Happy Halloween!

**UPDATE**

 

Chance found a friend at Trick or Treat on the Square

Most of the library staff dressed up today as librarians!  Exciting right? 

Chance decided to be different though.  He dressed up as one of the Hamsters from the Kia Soul commercials!

 

Chance even presented Tom Wilkinson (of our Tom's Two Cents column) with a copy of his book as a hamster!

 

Now it just remains to be seen if Chance can function while wearing the hamster head!

Chance's Corner: Read or Treat!

I was browsing through my Tumblr, just another social networking blog site one can get sucked into, and one of the book enthusiast blogs I follow is all geared up for Halloween. Today, they posted a story about What If Your Favorite Books Were Halloween Candy? That's certainly an odd thing to think about, but what if?

Well, here's the results:

 

One of the commenters on the post suggested Crime and Junior Mints. I certainly got a chuckle out of this. I hope you did too!

Word Wall

Earlier this year, a kind patron, who wishes to remain anonymous, donated the funds for some new furniture in the meeting room upstairs.  We loved the end results, but realized that in rearranging furniture we were left with a blank wall. 
 
Lisa decided that it was the perfect spot for a Word Wall.  We scoured the internet for the perfect quote and finally settled on this one from Caitlin Moran.

 

"A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life-raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination."

 

It took several hours of work - in fact Lisa was here until 10:00 one night - to get the quote up on the wall.

 

 

I think it turned out great!  What do you think?

 

 

 





Reading Habits Survey

I recently found an online survey about reading and reading habits.   I thought it was fun, so I pared down the original 55 questions to 25 and gave it to all the library staff.  I won't bore you with the whole thing, but you might enjoy some of the highlights.

Favorite Childhood Book:

• Lisa - We Like Kindergarten - She said her mother used to read her this book before she was big enough to go to Kindergarten and she couldn't wait to go.
• Julie - The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein - I had a hard time picking a favorite!
• Chance - The Captain Underpants Series by Dav Pilkey and the Akiko Series by Mark Crilley
• Debbie - Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss

What do you have checked out of the library right now?

• Lisa - I Work at a Public Library, by Gina Sheridan
• Julie - The World of Turner, Labor Day, by Joyce Maynard, and Forget Me, by K.A. Harrington
• Chance - Strangers on a Train
• Debbie - Fifteen Minutes, by Karen Kingsbury

Where is your favorite place to read?

• Lisa - "My big comfy chair."
• Julie - "My spot on the couch in my living room."
• Chance - "In bed, under a dim light."
• Debbie - "On the front porch."

Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

• Lisa - Several, I always am reading one and listening to another
• Julie - I like to have one fiction and one non-fiction going at once
• Chance - One at a time
• Debbie - One at a time

Least favorite book you read this year

• Lisa - I'll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson
• Julie - Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes
• Chance - Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• Debbie - Paleo for Beginners

Other questions included "Do you have an e-reader?"  We all answered yes to that one.  Chance and I both mentioned Robert Frost as a favorite poet.  The question about a favorite reading snack brought out strong responses from Lisa and Chance who believe strongly that it is improper to read and snack.  Chance said he didn't want to get crumbs on his books! 

Reading everyone's answers was fun.  Maybe I need to do a survey of our patrons.  What do you think?

I found the original survey at An Armchair By the Sea.

Julie's Journal : Unspoken by Dee Henderson

I think it is clear by now that I read voraciously in a variety of genres.  I enjoy bestsellers, classics, mysteries, science fiction, juvenile and young adult fiction, and nonfiction. 

One of our most popular sections here at Franklin County Library is the Inspirational Fiction section.  These books are written from a Christian point of view and are usually light escapist romances.  They are great reading for a cold, rainy, dreary day!

Inspirational Books cover both sides of this shelf!

However, occasionally, I find an author who's works are deeper and more intriguing than the norm for the genre.  Lately, I have been thoroughly enjoying everything by Dee Henderson, especially her more recent books.  Of her three more recent titles, Full Disclosure, Unspoken, and Undetected, I think Unspoken is my favorite. 

It begins with businessman Bryce Bishop closing up shop at the end of a long day.  He is the owner of an exclusive coin shop, dealing in rare and valuable coins.  He is reflecting on the success of his business and the fact that he is bored at work.  As he leaves, an intriguing woman introduces herself as Charlotte Graham and invites him into the shop next door.  She has set up a coin store rivaling his in every way.  She offers him an ultimatum - either he buys her out, or she opens up as a competitor.  Feeling as though he has no choice, Bryce agrees to buy her out.  Charlotte tells him that she has another group of coins that she will offer him for purchase in a few weeks and disappears.

Over the next months, Bryce gets to know the mysterious woman and finds out that she was once at the center of the most famous kidnapping case in Chicago's recent history.  She has changed her name and moved on with her life, but disposing of an inheritance, of which the coins are only part, has brought her back to Chicago.  Bryce finds himself intrigued both by Charlotte herself and the many secrets she holds close to the vest.  He is certainly not bored anymore!

I enjoy Ms. Henderson's style of writing.  She researches her books well, so that every scenario is believable.  Her characters have deep backgrounds that are slowly revealed.  At the end of each book, I feel like the characters still have depths left unplumbed.  Many of her books deal with members of the police, FBI or military, particularly the Navy. 

I highly recommend any of her books.  I hope she puts out something new soon!

Did you know? : TV Series

Did you know that Franklin County Library has TV series available for checkout?  If you've heard everyone you know raving about Justified, Criminal Minds, or Downton Abbey, but haven't seen any of them, we can catch you up.   

Series available at FCL are:

• Criminal Minds
• Duck Dynasty
• Downton Abbey
• Firefly
• Hart of Dixie
• Justified
• Longmire
• NCIS
• Once Upon a Time

Come on in and check them out!

Catching Up!

You may have noticed that there hasn't been much activity on the blog lately.  I'm going to try and remedy that over the next few weeks.  Now that computer classes have ended for the fall, I'll have a little more time to catch  up on a few projects.....including updating this blog.

Speaking of computer classes, we had a great turnout for our fall series.  The library hosted excel, social media, app, and photo editing classes in September and October.

We also gave away a wreath this fall at CountryFest!  Marcia Cargile won the beautiful wreath that Lisa made.

 

Don't forget to stop in and get your chance to win the Christmas wreath Lisa has made.  Tickets are $1.00 or 6 for $5.00.  Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Franklin County Library.

 

Marvelous Mondays have also been going on all fall.  I didn't get any pictures, but this week we used fire to suck a hard-boiled egg into a jar.  The kids were fascinated, and I was excited that it was a success!

Hopefully, in the coming days and weeks, I'll have a few interesting things here on the blog.  I hope to have some book and movie reviews, and perhaps a recipe or two for the holidays.  I'm always needing good ideas for things to put on the blog, so if you have any thoughts let me know.

Have a good day!!

Did you know? : Magazines

Did you know that Franklin County Library has magazines available for checkout? 

Upstairs in a little alcove, we have a whole wall of magazines.  Included are titles such as : Better Homes and Gardens, Country, Field and Stream, National Geographic, Poets & Writer's, Reader's Digest, and Taste of Home.  We have 32 titles available.  They are available on a two-week check out, just like books.

Just today, our mailbox was full of new magazines.

Come on in and get your magazine fix, for FREE!

What were we up to yesterday!

You may have noticed that we were closed yesterday for a staff workday.  We had just a little rearranging to do.  We have moved the kids' nonfiction and created an alcove for our Juvenile Fiction (ages 8-12). 
 
 

 
We moved the red couch in for seating and turned the computer for a little more privacy. 
 

These changes allow us to keep the Vault completely for teenagers. 

 

 

Although the Vault looks a little sparse right now, we have lots of ideas for the space.  Keep coming in to see what we do next!

Tom's Two Cents: A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

 

Published in England in 1924, E. M. Forster's "A Passage to India," considered his finest work, seems amazingly relevant to our own times.  The story of a young English woman's visit to British Colonial India and her unfortunate encounter(?) in the famous Caves of Marabar with a young Muslim Indian doctor provides the substance of the story, along with the perplexing question (hence the question mark in the parenthesis above) of whether or not there actually was an encounter at all!  If you are a reader who looks for finite answers to questions, this book is not for you.  On the other hand, if you are open to the view that our world raises far more questions than it answers, and that one religious view of the cosmos cannot possibly provide all the answers, you should find this an intriguing and stimulating read.

Anglo-India of the 20's was still very much British Colonial India (India did not receive its independence from Great Britain until 1947 under the leadership of Gandhi with the creation of Pakistan that same year under Nehru), but long before that it was a conglomeration of Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists, and beginning with the Christian Era, Christians, Muslims, and even Jews.  The subjugation of the Indian sub-continent by the British East Indian Trading Company in the late 18th century brought together a confluence of cultures that has existed into modern times.  All this serves as background that centers in "A Passage to India" on the tensions between Hindu and Muslim India and Anglo -Indian Britain.

The story itself centers about a young English woman, Adela Quested, who has come to India to visit her fiancé and see "the real India."  An overly zealous young Muslim doctor, Aziz, takes it upon himself to introduce her to "the real India" with a visit to the famous Marabar Caves, where an unfortunate series of incidents takes place that results in Adela bringing charges against Aziz for assault.  In a subsequent trial pitting Hindu against Muslim against Protestant, the melting pot boils over, and Anglo-Indian relations are tested to the core.  Adela leaves for England, her engagement broken, as Aziz and his chief defender, the English principal of the local Anglican school, find their friendship sorely tested.

Not the most exciting plot, you say?  Well, no, but much of the excitement and mystery stems from what is NOT known for certain, from the subtlety and angularity with which Forster tells his story.  A subsequent film directed by the highly regarded David Lean, (Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago) came out in 1984, highly praised.  The film, however, could barely encapsulate the beauty of Forster's English prose, of which he is a master.  Not for everyone, but surely for those who value style and substance over plot and character.  And for a book group a subject for discussion galore!

 

"A Passage to India" is available through Franklin County Library's e-book collection.  Come in to set up an account and download the Overdrive App to access e-books!

Computer Classes : Overview and Materials

As you may know, we are in the middle of a series of computer classes at Franklin County Library.  For a while now, I have been trying to figure out how to  make the materials for these classes available on the blog, and I think I have finally figured it out.

 

Last week's class was on Facebook and other social media.  Chance wrote a very helpful guide to performing some of the basic functions of Facebook, such as commenting, status updates, and blocking users.  That material can be found here. 
 
Tonight's class is on apps.  Apps are small programs that are downloaded to a mobile device to allow the user to perform a specific function.  For tonight's class, I have created a list of good apps.  That document can be found here.

 

You may have heard the phrase, "there's an app for that!".  There are literally millions of apps available to perform a myriad of tasks.  The list I have created is just a small sampling of all the apps available.  I just wanted to give you a taste of the possibilities. 

Did you know? : Books for Sale

Did you know that the library has books for sale?  And at bargain basement prices, too!

 

Many of our generous patrons donate their used books to us.  When we can or have a need, we put those books on the shelves for check out.  However, often times we already have a copies of the donated books or don't need them.  When this happens, we add them to our book sale. 

What's the price, you ask?  Well, that's the best part.  We accept any reasonable donation for our used books.  This means that YOU get to decide what to pay for the books! 

As you can see, there is a huge variety in our sale books.  In just this small sampling I can see religious books, a dictionary, non-fiction, and popular fiction.  Sometimes, movies and magazines are donated as well.  (Usually we give the magazines away for free!)

Come in and see what treasures can be found in our book sale.  The titles available change frequently, so come in often and see what's new! 

I Work at a Public Library

Recently, I came across this blog - iworkatapubliclibrary.com.  If you have a few extra minutes, you ought to take a look at it.  It is hilarious, and touching, and very, very true.  Gina Sheridan, the author of the blog, also has a book out by the same name.  I am HOPING that Franklin County Library will be getting it, just because I want to read it.

Her stories include odd happenings, such as the person who admired the librarian's eyelashes so much that he/she wanted to pluck them out with tweezers. There are also those unpalatable stories, like the librarian who helped a man find a source for fresh possum so that he could make a possum pie.  And then there are the sweet stories, such as the woman who moved and returned her library card with a note saying how wonderful the library had been to her and the man who just needed someone to talk to after a cancer diagnosis.   

I won't tell you how many of the stories on Ms. Sheridan's blog have happened here at Franklin County Library, but it's more than a few!  It is both a joy and a curse that every morning when we come to work we don't know what we'll be getting into.  If you want an inside look at life at a public library, check out her blog.