Beloit Library

December 2011

2012-01-04T13:10:00.003-06:00

Once again, it is time for my 3rd Annual Ten Great Books I Read This Year list. I am a Children’s Librarian at heart, and most of my list this year reflects that. Two of my favorites are picture books and four of them are Children’s Fiction books. But lurking somewhere deep, deep, down inside of me, there is an adult who occasionally needs to read books about cells that never die, historical figures that aren’t as mythical as we thought they were, and a nice, warm dram of whiskey.

Be sure to check us out on Facebook and at www.beloitlibrary.info. And without further ado, The List:

1) The Boys by Jeff Newman. A young boy moves into town and isn’t sure how to make new friends. Luckily, there are some boys at the local baseball diamond who are willing to help out. (Picture Book)

2) Press Here by Herve Tullet. With the press of a finger and some clapping and shaking, this book will keep your 3-year old entertained for hours on end. And it’s fun to watch adults try to figure out where all of those dots came from! (Picture Book)

3) Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel by Avi. Philip thinks his teacher is being unfair. All he wanted to do was hum the National Anthem. What’s so wrong about that? Although this book was written it 1991, the story reads like it could have been written yesterday. (Children’s Fiction)

4) Saint Training. Set in Wisconsin and written by Wisconsin author, Elizabeth Fixmer, this book about a Catholic family living in the turbulent 1960’s is a great reminder that being yourself isn’t always easy. (Children’s Fiction)

5) The Reinvention of Edison Thomas by Jacqueline Houtman. Eddy Thomas is not your typical middle schooler. While reciting the Periodic Table of Elements in his head as a way to calm himself down is easy, not paying attention to the water spot on the ceiling tile and wondering how it got there, is not so easy. (Children’s Fiction)

6) One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. Sisters Delphine, Vonetta and Fern are sent to Oakland California to spend the summer with the mother who abandoned them seven years ago. The girls are looking forward to reconnecting, but their mother seems distracted by the Black Panther activities surrounding them. (Children’s Fiction)

7) Room by Emma Donoghue. Jack has always lived in Room with Ma. Bed, TV and Wardrobe have been there as long as Jack can remember. Door doesn’t open, but that’s okay, because Dora lives in TV and she and Jack go on adventures. (Adult Fiction)

8) Gandhi: The True Man Behind Modern India by Jad Adams. A fascinating look at Gandhi through the years including some very humanizing idiosyncrasies. (Adult Nonfiction)

9) Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Discover how a small tissue sample taken from a poor African American woman over 60 years ago has turned into a multi-billion dollar business and caused endless heartache for her family. (Adult Nonfiction)

10) 99 Drams of Whiskey: The Accidental Hedonist’s Quest for the Perfect Shot and the History of the Drink by Kate Hopkins. The title speaks for itself. I wonder if the author would be interested in writing a sequel. I’d be interested in helping out…

November 2011

2012-01-04T13:10:00.000-06:00

You know how you have been hearing Christmas music in the stores since about mid-September? And you’ve been seeing Christmas ads on TV since about mid-August? And your kids have had their Christmas lists ready since about mid-July? It’s all just a little crazy, isn’t it? I mean, it feels like the holidays and all their fan-fare arrive earlier and earlier every year. Well, the Beloit Public Library has crazy beat by a mile. As far back as April, we were already thinking about December programs and Christmas.

Whether it’s making reindeer ornaments (Arts and Crafts, Thursday December 8th at 4:00 p.m.), folding origami Santas (Tween Program, Wednesday December 14th at 2:00 p.m.) or creating graham cracker gingerbread houses and Kwanzaa placemats (4H Funtertainment, Tuesday December 27th at 6:30 p.m.), almost all of the Youth Services programs in December have a holiday theme. Heck, we even have good ol’ Father Christmas himself coming to the library on Saturday December 10th at 2:00 p.m. Terry Lynch, from Histories for Kids, will perform “The Legend of St. Nicholas” where kids and their families will learn about Christmas traditions from around the world. Ever wonder why we hang Christmas stockings? Or why we have Christmas trees? Come to the library and find out.

Off course, we didn’t forget the teens and the adults. Teens can design their own holiday-themed cupcakes at our Cupcake Design program on Wednesday December 14th at 4:00 p.m. And adults will learn about Healthy Holiday Eating on Tuesday December 6th at 6:00 p.m.

October 2011

2012-01-04T13:09:00.000-06:00

It’s always fun trying to figure out what book a library customer is trying to find. Some people come in with the title of the book, the author, the publisher and the call number in hand. Those customer requests are easy. Other people come in with only the vaguest notion of what the book is about. They heard about it on one of the morning talk shows, but between getting their children dressed, feeding the dog and throwing in one more load of laundry, they didn’t quite catch the title of the book. Those requests, though not so easy to decipher, are still fun to figure out.

And then there are the customers who think they know what they want, but we give them something completely different. I had a customer the other day in the Children’s Area and she was looking for “the Spanish books”. Did she want books written in Spanish, or books about Spain, or books that teach the Spanish language? Turns out she wanted to learn to speak Spanish. So, we walked over to the 400’s (come on, everyone knows the language books are in the 400’s, right?) and we found some very basic books that showed pictures of everyday objects with the Spanish word written below the object. The customer was happy with what we found. But I knew there was one more way to help her learn Spanish.

We went over to the computer and I showed her the library’s new database: Powerspeak Languages. The database walks you through the basics of learning five different languages (Spanish, English, French, German and Mandarin) using lessons such as, “People Words”, “Colors”, and “Asking for Help”. The database is friendly, functional and allows users to learn at their own pace. Although the customer was happy with the books we found, she seemed even more excited about using the new database.

Powerspeak Languages is available under the “Electronic Resources” tab on the library’s homepage, www.beloitlibrary.info. You can use it on one of the library’s computers, or you can use it at home in between loads of laundry and making sure your children have shoes on their feet before sending them off to school.

September 2011

2011-09-26T10:55:00.000-05:00

I can’t believe I actually did it. I really thought I could hold out longer than I did, but something made me snap and I took the plunge. I got an e-reader.

Some of you are wondering, what’s the big deal? Some of you are wondering, what’s an e-reader? An e-reader is a device that magically (yes, it does feel like magic) downloads books, movies, and music electronically. Well, I can download that same stuff to my desktop or laptop computer, some of you may be thinking. Sure, you can. But what is truly amazing about an e-reader is that the device itself, depending on the brand, is usually no bigger than the size of a hard cover book, it is usually less than half an inch thick and it weighs less than two pounds. And to top it all off, you can literally store thousands of books on the device at the same time. Just think of how much room that saves you in your suitcase when you go on vacation!

Okay, if the e-reader is the next best thing after the printing press, why did I wait so long before getting one? Simple. I love books. I love the feel of books in my hands. I love how books look all lined up (in Dewey Decimal order, of course!) on a shelf calling out to me to browse through them. I love the sound of the pages turning and I love returning over and over again to my old dog-eared copies of my favorite books.

I love my books, and I always will, but my e-reader is my new not-so-guilty pleasure.

Visit us on the web at www.beloitlibrary.info and be sure to check out these e-books available on Overdrive (just click on the link on our homepage):

No Pet Left Behind: The Sherpa Guide for Traveling with Your Best Friend by Gayle Martz. This book provides solid information and helpful hints for modern day pet lovers who want their furry friends to be safe, healthy, and comfortable while accompanying them on their journey.. This book is not just a listing of places that allow pets; rather, it is an examination of everything you'll want to know about extensive trips to large cities, crowded places, exotic islands, and even foreign locales. Readers will be happy to discover that pets can go just about everywhere, near or far. (Book Description)

100 Mistakes that Changed History: Backfires and Blunders that Collapsed Empires, Crashed Economies and Altered the Course of our World by Bill Fawcett. This engrossing book looks at one hundred such tipping points. Japan bombs Pearl Harbor. The Caliphs of Baghdad spend themselves into bankruptcy. The Aztecs greet the Conquistadors with open arms. Mexico invites the Americans to Texas—and the Americans never leave. (Book Description)

The Fates Will Find Their Way by Hannah Pittard. Sixteen-year-old Nora Lindell is missing. And the neighborhood boys she's left behind are caught forever in the heady current of her absence. A masterful literary debut that shines a light into the dream-filled space between childhood and all that follows, The Fates Will Find Their Way is a story about the stories we tell ourselves–of who we once were and may someday become. (Book Description)

August 2011

2011-08-31T14:49:00.000-05:00

Another year of Summer Library Club has come to an end at the Beloit Public Library. This year 618 kids read 3590 books and over 90 teens participated in the Teen Reading Program. Adults read books throughout the month of July and one lucky reader won an Amazon Kindle. Not to be left out of all the fun, the staff at the library had their own Reading Program as well. Ever wonder what librarians like to read? Well, here’s just a small sampling of the books that piqued our interest this summer:

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater - A classic of American humor, adventures of a house painter and his high-stepping penguins have delighted children for generations.

Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men by Mara Hvistendahl - China has an extreme gender imbalance. It reaches beyond Asia. Historically, eras with an excess of men have produced periods of violent conflict and instability.

Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – a haunting coming-of-age story about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion is told through Charlie's letters.

Brute: the Life of Victor Krulak, U.S. Marine by Robert Coram – A 34-year military career of applying creative ways of fighting. Krulak's almost single-handed accomplishment is stopping the U.S. government from abolishing the Marine Corps.

The Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd – In the 1981 height of Ireland's "Troubles," Fergus, 18, is distracted from his upcoming exams by his imprisoned brother's hunger strike, the stress of being courier for Sinn Fein, and dreams of a murdered girl he discovered in a bog.

Quinn by Iris Johansen - explores the darkest corners of human hearts as forensic sculptor Eve Duncan and former Navy SEAL turned cop, Joe Quinn fall in love while closing in on the killer who stole her daughter many years ago. Emotionally charged, with one shock after another.

Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri - Gogol Ganguli, named after his fathers’ favorite author, is born to Indian immigrants after their arranged marriage. American Gogol grows up resenting both his strange name and the yoke of Bengali culture imposed by his parents.

Buttercream Bump Off by Jenn Mckinlay - Melanie and Angie’s Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery is gearing up for Valentine's Day. Unfortunately someone has iced Baxter Malloy on his first date with Mel's mother. Now Mom's a suspect, and they need to find time around frosting to dig into the man's shady past and discover who served him his just desserts.

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Vera Rigler - Jane Mansfield inexplicably awakens in Courtney's overly wired and morally confused L.A. life. For Jane, the modern world is not wholly disagreeable except memories that are not her and wondering if returning is an option.

Latehomecomer: a Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang - Hmong families made the escape from Laos where they were massacred for their collaboration with the United States during the Vietnam War, then to the overcrowded refugee camps of Thailand and onward to America. (Join us for a discussion of this book on Wednesday November 30th at noon.)

To find these books and many, many more, be sure to visit the Beloit Public Library or check us out on Facebook and at www.beloitlibrary.info.

July 2011

2011-08-31T14:47:00.000-05:00

After nearly 17 years of marriage (to the same guy!) I have discovered one very important thing about myself. I can’t cook my way out of a tin can to save my life. Sure, I can throw stuff into a crockpot, but actual cooking just isn’t in my repertoire. Case in point: the Cornish Hen Incident of ‘98.

I had decided I was going to cook two small Cornish Hens with a side of stuffing for dinner. The recipe said to “split each game hen in half”. Deep breath. I can do this. I grabbed a pair of kitchen scissors and started cutting the hens along the breast bone. Not such an easy task, especially considering that my highly sensitive gag reflex kicked in as soon as I heard the bones cracking and saw what the inside of a Cornish Hen actually looks like. There were guts in there. Gross, disgusting, slimy hen guts. And the guts were attached to the breast meat. Okay, another deep breath. I figured if I could just cut away the guts so I didn’t have to look at them, I might be able to stop the dry heaves. Cut, snip, heave, cut, gag, snip. Done.

Wait a minute. Where did my Cornish Hens go? By the time I was done cutting away all the slimy stuff, I didn’t have much meat left to cook. No problem. I figured I would just serve extra stuffing to make up for the lack of actual food. I opened the cupboard. Wait a minute. Where did the stuffing go? Keep breathing. Not to be deterred, I seasoned what was left of the Cornish Hens, put them in the oven and hoped for the best.

My husband thought I was serving him a chicken wing appetizer. I thought he would be comfortable sleeping on the couch. We both thought McDonalds would hit the spot.
Now, just because I can’t cook doesn’t mean that you can’t either. In fact, the Beloit Public Library has a dizzying array of cookbooks to whet your culinary appetite. Check out some of the newest ones coming soon to the library:

Authentic Norwegian Cooking by Astrid Karlsen Scott. With more than 300 recipes gathered from throughout Norway, this comprehensive cookbook is easy to use, boasts recipes for every occasion, provides the history of the dishes, and includes a complete index and recipe titles in English and Norwegian. (Product Description)

Essential Pepin: More than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food by Jacques Pepin. Essential Pépin spans the many styles of Jacques’s cooking: homey country French, haute cuisine, fast food Jacques-style, and fresh contemporary American dishes. Many of the recipes are globally inspired, from Mexico, across Europe, or the Far East. (Product Description)

The Food Allergy Cookbook: A Guide to Living with Allergies and Entertaining with Healthy, Delicious Meals by Amra Ibrisimovic and Carmel Nelson. In addition to tasty, every-day recipes--from white bean artichoke dip, cinnamon rolls, and cream of mushroom soup to chicken pot pie, cranberry apple sauce, and fudge brownies--Carmel Nelson and Amra Ibrisimovic provide full-course meal plans for family holidays and social gatherings, including the perfect allergy-free turkey dinner! (Product Description)

And be sure to look for us on the web at www.beloitlibrary.info and on Facebook.

June 2011

2011-08-31T14:46:00.000-05:00

People collect strange things. There is a man named Graham Barker who has been collecting “navel fluff” since 1984. He’s got jars and jars of the stuff. I just hope it’s all his own. Bob Hiemenz has over 61,000 8-Tracks in his collection. Go ahead kids. I’ll wait for you to go ask your parents to tell you what an 8-Track is. And there is woman who has over 6000 Santa Claus dolls. It takes her almost three weeks to display them all at Christmas time.

So what do I collect? I started collecting angels when I was about 4 or 5 years old, and then I moved on to collecting Hard Rock Café t-shirts as a teenager. As an adult my OCD tendencies kicked in to high gear and I started getting rid of clutter in the house. I don’t really collect anything anymore. Well, I take that back. I do have one small collecting quirk. I have a collection of pictures of myself standing in front of libraries. I have pictures from Scottsdale (AZ), Fox Chapel (PA), Patna, Bihar (India), Spring Green (WI), Plymouth (MA) and Mackinac Island (MI), just to name a few.

What I love about these pictures is that no matter what the outsides of the buildings look like, the insides of the buildings are the same around the country and around the world. This year’s Summer Library Club theme is “One World, Many Stories”. I love that because libraries are the best places in the world to read many different stories. You have plenty of time left in the summer to stop by your Beloit Public Library today and pick up a story or two.

Visit us on the web at www.beloitlibrary.info and be sure to check out these great new books coming soon to the library:

The 100 Best Affordable Vacations by Jane Woolridge. Even in a weakened economy, research shows interest in travel is still strong and this book provides 100 great ways to satisfy your wanderlust without breaking the bank. This book also offers profiles of inspirational travelers, as well as fun, lively sidebars about off-season travel, how to be a traveler and not a tourist, and more. (Product Description)

Dog Days: A Year in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile by Dave Ihlenfeld. It was the ultimate post-college road trip: a year-long journey in a 27-foot-long fiberglass hotdog across the US and Europe. Rife with breakdowns, meaty puns, the burdens of instant celebrity and more Wiener Whistles than anyone could ever hope for, Ihlenfeld's uproarious recounting of his time behind the wheel is a coming-of-age story-as irreverent as it is touching-of learning about life, love, and (sausage) links, ultimately arriving at the realization that that the future is anything but a straight road. (Product Description)

Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want by Jenny Blake. In Life After College Twitter meets What Color is Your Parachute for 20-somethings. Written by popular blogger and life coach Jenny Blake, Life After College provides tips, inspirational quotes and coaching exercises for every area of life including: Work, Money, Home, Organization, Friends & Family, Dating & Relationships, Health, Fun & Relaxation, and Personal Growth. Life After College is a powerful life-planning tool that no twenty-something will want to be without! (Product Description)

May 2011

2011-06-06T11:17:00.000-05:00

Osumaq. Olvassa el. Skaityti. Leggi. Kusoma. Darllen.

And most importantly, Read.

Every year I look forward to the Summer Library Club and this year is no different. This year’s theme, “One World, Many Stories”, promises to be a multi-cultural whirlwind of programs, performers and reading.

We start off the summer with our World Tour Kick-Off event on Saturday June 11th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Kids ages 12 and younger and their families can come to the library to sign up for the reading program, make crafts, play games, get a tattoo (don’t worry Mom and Dad, it’s not real!), see Scoopie and enjoy some frozen custard from Culver’s.

The Reading Program runs from June 11th to August 6th and kids can sign up to read books and get some fantastic prizes. We also have lots of great activities to keep the kids busy all summer long. Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. kids ages 6 to 12 can hear stories at the Tales and Treats programs. Story Time for kids ages 6 and younger is on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. and Tween Time for kids ages 8 to 13 is on Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. On our Family Fun Days, Thursdays, be sure to come and see bilingual story tellers, animals from around the world, and a Celtic musical group. On Fridays at 2:00 p.m. we have Arts and Crafts for kids ages 6 to 12. And finally, on the 3rd Saturday of the month at 11:00 a.m. we have Family Story and Craft Time for kids and their families.

Sounds like the kids are going to have all the fun this summer, doesn’t it? Not to worry. Teens and adults have their own Summer Library Club programs as well. The Teen Kick-Off event is on Saturday June 11th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and the Adult reading program starts in July.

Visit our website, www.beloitlibrary.info for more information on all of Children, Teen and Adult programs.

And in case you were wondering, Osumaq is Azerbaijani, Olvassa el is Hungarian, Skaityti is Lithuanian, Leggi is Italian, Kusoma is Swahili and Darllen is Welsh. They are all translations of the word Read.

Coming soon to your Beloit Public Library:

Monkey: A Trickster Tale from India by Gerald McDermott. Monkey is hungry for the delicious mangoes on the island in the river, but he can't swim! How will he get there? Crocodile offers to carry Monkey across the water on his back, so Monkey hops aboard. Trouble is, Crocodile is hungry, too—for Monkey! Will clever Monkey come up with a way to get the mangoes and escape Crocodile's sharp teeth? (Product Description)

Circus Day in Japan by Eleanor Coerr. Translated by Yumi Matsunari. Circus Day in Japan is the warmly-illustrated story of an exciting day spent by two Japanese children, Joji-chan and Koko-chan, at a circus. Joji-chan and Koko-chan delight at the new sights of their first circus, and young readers are gently introduced to Japanese sites and customs. The simple text and artwork provide a nostalgic window into Japanese family life in the early 1950s. (Product Description)

April 2011

2011-05-02T10:01:00.000-05:00

I recently spent an evening with some very dear friends from high school. We don’t often have the opportunity to see each other, so when we do, I treasure those moments. I graduated from Beloit Catholic High School, sometime last century, and my class was very small – only about 62 people. I have kept in touch with most of my friends and we always try to get together whenever they make it back to Beloit.

Visiting with friends always makes me nostalgic and it gets me thinking about my life. Where have I been, what I have done and where I am going. So, I asked my friends, “If you could write your autobiography right now, what would the title be?” One friend said her title would be “Unfinished”, another said his would be “Genius Wasted” and a third friend called hers “Seventeen Pairs of Earrings.” Mine would be “Wait a Minute, What?” Obviously each of us has some very deep issues in our lives that we are still working through!

Whether or not these autobiographies will ever get written, we have yet to see. I can at least promise you this: if mine ever makes it into a book and onto a library shelf, I will be sure to let you know. In the meantime, be sure to check out these great new autobiographies coming soon to the Beloit Public Library:

Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography by Rob Lowe. Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last twenty-five years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable. (Product Description)

Bossypants by Tina Fey. At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon -- from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence. (Product Description)

Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?: A Rock n’ Roll Memoir by Steven Tyler. Tyler tells what it's like to be a living legend and the frontman of one of the world's most revered and infamous bands—the debauchery, the money, the notoriety, the fights, the motels and hotels, the elevators, limos, buses and jets, the rehab. He reveals the spiritual side that "gets lost behind the stereotype of the Sex Guy, the Drug Guy, the Demon of Screamin', the Terror of the Tropicana." And he talks about his epic romantic life and his relationship with his four children. (Product Description)

The FABL (Friends at Beloit Library) Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday April 18th at 7:00 p.m. in the Public Meeting Room at the library. The public is invited to come and hear award-winning Wisconsin author Jerry Apps speak about his Ames County series of books. Autographed books will be available for purchase and refreshments will be served.

March 2011

2011-03-28T16:23:00.003-05:00

I have friends who joke with me about being a librarian. I think they do that because they aren’t really sure they know what a librarian does. My friends tell me it must be nice to go to work, in a quiet, stress-free environment where you get to read book after book after book. They wonder why I needed to go to “Library School” to learn the alphabet and the Dewey Decimal System. And some of them even think that being a librarian isn’t “real work” because we get to sit at a desk all day long and answer the same questions over and over.

There are many different types of jobs people do at the library. Some of us work at the Circulation Desk issuing new library cards to customers, checking out materials and then checking those materials back in and putting them back on the shelves. Some people work in Technical Services where they unpack, catalog and process all of the new materials that arrive every day. Others of us work at the Youth and Adult Reference desks where, yes, we do answer customer’s questions and help them with the computers. Some of us plan youth, teen and adult programs such as book discussions, story times and author visits. And some of us do scheduling, budgeting, building maintenance, strategic planning, staff development, personnel management and other business administrative duties.

Libraries across the country will be celebrating National Library Week from April 10th to the 16th. I encourage everyone to visit the Beloit Public Library this week to take advantage of all of the resources we offer and to get to know us a little better. Go ahead, friend, ask us what we do.

Don’t miss the upcoming FABL (Friends at Beloit Library) booksale going on during National Library Week. The sale begins Thursday April 14th at 9:30 a.m. and will be held in the Public Meeting Room. For more information about the booksale be sure to visit www.beloitlibrary.info .

Check out these books coming soon to the Beloit Public Library:

Beyond the Trees: Stories of Wisconsin Forests by Candice Gaukel Andrews. "Recognizing the social and ecological values of Wisconsin's forest resources helps us to achieve a more equitable and sustainable use of some of the most beautiful places on earth — our forests. Beyond the Trees reaches back into history — linking our forests together and at the same time seeing their great differences. This splendid book allows each reader the chance to explore the intimate reaches of Wisconsin's forest history with depth and excitement, mystery and adventure." (Nina Leopold Bradley, founder and director, the Aldo Leopold Foundation) (Review)

Indigo: In Search of the Color That Seduced the World by Catherine E. McKinley. For almost five millennia, in every culture and in every major religion, indigo-a blue pigment obtained from the small green leaf of a parasitic shrub through a complex process that even scientists still regard as mysterious-has been at the center of turbulent human encounters. (Product Description)

Liar, Liar: The Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Deception by Gary Paulsen. Kevin doesn't mean to make trouble when he lies. He's just really good at it, and it makes life so much easier. But as his lies pile up, he finds himself in big—and funny—trouble with his friends, family, and teachers. (Product Description)

February 2011

2011-03-08T14:45:00.000-06:00

I know that, technically, winter doesn’t arrive until the end of December, and I know that it isn’t spring until the end of March. Officially that only gives us about 12 weeks of winter. Yet, for some reason I always think of Wisconsin as being locked in a cold, miserable, snowy grip for months on end. That’s why I’m always surprised by the weather in February. I expect it to be wet and downright disagreeable. And sometimes it is. Just look at the huge blizzard that swept through at the beginning of the month. But then you get a streak of days where the temperature is in the 40’s and you can actually see patches of green beneath all of that white (and sometimes gray) snow. I start to get hopeful. I start thinking about reading books on the beach. I start thinking about taking the dogs for a walk on a nice sunny day. And then another blizzard blows through in March. Oh well…

Whatever the weather, when it comes to returning your library materials, the Beloit Public Library has you covered. With our outside Book Return, you can return your books, cds, dvds, and magazines any time of the day from the comfort of your car. No more running through the rain or slogging through the snow to bring your materials into the library. Located on the south side of our building, you can get to the Book Return from the access road that runs between the library and Eclipse Boulevard. Just drop your materials in the slot and we will take care of the rest.

Stop in or visit us on the web at www.beloitlibrary.info and be sure to check out these great new books coming soon to the library:

The Complete Guide to Preserving Your Own Seeds for Your Garden by Atlantic Publishing Company. Seeds are the essence of life on earth, providing the genetic information needed for every plant we currently use for growing food, harvesting for clothing, and creating homes and furniture with…Which is why this book was developed to help any individual who is seeking to start preserving their own seeds for future use and growing. (Product Description)

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb by Marion Dane Bauer. In this exuberant, rhythmic story, March, personified as a lion, enters a boy's cozy home and leaves a trail of snow flurries and muddy footprints. The boy calmly observes the pouncing, howling, growling lion until in comes the lamb on the crest of a huge sneeze. (Children’s Book - Product Description)

Twilight Garden: Creating a Garden That Entrances by Day and Comes Alive at Night by Lia Leendertz. Covering basic planting and design principles that make the most of outdoor surroundings, this guide helps gardeners establish a unique nocturnal garden. Including chapters on night-scented and night-blooming plants, gentle mood lighting, water features, enclosures, and the use of color and sound to attract wildlife, this is the perfect starting place for gardeners attracted to the ethereal nature of a moonlit landscape… (Product Description)

January 2011

2011-03-08T14:44:00.000-06:00

You wait for it every year. You look forward to the glitz, the glamour and the celebrities. You try to guess who the winners will be. Some years you even throw a party for your closest friends so you can all revel in the anticipation and the excitement of the moment. And then the Big Day finally arrives…

Am I talking about the Golden Globes? Or perhaps the Grammy Awards? Maybe the Oscars? Nope. I’m talking about the American Library Association’s annual book awards for children and young adults. The winners were announced in mid-January and I’m happy to say that your Beloit Public Library owns just about every book that was on the award list.

Here are just a few of the winners:

The John Newbery Medal Award for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature goes to Moon Over Manifest written by Clare Vanderpool. Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was. (Product Description)

The Randolph Caldecott Medal Award for the most distinguished American picture book for children goes to A Sick Day for Amos McGee illustrated by Erin E. Stead and written by Philip C. Stead. Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee’s case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, keeping the shy penguin company, and reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide to return the favor. (Product Description)

The Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults goes to Ship Breaker written by Paolo Bacigalupi. In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota--and hopefully live to see another day. But when… he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life. . . . (Product Description)

The Coretta Scott King Author Book Award recognizing an African American author of outstanding books for children and young adults goes to One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. Even though her father and Big Ma will send them from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to stay with Cecile for the summer. And even though Delphine will have to take care of her sisters, … and learn the truth about the missing pieces of the past. (Product Description)

For a complete list of winners, visit www.beloitlibrary.info and click on the book lists at the bottom of the screen.

December 2010

2011-01-04T14:43:00.000-06:00

Last month I told you about my favorite book of all time, A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving. This month I decided to tell you about some great books I read this year. You might ask yourself, “How does she remember all of the books she read in the past 12 months?” Obviously I can’t remember every single book title off the top of my head, but the Library catalog (http://rockcat.als.lib.wi.us/) makes it easy to keep track of what I’ve read. Simply click on “My Record”, enter your barcode and PIN, go to “My Reading History” and click “Opt In”. The catalog will now automatically keep track of every book you check out from any Rock County Library.

And now, without further ado, I give you my 2nd Annual Ten Great Books I Read This Year list:

1) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The story of 11-year old Liesel living in Germany during World War II as narrated by Death. (Young Adult Fiction)

2) 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die by Adrian Tierney-Jones. It’s a good thing I don’t plan on dying anytime soon, because I’ve only tasted about 30 beers listed in the book. (Adult Non-Fiction)

3) The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever loved a stuffed animal enough to bring it to life. (Children’s Fiction)

4) Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee. The opening story of brothers Jerry and Alvin is just one heart-breaking example of how hoarding takes hold of people’s lives. (Adult Non-Fiction)

5) Life of Pi by Yann Matel. Let’s just say I hope I never find myself stranded on a raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a tiger on board as one of my companions. (Adult Fiction)

6) This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson. Yes, librarians save lives every day. Read this book to find out how we do it. (Adult Non-Fiction)

7) Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India by William Dalrymple. The author gives us a look at the lives of nine people living in India, all seeking their own spiritual paths.(Adult Non-Fiction)

8) The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Who knew growing up in a graveyard could be such a terrifying experience? (Young Adult Fiction)

9) The Danger Box by Blue Balliett. Zoomy, a 12-year old with OCD-like tendencies, finds himself in possession of a very famous journal.(Children’s Fiction)

10) Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. Set in Paris, France in 1942, this book follows the story of one Jewish family’s arrest and deportation. (Adult Fiction)

11) (…because my list goes to eleven…) The 100-Foot Journey by Richard Morais. From Bombay to Paris, from naan to baguettes, this mouth-watering book literally made me hungry as I was reading it. (Adult Fiction)

… and I checked them all out from the Beloit Public Library. Stop in or visit us on the web at www.beloitlibrary.info or become a fan of the library on Facebook. Happy Holidays!

November 2010

2010-11-29T15:29:00.000-06:00

Ask any librarian what their favorite book is and you will probably get an answer along the lines of “Oh, there are too many for me to choose just one.” Well, you won’t hear that from me. My favorite book is “A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving. I read it for the first time in college and I’ve read it at least 10 times since then. I made my husband and other family members read it and it is the first title out of my mouth when someone asks me for a good book to read. I cry at the same spots each time I read it and I find new things to laugh about as well.

At first I was excited when Hollywood decided to make a movie about the book back in 1998. Then I was nervous about whether or not the director would be able to do justice to the story line and the characters. As it turns out, I had reason to be nervous. The director strayed so far from the heart of the book that John Irving ended up pulling his name from the project and the director had to change the name of the movie to “Simon Birch”.

Well, at the Beloit Public Library you don’t have to worry about watching bad movies based on books. In the month of December the library will show three great movies based on three great books. On Saturday December 4th at 2:00 p.m. kids ages 8 to 13 can watch “A Christmas Story” based on the book “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash” by Jean Shepherd, in the Children’s Program Room. Also on Saturday December 4th at 2:00 p.m. teens ages 13 to 18 can watch “Eclipse” based on the Twilight series of books by Stephenie Meyer, in the Public Meeting Room. And finally, on Saturday December 11th at 2:00 p.m. kids ages 6 to 12 can watch “The Borrowers” based on the book by Mary Norton, in the Children’s Program Room.

October 2010

2010-11-08T12:23:00.000-06:00

A few years ago my friend Amber tried to teach me how to knit. I wasn’t very good at it. I held on to the needles so tightly my knuckles turned white and my fingers cramped up. My first scarf was so wide it ended up looking more like a long table runner. And I never really understood the whole knit-one pearl-two concept, so I just gave up.

More recently my friend Cheryl tried to teach me how to crochet. To begin with, I didn’t even realize there was a difference between knitting and crocheting. But there was, and I was actually better at crocheting than I was at knitting. I can crochet a decent looking scarf and I still wear the first one I made for myself. I am by no means an expert at crocheting. Just ask my brother-in-law and his wife. I crocheted a baby blanket for them and the first thing Chad said was, “It’s kinda small. Are you done with it?” Funny guy.

Whether you knit or crochet, it’s time to gather your needles and yarn to help out with the library’s 7th Annual Mitten Tree. From now until December 1st, the library will be collecting new home- made mittens, scarves, gloves and hats for the children of Beloit. All items donated to the library will then be distributed to local organizations that serve children. Last year we were able to distribute over 425 items into the community – let’s see if we can beat that this year!

And don’t worry if you don’t knit or crochet. You can cheat (like I plan on doing) and donate new store purchased items as well.

If you have any questions about the Mitten Tree, please contact Vicki Hahn at 364-5756 or check our website for more information: www.beloitlibrary.info

September 2010

2010-09-27T08:33:00.000-05:00

I love useless facts. I thrive on the kind of trivial information you can tuck away into the back of your brain and then pull out in the middle of a dinner party when someone starts talking about crazy college pranks. For instance, the very first documented panty raid occurred on February 25th, 1949 at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Or when friends are having an intelligent conversation about Isaac Asimov, I can tell them that he is the only author to have a book in every Dewey-decimal category.

Another set of useless facts was brought to my attention recently by my co-worker, Roger. A man named Alan McConchie conducted a survey with the intention of noting the regional variations of the use of different words to describe carbonated soft drinks. In the survey he asked people whether they use the word pop, soda or coke. Of the over 10,000 responses from Wisconsin, 2700 people use the word pop, 6900 people use the word soda and only 74 people used the word coke. What I found most interesting is that people from Rock County use the word pop most often, whereas people from Walworth County use the word soda. For detailed results of the survey, and a really cool map to look at, go to www.popvssoda.com.

So, how is all of this related to libraries? Hold on, I’m getting there. Whether we call a carbonated soft drink a pop, a soda, or a coke, it is still a carbonated soft drink. You can’t describe its very fundamental being any other way. It’s the same with a book. Call it a novel, a tome or a folio if you must. Heck, in this day and age you can even call it an e-book, but a book will always be written words bound for your reading pleasure.

August 2010

2010-09-07T12:26:00.000-05:00

September just happens to roll around right about this same time every year. Yes, I know all of the other months happen to roll around at their appointed time of year as well. September, however, seems to show up just when we need it most. Don’t get me wrong; I love the summer months of June, July and August just as much as the next person. I love the warm weather, the extra hours of daylight, the Summer Library Club (718 kids signed up this year!), and brats on the grill.

But I’m also a Wisconsin girl at heart, so I love the crisp fall air, wearing socks and turtlenecks, and sipping chai in front of the fireplace. That’s why September is such a great time of year. It signals a change of the seasons and for me it signals a time of renewal. A time to leave the summer behind, as great as it was, and to see what life has coming up around the corner. A time to move on to the next phase.

The Beloit Public Library is thrilled to be moving on to the next phase with our new Library Director, Kristi Howe. She’ll be here in less than two weeks and we’re excited to see where she leads the library in this next season.

If you’re just as excited as we are, I’m sure you’ll take the time to stop in at the library to welcome Kristi to our community .

July 2010

2010-08-20T09:21:00.000-05:00

July 2010
A few months ago, I wrote an article about why people use their public libraries. Most people I surveyed said the number one reason they use the library is for the books. Sure, they used their libraries to check out DVDs and CDs, for programs, and for information gathering. But it was the books that kept them coming back. A recent shopping experience got me thinking about one other excellent reason for people to use their public libraries.

I bought a set of sheets at a local department store over the weekend. The price was right, the color was perfect and I had money burning a hole in my pocket. I took them home, put them on the bed, and later that evening, snuggled in for a good night’s rest. Ah, sleep.

And then it happened. Three hours later I was tossing, and turning, and I didn’t think I could stand it any longer. Those darn sheets were so scratchy, I just couldn’t get comfortable. So, at 2:15 a.m. I told myself I was going to return the sheets the next morning, and spend a little more money to get non-scratchy sheets.

From 2:15 a.m. all the way to 9:00 a.m. when I returned the sheets, I fretted. I worried. I tossed and I turned. Would the store take the sheets back? Would I have to explain that I really only slept on them for three hours? Would they think I was some crazy sheet lady who roams the country buying and returning sheet sets?

All of this got me thinking about the books I check out from the library. If I check out a book and discover that I don’t like it or just can’t get into the storyline or the characters, I never worry about returning the book. I never worry about having to explain why I didn’t like the book. And I never lose sleep over thinking the people at the library are going to think I’m some crazy book lady who roams the country checking out library books and returning them.

Life is too short for a book you don’t enjoy. Return it, guilt free, and check out one that isn’t so scratchy.

June 2010

2010-08-20T09:20:00.000-05:00

I’ve been writing a Beloit Daily News column for almost three years now and sometimes it takes me a while to come up with new topics. So, when I can’t think of anything to write about in a given month, I like to just sit down, start typing and see what happens. I let my mind wander as my fingers move across the keyboard and hope that something magically appears. What should I write about this month that I haven’t written about before?

Should I write about the new public capital campaign? The one where our customers can donate money to the library to help with programs, computer replacements, supplemental signs for the library and art displays? If I write about that, I should probably let them know that they can donate online using PayPal, or by sending a check to the library. Or should I write about how our customers checked out over 500,000 items last year from the library? That’s an increase from 430,000 items in 2008. Or maybe I should write about the fact that in just the first three days of the Summer Library Club program we already have over 300 kids signed up? That’s pretty impressive so far considering we signed up a total of 649 kids in 2009. I know! I’ll write about all the great computer instructional classes we offer throughout the year. No, wait, I think everyone already knows about those.

I don’t know… maybe I should just keep typing? Something’s bound to hit me…

May 2010

2010-08-20T09:18:00.000-05:00

If you had told me years ago that one day my library career would revolve around taking care of a gangly group of fish, I wouldn’t have believed you. After all, I got my Masters in Library Science so I could teach the world about the love of books, right? Well, just this past week I got to stick my arm, past the elbow, into the library’s fish tank to move a rock to create a hidden cave for the stressed-out Regal Tang. I was then bitten by the Tomato Clown Fish, who was gallantly defending her territory and protecting the Sea Anemone. I’m pretty sure the Banded Coral Shrimp gave me a dirty look as I moved the rock on which he was feeding. And while I will admit the Sea Urchin and the Yellow Damselfish didn’t look like they cared much about all the goings-on, I think they were just secretly plotting their next plan of attack on my exposed flesh.

I love those crazy fish. Really, I do. In fact, the fish will be the main attraction this summer at the library during our Summer Library Club. This year’s theme is Make a Splash: Read!, and all of our “tween” and children’s programs will be about fish, pirates, bathtubs, sea people and just about anything else water-related. The Summer Library Club starts with our Kick-Off event on Saturday June 12th from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. with games, crafts, prizes, Scoopie, Culver’s frozen custard, and a chance to sign up for the reading program. Then throughout the summer kids and their families are welcome to come to story times, watch movies, see performers and make arts and crafts projects. The Teen Summer Library Club theme is Make Waves at Your Library, and the Kick-Off event is also on Saturday June 12th from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Teens can sign up for the reading program, play Guitar Hero and enjoy some snacks. The Adult Summer Library Club, Water Your Mind: Read, starts in July.

April 2010

2010-08-20T09:10:00.000-05:00

I recently conducted a highly scientific survey. The question asked was: If you use your public library, why do you use it?” What methods did I use to conduct this highly scientific survey? Why, I asked my Facebook friends, of course. Now you might think you can’t trust the results of this survey because I was asking my friends, and my friends are probably predisposed to using libraries. Again, using highly scientific methods (“guesstimation” and “making up stuff”), I would have to say that about 85% of my friends use libraries. 10% of them don’t know where their public library is located, and 5% are teenagers who think they can find everything on the Internet. By the way, they’re wrong about that.

But back to the results of my survey. Ann said that she uses the library because it’s a great way to connect with her community. Erin uses it to check out DVDs and Audio CDs. Dan said he just can’t get enough of that Dewey Decimal System. Phil and M.T. both said they enjoy the programs at the library. And at least two of my friends mentioned cute librarians as their reason for using the library. No, I didn’t pay them to say that. Overwhelmingly, the number one reason my friends said they use libraries is for, drum roll please, … the books. Alyssa said the library is the only place where she can afford to read more about people and places she discovered while reading historical fiction. Kimberly loves the knowledge, the stories and the history she finds in books. And Mike just likes roaming the stacks to see what book will jump out and grab his attention.

Yes, the library has Internet access, DVDs, CDs, programs, story times, study rooms and meeting rooms. But people from every walk of life will always come to the library for the books.

March 2010

2010-08-20T09:09:00.000-05:00

The award-winning Beloit Public Library. I like the way that sounds. Go ahead, say it out loud. Don’t worry, there’s nobody around to hear you talking to yourself. Say it slowly and stretch out the words award-winning. It just kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? The award-winning Beloit Public Library.

The award-winning Beloit Public Library is proud to have received several different awards in recent months. The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers awarded Cindy Gall of Engberg Anderson, Inc., their Gold Level Award for her interior design of the Beloit Public Library. Cindy worked tirelessly to blend together all of the library’s fabrics, paint colors, carpets and furniture into one amazing design palate. The library was also named one of Wisconsin Builder Magazine’s Top Projects of 2009. This award is given to new developments that have made a difference in their communities.

And finally, just this past week, the library was named the Spring 2010 Community Asset Builder. This award was given by Partners in Prevention, Rock County, Inc., which recognized the library for its support and dedication to the children and teens in the Beloit community. Along with this recognition, the library received a huge container full of arts and crafts supplies that we will use in all of the upcoming programs in the Youth Services Department. For more information on these fabulous awards, visit the library’s website, www.beloitlibrary.info.

February 2010

2010-08-20T09:06:00.001-05:00

My husband and I recently spent an expensive evening out watching the gazillion-dollar blockbuster movie, Avatar. The movie has made gazillions of dollars because people like us were willing to shell out a small fortune just to see it. Between the popcorn, the soda and the extra ticket cost for the 3-D special effects, we came home broke. Was it worth it? Heck yes it was. Seeing it in 3-D on a big theater screen with those cool glasses was truly amazing. But did I actually like the movie for itself? Was the plot compelling? Did the characters really come alive? Not really. The story line was a bit predictable and the infiltrator-falls-for-native-girl theme has been done to death.

Last weekend, all of Beloit played host to the 5th Annual Beloit International Film Festival (BIFF). 20 feature-length independent and foreign films, 19 documentaries and 80 short films were shown throughout the weekend and thousands of people watched them. Film festivals on the local level have been gaining in popularity and I think it is partially because audiences crave films with some substance. Audiences want to see award-winning films with characters and themes that touch their hearts and stir their minds.

In October of last year, the Beloit Public Library started a new program called the Reel to Reel Film Series. On the 1st Tuesday of each month we show an award-winning independent feature film and a short film. This month’s film, Mine, will be shown on Tuesday March 2nd in the Public Meeting Room at 6:30pm. It is a film about the human-animal bond and Hurricane Katrina. And just like all other library programs, there is no admission fee to the see the film. Take that, Avatar.

January 2010

2010-08-20T09:04:00.001-05:00

When I got my first digital camera a few years ago, I found that I started taking more pictures than I ever did with my old 35mm camera. Back in the pre-digital days you had to buy the rolls of film and lug them around with you. On a typical vacation I would take 5 rolls of film and get about 100 fairly decent pictures. That seemed like a lot at the time. By comparison, on the last vacation my husband I went on, I took over 250 pictures on my digital camera in just one day.

With my 35mm, I had to really think about what pictures I wanted to take. I didn’t want to waste expensive film on blurry shots of the dogs chasing each other around the backyard. Now, I can take as many shots as I want and just delete the ones that don’t turn out. I’m not sure which is better. Taking the time to get one quality shot? Or taking lots of shots hoping I can use at least one of them?

In the first half of the 20th century, most people probably didn’t have the time or the means to take a lot of pictures. So, the pictures they did take really meant something to them. Whether it was a picture of a home, of a child, or of a family gathering, pictures held a special place in people’s hearts.

Last fall, the Beloit Public Library proudly displayed a collection of photographs from the Beloit Oral History Project. Most of the photographs were of people and places connected with the Fairbanks Flats. The photographs captured moments of family life and community fellowship. They are photographs that show the true quality of the people who took them and of the people who posed for them.

In honor of National Black History Month, the library is happy to announce that these photographs will be on our website as of February 1st. They are part of our Digital Collection and are available for both viewing and printing. Visit www.beloitlibrary.info, click on Electronic Resources and then click on Digital Collections. Each photo is indexed by the year it was taken and by the people or places in the photo.

Everybody starts out small...

2010-08-19T16:18:00.000-05:00

Okay, here it is, my official first blog for the Beloit Public Library. Not much to it so far. Be sure to check back soon for my thoughts on the libraries in general and the Beloit Public Library specifically.