Reading is So Delicious!

Posted by Staff

The 2012 summer reading programs will begin next week.  Sign-up for adults begins Monday, June 4th.  For more information about the program, click here.  In addition to our grand prize (a Kindle), we'll have $100 gift cards and weekly drawings.  You can obtain tickets for the drawings by reading or listening to books and/or writing book reviews for the blog.  Get extra tickets by reading or listening to a selection from our country-themed “World Flight” list.

As in previous years, we have a variety of summer programs in the youth department, with even more prizes than last year.  We have a multiplicity of fun reading activities for kids of all ages.  Make sure to attend the big kick-off on June 6th!

As always, if you have questions, let us know.  We're here to help!

Summer is for Science! Part 1: Astronomy

Posted by Alana T.

Warm weather is perfect for going out and DOING science, not just reading about it (although that's nice, too), not Googling it, nor getting social updates about friends liking it.  As a scientist, I am a strong advocate for everyone getting out there and doing science type things for themselves.  Sadly, many experimental science books are too simple to keep adults (and often the kids) engaged.  Over the next few months I'll be suggesting books and activities that will keep the brain cells churning, no matter what your age. We'll start big, with astronomy.

We missed the solar eclipse last week, but I'm looking forward to the transit of Venus on June 5th.  This is a big deal, and if you can, use one of the methods described on the link to view safely.  Cross your fingers and toes for sunny weather!  The transit is a one time event, but other astronomical observations can happen anytime the skies are clear, and you don't need a telescope to see them.  I recommend, Stargazing with Binoculars by Robin Scagell and David Frydman.  The book is simple enough for a novice, but can easily keep you occupied for many hours (or months).  If you have trouble finding objects in comparison to what's in the book, you might benefit from a custom starmap.  The software at this site may seem old-fashioned, but it's more fantastic than you think.  You can create a map for your exact date & location and choose to view only planets or stars of a particular brightness. If, after some practice, you've nailed star ID, watch the short Stargazers segment for the week (broadcast on PBS and NPR) for updates on upcoming heavenly events.

The downside of the previous book is that it glosses over the biggest and most easily seen item in the night sky, the moon.  My favorite book on lunar observation is Exploring the Moon Through Binoculars and Small Telescopes by Earnest H. Cherrington.  It's old (1969), but quite thorough and easy to understand.  A good addendum is The Astronomical League's checklist of 100 lunar items to observe.  By the way, The League has a variety of other observation programs and many are perfect for summertime evenings.

Maybe you're tired by 9PM, or the idea of letting the kids stay up until 1AM makes you nervous.  Well, we have a big, 'ole star of our own that we can watch each and every day.  Because of our orbit and tilt, the sun appears to move around in the sky quite a bit (modern folks are too busy looking at their phones to notice this).  Sundials track these movements and allow us to mark the months as well as the time of day.  I recommend reading  Sundials: Their Theory and Construction by Albert E. Waugh. This is another older book, but it is thorough and it describes a wide variety of timepieces.  Take note, there is math involved, but don't be scared away by this!  Following the instructions (and with patience), I've made six of the dials from the book. Unlike the dials you purchase at the garden center, your dials will tell the correct time for Edwardsville (or anywhere else you choose).

Additional online resources:
Astronomy Picture of the Day.  A new image every day (from all over the universe!), along with a brief explanation from a professional astronomer.
The Planetary Society.  Lots of easily accessible information about a wide variety of space-related topics.
The American Museum of Natural History has a variety of quality videos about astronomical subjects.
NASA has a series of activities and videos designed for kids.  If anyone in your household is a fan of Elmo, view his videos of a trip to NASA

Top Graphic Novels

Posted by Staff

Booklist recently published a list of the top graphic novels reviewed in the past year.  "The list showcases just how ambitious the medium has become, tackling everything from the minutia of a masterpiece to, well, everything".

Daytripper written and illustrated by Gabriel Bá Fábio Moon.  The life of a Brazilian writer is laid bare by looking at 10 days from his boyhood to old age, each ending with a different variation on his death.

21: The story of Roberto Clemente written and illustrated by Wilfred Santiango. A narrative of Clemente's personal and athletic triumphs in colorful graphic form.



Any Empire written and illustrated by Nate Powell.  A complex, open-ended anti-war parable, the story follows 3 characters, first as children, then 10 years later.

The Death-Ray written and illustrated by Daniel Clowes.  Adolescent alienation with the addition of a lacerating takedown of superhero comics and pop culture, the author depicts a teen boy who derives low-level superpowers from smoking cigarettes.

MetaMaus written and illustrated by Art Spiegelman.  An array of interviews, notes, and artwork that articulately illuminates Maus and the comics format as a whole.

Habibi written and illustrated by Craig Thompson. A kaleidoscopic epic of a concubine and a castrato set in a modern yet timeless Arabic society.  Touches on issues of race, sexuality, religion, mysticism, and social inequity.








Big Questions by Anders Nilsen.  This enormous work, 15 years in the making, balances a minimalist drawing style with unusual touches of magical realism in a story about finches, philosophy and the mysteries of life. 


Other top graphic novels to request from outside the system:
Genius, Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth written by D. Mullaney and B. Canwell, illustrated by Alex Toth. Alex Toth finally gets the spotlight he deserves in this biography-cum-compilation.

One Soul by Ray Fawkes.  Follow 18 different lives from different points in history from birth to death.

Reference Question of the Month

Posted by Judy T.

This year’s adult and children’s summer reading program, Reading is So Delicious, kicks off on Monday, June 4^th.  In anticipation of a summer full of delectable books, let’s think about food this month.

1.  What are: angel hair, conchiglie, pappardelle, penne, ziti and tortelloni?

2.  What do vanilla, cocoa and tofu have in common?

3.  This classic American fruit salad typically includes apples, lemon juice, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise.  What is it called?

4.  What country is the world’s largest producer of bananas?

5.  French chef Auguste Escoffier is credited with creating Cherries Jubilee.  For what occasion was it created?

6.  Pineapples are classified as berries.  True or False

7.  Which of the following is not a whole grain:  a) quinoa b) oatmeal c) white rice d) popcorn

 1. Types of pasta 2. They are bean based or a product of beans. 3. Waldorf Salad - Oscar Michel Tschirky, maitre d'hotel, is given credit for creating this salad for a private party on the pre-opening of New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel on March 13, 1893. Oscar worked at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel from its opening until he retired in December 1943. 4. India is the world’s largest producer of bananas, but they are not exported; they are consumed domestically. 5. Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee 6. True- Pineapple is a mass of berries fused to a central stalk 7. White rice is not a whole grain

Documentaries of Distinction 2012 Part 1

Posted by Staff

It's been a year since our last list of favorite documentaries, so we thought it was time to update our list of suggestions. When perusing our DVD shelves, don't walk past the non-fiction section thinking that we only have a bunch of how-to videos.  We carry a wide variety of DVDs and many are documentaries; short films whose purpose is to inform or accurately portray a subject.  Topics can range from light-hearted to grim, but all provide interesting, thought-provoking stories.  Next time you are looking for something new to watch, try a documentary.

Pam O.
No Impact Man.  A NY city resident and his family reduce their carbon footprint by reducing trash, turning off the electricity and getting rid of thier TV (the horror!).   Inspiring and thought-provoking.

Jacob V.:
The Inconvenient Truth.  The story of the every-changing global climate is shared by Al Gore with use of a "GIANT POWER POINT PRESENTATION".  Real interesting stuff.

Alana T.:  Man On Wire.  I actually remember when Philippe Petit walked a wire stretched between the Twin Towers.  I was 7, and because I am deathly afraid of heights, the event was burned into my youthful brain.  This film details those events.

Cary H.: 
Cave of Forgotten Dreams.  Follows an exclusive expedition into the nearly inaccessible Chauvet Cave in France, home to the most ancient visual art known to have been created by man.

Mary M.: 
Into the Abyss.  In his fascinating exploration of a triple homicide case in Conroe, Texas, master filmmaker Werner Herzog (Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Grizzly Man) probes the human psyche to explore why people kill-and why a state kills.

You CAN handle the truth - new non-fiction picks

Posted by the Information Services Department (Gwen B., Amanda E., Lisa E., & Mary M.)

Every month, the cataloging department gets to see new books before everyone else.  Listed below, along with their Dewey Decimal classification, are our top picks of the non-fiction books that looked most interesting, ultra-informative, or just plain fun.

200-299 Religion
248.86 TIM  When It All Falls Apart by Tim Riva

300-399 Social Sciences
381.195 SPE  I Brake For Yard Sales and Flea Markets, Thrift Shops, Auctions, and the Occasional Dumpster by Lara Spencer

600 - 699 Technology
641.5636 MAR  Vegan Cooking for Carnivores: Over 125 Recipes So Tasty You Won't Miss the Meat by Roberto Martin

700-799 The Arts
796.6 HAI   The Urban Biking Handbook: The DIY Guide to Building, Rebuilding, Tinkering With, and Repairing Your Bicycle for City Living by Charles Haine

And for a little fun, try this quiz about the Dewey Decimal system.  We've provided a few hints above.

Audubon's Masterpiece

John James Audubon, Great Blue Heron, c1827-1839

Posted by Alana T.

This past January, in New York, a first edition copy of John James Audubon's The Birds of America was purchased for $7.9 million by an American collector.  As pricey as that is, another copy sold for $11.5 million in 2010.  However, keep in mind these are special books.  They include 435 hand-colored, life sized prints of 497 bird species; a few of which have since gone extinct.  Because of it's size (about 39 x 26 inches) the collection of prints is sometimes referred to as a double elephant folio - it's big!  Experts estimate that 200 complete first-edition copies were produced over an 11-year period, beginning in1827.  Today, 120 are known to exist, the majority owned by museums or libraries.

Audubon portrayed birds in a realistic style not previously seen in scientific or popular literature. The influence of his artwork was immediate and pervasive.  His work endures today, not only for its beauty, but also for it's accuracy and fine detail.

In 2007, the University of Pittsburgh, which owns a complete collection of Birds of America, undertook a project to digitize every colored plate, as well as Audubon's Ornithological Biography, and, for the first time, presented the complete set for public viewing on the internet. 

If you would like to check out our comparatively tiny copy (5x8.5 inches, printed in 1950), it's on the shelf, waiting for you, along with our five volume set of The Complete Audubon (Birds of America and Quadrupeds of North America).  To round out your adventure, read John James Audubon: The Making of An American by Richard Rhodes and learn about the amazing naturalist who changed the way we view the natural world.  If your tastes run more towards fiction, try Fever Dream by D. Preston.  In the latest suspense novel featuring the enigmatic Agent Pendergast, we learn that his wife's murder was linked to her fascination with Audubon's life and family's copy of the giant book.

Teen Titles for Readers over 30

Posted by Staff

Everyone seems to be reading The Hunger Games Series right now, but there are a lot of entertaining and serious books written mainly for teen readers.  As stated in our previous YA Steampunk post "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!)."

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  Set in WWII Germany and narrated by Death himself.  The narrative follows a girl (being raised by foster parents) who finds comfort in books she has stolen.

Acceleration by Graham McNamee.  The suspense begins when a teenage boy finds the journal of a serial killer planning a kidnapping.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce.  A modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but with a feminist flair.

Fever 1783 by Laurie Halse Anderson. A sixteen-year old comes of age during the epidemic of yellow fever in Philidelphia.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.  The award winning novel of a young woman's rape and recovery. She becomes a social outcast, but slowly regains her voice and speaks up for herself.

The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon.  The journal of a 14 year old boy who soaks his clothes in gasoline and sets himself on fire. Non-fiction.

Feed by M.T. Anderson.  Set in the near future when we all have brain implants to monitor a constant internet upload - the feed. A teenager comes to terms with what the digital world can and can not do. A thoughtful read for anyone.

Libraries – who needs them? We do!

Posted by Deanne H.

More than two years ago I wrote a post for this blog about the need for libraries.  Since the world and information change at a blinding pace, we thought that it was time to revisit that topic.  It always surprises me that some folks think that the above mentioned speed of change has left libraries in the dust.  The irony is that internet searching goes faster with the assistance of a librarian. Like everyone who searches, I am positive that you have Googled something and obtained 2,657,305 results.  Libraries have trained librarians who can help. We wrote the book on how to organize information (thank you, Melvil Dewey!). You don’t have to slog through all of those hits to find what you really need. Chances are, our staff has answered that question in the past and we can help you find just the right answer quickly. Call us, send us an email, we love to help.

Yes, the internet is a wonderful way to get information; shop; connect with friends, colleagues, and family; and apply for jobs. But what happens if you do not own a computer or have an internet connection?  Or what happens if your computer skills are rusty, at best? Libraries solve that problem!  Many libraries (including ours) do not require a library card or charge a fee to use a computer. We have many public computers available and fast internet access.  We offer one-on-one assistance and group computer classes to enhance your skills.  We also provide WiFi access throughout our building.  Bring in your laptop or handheld device and access our internet connection from a comfy chair with a beautiful view of City Park. 

Libraries are essential in saving and archiving information. Yes, you can find a copy of a newspaper online. However, chances are it isn’t the entire edition; it’s a shortened online version. Our library has our local newspaper (the whole thing including the ads) on microfilm back to 1819.  We are microfilming the current editions of the newspaper so that our children and grandchildren can discover what life was really like in the 21^st century. We have also digitized lots of great local history resources while archiving the print versions of these materials. Libraries, museums, and archives make it possible to look back while moving forward quickly.

Obviously one of the best parts about working in a Library is being surrounded by books and readers. If you are stumped for a good read our staff is ready, willing, and able to suggest one title or twenty.  We’ll find out what you like and keep you supplied with a never ending stack of TBR’s (to be reads).  Also, just check this blog regularly for an amazingly varied array of recommendations.

Finally, unlike Amazon or Starbucks, libraries are not trying to sell you something.  In most cases, you’ve already paid for us.  (In Illinois public libraries are generally supported by property taxes.)  Come on in, have a seat, see what we have to offer.  We’re prepared to amaze and delight you now and in the future.

Celebrate Poetry Month in May With Cary H.

Posted by Cary H.

"Hope" is the Thing With Feathers
by Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

Request more poetry by Emily Dickinson

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