Daylilies are one of the more popular plants in Ketchikan gardens - I have a couple clumps in my own yard - but I have always found them about as exciting as a patch of dandelions. After flipping through the pages of our latest book - The New Encyclopedia of Daylilies: more than 1700 outstanding selections by Ted Petit and John Peat - I realize that daylilies are an amazingly beautiful plant. Ketchikan just happens to be overrun with the plain vanilla version (golden yellow, straight-edged petals).
Ah, but the possibilities! Doubles, miniatures, ruffled, multipetaled, spider, eyed and patterned petals abound in a complete rainbow of colors. Forget the boring yellow, try some deep red, purple, or black. Or perhaps a "peach-pink flower with a burgundy-purple eyezone and a picotee edge above a green throat". The double flowers, especially the ones with ruffled petal edges, are truly stunning. Page after page of gorgeous photos and intricate flowers delight the eyes.
One of the major reasons for the popularity of daylilies is that they are pretty much effortless plants, and they do well in our local climate. However, the chapter on cultivation (planting, diseases and propagation) is still very interesting and helpful. In addition, the authors include a list of daylily suppliers in the back of the book (complete with websites), so that you can start expanding beyond the 'John Doe' plants so predominant in Ketchikan. (And as your exotic lily varieties grow and need dividing, I think they would make excellent gifts for your gardening friends).
This is a very beautiful and inspiring book, and it makes me itch to rip up my garden and start anew.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Class of 2010
Know someone who's graduating next spring? Or any time within the next 6 years? Then you should have them read our newest book You Majored in What? mapping your path from chaos to career by Katharine Brooks. Her overall message is a good one: don't let your college degree confine you to a box for the rest of your life. Speaking as someone who did a 180° from my original degree (zoology) to my current profession (librarian), I can tell you that a diploma can be considered a stepping-stone.
Brooks has some really good advice for people beginning their career paths, and she debunks some common myths: most people have a job directly related to their college major; your earning power depends entirely on your degree, not your skills or location; employers will only accept degrees directly related to their field. She urges readers to brainstorm careers of interest, to reflect back on their past successes and weaknesses, and to be more creative in describing their skills and education (no, not lie about what you can do, but be able to explain to an employer how your science degree makes you a good problem-solver, or how your English degree makes you a good communicator).
She also has advice about applying yourself at college - actually attending class is her #2 suggestion, and a darn good one - and using your extracurricular interests to hone your skills and experiences, and to serve as a base for networking.
There is a lot of motivation-speak in this book (which is irritating if you're over 40), and a lot of workbook exercises (which are overwhelming if you're under 18), but overall the information is helpful and very timely in this shifting economic climate. 'Be prepared' and 'be creative' are pretty good mottos to live by.
Brooks has some really good advice for people beginning their career paths, and she debunks some common myths: most people have a job directly related to their college major; your earning power depends entirely on your degree, not your skills or location; employers will only accept degrees directly related to their field. She urges readers to brainstorm careers of interest, to reflect back on their past successes and weaknesses, and to be more creative in describing their skills and education (no, not lie about what you can do, but be able to explain to an employer how your science degree makes you a good problem-solver, or how your English degree makes you a good communicator).
She also has advice about applying yourself at college - actually attending class is her #2 suggestion, and a darn good one - and using your extracurricular interests to hone your skills and experiences, and to serve as a base for networking.
There is a lot of motivation-speak in this book (which is irritating if you're over 40), and a lot of workbook exercises (which are overwhelming if you're under 18), but overall the information is helpful and very timely in this shifting economic climate. 'Be prepared' and 'be creative' are pretty good mottos to live by.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The American Game
The All-Star break is next week, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, and it's after this midpoint in the season that the pennant races really start to matter. While you're waiting for your team to either break out of it's slump or stretch out it's lead to a few more games, you can bone up on baseball trivia with our newest book.
Splitters, Squeezes, and Steals: the inside story of baseball's greatest techniques, strategies, and plays is by Derek Gentile. If you're not interested in reading an analytical, scholarly work on strategy or a rehash of every move made in a single game in 1957, don't worry. This is pretty light reading, coming off as more of a Sports Illustrated article than a glowing tribute by George Will. Lots of photos, stats, charts & graphs make this book a great choice for parents who want to introduce their kids to the long lineage of the game and their favorite players from their youth. If you're new to the game and want a good grounding in famous names, legendary plays and common tricks of the trade, this book is perfect.
And if you're a true baseball fan, the information in this book will be familiar (although, if you've already memorized all the stats in this book, you're a bit obsessive) but it does make a great conversation starter (did Goose Gossage or Rollie Fingers have the best mustache? Who was a better outfielder - Roberto Clemente or Willie Mays?). This is a nice summer book, and a glossy tribute to the American Game.
Splitters, Squeezes, and Steals: the inside story of baseball's greatest techniques, strategies, and plays is by Derek Gentile. If you're not interested in reading an analytical, scholarly work on strategy or a rehash of every move made in a single game in 1957, don't worry. This is pretty light reading, coming off as more of a Sports Illustrated article than a glowing tribute by George Will. Lots of photos, stats, charts & graphs make this book a great choice for parents who want to introduce their kids to the long lineage of the game and their favorite players from their youth. If you're new to the game and want a good grounding in famous names, legendary plays and common tricks of the trade, this book is perfect.
And if you're a true baseball fan, the information in this book will be familiar (although, if you've already memorized all the stats in this book, you're a bit obsessive) but it does make a great conversation starter (did Goose Gossage or Rollie Fingers have the best mustache? Who was a better outfielder - Roberto Clemente or Willie Mays?). This is a nice summer book, and a glossy tribute to the American Game.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Jazz it up!
So we're just past the peak of daylight, and you still find yourself waking up at 4 am, and not being able to go to bed until 10:30 pm. What to do with all those hours? How about a little craft project to while away the time?
Stencil Me In, by Marthe Le Van, has lots of fun ideas for making your lampshades, mouse pads, placemats, windowsills and old t-shirts a little more interesting. Whether you stencil a decorative border around an entire room, or add a simple monogram to a wine glass, stencil designs are an easy way to make something ordinary look unique. Included in this book are 28 ready-to-use stencils so that you can replicate some of the ideas Le Van presents. It would help if you are already a little familiar with stencilling techniques, as the 'how-to' section in the front is a bit vague (for more detailed advice on how to stencil different surfaces and how to achieve different effects, I recommend The complete stenciling handbook by Sandra Buckingham). The finished projects look really fun, though, so this is a fabulous book for getting inspired.
Using a simple engraving tool, you can make your glassware more elegant, more personal, or more hip. Glass Engraving: 25 projects for the home, by Sonia Lucano, has ideas for flower vases, mirrors, photo frames, votives, even message stones! The templates are all in the back, and she gives you step-by-step instructions on how to apply designs directly onto a surface, how to shade a design, and how to lay out a repeating pattern. She does not, however, give you any instruction on how to use the engraving tool, so don't throw out the directions that come in the box when you purchase your engraver.
Crafting Fun: 101 things to make and do with kids, by Rae Grant, has the double benefit of creating beautiful things for your home and keeping your kids busy over the summer vacation. These are old-fashioned crafts (think pre-World War II), and the skill & interest level is for elementary school age. The crafts are also broken down seasonally, so that there is something in here for any time of the year. For summer crafts, you can make daisy chains, collect spiderwebs, make a beaded bookmark, sew a drawstring field bag, or make a seashell candle. Most of these crafts don't require much adult supervision - especially the simple paper crafts - but since the point is to do things together, even the most uncrafty adult can have fun with these ideas.
Stencil Me In, by Marthe Le Van, has lots of fun ideas for making your lampshades, mouse pads, placemats, windowsills and old t-shirts a little more interesting. Whether you stencil a decorative border around an entire room, or add a simple monogram to a wine glass, stencil designs are an easy way to make something ordinary look unique. Included in this book are 28 ready-to-use stencils so that you can replicate some of the ideas Le Van presents. It would help if you are already a little familiar with stencilling techniques, as the 'how-to' section in the front is a bit vague (for more detailed advice on how to stencil different surfaces and how to achieve different effects, I recommend The complete stenciling handbook by Sandra Buckingham). The finished projects look really fun, though, so this is a fabulous book for getting inspired.
Using a simple engraving tool, you can make your glassware more elegant, more personal, or more hip. Glass Engraving: 25 projects for the home, by Sonia Lucano, has ideas for flower vases, mirrors, photo frames, votives, even message stones! The templates are all in the back, and she gives you step-by-step instructions on how to apply designs directly onto a surface, how to shade a design, and how to lay out a repeating pattern. She does not, however, give you any instruction on how to use the engraving tool, so don't throw out the directions that come in the box when you purchase your engraver.
Crafting Fun: 101 things to make and do with kids, by Rae Grant, has the double benefit of creating beautiful things for your home and keeping your kids busy over the summer vacation. These are old-fashioned crafts (think pre-World War II), and the skill & interest level is for elementary school age. The crafts are also broken down seasonally, so that there is something in here for any time of the year. For summer crafts, you can make daisy chains, collect spiderwebs, make a beaded bookmark, sew a drawstring field bag, or make a seashell candle. Most of these crafts don't require much adult supervision - especially the simple paper crafts - but since the point is to do things together, even the most uncrafty adult can have fun with these ideas.
Friday, July 3, 2009
New frontiers in free time
Knitting is such a popular activity these days that there are dozens of new books coming out each month devoted to the subject. And, like cookbooks, after a while you start craving something really unique and original. There are only so many ways to roast a chicken, there are only so many ways to knit a pair of socks. (However, Socks à la carte : pick and choose patterns to knit socks your way by Jonelle Raffino has a great mix-and-match system for toes, bodies and cuffs that allows for hundreds of variations).
For some truly unusual ideas, check out our new book Pet Projects: the animal knits bible by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne. There are patterns in here for pretty much any pet. Dog coats, cat cushions, horse blankets and fancy dog collars make up the bulk of the suggestions, but there are some really out-there ideas as well:
For some truly unusual ideas, check out our new book Pet Projects: the animal knits bible by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne. There are patterns in here for pretty much any pet. Dog coats, cat cushions, horse blankets and fancy dog collars make up the bulk of the suggestions, but there are some really out-there ideas as well:
- A plastic knit water lily for your koi pond
- A hamster house (I wonder how that will smell after a couple of weeks)
- A knitted wire bird feeder
- A puppy sling
- A tortoise hibernation tent
- Rosettes for your prize-winning pets
- A carrot blanket for your rabbit hutch.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Busy, busy, busy
If you've been down to the public library lately, you may have noticed that we're a little busy these days. This has become a normal state of affairs for us in the summer, but regardless of how many tourists are crowded in our lobby, how many kids are turning in Summer Reading Club booklets, how many cannery workers are using the Internet, and how many books are stacked up on our shelving carts, we will always have the time to answer any questions you might have about car repair, gardening or health information. We will always have time to offer suggestions for new novels to read, audiobooks to listen to, and music to groove out with.
Just how busy were we last month?
Just how busy were we last month?
- Three times as many people used the Internet in June (1,823), compared to December (598).
- There was a 42% increase in people checking out novels (in the Children's Library, the increase was 295%).
- 827 more DVDs got checked out in June than in December.
- We had 385 parents and children come to Story Time (200 more than in December)
- 2 ½ times as many Young Adult novels got checked out in June as in December.
- Overall, our circulation in June was 62% higher than December.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Brush cat
This book might be about a bunch of guys living on the other side of the country, guys who say 'bawk' instead of 'bark', but the narrative fits Southeast Alaska just as well. Brush Cat: on trees, the wood economy, and the most dangerous job in America is about the loggers who supply us with the raw material for pencils, books, toilet paper, business cards, Chinese to-go boxes and IKEA assemble-it-yourself side tables.
Jack McEnany has lived in rural New Hampshire for twenty years, and he has compressed two decades of living around - and talking to - loggers into a really interesting book about the current state of small-scale timber operators. In fact, these operators are even smaller-scale than many Alaskan loggers.
The loggers in McEnany's book work one- or two-man operations clearing land for development, cleaning up after blowdown and working small private sales. These die-hards are adapting to changing timber supply, shifting demands due to changes in building technology, and public perceptions about the timber industry. They do so with a combination of determination, flexibility and 4-letter words.
If you're an old-timer in Southeast, then this book will spark quite a few memories. If you're new to Alaska, then this isn't a bad way to get a feel for an industry and a way of life that has been a major part of Ketchikan's history.
Jack McEnany has lived in rural New Hampshire for twenty years, and he has compressed two decades of living around - and talking to - loggers into a really interesting book about the current state of small-scale timber operators. In fact, these operators are even smaller-scale than many Alaskan loggers.
The loggers in McEnany's book work one- or two-man operations clearing land for development, cleaning up after blowdown and working small private sales. These die-hards are adapting to changing timber supply, shifting demands due to changes in building technology, and public perceptions about the timber industry. They do so with a combination of determination, flexibility and 4-letter words.
If you're an old-timer in Southeast, then this book will spark quite a few memories. If you're new to Alaska, then this isn't a bad way to get a feel for an industry and a way of life that has been a major part of Ketchikan's history.
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