Remembering Memorial Day

Monday is Memorial Day. What began as a day to commemorate soldiers who fought in the Civil War, has morphed into a day to remember all the people who have passed from our lives whether they served in the military or not.

There are Memorial Day ceremonies at various cemeteries in the area. The playing of Taps and 21 gun salutes are only part of the fare at these ceremonies.

Of the people who have passed through my life, my grandfather was a WWII veteran and my father-in-law fought in Korea. Naturally, I did not know either of those men during that time in their lives. I don't suppose I pay any more homage to them because they were veterans than any of the others who have passed through my life. If I went to the graves of my grandparents and paid tribute to the WW II veteran and didn't give any notice to his wife lying next to him, I think that might be a little callous. I appreciate what he did, but it didn't make up the sum of his life. The sum of his life for me involves the deep appreciation of the Sunday Comics and Green Acres. My father-in-law was a very patriotic person, but he didn't talk much of his time in Korea. I don't remember him as a soldier. That part of his life didn't intersect with mine. I remember him as an outspoken, opinionated man with a strong sense of humor; that is the sum of his life to me.

Today a friend of mine died. In the future I will remember her when Memorial Day comes around. She will join the ranks of others who have passed through my life. In memory of those that have served as good examples of how to live my life, and those whose deaths have reminded me that life is short; I am thankful.

Life is too short to waste on things that don't matter. Life is too short to waste being unhappy. Life is too short not to spend time doing things you enjoy. Life is too short not to remember the people who have gone before us and made our lives better just for being in them. Life is too short not to give homage to the veterans who fought to protect the lives we now live.

Spring Cleaning/Weeding

It's that time of year again. The sun is shining, trees are budding, flowers are blooming, I'm sneezing, and my eyes are itching. Maybe that's why instead of spending time in the great outdoors, it's the time of year to do the deep clean inside the house.

I look around my house and see layers of clutter everywhere. Perhaps that's just because I spent some time cleaning the fridge over the weekend with Bravo TV's Hoarders: Buried Alive playing in the background. Things are not that bad in my house, but they aren't as great as the afters on that show either. What do you do with all that collected stuff? I read the other day that some people got rid of their junk by donating it to the tornado victims. Good grief. I don't want to be one of those people, so I'll wait until I can find some time to actually sort through my junk and reduce, reuse, recycle to the best of my ability.

Our library also has to go through some spring cleaning. It's actually called weeding. Pulling out seldom read books to make room on the shelves for current publications. We had to weed a lot to fit our collection into the new library, but much of what we got rid of should have been weeded out decades earlier. Now that it's a bit warmer out, some collections have been brought over from the old library. Nancy Drew finally found her way back and The Hardy Boys may be following soon. The classic young detectives stay while some of the paperback romances met with their demise today. There just isn't enough room on the shelves for everything.

Reduce, reuse, recycle. It certainly does take a bit of work. It's much easier to just toss and replace. That's not being a good steward of the earth though. It does amaze me how some people reduce, reuse, recycle. If you're super duper creative/crafty/artistic, there are all kinds of ways to "save the earth". Brian Dettmer amazes me.

Who knew you could do so much with a discarded book?

Reading Around the World

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. ~Mark Twain

Today was the day to finish up my flyer for the summer reading programs I run at the Marble and Coleraine Public Libraries. Again, the theme is:

After a few hours, I finally finished. Whew! It's hard to believe that it's really almost time for the summer reading program to begin. The kids only have three weeks left of school. How is that possible?? Seems like it was only last month that I was shipping them off on those frosty October mornings.

I'm kind of excited about the theme this year. I love traveling, it's even better in real life than it was for me as a kid reading about other countries and places in books. If you can't possibly leave your area in person, you can travel through books.

I've never been to England, except through Jane Austin and others. I've never been to Ireland, but Maeve Binchy has certainly painted a lovely picture of it in her books. I've never been to China but Pearl S. Buck certainly brought me there. Afghanistan was more beautiful than I ever would have pictured through the works of Khaled Hosseini. The list goes on and on of all the places I've been through the pages of books. It has been wonderful to then travel to some of the places I've read about. New York City, San Francisco, Florida, Mexico--my list of places traveled to is a lot shorter than my list of places I've read about.

Have you visited the places you've read about? Do you dream of the places you've read about? I could not possibly visit all the places I've read about. (The Discwold is a figment of author Terry Pratchett's imagination--so there will be no traveling there.)

When you travel somewhere you've read about, or haven't read about yet; drop us a postcard. We've gotten 2 so far. A big THANK YOU to Michelle R. for the postcard from the Cayman Islands and Katie A. for the postcard from Hawaii! I would love to get some more so that our youngest patrons can see some of the places that are on this great big world of ours.

In honor of mothers who read to their children

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be -
I had a mother who read to me.
~Strickland Gillilan

Do you remember the first book that you really made a connection with? Do you remember the person who read you that book? Do you remember where you were sitting? What else do you remember about it?

I remember sitting on the nubby brown polyester couch; my mother in the middle, my brothers on her left, I on her right. It was a warm summer day, the sun shining through the window behind us. It was the narrow window next to the front door, so the sun was slantedly shining across the right side of me. The curtains on the big windows in the room were closed, to help keep the room cool. She was reading Little House In The Big Woods. It was the part about Pa going to town, how far it was, and how long it took him. We asked how far it was (in a way we could comprehend--3 miles doesn't mean much when you're small.) We were amazed at how long it took Pa to get to town and back, when for us it was only a short car ride away.

My mother read to us every day; but that book, that day is what I remember best.

As a mother, I'm curious what my children will remember of their first real connection with a book. Will it be me they remember reading it? Or, will they remember something their dad read to them? Someone else? Was it a book they read themselves? What book will be associated with that memory? What was the day like? Was it night? Where were they sitting? Who else was there?

I wonder if my brothers share the same memory, or if they remember a different book at a different time. It's interesting to me, that story of people's first connections with books. Please, comment and share yours.

Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. ~African Proverb

Adversity: distress; affliction; hardship; an unfortunate event or incident


At some point in time, we all have to deal with adversity. The question is, how do we deal with it? As a bibliophile, I believe that any answer can be found in a book somewhere. There are non-fiction works of all sorts dealing with just about every known form of adversity under the sun. There are also fiction works that show-case characters who have to deal with some of the same hardships found in life. The trick is in adapting the literature to our own lives.

When my children have to deal with adversity (whether in their own lives, the lives of people they know and love, or just watching the evening news) I have a tendency to find a book about such issues. Immigration, learning disabilities, poverty, discrimination, and death have all been topics I've searched for and found books covering. The conversations we have about these issues differ once they've experienced these situations through another set of eyes. If you have never experienced the sickness of a loved one; where do you begin? If you have never had to deal with discrimination, how do you cope with it when it occurs around you? If you have never read about poverty, what words will you use to comfort a friend who is faced with it?


I firmly believe that it is a disservice to our children to "protect" them from all the bad things out there. I know, everyone wants their children to be safe, but it just isn't possible to protect them from all the hurts that are out there in the world. I believe that it's better for them to learn how to deal with adversity at an early age than to shock them once they've "left the nest". I'd rather my children never got hurt, but that just isn't possible.

A person who has overcome adversity is a person who has empathy for others. I would like my children to embody that. I strive to embody that. To that end, I read. I read about all kinds of things. I read to understand. I read to get clues on how to deal with situations that are difficult. I read to learn how it feels to be on the other end.

The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem. ~Theodore Rubin

No strings attatched, unless you're a marionette.

"As children, we all live in a world of imagination, of fantasy, and for some of us that world of make-believe continues into adulthood." — Jim Henson

Yesterday afternoon at our small library, we got to create some puppets. Okay, there was no I in the "we" part of that statement. The kids sure had fun, and I had fun watching them. This project was part of the Creativity Tank; a program in which teaching artists provide opportunities to develop and express creativity through meaningful art experiences. This program is sponsored in part with money from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. (Where the rest of the money comes from, I'm not sure.) And yes, I got most of that information off the poster that was hanging up in our window advertising this event.

I have a fondness for puppets. I'm not exactly sure where it came from, but there it is. Maybe it's the fact that you can use them to say things in a tone of voice or accent that you can't use in everyday conversation. You can use them to say things that you just can't say in everyday conversation without looking a bit foolish. How often do you get to say, "Kaaa-zam!" without people giving you weird looks. If the puppet on your hand says, "Kaaa-zam!" and gets weird looks that has nothing to do with you. It's a puppet, and puppets say things like that. Sometimes, they even say things like that with a sort of weird English accent. And with a crazy low voice. While looking at you funny. Obviously, hand puppets are my favorite.

The kids made Fimo Puppets. Stick puppets made out of clay. As you can see from the pictures, they turned out great! Here is a great way for kids to learn how to express themselves without using words. They can shake their heads yes or no, turn away from you as if giving you the cold shoulder, get in close to show their interest, and the list goes on. It's a good learning experience without anyone being aware of it! How do you express yourself without using words? How do you read the body language of other people? These are good things to know. It certainly takes practice. It also means you need to be aware of things going on around you. Important life skills. All from a puppet!

Who knew fun could be so educational?

A big THANK YOU to Brandon W. for taking pictures of the puppets!

10 Minutes a Day

To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted.

~George Kneller

10 minutes isn't a lot of time. Everyone can find an extra 10 minutes in their day. Right? Okay; maybe not every day, but most days. Would you consider doing something creative for 10 minutes a waste of your time? Writing, doodling, sewing, crafting, painting, singing, the list goes on and on for creative activities that you can do for 10 minutes. It's good for your brain, or so researchers say. Granted, I didn't read all of the wikipedia article about creativity--there was a lot of information there. In the world we live in, thinking outside of the box is becoming more important. I think we should all take 10 minutes a day to do something creative.

Oh, you're not creative? Hunh. Good thing I have confidence that creativity can be fostered in even the oldest of old dogs. You don't need to buy yourself a pack of colored pencils and a sketch pad. The first step in getting those creative juices flowing is to take 10 minutes to just sit and observe. Use all of your senses to absorb what is around you. Smell the smells, see the sights, hear the sounds, feel your surroundings, taste the table. No, scratch that last one. See if you notice three things that you've never noticed before. See if you can see something new in a place that is familiar. Observe without passing judgement. (Extremely difficult if you're observing a huge pile of clutter that may or may not be of your own making.) If you can do this every day for a week, what will you find yourself observing that you had never taken the time to notice before? If you train yourself to find the new in the old, what would you observe in new situations that you maybe wouldn't have before? The possibilities are endless.

I brought up the 10 minutes of creative time because last week I was at Spotlight On Books: A Conference for Adults Focused on Youth Literature; where I got to hear a few different authors speak of their writings, and an illustrator about his artwork. I enjoyed hearing about how they work. Author Alison McGhee remarked that she takes 10 minutes every morning to just write. Write whatever comes to mind. Once the 10 minutes are over, she puts it away. It's an exercise in creativity. I thought about that. Ten minutes isn't very long. It's do-able. The Sunday edition of the Minneapolis Star Tribune had an article about author/illustrator Nancy Carlson and how she started a blog of doodles. Another exercise in creativity. Her doodles are just 10 minutes (or so) of time; and they may feature some of the characters from her books drawn in different ways. Ten minutes to draw whatever comes out of your pen. Fascinating. Two people in two days doing the 10 minute thing. Definitely do-able. Granted, we're a few days past last Sunday when I figured it was do-able and I haven't done anything. On Tuesday I did sit in the sun and observed things. I wasn't terribly non-judgemental though. I think I only lasted a couple minutes before heading off in search of the rake.

I hope I can remember to take 10 minutes a day. Ten minutes to quietly observe, ten minutes to draw, ten minutes to write (haha, this post makes up for a couple weeks worth of 10 minutes). Now is the perfect time of year to get in the habit of observing. Watch as little by little the leaves start popping out on the trees, listen to the frogs croaking, smell the pollen, feel the sneeze building up inside of you. Now is the time of year that the world outside changes on an almost daily basis.

If you need more inspiration on building up your creativity, I found an interesting article on the Scientific American website. 7 Ways To Cultivate Your Creativity. Go ahead, click on the link. Go ahead, sit quietly and soak in the things around you. Go ahead, allow yourself the freedom to think outside of your usual box.

I promise, it's fun!

The Ignorant American

It appears that spring has finally sprung. The sun has been shining all day, and people are outside walking around without hats, mittens, boots, scarves, and the rest of the northern Minnesota winter attire. Granted, it's supposed to snow a little bit on Saturday. April snow showers don't last long, so that's okay. Spring means it's time for me to start planning the Summer Library Program. Okay, I really should have done this while it was still winter, but I just don't work that way (by "that way", I mean in a timely manner.) I broke open my Summer Reading manual yesterday afternoon. I think I know how I'm going to work it this year. The theme; as mentioned before, is: It will be a good opportunity to explore some stories from around the world. The kids in our communities can become world travelers via the summer library program this year. We'll see if we can learn something about other countries.

Americans are known to be pretty ignorant about other countries in the world, but maybe this summer will nudge our kids towards a more competent future. I wish I could say that I know a lot about the world: who's in charge, issues facing other countries; but honestly, I have to look at a map in order to remember exactly where any country beyond North America is located. At the meeting for the kick off of the summer reading program, we played a game of "cross off the boxes". Each box had some kind of "find someone who". There were plenty of children's library workers there, and it was pretty sad that out of all of us, only one person knew the Prime Minister of Canada--and that person wasn't even in the room with us. It was the receptionist who knew. Bully for the receptionist, not-so-bully for the rest of us. It was a rude awakening for us. We are ignorant of other countries. Everyone in the world has heard of Barack Obama, and we expect that everyone know who he is. Do you know who Stephen Harper is? Right, he's the Prime Minister of Canada. How many current prime ministers or presidents can you name? I know I can't name very many. I-G-N-O-R-A-N-T. What can we expect our children to learn about a world we know nothing about?

I suppose our kids should not be the only ones reading around the world this summer.

Where are you reading?

Some of you read this just about every week. Some of you read this every once in a while. Some of you just stumbled upon this by accident today. Send us a postcard. PLEASE! You don't have to say much, just a little "Hello" would be enough. Adding what you're reading would be of great interest to us as well!! Send your postcard to:

Marble Public Library

PO Box 409

Marble, MN 55764

The theme for the summer reading program is One World, Many Stories and it might amaze our patrons how far away our fellow readers travel/live/go. I'll get a picture of the two of us (sorry, Tanja) and our wall space before and after. Hopefully there will be a big difference. Won't this be fun?? I already dropped off my postcard from Hollywood where I finished reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

When on vacation, I always look around and see what other people are reading. It's interesting to me what others have selected for their travels. Watching commuters in New York City reading various books/magazines/newspapers; many of them written in other languages, fascinates me. I love walking through an airport and seeing what books people are poring over. There's nothing better than a walk past a crowded pool and seeing all those sun worshippers with a novel next to their big bottles of water.

Why do we choose the books we choose for vacations? Some put off books they've heard great reviews of until they're able to devote some uninterrupted time to it. Some pull out the trashy novels that they wouldn't be caught dead reading in front of people they know. Some bring along those lengthy tomes that they would otherwise put off reading. I personally have grabbed books from all of those categories for various trips. It's rare that I bring a library book with me. The chance that I may lose or in some way destroy a book that doesn't belong to me is too great. The excuse to get a book that is all mine is such a rarity, it's hard to pass up. Finding a book for vacation is one of the best parts of getting ready for vacation. I love to peruse book sales for that reason. Many libraries have used books for sale, and that's a great place to look. You just never know what you might find.

Drop us a line, let us know what book you chose for your travels. Give us a clue as to how you came to be reading that title. You don't have to go on vacation, send us a postcard from your hometown post office. I kind of think Marble doesn't have postcards for sale with the town name on them. If your town is like Marble (or is Marble) you could just take a picture, print it on heavier paper, and add the address and a stamp to the back right side of the photo. You don't even have to sign your name, but we'd love it if you did. If you don't, just close with a . . .

Wish you were here! Happy Reading!

If it isn't too much trouble, drop a postcard in the mail for the Coleraine Library. (I work there too--I do love working in libraries!!)

Coleraine Public Library

P.O. Box 225

Coleraine, MN 55722

Fairy Tale: Happily Ever After

I must warn you, I'm a bit of a cynic. The Disney-ized versions of fairy tales are too pat for me and I tend to prefer a more realistic/jaded version of popular fairy tales. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Snow White all just kind of sat back and waited to be rescued. All beautiful, serene, passive women. They're always so nice. I think perhaps the latest Disney princesses have a bit more gumption, so at least they're moving a bit in the right direction.

The stories were around before the written word was, so there are many variations of them. Some of them are only slightly similar. Aurora=Sleeping Beauty=Briar Rose=Talia=Rosamund and more. Variations on a theme with some of these being more horrifying than others.

I like fairy tales turned on their heads. Wicked by Gregory MaGuire was one of the first turned-on-their-head tales for me. I LOVED it. I have read just about every book he's written (#4 in the Wicked Years Series comes out in November,) they're all well known stories told from a different perspective. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is an alternative view of Cinderella; Mirror, Mirror is a twisted look at Snow White; and you can imagine the protagonist of What-the-Dickens : The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy. He's got more books than these, but you get the gist of the kind of book he writes.

My 9-year-old daughter and I both read the Grimm Sisters Series by Michael Buckley a couple months ago. We both loved those books. Descendants of the brothers Grimm find out that the fairy tales are more fact books than story books, and the actual characters are living in Ferryport Landing along with a grandmother they never knew they had. There is one more book in the series, and we're both anxiously awaiting it!

There are all kinds of picture books about well known characters told a different way. One of my favorites is The Three Little Wolves and The Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas. How could you not love a children's book that has a pneumatic drill toting pig in it??? The True Story of The Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka is another version of the three little pigs. Both are fun and a little different that the usual 3 pigs we all know. Children's literature is full of fairy tale characters placed in different story lines. It's fun to see the different stories that evolve using the same characters.

With fairy tales turned on their heads, it is necessary to be familiar with them in some way or another to get the full effect of their "upside-down-ness". It would be a stretch to fully understand the humor of Cinder-Smella, A Timeless Tale of Stinky Feet (by Alan Sitomer) if you aren't familiar with Grimm's Cinderella (or Disney's for that matter). The original fairy tales were not children's stories. The oral tradition of these folktales contained stories not fit for children. The Grimm brothers collected a bunch of them and cleaned them up a bit. Disney has cleaned them up even more.

Take a look at some of the Disney fairy tales and then grab up a couple of fairy tales told from a different perspective. There are a lot of kid versions and adult versions. See which you prefer, and see which the children in your life prefer. Let us at the Marble Public Library know if you need more titles than I've already mentioned here.

Free tickets at the library?

In November 2008, Minnesota voters approved a constitutional amendment to dedicate funds for Minnesota's Outdoor Heritage, Clean Water, Parks and Trails, and Arts and Cultural Heritage. Under the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF) Minnesota's 300+ public libraries receive funding distributed through existing formulas to the 12 Minnesota Regional Library Systems to provide programs and services in four areas: arts (visual, performing and media), culture, literary and Minnesota history. The law states that these funds are intended "for regional programs and working with arts and cultural partners."

So, we've had free tickets for various things at the library for awhile. Now the cycle of the legacy grant is over, and there is an evaluation period before "the powers that be" decide whether or how to continue this program.

I got to take a trip to the Great Lakes Aquarium, the Judy Garland & Children's Museum, the Minnesota Discovery Center, and sent my kids and their grandmother to the Forest History Center (haven't made it there yet, but I'm really wanting to go!) What a great opportunity to see some things that you may not otherwise take the time to see. I had never been to a couple of those places; and now that I've been, I feel I'm more likely to return.

If you took the opportunity to use some of the free tickets available at your library, let your legislators know. You may only get a form letter back, but at least you've put it out there and have increased the chance that we'll get a repeat of the grant we were given to provide those tickets. Tell them how much you enjoyed the experience. Let them know that the free tickets were appreciated during these tough economic times. Clue them in on how much fun you had while learning something.

Here's the information for our local state legislators:

Senator Tom Saxhaug
sen.tom.saxhaug@senate.mn
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
State Office Building, Room 135
St. Paul, MN 55155-1206
651.296.4136

Representative Tom Anzelc
rep.tom.alzelc@house.mn
307 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
651-296-4936 or 800-336-9124

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them." ~~Mark Twain

I got a magnet with that saying on it from my sister-in-law this past summer. She said she thought of me when she saw it. It's hanging on my fridge at eye level where my gaze flits upon it every day. Every day I think, that quote isn't quite right. It's right in that that is how Mark Twain stated it. It's wrong in the message it sends to me. I'd rather it read "The man who does not read books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them."





A "good book" is a matter of opinion, in my opinion. What appeals to me may not appeal to you. What I think is a good book, you may find to be a terrible book. What you think is a "good book" may be the farthest thing from my idea of a "good book".





In all that I've learned about getting boys to read (yes, boys) I've learned that you can not tell them that what they are reading isn't good. If you know a reluctant reader, is it because at one point in time they were told that the material they were reading didn't qualify as reading? Graphic novels, Captain Underpants, and Walter the Farting Dog are all books that many adults find fault with. They're "not good". Junie B. Jones and her bad grammar is also often labeled "not good". Unfortunately, a child who finds joy in these books and is repeatedly told they are "not good" may soon interpret that to mean that they don't like to read. If what they do like to read isn't good, they don't like reading. "Find something better, that isn't a good book" I heard a mom tell her kids at a bookstore. It made me cringe. I wanted to tell her that she shouldn't EVER say anything like that to a kid if she wanted them to grow up to enjoy reading.



I don't want anyone to tell me that the book I'm reading isn't "good." I don't read books just so that I can say that I have read them. I don't see the reading of a "good" book as a status symbol the way some people do. Have I read "good" books? Yes. Did I read them so that I could say I read them? Maybe, when I was a teen. Have I loved every "good" book I've ever read? No. No. No. (I still can't believe I got all the way through Anna Karenina--I didn't like any of the characters.) To me a good book is one that you get lost in. A good book is one YOU enjoy. A good book is not necessarily on the best seller list, a list of must read books, an award winner, a book lauded by critics, or a popular book club selection. A good book is one that you enjoy. Period.



But this quote is about a man. I'm not about to tell the man what he should or should not be reading. He's a man, he can figure it out for himself. But, if he's stumped, I will be more than happy to make some recommendations!


I think maybe I'll put a bit of tape over the word good on my magnet.

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells.” ~~Dr. Seuss

I'm pretty sure everyone has heard of Dr. Seuss. Even if you have never read Green Eggs and Ham, you know the story. Today marks the 107th anniversary of Theodore Seuss Geisel's birth. Even now; almost 20 years after his death, Dr. Seuss remains one of the best known and loved authors of children's books. His books have been made into movies, TV programs and specials, a Broadway musical, and a section of Univeral's Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando. But, my favorite Dr. Seuss adaptation is the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award given out in January. From the American Library Association website:

The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year. The winner(s), recognized for their literary and artistic achievements that demonstrate creativity and imagination to engage children in reading, receives a bronze medal. Honor Book authors and illustrators receive certificates, which are presented at the ALA Annual Conference. The award was established in 2004 and first presented in 2006.

Basically, this is an award given to some of my favorite books for kids. These are books that are fun to read for both parent and child. These are books that don't take many readings for a 3-year-old to memorize. (I know from experience.) They're books that you won't mind reading one more time. A child memorizing the words to a well loved book is a starting point for them learning to read. Dr. Seuss was a starting point for a lot of readers out there, and the Theodore Seuss Geisel award points us to books that will lead our children in the same direction.

"These things are fun, and fun is good."

~~My 3-year-old thinks that the sticker at the front of the Geisel Award/Honor books show an image of Mo Willems. A couple of his books have the sticker on the cover. We had to do a Google image search the other day, just so that she wouldn't be spreading any misinformation.

The Return of the Book Club

Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! The return of the book club is here! In Cold Blood by Truman Capote was the book up for discussion this month. Next month I chose Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Since we hadn't met since October--I had to pick the book by myself.



Usually I pick out and print the summaries of 3-4 books and our loyal members choose which they'd like to read. I'm afraid I was pretty off my game this past week, and all my summaries fell flat. Good thing Tanja was there to pick out Ana's Story by Jenna Bush. There aren't any questions for the book on readinggroupguides.com, so we'll have to come up with our own list of questions. Good thing we got a volunteer for that!

Why join a book club?? It's fun when you read a good book to have someone to discuss it with. It's good when you finish a bad book to have someone to commiserate with. Some of the books we've read have been well liked, others not so much. Every time we get a bad one, they all blame me and bring up The Time Traveler's Wife. They all hated it. I had raved about it. It has become the standing joke when talking about what books we're going to read. I don't mind. I've also picked out some really good ones. Cold Rock River by J.L. Miles and Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen were also books that came highly recommended by me and that the book club members all loved. And yet; I'm remembered for Time Traveler's Wife, which they hated. Oh well.

A book club brings you along to books you otherwise may not have picked out. A book club will bring you outside of your comfort zone. A book club gives you an opportunity to discuss the highs and lows of the book of the month, and gives you the chance to change someone else's mind about any given book (barring the Time Traveler's Wife, obviously).

We meet the last Wednesday of every month at 6:30. We generally pick out books a couple months in advance, so that we can order them in time to pass the new book on at the end of our monthly meetings. You don't have to come every month, and obviously you don't have to love every book. You don't even have to finish the book. Or read it at all. But there is always coffee and generally some really good dessert to go along with it!

We passed out the copies of Life Of Pi that we had on hand, and more have come in since then for others should you get the hankering to join us!

I don't have time to read!!

Many people are baffled by the number of books I read. I ALWAYS have a book to read. I read a little bit of every kind of genre out there. People who are not in the habit of reading generally give one excuse. "I DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ!!" If you ask me, that's a load of malarkey. I'm guessing you made time to play a couple games of Bejeweled Blitz online today, or took a few minutes with the Angry Birds on your iPhone, checked out the statuses of your friends on Facebook, or sat in front of the TV watching a program or two. If you didn't do any of those things, I apologize. If you did take some time to do those things, then your excuse can no longer be that you don't have time to read. It should be that you don't take time to read.

I don't chunk out sections of my day to read. I read a bit here and there throughout the day. During breakfast, during lunch, during commercials, while waiting for my 3-year-old to finish playing in the tub, waiting in doctor's offices, and on road trips where I'm not driving: these are all great times for me to have a book on hand. I generally don't leave the house without one. You never know when you're going to pick the slooooowwwwwwest line at the grocery store. It is more important to me than my phone (you're right, I don't have an iPhone).

I have heard of some people who CAN'T read, because then they have to read until they finish the book. That's something I don't quite understand. What do they do when they have 5 minutes here and there through-out the day? I suppose I could sit and idly ponder my thoughts, but WHY?? I could, I just choose not to.

I once read that a true test of how comfortable you are in your own skin is to sit down at a restaurant and eat a meal. Without a book or anything else to occupy yourself. I did that once. And, I wondered what exactly I was proving. Another time I went to a restaurant by myself with a Terry Pratchett book. Now there is a showing of how comfortable I am in my own skin. I was guffawing over my soup, salad, and bread sticks. At one point I was laughing so hard I was crying. Were people giving me strange looks? Probably, but I was too busy drying my eyes to notice.

While we're on the subject of books that are laugh-out-loud funny, I should wish a happy belated birthday (February 11th) to Mo Willems--my favorite laugh-out-loud funny author. (I know; he'll never see this, but he's still my favorite.) His pigeon is a creature to behold. If you don't have time to read, these are kids books and should only take a minute or two--they're pretty short. But; like a kid, you may want to read it again as soon as you finish.

If you in any way disagree with me, or are offended by me--let me know. This is intended as a conversation starter--not a put-down. Feel free to leave a comment!

Books vs. Movies

I had an interesting discussion this afternoon with one of our younger patrons about movies based on books.


"It was like they only read the summary for The Lightning Thief."

Can't say that I've seen the movie, but the book was good. I've heard that the book and movie differ quite a bit. I did read and watch How To Train Your Dragon--those were two totally different stories.


"Every book I've ever read that has been turned into a movie: the book is waaayyyyyyyy better."

Although that is often the case, I can't say that every book is waaaaayyyyyy better than the movie.


"The book is ALWAYS better than the movie!"

There have been some books that I've struggled through (Friday Night Lights) and have thought the movie was better. (Of course, I haven't actually seen the movie--but it would certainly take less time to finish the movie than the book.)


It was getting to be a heated discussion.

"They did good with Harry Potter though, stayed pretty true to the story-line."

It's been a long time since I read and watched Harry Potter, so I couldn't reply to that statement.

"I like the Wizard of Oz movie better than the book."

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Maybe it was for this young adult, but I much preferred the book to the movie.

It was interesting to have this discussion with a person under the age of eighteen. It was interesting that he'd read enough and seen enough to draw the same conclusion many book lovers come to; namely, that the book is better than the movie. Any kid can find movies based on books. It isn't hard to find kids who have seen many of those movies. It's a bit more rare to run into kids who have also read the book. It's seems almost impossible sometimes with all the bad press kids get about their lack of reading to find kids who often read the book before or after seeing the movie, and for the kid to see how amazing a book can be compared to what you watch on a screen. There are lots of kids around who have see How To Train Your Dragon, and there are quite a few who have read the book. It makes for an interesting conversation. I highly recommend it!

As long as we're on the subject of movies. . .

When your child comes to the library and decides to check out a rated R movie, we can not prevent them from checking it out. As much as we may want to, we can't. According to the American Library Association Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights in reference to Access for Children and Young Adults to Nonprint Materials:

Parents—and only parents—have the right and responsibility to restrict access of their children—and only their children—to library resources. Parents who do not want their children to have access to certain library services, materials, or facilities should so advise their children. Librarians and library governing bodies cannot assume the role of parents or the functions of parental authority in the private relationship between parent and child.

Hunh, couldn't have said it better myself.

Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.

We're past the first rush of budget cut talks. What's going to be cut? Money is tight at the federal, state, and local levels. I don't really know anywhere in government that money isn't tight. Suck it up and do the best we can with less, right? We have a responsibility to our communities to make the best use of the money available to us. We have to be creative with our resources. We have to make sure our priorities gel with what the community would like to see.

For people who aren't library users, libraries may seem like a waste of money. Our small town is hurting. Library non-users here and in other communities often think that cutting library hours or eliminating libraries completely would be a great answer to all the money problems faced by their communites. WRONG! The way libraries work, the money that funds your local library belongs to libraries. If your local library closes, the money that used to go to it now gets put back into the pot and spread out among OTHER LIBRARIES. Close your library and your taxes will not go down, the city will not have more money to spend on other things; things will be just the same as they were--you just won't have a library in your town.

I do not have a library sciences degree. I don't understand the ins and outs of the law. I couldn't even begin to comprehend how the "powers that be" spend/allocate/receive money. All I know is that the library is "safe". Yes, they can cut our budgets by a bit. Yes, we may have to make some cut backs on what services we offer. Yes, we won't be getting EVERY James Patterson book that comes out. (What?? He puts his name on at least 10 a year lately.) Yes, we don't have any art-work on the walls. Yes, we're hoping for better times ahead. No, we didn't get into the library business for the big paychecks.

With the recent recession, we have seen an increase in library usage. When people come in for the first time in decades, they're often surprised by what the library has to offer free of charge. Computer usage, books, magazines, newspapers, DVDs, audio books, and generally someone who is excited to help you find what you're looking for. (Not always, mind you--we have off days too.) Your taxes help fund all of this. You already bought that movie. Granted now it's stored at the library and anyone can check it out. You already have that book. Granted, it has a bar code on it that gets scanned every time someone wants to read it. You already bought that newspaper. Granted, it wasn't delivered to your door. Why are you buying that audio book again? Granted, you may have to download some software before loading it onto your MP3 player.

February is Love Your Library month. Money is tight. Maybe you can't make any sort of monetary donation to your library, but there are other things you can do. Send off an email to your local/state/federal government officials expressing your support for local libraries. They need to understand how important libraries are to our communities. Stop in for a chat about what the library means to you and any improvements you would like to see. Ask if there is anything you can do to help. Come to a board meeting and see how it all works. Spend an afternoon seeing what the kids do in here after they're done with school.

Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries. I know I would be in a world of hurt if I no longer had a library to use!

I'll get off my soap-box now.

Return of the bookclub

On February 23, 2011 at 6:30 pm we will be discussing Truman Capote's
In Cold Blood.


Coffee and good conversation will be served.

What is it about this time of year?

There's something about this time of year that makes me want to create things. Apparently I'm not the only one. While searching flickr for inspiration, I came across the title of a book that I thought would be interesting. I hopped over to the Arrowhead website to find that the copies to be had are lost or missing. On to the MNLink Statewide catalog. There I found several systems with the title I was pursuing, and most copies were checked out. See, I'm not the only one with their creative juices flowing. I requested one, and hopefully it will get here before my desire to craft something fades. I have grand ideas of what will be created; but in the words of my father, "Your confidence outweighs your competence." Which may explain all the half finished projects on my sewing table.

Looking for one thing leads to another, and another, and another; until I've got 10 new requests for books! Happens just about every week. Good thing I work at a library. I may get books that I've ordered and wonder "WHY did I order THIS??" But even when I do that, I at least page through them before sending them back. There's nothing so great as a newly found book. You just never know which one is going to give you some kind of treasure. In the words of my mother, "Too many books, too little time." I'm sure she got that saying from some library slogan somewhere--but I'll give her credit for exposing me to this mind-set.

If you find your creative juices flowing without an outlet or would just like to try something new, there are lots of titles available here. There are even more available through inter-library loan. I LOVE inter-library loans. You can get just about anything, from anywhere in the whole state of Minnesota! How great is that??

While searching for the picture that lead me to my first book request of the day--so you could see it--I found another picture with the same book, but different ones in the stack. Guess what? I had to make another inter-library-loan book request.

Kids LOVE the library!

We're now a week into our new building, and today the preschoolers from next door came over.  They have been anxiously awaiting the opening, and have missed their weekly visits here.  Today they got to come in for the first time in a couple months.  Mouths agape, exclamations of delight; how great it is to see their enjoyment!


Slowly but surely the other kids from the community have been filtering in.  For anyone out there who thinks kids just come in to sit at the computers and play games, think again.  Today, I ordered the second Percy Jackson book for one kid (and found a couple other books to fill the time until it comes--just in case he finishes those last 20 pages faster than the second book will get here.)  We had one other kid asking if her book had come in yet (The Sisters Grimm, book 4).  One other kid brought back the books she had to borrow from another library while we were closed and picked out two more from our collection.  We've been around these kids for several years, and would never have guessed that some of them would become the readers that they are today.  Sure, they initially came in for the movies and computers, but somehow they've also found their way into the stacks of books.  Hurrah!!


The headphones did not make the trip over to the new library.  They may have all been broken before we shut down.  When asked by one of the three kids at the computers this afternoon if we had any, the answer was a resounding "NO."  When we suggested that we could put up a donation can for new headphones, their answer was a resounding "YES!"  One even offered to donate all of the $40 in his piggy bank. 


Now those are the kind of patrons we want for our library!!  The fact that they are under the age of 15 means less than their love for the library!  Just because they're young, does not mean they warrant some of the scornful looks of some of their elders.  They use the library differently than the kids of years past, but they still USE THE LIBRARY!  They see it as a great place to be, and we'd love to keep it that way. 

New DVDs at the Library

Tomorrow we will be getting our new rotation of DVDs in. So if you are bored with the reruns that are on TV and you would like to watch something different, but do not want to spent the money on movie tickets, stop by the library, and check out our new DVDs.

Phone services @ the Library

As of today, we finally have a phone line for the library. If you need to renew your books, have us request the newest books for you or just have a question, you can now dial 218-247-7676 and we will answer.

OUR FIRST DAY!!

We are open for business! We are handicap accessible! The computers are up and running! Books are on the shelves! We have heat!!!



It's been a long process and we aren't completely done yet. We haven't been here long enough to know what we're missing or needing. There are still some boxes of books on the floor. There is still a lot of stuff at the old library--up the stairs, through the cold, cold hallway. Sure, we don't have anything on the walls but we don't know what to put there nor do we have funding for extravagant works of art. As a library with one of the lowest budgets in our system, it's amazing that we've gotten ourselves into a new building! We're going to appreciate what we've got (heat! no stairs! heat!) before we start complaining about what we don't have (telephone, drop box receptacle, new magazine subscriptions). We'll just enjoy the heat!

(It may take awhile, but eventually I will again be able to direct you exactly to that Dean Koontz/Janet Evanovich/Jodi Piccoult/Lee Child book without looking up. ~Alicia)

Hip Hip Hooray, we're in the new building!!