Books vs. Movies

Did you know? : Our Card Catalog on Your Mobile Device

Franklin County Library's card catalog is available in an app on your mobile device.  All you have to do is search for the Atriuum On the Go app. 

The app is free, but you will need a little information to get started: 

Server: franklintx.booksys.net

Library Prefix:  franklintx

Port:  set to whatever default your device sets

Julie's Journal : Dallas World Aquarium

If you are looking for something to do for the long Labor Day weekend, I have an idea for you.  Recently my husband and I spent a day at the Dallas World Aquarium.  We had a blast!  The experience starts before you even make it to the ticket counter.  The first thing we saw was this odd stork.

His beak was enormous! 

When you finally go inside you must climb a staircase or ride an elevator to the top floor. Then you begin a slow and easy walk down to the ground floor.  The trail lets you slowly spiral around the exhibits and makes sure that you don't miss anything.  We took our time because we found that the longer we looked at an exhibit the more we saw.  We learned quickly to look up high and down low; to look behind things and under them.  I nearly missed a frog that was at the very front of an exhibit because he was half buried in leaves and mud.

One of the dominating features of the Aquarium is a huge waterfall which is the centerpiece of an exhibit that contained numerous varieties of birds, monkeys, fish, and reptiles. 

 

We saw huge crocodiles, tiny monkeys with yellow feet, tiny monkeys with mustaches, sloths just hanging in a tree where we could get right up next to them, gigantic sawfish, tiny seahorses no bigger than my little finger, along with sharks, an octopus, jellyfish, king crab, penguins, and numerous varieties of tropical fish.  We even got to feed a bird a blueberry. 

We ate lunch in one of the three cafes on site and spent some time shopping in the gift shop.  All together, we spent about 5 hours in the aquarium.  It is definitely worth the price of admission.

Visit www.dwazoo.com for more information and to plan your own trip.

New Sidewalks Will Be Poured Tomorrow

***Sidewalks have been poured.  We are back to regular business hours.***

Unfortunately, that means that once again we will have to be closed.  The construction crew assures us that it will only be for the one day and that we will be up and running again on Thursday.  We are sorry for the inconvenience.  Once again, no fines will be charged for days we are closed.  We do have a book drop at the back door if you want to return something.

See you Thursday!

Tom's Two Cents : An American Tragedy

An American Masterpiece

Recently when I reviewed and recommended Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby, I realized that another major work of American literature was published that same year, 1925.  Written by Theodore Dreiser, An American Tragedy was in its day far more famous and influential than Gatsby.  Today the tables have turned and it is all but forgotten by the reading public, though it is still dutifully cited in major surveys of American literature of the 20th century.

Not surprisingly.  Next to Gatsby, a slight book of less than 200 pages, Tragedy is a ponderous tome of over 800 in a style that today would be considered almost unreadable.  Not that it's full of difficult words--far from it.  What becomes overly tedious is the author's need to leave out almost nothing in the telling of his story, plus his preference for gerunds (ing verbs) over active verb forms that may give his tale a sense of immediacy but also a very predictable redundancy .

All that being said, the work has a real sense of power that cannot be denied.  Like Gatsby, it tells the story of a young naive American's rise and fall through his aspiration to material success and his obsession with a woman, in this case two women, who create for him an insoluble dilemma.  Unlike most of today's novels, the book has virtually no sub-plots, focusing almost entirely on its protagonist, Clyde Griffiths, and the three women in his life: his highly moral and religious mother and the two women he is torn between, Roberta Alden, a poor factory girl, who becomes pregnant with his child, and Sondra Finchley, the beautiful, wealthy society girl he falls madly in love with.  The pressures these women bring to bear upon Clyde are enough almost to make him commit murder and indeed the novel struggles with a great moral  question: is the desire to commit murder almost as great a sin as the act itself?

An American Tragedy is a novel filled with substantive and moral ideas, a work that forces the reader to think, and think deeply, about the role and nature of human existence.  Hardly any wonder then that it mostly stays on the shelf these days--like most everything else in our society readers want quick easy fixes!

 

We Are Open!!!

We are open today!  However, construction is still ongoing, so if you come in be VERY careful.  We don't want anyone falling or getting hurt.  We will still have to close at some point when our new sidewalks are poured, so right now we are making decisions to open on a day by day basis.  Please bear with us.

New Sidewalk Construction Continues

The Franklin County Library will remained closed for the rest of the week.  However, staff have been working and watching the progress on construction. 

Needless to say, it's been an interesting week.

Believe it or not, I am working on some posts that have nothing to do with sidewalk construction and hope to get those up soon. 

We here at the library hope that your week is going well, and look forward to seeing you soon.

New Sidewalks in Progress

***UPDATE***

 

Unfortunately we will have to be closed the rest of the week.  We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Well, today they have starting tearing up our old sidewalks.  We will be closed tomorrow and Wednesday, but hope to open back up on Thursday.  Our schedule will be a little uncertain as the construction progresses.  Please bear with us as this process continues. 

We will not charge late fees for any day we are closed, but you will be able to return books through a slot in the back door.  The door is located on the west side of the building at the top of the ramp.

We appreciate all our patrons and hope you will be patient with us during this time.  Thank you.

Change is Coming

Good afternoon! This is a quick, yet very informative post... so pay attention! We just wanted to remind everyone that the sidewalk in front of the Franklin County Library will soon be ripped out and remodeled in the upcoming couple of weeks. We will possibly be closed to the public for a short stretch of time for your safety. More concrete (Ha!) dates will be posted as soon as they become available.


In the meantime, watch your step!

Chill Out at the Library

Trying to beat the heat? Sweating in unexpected places? Well, I have a deal for you! The Franklin County Library is chilled to perfection, and the books are cool. So why don't you come on in and soak in some cold air? You know what else is cool? Our It's So Hot jokes! Here we go...

It's So Hot... I saw two trees fighting over a dog.

It's So Hot... the best parking spots are gauged by shade rather than distance.

It's So Hot.... the chickens are laying their eggs sunny side up.

It's So Hot... the birds have to pick the worms out of the ground with pot holders.

It's So Hot... I saw a funeral procession pull thru a Dairy Queen.

It's So Hot... I saw a cop chasing a thief, and they were both walking.

It's So Hot... my thermometer goes all the way up to "Are you kidding me?"

It's So Hot... the Schwan's man started telemarketing.

It's So Hot... why don't you come chill out at the library with a good book?


If you have some It's So Hot jokes, we'd love to hear them!

And in serious news....
It's So Hot... Franklin County is officially under a BURN BAN.

Did You Know? : John Wayne Movies

Franklin County Library has one of the largest John Wayne movie collections around.  From the 1st movie he had a starring role in, The Big Trail (1930), to classics such as Rio Bravo, McLintock, Big Jake, and True Grit to the last movie he ever made, The Shootist (1976), we have a great selection.

We have old favorites, but also some of his lesser known works.  John Wayne appeared in 175 films, starring in 140.  The Franklin County Library has a collection of over 90.

John Wayne's career spanned 6 decades and gave us many treasures including many quotes we still hear today.  My favorite is “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.”  Franklin County Library has one very small connection to John Wayne.  Chance was named after John Wayne's character in Rio Bravo Sheriff John T. Chance. 

For more information about John Wayne's life and movies visit www.johnwayne.com.

Tom's Two Cents : The Son

A Review of Philipp Meyer's "The Son"

This time I'm giving you a review, not a recommendation: "The Son" by Philipp Meyer is not for everyone, and though it's written from three points of view (actually four, if we count the very late entry of Ulises Garcia) it does not succeed, in my opinion, in being any one person's story.  Of course it is purported to be a family saga, but the book follows no chronological pattern, and the constant back and forth from one time and character to another, largely in short chapters, doesn't build the book toward a feeling of forward movement.

The McCullough story begins (though it does not in the novel!) in 1849 on a South Texas ranch where two young boys are kidnapped by Comanches after horrific scenes of murder and other assorted violence to their family.  One brother dies, the other lives to tell the story not only of his survival, but his eventual rise to the status of a cattle and oil baron.  Eli McCullough, the patriarch, continues to dominate the family until his death, leaving numerous heirs, including a rebellious son, Peter, and a feisty great-granddaughter, Jeanne Anne, whose stories the reader is periodically privy to.

Of these the woman is the most interesting, but so much of the book is not from her point of view that I'm not sure women would find it that compelling.  Much of the book is devoted to "he-man" stuff, though Peter's affair with Maria Garcia is one of the few romantic elements.  Of particular interest to me were the Mexican-American relations, where issues and overt hostility run deep.

"The Son" is almost 600 pages, neither a long nor short book, with very accessible prose. But it's hard at times to keep the characters straight--fortunately there is a printed page of them, but you will have to do a lot if flipping back and forth to remember who is who. I'm not exactly sure what reading audience it's aimed for--perhaps it's you.

What does the Franklin County Library mean to you? - responses (group 2)

I wanted to share a link with you that I found today in my browsing. 

http://librarieschangedmylife.tumblr.com/

As you know, I have been asking for your stories and thoughts on "What the Franklin County Library Means to You."  I was very happy to stumble across this blog with the same idea.  Believe it or not, there are many people who believe that the time of the library is over.  They believe that a library can easily be replaced with the internet and e-readers.  One such example is another article I read this morning. 

http://www.rosenblumtv.com/2013/05/whats-a-library/ 

Mr. Rosenblum wrote that the library is "Another 3000 year old institution killed by the web."   We need to prove him wrong.  Those of us who love libraries need to introduce everyone we know to the joys of the library.  Read through the responses on the "Libraries Changed My Life" blog.  If you feel so inclined, add your own and help defend a great institution.

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In the meantime, here are more of your responses to my question, "What does the Franklin County Library mean to you?". 

"It's a happy go-to-meetin' place.  Being new to the area, a transplant from North Iowa, I very much appreciate your "southern hospitality" that heretofore, I had only heard about.  Not only your congeniality, but it's our local place that we can keep going to, to keep on learning.  There's so much to learn... to spark our interest.  If we ever get bored it's our own fault.  I am so thankful for you all!  Keep up the good work!  May God richly bless you!" - Virginia Brown

"The Franklin County Library is a great blessing to my family.  The staff are always very friendly and helpful.  They have a good selection of books that I enjoy, but they also have books that my kids really enjoy.  Coming to the library is a highlight for them!  They really enjoy the vault, and the summer reading program helps keep up their reading skills during the summer.  What a great resource for families!" - Richard Cox

"The Franklin Co. Library provide one with a vast amount of printed and electronic communication sources.  I enjoy the local and state newspapers, the large array of books and magazines.  It provides the capability of access to the internet.  It is a place to relax and have conversations with the always friendly library attendents.  Most of all it provides the people of Franklin Co. a source of local, state, and world activities at little or no cost to the community.  This library is a bright star shining in the Mt. Vernon landscape." - Thomas Knippenberg

"We love the library here.  We are very thankful for the friendly atmosphere and that kids are treated well.  We really have enjoyed the programs for kids like the Summer Reading and Events as well as the science on Mondays during the school year.  I also appreciate that there are new books and movies added fairly often.  The only thing I can think of that might be nice to add would be a few more things and events for the kids through out the school year.  We love the library and all you have to offer!  Thank you for all you do!" - Julie Jobe

"What a blessing it is!!  Where else can you go to travel the world and have endless adventures without spending money?  My children and I love the selection of books, movies, and puzzles.  Staff is always friendly and knowledgeable.  Franklin County Library is a Godsend and absolute gem to our community!!" - Windy Lowery and Gracie

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I am still looking for more responses, so let me know: What does Franklin County Library mean to you?

Cookie Dough Fudge

Summer is such as busy time at the library that I (Julie) don't always have a whole lot of time for much else.  However, this weekend I decided to finally try a recipe that I found online.  Now, there is nothing at all healthy about this recipe, so if you are on a diet you might not want to read any further.  :)  The title of this recipe is not a lie.  This fudge tastes like you are literally eating raw cookie dough.

 

Cookie Dough Fudge

 

Ingredients

For Cookie Dough
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, soften to room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp half-and-half (or milk or cream)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
For Fudge
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup half-and-half (or milk or cream)
• 4-5 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Line 8x8 square baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. For the Cookie Dough, combine butter and sugars.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla, salt, and half-and-half (I used 1% milk). Add flour and mix until just combined. Do NOT over mix.
3. To prepare the fudge base, combine brown sugar, butter, salt, and half-and-half (I used 1% milk) in a saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until butter is melted and brown sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Whisk in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until mixture is smooth and sugar is incorporated throughout. Stir in vanilla. Add more confectioners' sugar if desired. The more powdered sugar you add, the thicker, firmer, and sweeter the fudge will be. (I used 4 1/2 cups, but probably should have used a little more.)
4. Add cookie dough to the fudge base and stir to combine. At this point, the mixture should have cooled to room temperature. If not, continue to stir until it is no longer warm to the touch. Fold in mini chocolate chips and spread fudge into prepared baking pan. Chill until set, about 3-4 hours. 
5. Cut into squares.  I cut mine into 30 squares, but probably should have cut twice as many squares.  You really will only want a bite or two at one time.  This fudge needs to be kept in the refrigerator.  It gets too soft at room temperature.

Read more from the source: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/06/28/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-fudge/#ixzz2b7mCXNx3
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
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Watermelon Day!

Today was our annual Watermelon Day on the square.  We served free watermelon to about 80 people.

We are very grateful to Mike Parnell, for the donation of the watermelons.  They were wonderful!