An enchanted green violin, an automaton that comes to life, and a hidden treasure.

Incarceron and Sapphique by Cathrine Fisher.  Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells and corridors, but metal forests, dilapidated cities, and wilderness. It has been sealed for centuries, and only one man has ever escaped...

With Success Comes Parody

Posted by Alana T.

The Harvard Lampoon has been active in satire for nearly 150 years.  Their latest victim is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and not only has the Lampoon published a book, they have released a movie trailer!  Info about both can be seen at the Simon and Schuster website.

WINNING MEANS WEALTH, FAME, AND A LIFE OF THERAPY.

LOSING MEANS DEATH, BUT ALSO FAME!

THIS IS THE HUNGER PAINS

When Kantkiss Neverclean replaces her sister as a contestant on the Hunger Games—the second-highest-rated reality TV show in Peaceland, behind Extreme Home Makeover—she has no idea what to expect. Having lived her entire life in the telemarketing district’s worst neighborhood, the Crack, Kantkiss feels unprepared to fight to the death while simultaneously winking and looking adorable for the cameras. But when her survival rests on choosing between the dreamy hunk from home, Carol Handsomestein, or the doughy klutz, Pita Malarkey, Kantkiss discovers that the toughest conflicts may not be found on the battlefield but in her own heart . . . which is unfortunately on a battlefield.